Qiu Miao: If I don’t protect my partner, who will I protect? ╮(￣▽￣)╭

The woman was sitting opposite Qiu Yanping and Gu Wenye. She was extremely quiet. She neither drank coffee nor ordered any dessert. She just sat there motionless, with her eyes always following Qiu Yanping.

Qiu Yanping looked at the woman, suddenly stood up, and walked over.

Seeing this, Gu Wenye frowned slightly and stood up from his seat.

When the woman saw Qiu Yanping and Gu Wenye walking towards her, a hint of expression finally appeared on her dull face. When Qiu Yanping sat in front of her, she subconsciously moved back slightly, seeming to be a little afraid of Qiu Yanping.

Qiu Yanping asked, "Do you have anything to say to me?"

The woman shrank her neck, her eyes still locked on Qiu Yanping, but she never said a word. Her whole body began to tremble, her lips moved, and suddenly, she jumped up from her seat, pushed away the table in front of her, and rushed out.

She was running very fast, but her running posture was extremely strange. She had her hands hooked in front of her chest, her hands tensed unnaturally like claws, and she ran out of the café on tiptoe, striding out of the café step by step. With every step she took, her legs were wide open and her hips were stretched wide apart, which was very strange.

Qiu Yanping frowned, and Gu Wenye asked in a low voice, "Do you want me to investigate that person?"

"Forget it." Qiu Yanping waved his hands and said, "She came here to seek help. If she really needed my help, she would come again."

"Seeking help?" Gu Wenye asked in confusion. Everyone could see that the woman was different, but asking Qiu Yanping for help? Gu Wenye couldn't see what happened to the woman that required Qiu Yanping's help.

"Yeah. There's a strange aura around her that doesn't belong to her. This woman must be entangled in something." Qiu Yanping nodded slightly. As Feng Shui masters, they are extremely sensitive to such auras.

When he entered the cafe, he vaguely sensed that something was wrong. When he saw the woman, he was sure that the source of the strange aura came from her.

"But I don't understand why she would find me." Qiu Yanping frowned. He didn't think about this question at first. He was used to the title of Feng Shui master in his previous life, and being found by others was a common thing. But then he thought that he was not as flamboyant as in his previous life, and his abilities were known to everyone. The number of people who knew what he had done could be counted on one hand.

Gu Wenye's eyes darkened when he heard this. He had already warned his younger brother not to tell anyone about Qiu Yanping. Shen Shenzhi must have heard about Gu Wenle and knew to keep his mouth shut. But the others, Wang Ge and Madam Basge, were uncertain factors.

After Gu Wenye and Qiu Yanping said that, Qiu Yanping touched his chin and said with relief, "It seems that my reputation is not bad. Some people are willing to advertise for me."

Gu Wenye looked at Qiu Yanping with some amusement. He raised his hand and rubbed Qiu Yanping's hair, and said with a smile, "Mr. Qiu is right to think so." He thought, let him worry about those bad things, his Mr. Qiu just needs to think happily like this.

Qiu Yanping raised his eyebrows at him. Of course he knew what Gu Wenye was worried about. He had been by the emperor's side in his previous life, so how could he not know what Gu Wenye was worried about? He was simply afraid that those in power were too jealous of his abilities and wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.

"General Gu, don't worry. I know everything in my heart." Qiu Yanping smiled slightly, and gently touched Gu Wenye's eyebrows with his fingertips to smooth out his frown. It was a strange experience to have someone worry about him. He smiled and put his cheek close to him, rubbing Gu Wenye's neck.

Gu Wenye softened his expression, raised the corner of his mouth and leaned his head against Qiu Yanping's cheek.

Jiang Hao passed by this coffee shop and happened to see through the window glass outside his general and the man he saw in the general's mansion that day sticking together. He opened his mouth in shock and forgot to move for a moment.

Our general actually managed to kidnap the "Mr. Qiu" he always talked about!

Jiang Hao quickly turned around and trotted back to the Seventh Department of the Military Department to share gossip with his brothers in the team.

