Chapter 576

Chapter 576

Cry for Help

After crying all the way down the mountain, Lu Dudu, exhausted from her tears, slumped limply on Lu Hang's shoulder, sobbing quietly. The sound wrenched Lu Hang’s heart, making him feel uneasy.

He was even more worried that she would start crying again when he had to leave later.

If that happened, was it even worth visiting?

Not wanting to worry the family, he spent a long time comforting her outside. Only when he was sure Lu Dudu had stopped crying did he walk slowly home carrying her, trying to make her laugh along the way. Finally, he managed to soothe the little one who had been so upset earlier.

As soon as they stepped into the yard, before he could even speak, Zhang Xiaofeng exclaimed, "Oh, you're finally back! We were just about to go looking for you."

"Seriously, it’s getting late. Aren’t you afraid the child might go hungry?" Lu Fang chimed in.

Lu Hang patted his daughter's little belly and said, "She’d be the last one to go hungry. Look how round her tummy is—if anything, I’m worried she’s too full!"

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaofeng and Zhou Cuiwei immediately came over to check her belly. Realizing she had indeed eaten a lot, they asked with concern, "What did you feed her?"

"Chef Ma made noodles, and she ate until her mouth was all oily. Don’t worry!" Lu Hang handed the child to his mother-in-law, mainly because his own mother had been washing things and her hands were still wet, making it inconvenient for her to hold the baby.

He placed the neatly packed items he had brought on the table and explained, "These were given to us by everyone up on the mountain. Please sort them out—some are food and need to be taken out separately."

"Okay, I understand!" Zhang Xiaofeng nodded. Seeing there were quite a few things, she could tell how cherished her granddaughter was on the mountain.

After drying her hands, she watched as Zhou Cuiwei was chatting animatedly with their granddaughter, then turned to her son and asked quietly, "What about you? Are you staying here tonight?"

Lu Hang shook his head. "I have duties tomorrow, so I can’t stay. Also, Mom, could you ask Mu Yunzhe to inform the Mu family that the grave relocation should wait until next year? If they come this year, they likely won’t be permitted entry, unless tasks like opening the coffins are handled by the villagers in our village."

He could handle Mu Yunzhe alone, but if too many people from the Mu family came for the grave relocation, nothing could be guaranteed, so it was better to wait.

Zhang Xiaofeng immediately grew concerned. "Is that really okay? They’ve already gone back to prepare. What if—"

"There are no 'what ifs.' Even if they come, it won’t matter—they won’t be allowed in!" he said sternly.

Remembering the situation in the village, Zhang Xiaofeng nodded. "I understand. I’ll talk to Mu Yunzhe later."

"Where is he?" Lu Hang asked.

"He went out for a walk. He’ll be back soon!"

Knowing Mu Yunzhe wouldn’t cause any trouble in the village, Lu Hang nodded. "Alright, then I’ll head back now. I’ll leave the child with you."

"We’re her own family—do you really think we can’t take good care of her?" Zhang Xiaofeng said with a hint of annoyance.

Lu Hang didn’t reply. He watched his daughter being affectionate with her grandmother, feeling reluctant to leave but not daring to stay too long, afraid he wouldn’t be able to tear himself away.

While Lu Dudu wasn’t paying attention, he slipped away from the house...

Fearing his daughter would break into loud crying, he stood outside for a while. Only when he didn’t hear any crying did he breathe a sigh of relief and turn to leave.

He was afraid that if she cried too hard, he wouldn’t be able to bear it, and the family would also feel upset. Then, they might not let him take her up the mountain again.

Lu Dudu was carried away by her grandmother, so she didn’t immediately notice her father had left. By the time she realized he was gone and started calling for him, her family distracted her with playful teasing, so she didn’t start crying loudly again.

After returning, Lu Hang didn’t say anything to Lin Nannan and went straight back to his quarters, planning his next steps...

When both he and his wife were busy, even if they were in the same place, they rarely saw each other—especially Lin Nannan, who never even stepped out of the research institute.

He hadn’t been able to see her, but after asking Ma Amin several times, he learned that Lin Nannan was eating on a regular schedule, which put his mind at ease considerably.

Managing both the village and the mountain area seemed calm on the surface, but undercover moves never let up.

Lu Hang knew almost everyone in the village, and they were all posted at the entrance to prevent any strangers from entering.

One day, as he was thinking of scouting around the area, he noticed a young man from the village approaching, accompanied by a girl. The two were chatting and laughing, appearing quite intimate.

Just as he was about to say something, the young man walked straight up to him and pleaded, "Heng-ge, help me!"

This cry immediately prompted everyone standing guard, both openly and in hiding, to train their guns at the two newcomers, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense.

The girl who had come with him looked terrified, waving her hands and babbling incoherently, her face pale with fear.

"She... she threatened me," the young man said, straightening his back as if Lu Hang were a lifeline. "I don't even know her, but she insisted on bringing me into the village and said she wanted to date me. It's clearly a scam! I was afraid she had accomplices, so I pretended to agree, knowing you were guarding the village entrance. I thought I could come here and ask for your help."

But when he saw Lu Hang, he couldn't hold back and blurted out for help, which put the girl on alert. Unfortunately, she had already stepped into the encirclement, and it was too late for regrets.

"What are you trying to do?" the surrounded girl retorted sharply, trying to defend herself. "I just thought he was good-looking and wanted to be with him. What's wrong with that?"

"Of course not!" exclaimed the young man, whose name was Lu Yuan and was from the same generation as Lu Hang, making it appropriate for him to address Lu Hang as "brother."

Now standing behind Lu Hang, he rebutted earnestly, "Who knows where you came from or what your intentions are? How could I possibly be with you? It’s not like no one wants me!"

Lu Hang couldn’t help but laugh at Lu Yuan’s words. "If you knew she had ill intentions, why did you bring her back?"

Lu Yuan explained awkwardly, "I didn’t know if she had people backing her up. My dad said that guys have to look out for themselves when they’re out. What if I couldn’t fight her off? I’d be at a disadvantage!"

His way of justifying his caution drew suppressed laughter from those around him, but Lu Hang remained serious and approving. "You did the right thing. In a suspicious situation, protecting yourself is the top priority."

What kind of girl would stop someone on the street and demand to be with them, then follow them back? Wasn’t she afraid of danger or being trafficked?

They probably knew Lu Yuan was from the village and thought he was simple-minded and easy to fool, never expecting him to pull such a move...

"Anyway, with you all guarding the place, none of their schemes will work!" Lu Yuan said proudly, showing off his smarts to the fullest.

Lu Hang praised him a few times and told Lu Yuan to head back, as what came next wasn’t something he should see or know about.

After Lu Yuan left, Lu Hang immediately ordered the girl to be taken away for interrogation.

His face didn’t brighten with the capture; instead, it grew even more solemn...