Chapter 23 A Close Call: The car that escorted her home was nowhere to be seen...

Affected by the farce at the beginning, tonight's sales were lower than expected. As the crowd gradually dispersed, Zhu Liushuang sat on a plastic stool and massaged her aching back.

It was almost 10 o'clock, and there was still a little less than half a tub of mango smoothie left on the counter.

It seems... she won't be able to sell them all. She sighed, jumped up from the stool, and casually brushed the dust off her apron.

Although I wasn't in a good mood, I was still quite efficient with my hands.

Packing boxes, moving buckets, wiping tables, putting away lights... After tidying herself up, she was covered in sweat and tore off a tissue to wipe her sweaty forehead.

In my line of sight, a petite figure skipped and hopped towards me.

"Gu Gu?" Zhu Liushuang asked in surprise, "Why isn't she home yet? Where's your brother?"

Gu Xuting pouted, looking downcast: "My brother was pulled away by his colleagues to work overtime. He just left not long ago."

"It's almost ten o'clock. It's not safe for you to be out alone. Hurry up and go home!" Zhu Liushuang kindly urged.

“My home is right there…” Gu Xuting pointed to a wooden tower not far away and said, “It’s behind the Flying Tower Park, just a ten-minute walk away, very close.”

Zhu Liushuang liked "Gu Gu" from the bottom of her heart and was worried about her going home alone, so she suggested: "Anyway, I'm about to close up shop, how about I take you home? If you don't mind taking... a tricycle."

"Of course I don't mind! Sister Xiaoshuang, I've been eyeing your car for a long time..." Gu Xuting's face lit up with joy as she touched the exterior of the car curiously, "I wonder what it feels like to sit in it."

Zhu Liu smiled, rummaged through the carriage and found a pink safety helmet, handing it to Gu Xuting: "Then I'll show you how it's done today. Get on the bus quickly..." As she spoke, she patted the leather seat to her right with an air of dominance, exuding the aura of a street thug.

Gu Xuting was excited and chattering away as soon as she got in the car: "The pink helmet is a perfect match for my dress today... Sister Xiaoshuang, tell me, was this hat prepared especially for me?"

"Wow, this car is so cool, it even has a canopy! Will the traffic police stop us if we drive like this on the street?"

Zhu Liushuang slowed down the car and occasionally responded with a few words. Gu Xuting's quirky personality and a series of questions dispelled most of her low mood.

As night falls, Gucheng comes to a deep sleep. The tall camphor trees and plane trees lining the roads are lush and verdant, and under the dim streetlights, you can vaguely see the natural barrier formed by their intertwined branches.

On the asphalt road, there were sounds from electric tricycles, sporadic car horns, and the heavy roar of motorcycles.

No, motorcycles are prohibited on city roads!

What's even stranger is that she feels the motorcycle is right behind her, and it's getting closer and closer.

Zhu Liushuang became alert and glanced sideways at the side mirror.

A motorcycle was traveling diagonally behind them. The person on the motorcycle was wearing a black helmet, and their face was completely covered, so she couldn't make out who they were.

But judging from the man's build, he was a tall and muscular man. Could it be...? A bad thought began to creep in.

Zhu Liushuang's sixth sense was always very accurate, but at this moment she dared not think too deeply, and just kept telling herself: I must not panic!

As she sped up, she kept glancing in her side mirror and noticed that the man was just following behind them and hadn't come forward. She breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't dare slow down at all.

Gu Xuting was enthusiastically recounting the interesting things that happened at school when Zhu Liushuang suddenly fell silent. So she asked in a low voice, "Sister Xiaoshuang, what's wrong? Hey, this doesn't seem to be the way home. We should turn right..."

“Gu Gu, it seems like we’re being followed. But don’t be scared… I’m about to drive to the nearest police station. I got into a fight with a middle-aged man while I was setting up my stall today…” Zhu Liushuang explained very quickly, “You should call your brother right away and have him come pick you up at the police station.”

"Okay...but..." Gu Xuting's lips trembled with nervousness, and she could barely speak. Gritting her teeth, she immediately called Gu Xufeng under Zhu Liushuang's instructions.

It takes more than ten minutes to drive from Wanghu Road to the nearest police station. For Zhu Liushuang, those ten minutes felt like a "life-or-death escape".

