Chapter 22: An Elderly Husband and a Young Wife

The mountain bike was found right inside the suspect's home, only half disassembled when the police broke in. He was caught red-handed, with both the evidence and the stolen goods. The incident caused quite a stir and quickly spread throughout the community. The suspect's relatives suffered along with him, facing rejection from everyone. The constant gossip among neighbors made it impossible for them to hold their heads high, and soon the whole family moved away. Coincidentally, it was during the demolition of the old district, so their household became the very first to leave the area.

Lin Xiyu later heard that the suspect had a criminal record. He had gotten into trouble at work for theft and was dismissed. Since then, he’d never held a job, idled away at home, drinking excessively and abusing his wife. The thought of such a degenerate living next door was unsettling. Considering Gu Bin's family background, so different from her own, even being friends felt like reaching high, let alone anything more. The fragile seedling of love, just beginning to sprout, was ruthlessly crushed by harsh reality; she languished in gloom for several days.

It wasn’t until Li Yan called, saying she had coordinated with the Tourism Bureau and that the documentary filming would officially begin, with the crew coming to her home for on-site shooting, that Lin Xiyu managed to set aside her worries, pulled herself together, and prepared to welcome the production team.

—

Gu Bin’s grandfather lived in a courtyard house on West Street of the Prince's Pool, similar in area and layout to No. 9 East Hua Street, except that only one family resided there—a private, single-family courtyard.

The bicycle had been recovered, and Gu Bin returned home to find his grandfather free, sitting alone under the shade of a tree, engrossed in chess. Gu Bin grabbed a small stool and joined him.

“Bin, you’re back just in time. Play a few games with Grandpa.”

—

Grandpa loved chess, but he was a notorious amateur—despite decades of playing, his skill never improved. Yet he never noticed, and would play with anyone he could corner. Gu Bin had been able to beat him since he was ten, and now his abilities far surpassed before. Playing with his grandfather was simply to humor the old man.

“Bin just got home and hasn’t even had a sip of water, and you’re already asking him to play chess…” Grandma lifted the curtain and stepped out of the south room, feigning displeasure as she placed a glass of iced sour plum juice in front of her