Going Home

The day after the press conference, even the winds in Gedo seemed gentler.

Global media outlets continued to dissect every word Mo Qingli had spoken.

Her phrase, "Best wishes to J Country," was hailed by major commentators as "the most sophisticated declaration of victory."

Yet, at the center of the storm, calm had already returned.

The Lu Chenyuan family did not return home immediately after the press conference, as the outside world had expected.

They were waiting—waiting for an official gesture that would truly bring closure to this chapter.

At 10 a.m., a call came through to the penthouse suite of the Royal Grand Hotel.

The call was not from the Presidential Office, but from the office of J Country's newly appointed Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister's chief secretary spoke with humility and solemnity.

He conveyed the Prime Minister's personal invitation to Mr. Lu Chenyuan and Ms. Mo Qingli, proposing an informal meeting over lunch the following day at the Prime Minister's residence.

This was no diplomatic formality.

It was a gesture of goodwill, weighted with significance.

In J Country, the President represented the nation's dignity and history.

But the Prime Minister embodied its most tangible power and future.

"Please inform the Prime Minister," Lu Chenyuan said calmly into the phone, "that we are honored and will arrive punctually tomorrow at noon."

After hanging up, Mo Qingli emerged from the nursery.

"The Prime Minister?"

"Yes," Lu Chenyuan nodded. "He's more impatient than I anticipated."

"He needs this collaboration to solidify his position and prove to the people that his choice was the right one," Mo Qingli observed astutely.

"More precisely, to prove his sincerity to Xia Country," Lu Chenyuan corrected.

Mo Qingli walked to his side, gazing out the window at the city that no longer felt oppressive.

"So, our forced vacation is finally coming to an end."

"Yes," Lu Chenyuan wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "It's time to go home."

...

The meeting with J Country's Prime Minister went even more smoothly than expected.

No media, no flashing cameras.

Only the Prime Minister and a few of his core cabinet members.

The lunch featured simple, traditional J Country dishes. The atmosphere was relaxed, yet underscored with solemnity.

No mention was made of the unpleasantness of the past three years.

Every topic revolved around the future.

The Prime Minister explicitly stated that J Country's parliament had passed a resolution to significantly ease investment restrictions on Xia Country enterprises.

Particularly in fields like new energy, artificial intelligence, and modern agriculture, J Country hoped to engage in the deepest collaboration with Xia Country firms such as Yuanlong Technologies and Hanqing Technologies.

"J Country will always be a friend to Xia Country," the Prime Minister said, raising his teacup to Lu Chenyuan and Mo Qingli at the end of the luncheon.

"A friend built on equality, mutual benefit, and mutual respect."

Lu Chenyuan and Mo Qingli raised their cups in response.

From this moment onward, the trials they had endured personally became a solid step toward thawing relations between the two nations.

They had not only cleared their own names.

They had also opened a brand-new door for their country.

After the luncheon, J Country's government website published a series of memorandums on cooperation with Xia Country.

Country A issued its strongest protest yet.

This time, however, J Country's response was silence.

...

Before leaving J Country, Lu Chenyuan had a few matters to attend to.

He arranged meetings with lawyer Lu Jinlin and Professor Liu Jiuwen of Gedo University.

The location was Professor Liu's old residence, filled with the air of scholarly refinement.

Lu Chenyuan did not mention his impending departure.

He simply handed two documents to the two men.

One was the "Lighthouse" Foundation's five-year plan for additional funding.

The other was a detailed proposal for expanding the "Living Water Laboratory" and collaborating with all Xia-descendant communities in Country J.

Lu Jinlin and Liu Jiuwen were stunned as they looked at the figures in the documents and the meticulous planning that covered every detail.

They had assumed that with the conclusion of Mo Qingli's case, Lu Chenyuan's investments in the Xia-descendant communities of Country J would gradually cease.

After all, it was only human nature.

"Kicking the ladder away after climbing up" was the choice most people would make.

"Mr. Lu, this..." Lu Jinlin's voice was tinged with disbelief.

"Attorney Lu, Professor Liu," Lu Chenyuan said, looking at the two elderly men with sincerity in his eyes.

"From the very beginning, I've said that 'Lighthouse' and 'Living Water' were never for the sake of one person or one incident."

"They exist so that our compatriots can live with greater dignity and confidence on this land."

