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

"Huh? That's not a good idea..." Shen Jingshu said politely, but she was secretly overjoyed—staying a little longer meant she could absorb more purple energy, and a meal would take at least an hour, which was a huge profit.

"It's just a casual meal with business partners, nothing special," Lu Jingxing said naturally. "Any dietary restrictions?"

"No, I'm fine with anything."

"it is good."

"Let's go to Half-Mountain Lodge."

"Yes, Mr. Lu."

Upon hearing the name of the place, Shen Jingshu's heart skipped a beat. This was the private restaurant that her older brother, Li Hanting, had taken her to last time. The dishes there were so delicious that they left a deep impression on her.

Lu Jingxing noticed the change in her expression and turned his head to ask, "You know about Banshanlu? Have you been there?"

"Yes, I went there with my older brother before, and the food there was delicious," Shen Jingshu answered truthfully.

Shortly after, the car came to a steady stop in front of the Half Mountain Lodge. The two got out of the car one after the other, and the driver drove it away and parked it.

Shen Jingshu subconsciously stood half a meter away from Lu Jingxing, maintaining a polite distance.

Lu Jingxing frowned almost imperceptibly. Just now at the old house, she had taken the initiative to link arms with him, acting intimately and naturally. Why did she suddenly become distant now, as if they were strangers?

"President Lu, please." Shen Jingshu politely raised her hand in greeting.

Lu Jingxing didn't say anything more and strode inside, with Shen Jingshu quickly following behind.

At first, he took large strides, and Shen Jingshu tried to keep up with him in small steps, but gradually she became a little tired and unconsciously slowed down. Lu Jingxing noticed this and subtly slowed his pace, waiting for her to catch up.

The manager recognized Lu Jingxing at a glance and quickly stepped forward, bowing respectfully to greet him: "Mr. Lu, what brings you here today?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the manager noticed Shen Jingshu beside him and immediately recognized her as the stepsister of the Li family who had come with the eldest son of the Li family last time. He then greeted Shen Jingshu warmly, "Miss Shen, hello!"

Shen Jingshu nodded politely in response.

The manager dared not neglect them and personally led the two into Lu Jingxing's private room.

This private room was far more spacious and elegant than the ones Li Hanting usually used. The decoration was extremely luxurious and sophisticated, exuding an understated nobility and showcasing the Lu family's status in Beijing.

Shen Jingshu sat in the chair, unable to resist looking around curiously. She secretly sighed in her heart, "As expected of the current head of the Lu family, even the private room is so grand."

As she was looking at the menu, Lu Jingxing handed it to her, saying in a calm tone, "You order first, see what you want to eat."

Shen Jingshu didn't hesitate. She took the menu, looked at it for a moment, and then looked up at the manager and said, "I'd like a sweet and sour pork rib."

After saying that, she handed the menu back to Lu Jingxing and added with a smile, "I'll just order this one. Please order the rest, Mr. Lu. I'm not too familiar with the restaurant's signature dishes."

Seeing this, the manager quickly spoke up and enthusiastically recommended, "Ms. Shen, our restaurant's signature dish is braised Dongpo pork. The meat is tender and not greasy, with an excellent taste. You should try it."

The manager added with a smile, "Ms. Shen, in addition, our store just received a batch of fresh seafood by air this morning, and the quality is top-notch."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jingxing looked up at the menu and ordered in a deep voice: "One king crab and one abalone, prepared in a light and refreshing way."

He paused, then scrolled down again: "Add a braised goose with tangerine peel and Sichuan peppercorns, and a claypot rice with black truffle and preserved meat."

His words were concise and to the point, reflecting his consistent style of doing things without the slightest hesitation.

"Alright, Mr. Lu, Ms. Shen, please wait a moment. The dishes will be arranged for you shortly." The manager respectfully noted down all the dishes, bowed, and left the private room, gently closing the door behind him.

Not long after we ordered, the waiter brought out two exquisite pre-dinner desserts.

