Courtyard House: Home Alone

Wenxiu's body stiffened visibly, as if she hadn't expected him to respond. After a while, she slowly relaxed, resting her face against his forehead, her breathing gradually becoming long and even.

Lin Yifan, however, couldn't sleep.

His spiritual energy rippled outwards. Chen Gongshu's snoring could already be heard next door, and Long Xiaoni's breathing was light and shallow, as if she had also woken up. In the west wing, Xia Yan and Xin Yi were embracing each other, muttering something indistinctly, probably in their sleep.

Business as usual.

Then, with a thought, he first put all the medicines in the yard into his spatial storage.

He looked down at Wenxiu. The girl was fast asleep, her lips slightly upturned, as if she had finally let go of something on her mind.

The collar of her pale undergarment slipped open slightly, revealing a faint scar on her collarbone—a mark inflicted by the head maid of the Tang family with a hairpin when she first entered the manor. Tang Baolin later punished the maid with twenty strokes of the cane and sent her to the estate.

"Silly girl," he said softly, adjusting her clothes.

The sound of the night watchman's clapper came from outside the window; it was already past midnight. Lin Yifan calmed his mind, withdrew his spiritual energy into his body, and closed his eyes to rest. His master-level martial arts skills meant he didn't need much sleep, but he had a long journey ahead tomorrow, so he needed to rest as much as he could.

At dawn, Wenxiu woke up first.

As soon as she moved, Lin Yifan opened his eyes. Their eyes met, and Wenxiu's face flushed red. She hurriedly tried to get up, but Lin Yifan held her waist.

"Don't move, it's chilly outside." His voice was hoarse from just waking up. "Let me hand you your coat."

Wenxiu stood frozen in place, watching him prop himself up and retrieve a neatly folded cotton-padded jacket and trousers from the chair. Morning light streamed in through the window cracks, illuminating his still somewhat childish profile, yet revealing a maturity beyond his years.

"Young master..." She took the clothes, her fingers touching his, and recoiled as if burned. "I... I can do it myself."

Lin Yifan had already turned his back and took out the clothes he was going to wear today from his spatial storage—a dark blue long robe with a black mandarin jacket over it, a common outfit for a young master in Beiping.

He heard the rustling of clothes being put on behind him, along with Wenxiu's barely suppressed breathing. A slight smile played on his lips. This girl, so audacious last night, now that it's dawn, she knows how to be ashamed.

"Young master, I'm dressed."

Lin Yifan turned around and saw Wenxiu bending down to straighten her clothes, her hair still loose, with a few stray strands falling beside her cheek. He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, the movement as natural as if he had done it a thousand times before.

"Go wake Xia Yan and the others up and prepare breakfast." He paused, then added, "Don't tell them about last night."

Wenxiu looked up, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes, but she still nodded obediently: "I know. But they know I came to your place last night."

"Knowing is knowing," Lin Yifan said, taking a horn comb from his spatial storage and handing it over. "No need to go into the details."

He glanced back at Wenxiu, who was still standing there. "You didn't sleep well last night; your eyes are still dark. Put a damp towel on them."

Wenxiu hummed in agreement, then stopped at the door, turning back to look at him. In the morning light, her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness: "Young master, five days. I'll count."

The door closed softly, letting in a gust of cold air. Lin Yifan stood there, touching the shoulder where she had rested her head; the scent of soap still lingered there.

He suddenly laughed.

This damned chaotic world isn't so bad, though.

Lin Yifan fastened the buttons on his long robe and then took out a dark blue scarf from his spatial storage and wrapped it around his neck. The mirror reflected the appearance of a young master with rosy lips and white teeth. No one could tell that this body contained the soul of a man in his thirties, nor could they tell that beneath the seemingly thin clothes lay the muscles and bones honed by a grandmaster-level martial artist.

The door creaked open, and Xia Yan came in carrying a copper basin. Seeing that he was already dressed, she was taken aback and said, "Young master, you're up really early." But her gaze darted behind him, clearly looking for Wenxiu's shadow.

"Go tell Xinyi to start a fire; we'll have noodles with soybean paste for breakfast."

Lin Yifan seemed oblivious to her probing gaze, taking out a jar of fried sauce from his spatial storage and handing it to her. "This one's from Liubiju, use it sparingly."

Xia Yan took the sauce jar, hesitated, and finally just pursed her lips before leaving. This girl was two years younger than Wenxiu, but she was more thoughtful. She saw some things but never asked many questions.

Soon, the sounds of pots and pans clattering filled the kitchen. Lin Yifan spread his mental energy to confirm that Chen Gongshu had gotten up and put on the mask given to him yesterday, transforming into the appearance of a middle-aged accountant.

The mask fit perfectly, even mimicking the rise and fall of the Adam's apple with remarkable accuracy; however, the sharp edge in the eyes was something that couldn't be shaken off anytime soon.

"Young master, the noodles are ready!"

Xia Yan's voice was crisp and clear, with the unique brightness of a young girl. Lin Yifan walked out of the room and saw four bowls of noodles already laid out on the octagonal table. The noodles were a rich, dark brown, and the cucumber shreds were cut as thin as hair. There were also a few cloves of pickled garlic on the side.

Wenxiu sat at the very end of the table, her hair already combed and tied into a low bun, secured with a silver hairpin. Seeing him emerge, she quickly looked up and then lowered her eyes again, her ear tips burning red as if they were about to bleed.

"Please sit down." Lin Yifan sat down in the main seat, picked up his chopsticks, and said, "After this meal, I have something to say."

The three girls all stared at him, even the most lively Xia Yan fell silent.

"First," he said, picking up a mouthful of noodles, "while I was away, Wenxiu was in charge. She was to perform the daily morning and evening greetings without fail."

Yu Wenxiu straightened her back: "Yes."

"second,"

He glanced at Wenxiu and the other two, "I'll wipe your Brownings a little longer. If you have time, go next door and call Grandma Long over. She can teach you some survival skills; she's learned them."

Wenxiu gripped his chopsticks tightly, his knuckles turning white: "Young master, I..."

"Third," Lin Yifan interrupted her, his gaze sweeping over the four girls, "if I don't return in five days, go find Grandpa Tang; he will tell you the details."

Xia Yan burst into tears, but Xin Yi quickly covered her mouth. Xin Yi herself was also trembling, but she bit her lip and dared not make a sound.

"Why are you crying?"

Lin Yifan put down his chopsticks, his voice low but enough to silence the entire room. "I was worried something might have gotten in the way, but I'll contact Grandpa, so you can find out my situation by talking to him. Five days is enough to make a round trip to Tianjin."

He took out two silver dollars from his spatial storage and pushed them in front of Wenxiu: "These are for your household use. You can keep them. I've also added some meat, which is all in the cellar."

You're at a stage where you're growing, so you need to eat more.

Yu Wenxiu reached out and clutched the silver coin in her palm: "Young master, we'll wait for you to come back."

"Hmm." Lin Yifan picked up the bowl again. "Eat the noodles, they're getting cold and clumpy."

The meal was eaten in silence. Wenxiu kept her head down the whole time, stirring her food in her bowl with her chopsticks but barely putting any food in her mouth. Lin Yifan saw this but didn't say anything more. Some concerns, if said too much, would only become a burden.