"This will not change in any way because of my departure."

"It will continue, always."

Professor Liu Jiuwen was momentarily speechless.

Adjusting his reading glasses, he gazed at the young man before him, slightly dazed, before finally saying,

"Mr. Lu, on behalf of all Xia-descendant compatriots in Country J, I thank you."

"It is we who should thank the two of you," Lu Chenyuan replied, standing up and bowing deeply.

"Without your tireless efforts and unwavering commitment, none of this would have been possible."

Lu Jinlin and Liu Jiuwen quickly helped him up.

They looked at Lu Chenyuan.

This young man had single-handedly stirred the political landscape of Country J and altered the course of history.

Yet, even as he stepped back after achieving his goals, he remained as humble and sincere as he had been at the beginning.

They knew that because of this young man, the Xia-descendant community in Country J now had an entirely different future.

...

On his last night in Country J,

Lu Chenyuan did not arrange any formal engagements.

Instead, he personally cooked.

In the extravagantly spacious kitchen of the Royal Grand Hotel, he prepared a home-cooked meal for a special guest.

The guest was Li Wenbo, the ambassador of Xia to Country J.

At seven in the evening,

Li Wenbo arrived alone, having changed out of his suit into casual attire.

This was the first—and only—time in three years that he had accepted Lu Chenyuan's private invitation.

He had followed protocol and submitted a report to his home country,

citing the reason as "a heart-to-heart conversation with a compatriot about to return home."

As soon as he entered, the aroma of food greeted him.

Lou Mengling and Lin Shuhan were in the living room, playing with Lu Shi'an.

Mo Qingli welcomed him with a smile.

"Ambassador Li, please have a seat. Chenyuan is still busy in the kitchen."

Li Wenbo was momentarily dazed by the warm, domestic scene before him.

Only he knew the immense pressure this family had endured over the past three years.

"Mrs. Lu, you're too kind," Li Wenbo said as he sat on the sofa.

"It's the least we can do," Lou Mengling replied, holding her grandson with a smile.

"Over these three years, we’ve all been grateful for your care, Ambassador Li."

Li Wenbo waved his hands dismissively.

"Just doing my duty, just doing my duty."

Before long, Lu Chenyuan emerged from the kitchen, carrying several plates of home-style dishes.

Stir-fried tomatoes with eggs, sweet and sour pork tenderloin, steamed perch.

All the most ordinary, homely dishes of a Chinese household.

He still wore an apron, a faint sheen of sweat at his temples.

There wasn’t the slightest trace left of the tech titan who had stirred the world’s winds and clouds.

"Ambassador Li, the setup is humble—please make do with what we have." Lu Chenyuan untied his apron and sat down with a smile.

"This is far more lavish than any state banquet," Li Wenbo joked lightly.

The meal passed slowly, quietly.

They didn’t discuss anything about work or the future.

Instead, they talked about the autumn in Jingzhou, the snow in Gotham.

They talked about whose features Lu Shi’an had inherited more.

Li Wenbo watched this family before him.

He watched Lu Chenyuan naturally serve Mo Qingli a portion of food.

He watched Mo Qingli gaze tenderly at her husband and child.

He watched the serene, heartfelt smiles on the faces of the two mothers.

And in that moment, he understood even more clearly why this young man had prevailed.

Because every scheme, every battle he fought, was ultimately for the sake of protecting this simplest of human joys—the warmth of a shared meal.

It was what gave him the hardest armor, and the softest heart.

After dinner, Lu Chenyuan and Li Wenbo stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows on the terrace.

"Mr. Lu, what are your plans after returning home?" Li Wenbo finally asked the question that weighed most on his mind.

"To rest for a while," Lu Chenyuan replied. "Spend time with Qingli and the child."

"And then?"

Lu Chenyuan looked out at the sea of lights shimmering across Gotham.

"And then, we’ll continue doing what we must."

Li Wenbo nodded.

"Safe travels," he said, extending his hand.

"Thank you, Ambassador Li. We’ll meet again back home." Lu Chenyuan clasped his hand firmly.

The composed diplomat studied the young man before him and silently added in his heart:

Mr. Lu, Ms. Mo Qingli.

You’ve not only carved a path home for yourselves.

You’ve also opened an entirely new road for our nation on this land.

Thank you.