Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 491: Unexpected Guest

Chapter 491: Chapter 491: Unexpected Guest

After Gu Fan left, Leng Le put on a somewhat headache-inducing expression: "What should we do? We’ve shown too much interest in Gu Fan’s old house, and given Gu Fan’s sharp intuition, he will definitely suspect that there’s something going on. He may even turn up something."

However, the boss didn’t see this as a problem: "No matter, even if we don’t say anything, Gu Fan’s parents will eventually let him know. Possibly, once Gu Fan finds out, it could even help us uncover the secret of the old house."

"I see, so that’s what you’ve been planning, boss." Understanding dawned on Leng Le, his lips curling up at the corners in anticipation of the impending drama.

Meanwhile, Gu Fan, who had just left the Elite Club, took a deep breath, unable to understand why the boss kept brooding over the old house. It wasn’t like the boss needed a place to stay.

Sensing that something was off, Gu Fan furrowed his brow and pondered, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what was so special about the old house.

As Gu Fan was racking his brain, he received a call from Du Jun, which immediately gave him a bad feeling. While they were no longer enemies, they didn’t contact each other much. So, if Du Jun was calling now, it probably wasn’t good news.

Steadying himself, Gu Fan answered the call, and asked, "What’s up, Du Jun? Please don’t tell me it’s bad news."

Du Jun responded, "Actually, I wanted to scare you a bit with some bad news, but sorry, no such luck. There’s an old man from the ancient town who wants to meet you. He says you know him."

"The old man, could it be?" Gu Fan recalled the overly loud man from the ancient town. His impression of him was quite strong, hence, he agreed: "Okay, I also want to meet him, have a chat. Do I need to make a trip to the ancient town?"

"No need, I’ll give him your home address. He’ll come to find you." After saying that, Du Jun hung up, leaving Gu Fan slightly bewildered. Why would the old man suddenly want to meet? Something felt off.

Gearing up to face whatever came his way, Gu Fan rushed home. Going by Du Jun’s words, he had better not leave the house for the next few days because the old man could show up at any time.

It just happened that Su Hui, Gu Ling, Lin Xi had all gone on a trip, leaving him alone at home, so he wouldn’t mind meeting the old man alone.

Just when Gu Fan thought that the old man wouldn’t arrive until at least the next day, the doorbell suddenly rang, taking him by surprise. He thought to himself, ’Could he already be nearby?’

To verify his guess, Gu Fan opened the door, and there stood the peculiar old man, who greeted him warmly: "Long time no see, young man. I trust you’re well. Aren’t you going to invite me in?"

"Come on in, I’d be glad to invite you." Gu Fan gestured to the old man to enter and poured him a cup of tea, although the amount of tea leaves was a bit lacking.

Having sat down, the old man carefully examined the old house and commented, "This house is quite old, isn’t it?"

"That’s right, it was passed down by my great-grandfather." Gu Fan replied simply, wondering why the old man had come to visit and wishing he wouldn’t beat around the bush – deciphering the old man’s words was taxing.

The old man looked around, his expression one of searching for something out of place, which left Gu Fan puzzled. What was up with the old fellow?

Unexpectedly, the old man suddenly said, "The house looks pretty worn down from the outside, but it’s passable inside."

Hearing this, Gu Fan could only force out a light chuckle: "Thank you, many people have said the same."

The old man nodded appreciatively, and couldn’t help but exclaim, "In this city, having an old house like this is akin to having a villa."

Gu Fan replied: "No matter how old this house is, it doesn’t compare to the houses in the ancient town, which are steeped in historical charm."

"True enough." The old man conceded unabashedly, almost causing Gu Fan to scoff.

Suddenly, a thought struck Gu Fan and he asked, "How are the people in the ancient town? How many are left?"

The old man managed a bitter smile in response: "How many could be left? Two exoduses, one after Yuxueyun Mountain, there are hardly any young and strong left. The ancient town is doomed, but it doesn’t matter, no one really wants to inherit it. Might as well call it quits."

This surprised Gu Fan: "What do you mean call it quits? Don’t! I’m quite fond of that place. If you guys don’t want it, I do. I could vacation there for a few days, away from the city’s hustle and bustle, enjoying the tranquil peace of nature - what a beautiful scene that would be."

The old man retorted irately, "Beautiful, is it? Aren’t you afraid that once you go there, a few more will disappear?"

Gu Fan looked a bit awkward: "Don’t tell me, you guys have another event in mind."

The old man shook his head: "How could that be? The hope of immortality is shattered, so many people have been sacrificed, and those left have lost their fighting spirit."

Upon hearing this, Gu Fan felt quite relieved, and then remembered something: "Right, when we were at the outer regions, I saw you there. Then you disappeared, and I thought something had happened to you."

"Tch tch tch, what are these words you’re uttering? Wish some good for me, I’m still in my prime, and I want to live till I’m a hundred." Then in a more grateful tone, the old man said to Gu Fan, "I came here specifically to thank you for stopping the people of the ancient town from doing something irreversible."

Gu Fan put on a serious expression: "I only did what I was supposed to, there’s no need to thank me. I was helping myself, not the people of the ancient town."

"I know, but I still want to thank you." The old man nodded, expressing his approval of Gu Fan.

"Old man, you still haven’t answered me. You definitely came to the outer region, but I have no clue where you went after."

The old man replied: "I have always been on the side of justice, very different from those in the ancient town hell-bent on seeking immortality. I don’t approve of their behavior, which is why I gave you those hints."

Gu Fan expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, old man, for being so righteous. Without you, there wouldn’t be us. But you still didn’t tell me how you managed to leave the desert in the outer region unscathed."

"There’s no rush, let me lay the groundwork first." The grizzled old man spoke at a leisurely pace, which left Gu Fan speechless. Why couldn’t he just get on with the story instead of exaggerating his linguistic prowess?