Chapter 80.1

Looking for Someone?

It’s really new that people have come to her to find someone.

Ruan Mingfu looked at him.

“I’m looking for…” Bai Qinghua lowered his head slightly before continuing, “She said her surname is Gu and is temporarily staying here with you.”

Case solved…

Ruan Mingfu glanced at Xie Yanzhao, unsure of what to say.

He cleared his throat and asked, “The person you’re looking for is Gu Yilin?”

“Yes!”

Bai Qinghua’s eyes lit up as he nodded vigorously.

“Brother, do you know where she is?”

Seeing his innocent demeanor, reminiscent of college students from later generations, Ruan Mingfu bit her lip, struggling to find the right words.

“So, you guys are…”

“Oh,” Bai Qinghua straightened up, flashing a big grin, “She’s my girlfriend.”

What?!

Ruan Mingfu nearly choked on her tea upon hearing such shocking news.

Covering her mouth, she coughed for a while.

Xie Yanzhao frowned slightly and gently patted her back, his expression a mix of concern and annoyance as he shot a fierce look at Bai Qinghua.

“Are you okay?”

Ruan Mingfu waved her hand repeatedly.

Once she managed to calm her throat, she looked at Bai Qinghua in disbelief.

“She’s your girlfriend?”

“Yes,” Bai Qinghua chuckled shyly, “She even mentioned that we should get our marriage certificate and introduce me to her parents by the end of the year.”

Gah!

Ruan Mingfu said that Gu Yilin was staying well here. So, why did she suddenly run away in such a hurry, which was not her style at all?

It turned out she had gotten herself involved in a romantic entanglement.

She silently looked at Bai Qinghua, feeling a mix of pity and exasperation.

Poor naive kid, falling for a woman who would likely ghost him.

Ruan Mingfu found it hard to comprehend.

“Is she not here today?” Bai Qinghua asked, glancing eagerly toward the room.

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

She winked at Xie Yanzhao.

He’s your own cousin, so you can handle it yourself.

Xie Yanzhao turned to meet Bai Qinghua’s hopeful gaze, suddenly unsure how to respond.

“Well, um… marriage is a big deal,” he said, looking at Bai Qinghua. “Does grandma know?”

“I called her a long time ago to inform her,” Bai Qinghua’s eyes fell on Ruan Mingfu, “When she heard that she was a good friend of my sister-in-law, my grandmother was very happy and asked me to bring her back to meet her during the New Year.”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

She hadn’t expected to be involved in this too!

Faced with Bai Qinghua’s eager expression, Ruan Mingfu thought for a moment and decided to speak up.

“You came at an unfortunate time. She went home today.”

“Ah?”

Bai Qinghua looked disappointed.

His cute, messy hair drooped down, resembling a sad little puppy abandoned by its owner.

“It’s okay,” Bai Qinghua reassured himself. “She probably left in a hurry and didn’t have time to tell me.”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

“Do you know her address, sister-in-law?” Bai Qinghua asked shyly, scratching his head. “I’d like to write her a letter…”

To be honest, this cousin’s love brain is inherited from his ancestors, right?

“Just a moment, I’ll write it down for you.”

Ruan Mingfu decided to help Bai Qinghua out.

This bastard Gu Yilin was probably just greedy for someone’s body, but he took it seriously. Feeling the pressure, Gu Yilin had to run away before Bai Qinghua showed up.

“Great!” Bai Qinghua looked at the address with gratitude. “Thank you, sister-in-law.”

Ruan Mingfu waved her hand dismissively.

Young man, you’re on your own.

With a flaky friend like that, who knows how this will turn out?

She was amused to watch the drama unfold.

…

On the other hand, after being rejected by Xie Yanzhao and publicly humiliated by Mrs. Ruan at the hospital, Commander Xie returned home in a furious mood, making the atmosphere tense and oppressive.

Xie Yin skipped into the house, her heart racing as she stepped into the hall.

She glanced around and, noticing Commander Xie wasn’t there, let out a sigh of relief.

He was like a raging lion, ready to snap at any little thing.

Xie Yin dared not provoke him.

Quietly, she tiptoed to the stairs and spotted Bai Qianzhu coming down from upstairs.

She is dressed very beautifully today.

In an apricot-colored long dress that highlighted her slim waist, and with her hair styled and adorned with a hairpin that Xie Yin had never seen before, she held a wallet in her hand, seemingly heading out.

“Mom, are you going out again?”

Xie Yin asked, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

“The custom-made clothes are ready,” Bai Qianzhu replied, glancing at her. “I’ll go take a look.”

“Oh.”

