Chapter 16: Li Ran (4)

Passing through the circular doorway, the inside was completely different from the outside. The entire wall was covered with ivy, a lush green expanse, interspersed with a few twinkling little colored lights.

Above the door hung a plaque inscribed with the characters "Peaceful Residence" in a lively, flowing script. It was unclear whose handwriting it was, but the style was unfamiliar to Lin Yan—fluid yet balanced, firm yet gentle.

Beyond the door lay a traditional courtyard house. Each doorway displayed various rustic items: strings of chili peppers, ears of corn, bunches of garlic. The windows were adorned with festive New Year’s prints and stickers, giving the place a lively and joyful atmosphere.

Each room had a plaque above its door bearing different characters, likely the names of each chamber.

Leng Mohan led Lin Yan and the others into a room called “Haoyue Pavilion.”

The furniture inside was simple yet elegant. Lin Yan, having some knowledge of wood, recognized the pair of chairs before her. Though their appearance was plain, she knew they were sold by weight—rosewood chairs known as “Lian Tian Hong.”

The table in front of the chairs was made of yellow pear wood, and there was a soft couch set in an antique style. To her surprise, the couch was crafted from precious rosewood.

Lin Yan was speechless. This was understated luxury indeed.

She stared at the room’s layout in quiet awe, so absorbed that she didn’t notice Leng Mohan calling her.

Suddenly, from the other side came a teasing voice: “Hey, sister-in-law isn’t buying it, huh? You’ve called her three times and not a single reaction.”

Startled back to reality, Lin Yan turned to see several people gathered around a long table drinking and playing some sort of game. At that moment, all their eyes turned to her.

Just as she was about to respond, she felt a tightening at her waist and turned to meet Leng Mohan’s slightly smiling face.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked softly, his head bowed.

His expression was surprisingly gentle. Lin Yan felt a sudden daze and remembered something he had said before: even if it’s just showing off, it has to be clear that she is Leng Mohan’s wife.

Lin Yan curved her lips into what she considered a perfect smile—graceful and refined—then leaned close to his ear and asked a question far from ladylike: “A gathering like this... must be expensive, right?”

Leng Mohan was momentarily taken aback, then smiled and whispered in her ear, “It’s average.”

Before Lin Yan could say more, a voice interrupted from nearby: “Mozi, what are you whispering to sister-in-law? Isn’t it cheesy? We’re all watching here, come join us! You’ve been married two years now—haven’t had enough of each other yet?”

“Let’s go,” Leng Mohan said with a slight smile, but his grip on Lin Yan tightened as he led her over.

Leng Mohan sat beside the man who had been teasing them, punching his shoulder with a laugh. “Li Nan, are you getting bored of life or what?”

Lin Yan took the seat to Leng Mohan’s left, with Li Ran sitting right next to her on that side.

Li Ran grabbed Lin Yan’s hand and pointed at the man beside her. “Yan Yan, this is my boyfriend, Liu Yang.”

Lin Yan looked up. The man called Liu Yang was also looking at her. He was gentle and refined, almost too elegant for this kind of gathering. His deep eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses were intense and a bit intimidating.

“Hello, I’m Liu Yang.” He reached out and shook Lin Yan’s hand, then lowered his voice and asked, “Don’t you remember me?”

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This story will unfold layer by layer. If you skip chapters, it might be confusing sometimes. It’s best to read it slowly, one chapter at a time, alright?