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Глава 88

The tall, strong driver got out of the car first, jogged to the side, and cautiously scanned the surroundings a few times before opening the car door and helping the people inside out.

Night Run

After eating roasted corn and playing wildly in the field, the group of teenagers cut grass to feed their pet rabbits before happily returning home for dinner.

Last year, the village raised funds to repair the road leading into the village, but the paths through the fields remain rugged, winding all the way to the end of a wall before turning into an alley. Qiu Shanglin walked at the back, glancing back at the path he had come from before turning a corner. The setting sun painted half the mountain peaks red, blending with the surrounding blue sky and white clouds in layers of crimson. The trees hid in the red glow, as if immortals were about to drift away.

The car with the southern license plate drove smoothly on the national highway. The driver was a little anxious; they had to catch a flight. If they missed it, they would have to wait until tomorrow, which meant spending the night in Province C. But Province C was not like the south; a night there was long. The young master only had his bodyguard and driver with him. Who knew what might happen? The Yin family hadn't been peaceful lately.

We were heading west, and the afterglow of the sunset painted the sky red, extending to the distant green trees.

Yin Yeyao sat in the back seat, expressionless as he looked at the sunset through the car window.

The mountains, illuminated by the sunset, took on a dark purple hue, with green trees reflecting the red glow of the sunset—an eerie color scheme.

It reminded him of the day he left, May 25th, when he was taken away from Zifang Town. He watched the sunset all the way, and it was just as eerie, eerily so.

He came to Province C on business, and left immediately afterward. The driver had booked a direct flight to Shanghai in advance, where he would stay for a few days to rest.

He didn't deliberately inquire about Qiu Shanglin's whereabouts, nor did he see a single familiar face. During the tense day, he hadn't even thought about the past until now.

Facing the sunset, the evening glow, and the mountains, the longing surging in my chest burst forth uncontrollably.

Then don't stop it. He thought.

Quietly, in a low voice: "Turn around and head back to Huaiqiao City."

The driver, not paying attention for a moment, wondered if he had misheard: "What?"

Yin Yeyao's tone was calm but undeniable: "Return to Huaiqiao City."

The driver hesitated for a moment: "But the plane..."

Yin Yeyao's voice was low, not loud, but brewing a storm: "Huaihuai Bridge."

The driver stopped trying to persuade him, turned around, and headed back to Wai Chiao.

As they approached the city center, the driver asked again, "Young master, where are we going?"

"No. 351, XXX Road, Huaiyin District." The cold, indifferent lips uttered the address with practiced ease. The driver paused slightly, but didn't question it, and headed off. During this time, Yin Yeyao made a phone call, and the driver heard him call out "Hua Zi." He hadn't been with Yin Yeyao for long; he was considered a protector groomed by the old man for his grandson, but he knew that Hua Zi and the young master had a special relationship. It was said that when he was sent to another city to avoid trouble, Hua Zi was the one who protected and cared for him. Later, for some unknown reason, things turned sour, and Hua Zi was transferred to handle other business.

While driving carefully, I secretly wondered what connection this address had with Brother Hua.

Yin Yeyao arrived at Mocha's headquarters first. Because he had contacted Hua Zi beforehand, all the big and small leaders at Mocha had been notified that their long-absent shareholder was coming to inspect the company, and they were to be treated with the utmost hospitality. The mere fact that he was a shareholder wouldn't have made them feel like they were facing a major threat, but the fact that this shareholder was the heir of the Yin family in the southern business circle was something that couldn't help but attract Hua Qianshan's attention.

The chaotic preparations failed to earn him the favor of the Yin family heir. He didn't even enter the company lobby. He got out of the car, exchanged a few words with Hua Qianshan, inquired about Qiu Shanglin's current situation, and drove off. The employees, both high and low, who were eager to curry favor and advance their careers, stared blankly. They'd seen arrogant people before, but never anyone this arrogant. The prestigious Mocha Company, which controlled half of the domestic children's clothing market, was someone he couldn't even be bothered to look at the accounts of, and didn't even bother to visit the company.

The driver didn't go to Zifang Town; he was ordered to stay in the city and wait. He was very worried and, with a determination to plead his case to the death, tried again and again to persuade him, thinking that even if he were to be brought back to reality, he still had to fulfill his responsibility to protect him. Yin Yeyao, however, didn't get angry. He seemed to be in a good mood and even explained that he was very familiar with Huaiqiao City, even more so than with Shanghai and Guangzhou, so there was no need to worry about his safety there. Furthermore, the place he was going to was a very remote place where he had temporarily lived as a child, so there was even less need to worry about anyone harming him.

The driver touched his nose, realizing he lacked the courage of the bald man beside the old man, and obediently got out of the car, watching it disappear into the distance. He pulled out his mobile phone, hesitating whether to report to the old man. He was someone the old man had discovered, but the old man had made it clear he had to be loyal to the young master… Gritting his teeth and stamping his foot—at worst, he'd risk his life. If he won, he'd gain the young master's trust; if he lost, and something happened to the young master, he'd pay with his life!

As for Xu Mi, who tried to plant a spy next to her son... the driver glanced disdainfully at the dirty and messy street. She couldn't beat the old man, much less the successor he had carefully cultivated.

A mother was leading her son home from school, her loving smile conveying her joy as he recounted his experiences. The driver watched them until they disappeared around the corner, his hardened expression softening as he thought of his young daughter at home.

This is the life a person should live.

Unlike the Yin family, which appears glamorous on the surface but is riddled with problems behind the scenes. The father is not a father, the mother is not a mother, and the son is not a son... They scheme against each other, prioritize their own interests, and all want to seize power for themselves.