As she drove through street after street, she had already reached maximum speed. The sweltering air was mixed with the howling of the wind, and a cool breeze swept over her from the back of her neck.

When the word "Public Security" came into view, her heart, which had been in turmoil, finally settled down.

The police station was deserted, but the lights in the reception hall were on.

The brightly lit hall had become her lifeline. Zhu Liushuang's palms were sweaty; she stopped the car and slumped into the seat, unable to move.

Through the side mirror, she saw the masked man on the motorcycle standing across the street from her, lingering for a while before reluctantly leaving.

The roar of motorcycles gradually faded into the distance, until they disappeared into the dark night.

"Sister Xiaoshuang, has that person... left?" Gu Xuting asked her anxiously.

Zhu Liushuang patted Gu Xuting's head, feeling extremely apologetic, and comforted her, "I guess so..."

But he quickly shook his head, looking bewildered: "I don't know either."

"So what should we do now?"

"It's nothing... He wouldn't cause trouble in front of the police station; he's not that bold. He's probably just trying to scare me," Zhu Liushuang said casually. "Let's just wait for your brother to come."

————

After waiting for more than ten minutes, a black SUV appeared at the entrance of the police station.

The car slowly came to a stop, and the door was pushed open forcefully. Gu Xufeng rushed out anxiously, his voice tense: "Tingting... is she alright?"

"How could you be followed by bad guys? Didn't I tell you to come home earlier..." Gu Xufeng held his sister's hand and checked her over from head to toe, his worry almost overflowing.

Zhu Liushuang stood silently to the side, watching this scene with envy.

Gu Xuting lacked confidence and stammered, "I just wandered around the night market... and then hitched a ride home with Sister Xiaoshuang."

The "Little Shuang Sister" who had been left out was finally no longer an outsider. Gu Xufeng turned to her apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, Miss Zhu. My sister has caused you trouble."

In the heat of the moment, Gu Xuting didn't have time to explain the reason clearly on the phone, so Zhu Liushuang took the initiative to step forward and explain: "It's my fault. Gu Gu was implicated because of me... That person was probably after me."

She briefly recounted the cause and course of events, speaking in a nonchalant tone, deliberately portraying herself as a seasoned veteran of the world.

Zhu Liushuang was relieved that the safety helmet was still firmly on her head. The helmet became her protective armor, and no one could see the paleness on her face or the panic in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry to trouble you to come all this way so late... I'll treat you to tiramisu for free another day." She apologized again. "Please take Gu Gu home quickly, she must be terrified."

Gu Xufeng nodded, grabbed Gu Xuting's sleeve, and started walking away.

As a result, they couldn't get Gu Xuting to budge.

Gu Xufeng's temper flared, and he raised his voice several decibels: "Gu! Xu! Ting! Hurry up and go home."

"Brother..." Gu Xuting's voice was timid, "Let's take Sister Xiaoshuang home too. It's not safe for her to go home alone..."

Zhu Liushuang, unwilling to trouble others any further, declined Gu Xuting's offer and got into the driver's seat of the tricycle. She urged, "Gu Gu, hurry home with your brother, your sister is fine."

She lowered her head, forcing herself not to look around, and quickly started the car and drove off the road.

Behind her, out of her sight, Gu Xufeng hesitated for a moment before agreeing to his sister's request. He pulled Gu Xuting into the car, then briefly explained to He Ming in the driver's seat, pleading with He Ming to help take someone else home.

He Ming, without any suspicion, immediately agreed. He stepped on the gas and followed the white tricycle that had driven a short distance away.

In the stillness of the night, the white tricycle moved along the asphalt road like a drifting phantom. It was moving very fast, and the modified canopy in the middle of the vehicle creaked and groaned.

The headlights cast a dim, yellowish beam, illuminating her way home. After driving for a while, Zhu Liushuang was surprised to find that the light from the rear of the tricycle was even brighter than that from the front.

Puzzled, she peered carefully through the transparent visor of her helmet into the side mirror. A black SUV was driving smoothly behind her, maintaining a perfect distance.

Zhu Liushuang was suddenly startled, and a bad feeling arose in her heart. She slowed down the car, wanting to get a closer look.

She recognized the car. It should be the one Gu Xufeng and his sister rode in.

The people in the car seemed to have a telepathic connection with her. When Zhu Liushuang turned her head to look behind her, the black SUV suddenly flashed its hazard lights a few times, as if it were silently greeting her.

