Courtyard House: Home Alone

He picked up his water glass, took a sip, and his expression turned serious. "Mom, I've applied for a transfer to Beiping. I'll let you know once I'm settled. You can come visit me whenever you're free, so I can see you more often."

"Son, can't you come home and live here? The two side rooms where Qian Liugen and his wife used to live are empty. There's also a basement you can use." The deaf old woman looked at her son with hopeful eyes.

Upon hearing this, Huang Jiaxing's face showed a hint of helplessness: "Mom, it's not that your son doesn't want to go home, it's just that my current status... makes it inconvenient."

I'm back this time with an important mission. Living outside will give me more freedom of movement and allow me to better protect you.

"That basement... it's best not to touch it for now. I'll arrange for two people to come over in the next couple of days, firstly to take care of and protect you, and secondly, to facilitate your contact with the outside world." He deliberately lowered his voice, a hint of barely perceptible wariness in his eyes.

Mrs. Long was incredibly astute. Hearing her son's words, she knew there must be more to the story. She didn't press further, but simply nodded, her eyes filled with worry: "Mom knows you're having difficulties. Be careful in everything you do out there. The Japanese and traitors in the open have been eliminated by 'Ghost,' but who knows how many are still lurking in the shadows! Don't let anything go wrong."

"I understand, Mom." Huang Jiaxing held his mother's hand, feeling its familiar warmth and roughness, and a pang of sadness welled up in his heart. "By the way, Mom, how's everything at home lately? Has anyone been bothering you?"

When this was mentioned, Mrs. Long sighed: "Fortunately, with Xiao Yi and Xiao Lan taking care of things, nothing serious happened."

Just recently, the couple next door, nicknamed "The Wolf," ran away, leaving behind only their seven-year-old child. That child is quite clever, kind-hearted, and capable; I can hardly see through him.

"Lin boy?" Huang Jiaxing was slightly taken aback, quickly searching his mind for the name, but couldn't quite place it. "Mom, you said he was from 'Canglang'..."

"The three rooms next to ours were bought from me by 'Canglang'."

At the time, I had no idea that a professor was the "Canglang" who had been fighting with us for so long. I just thought he was a professor from Peking Union Medical College. It was Qian Liugen who discovered this by accident.

Later, I sent them to inform the Japanese, but they were lucky enough to escape. The kid was at home at the time; they ran away in such a hurry that they left him behind.

That kid's name is Lin Yifan. He lives alone in that courtyard now. He rarely goes out and seems honest and well-behaved.

However, I always felt that child was extraordinary; at such a young age, the depth in his eyes was more profound than that of an adult.

Mrs. Long chattered on, her tone tinged with curiosity about Lin Yifan and a hint of barely perceptible pity. "Whenever he's home, he comes over to say hello almost every day."

She's quite skillful; at only seven years old, she cooks all by herself, and her stir-fries taste pretty good. She always brings me the best food. She's not very talkative, but she's a very sensible child.

When Huang Jiaxing heard the name "Lin Yifan," his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but his heart was stirred.

"The son of 'Azure Wolf'?" he murmured to himself. The codename "Azure Wolf" was well-known within the intelligence system; it referred to an extremely important intelligence officer of the Red Party.

We usually only hear his voice but never see him. Could it be that he and his family have been living in seclusion in Beiping all this time? And right next door to his mother?

He listened quietly to his mother's story, his fingers tapping lightly on his knees as his mind raced.

Isn't this too much of a coincidence? The son of an intelligence chief with heavy responsibilities lives next door to his mother and is considered by her to be a "clever, kind-hearted, and capable" child.

Is there some secret hidden here that he doesn't know about?

"Mom, you said his name is Lin Yifan?" Huang Jiaxing asked casually, but his eyes were fixed on his mother's face, trying to glean more information from it.

"Yes, his name is Lin Yifan." Mrs. Long nodded, picked up the teapot on the table, and refilled her son's water. "What, Jiaxing, do you know this child?"

Huang Jiaxing quickly suppressed the probing look in his eyes, shook his head, and smiled, "I don't know him, but the name sounds familiar."

"Mom, it's good to have a neighbor to look after you living here alone. However, in this world, you can't judge a book by its cover, so you still need to be careful and not easily trust strangers."

He deliberately emphasized the word "outsider," both as a reminder to his mother and as a warning to himself. He needed to find an opportunity to thoroughly investigate this Lin Yifan.

If he really is the son of "Azure Wolf," then his situation might be more dangerous than he imagined. And perhaps he could find clues about "Azure Wolf" through him.

Meanwhile, Lin Yifan was sitting in his study, silently "watching" the deaf old woman and her son, and also "hearing" their conversation.

His fingertips lightly traced the surface of the table. In the charcoal brazier in front of him, flames silently licked the charcoal, casting flickering light on his deep eyes.

He clearly "saw" Huang Jiaxing's sharp, hawk-like eyes next door, and also "heard" the deliberate emphasis and hidden wariness in his words.

"Huang Jiaxing... is indeed extraordinary, worthy of being an elite member of the Military Intelligence Bureau."

A barely perceptible smile curved Lin Yifan's lips as his mind raced. "He's starting to suspect my identity. Good, this fish has finally taken the bait. Once I take down their fishpond, I should be able to trade quite a bit with Baldy!"

He slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the heavy sky outside. Although spring was just around the corner, the wind in Beiping still carried a chill, blowing the stray hairs on his forehead.

He knew that Huang Jiaxing had come to Beiping with a purpose, and the investigation into him wouldn't begin anytime soon. His main target right now was the Japanese prince. So, it wouldn't be too late to deal with the skinheads who came to Beiping to reap the benefits after he had dealt with the Japanese.

The conversation next door gradually subsided, and in the study, only the occasional slight crackling sound from the charcoal brazier and his steady, long breathing remained.

The next morning, Lin Yifan knocked on the deaf old woman's door: "Grandma Long, my master sent a message yesterday, asking me to stay at his house for a few days to help him organize some old manuscripts. I won't be able to come and pay my respects to you for the next few days, so please take good care of yourself."

Mrs. Long looked at the sensible child in front of her, her eyes full of affection. She reached out and patted his head: "Go on, go on, be careful on the road. When you get there, say hello to your driver. Your Uncle Yi and Aunt Xiaolan are here at home, so don't worry about them."

Lin Yifan nodded obediently, then glanced at Huang Jiaxing, who was standing not far behind Mrs. Long, with a seemingly casual yet scrutinizing gaze. He nodded slightly in acknowledgment and then turned and left.