Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

As soon as Shen Jingshu entered the inner hall, Lu Jingxing noticed her immediately.

He was initially stunned by her stunning appearance, but then a question arose in his mind: why was she at the Mo family's banquet? Yet, his face remained calm, revealing not a trace of emotion.

Grandpa Lu, sitting to the side, was still unaware. Just moments before, Grandpa Mo had been enthusiastically boasting to him about his savior, saying he had already recognized her as his goddaughter. The Mo and Lu families had a deep friendship, which they kept secret from outsiders, but naturally they didn't need to hide it from Grandpa Lu and couldn't wait to show it off.

Grandpa Mo was still praising Shen Jingshu at length when he heard the greeting, but Grandpa Lu didn't turn around immediately. Only when Shen Jingshu approached did he slowly put down his teacup and look up.

In his heart, his granddaughter-in-law was the most outstanding and capable girl in the world. But when he saw the newcomer's face, Old Master Lu was stunned and blurted out, "Granddaughter-in-law!"

This address startled everyone in the inner hall.

"Mr. Lu, who are you calling?"

Grandpa Mo was the first to react, and said with a wry smile, "You old rascal, how can you just spout nonsense like that! This is my precious granddaughter, the girl Jing Shu I just told you about. What, you know her?"

Grandpa Lu smiled smugly and proudly: "Of course I know her, Jing Shu, she's my granddaughter-in-law."

Grandpa Mo looked utterly incredulous: "What nonsense are you spouting! Your Jingxing has always been averse to women, how could he...?"

Mo Hanzhou, who was standing to the side, was also startled when he heard the words "granddaughter-in-law" and his gaze fell directly on Shen Jingshu.

Shen Jingshu walked forward with a calm and composed demeanor, without the slightest hesitation, and nodded in greeting: "Grandpa Lu, Grandpa Mo."

Lu Jingxing stood up, took a step forward, and stopped in front of her, his tone carrying a slight smile: "Why didn't you tell me you'd be at this banquet tonight?"

Shen Jingshu replied calmly, "You didn't ask either."

"All right."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Jingxing naturally reached out and took Shen Jingshu's hand. This gesture was undoubtedly a public declaration of their relationship in front of all the elders. Shen Jingshu did not flinch, letting him hold her hand.

Lu Jingxing took her hand and led her to sit on the sofa. He then sat down next to her and never let go of her hand.

Mo Hanzhou's gaze fell on the two people's clasped hands, and a complex emotion that was hard for others to detect flashed in his eyes.

Two other elderly men, around the same age as Old Master Mo and Old Master Lu, were seated in the inner hall. They were longtime friends of the two men. Seeing this scene, the elderly men smiled and spoke.

An old man dressed in a Tang suit, leaning on a cane, stroked his beard and laughed loudly: "Hahaha, Old Mo, the girl you were praising so highly just now, turns out she's already a member of the Lu family."

Upon hearing this, Old Master Mo was taken aback at first, then chuckled and shook his head, looking at Old Master Lu: "You old Lu, you've kept it well hidden! I thought this girl was a treasure I picked up, but it turns out she was already reserved by your Lu family."

Grandpa Lu looked smug, raised his chin, and said with great pride, "Of course, our Jingxing's eye for talent is second to none."

Mo Hanzhou sat quietly to the side, his gaze fixed on the hand that Lu Jingxing was holding tightly to Shen Jingshu, his expression inscrutable.

Shen Jingshu remained calm and composed, showing no sign of embarrassment. She simply sat quietly beside Lu Jingxing, letting the elders tease and joke around.

The noise from the banquet hall not far away could be faintly heard, and many guests noticed the commotion in the inner hall, casting curious and inquisitive glances.

The inner hall was some distance from the outer banquet hall, and with the melodious music playing, the guests outside could only vaguely hear bursts of hearty laughter coming from the inner hall, unable to make out the specific content of the conversation.

Grandpa Lu smiled and gestured to introduce Shen Jingshu to the elders present: "Jingshu, let me introduce you to some old friends. You naturally know Grandpa Mo, and this gentleman in a Tang suit with a cane is Grandpa Shangguan. You can call him Grandpa Shangguan, just like Jingxing."

"Grandpa Shangguan," Shen Jingshu greeted him with a composed nod.

"Alright, alright," Old Master Shangguan replied with a smile.

Grandpa Lu then turned to the other side, pointing to an elderly man with a faint scar on his face and wearing a simple Zhongshan suit. This man was in good spirits and had a solemn aura: "This is Grandpa Ouyang."

"Grandpa Ouyang".

Old Master Ouyang was always stern and rarely smiled, possessing an imposing presence, likely related to his past experiences. Most young people would be intimidated by his imposing aura and instinctively avert their gaze when facing him.

Shen Jingshu showed no fear whatsoever. She calmly raised her eyes and met his gaze directly, completely unconcerned about the chilling killing intent that had settled upon him from years of battlefield experience.

Old Master Ouyang was slightly surprised. He had thought that a young girl of this age would be intimidated and avoid his gaze upon seeing him like this, but he hadn't expected the child to be so composed. A hint of approval flashed in his eyes as he slowly said, "Not bad, a girl with a very good temperament. She's a good match for this young man from the Lu family."

Lu Jingxing was an outstanding figure among the younger generation. Previously, the older generation had privately lamented that Lu Jingxing's fate was precarious, his lifespan short, and many secretly sighed that the Lu family might be without an heir. No one expected that this young man, who had always been indifferent to women, would unexpectedly find love and quietly find a beautiful woman.

In this way, Old Master Lu will no longer need to worry about the continuation of the Lu family. Even if the rumors come true in the future, and Lu Jingxing's fate is indeed fraught with hardship, at least he can leave behind a bloodline for the Lu family.

"That won't do!" Old Master Mo slapped the armrest, pretending to be unhappy. "Today I was planning to introduce my precious granddaughter to all of you old friends. As elders, how can you meet empty-handed on the first meeting? A gift is a must."

Grandpa Lu chimed in, laughing and joking, "That's right, the rules can't be broken, a gift should be given when we meet."

Upon hearing this, Old Master Shangguan laughed heartily, stroking his beard, and immediately instructed his attendants to fetch the prepared gift box. Old Master Ouyang, though still solemn, nodded, signaling his attendants to prepare the item.

The elders, who value etiquette highly, were delighted to see that Shen Jingshu was of outstanding character and that she and Lu Jingxing were compatible. Naturally, they were generous with their congratulatory gifts.

The atmosphere inside the hall was warm and harmonious, while the guests in the banquet hall outside continued to clink glasses and chatter. Only the faint sounds of laughter and conversation could be heard from inside, and no one knew what was happening inside the hall.