Chapter 136 A Letter Appears Out of Nowhere

The night was gentle, and the "click" sound of the letter being dropped into the mailbox was still ringing in her ears. Xie Shiyu hugged Gu Qiuyue from behind, and the two stood quietly in the yard for a while. No one spoke, but they could feel the hope surging in each other's hearts.

"Go to bed early, you have to go to the workshop tomorrow." Xie Shiyu said softly, stroking her shoulder with his warm hand.

Gu Qiuyue leaned in his arms, feeling the rare tranquility: "Yeah, I know. But I always feel that something big is going to happen."

"It's a good thing." Xie Shiyu said firmly, "I see all your efforts."

The next morning, after sending her husband off to work and the children to kindergarten, Gu Qiuyue cleaned up the dishes, took a few new pattern sketches she had drawn last night, and walked towards the workshop.

The sunlight shines through the leaves, casting mottled shadows, and the air is filled with the unique fresh scent of early summer.

In the workshop, several women were gathered together whispering something. When they saw Gu Qiuyue come in, they immediately dispersed and avoided her gaze.

"Qiuyue is here." Zhang Xiumei came forward and took the sketch from her hand. "It's time to start today's work."

Gu Qiuyue smiled and nodded, as if she didn't notice anything unusual. She inspected the place as usual, checked the quality of the latest batch of products, and was satisfied to see that everything was in order.

"Sister Xiumei, Sister Cuifen, please gather everyone together. I have some new ideas to discuss with you." Gu Qiuyue's voice was clear and had a reassuring power.

After everyone gathered, she unfolded the sketches she had brought with her: "These are a few new patterns I designed recently, combining traditional embroidery techniques with modern aesthetics. Take a look, everyone."

The women gathered around and were immediately attracted by the exquisite design, and started discussing it in a lively manner.

"This peony is embroidered in a unique way!"

"I like this bamboo leaf one, it's elegant and grand."

Gu Qiuyue patiently explained, "This peony uses a multi-layer embroidery technique. I saw a master craftsman make it when I was a child. The master's craftsmanship was unparalleled, but unfortunately he disappeared."

Zhang Xiumei suddenly exclaimed, "Come to think of it, I went to the county cultural center a few days ago to deliver something, and I think I saw an exhibition of embroidery in a similar style. They said it was the posthumous work of an old artist."

Gu Qiuyue's heart moved, and she silently wrote down this information. After discussing the new ideas, she asked about Li Caifeng's situation seemingly casually.

Sister Chen took over the conversation. "I just went there this morning. The children are well fed and well clothed. It's just that Caifeng..." She lowered her voice. "She's still the same as always. She keeps mumbling things like 'believe' and 'wrong'. I can't quite hear her."

Gu Qiuyue nodded: "As long as the children are okay, I'm glad. The organization will continue to take care of Caifeng."

The afternoon sun streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on the desk. Gu Qiuyue had just sat down to compose an outline for her novel when she heard the postman call out from outside the door, "Comrade Gu Qiuyue, there's a letter for you!"

It’s a letter from Xinhua Bookstore.

Manager Cheng formally invited her to translate the social science work, and attached a draft contract and part of the manuscript. Weighing the thick manuscript, Gu Qiuyue felt that the task was arduous, but also excited by the trust.

She immediately wrote back, accepting the challenge.

After writing the letter, she looked out the window, her thoughts drifting away. It might take some time for the reply from Xinfeng magazine, but she couldn't wait to start writing.

As the sun sets, Xie Shiyu returns.

Gu Qiuyue handed him the letter from the bookstore, her eyes gleaming as she said, "The translation has been finalized."

Xie Shiyu read the letter carefully, his eyes full of pride: "This is a big project, but I know you can do it."

He picked up Huahua, who was playing nearby, and spun around happily: "Children, Mommy is about to accomplish another big thing!" Huahua giggled, and Shuangshuang also ran over and hugged Gu Qiuyue's legs. At this moment, warmth filled the whole room.

After dinner, Gu Qiuyue spread out the manuscript paper in front of the desk and began to organize the translation materials. Xie Shiyu played with the children. Occasionally, the three of them would look up at his wife (mother) at work.

"Mom's working, let's keep our voices down." Xie Shiyu made a "shush" gesture to the children, and Huahua immediately followed suit, covering her sister's mouth with her chubby little hands. Gu Qiuyue looked back and saw this heartwarming scene, and couldn't help but smile, her fatigue from work instantly dissipating.

Suddenly, there was a slight strange noise outside the courtyard gate, as if someone was passing by quickly, or as if something was being gently placed at the door.

The couple looked at each other, and Xie Shiyu handed the two children to Gu Qiuyue. He stood up vigilantly and signaled the mother and two children not to move. He quietly walked to the gate of the yard, took a deep breath, and suddenly opened the gate.

There was no one outside the door, only moonlight shining on the road. In a conspicuous place at the entrance of the courtyard, a brown paper envelope lay quietly, without a signature.

The night wind blew, and the shadows of the trees swayed, making the scene seem particularly eerie. Xie Shiyu looked around cautiously, but didn't see a single person. This letter seemed to appear out of thin air, and it made him feel a chill.

Xie Shiyu looked around vigilantly, then bent down to pick up the envelope, returned to the house, and after carefully checking it under the light, he opened the envelope.

Inside was a thin sheet of paper, with neat yet unfamiliar handwriting on it: "Comrade Gu Qiuyue: I know you are interested in literature, so I hope you will choose your companions carefully. Recently, someone has used your name to commit unjust acts, so be careful."

There was no signature or date, a mysterious warning that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

The handwriting was so neat it was almost rote, with the spacing between each character exactly the same, as if it had been written with a ruler. This overly neat handwriting gave people an indescribable sense of weirdness.

Gu Qiuyue took the note, her fingers trembling slightly: "What does this... mean? Who sent it?"

Xie Shiyu shook his head solemnly, walked to the window and carefully observed everything that was happening outside. The night was as quiet as usual, as if no one had ever been there.

He protected the children behind him, frowning: "This matter is not simple. The person who delivered the letter knows our schedule very well and chose this time on purpose." Gu Qiuyue subconsciously hugged the two children tightly, feeling an inexplicable uneasiness in her heart.

"Doing unjust things in my name?" Gu Qiuyue murmured to herself, feeling a strong sense of unease in her heart. This sudden warning was in stark contrast to her joy during the day.

Looking down at the unsigned warning letter, she suddenly realized: her creative path may not be as smooth as she imagined.

Outside the window, the moon had been obscured by dark clouds, and the night had deepened. Gu Qiuyue tucked the warning letter into the bottom drawer, but a seed of doubt had already been planted in her heart. She remembered what Sister Chen had said earlier: Li Caifeng had also been muttering about the "letter." Could there be a connection?

Unknown opportunities, inexplicable warnings, everything has just begun...

That night, Gu Qiuyue did not sleep well until Xie Shiyu held her in his arms and had a deeper understanding with her. She was finally too tired to close her eyes. In her drowsiness, a vague figure holding a letter appeared in her mind, watching her from a distance.