Zhu Liushuang felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders, and a smile unconsciously curved her lips. The heavy burden that had been pressing on her chest had finally been lifted.

...

Half an hour later, the tricycle drove into the old residential area. Zhu Liushuang slowed down, crossed a small road, and drove the vehicle to the foot of his own building.

She couldn't wait to take off her sweltering helmet and expose her face to the fresh air. Her bangs were soaked with sweat, which dripped down her cheeks. She wanted to get home quickly and take a shower.

Not all the ingredients for tonight were sold out, so she had to carry one of the insulated containers upstairs as soon as possible to prevent the food inside from spoiling and smelling bad. Holding the heavy insulated container, Zhu Liushuang hesitated for a moment.

The black SUV that had escorted her home was nowhere to be seen. She didn't even have time to thank it.

Zhu Liushuang felt a little regretful, thinking that she should send Gu Xuting and her brother a dessert gift package next time.

————

As Gu Xuting boarded the bus back, she sneezed by the window. Rubbing her sore nose, she muttered, "Brother, Sister Xiaoshuang works so hard! A girl like her, setting up a stall late at night, and having to be wary of thugs..."

"It's heartbreaking. To remain calm in the face of something like this, it's truly admirable!" Gu Xufeng sighed, then turned to lecture Gu Xuting, "And look at you, always complaining about being tired while studying. You throw away your newly bought clothes after only a few months... You should learn from your sister Zhu."

He Ming remained silent the entire way, focusing on being a dutiful driver. Only when he heard the words "Sister Zhu" did his hand on the steering wheel suddenly pause, turning it only half a circle.

"What was that just now?" The long silence made his voice hoarse as he asked.

"Oh...the girl I met when I helped Tingting get her tiramisu last time. Didn't you say her fruit tea was pretty good? Her name is..."

“Zhu Liushuang,” Gu Xuting replied.

"Yes, yes, yes... Zhu Liushuang. Tingting really likes her." Gu Xufeng started talking non-stop.

He Ming didn't tell the siblings that he knew Zhu Liushuang, but only echoed, "It really wasn't easy."

That evening, after dropping Gu Xuting off at home, he unceremoniously dragged Gu Xufeng to the firm to work overtime. This meant half the night was wasted, making it a certainty that they would be working through the night to finish the report.

After a night of hard work, as the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window, He Ming took off his frameless glasses and rubbed his slightly aching brow.

He glanced at Gu Xufeng, who was fast asleep on the single sofa, shook his head helplessly, and went straight to the tea room to make himself a cup of black coffee.

During this time, he opened his long-forgotten phone to check messages, and found only a few greetings from his maternal grandfather, Xie Jingzhi, and nothing else.

The image of that white tricycle speeding through the night last night flashed through his hazy mind, and He Ming subconsciously searched for "Yueyin FM".

Upon opening the software, a new message notification popped up.

He saw Zhu Liushuang comment under one of his shows: "If I could, I'd love to escape here and stay in Zicheng for a while. To admire the flowers of Shangguan, listen to the winds of Xiaguan, watch the snow on Cangshan Mountain, and gaze at the moon over Erhai Lake. Tonight, something unpleasant happened; I was actually very, very scared. But… I met some kind people, so I guess I'm lucky."

"Kind-hearted person..." Is that referring to him?

He Ming turned off his phone, picked up his coffee cup, and walked out of the break room.

The sunlight outside the window was intense and dazzling. He squinted and stared at the tall sycamore tree outside for a long time.

After finishing his coffee, He Ming picked up his phone again and opened "Yueyin FM".

"Things may turn around, but please be careful." He typed a line and clicked send.

This was the first time He Ming had responded to Zhu Liushuang's comment.

In the early morning in Gucheng, the air is filled with the rich, oily aroma of cooked rice. Someone stands by the rusty window frame, watching the sunrise with him.

"Buzz—" A new message notification appeared on Zhu Liushuang's phone.

-----------------------

Author's note: Waaaaah, Shuangshuang, you're pretending to be strong, it breaks my heart.

He lit the way home for her... If Shuangshuang knew that it was He Ming driving, she would be very happy!

Thank you, little potato, for feeding me nutrient solution! *sticker* (Finally, I know where to see who fed me nutrient solution, haha, so happy!)