Gu Wanqing returned to Beijing very discreetly, going straight to the Beijing City Restaurant from the airport without notifying anyone.
Moreover, the few assistants she brought back from abroad were all left in the south.
After settling in, and with an excited heart, she went directly to the Han Family’s old house, only to find the gates tightly shut.
Standing at the entrance of the alley, it took her a long time to calm down.
Returning here once again, her heart was truly filled with a myriad of emotions.
Not far ahead was the courtyard she lived in before leaving, and before she realized it, she had walked into the courtyard.
Today was already the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, and most families were busy preparing New Year’s food, frying meatballs, and stewing meat. No matter how tight life was, after a year of hard work, they had to reward their families a bit.
Gu Wanqing saw that the courtyard was no longer the elegant and quiet place it used to be. The front and back courtyards combined seemed to house ten or so families.
Someone saw Gu Wanqing walking in, "Who are you looking for?"
Gu Wanqing showed no trace of joy on her face and said lightly, "Just looking around."
She noticed that the pavilion Han Jingchen had built for her in the backyard was no longer there, replaced by a small house built on the original site, her eyes filled with anger.
The title deed to this courtyard was still in her hands, but now so many people had moved in without the owner’s consent. Not only did they not protect the courtyard, but they also turned it into a complete mess.
They completely destroyed the courtyard meticulously arranged by her and Han Jingchen.
Seeing that Wanqing didn’t reply, the person directly frowned and asked, "Hey, I’m asking you, who are you?"
Gu Wanqing glanced at the person and turned to walk toward the main gate.
By the time the person had called others from the courtyard, Gu Wanqing had already disappeared without a trace.
"Hey, where did she go? Why did she leave?"
"I’m really not lying. A well-dressed woman was wandering around the courtyard earlier. I asked her who she was, and she wouldn’t say. That’s why I called you guys out."
Someone chimed in, "Maybe she went to the wrong courtyard. Since there’s nothing wrong, I’ll get back to work. The meat is still stewing on the fire."
Seeing they couldn’t find anyone, everyone dispersed and went back to their own tasks.
Gu Wanqing exited the alley, found a rickshaw at the entrance, and told the driver where she wanted to go. The driver said, "The place you’re going to isn’t close, and it’s out of town. At this time of year, I won’t go for a low price."
Gu Wanqing wasn’t short of money, nor was she afraid of being cheated by this rickshaw driver since, after going abroad, her father specifically hired a Chinese martial arts master for her.
They really feared she would get hurt again.
She held onto the thought of returning home to find her husband and daughter, so she never once slacked, whether it was the sweltering heat of summer or the bitter cold of winter.
Now with her current skills, even a few strong men wouldn’t be able to get near her.
This was also the reason her parents agreed to let her return home alone, knowing she could protect herself. That’s why they allowed her to go.
The main issue was that while there were still buses in the city at this hour, there were no public bikes heading towards the suburbs, so she resorted to finding this rickshaw for hire.
The day was quite cold, but fortunately, Gu Wanqing was dressed warmly, though even so, she was freezing.
She could have returned to the large hotel, revealed her identity, and sought help arranging a car, but she was too anxious to meet someone.
Additionally, she didn’t want to draw attention or alarm those lurking in the shadows, fearing they might seize the opportunity seeing her return alone.
The closer she got to her goal, the more her mind was in turmoil. After so many years apart, she didn’t know what the next scene would be like.