Chapter 24

They said the people who lived there were all powerful figures—people protected by the state—surrounded by layers of security inside and out.

Everyone on the outside said that children born in Peace Courtyard were already winners at the starting line—bonafide second-generation military elites.

“We were going back to rest, weren’t we? Why are we going to Peace Courtyard?”

That place wasn’t somewhere ordinary people like them could just go.

Everyone in the military compound was the real deal. If anyone dared cause trouble there, getting locked up would be the lightest punishment.

“Just need to take care of something. Don’t be scared.”

Gao Han gently patted her hand, signaling for her not to worry.

Go to Peace Courtyard to handle business?

Who dared go to Peace Courtyard to do business?

“Oh, right—Ah Han.” Song Qingdai suddenly remembered something, and her expression immediately turned serious.

“What’s wrong?”

The way she called him Ah Han—he liked it a lot. It sounded sweet to his ears.

“That woman we saw last time at the Gao family compound, Ren Nana… is her father’s name Ren Jianjun?”

Gao Han’s face froze, and his gaze suddenly sharpened, scrutinizing her like she was a suspect under interrogation. It made Song Qingdai’s scalp tingle.

She quickly waved her hands. “Don’t misunderstand. I just want to know—does Mr. Ren have a driver named Liu Bingzhi?”

“Song Qingdai!”

His voice turned harsh in an instant.

Information about Ren Jianjun wasn’t something an ordinary person could know—let alone the name of his driver.

But Song Qingdai knew it all.

And right now, during a sensitive time, he had just received a classified message stating that someone suspicious had infiltrated the compound.

“You can say this once—but never again.”

If someone overheard her, she’d be arrested as a suspected spy.

“No—it’s not like that, Comrade Gao Han. That Liu Bingzhi—”

“Comrade, we’ve arrived.”

The driver stopped the car about two to three hundred meters away from Peace Courtyard.

Even from a distance, they could see the security guards at the gate. Shifts changed every thirty minutes, six men per shift, rotating like clockwork.

Before they even got close, one of the guards was already approaching to turn them away.

“This is Peace Courtyard. Unauthorized personnel must not approach!”

“Comrades, please leave the area!”

Gao Han didn’t waste words. He simply took out his pass.

As soon as the guards saw it, their expressions changed completely.

“Oh—it’s Comrade Gao. Our apologies. We hadn’t seen you before and didn’t realize you were part of the compound. Please, come in.”

“It’s fine. I brought my fiancée with me today,” Gao Han replied, his tone easing, even showing a rare smile.

“If she’s your fiancée, then of course she’s allowed to enter as well.”

“Is Mr. Ren home?”

Gao Han asked.

The guard replied, “Mr. Ren just stepped out.”

“Who was driving him?”

The guard gave him a puzzled look and said, “Of course it was Comrade Liu Bingzhi. He’s Mr. Ren’s preferred driver—reliable, knows every road like the back of his hand. Mr. Ren won’t let anyone else drive him.”

“…Got it.”

Gao Han’s expression darkened as he led Song Qingdai inside.

“What was that all about?” the guards exchanged confused glances.

Song Qingdai’s palms were sweaty.

Even someone as successful as Zhang Shaoxing in her past life had never dared get close to Peace Courtyard.

And now—she had walked right through the gates, openly and without obstruction.

From the guards’ attitude, they seemed to hold Gao Han in high regard.

“Ah Han…” she called softly. “Do you… live here? In Peace Courtyard?”

“Mhm.”

What she didn’t expect was that Gao Han admitted it without hesitation.

He said, “Qingdai, don’t ask anything for now. Go take a shower and get some sleep first. I understand what you said earlier—I’ll call Mr. Ren and get him back immediately.”

“Okay.”

The environment inside Peace Courtyard was excellent—lush flowers and greenery everywhere.

People didn’t talk much. Most just quietly went about their own business. Occasionally, you’d see a few women chatting in the shade.

But when they spotted unfamiliar faces like hers, their expressions turned surprised and guarded.

Especially when looking at Song Qingdai—mostly confusion and scrutiny.

She paid them no mind.

She only knew that in her previous life, a tragedy had occurred.

Mr. Ren’s only daughter had been kidnapped and murdered by spies. Her death had been so gruesome, not even her body was left intact.

She had never seen Mr. Ren’s daughter, but when Ren Nana mentioned her father was a military officer that day, she had already begun to suspect something.

In her last life, the news of the tragedy broke at the end of this very month. Mr. Ren’s only daughter died horribly at the hands of criminals. The grief of a parent burying their child broke Mr. Ren’s spirit, and he soon passed away.

Mr. Ren had lived a life of heroic service, full of achievements. He was a true patriot and man of honor.

To Gao Han, even if he found Song Qingdai’s words hard to believe, he wouldn’t take the risk of ignoring even the slightest chance of something going wrong.

The compound was large, with cars occasionally passing through.

Gao Han led Song Qingdai deeper inside.

Until they reached a two-story villa tucked at the very end. He pulled out a key and unlocked the door. Even though no one lived there regularly, the house was maintained and cleaned periodically.

It wasn’t dusty at all. Everything was ready to use—no need to prepare anything.

Song Qingdai was stunned. A two-story house?

Inside Peace Courtyard?

Just what kind of person was Gao Han?

She couldn’t help but start questioning his identity. He definitely wasn’t just some nobody from Hongxing Town like people said.

Because nobodies didn’t have the qualifications to live in Peace Courtyard—let alone own a whole two-story house inside it.

“Qingdai, the bathroom is ready. Take a shower and get some rest. I’ll bring lunch back later. If anyone comes while I’m gone, don’t open the door. Wait for me.”

Gao Han quickly gave her some instructions before heading out.

Before leaving, he even brought her one of his shirts, a towel, a bar of soap, and some shampoo.

Song Qingdai was too exhausted. The compound’s amenities were top-notch—everything she needed was already there.

She quickly took a shower to wash off the sticky discomfort, finally feeling a bit more refreshed. Only then did she have the energy to start inspecting the house.

Though the interior was minimalistic, it had everything—radio, television, even a refrigerator.

When she opened his wardrobe, she saw it was filled with crisp white shirts—and only white shirts.

The room looked brand new—no signs of anyone having lived there.

Which meant… this was Gao Han’s first time staying here too.

She searched the house from top to bottom but couldn’t find a single thing that might reveal his true identity.

After making a full round through the entire house, she finally gave in to the exhaustion overwhelming her. Lying down on the couch in the living room, she fell fast asleep.