Back to the Past: The Rise of the False Heiress Marrying the True Tycoon
Chapter 1194: Keep An Eye On Li Li

Chapter 1194: Keep An Eye On Li Li

As she passed through the first floor, Gu Zi couldn’t help but notice that the layout of the house had barely changed.

Everything was impeccably clean. The space felt warm, familiar, lived-in—comforting in a way that stirred memories. She stepped into the backyard, where the vegetable garden was in full bloom, brimming with lush, seasonal greens. It was clear her parents had been tending to it with even more care than before—the soil practically vibrated with life.

“Our vegetable garden looks beautiful,” Gu Zi said softly to Su Shen, a tender smile playing on her lips.

She pointed toward the clusters of vibrant tomatoes. “Look at those green ones, and the red ones too. If Su Li were here, he’d be the first to pluck one straight off the vine to eat. And then he’d make sure to share some with his big brother and little sister.”

Su Shen pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her as he nodded. The garden was impressively managed—lush and fragrant, every plant thriving—but what touched him more was how many times Gu Zi had mentioned the children today.

This was the third time. He could feel her longing. Of course she missed them—deeply. And he knew it hadn’t been easy on her.

Inside, An Yun called out from the kitchen, beckoning them with her usual matriarchal warmth. “Come eat something quickly, then go upstairs and get some proper rest. Your room’s been locked all this time. I just opened it to air it out and changed all the bedding for you.”

Gu Zi and Su Shen obediently sat down to eat.

Afterwards, Su Shen insisted that Gu Zi go upstairs and rest—he had errands to run. His car had been sitting at the front gate all this time. He’d previously asked Lin Cheng to drive it, but Lin Cheng had refused, so it had remained parked, untouched. Su Shen had just checked—there was still enough gas in the tank. Perfect for a quick outing.

Gu Zi headed to the room alone. After having been locked up so long, the doors and windows had all been opened for ventilation, though the air inside still carried a faint mustiness from disuse. It wasn’t overwhelming, just a whisper of stale time.

She lay down, and a sense of peace washed over her. The bed, the walls, the ceiling—they were all deeply familiar. It was home. Before she knew it, she had drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

By the time she woke up, dusk had fallen. Downstairs, Yang Zhen had arrived, bringing with her her little nephew, Yuan Yuan.

In the kitchen, An Yun and her husband were already bustling around, preparing dinner. Gu Zi got up to help but was immediately waved off by An Yun. “You’re pregnant,” she said firmly. “No need to trouble yourself. Sit down and rest.”

So Gu Zi sat with Yang Zhen and caught up. She listened, quietly absorbing the updates on Yang Zhen and Aunt Yang.

It turned out that Aunt Yang had been doing much better since Yang Zhen returned home. Each day she seemed livelier, more spirited. Most days she brought her grandson to the shop to help out. And whenever she had some free time, she’d go out shopping or take little day trips with her daughter. Life had become, at last, a series of gentle, happy moments.

Yang Zhen, too, was getting married soon. Her fiancé’s work in the military had forced them to delay the wedding, owing to the classified nature of his current assignment. It was inconvenient, yes—but understandable. Some duties simply couldn’t be set aside.

Then there was Yang Tao. At the end of last year, he’d finally had a complete falling-out with Yuan Yuan’s mother. Yang Tao had to leave town to earn a living, and with no one left to care for Yuan Yuan, the boy had been left in Aunt Yang’s care once more.

Aunt Yang had never blamed the child for the mistakes of his parents. At her age, she simply wanted some companionship. Yang Zhen was a wonderful, devoted daughter, but she had her own life, her own responsibilities. Yuan Yuan’s presence gave Aunt Yang a fresh sense of purpose—a little joy she hadn’t known she was missing.

No one had expected recent events to unfold the way they did. Aunt Yang had landed in detention, and Yang Zhen now had to take care of Yuan Yuan herself.

Surprisingly, he had grown much more well-mannered. When he saw Gu Zi, he greeted her politely. When he eyed the candy on the table, he asked for permission before reaching out—a small but telling sign of how well Yang Zhen had raised him.

“I rushed over right after class when I heard you were back,” Yang Zhen said, her tone earnest. “I knew you two would have a way to handle this. My fiancé can’t get involved—he’s on a classified mission right now. I can’t risk dragging him into this mess. I really have to rely on you.”

Gu Zi nodded in complete understanding. A military man on a secret national assignment—it made perfect sense. Even his own wedding had to wait. He simply couldn’t act without consequence.

“Don’t worry,” Gu Zi assured her. “It’s not a difficult case, but it will take some time. My sister-in-law and Aunt Yang will both be fine. Trust me.”

She invited Yang Zhen and Yuan Yuan to stay for dinner. Afterwards, she encouraged Yang Zhen to go home and wait for news.

Just then, Su Shen’s car pulled up outside. He stepped out, and with him was Lin Cheng—leaning on a cane, but walking nonetheless.

They had gone to visit Li Hua earlier. Thankfully, she was no longer the timid, broken woman they’d once known. She had changed—grown stronger. And seeing that transformation had calmed Lin Cheng, grounding him in a new sense of clarity.

Once inside, Lin Cheng said, “Li Hua told me something today. I’m not sure if it helps the case, but she said that some time ago, she saw Lin Miao and Li Li meeting in town several times. They seemed to be discussing something about a child. Apparently, Li Li had a baby. No one knows who the father is.”

Gu Zi was momentarily stunned. Li Li had already given birth? But how had Lin Miao gotten involved?

She fell into a moment of silence, thinking, then turned to Su Shen. “Can you call Captain He and ask him to assign someone to watch Li Li? I think this could be our breakthrough.”

Su Shen didn’t hesitate—he was already on it.

Meanwhile, An Yun reheated food for her son and son-in-law and urged them to eat before resting.

Gu Zi sat quietly beside Su Shen, watching as he hurried about, tirelessly helping the Lin family. Her heart ached seeing how hard he was working.

Without saying a word, she picked up her chopsticks and gently placed a piece of braised pork rib in his bowl.