Chapter 269

Chapter 269

Get Out

Separated by just a wall, the two had no idea their house-hunting goals had led them to the same place—one seeking secrecy, the other quiet—unknowingly renting properties in nearly the same area.

Lu Hang was worrying about how to get his medicine, while Lin Nannan was struggling with cooking.

During her journey, she had relied on prepared food, some tasty, some not, but enough to keep her fed.

Now, though she had rented a quiet place, there was no one to prepare meals. She could go out to buy food, but her money likely wouldn’t last long...

At this thought, Lin Nannan was at a loss.

Not only did she have to worry about feeding herself, but she also needed to figure out how to earn money.

But in this unfamiliar place, she had no connections. Where could she even start?

Frowning, she regretted not bringing more money.

She had taken all the savings she and Lu Hang had, but after travel expenses, rent, and supplies, she was worried she’d soon have to live on a tight budget.

Yet she wasn’t one to put up with discomfort, so going hungry was out of the question.

Just when she thought things couldn’t get worse, she walked in and saw—while the room had a bed and was clean, there were no bedding or blankets.

So, renting didn’t include bedding...

Glancing at the darkening sky, unwilling to make do for even one night, Lin Nannan grabbed her keys and rushed out, afraid the shops would close before she could buy a quilt.

The daytime temperature in Nanshi was bearable, but nights were chilly. Without a blanket, she feared she wouldn’t last, so she hurriedly asked around for directions to a store.

...

On the other side of the wall, Lu Hang endured his pain and began cooking.

With little food left, he settled for a simple vegetable porridge, making do with it before reviewing the entire operation. Realizing their plans had been leaked, he knew staying here any longer would eventually expose him. So he decisively packed his things, planning to leave after dark and find a new place to throw off anyone following him.

Time crawled as he waited, but Lin Nannan was in a frenzy, terrified of spending the night with nothing. After getting directions, she ran all the way to the store.

She managed to buy what she needed, but how quickly her money was disappearing was painfully clear.

As she made the bed, the aroma of food from next door made her feel even worse. If she found Lu Hang, she swore she’d make him treat her to a decent meal...

She could do almost anything—except cook. That was truly a real problem.

The thought of eating nothing but boiled food every day terrified her, so she resolved to start searching for Lu Hang tomorrow and check if he was in Nanshi at all.

Neither of them knew the person they were thinking about was just a wall away—one waiting for nightfall to leave, the other planning to set out tomorrow. Meanwhile, Yu Jiadong, who had met Lin Nannan once before, received urgent orders to head to Nanshi, find her, and bring her back.

The task fell to him because his location was close to Nanshi and unconnected to its factions. Plus, as someone who had seen Lin Nannan before, he was the most suitable for the job.

Yu Jiadong never expected this unpredictable girl would get him assigned to a mission straight from the capital.

Though unclear about her identity, the urgency of the orders told him she was important—someone who couldn’t afford to come to harm. Without wasting time, he boarded the earliest train, traveling through the night to Nanshi...

Little did Lin Nannan know, not just Yu Jiadong but various groups were sending people to Nanshi—even the Lin family was involved.

Before even returning to the capital, Lin Zhaoyou had begun arranging for people to search for Lin Nannan in Nanshi. It didn’t matter if they didn’t recognize her—they had a portrait, obtained from the research institute through special arrangements. Her safety was the top priority.

Later on, Lin Kangnian was ordered to take a team to Nanshi directly, as even before reaching the capital, they sensed an unusual tension in the air—especially from their son’s words, which hinted at unrest in the capital. With many heading to Nanshi, he feared something might happen to Lin Nannan and immediately dispatched his eldest son with a group to Nanshi...

The fuss made clueless onlookers think there was something valuable in Nanshi, hoping to get a piece of the action. As a result, some people sent their own men there without any real purpose, purely to jump on the bandwagon and stir up more trouble.

Unaware of the commotion, Lin Nannan, exhausted from the continuous train rides, tidied up after dinner, washed up, and went straight to bed to rest.

When the night grew still, Lu Hang saw his chance and began planning his escape.

Moving silently, he peeked through the doorway, cautiously opened it, and peered outside for a while. Confirming no one was around, he stepped out and closed the door behind him to avoid drawing attention.

He thought he’d picked the perfect moment—until he realized something was wrong as soon as he turned the corner and quickly retreated.

He noticed several men huddled in the shadows by the wall—two already asleep, while the other two smoked in silence, clearly no ordinary drifters. Realizing this path was blocked, Lu Hang abandoned the idea.

If he hadn’t been injured, he might have tried slipping past the four, but in his current state, slipping past them was too risky. Unwilling to gamble, he decided to find another way out.

He recalled that the neighboring yard led to a small alley. Figuring it would be safe to cut through, he turned back and climbed over the wall—only to find the alleyway also guarded, with men stationed there all night without rotation. Forced to retreat again, he realized escaping had become even harder.

With no other choice, he returned to his own yard, planning to lay low for a couple of days and reassess.

Lu Hang believed he had moved stealthily enough not to disturb anyone, unaware that the person sleeping inside was no ordinary resident—it was his wife. Lin Nannan had woken up when he entered but, seeing he wasn’t targeting her, chose to ignore it. As long as he didn’t bother her, she didn’t care.

However, the noise from Lu Hang’s wall-climbing caught the attention of the men guarding the alley. Spotting a shadow appear and vanish, they grew suspicious and turned their focus toward the yard. Soon, more figures began scaling the walls, some even creeping toward Lin Nannan’s room—prompting her to act.

Unwilling to let her belongings be destroyed, she flung open the door and confronted the intruders in the yard, shouting, "Get out!"

Her fierce and bold demeanor didn’t intimidate them. Instead, the men, restless in the late-night quiet, licked their lips as if discovering something amusing. Exchanging glances, they grinned like troublemakers who’d struck gold.