Courtyard House: A Veteran Returns Home and Becomes a Father

At 11 p.m., the hustle and bustle of the day had long since faded from Beijing. Even the streetlights seemed dim, casting long and short shadows over the streets. A modified military jeep, like a lurking cheetah, sped through the deserted streets. The deep, violent roar of its engine tore through the surrounding silence, even causing the shadows of the plane trees along the roadside to shake violently.

Su Mo rested one hand on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white from the force, his fingertips rubbing against the cold steering wheel. His other hand, however, was tightly gripping a piece of cardboard he had taken from "Shadow." The edges of the cardboard were crumpled from his grip, the corner digging into his palm, leaving several deep red marks, but he was completely unaware of it.

In the dim light inside the car, the words on the piece of paper were clearly visible: Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Special Ward Area Access Pass. Below it was the hospital's bright red official seal and a string of blurry numbers, indicating that this was not a counterfeit, but a genuine pass that allowed access to the core area of ​​Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

This thin piece of paper felt incredibly heavy, like a red-hot iron, searing his palm and sending a burning pain through his chest. Su Mo's breathing suddenly became heavy, as if a ball of flammable and explosive gunpowder had been stuffed into his chest, waiting for a spark to ignite it completely.

Just half an hour ago, a thrilling battle had just ended in the abandoned warehouse of the steel rolling mill. "Shadow," the ruthless assassin who had risen to prominence in the black market, had led a dozen or so desperate men in an ambush there, their target Su Mo. But they had underestimated him, underestimated the strength of a man who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and whose hands were stained with the blood of his enemies.

The battle was swift and decisive, filled only with the clang of metal clashing and the screams of the assassins. Su Mo was like the Grim Reaper, his dagger slicing through the night sky, each swing claiming a life. His eyes were as calm as a frozen pool, utterly undisturbed. In the end, "Shadow" was pinned to the ground, a strange smile playing on his lips as he died, leaving behind only the pass, without uttering a single last word.

At the time, Su Mo had not noticed anything amiss, but now, holding the pass, a furious rage, enough to scorch the heavens and boil the seas, erupted from the depths of his chest! He pressed the accelerator pedal to the floor uncontrollably, and the jeep roared deafeningly, speeding through the empty streets like a wild horse, the tires screeching against the ground, leaving two long black tracks.

You can mess with him. Whether it's an open confrontation or a cunning scheme, Su Mo has never been afraid. Over the years, he has experienced countless life-or-death situations and has long since disregarded life and death. The scars on his body are his most dazzling medals.

But to harm his family touched his only Achilles' heel! Xia Wanqing, his wife, that gentle yet resilient doctor who saves lives, is the only light in his dark life, the person he will protect with all his might. Anyone, anything, whoever dares to harm even a hair on her head, he will make them pay a bloody price, even if it means being shattered to pieces, he will never tolerate it!

Those eyes, which had just unleashed a carnage in the steel mill and were as calm as a frozen pool, now ignited two raging flames of madness capable of burning the entire world to ashes. Crimson blood vessels filled his eyes, the air pressure around him was terrifyingly low, and the overwhelming killing intent honed from mountains of corpses and seas of blood almost burst through the car and engulf the entire street.

In an instant, Xia Wanqing's gentle face flashed into his mind, along with her busy figure in the hospital in her white coat, and the image of her anxiously waiting for him to come home. A surge of intense panic and anger overwhelmed him, almost driving him mad. He only wanted to turn the car around immediately, rush to Xiehe Hospital, turn the place upside down, find everyone who dared to lay a finger on his wife, and settle scores with them one by one!

No! I can't act impulsively!

A cold voice boomed in his mind, forcefully pulling him back from the brink of losing control. Su Mo slammed on the brakes, and the Jeep screeched to a halt at the roadside, the vehicle lurching violently and nearly veering off the sidewalk.

He gripped the steering wheel with both hands, breathing heavily. His chest heaved like waves in a storm, and veins bulged on his forehead, clearly visible. The uncontrollable murderous aura emanating from him caused the temperature inside the car to drop sharply, and a thin layer of frost covered the car windows.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, repeating this over and over again, forcing himself to calm down. Years of life-and-death experiences had instilled in him a calm and collected demeanor in the face of danger, but when Xia Wanqing was involved, all his composure and rationality would be shattered by his anger.

The fact that "Shadow" died but left behind this pass is suspicious in itself. "Shadow" was a top assassin, efficient and clean in his work, never leaving any loose ends. How could he possibly leave behind such a clearly targeted pass before his death?

This is definitely a trap, a meticulously planned scheme to lure him away, a more vicious trap set specifically for him! The other party knows him too well, knows his weaknesses, knows how much he values ​​Xia Wanqing, and knows that as long as he uses Xia Wanqing's safety to provoke him, he will definitely lose his mind.

They knew that Peking Union Medical College Hospital was his weakness, and that Xia Wanqing was the most important person in his life. If they were to rush over in a fit of rage, they might fall right into the enemy's trap and be caught in their pre-arranged encirclement. In that case, not only would they fail to save Xia Wanqing, but they might also get themselves caught up in the trap, or even give the enemy an opportunity to harm Xia Wanqing.

No, he couldn't take that risk. He had to stay calm, keep his composure, figure out the enemy's plot, and outmaneuver them to completely thwart their plans and protect Xia Wanqing.

After an unknown amount of time, Su Mo's violently heaving chest finally calmed down. He raised his hand and rubbed his throbbing temples; the coolness of his fingertips made him even more alert.

When he opened his eyes again, those burning rage had transformed back into a bottomless abyss of cold indifference. The crimson blood vessels were still there, but now they held a sharper, more calculating edge. Anger solves nothing; it only makes one impulsive and vulnerable.

