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

Chapter 977 Gu Nan's Considerations

Gu Bei watched Gu Nan's departing figure, his brows furrowed slightly, his lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing. Some things, no matter how much others say, are useless; ultimately, Gu Nan has to make his own decisions. All he can do is stand by and lend a hand when needed.

When Gu Nan pushed open the door, only a dim kerosene lamp was lit inside. Ran Qiuye was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), holding a sleeping child in her arms. Seeing him come in, she quickly came to greet him, her eyes filled with worry: "Where did you go? Why are you back so late? What were you planning to do?"

Gu Nan stepped forward, reached out and touched her forehead, his voice very soft: "Why are you awake? Did the sound of me opening the door disturb you?"

Ran Qiuye shook her head, her fingertips gently brushing against his dusty sleeve: "No, when I saw you go out just now, I thought you went to the toilet in the yard. I didn't expect you to not come back for so long, so I was a little panicked."

Gu Nan was silent for a moment, avoiding her gaze, and said softly, "Qiu Ye, there are some things... I can't tell you right now. It's not that I'm deliberately hiding it from you, but I'm afraid you'll worry. When it's time for you to know in a few days, I will definitely tell you everything."

Ran Qiuye looked at the weariness and difficulty in his eyes. Although she had doubts, she didn't ask any further questions. She simply reached out and straightened his disheveled collar, a gentle smile on her face: "Gu Nan, I believe you. You don't need to explain anything to me. I know that everything you do is for the good of us, mother and child."

Gu Nan felt a warmth in his heart, reached out and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head: "Okay, let's go to sleep first." After a pause, he added, "In the meantime, let's try not to go out, and keep the gate locked tight. I don't know yet which people we've offended, so it's better to be safe."

Ran Qiuye gently hummed in his arms, asking no further questions. She carefully placed the child back in the cradle, tucked the blankets in, and then lay down beside Gu Nan. The kerosene lamp was blown out, leaving only the moonlight streaming in from the window, quietly illuminating the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

Although Gu Nan was lying down, his eyes were open, staring at the dark beams above him, his mind a jumble of thoughts. He didn't know if his decision to go it alone was the right one—Wang Ran's hideout was nothing more than a den for imprisoning children. Just thinking about the abducted children in the cellar and Wang Ran's hypocritical face made his heart ache.

He knew the safest course of action was to tell Uncle Tong and let the police catch them all. But the words wouldn't come out—he couldn't explain how he knew about the cellar, nor could he explain where the details about the human traffickers came from. He couldn't possibly reveal Gu Bei's existence entirely.

He tossed and turned in thought for a long time, and weariness gradually crept over him. He closed his eyes listlessly. Tomorrow, just tomorrow. There was only one day left. When dawn broke, he could take Gu Bei to that cellar and rescue all the children. Whatever trouble might arise, he would bear it all.

Night deepened, and moonlight filtered through the window paper, casting soft shadows on the floor. Only Ran Qiuye and the child's even breathing remained in the room, long and peaceful. But Gu Nan, beside her, kept his brow furrowed. Xiao Bao's matter was like a thorn in his heart; he had thought about it for half the night, unable to let it go completely.

The night slipped by unnoticed, and Gu Nan finally drifted off to sleep as dawn broke. When he woke up again, the sun was already high in the sky, and a warm breakfast—millet porridge, pickled vegetables, and two steaming white steamed buns—was laid out on the table. This was the first time he had ever gotten up so late. He quickly sat up and looked at Ran Qiuye, who was changing the baby's diaper, with a touch of embarrassment: "Qiuye, why didn't you wake me? What time is it?"

Ran Qiuye turned around with a gentle smile on her face: "I saw you were sleeping so soundly, and I knew you were exhausted lately, so I didn't want to wake you. Breakfast is ready, so it won't delay you. Hurry up and wash up and come eat."

Gu Nan responded, stretching as he got up, feeling utterly exhausted. After thinking about it all night, he felt a sense of clarity—no grudges or entanglements mattered as much as this family in front of him; everything else had to take a backseat.

After breakfast, Gu Nan got ready to go to work. There was a lot of work piling up at the factory. As he put on his coat, he instructed Ran Qiuye, "Qiuye, remember, these next few days, no matter who calls you or what they say, don't go out. Stay home and take care of the child. Wait for me to come back, understand?"

Ran Qiuye, holding the child, nodded: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I'll just stay home and not go anywhere. Speaking of which, I really miss Sister Xiao'e. I wonder how she's doing out there."

"No rush," Gu Nan said, smoothing the stray hairs from her forehead. "Lou Xiao'e will be back in a couple of days. We'll have her come stay at our house for a few days so you can have a good talk."

Ran Qiuye smiled and agreed, saying nothing more. She knew that in the current situation, it was always better to be cautious.

Gu Nan pushed open the door and walked out. Just as she reached the courtyard gate, she bumped into Lu Jia and He Yuzhu. Lu Jia's face was expressionless, but her eyes held an indescribable complexity, even concealing a hint of suppressed anger—she had received news that Xiao Bao's men had suffered heavy losses, yet Gu Nan seemed completely unaffected, going to work and living her life as usual. What worried her even more was that she hadn't been able to contact Xiao Bao for two days; it was as if he had vanished into thin air.

"Zhu Zi, let's go to work, or we'll be late," Lu Jia urged, her tone a little impatient.

He Yuzhu originally wanted to greet Gu Nan, but after opening his mouth, he couldn't think of anything to say, so he could only awkwardly follow Lu Jia to the alley entrance.

Gu Nan watched Lu Jia's retreating figure, his gaze darkening. This woman's recent behavior had been too abnormal; Xiao Bao's affair was most likely related to her. However, he hadn't yet gathered concrete evidence. No rush; once he found it, he'd have plenty of ways to deal with her.

Just as he was about to take a step, he caught a glimpse of Gu Bei in the corner of his eye. The two didn't speak, only exchanged a glance. Gu Bei instantly understood his meaning—guard the courtyard and keep an eye on the family. He nodded, found a stone step overlooking the courtyard gate, and sat down, his gaze fixed on the direction of the courtyard house. Hei Zi had gone out with Gu Nan last night and hadn't returned yet; for the next few days, he would have to keep an eye on things from outside.

As the morning light gradually filled the alley, Gu Nan straightened his clothes and turned to walk towards the factory. No matter how many storms raged behind the scenes, life had to go on, and the responsibilities that needed to be borne had to be shouldered.