Zheng Qiu carried the oil lamp and walked around her courtyard. Only after confirming that no one was around did she breathe a sigh of relief. She hadn't even noticed that she was sweating profusely.
"Brother Liu, Brother Liu, can you hear me?" Zheng Qiu called out as he approached the courtyard wall.
A short while later, the lights next door came on.
"Xiao Qiu, what's wrong?" Soon, the sound of a door opening came from next door, and Brother Liu, who had been called, came to the foot of his own courtyard wall.
"Brother Liu, could you please check the surroundings? I think I spotted a thief just now. He's already walked around my yard with an oil lamp. I wonder if he's gone to the neighbor's," Zheng Qiu said.
"Alright!" Brother Liu replied, first searching around his yard, saying as he searched, "Damn it, these thieves are really bold, coming all the way to this area to steal things!"
Bai Er and Gu En, the "thieves" hiding in the shadows, held their breath.
Brother Liu didn't find anything, but he didn't suspect that Zheng Qiu was teasing him. He even knocked on every door and told everyone that Xiao Qiu had discovered a thief and to be careful.
The alley was inhabited by government officials who had lived together for over half a year and respected Zheng Qiu. So no one thought he was making a fuss and they all said they would be careful.
The commotion lasted for about 15 minutes before it subsided.
Gu En and Bai Er both breathed a sigh of relief.
They weren't afraid of being discovered. With their abilities, they certainly wouldn't be discovered, and even if they were, they could escape without exposing their identities.
"Xiao Qiu, you have to be careful since you live alone. Keep all your investigative tools with you at all times, and call me immediately if anything seems amiss. Don't be afraid, we're all here for you," Brother Liu earnestly instructed Zheng Qiu as they parted.
"Yes, I know, Brother Liu. I'm really sorry about tonight. I did find someone in my yard just now. I guess I was too slow, so he got away. Next time, if I notice anything wrong, I'll call for help immediately," Zheng Qiu said apologetically.
"It's not your fault. You probably never imagined a thief could come to our alley. Alright, go to sleep now, and remember to keep your investigative tools with you, just in case." Brother Liu genuinely didn't blame Zheng Qiu and gave him another piece of advice.
"Okay. Then Brother Liu, you should get some rest too." Zheng Qiu nodded.
Then the two went their separate ways.
After Zheng Qiu returned, he found a handy tool in his toolbox and tied a cloth bag to his leg.
He then put the dagger under his pillow before going to sleep.
She closed her eyes, calmed herself down, and wondered if her biological father and stepmother had discovered something amiss and sent someone to test her.
She plans to have someone send a message to her brother tomorrow.
Gu En, after confirming that no one in the alley was looking for the thief, ran out and walked to Bai Er's hiding place, whispering, "Don't hide anymore, I saw you just now."
Bai Er came out.
Gu En patted him on the shoulder: "Come on, let's find a place to talk slowly."
Bai Er pursed his lips. Sigh, it seems the girls in the family won't be able to see the Fourth Young Master make a fool of himself.
Gu En found a noodle stall at night, ordered two bowls of noodles, and a pot of wine.
Tonight is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and there shouldn't be many people outside, but this noodle stall has more customers than usual. People are eating noodles and drinking wine, some are gazing at the moon alone, and some are talking to the people next to them.
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