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

Chapter 1005 Lu Jia Asks Ran Qiuye for Help

After Qin Huairu finished speaking, she raised her hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, glanced at the deep twilight outside the window, and said cautiously, "Uncle Yi, I'll head back now. You know Aunt Tan's personality; she's sharp-eyed and quick-tongued. She might come back from outside at any time, and if she sees me lingering here, she'll probably start gossiping again. If that gets back to Jia Dongxu, he'll be in trouble again."

Yi Zhonghai wanted to ask more about the specific arrangements for Banggeng's move to the countryside, but before he could finish speaking, Qin Huairu had already turned and strode out the door, her blue cotton jacket disappearing in a flash by the doorframe. He stared at the empty doorway, his brow furrowed, his mind a jumble of thoughts: "What she said is true..." he muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the eight-immortal table. "Qin Huairu has been married into the Jia family for years, giving birth to Banggeng and raising three children—it hasn't been easy. Now that Banggeng is about to go to the countryside, and Jia Dongxu's leg is useless… If I don't get He Yuzhu under my control soon, who will help her in the future? How long can this old man like me protect her?"

The moonlight outside the window had crept up at some point, shining through the latticework and casting dappled shadows on the ground, sometimes bright, sometimes dim, much like his chaotic thoughts at that moment, tangled and impossible to unravel.

Qin Huairu paused as she left Yi Zhonghai's house, glancing towards He Yuzhu's house across the street. The lights were off, only the white light filtering through the window paper shone through. A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips as she thought to herself, "Just you wait, He Yuzhu, and your wife there. Don't think your lives will always be so smooth. If I'm not having a good time, I won't let you have it easy either!" With that, she pulled her clothes tighter and hurried towards her own low-ceilinged house.

The night passed in silence. Just as dawn was breaking, He Yuzhu got up and looked at Lu Jia, who had just finished washing up. His tone was filled with undisguised expectation and a touch of caution: "Jiajia, shall we go to the hospital for a check-up today? You've been saying you get tired easily lately, and your appetite has changed. Maybe..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the light in his eyes was already unmistakable.

A blush crept across Lu Jia's face. She nodded gently, her fingers unconsciously touching her lower abdomen. She felt both expectant and apprehensive: "Well, it's good to go see a doctor and put this matter to rest." She had indeed felt heavy-hearted these days, and sometimes the smell of cooking oil would make her nauseous, but she had never dared to say anything. Now that He Yuzhu had pointed it out, she felt relieved.

He Yuzhu hurriedly went to the kitchen to fetch the heated porridge and urged Lu Jia to drink it while it was hot: "Eat something quickly so you'll have energy on the way. I've already asked the factory for leave; I won't do anything today, just accompany you to the hospital." Watching Lu Jia sip the porridge, his heart pounded like a rabbit's—if they really had a child, the house would be even more lively, and he would have to quickly clean out that small storage room to use as a cradle room for the baby.

Lu Jia was amused by his nervous appearance and rolled her eyes at him, "Look how anxious you are, you don't even know what's going on." Although she said that, she couldn't hide the smile on her lips, and the tenderness in her eyes was like spring water that could not be melted. Sunlight shone into the room through the window, gilding the two of them with a warm golden edge, and the air was filled with a sweet anticipation.

Lu Jia watched Gu Nan's figure disappear into the alleyway, pondered for a moment, and then got up and followed him out.

He Yuzhu was picking vegetables in the yard when he saw her walking out. He looked up and asked, "Where are you going? Why did you suddenly go out?"

Lu Jia put on a natural smile: "I heard that Sister Qiuye is pregnant, and I thought she had experience, so I went out and asked her what kind of prenatal checkups are needed—I'm almost pregnant too."

He Yuzhu was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding, then waved his hand: "Oh, then you women can chat, I won't get involved, I'll wait for you here." He wasn't good at chatting with women about these mundane family matters, so he was happy to have some peace and quiet.

Lu Jia secretly gloated – this excuse was perfect. Ran Qiuye was always gentle and polite to her, so she wouldn't suspect anything. She walked quickly to Gu Nan's door and was about to push it open when the door opened from the inside, and Hei Zi wagged its tail and came out.

Lu Jia's heart tightened suddenly, as if gripped by something. She instinctively took half a step back, her back almost pressed against the wall outside the courtyard gate. She was terrified of the black dog named Heizi by the gate—Xiao Bao had mentioned to her before that the last operation had failed because of this dog, and several meticulous plans had been ruined by this intelligent dog.

"Sister Qiuye, it's me, Lu Jia," she called out from the doorway without daring to take another step forward, her eyes fixed on Heizi, watching its every move as if afraid the beast would suddenly pounce. "I have something I want to tell you."

Hei Zi squatted on the bluestone slab beside the door, making low whimpering sounds. The sound wasn't a friendly greeting, but rather carried a hint of warning. Its bright black eyes warily sized up Lu Jia, and its nose twitched slightly—its nose was very sensitive, and it could detect a faint trace of hostility emanating from this woman. Though faint, it couldn't escape its dog nose.

At this moment, Ran Qiuye carried the newly awakened Gu Shiwan out of the house. When she saw Lu Jia at the door, she smiled gently and said, "Lu Jia is here?" She then waved to Hei Zi and said, "Alright, go in. It's nothing."

Blackie barked, as if in response to its owner, and wagged its tail as it retreated into the yard. It didn't go far, but lay down under the pomegranate tree a few steps inside the gate, resting its head on its front paws, its eyes still fixed on the gate. If Lu Jia made the slightest mistake, it could pounce like an arrow at any moment.

Lu Jia watched Hei Zi's wary back, her heart seething with hatred, her nails digging into her palms, but she pretended to be nonchalant. Only when Ran Qiuye approached with the child did she manage a slightly stiff smile: "Sister Qiuye, did I disturb you while you were taking care of the child?"

"Don't bother me," Ran Qiuye stepped aside, sunlight falling on her face, her smile genuine. "Shiwan just woke up, so I carried her out to get some fresh air. Why don't you come in and sit for a while? I just had some plum juice left to cool in the room."

Lu Jia quickly shook her head, waving her hands in front of her: "No, no, I'll just say a few words here. It's like this, Sister Qiuye, I... I think I'm pregnant. I'm planning to go to the hospital for a checkup today, but I have no experience and I'm very nervous. I wanted to ask you what kind of tests I'll need to do?" As she spoke, her hand unconsciously touched her lower abdomen, and she tried to put on a shy yet expectant look, but a calculating glint flashed in her eyes.