Gu Wenye had no idea how happy his men were. After the two of them lingered in the café for a while, they finished their desserts and coffee and left. They passed by Jiang Hao's group of soldiers who wanted to join in the fun.

On this day, the coffee shop had a particularly high turnover. Soldiers who usually didn't like coffee came to the coffee shop just to watch their general fall in love. Even if they didn't see the love, they took away a cup of coffee.

"Mr. Qiu, what do you think of this place today?" Gu Wenye asked as the two men walked back.

"Very good." Qiu Yanping replied. Although there was a small episode, it did not affect the overall satisfaction of today's date. Qiu Yanping curled his eyes and raised the corners of his mouth in a good mood.

"Then let's book it here?" Gu Wenye asked for his opinion.

"Huh?" Qiu Yanping didn't react for a moment. It took him two seconds to realize that Gu Wenye was talking about the meeting place with Mrs. Basket tomorrow. Qiu Yanping remembered that he had asked someone out today, and the excuse he used seemed to be to scout the place. Qiu Yanping twitched his lips. Did General Gu really regard this date as a scout and observation?

Qiu Yanping thought about this and suddenly felt a little depressed. He nodded gloomily and responded, "Let's book this place."

Gu Wenye saw Qiu Yanping's slightly dissatisfied look and laughed. He gently pinched Qiu Yanping's soft earlobe and chuckled, "I was joking." He leaned against Qiu Yanping's forehead and whispered, "This is the place where we had our first date. Its significance cannot be overshadowed by other things."

Qiu Yanping's ears felt hot, he had not thought about these things, the place of their first date... He had not thought that the journalist would speak so seriously and give "meaning" to this small cafe. He grinned and wanted to laugh, what was the meaning of a first date? Why was it so serious and domineering that it would not allow other people or other things to "cover" it.

Gu Wenye pulled up his laptop and said, "There are actually quite a few places that everyone recommends that are suitable for private meetings. Would you like to take a look, Mr. Qiu?"

What Gu Wenye retrieved was a list similar to the "Top 10 Coffee Shops in Central City". The information in it was quite rich. Qiu Yanping swiped down and saw a long list of pictures, which was a bit dizzying.

"Young couples love to go to these places," said Gu Wenye.

Qiu Yanping paused, tilted his head and looked at Gu Wenye, and asked, "Then why don't we go to those places, but come here instead?" Gu Wenye said earlier that he only knew this place, but there was obviously so much information on the Internet that any place would be fine.

Gu Wenye smiled and said, "It's closer to the military headquarters."

"Huh?" Qiu Yanping was stunned, not understanding what this had to do with the military.

"The soldiers I lead are all curious about when I can catch up with Mr. Qiu," said Gu Wenye.

Qiu Yanping was happy, "Your soldiers all know that you like me?"

"Yeah." Gu Wenye nodded.

"When did you know?" Qiu Yanping asked again. He thought about it and realized that he had seen those soldiers after Gu Wenye's leg disease was cured. Was it that early?

"We were caught by them when we were chasing those fugitives." Gu Wenye looked at Qiu Yanping, who was more and more interested. He asked excitedly, "Were they found by them? How did they find you? What did you do?"

"Maybe it's because I always mention Mr. Qiu. I always wonder if the kitchen at home has prepared meals that suit Mr. Qiu's taste. I wonder if Mr. Qiu will be bored at home. I wonder if Mr. Qiu..." Gu Wenye didn't say anything else. Seeing Qiu Yanping's white neck turn pink, he smiled slightly, gently hugged Qiu Yanping, and said, "Unconsciously, my mind is full of you, only you."

"Well, I'm afraid that General Gu's majesty will be shattered to pieces." Qiu Yanping cleared his throat, looked around and pursed his lips embarrassedly, and after a long time he managed to say something.

