Guan Wenru had already entered an old public phone booth. She inserted a coin and dialed her home number.
After a few buzzing static and busy tones from the receiver, the call was answered.
Xi Mufan's voice came from the other end of the phone, "This is Director Guan's house. May I ask who this is?"
Guan Wenru laughed. "Xi Mufan, it's me, Wenru. I've arrived in the provincial capital and just settled in."
Xi Mufan smiled and said, "Oh, it's Factory Director Guan himself! Good to see you here. Was the journey smooth?"
"It went quite smoothly."
Xi Mufan guessed that Guan Wenru was worried about the children, and quickly said, "Don't worry, the children have been brought back. They were just crying and wanted to find their mother. Please wait a moment..."
Xi Mufan put down the phone and went to the yard to call the triplets, "He Yi, He Qi, He Sheng, come back quickly, your mother is on the phone!"
"Wow!" The triplets forgot all about playing and immediately got up and ran back.
Guan Wenru soon heard a series of chaotic footsteps and the sounds of children scrambling to get to the other end of the line through the receiver.
He Yi eagerly asked, "Mom! Have you arrived yet? What's fun to do in the provincial capital? Did you go to the movies?"
Guan Wenru smiled and said, "Mom just arrived and hasn't had time to do anything yet."
He Sheng, who was most adept at using his charm, immediately shouted, "Mom, I missed you..."
He Qi's expression also tightened. "Mom, when are you coming back? Uncle's cooking isn't as good as yours!"
Xi Mufan: "..."
He smiled helplessly and tapped He Qi's forehead. "That's going too far!"
He Qi chuckled.
Guan Wenru on the other end of the phone couldn't help but laugh. "Be careful, your uncle might not cook for you anymore. Don't say things like that! Be good at home. Mom will be back soon after her meeting. You have to listen to your aunt and uncle at home, okay?"
The triplets were a little reluctant, but they still said in unison, "We'll remember!"
Guan Wenru couldn't help but chime in, "He Yi, you're the eldest brother, so you have to set a good example. Watch your younger brothers do their homework, don't just play around. He Sheng, make sure you're covered up properly at night so you don't catch a cold. He Qi, don't be picky about food, eat whatever your uncle makes, understand? Otherwise, Mom won't bring you any good food when we go back."
The triplets immediately responded obediently.
After instructing the triplets, Guan Wenru asked them to hand the phone to Xi Mufan.
After a rustling sound, Xi Mufan's voice rang out again, "Don't worry about things at home."
Guan Wenru nodded, "Xi Mufan, thank you for your hard work. Please take care of things at home with Baiyun these next few days."
"You're too kind. This is what I should do. The children call me Uncle-in-law, after all. Don't worry about your meeting. I'll take care of things at home. I'll look after Xiaoyun and the children."
Guan Wenru smiled and said, "Okay, I'll hang up now."
After hanging up the phone, Guan Wenru twisted her neck and walked out of the phone booth.
Pedestrians hurried along the streets of the provincial capital in the evening, but she had only taken a few steps when she suddenly stopped and looked back without warning.
There were only a few pedestrians hurrying along the street, and nothing seemed amiss.
She frowned, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, then she quickened her pace, almost jogging, back to the guesthouse.
Upon entering the guesthouse, she went straight to the service desk.
The waitress on duty was knitting with her head down.
Guan Wenru lowered his voice and said urgently, "Comrade, excuse me."
The waiter looked up. "Hey, Comrade Guan, what's the matter?"
Guan Wenru was a regular at their guesthouse, and she was also a female factory director, so everyone had a deep impression of her and knew her.
Guan Wenru glanced at the doorway. "I felt like someone was following me when I was outside. Please keep an eye out. If any strange men ask me questions or try to come upstairs, please try to stop them or notify me immediately."
The waiter stopped knitting, his expression changed slightly, and he sat up straight. "Someone's following you? Did you see what they looked like?"
Guan Wenru shook his head. "I didn't see clearly, it was just a feeling. I turned around but didn't see the exact person. But my intuition is rarely wrong. I'm sorry to trouble you, comrade. Even if my feeling is wrong, it's always good to be cautious, right?"
The waiter's expression turned serious, and he nodded. "Okay, I understand. Don't worry, I'll tell my supervisor right away. We on duty tonight will keep a close eye on things. You should also lock your door in your room and not open it unless someone is knocking on it."
Guan Wenru smiled at her, "Okay, thank you!"
The waiter immediately put down his knitting needles and picked up the receiver of the internal telephone.
Guan Wenru felt a little relieved and quickly turned around to go upstairs to her room.
......
On the other side, after nightfall, the No. 1 courtyard of the family compound was quiet.
Bai Yun and Xi Mufan tiptoed out of the small room where the triplets slept and closed the door behind them.
Xi Mufan put his arm around Bai Yun's waist and asked in a low voice, "Are you hungry? I haven't seen you eat much tonight. Shall I make you a bowl of noodles? Or a bowl of malted milk powder?"
Bai Yun shook her head, looking a little tired. "I don't want to eat. I have no appetite. I've been feeling a tightness in my chest these past few days, and the smell of oil makes me feel even worse."
Xi Mufan sighed and helped her walk towards the main house. "Your cravings are really bad. How can you not eat anything? Sigh... I have to leave the day after tomorrow, and I'm really worried about leaving you here alone. Otherwise, I..."
"Brother Mu Fan!" Bai Yun stopped and looked up at him, her tone becoming serious. "Please don't mention asking for leave again! You finally got back to the city to go to school, and you've been delayed for so long because of me. If you ask for leave again, what will the school say? It will have a really bad influence!"
Xi Mufan frowned, "But..."
"No buts!" Baiyun interrupted him firmly. "You go ahead! I can handle it! Sister Chunlan and the others are here to help."
"Once my sister gets my transfer paperwork done, I'll come to the capital to find you. We have a long life ahead of us; ten days or two weeks won't make a difference."
Xi Mufan felt a pang of sadness seeing her trying to appear strong, and pulled her into his arms. "Sometimes... I really wish you weren't so sensible, that you wouldn't always think of others, and that you would think more about yourself. It's okay to be a little selfish."
Baiyun leaned against him and chuckled softly, "You're not just anyone."
These words, spoken softly and gently, tickled Xi Mufan's heart like a feather.
His heart warmed, and he lowered his head to capture her lips.
The two embraced and kissed passionately in the dim light.
After an unknown amount of time, Xi Mufan felt the person in his arms gradually relax, and their breathing became even and long.
He slightly parted his arms and found that Baiyun was still in that position, asleep in his arms.
Xi Mufan was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but chuckle softly, his eyes filled with affection, "You must be exhausted..."
He carefully picked her up, placed her on the kang (a heated brick bed), and covered her with a quilt.
He lay down beside her, gazed at her sleeping profile for a moment, and finally placed a gentle kiss on her smooth forehead.
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