Lu Jingxing looked at Shen Jingshu and asked casually, "Miss Shen, would you like a drink?"

Shen Jingshu quickly shook her head: "No, thank you, Mr. Lu."

"Then let's make Miss Shen a glass of freshly squeezed juice."

"OK."

While waiting for the food to be served, the atmosphere in the private room was somewhat quiet and awkward. Lu Jingxing kept glancing at her with a direct gaze, making Shen Jingshu feel uncomfortable.

"Mr. Lu, what are you looking at?"

Lu Jingxing spoke slowly, his tone devoid of emotion: "I'm thinking, Miss Shen is truly a woman of great talent. Should I call you Miss Shen, or Master Shen?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingshu's heart sank.

How did he know my background?

"Mr. Lu, I don't understand what you're saying."

"A member of the Xuanmen sect, still intending to hide it from me?" Lu Jingxing's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty.

"I am not a member of the Xuanmen sect." Shen Jingshu's expression was slightly cold.

"Oh? Then, Miss Shen, which school or lineage do you follow?"

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you that." She refused to answer directly, her tone becoming more wary.

Seeing that she instantly became wary, Lu Jingxing didn't press her for details and went straight to the point: "I mean no harm. Since Miss Shen is so knowledgeable in this field, could you please tell my fortune?"

Shen Jingshu looked up at him: "President Lu has a noble destiny and will be wealthy and noble throughout his life. There is no need to calculate anything."

She paused, then spoke clearly, word by word:

"However, Mr. Lu will face a life-threatening crisis when he turns thirty. If he cannot avoid it, his life will be in danger."

Lu Jingxing's expression changed slightly, but he remained calm: "In Miss Shen's opinion, is there a way to resolve this?"

Shen Jingshu remained silent for a moment, then gently shook her head:

"Forgive my limited experience, I do not yet have a foolproof solution. However, I can help President Lu suppress this calamity."

"Oh? What method?"

Shen Jingshu's gaze fell on his wrist: "President Lu must have been in contact with people from the Xuanmen sect before. This string of Buddhist beads on your wrist should have been blessed."

Lu Jingxing glanced down at the Buddhist prayer beads on his wrist, slightly surprised: "Miss Shen has a good eye."

"But the power of these prayer beads is almost exhausted," Shen Jingshu said frankly. "As you approach thirty, the auspicious energy in your destiny is becoming stronger, and the beads can no longer suppress it."

An excessive amount of purple energy can clash with one's destiny, which is the root cause of his death.

Those who possess such a profound aura of purple are destined for high positions, but also destined for loneliness and isolation.

Shen Jingshu knew that the most direct way was to get closer to him and slowly absorb some of the purple energy, which would naturally ease the clash. But she couldn't say this outright.

She said calmly, "I can give Mr. Lu a protective amulet. If you carry it with you, for a year, those evil spirits and malevolent forces will not be able to get close to you, and your calamities will be temporarily suppressed, ensuring your safety for a year."

Lu Jingxing listened quietly as Shen Jingshu explained the solution, and he already understood.

He could see ghosts since he was a child. When his grandfather found out, he took him to a famous ancient temple in Beijing and asked for a Buddhist bead that Master Kong had consecrated for decades.

Over the years, this string of Buddhist beads has never left his body, protecting him from many evil influences.

However, in the past year, he has clearly felt that the light on the prayer beads has gradually dimmed, and those ghostly figures have begun to appear in front of him frequently again.

But he was no longer the terrified child he once was; even if he saw it, he would simply pretend not to. Having witnessed so much of the wickedness in the world, he now felt that sometimes people were more terrifying than ghosts.

Shen Jingshu's offer to temporarily isolate him from these things surprised Lu Jingxing. He knew in his heart that the Buddhist beads were the reason those evil spirits couldn't get close to him.

The girl in front of me was able to see through the root cause at a glance and even offer a temporary solution; she was truly remarkable.