Gu Wenye laughed, "They just think General Gu is more humane and less distant. It turns out that Gu Wenye also has a crush on someone, but he only dares to keep it in his heart and likes it, but he dares not say it out loud. My soldiers are quite happy to see the excitement."

Hearing this, Qiu Yanping looked up at Gu Wenye, frowned protectively, and asked, "Seeing the excitement?"

Seeing this, Gu Wenye's smile deepened. A hint of grievance appeared on his face, and he nodded, "Yeah." He didn't say much, let alone details. He just said "Yeah" and stopped talking, leaving a blank for Qiu Yanping to imagine.

Sure enough, Qiu Yanping imagined in his mind the pitiful look of his general Gu in front of his subordinates, as if he was being mocked for being pitiful. Qiu Yanping frowned and felt a little unhappy.

Qiu Yanping nodded and said, "No wonder you chose this coffee shop." It turned out that it was to give those dishonest subordinates a good look. He snorted in agreement in his heart and asked, "Did anyone see it? If not, let's go back and sit for a while." They must show off in front of others. Anyway, Gu Wenye is there, and after the show, they can threaten them not to tell anyone, and there is no need to worry about Gu's parents knowing in advance.

For Qiu Yanping, Gu Wenye must not be bullied by anyone other than himself, this is the first priority. As for keeping the matter secret from Gu's father and mother, it is the second priority.

Gu Wenye laughed out loud. He hugged Qiu Yanping and his shoulders shook with laughter. He had never thought that Qiu Yanping would react like this. It was really a big surprise. He shook his head and laughed, "Jiang Hao saw it. We don't have to go back. If we go back now, the cafe will probably be full of my people blocking us."

Qiu Yanping raised his chin and said, "That's perfect. Let them take a good look."

"Mr. Qiu doesn't like being surrounded by a crowd, right? Having Jiang Hao is enough." Gu Wenye said with a chuckle, his heart softening. It can be seen from the previous few trips that Qiu Yanping would never like to be surrounded by a crowd, but now he is willing to run into the crowd to vent his anger for him. With this thought, he is already content.

Qiu Yanping touched his nose when he heard this, and seeing the tenderness in Gu Wenye's eyes, he did not refute. In fact, he was only unhappy that Gu Wenye was surrounded by people. If the two of them were surrounded as the center of the crowd, they would actually feel a little bit of vanity that they could not express...

To be honest, Qiu Yanping still likes the feeling of being the center of attention, otherwise he would not have been born in his previous life and finally went to conquer the world for the emperor.

However, since Gu Wenye thought of him this way and thought so highly of him, Qiu Yanping would not destroy his own image.

The location for the date with Mrs. Basket the next day was finally chosen by Qiu Yanping by random pointing. It was on a slightly quiet street that looked very elegant.

Gu Wenye did not go with Qiu Yanping to the appointment the next day. There were things to be dealt with in the Seventh Department of the Military Department, and he could not escape the workday shift.

Before going to work, Gu Wenye went to Qiu Yanping's small courtyard. Qiu Yanping was still sleeping on the bed. Gu Wenye approached quietly and gave Qiu Yanping a light kiss on the corner of his lips. Then he turned around quickly and strode away. Upon closer inspection, General Gu's earlobes were still red.

After waking up from a nap, Qiu Yanping ate something and waited until the appointed time in the afternoon. Then he went to the coffee shop and found a seat near the inside and sat down.

He arrived a little earlier and ordered a dessert, sipping it intermittently while looking at the passers-by outside the glass window on the other side.

His eyes suddenly fixed on the other side of the street. At an intersection across the street, the pale-skinned woman in a white dress was standing opposite him again.

There was a light drizzle outside, and the woman's white skirt was slightly wet. It looked like she had been standing there for some time.

The woman's shiny black hair was wet, and strands of it stuck to her cheeks, making her look even paler and thinner, as if she would fall down with the slightest push.

Qiu Yanping frowned. This woman seemed to know his whereabouts very well.

When Qiu Yanping looked again, the woman standing across the street had disappeared, and at the same time, an electronic sound of the coffee shop door being pushed open was heard.

