He had located the exact positions of Tong Muqing and Yun Zhihuan, and had spent days familiarizing himself with the layout of the old Yun family mansion, making detailed arrangements before deciding to act that night.
After all, it was an old mansion, and the once prominent Yun family possessed considerable hidden family strength.
It was only through his investigation that he discovered the supposed downfall of the Yun family was a facade; Yun Jianzhong had already secretly relocated elsewhere.
Therefore, even with his preparations, a direct confrontation was impossible; he had to rely on strategy.
The remote, southwest corner of the Yun family's backyard presented the most opportune point of infiltration.
He spent some time having the area thoroughly researched. The outer wall was surrounded by a fence that was electrified. Not far from the wall, at intervals, alarms were installed.
A single move would trigger everything.
Including the basement's defenses...
And the retreat plan...
These were all part of his meticulously planned strategy. Time was of the essence, and he intended to avoid unnecessary entanglements, his sole focus being the rescue of the two individuals.
...
"Sister, don't run so fast!"
Lan Lexuan jogged to catch up with Lan Tongtong. It was already dark, and if his sister ran that fast, she might fall. He quickened his pace to reach her.
Lan Tongtong was still immersed in her own little world, oblivious to any sounds, intent only on sprinting forward.
They were currently in a garden in front of the main building, where quite a few people were still coming and going.
Suddenly, a hand gripped her arm, forcing Lan Tongtong to stop.
Blinking away tears, she turned her head. In her blurred vision, she recognized the person and her lips immediately turned down. She felt incredibly wronged.
Lan Lexuan looked at his sister's adorable face, streaked with tears, and his heart ached. He clumsily reached out and gently wiped her face, his expression earnest. "Don't cry anymore."
As if on cue, the moment he finished speaking, Lan Tongtong opened her mouth wide and burst into a wailing cry.
This drew the attention of passersby, who frequently stopped to watch.
"Whose children are these? Even their crying is so adorable. But they shouldn't cry like that, they'll hurt their eyes! How could this little one not let his sister go first?"
"Yes, who's saying that? If we had such a beautiful daughter, wouldn't the whole family dote on her?"
"Little one, don't cry. Look, your brother already knows he was wrong. You'll see when you open your eyes."
...
Lan Lexuan looked at his sister with a hint of helplessness. "Sister!"
Lan Tongtong finally realized something. She immediately stopped crying, closed her mouth, and opened her large eyes to see many people around them watching.
At this moment, a chubby little hand reached out. Looking up, she saw Lan Lexuan say with a hint of doting affection, "Let's go, brother will take you back."
Lan Tongtong placed her little hand in Lan Lexuan's palm and mumbled a nasalized word from her throat, "Mm."
After they had walked a considerable distance, a deep, imposing voice suddenly emerged from the crowd: "You're just going to watch them?"
Shi Xiaohu, still gazing at the receding figures of the two children, subconsciously replied, "Mm, let's watch for now."
Less than two seconds later, Shi Xiaohu turned his head as if he had seen a ghost, his gaze falling upon Lu Haoran, who was staring at them with a rather grim expression.
"Um... well, we..."
Shi Xiaohu couldn't utter a coherent sentence for a long time. He had meant well, so why did Young Master Lu's question make it sound like they were in the wrong?
Shi Yi had initially intended to offer some comfort, but Shi Xiaohu had argued that children communicated better with children, and siblings understood each other best. He had found this reasoning sound.
So they had stood by, watching the spectacle... no, waiting to intervene if the young master couldn't pacify the situation.
To their dismay, Young Master Lu had seen them. But he absolutely must not tell the young master!
He had seen it clearly: the young master cherished the young madam and the little lady more than anyone. When the young master and little lady entered together, he only held the little lady. As for the young madam, it was even more exaggerated; the moment she entered, the young master's eyes hadn't moved an inch!
If he found out about this, they would probably lose a layer of skin!
But how long had Young Master Lu been here? Had he been watching them all along?
Shi Xiaohu dared not ask this question. Young Master Lu was a prominent figure, not someone he could question.
Shi Yi, the rough fellow, had noticed nothing yet, his brows furrowed so deeply they could have trapped a fly.
"Young Master Lu, what if the little lady is so sad?"
The deep worry on his face made it seem as though he considered the young master and little lady his own life.
In contrast to their glum faces, Lu Haoran remained much calmer. "What to do? Let's watch!"
Was "watching" meant in the way he was thinking?
Shi Xiaohu dared not ponder too much, fearing his lack of education might lead him to misinterpret Young Master Lu's words. Just as he thought this, he immediately quickened his pace because... Young Master Lu and the leader had already walked far away!
"Wait for me!"
They were still outside the hospital, so Shi Xiaohu dared not shout too loudly, only managing to jog after them.
...
As they neared the entrance of the main building, Lan Tongtong stopped. She and Lan Lexuan were holding hands, so Lan Lexuan also stopped shortly after.
"Second brother," Lan Tongtong called out softly, twisting her fingers.
Lan Lexuan reached out and gently stroked her head. "Speak, brother is listening."
It was no wonder they were born from the same pregnancy; their tacit understanding was profound.
Lan Tongtong's gaze shifted evasively, and her words lacked conviction. "Will Father and Mother... be together?"
Would they?
If it were in the past, Lan Lexuan would have given a definitive answer. But now, Father and Mother...
Lan Lexuan's small hand in his pocket clenched slightly. He smiled at his uneasy sister. "Yes."
He believed everything would turn out fine, but only Lan Lexuan knew how much confidence he truly had.
If brother said yes, then it should be okay, right?
"Then..." Mother?
Seeing his sister stammering, Lan Lexuan asked, "What's wrong?"
Lan Tongtong suddenly forced a smile. "It's nothing, brother. Let's go back. Mother will be with us from now on."
At this, Lan Lexuan also broke into a smile. As long as Mother was present, he felt much more at ease.
Her presence was irreplaceable.
Three men hid by the flower bed, having watched the entire scene.
However, the flower bed was too small to accommodate three men, so... Shi Xiaohu could only stand behind them, and consequently... couldn't see anything!
This greatly frustrated Shi Xiaohu. He didn't know why Young Master Lu was here; he and the leader were more than enough. Young Master Lu should be off doing important work!
"Ahem!"
Lu Haoran turned his head and then realized his behavior... seemed to be seriously inconsistent with his image.
"You two continue to follow and escort them back first. I have matters to attend to!"
With that said, Lu Haoran straightened his chest, strode forward, swinging his long legs with an aura of being eight feet tall as he walked away...