Chapter 1086: New House

Chapter 1086: New House

The passengers disembarked in a slow-moving current. Everyone drifted in the same direction through the dim, hushed station.

It was the dead of night—taxis were scarce, public transport almost nonexistent. Most people had no choice but to find a corner in the terminal’s corridor to rest and wait for daylight before continuing to their destinations.

But Su Shen wouldn’t dream of letting Gu Zi sit around waiting in that crowded, stale air. He had made arrangements well in advance. The moment they stepped out of the station, a car was already there, waiting for them.

Gao Lang had also informed his workplace of his itinerary; someone would be picking him up too.

And just like that, he and the Su family parted ways outside the station. Gao Ming, fast asleep in his arms, remained blissfully unaware that he would be parting from his best friend so soon after arriving.

The Su family piled into the car. The children huddled together and quickly dozed off, their soft breathing filling the car. Gu Zi sat beside Su Shen, and it wasn’t long before she too nodded off, leaning gently against him.

The car rumbled through the city, heading towards the courtyard house Su Shen had mentioned. It was a long drive through the sleeping capital, and by the time they finally reached their destination, the clock had ticked well past 1 a.m.

Gu Zi stepped out of the car and instinctively scanned their surroundings.

The area was… not quite what she’d imagined. Being a traditional courtyard house, it was nestled among a maze of aging hutongs—narrow alleys lined with weathered brick walls and crooked rooftops.

The car couldn’t even drive all the way in. There were no streetlights. The night air was still and ink-dark, making her instinctively inch closer to Su Shen. She didn’t dare stray too far from him.

Su Li blinked open his sleepy eyes and looked around in mild confusion before turning to Gu Zi. “Mommy, is this Daddy’s new house? It feels way worse than our old neighborhood. Did we get the wrong place?”

Su Shen had Su Le cradled in one arm and Gu Zi’s hand in the other. Gu Zi, in turn, held onto Su Bing, who was tugging on Su Li. They looked like a human chain crossing a dark river.

“No mistake,” Su Shen said, his voice low and steady. “This is it. Hold your brother’s hand and stay close.”

Su Li immediately fell silent and grabbed her elder brother’s hand, obediently following them deeper into the alleys. But the further they walked, the more ominous the place seemed—there was a desolate, almost eerie quality to it. It felt like something out of a suspense novel.

Su Shen led the group through the gate, then doubled back to help the driver unload their luggage. It took three full trips back and forth to haul everything inside.

Watching him, Gu Zi finally understood why courtyard houses were so hard to sell these days. If the conditions were this rough, who in their right mind would choose to live like this?

The courtyard wasn’t especially large—just a basic one-entry courtyard house. But that, Gu Zi thought with some relief, was probably a blessing. If it had been bigger, the upkeep would’ve been even more of a nightmare. Here, at least, one could see the entire layout upon entering.

Earlier, Su Shen had explained that for the time being, vehicles couldn’t access the courtyard directly. The main road was still under repair. Once that was completed, things would be far more convenient. Hearing this now, Gu Zi felt a little reassured—at least the situation wasn’t permanent.

She decided to check out the bedrooms first. Pushing open one of the doors, she heard a sudden clink—something hit the ground. Her heart skipped a beat.

Looking at Su Shen, she asked in a low voice, “Was… was this door already unlocked?”

Su Shen pulled her behind him protectively. “This place doesn’t get many visitors. Thieves come by often. Looks like the lock was sawed off. I’ll go check things out. Wait here.”

With that, he disappeared into the darkened room. Gu Zi stood frozen for a moment, a shiver creeping down her spine.

Wasn’t the capital supposed to have better security than Guangcheng? This didn’t feel like it at all.

After a thorough inspection, Su Shen returned and waved them in. Gu Zi stepped inside and flicked on the lights. The tension in her shoulders eased instantly.

The room was much better than she’d expected—clean, with fresh furnishings and even a new bed. Someone must’ve come by recently to tidy up. All it needed now was fresh bedding, which wouldn’t take long to set up.

Realizing she hadn’t showered in two days, Gu Zi suddenly felt sticky and uncomfortable. It was far too late to heat water, but she turned to Su Shen anyway. “Could you get me some water? I’ll just do a quick wash with cold water.”

Without hesitation, Su Shen fetched a basin of water. Gu Zi made her way to the small bath area and gave herself a brisk rinse, scrubbing off the train grime. The moment she stepped out, she felt completely refreshed.

By then, Su Shen had already laid out the bedding. Gu Zi didn’t even notice the hard wooden frame of the bed as she lay down—she was out cold in minutes.

The next morning, Gu Zi woke up feeling stiff all over. Her back ached and her neck felt like it had been twisted in her sleep. Clearly, her days in Guangcheng had spoiled her. She was no longer used to hard beds.

After washing up, she stepped into the courtyard and found herself pausing in surprise.

There, in the corner, stood a crabapple tree—its crooked branches elegant in the morning light. Around its base were scattered clusters of chrysanthemums, though most of them were blooming sparsely, as if no one had tended to them in a while. Not exactly picture-perfect, but… charming in their own way.

It looked like her flower-care skills were about to be put to the test.

The courtyard’s ground was paved with stone, which made sweeping and cleaning a breeze.

Gu Zi took her time surveying the space, and the more she looked, the more she liked it. It was still a little rough around the edges, but once she had the chance to decorate and spruce it up, she could already envision how lovely it might become.

Yes, she thought to herself with a growing sense of contentment—this was a good start. She liked this new home.

Though one thing still puzzled her.

Exactly how far was it from here to the university?

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