A person with a cane tapping on the ground was approaching, and Qiu Yanping realized that it must be Mrs. Bathgate's cane. He stood up and saw Mrs. Bathgate coming around the corner.

Mrs. Bathgate's eyes were covered with a milky white film, and she looked blankly ahead. Her skin looked full of wrinkles, and she seemed to have aged by ten years in an instant.

"Mrs. Basket." Qiu Yanping said.

Mrs. Bathgate looked over in the direction of the voice, "Is that Mr. Qiu?" There was a hint of excitement in the old woman's voice. With Qiu Yanping's help, she sat down. The old woman chattered a long list of thanks. Qiu Yanping was patient and did not interrupt until the old woman stopped on her own initiative. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry to have Mr. Qiu keep listening to my chatter. I was so excited that I didn't pay attention to the time. In fact, I came here this time to ask for a favor..." the old woman said. She looked around aimlessly, stretched out her skinny hand and waved, shouting, "Ah Hui? Come here."

Qiu Yanping was stunned. The previous letter didn't mention that another person was coming, and he didn't hear any footsteps of the second person just now... Ah Hui?

Qiu Yanping subconsciously turned his head to look at the corner, but was suddenly startled and almost jumped up without caring about his image.

The pale-skinned woman in a white dress who had been standing at the street corner before now stood silently at the corner. Perhaps she had just heard Mrs. Basket's call, and she seemed a little timid and carefully leaned half of her body out, standing very close to Qiu Yanping.

The woman's breathing and footsteps were almost inaudible, so Qiu Yanping never thought that the strange and weird woman was standing at the corner behind him, with half of her body sticking out.

The two people's cheeks were almost touching. Qiu Yanping suddenly shrank back and moved away in an ungraceful manner. The woman also seemed to be frightened and shrank back to the corner, not daring to make any more movements.

Neither of them made much noise. To the almost completely blind Lady Basket, she thought that the shy but kind woman did not dare to speak because of the stranger. She continued, "Ah Hui, this is Mr. Qiu I mentioned earlier."

Qiu Yanping had recovered from his shock. He secretly cursed at his own reaction and said, "So this lady was brought here by Mrs. Basket?"

"Oh, yes. Do you know Mr. Qiu?" Mrs. Bathgate heard the meaning of Qiu Yanping's words and said with some surprise.

"We met once yesterday," said Qiu Yanping.

No wonder that woman appeared in the cafe near the 7th Division of the Military Department. It was probably because of Mrs. Basket that she knew their relationship with the 7th Division of the Military Department, so she came to the only cafe near the Military Department yesterday to try her luck.

"Oh, no wonder I couldn't find Ah Hui yesterday." Mrs. Basket nodded and said, "Ah Hui is the daughter of a distant relative of mine. She came to take care of me because I can't see now." Mrs. Basket introduced.

Because Mrs. Basket's eyes were frozen, she was temporarily unable to see. Later, she underwent surgery. After a period of time, the milky white repair film on her eyes could be removed and she would be able to return to normal.

Mrs. Bathgate said, "It's like this. Ah Hui told me that she has been dreaming for the past month. She dreamed that someone..." Mrs. Bathgate paused, as if she was struggling with how to say it. She pursed her lips hard before continuing, "She dreamed that something like vines were entangled around her. Her blood was flowing in those green vines, dripping continuously into the water tank on the other side. She had this dream every day. Later, as time went on, she found that every time she had such a dream, her complexion would become paler and paler, until it looked like this now."

Mrs. Basket said this with a confused look on her face. She couldn't see what Ah Hui looked like at the moment, but she still remembered that when she brought Ah Hui to Central City yesterday, someone accidentally knocked off her mask. There was a small gasp mixed with the crying of a child. It must have been a bad situation...

Hearing this, Qiu Yanping glanced at the woman who was still cowering in the corner. The woman had an expression of confusion and pain on her face, and her fingers were all pale as she stroked her cheeks.