Just as Bai Qianzhu tried to walk past her, Xie Yin stepped forward.

“Mom, I haven’t had fresh air in a while. Let me join you this time.”

Bai Qianzhu paused, holding her wallet tightly.

“There’s so much dust over there, what are you doing there?” She stood on the stairs a few steps higher than Xie Yin and touched her hair. “Your dad has been in a bad mood recently, you should go and comfort him. I’ll go over first and make you a few more new dresses when the time comes.”

Xie Yin seemed persuaded.

She looked at Bai Qianzhu with some disappointment, but her eyes lit up again when she thought of the beautiful dress.

“Okay then…”

Bai Qianzhu smiled slightly.

“Be a good girl and stay home to keep your father company.”

“Understood.”

Bai Qianzhu breathed a sigh of relief and left quickly.

Xie Yin watched her mother’s retreating figure, pouting in dissatisfaction, her eyes filled with confusion.

Lately, her mother had been going out a lot, which was odd because she used to be a homebody, often complaining that Xie Yin was too lively…

Should she go take a look?

As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she couldn’t shake it off.

No time to waste!

Xie Yin quietly followed Bai Qianzhu.

Bai Qianzhu didn’t call for a car, and there weren’t any taxis around. However, as she walked, a car immediately pulled up. Bai Qianzhu glanced around cautiously, then happily got into the vehicle.

Fearing her mother might notice, Xie Yin didn’t dare to follow too closely.

But seeing Bai Qianzhu get into a car that wasn’t from the Xie family made her uneasy. Just as she hesitated about whether to follow, a bus stopped next to her.

The driver thought Xie Yin wanted to board and called out, “That female comrade over there, are you getting on?”

Xie Yin pursed her lips.

Now that it had come to this, she had to find out what her mother was up to.

However, as soon as she boarded, she regretted it.

She didn’t know where the bus had come from, but it was packed with people. The smell of sweat, stinky feet, and diesel fumes hit her hard, nearly making her gag.

Xie Yin covered her nose and mouth, finally finding some relief as she settled by the window.

“Comrade, buy a ticket.”

Frowning, she struggled to pull out money from her pocket and handed it over.

“Keep the change.”

Ugh!

Xie Yin turned pale, her gaze still fixed on the black car ahead.

As it turned right while her bus veered left, panic set in.

“Turn back! Follow that car… don’t turn!”

The driver certainly wouldn’t listen to her, and with a left turn, they completely parted ways with Bai Qianzhu’s car.

Xie Yin’s brows knitted tightly.

“What’s wrong with you? Didn’t I tell you to follow that car and not turn left? Can you even drive?”

In those days, driving a bus was a stable job.

The driver was skilled, often looked up to, and he wasn’t pleased with Xie Yin’s complaints.

“Can you do better? You take over, then.”

Xie Yin: “…”

“You’re just a kid who talks big,” the driver shot her an angry glare. “Do you think this bus belongs to you? You can go wherever you want?”

People on the bus began to laugh.

“Seriously, is this girl a bit off?”

“Hey, someone should keep an eye on her, or she might get hurt…”

“So young…”

They all remembered how Xie Yin had a disdainful expression when she boarded, and they had lost their patience with her. In the past, someone like her might have been sent to a reform committee for a reality check.

“You, you… all of you…”

Hearing their insults, Xie Yin’s face flushed with anger.

She felt outnumbered.

Furious, she couldn’t find a way to retaliate.

Fortunately, after a few intersections, she spotted that familiar black car again. She didn’t blink, afraid it might disappear once more.

Seeing it come to a slow stop, she quickly shouted, “Stop!”

Rushing off the bus, she saw Bai Qianzhu and William holding hands as they turned a corner.

Xie Yin hurriedly followed them.

The two walked through a couple of alleys before arriving at a small courtyard.

Bai Qianzhu held William’s hand, her eyes glimmering with affection as they exchanged words, though Xie Yin was too far away to hear them clearly.

But seeing her mother take the initiative made Xie Yin understand.

This wasn’t a matter of coercion. It was clearly a mutual attraction.

Xie Yin: “…”

She felt a mix of emotions. How could her mother be with William, the man she had set her sights on first?

Feeling betrayed, Xie Yin’s expression darkened.

Her bond with Bai Qianzhu was deep.

Though she had been brought into the Xie family at a young age, she knew that Commander Xie wasn’t her biological father. Bai Qianzhu was the only real mother she could rely on.

But now…

Xie Yin felt lost.

The man she liked was with her own mother… It made her feel a bit sick.

She clutched her chest tightly, her eyes reddening as she watched them enter the house like a couple.

A flash of resentment crossed her mind.