For dinner, Grandma made braised eggplant and stewed green beans, and cooked a pot of rice, watching with a smile as the children devoured the food. Shanglin picked out some of the stewed green beans, her eyes gleaming with anticipation, her stomach full. She'd just had mulberries and corn earlier, and she wondered how these wild monkeys could eat so much!

There was no entertainment in the countryside at night. Around seven o'clock, the grandparents had already fallen asleep, and the boys were also lying flat on the bed. At first, they chatted intermittently, but soon the sound of snoring rose and fell.

She smiled, opened the Compendium of Materia Medica, and continued reading from yesterday.

She was very curious about the many medicinal herbs growing on the mountain, even though the villagers recognized them.

Just as I was engrossed in reading, I suddenly heard someone knocking on the door.

The main house and the gate were separated by a narrow passage. Shanglin's room was closest to the gate, and she could hear it most clearly. Just as she was about to ask a question, there was silence again. She wondered if she was hallucinating, so she banged on the door, but then the sound started again.

Then the neighbors' dogs started barking, and one dog's bark was followed by a hundred others. First the neighbor in front, then the neighbor behind, the barking became a continuous chorus, and almost all the dogs in the village were barking.

She frowned, listened intently, and saw Grandpa next door turn over, muttering something in his sleep, but he wasn't woken up. As people get older, they sleep less and less; he hadn't been feeling well lately, and Shanglin didn't want him to be woken up when he finally fell asleep.

He put on his coat, grabbed the wooden stick from the valve, went outside, walked through the alley, stood behind the door, and whispered, "Who is it?"

The person knocking on the door stopped, and Shanglin raised his voice again, asking, "Who is it?"

The person outside paused for a moment before answering, "Yin Yeyao."

Shang Lin was stunned and hurriedly opened the door. There were no streetlights in the village, and it was a cloudy night with dim moonlight. The lights in the alley were also dim, but the person standing outside the door was clearly Yin Yeyao.

Shanglin was surprised. He took a step forward and peered around, asking, "How did you get here? Where are the others?"

Hua Ge said that he is getting old now and is gradually getting involved in the company's decision-making. There are people in his family who have ulterior motives in the business world, so he takes several bodyguards with him wherever he goes.

A car was parked by the roadside, and Yin Yeyao looked at her with almost greedy eyes.

"There is no one else but myself."

Although the situation was unclear, it wasn't good to leave the guests who had come from afar standing outside the door. The village dogs were barking incessantly, and several households had already turned on their lights, ready to get up and see what was going on. Shanglin hurriedly told him, "Come in quickly."

She turned to the side, revealing the wooden stick she was holding. Seeing Yin Yeyao looking down, she said awkwardly, "Hehe, well, I was just worried about bad guys..."

After he came in, he hurriedly closed and locked the door. He took a few steps ahead and suddenly stopped. Shang Lin, standing behind him and completely blocked from view, urged, "Come on, this is the right direction."

Important people often have bad memories. He used to visit this courtyard quite often. Although it has been renovated, the original layout has not been changed.

Yin Yeyao suddenly turned to the side, revealing most of the alleyway in front of her. Li Changsheng stood at the other end of the alleyway, a gleaming kitchen knife in his hand, staring at them in astonishment.

I touched my nose, feeling really embarrassed. A stick and a cleaver! I was being so hospitable, why did you have to show up so late at night?

While inwardly grumbling, he called out, "Hey, everyone, don't be nervous. Changsheng, put down the cleaver quickly." The boy was shirtless and had probably run out to see what was going on after hearing the commotion.

“You know him too, Li Changsheng, he’s my neighbor,” she introduced, afraid Yin Yeyao would forget. Then she introduced Changsheng, “Yin Yeyao, you’ve met before.”

Chang Sheng nodded, gave a muffled "hmm," turned around, and went back to his room to sleep.

Shang Lin was even more embarrassed: "I'm still asleep, haha..." What a brat, who did he learn to be so half-dead? Even if he hates being disturbed from his sleep, he should at least pretend. How can he treat a guest like this?

Once inside and seated, it seemed that no one except Changsheng was awake. Shanglin poured him a glass of water and asked, "When did you arrive in Province C?"

Yin Yeyao replied, "This morning."

What are you here for?

"Something came up."

"How did you get here?"

"drive."

She remained silent.

The car was parked outside, of course I knew you drove here! I just wanted to know how you ended up coming here by yourself—wait a minute!

As if facing a formidable enemy: "Did you drive all the way to Province C by yourself?"

“The driver is in Wai Chiao,” he explained.

Shanglin, don't worry, that's more like it—what more could you want!

"Then how did you get here?"

A smile appeared on Yin Yeyao's lips; she finally understood what her daughter was nervous about. Her cold voice softened slightly: "Drive yourself. Don't worry, I'm very skilled."

Shanglin frowned, disapproving: "You're not even an adult yet, you don't even have a driver's license, right? That's too dangerous!" He grumbled on the matter, launching into a lecture on safety, but after a while, he suddenly remembered: "Have you had dinner? Are you hungry?"

Yin Yeyao's smile deepened: "I haven't eaten." He rushed over as soon as he found out where she was and didn't have time to eat.

Shanglin patted his stomach and said, "You're lucky, I'm hungry too."

He was decisive and efficient: "You wait here, I'll go make something simple."

Even so, Yin Yeyao followed them out. Since there were only two people eating, there was no need for a large stove. Shang Lin lit a small stove, and while the pot was warming, she skillfully washed, chopped, and cooked the vegetables. It was late, and she was impatient with complicated dishes, so she stir-fried some tomatoes and eggs, and made spicy and sour cabbage. She also took two homemade steamed buns, which looked rather meager. Fortunately, she had some vacuum-packed meat she had brought, which she chopped up and arranged on a plate, barely making up three dishes.