"Ah Hui knows what happened to me, so she begged me to come to Mr. Qiu..." Mrs. Basket said, pursing her lips apologetically, "I hope my sudden request does not cause any inconvenience to Mr. Qiu."

"Miss Ahui, can you please speak?" Qiu Yanping suddenly asked.

Mrs. Basket looked a little confused, "Okay." She didn't understand why Qiu Yanping suddenly asked this. Ah Hui was just a little introverted and spoke little, but she was not dumb.

"But it seems to me...she can't speak." Qiu Yanping narrowed his eyes slightly. The pale woman in front of him had her mouth tightly shut. She showed no sign of speaking at all, but a look of struggle appeared on her face.

He frowned slightly and lifted the woman's wrist. The woman's wrist was so thin that it seemed like it could be broken with a slight bend. The veins on her wrist appeared swollen and purple-red.

Qiu Yanping frowned even more tightly, and he pulled the corners of his mouth and said, "It looks like Miss Hui took something she shouldn't have taken."

"Ah?" Mrs. Bathgate was a little confused. She knew nothing, but she agreed because Ah Hui's crying was so pitiful.

Qiu Yanping understood the situation when he saw Mrs. Basket's expression. He glanced at Ah Hui and said calmly, "How about this, you let Miss Ah Hui wear this yellow paper and never take it off. This will help her avoid the things in her dreams, and the situation should be alleviated. But in exchange, Mrs. Basket, I also have a question for you."

"Me? Mr. Qiu, please go ahead."

"Where did Mrs. Basket buy those two clay dolls? You just need to tell me when and where, and whether there are other things on that person's stall." Qiu Yanping said, and he warned, "For your safety, Madam, remember not to tell who the other person is or what he looks like. Don't reveal any information about the stall owner."

Mrs. Bathgate was a little nervous after being frightened. She spoke quickly, "About a year ago, after I found out that my sister had found out that the real culprit was my two children, I wanted to protect my children and keep them away from Bath Pavilion... Then, unknowingly, I met that stall owner." She stopped to think carefully, but continued helplessly, "I don't remember where it was. I was just wandering around aimlessly, and he suddenly appeared in front of me... He told me the use and method of the clay dolls. He knew exactly what I needed. He said that he only wanted one year of my life as a reward. At that time, I had no other choice. I exchanged the two clay dolls with the intention of giving it a try, but I didn't expect it to really work."

"One year of life?" Qiu Yanping was stunned. This was much cheaper than Zhu Wenmin's thirty years of life.

Lady Bathgate nodded.

Qiu Yanping was a little surprised. He asked again, "Did you see anything else on the stall?"

"A piece of embroidery, red,--that's all there is," said Lady Bathgate.

After she finished speaking, Ah Hui, who had been quietly sitting at the corner, trembled slightly. Qiu Yanping paused and asked, "Does Miss Ah Hui know about this embroidery?"

Ah Hui shook her head, grabbed Mrs. Bathgate's arm, and tried to go out.

Mrs. Basket cried out in confusion, wondering why her usually well-behaved and introverted child suddenly had such a big reaction.

Qiu Yanping waved his hands and said, "It's okay. Madam Basket, remember to put the yellow talisman on Miss Ah Hui. Don't take it off."

Mrs. Bathgate expressed her gratitude and thanked him many times before she stood up and walked out with Ah Hui.

Qiu Yanping sat at his seat, stroking his chin. The girl obviously knew how to embroider cloth, so why did she hide it? Before he could figure out what was going on, there was a loud bang from outside. A huge billboard fell down outside the cafe.

Qiu Yanping frowned, stood up and walked to the door. Ah Hui stood there in a daze, her eyes fixed on the ground.

Mrs. Basket fell to the ground defenselessly with her milky white eyes open and her mouth slightly open, with a large amount of blood gushing from the back of her head.

Qiu Yanping suddenly understood why the mysterious man only asked for one year of Mrs. Basket's life as a bargaining chip.