Chapter 886: Someone Was Watching

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

One of the soldiers, speaking in a light-hearted tone, remarked, “We’re all pretty jealous of Commander Su. He’s got a young, beautiful, and elegant wife. Just look at her—she’s got the air of someone from a wealthy family. Our Commander Su’s reached the peak of his life!”

Though the comment was made as a joke, it carried a truth that everyone quietly acknowledged.

Su Shen, coming from a humble rural background and raising three kids on his own, had indeed found an exceptional woman to be his wife. Whether he stayed in the military or left with her, it was clear that he had emerged a winner in life.

Since Su Shen had already decided to leave, there was no point in lingering regrets. All they could do was wish him and his family a safe journey.

The day before their departure, Huo Jing also showed up. He and Su Shen had been through life-and-death situations together, and even though Su Shen was leaving the military, their bond wouldn’t fade.

Huo Jing, as usual, was his rough, no-nonsense self, a cigarette dangling from his lips—though, out of respect for the women and children present, he didn’t light it.

Clapping Su Shen’s shoulder with a firm hand, Huo Jing gruffly said, “When I’m back in Guangzhou on leave, I’ll throw a feast to properly welcome your wife. You better not hide her away—make sure she’s there! And tomorrow, I’m sending my car to take you all to the station. You’ve got to ride in my vehicle.”

Huo Jing’s generosity was impossible to refuse, and Su Shen didn’t bother with formalities. There was an unspoken understanding between the two.

The train tickets had already been bought by Jin Long, and on the day of their departure, they all piled into the military vehicle Huo Jing had arranged. The journey to the station was smooth, with no interruptions along the way.

During the drive, Gu Zi overheard the security guard and Jin Long chatting casually and learned that today was Huo Jing and Hu Jie’s engagement day. It dawned on her that Hu Jie hadn’t shown up at the hospital since the day she and the kids first arrived.

On the day everyone came to bid farewell to Su Shen, Gu Zi had thought Hu Jie might make an appearance for such an important occasion, but she never did. Now, it made sense—Hu Jie was preparing for her wedding with Huo Jing.

Upon hearing the news, Gu Zi didn’t feel particularly upset. She simply wished Hu Jie a peaceful and fulfilling life. After all, as the daughter of a martyr, Hu Jie had such a great family background. It was a pity she hadn’t cherished it and had instead fixated on someone else’s man for so long. That must have been exhausting.

‘I hope she finds happiness,’ Gu Zi thought to herself.

The train moved steadily forward, showing no sign of turning back.

Su Shen had left behind all the honors and power associated with his past, with no hint of attachment. Yet, once aboard, an occasional flicker of tension crossed his face, betraying a lingering worry.

When Gu Zi took Su Le to the restroom, Su Shen finally dropped the pretense, his brows furrowed in thought.

In a hushed voice, he said to Jin Long, “The man at the connection between the train cars ahead, the one chatting idly behind us, and the guy fetching hot water multiple times in the aisle—none of them are just passing time. Their eyes keep drifting toward us. We’re being watched.”

With his sharp sense of awareness, Su Shen easily detected the unusual behavior. However, he couldn’t recall any unresolved matters in the capital that would warrant such surveillance. Why would someone send people to tail him all the way to Guangzhou? It didn’t add up.

Jin Long, trusted by Su Shen to handle complex situations, wasn’t surprised by this revelation. He had also noticed the oddities and understood that Su Shen had deliberately waited until Gu Zi was out of earshot to avoid worrying her.

Jin Long, keeping his expression casual, shifted his gaze away from the front. “No matter what’s going on, they seem to be just tailing us for now. They won’t make any moves on the train. I’ll keep an eye on Gu Zi and the kids. We’ll deal with this once we get off.”

Su Shen nodded in agreement. This was the most sensible approach.

For the remainder of the journey, neither Su Shen nor Jin Long slept much, staying alert for any potential threats. Fortunately, their suspicions were correct—the group’s only intention was surveillance, and no further actions were taken. The family arrived safely in Guangzhou.

As soon as they got home and put down their luggage, the conversation naturally turned to Big Yellow, their family dog. Before leaving, they had asked Aunt Gao next door to look after Big Yellow.

Gu Zi, visibly excited, said, “I wonder how Big Yellow’s doing. I’ve missed him so much! We’ll finally see him again!”

Su Li, just as eager, darted outside, shouting, “Big Yellow! Gao Ming! I’m back!”

He hadn’t seen Big Yellow or Gao Ming for what felt like ages, and the sheer joy was overwhelming. He rushed forward, hardly considering the fact that Gao Ming would likely be at school at this time.

Seeing Su Li’s excitement, Gu Zi and Su Bing decided to follow him to the Gao family’s house to bring Big Yellow home. But when they arrived, they were met with worrying news: Big Yellow had fallen ill and had been sent to the animal hospital.

In an instant, the family’s joy turned to concern. Without wasting any time, they hurried to the animal hospital, their minds now preoccupied with the well-being of their beloved dog.