Only by being calmer, more ruthless, and more patient than the enemy can all threats be eradicated and those who dare to target Xia Wanqing pay the most painful price!

Su Mo restarted the car, and without the slightest hesitation, decisively turned it around and sped off towards Nanluoguxiang. There lay his home, the people he needed to protect, and the inescapable trap he was about to lay.

As night deepened, the alleyways of Nanluoguxiang were deathly silent, broken only by the occasional bark of a dog. Su Mo parked the car in the shadows at the alley entrance, turned off the engine, and silently opened the car door. Like a ghost, he quickly drove back to the east courtyard along the wall.

The main gate of the courtyard was tightly closed. Of the several rooms inside, only the light in the main hall of the east wing was still on. The dim yellow light shone through the window and spilled into the courtyard, forming a soft halo that seemed particularly warm in the dark night.

Su Mo gently pushed open the door without making a sound. Inside the main room, Xia Wanqing, dressed in a thin silk nightgown, sat at the table, holding a cup of tea that had long since gone cold. Her fingertips unconsciously caressed the cup, her eyes somewhat dazed, clearly having waited for him for a very long time.

Hearing the door open, she immediately snapped out of her daze and stood up abruptly. When she saw Su Mo's face, which looked even more tired than when he left and whose eyes were even colder, her heart sank, and an ominous premonition instantly surged into her mind.

Xia Wanqing didn't waste any words. She knew Su Mo too well; his expression meant something serious had happened. Her voice was soft, yet unusually calm, without the slightest hint of panic: "Something happened?"

Su Mo didn't speak, but walked step by step to her, his gaze falling on her pale face, a barely perceptible pang of heartache flashing in his eyes. He reached out and gently placed the pass, still warm from his body, into her palm.

Xia Wanqing looked down and when she saw the familiar words "Peking Union Medical College Hospital" and "Special Ward," her pupils contracted sharply, and her hand holding the teacup trembled slightly. A few drops of cold water splashed out of the cup and landed on the back of her hand. They were icy cold, but she felt no chill at all.

As an internist who had worked at Peking Union Medical College Hospital for five years, she knew better than anyone what this special ward access pass meant. The special ward area at Peking Union Medical College Hospital was reserved for military and political dignitaries and business tycoons; it was heavily guarded, and ordinary people would find it difficult to even get close, let alone enter.

The fact that this pass allowed direct access to the special ward area indicates that the holder either has a special identity or is being escorted by hospital personnel. More importantly, the fact that this pass appeared on the assassin means that deadly danger has infiltrated her most familiar work environment, meaning that the enemy has set their sights on her, and she has become a fish on the enemy's chopping block, her life in danger at any moment.

A chill ran from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head, making her shiver uncontrollably. She recalled the recent anomalies at the hospital, the suspicious strangers, and Liu Feng's unusual enthusiasm. Now, she realized that those seemingly insignificant details concealed a hidden conspiracy.

But she didn't scream or cry. After a brief moment of shock and fear, what emerged in her usually gentle eyes was an extraordinary calmness and resilience befitting a doctor. She had experienced too much life and death, and witnessed too much wickedness in people's hearts; she was no longer that fragile little girl who would only cry in the face of trouble.

She looked up at Su Mo, her voice still steady and calm, her eyes filled with trust and determination: "They...want to attack me?"

"Yes." Su Mo nodded, his voice hoarse, a mixture of anger and exhaustion. "I just dealt with an assassin nicknamed 'Shadow.' This pass was found on him. This means they have an inside man in the hospital, and this inside man's position is definitely not low; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to get such a pass."

"I understand." Xia Wanqing took a deep breath, slowly calming the turmoil in her heart. Her delicate shoulders appeared incredibly strong at this moment. "What do you need me to do? Don't worry, I won't hold you back, nor will I put myself in danger. I can protect myself."

Looking into his wife's eyes, which showed no panic but rather trust and determination, Su Mo felt the last trace of violence in his heart soothed by this gentle strength. He reached out and gently took her cold hand in his, the warmth of his fingertips trying to dispel the chill in her heart.

He knew that his wife was never a parasitic flower that needed to depend on him for survival. She was a resilient poplar, with her own integrity and strength, able to fight alongside him and withstand any storm. Having such a wife was the greatest fortune of his life.

"I need you. Let's turn this on them." Su Mo's voice regained its usual calm and composure, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Since the enemy has infiltrated the hospital, it means they've run out of options and are desperate, which is why they're resorting to using you to threaten me. This is a risky move for them, but also our opportunity. If we seize it, we can find their mole in one fell swoop and completely thwart their plan."

Xia Wanqing nodded seriously, signaling him to continue. Her brain was already working at high speed, ready to cooperate with him at any time.

"Starting tomorrow, you'll go to work as usual, making rounds and seeing patients as needed. Don't show any abnormalities, so the enemy will think you know nothing and lower their guard." Su Mo's tone became serious, each word clear and forceful. "But you must use your identity and connections to secretly investigate two things for me. Be very careful and don't let anyone find out."

Xia Wanqing held her breath and listened intently, afraid of missing any detail.

"First, in the past month, have any suspicious 'special patients' been transferred to your department, or to other wards that require high-level access passes?" Su Mo's gaze sharpened. "This patient could very well be a pawn planted by the enemy in the hospital to monitor you or coordinate with an inside agent. You must investigate carefully to see if there are any abnormalities."

"Second, investigate recent personnel changes within the hospital. Pay special attention to newly transferred staff, or those not currently employed as medical personnel, nursing assistants, or even support staff." Su Mo paused, then continued, "The enemy's mole is likely someone recently transferred, or someone inconspicuous staff who wouldn't easily attract attention. Keep a close eye on them, see if anyone is acting suspiciously or having any unusual contact with outsiders."