She went to the wrong table on a blind date and ended up getting married to a billionaire CEO.

Chapter 303 Safe Return

As night deepened, the lights of Yuncheng shimmered with a warm glow under the night sky.

In the villa in the clouds, Gu Tingyu sat restlessly in the living room, checking his phone one moment and pacing to the window to look outside the next.

A deep worry lingered between his brows, and his fingers unconsciously tapped the sofa armrest, making a soft, rapid sound.

"They should be here soon, right?" Su Maiqi handed him a cup of hot tea, her voice filled with barely concealed anxiety. "They texted half an hour ago saying they'd already entered the city."

Gu Tingyu took the teacup, took a small sip, but his eyes never left the window: "Hmm, traffic jam, I guess. It's the weekend, there are a lot of people on the road at this time."

Although his tone was calm, his tense shoulders betrayed his inner nervousness.

Su Maiqi took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

In the past few days, Gu Chengze's condition has fluctuated. Although the crying has eased after he drank the medicine prepared according to the prescription of the old Chinese medicine doctor, the child's mental state is still not very good.

She looked as if her soul had been ripped out; her eyes were lifeless, and she didn't even have the strength to nurse.

The baby's condition was heartbreaking for Su Maiqi.

As a mother, watching your child suffer and being powerless to help is the most painful thing in the world.

"I'll go check on Chengze." Su Maiqi turned and walked upstairs, her steps slightly heavy.

In Gu Chengze's nursery, a nightlight cast a soft glow, and Zhang Ma sat in a rocking chair, gently rocking the sleeping child in her arms.

"Young Madam, the young master just fell asleep, and he seems to be in better spirits than yesterday."

Zhang Ma said in a low voice, a hint of relief in her eyes.

Su Maiqi carefully took the child and gazed at the tiny face.

Gu Chengze's breathing became steady, and his face was no longer as pale as it had been a few days ago; it seemed to have regained some color.

"Thank you, Aunt Zhang." Su Maiqi said gratefully, "You go and rest first, I'll hold him for a while."

Zhang Ma nodded and quietly left the room.

Su Maiqi sat in a rocking chair, holding her child in her arms, her heart filled with endless tenderness and worry.

She reached out and gently stroked the child's face, feeling the warmth and the rhythm of life.

"Baby, be strong. Auntie and Uncle will be back soon with something that can heal you."

She whispered in her child's ear, her voice as gentle as a spring breeze, "Mommy won't let anyone hurt you, Mommy will protect you."

Outside the window, the sound of a car engine broke the silence of the night.

Su Maiqi's heart skipped a beat. She carefully got up, put the child back in the crib, covered him with a blanket, and then quickly walked to the window.

A black SUV slowly drove into the yard, its headlights casting a bright line in the darkness.

"They're back!" Su Maiqi practically ran downstairs, her heart pounding like a drum.

Gu Tingyu was already standing at the door, his anxiety finally replaced by anticipation.

The two of them pushed open the gate at the same time and walked quickly into the yard.

As soon as the car came to a stop, Lin Manlin eagerly pushed open the car door and jumped out of the passenger seat, clutching a very old-looking wooden box.

"Maggie!" she shouted before Su Maiqi could get close, her face filled with urgency, "Hurry up, let's put Chengze's clothes in first!"

Without any pleasantries, the four of them rushed into the house like the wind and headed straight upstairs.

In Gu Chengze's room, the baby was still fast asleep, completely unaware of everything happening around him.

"Where's the bellyband?" Lin Manlin asked anxiously, her voice low, afraid of waking the child.

Su Maiqi quickly took out a small red bellyband from the bedside table drawer; it was the one Gu Chengze usually wore close to his skin.

"This is it, I've already washed it." She handed the undergarment to Lin Manlin.

Lin Manlin took the bellyband and carefully opened the wooden box.

The box was lined with red silk, on which were placed some strange items—several pieces of yellow paper with intricate runes, a small copper bell, and a packet of herbs tied with red thread.

&34; Guan San Niang said to put the child's underwear inside, and then place the talisman on top. &34;

Lin Manlin explained as she followed the instructions, "This is how you lock down the power of the person casting the spell on Chengze."

