Hearing this, Qi Yuanhua stepped forward and took his wife’s hand. “You’re right. Let’s go back to our room. Xiao Han and Huanhuan must be exhausted after such a long day and should rest now.”  

“Alright.”  

Shen Yuerong also stopped talking, instructed her eldest son briefly, and then followed her husband back to their room.  

After their parents left, Qi Han naturally took Qin Tianru’s small hand and led her toward the guest room.  

As the saying goes, familiarity breeds comfort. Apart from the initial blush of shyness the first time they held hands, Qi Han now grasped his wife’s hand with effortless ease and naturalness.  

“Rest early.”  

Standing at the doorway, Qi Han gazed at Qin Tianru reluctantly. Over the past few days, they had been inseparable, shadowing each other every moment. Now, faced with this sudden separation, he truly felt unsettled.  

“Mmm.”  

Qin Tianru pressed her lips together in response. Seeing him still dawdling foolishly at the door, she secretly laughed to herself.  

“Goodnight. Go back and rest now.”  

“Alright, goodnight.”  

Qi Han curled his lips into a smile and replied. He had already said everything he needed to remind her. If he didn’t leave now, he probably wouldn’t get any rest tonight.  

Finally, Qi Han dragged his feet and left. The thought that they wouldn’t have to be apart for long filled him with joy and excitement, and even more so, anticipation for the future.  

…

The next day.  

Qi Yuanhua and his wife, along with their son and daughter, ate breakfast as usual.  

“Dad, is there still no news about big brother?”  

Qi Qing was very worried and had little appetite. After just a few bites, she set down her chopsticks.  

Qi Yuanhua’s hand, holding the chopsticks, paused slightly. “There should be news soon.”  

Shen Yuerong, concerned that her daughter would keep pressing the matter, quickly changed the subject. “Hurry up and eat. Don’t delay your time for school.”  

This was their decision after discussing it the previous night. Since they still lacked concrete evidence to accuse the eldest branch of the family, they couldn’t risk alerting them prematurely.  

Therefore, they decided to play along with the scheme and expose the eldest branch’s plot at the critical moment.

Fortunately, after Xiao Han and the others returned last night, they had specifically instructed Old Liu, so no commotion was made to alert the eldest branch.  

That morning, Qi Han and Qin Tianru deliberately avoided Qi Qing and Qi Jun. It wasn’t that they wanted to hide the truth from their younger siblings, but considering their youth, they feared the two might accidentally reveal something and disrupt the plan.  

The fewer people who knew about this, the better it would be for their actions.  

As for Old Liu and his wife, they had already been repeatedly cautioned by Qi Yuanhua the night before. Although no detailed explanation was given, the elderly couple weren’t the type to gossip. They simply knew to follow their employers’ instructions.  

After Qi Qing and her brother left for school, Qi Yuanhua and Shen Yuerong also headed out shortly after—they needed to maintain appearances and deceive those surveilling their family.  

Once outside, however, the couple split up.  

Qi Yuanhua made a round at the woodcarving shop and then visited several trade teams to inquire about news of his “missing eldest son.”  

At present, only a few people at home knew of Qi Han’s safe return. To the outside world, he continued to play the part of a worried father.  

Meanwhile, Shen Yuerong pretended to return to her maiden home to seek help. While her elder sister-in-law was opening the courtyard gate, she deliberately stood at the entrance and exchanged a few words before following her inside the Shen residence.  

Xiao Han had said that they couldn’t be sure whether they were being followed or how many people might be tailing them. So, to guard against any mishaps, the couple had to maintain their act at all times once they stepped outside, leaving no room for error.