Chapter 439: A dilapidated courtyard? Who lives there?
Chu Ruohan took Gu Junze's advice to heart and instructed everyone in the mansion to be on high alert.
On the other hand, he secretly instructed his trusted bodyguard Liu An to keep an eye on Qin Fang's daily whereabouts, especially the source of the "trivial matters" he mentioned.
A few days later, Liu An came to reply.
"Madam," Liu An reported, bowing, "I've observed for the past few days that, besides diligently managing the various shops every day, Manager Qin would go alone every other evening to a rather remote and dilapidated courtyard at the end of Fengle Lane in the south of the city."
Chu Ruohan frowned slightly. "A dilapidated courtyard? Do you know who lives there?"
Liu An replied, "That courtyard looks quite old and very simple. I asked the neighbors around, and it seems that only an old woman lives there."
"Every time Manager Qin went, he would bring some food or medicine and would leave after about an hour. He was quite cautious."
An old woman? Qin Fang's parents died early, so there are no elders in the family!
Chu Ruohan's doubts deepened, as this was completely different from the impression Qin Fang usually gave people.
These days, when Yuling was listening to the maids chatting in the laundry room, she also vaguely heard some discussions about Qin Fang.
"Hey, have you heard? Manager Qin from our Madam's shop," a young maid in charge of purchasing said in a low, mysterious voice, "has been spotted going to that poor area south of the city several times!"
Another maid who was ironing clothes said, "Really? What is a respectable man like him doing there?"
"Who knows? Some people say he looks like he's going to help someone. Tsk tsk, I really can't tell. He's usually so serious, but he actually has a kind heart."
Yuling listened silently, her work continuing, her heart agitated. South City? Helping people?
She recalled Qin Fang's somewhat desolate back that day and the complex emotions that flashed across his eyes, and her curiosity about Manager Qin increased a bit.
After hearing Liu An's report, Chu Ruohan frowned even more.
Qin Fang's actions were shrouded in mystery. She didn't want Yuling to be put in the wrong place in the future and get involved in unclear disputes.
"Fengle Lane, shabby little courtyard..." She murmured, already making a plan in her mind, "Liu An, you continue to keep an eye on it, but don't alert the enemy."
After Liu An left, Chu Ruohan stood quietly by the window for a moment, her eyes gradually becoming firm.
Instead of making so many guesses, it would be better to go and see for herself. She wanted to see what kind of secrets Qin Fang was hiding in that small courtyard.
That night, Qin Fang returned to his simple residence in the backyard of the shop.
The furnishings in the room were extremely simple: a wooden bed, an old table, and a chair, that was all.
He carefully took out a small object wrapped in cloth from his bosom, close to his body. He opened the cloth bag and found a slightly worn plum blossom pearl hairpin inside.
The silver plum blossom on the hairpin has become a little dark, and one of the petals is slightly bent, as if it has been damaged.
Under the dim light, Qin Fang stared at the pearl hairpin, his eyes filled with endless longing and unspeakable pain.
He stretched out his fingertips and gently stroked the cold plum blossoms, as if he could see a distant and blurry figure through the hairpin.
After a long time, an almost inaudible sigh dissipated in the silent night.
Chu Ruohan was lying on the bed, and Gu Junze beside her was breathing evenly, obviously asleep.
But she had no sleepiness at all, as she was worried about Yuling's marriage and Qin Fang's unknown secret.
What made her toss and turn even more was the remnants of the Qingmo Valley mentioned by Gu Junze.
As long as those desperate criminals are not completely eliminated, there will be no peace in the general's mansion and the entire capital.
She thought about it for a long time and decided that instead of letting Yuling make the wrong decision in the future, it would be better for her to get to the bottom of the matter first.
The next day, at daybreak, Chu Ruohan got up. She called Chu Yueshu and told her her plan in detail.
"Sister, are you going there in person?" Chu Yueshu was a little worried. "Fengle Lane in the south of the city isn't a good place. It's full of good and bad people."
Chu Ruohan said, "It's okay. I'll change into casual clothes, bring a few more capable guards, and go over quietly. I'll just take a look from a distance. There shouldn't be any problems."
"Liu An said that the courtyard is quite remote, so I don't think it will attract much attention."
She said in a gentle tone, "Yuling is someone close to me. I must know what kind of person Qin Fang is so that I can make plans for her."
Seeing that she had made up her mind, Chu Yueshu stopped trying to persuade her: "Since that's the case, I'll go with you, so I can take care of you on the way."
After the two sisters had discussed the matter, they changed into ordinary people's clothes and only brought Liu An and three other capable guards with them.
He quietly left the side door of the general's mansion in an inconspicuous blue cloth carriage and headed towards Fengle Lane in the south of the city.
Fengle Lane was just as Chu Yueshu had described, with narrow alleys and mostly low and dilapidated houses on both sides.
When I reached the end of the alley, I saw an independent, dilapidated courtyard with mottled walls and a half-open gate, exuding a desolate atmosphere.
Chu Ruohan signaled the guards to wait a little further away from the alley entrance, while she and Chu Yueshu got out of the car and, accompanied by Liu An, tiptoed towards the courtyard.
Liu An stepped forward and gently pushed open the half-open wooden door.
The yard is not big, with some old tools piled up in a mess. Opposite the door, you can vaguely see a man bending over, seemingly busy with something.
Chu Ruohan and Chu Yueshu looked at each other and walked in slowly.
When I got closer, I saw that the man was Qin Fang.
At this moment, he was standing with his back to the courtyard gate, carefully holding a bowl of medicine and feeding it to the old woman lying on a simple wooden bed in the house, mouthful by mouthful.
"Grandma, please drink slowly. Be careful of the heat." Qin Fang's voice was low and gentle, completely different from the calm and capable director of the shop.
At this moment, his brows were full of patience and concern.
The old woman had gray hair and a haggard face, obviously suffering from a long illness, but she seemed to be in good spirits.
She swallowed the medicine with difficulty, and looked at Qin Fang with eyes full of dependence and love.
Chu Ruohan and Chu Yueshu stood at the door, looking at the scene in front of them, their hearts moved.
After Qin Fang finished feeding the medicine, he carefully wiped the corners of the old woman's mouth and asked softly, "Grandma, do you feel better today?"
The old woman nodded, her voice a little weak: "Much better, Fang'er, thank you for your hard work."
"What are you talking about, grandma? This is what I should do."
Qin Fang placed the medicine bowl on the old table beside him and was about to get up when he caught a glimpse of Chu Ruohan and Chu Yueshu at the gate of the courtyard. He was startled and a trace of panic and helplessness flashed across his face.
"Husband... Madam? Second Miss?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