"It was Shen Wanjun who did it, wasn't it?" Gu Tingyu's voice was deep and cold, a glint of cold light flashing in his eyes.

"Guan Sanniang said she didn't know, and that the rules of the trade couldn't possibly be revealed; she simply used a ritual to break the spell based on the symptoms."

Lin Manlin carefully placed the bib into the wooden box, and then neatly stacked several talismans on top.

Guan Sanniang said that this box can trap the other person's evil thoughts, but it must be placed in the highest place in the house, and it must be kept quiet and undisturbed.

Her movements were gentle and precise, as if she were performing a sacred ritual.

Once everything was ready, she gently closed the lid of the box and locked it with the special brass lock on the box.

"Okay," Lin Manlin breathed a sigh of relief. "Next, the box needs to be placed in the highest place in the house, preferably a place where no one walks around often."

Gu Tingyu pondered for a moment and said, "Put it in my study, on the top shelf of the bookcase. It's rarely touched there."

The four left the nursery and went to Gu Tingyu's study.

This is a spacious and dignified room, with an entire wall of dark wood bookshelves that stretch from floor to ceiling, filled with books and various collectibles.

Gu Tingyu brought over a ladder, climbed up himself, and carefully placed the wooden box in the center of the top shelf of the bookcase.

&34; Guan Sanniang said that the box must not be opened. Wait for three days and three nights, and on the fourth day at dawn, take the whole wooden box to a place where no one is and burn it.

Do not look at the child while they are burning, and do not turn around if you hear any noise. The child's symptoms will gradually disappear, Lin Manlin added.

After placing the wooden box, all four of them felt a great sense of relief.

Su Maiqi hugged Lin Manlin tightly, her eyes filled with tears of gratitude.

"Thank you, Manlin, thank you so much." Her voice choked with emotion. "Without you all, I don't know what I would have done."

Lin Manlin patted her back and laughed, "What are you saying? What kind of relationship do we have? Besides, I watched Chengze being born, so I feel sorry for him too."

Gu Tingyu and Xiao Mohan exchanged a glance; their unspoken understanding was palpable.

&34; You must be hungry after your long journey. &34;

Su Maiqi wiped away her tears, a smile appearing on her face. "Aunt Zhang has already prepared dinner. Let's go downstairs and get something to eat."

They arrived at the restaurant, where the table was already laden with sumptuous dishes, steaming hot and fragrant.

Zhang Ma came out of the kitchen, carrying a plate of freshly cooked braised pork: "Young Master, Young Madam, the dishes are all ready. I'll go heat up the soup."

The four of them sat down at the dining table, and the tension and anxiety of the past few days seemed to be mostly dispelled by the aroma of the delicious food.

Xiao Mohan's eyes lit up when he saw the table full of dishes.

For a whole day and night, neither he nor Lin Manlin had a proper meal; they only hurriedly ate some dry food on the way to fill their stomachs.

Coupled with the fatigue from the long drive, the hunger pangs surged up like a tidal wave.

He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of braised pork and put it in his mouth. Instantly, a rich aroma spread throughout his mouth.

"Delicious!" he exclaimed sincerely, then, as if forgetting his usual reserve, he began to eat heartily, almost wolfing it down.

"Brother Xiao, slow down, no one's going to take it from you." Lin Manlin couldn't help but smile as she looked at him.

The usually calm and composed Xiao Mohan was now like a starving child, a truly amusing contrast.

"Mo Han, eat more," Gu Tingyu said, placing a piece of fish on his plate. "You've really worked hard these past few days."

Xiao Mohan shook his head, his mouth full of food, and mumbled, "It's my duty."

Lin Manlin smiled and served him a bowl of soup: "Don't just focus on the meat, drink some soup too. This is Zhang Ma's signature lotus root and pork rib soup, sweet and delicious."

Under the table, Su Maiqi quietly took out her phone and snapped a picture of Xiao Mohan, who was focused on eating, and Lin Manlin, who was smiling and serving him food.

The photo was taken naturally, with Xiao Mohan focused on eating heartily, while Lin Manlin looked at him with a gentle smile.

Su Maiqi secretly sent the photo to Lin Manlin, along with the caption: "Falling in love?"