69novels Chapter 952 Lu Jia asks Ran Qiuye to watch a movie
Chapter 952 Lu Jia asks Ran Qiuye to watch a movie
Xiao Bao frowned, his mind grumbling. He hadn't wanted to alarm Lu Jia. Though she looked delicate, her eyes held a shrewdness and she was as meticulous as a sieve. If she discovered the details of his plan and caused complications that ruined everything, it would be more trouble than it was worth. But in this situation, his available resources were almost completely depleted. After much thought, it seemed that Lu Jia was the only one who could help—she was familiar with Ran Qiuye, and it would be the least likely to arouse suspicion if she took the initiative.
Xiao Bao gritted his teeth, as if he had made up his mind: "Okay, let's go find her. You go and tell her that as long as you can lure Ran Qiuye out of the house, you will give her every bit of benefit. I guarantee she will be satisfied."
After saying that, he gave another warning, his tone becoming more serious: "Remember this. Just let her trick Ran Qiuye out. Don't mention the specific plan at all, to avoid unnecessary complications."
The monkey nodded in agreement and patted his chest to assure: "Don't worry, Brother Leopard, I still have some sense of propriety and I promise to get things done properly."
Monkey turned to look for Lu Jia. When he found her, she was washing clothes by the well in the yard. Monkey approached her and said in a low voice, "Lu Jia, there's a task for you to do now."
Lu Jia paused while rubbing the clothes, raised her eyes and looked at him with a bit of inquiry in her eyes: "Monkey, what's the matter? Could it be... related to Gu Nan?"
Monkey nodded and said vaguely, "It is somewhat related, but don't ask for details, and you don't need to know. You just need to do me a favor and find a way to trick Ran Qiuye out of her home and take her to the designated place."
Lu Jia blinked, a little confused: "Is it that simple?"
"It's that simple," Monkey said, turning away without staying any longer. He knew that the courtyard was crowded with people and that if he and Lu Jia walked too close, they would easily attract attention. If someone saw them and spread the news, they might get into trouble. It was better to leave quickly.
Lu Jia watched Monkey's hurried departure. Although she had some doubts in her heart, she didn't think much about it. After all, working with Xiao Bao and the others was always so secretive. She hung up the clothes in her hands and walked towards Gu Nan's house. She and Ran Qiuye usually got along well, often chatting about family matters together, so it wouldn't be difficult to find an excuse to ask her out.
As she passed by Gu Nan's house, she caught a glimpse of a beggar squatting in the corner, dressed in rags, staring at the gate. Lu Jia was taken aback for a moment, but then she didn't pay much attention to it - everyone knew that Gu Nan's family lived a well-off life, and the aroma of meat wafted from their meals, so it was not surprising that beggars would linger at the door.
She walked forward and knocked on the gate of Gu Nan's house. Usually at this time, Gu Nan's black dog would bark and rush to the door, but today it was completely silent, not even a sound, which was indescribably strange. A hint of doubt arose in Lu Jia's heart, and she knocked harder: "Sister Qiuye, are you home?"
Ran Qiuye was coaxing her child into a hug when she heard a gentle knock on the courtyard door. She wondered to herself—could it be that friend Gu Nan had mentioned before leaving? She put the child back in the cradle, walked to the door, and softly asked, "Who is it?"
Two words came from outside the door, clear and unfamiliar: "Lu Jia."
Ran Qiuye was stunned for a moment, and after a long moment of thought, she finally realized who she was. It was the young woman who lived in the courtyard, someone she didn't usually interact with. She opened the door and looked at Lu Jia standing there, a look of confusion on her face. "It's Lu Jia, it's so late, what do you want to talk to me about?"
Lu Jia stood under the door light, a smile plastered on her face, though it didn't quite reach her eyes, making her look a little unnatural. She was still clutching a piece of unfinished candy, the wrapper wrinkled between her fingers. "Teacher Ran, there's a movie playing in the courtyard square. I heard it's a new release, so it's going to be really lively. Would you like to come with me?"
Ran Qiuye shook her head, glanced into the house, and lowered her voice: "No, thank you. The child is a little grumpy and can't be left alone, so I won't go."
Lu Jia hadn't expected her to refuse so bluntly. He took another half step forward, his tone deliberately warm, as if afraid she wouldn't believe him. "It's really great! I just took a look, and it was a play about fighting the Japanese invaders. There were gunfire and rain of bullets, it was really exciting! Just go out and watch for a while."
As she was speaking, Gu Shiwan suddenly cried out in the room. Her cry was urgent and aggrieved, which made people feel distressed. Ran Qiuye quickly turned back to look inside the room, then turned back to Lu Jia and said, "Look, the child is crying, and I really can't leave. Besides, it's not appropriate to take such a young child to a crowded place. If she cries and disturbs others, it's not appropriate."
Lu Jia was speechless now. The smile on her face froze, and the corners of her mouth moved. She could only nod: "Then...then you can look after the child first. I'll go first. When the child stops crying, if you want to come, come quickly. The movie has just started not long ago, you can still catch most of it."
After saying that, Lu Jia turned around and left, her steps a little hurried, as if something was chasing her from behind - she really didn't want to stay any longer. Ran Qiuye's calm eyes made her feel uneasy, and she always felt that her thoughts were all seen through.
Gu Bei, who was leaning against a pillar in the corridor, said nothing. When Lu Jia turned around, he glanced in her direction, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. He knew the other party's intentions and ulterior motives like a mirror.
Ran Qiuye gently closed the courtyard door and leaned against it, her heart skipping a beat. She and Lu Jia had never been close friends; they had even had a few disagreements over the division of coal in the courtyard. Their relationship wasn't exactly good. Why was Lu Jia suddenly so enthusiastic today, specifically asking her to go to the movies? There was something strange about this, and it made her feel a sense of unease.
Elsewhere, Lu Jia hurried out of the courtyard and saw Monkey squatting under the old locust tree on the corner, smoking a cigarette, the cigarette butt flickering in the darkness. Seeing her approach, Monkey quickly put out the cigarette, crushed it with his foot, stood up, and asked, "How's it going? Is Ran Qiuye willing to come out?"
Lu Jia shook her head, her tone filled with a mixture of frustration and relief: "It didn't work. Her child suddenly started crying and wouldn't come out no matter what I said. I couldn't persuade her."
Monkey nodded, his face expressionless. He pulled out a few crumpled bills from his pocket and handed them to her. "Alright, don't worry about this. Don't go to the movie today. Take the money and go out for a walk. Buy some food and entertainment. Come back later. When you come back, everything here will be done."
Lu Jia took the money, holding the bills warm from her body temperature between her fingers. Her eyes lit up, and she looked up at Monkey again, asking as if to confirm, "Okay, then I'm really leaving now?"