Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Chapter 1174 Unexpected

Qin Huairu raised her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, which had been ruffled by the evening breeze. The stray hairs clung to her cheeks, tickling her slightly. She glanced at the sky; the setting sun was painting the western clouds a deep crimson, like splashes of rouge. Smoke from cooking fires rose from the alleyways, mingling with the aroma of coal smoke and food, drifting slowly in the twilight. She turned to He Yuzhu, her voice soft: "Yuzhu, it's getting late. Shouldn't we head back? Banggeng might be waiting at home. If he eats dinner late, he'll definitely be restless tonight."

He Yuzhu didn't move, his feet seemingly rooted to the spot. His eyes shone brightly as he looked at her, the light within them warmer than the evening glow: "Sister Qin, what's the rush? Actually, I know a friend who runs a hotel not far ahead. It's very clean and quiet. Let's go there, rest our feet, have some hot tea to warm ourselves up, okay?"

Qin Huairu's cheeks flushed slightly, as if bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun. She naturally understood the meaning behind his words. These days, there had been many things going on at home—Bang Geng had been arrested and then released, and Jia Dongxu was sighing every day. She felt a heavy weight pressing on her heart and really wanted to find a place to relax and escape all that chaotic, upsetting stuff. She lowered her eyes, nodded gently, and whispered, "Okay, I…I'm tired too."

He Yuzhu immediately broke into a smile, his eyes crinkling with wrinkles. He quickly led the way, glancing back at her every few steps, occasionally reaching out to help her, muttering "Walk slowly" and "There's a bump here." The warmth in his eyes was impossible to hide, like a little sun shining inside.

On the other side, Lu Jia and Ran Qiuye came out of the clinic, carrying a paper bag containing medication prescribed by the doctor to prevent miscarriage. The corner of the bag swayed gently in the wind. As they slowly walked back, Lu Jia, with her sharp eyes, suddenly tugged at Ran Qiuye's arm as they turned the corner, her voice tinged with uncertainty: "Qiuye, look over there, isn't that He Yuzhu?"

Ran Qiuye looked in the direction she was pointing and saw He Yuzhu helping a woman walk forward under a streetlamp not far away. The woman was wearing a blue cotton jacket, and her profile looked familiar. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Qin Huairu from the Central Courtyard! The two were walking quite close, with He Yuzhu's hand on her waist. He would occasionally lean down and say something, and the woman would also turn her head slightly to listen. Their actions were very intimate, unlike those of ordinary neighbors. Ran Qiuye's heart skipped a beat, as if something had poked at her, but she remained silent—after all, this was someone else's business, between husband and wife, or between neighbors, things that were hard to explain. As an outsider, it would be annoying to interrupt, and it wouldn't be good if she upset Lu Jia, who was pregnant.

Lu Jia had already recognized him and deliberately widened her eyes, showing a surprised expression: "Sister Qiuye, am I not mistaken? Was that really He Yuzhu? And the one next to him... looks just like Qin Huairu, Sister Qin? Where are they going?"

Ran Qiuye could no longer pretend she hadn't seen it, so she nodded and said in as calm a tone as possible, "That's right, it's him. The one next to him should be Qin Huairu."

Lu Jia nodded inwardly, half of her initial goal already achieved, but her face showed a troubled and uneasy expression, her fingers gripping the paper string of the medicine packet so tightly it almost snapped: "Sister Qiuye, where are those two... going? They seem strange. Why don't you... come with me to check? I'm feeling really uneasy, something just doesn't feel right. He said he'd bring me some sweet cakes this morning..."

Ran Qiuye hesitated for a moment, feeling that secretly following someone was indeed inappropriate, like invading their privacy. But seeing Lu Jia with her big belly, looking worried and helpless, she swallowed back the words of refusal that were on the tip of her tongue, and could only agree: "Then... let's just look from a distance, don't get too close, so as not to misunderstand her."

The two slowed their pace, keeping a few steps apart, and quietly followed behind He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu. They saw the two stop every few steps to say something. He Yuzhu said something that made Qin Huairu smile, and she gently patted him. A moment later, He Yuzhu reached out and straightened Qin Huairu's scarf, which had been blown askew by the wind. Qin Huairu didn't flinch; she even reached out to brush the dust off his shoulders. The gestures were very intimate, and anyone who saw them could tell their relationship was special, far exceeding the ordinary "sibling" bond.

Lu Jia saw all this, her heart as still as ice, but her face betrayed her hurt and anger. Her eyes slowly reddened, and her voice trembled slightly: "Sister Qiuye, how could this happen... He said this morning that he would make me chicken soup tonight to help me recover, saying that my pregnancy was unstable lately..."

Ran Qiuye was at a loss for words because of her appearance, so she reached out and patted her back, gently comforting her: "Don't overthink it, maybe they just bumped into each other on the road and chatted. Let's see where they are going first, don't guess wildly, maybe they're just going to someone's house to borrow something."

The two followed for about half a block, and saw He Yuzhu helping Qin Huairu into a shop with a wooden sign that read "Welcome Inn." The shopkeeper at the door greeted them warmly, "Master He is here? Please come in, we just boiled some water!" Lu Jia stopped, tugged at Ran Qiuye's arm, and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Sister Qiuye, it's getting late, we should go back. Waiting any longer... is pointless..."

Ran Qiuye wanted to say something, but then she thought that this was ultimately Lu Jia's family matter, and it was really inappropriate for an outsider like herself to get involved. Seeing Lu Jia's distraught appearance, she felt sorry for her and nodded: "Alright, go back. It's chilly at night, you can't catch a cold."

On the way to the courtyard house, Lu Jia kept her head down, her shoulders trembling slightly, as if she had suffered a great injustice. After a long while, she finally raised her head, her eyes red-rimmed, tears still clinging to her eyelashes. Looking at Ran Qiuye, her voice was pleading: "Sister Qiuye, could you please keep this a secret for me? I'm pregnant now and can't take any more stress. I really don't want this to become a big deal. It's embarrassing if word gets out, and what if it affects the baby..."

Ran Qiuye nodded quickly, patted her hand, and said sincerely, "Don't worry, we're friends, I definitely won't tell anyone. Don't take it to heart, your health is the most important thing. If you're ever feeling down, feel free to come and talk to me."

Lu Jia hummed in agreement, her head bowed, making her expression unreadable. Inwardly, however, she was secretly pleased—not only had Ran Qiuye witnessed He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu's shady dealings and completely believed her "grievances," but she had also made Ran Qiuye owe her a favor of "keeping it a secret." From now on, their relationship would only grow closer, and Ran Qiuye would trust her more and more.

Back at the entrance of the courtyard house, Lu Jia stopped and said to Ran Qiuye, "Sister Qiuye, I'm going back to rest now, I'm a little tired."