Back To The 80s-Chapter 586 - 578: Guard_1

Jiujiu eyed Ou Tiannan warily, clutched her backpack to her chest, and quietly said to the lone wolf, "Thank you, uncle."

The lone wolf felt a bit awkward. He was just twenty-three years old and being called ’uncle’ by such a big kid felt unnatural. He nodded, turned to look at Ou Tiannan - it even seemed they really knew each other - and then set about leaving.

Ou Tiannan rubbed his aching shoulder and said to Jiujiu, "Let’s go, Uncle Ou will take you home."

The lone wolf, who had been about to leave, turned back around abruptly upon hearing Ou Tiannan’s words. His eyes were full of depth as he looked at Ou Tiannan and Jiujiu, and information flashed through his mind, coinciding with the two before him:

Ou Tiannan, a 35-year-old from Nanhai City, is 1.78m tall, and currently an investor in a key provincial project.

Jin Ming, affectionately known as Jiujiu, is a 14-year-old junior high school student who stands 1.55m tall.

Ou Tiannan saw the lone wolf turn back around and, rubbing his shoulder, said: "Move aside, we’re going home, you kicked me today, but I won’t hold it against you." Looking at the lone wolf, who stood half a head taller, with bulging arm muscles that even his smart white shirt couldn’t hide, it was clear he wasn’t an easy opponent. Ou Tiannan certainly wouldn’t choose to go head-to-head.

The lone wolf dropped his gaze and walked past Ou Tiannan.

Ou Tiannan, bewildered by the lone wolf’s forwards and backwards movements, tried to gently tell Jiujiu, "Let’s go, let’s go home," trying to lightly touch her shoulder as he spoke.

Jiujiu took a big step away, clutching her schoolbag and hurriedly heading home with her head lowered, while Ou Tiannan followed.

Once the two had left, the lone wolf turned back around, watching the hurried departure of their backs, narrowed his eyes, and slowly followed.

Ou Tiannan constantly felt like someone was following him, but when he turned around, no one was there. With such unease, he and Jiujiu finally reached the entrance of the provincial government housing complex, yet he hadn’t managed to say even one word to Jiujiu.

........

When Gu Xiaobei received Ou Ruoshui’s wedding invitation, she felt it was surreal.

However, she, as a third party in this romantic affair, didn’t think it was her place to comment. All she could do was wait for May 4, to attend Ou Ruoshui’s wedding feast.

Xiaopang had stopped crying out for her father recently, because Gu Xiaobei had drawn a line on the wall and told her that once she grew as tall as the line, her father would return.

Every morning, Xiaopang would jump out of bed and rush to compare herself with the line. Afterward, she would sigh, frown, and run to eat a proper meal.

Mo Wang remained silent. Gu Xiaobei didn’t know what was going through his little head. Every day, he would move a stool to the balcony, stand on it, and lean against the glass, quietly staring outside. Sometimes, he would stay there for hours. His tiny silhouette, calm yet tinged with a sense of loss, was heartbreaking.

Gu Xiaobei knew Mo Wang missed his father. But, he never spoke about it; he merely hoped that from the balcony, he might see his father’s figure returning home.

Gu Xiaobei sighed inwardly, thinking what a long half year it had been since Lu Zhanguo’s departure. No wonder the children were yearning for him this much.

When Ou Ruoshui arrived with Jiujiu, Mo Wang watched them enter the building from his window and turned to tell Gu Xiaobei, "Mom, Aunt Xuerong and Sister Jiujiu are here." He then turned back to look out the window.

Surprised, Gu Xiaobei went to open the door and saw Ou Ruoshui and Jiujiu hand-in-hand, climbing up the stairs.

"What brings you here today? I figured you’d be busy with the wedding," Gu Xiaobei said with a smile as Ou Ruoshui and Jiujiu entered the room.

"Jiujiu insisted on coming to see you all," Ou Ruoshui, holding Jiujiu’s hand, said as she sat down on the sofa.

Xiaopang rushed over asking Jiujiu to hold her: "Sister Jiujiu, will you tell me a story? Let’s go to the room."

Jiujiu, with a smile, nodded her agreement and led Xiaopang into the bedroom to tell her a story.

Ou Ruoshui looked at Mo Wang standing in front of the balcony and asked softly, "What’s the matter with Mo Wang?"

Fearing he would overhear, Gu Xiaobei replied in a low voice, "Mo Wang misses his father."

Even this hushed conversation was heard by Mo Wang. He fought back the tears that welled up, blinking fiercely to stop them from falling.

"You’re getting married in four or five days. I thought you’d be busy shopping," Gu Xiaobei remarked.

Ou Ruoshui smiled faintly and replied, "There isn’t much to be busy about. Actually, I came to ask you a favor."

"What favor?"

"I want Jiujiu to stay at your place for a few days. After the wedding, she can return home." Ou Tiannan had been frequenting the Jin family of late, and Ou Ruoshui had sensed that something was off. She wasn’t about to take any risks. In comparison with Jin Jiadong’s cause of death, Jiujiu was more important.

Moreover, Ou Tiannan had recently gifted her a pair of bracelets, which she had given to Shen Heng for inspection, along with the jade Guanyin. She figured, the results should be out soon.

Gu Xiaobei nodded, "Sure, but is something wrong?"

Ou Ruoshui shook her head, "Jiujiu doesn’t like him. But he’s been coming home a lot lately. She refuses to eat dinner, even when she’s hungry."

Gu Xiaobei knew Jiujiu disliked Ou Tiannan, so she didn’t ask any further.

........

While Ou Tiannan was still dreaming, Ma Chengwen showed up at his door and handed him a bunch of blueprints.

Ou Tiannan picked up the blueprints covered in sketches that he didn’t comprehend and asked in surprise, "How did you manage to get these?"

Smiling triumphantly, Ma Chengwen replied, "Is there anything I can’t get?"

Ou Tiannan saw the scientific research institution’s seal plastered over the blueprints and felt relieved, the anxiety that he had felt these past few days finally subsiding.

Ma Chengwen stretched out his hand and asked, "When will you give me the money?"

"In a few days." Ou Tiannan replied dismissively.

"You think I’m still sixteen or seventeen years old? Hurry up and pay me, or don’t even think about getting the other half of the blueprints," Ma Chengwen retorted.

Upon hearing that Ma Chengwen had held back half the blueprints, Ou Tiannan ground his teeth in frustration. "All my money is invested in the government collaboration project right now. I’ll pay you later."

Ma Chengwen sneered, "Don’t even try to play me. If you don’t pay, I’m going straight home to burn the remaining half of the blueprints. Don’t say I didn’t warn you."

Ou Tiannan gritted his teeth and said, "I have some old items here. Do you dare to take them?"

Ma Chengwen’s eyes widened in surprise, "I always wondered how you made your money. Let’s see them."

"Come tomorrow, and I’ll give them to you!" Ou Tiannan knew that he and Ma Chengwen were now in the same boat. He had stolen priceless antiquities, and Ma Chengwen had stolen military secrets. Neither could turn the other in.

Ma Chengwen raised an eyebrow in agreement. It seemed Ou Tiannan was finally going to fall into his hands. He laughed and said, "Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. But your bride-to-be has been getting close with the police these recent days. You’d better watch out."

Alarm bells rang in Ou Tiannan’s mind. Ou Ruoshui close to the police? He had given her a pair of bracelets just a few days ago as a fulfillment of his promise. If those ended up in the hands of the police, he would be in trouble.

Ou Tiannan squinted his eyes. If Ou Ruoshui was indeed colluding with the police to frame him, he wouldn’t hesitate to turn against her.