Chapter 60 Being Followed
Gu Qiuyue slept for more than ten hours.
The dim morning light shone gently on her sleeping face through the thin mist on the ward window. Xie Shiyu had not slept all night, his eyes glued between his wife and the two babies lying side by side in the crib.
His rough fingers carefully stroked Gu Qiuyue's slightly furrowed brows, as if trying to smooth out the remaining fatigue.
Yesterday, her hair soaked with sweat after giving birth, her face pale, and the sleepiness that made her eyelids droop while she ate, were like knives that repeatedly cut into his heart.
He leaned over and placed a feather-soft kiss on her forehead. His low, hoarse voice was filled with relief at having survived and a deep, inextricable pity: "Yueyue, you've worked hard..." His eyes swept over her wrists that were resting on the thin blanket. They seemed to be more delicate and fragile than before she was pregnant, which made his heart tighten again.
The ward door was gently pushed open a crack, and Wang Xiulan poked her head in, her face filled with unconcealed joy, but her voice was extremely low. "Shi Yu, it's dawn now. Hurry up and tell your father-in-law, mother-in-law, your grandfather, father, and Elder Tang the good news." She tiptoed in, her eyes glued to her grandchildren, unable to tear them away. "Oh, my dear grandchildren, they are sleeping so soundly..."
Xie Shiyu took a deep breath, suppressing the fatigue and excitement from guarding all night. He took a last longing look at his wife and children before standing up and walking towards the door with steps that were a little unsteady from sitting for so long.
The black rotary phone next to the nurses' station became a bridge of happiness at this moment. Xie Shiyu's fingers trembled slightly with excitement, and he even dialed the wrong number twice.
When he finally heard his mother-in-law's familiar, sleepy "Hello?" from the receiver, his throat suddenly choked, and the emotions that had been pent up all night burst out. His voice was trembling with joy, and he burst out: "Mom, Dad, it's born! Yueyue is born! It's twins, a boy and a girl! Mother and child are safe!"
"What?! Twins, a boy and a girl?!" The mother-in-law suddenly screamed, and then the father-in-law asked excitedly in a changed tone: "How is Yueyue? How are the children? Are they really safe?" There was also a clanging sound in the background, as if something was knocked over.
"Safe! Everything is safe!" Xie Shiyu nodded vigorously, even though he couldn't see the person on the other end of the line. "Yueyue is exhausted and is still sleeping. The children are all fine. They have a brother and a sister."
"Oh my God!" Wang Xiulan came over at some point and grabbed the microphone, her voice loud and her face beaming with joy, "Mother-in-law, did you hear that? Twins, a boy and a girl! The older one is the brother, weighing a full five kilograms, and his cry is so loud! The little girl is a little smaller, but also weighs four and a half kilograms, and looks just like Yueyue, so beautiful. Oh, what a blessing, wow..." She praised the two little babies from head to toe into the microphone, as if she had obtained a rare treasure.
Xie Shiyu finally retrieved the phone and solemnly dialed the number of Tang Lao's home. When he heard the old man's gentle, steady, and slightly hoarse "Hello?", he subconsciously straightened his back and said in a respectful and excited tone: "Mr. Tang, it's me, Shiyu. I have good news for you! Qiuyue has given birth to twins, a boy and a girl, and both mother and child are safe!"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, and then Elder Tang burst into hearty laughter: "Great! Great! Shi Yu, this is a great joyous event, twins, a boy and a girl, this is a great blessing. Qiuyue girl has worked so hard, you must take good care of her for me!
"If you need anything, or any herbs or supplements, just ask! I'll make some arrangements and go see my little grandson and granddaughter in person." Elder Tang's joy rang clear through the phone line. With the elder's love and comfort, Xie Shiyu felt a warmth surge through his heart as he held the receiver. His voice became even more solemn: "Thank you, Elder Tang, for your concern!"
A month passed by so quickly amid the loud cries of the newborn and the hectic feeding and diaper changing.
Gu Qiuyue had a healthy constitution, and with Wang Xiulan's various nourishing soups and waters, she had recovered well, though her complexion still showed a hint of postpartum paleness. That day, she went to the hospital for a postpartum checkup as ordered by her doctor.
The follow-up results were generally reassuring. "He's recovering well," the middle-aged female doctor said, pushing up her glasses as she reviewed the test results. "It's just that his hemoglobin is a little low, suggesting mild anemia. Twins are very demanding. He needs to continue to improve his nutrition and take more iron-rich foods when he returns home."
Gu Qiuyue felt relieved, agreed with a smile, and stood up to say goodbye to the doctor.
The afternoon sun was a bit lazy, and people were coming and going on the main road of the hospital. Amid the hustle and bustle, there was a sense of everyday peace.
Gu Qiuyue, carrying her bag, walked briskly on a relatively quiet side road leading to the bus stop. The cool breeze of early spring blew across her cheeks, blowing away the smell of disinfectant in the hospital.
However, an indescribable strange feeling, like a cold, slippery snake, wrapped around the back of her neck without warning. The feeling wasn't from sight, but more like some silent, sticky malice clinging to the air not far behind her. She unconsciously slowed her pace a little and listened carefully.
In addition to the sound of the wind and his own footsteps, it seemed that... there was another sound of footsteps that was deliberately made light, but could not be completely covered up, keeping a distance that was neither far nor near.
An illusion? Gu Qiuyue's heart tightened, and she tentatively quickened her pace. Sure enough, the subtle, slightly dragging footsteps behind her became clearer, matching her rhythm.
Cold sweat instantly soaked Gu Qiuyue's clothes, and her heart was pounding wildly in her chest. Fear surged over her like an icy tide, but she bit the inside of her lower lip tightly. The sharp pain brought a glimmer of clarity to her chaotic mind - she couldn't panic!
She forced herself to breathe steadily, her mind racing.
A few dozen meters ahead on this auxiliary road, there is a fork in the road. One road leads to the bus stop, and the other... yes, it leads to the street police station, and that road is narrower.
I can’t be passive anymore, Gu Qiuyue made up her mind.
She suddenly stopped, as if she remembered something important, and quickly lowered her head to search in her bag. Her movements seemed a little flustered. With this big bend, her head tilted slightly to the side, and the corner of her eye swept back like the most alert searchlight.
A man wearing half-worn gray-blue work clothes and a dark blue baseball cap pulled down low was about fifteen or sixteen meters behind her. He seemed to be startled by her sudden pause and suddenly stopped. His body subconsciously leaned to the side behind a tree next to him, his movements stiff and abrupt.
Although the distance was not close and the brim of the hat was pulled down very low, Gu Qiuyue still caught a glimpse of the eyes raised from under the brim at that moment. They were sinister and fierce, like a poisoned blade, nailed on her.
What made her even more frightened was that when the man held onto the tree trunk to steady his body, the hideous and twisted old scar on the base of his right hand was particularly glaring against the backdrop of the gray work clothes cuffs, like an ugly centipede lying there.
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