Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

As soon as the door to the presidential suite opened, He Yushui exclaimed "Wow!"

too big!

It was bigger than any house she had ever seen!

The living room was three or four times larger than the entire main hall of her house in the east wing. It was covered with a thick, fluffy carpet that felt as soft as walking on clouds, making no sound at all. The sofa was wide and soft, like a giant marshmallow. On the coffee table were vibrant flowers and some fruits she couldn't name, next to a gleaming ice bucket containing several bottles of chilled drinks. The floor-to-ceiling windows were a whole wall of glass, offering a panoramic view of Hong Kong's nightscape—countless lights like scattered stars, densely packed, stretching all the way to the distant sea, with the lights of ships moving slowly across the water.

"This... how much does this cost per night?" He Daqing muttered under his breath, his voice filled with undisguised shock and heartache. He had never seen such an expensive place in his life.

He Damin ignored him and simply told Lawrence, "Have them bring the luggage up."

"It's all arranged, Mr. He." Lawrence glanced at his watch. "Mr. He, there's one more thing—identity documents. According to Hong Kong regulations, new arrivals need to obtain identification documents. I've already contacted the nearby police station, and they will send officers over tomorrow morning to take photos and process the paperwork at the hotel. Your and your family's photos can be taken today, so it won't take up much time."

He Damin nodded.

"This is troublesome."

"No trouble at all, Mr. He, it's my pleasure." Lawrence paused, then took out a document from his briefcase. "This is the latest update on the patent applications you commissioned last time. The patents in the US, UK, France, and West Germany have all been officially granted, and copies of the certificates are in the envelope I gave you before. The Japanese application is still under review and will probably take a while longer. In addition, three car manufacturers—Ford from the US, Mercedes-Benz from Germany, and Fiat from Italy—have sent letters through their lawyers inquiring about patent licensing and expressing their intention to cooperate. Do you think... we should reply?"

He Damin took the document and quickly flipped through a few pages. It was filled with dense English text and some company logos.

"No rush," he said casually. "Let it cool down first."

Lawrence's eyes lit up slightly, as if he understood something.

"Mr. He means... to whet their appetite?"

"Let them wait a little longer." He Damin leaned back on the sofa, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest. "Only when we have five companies, and when they start arguing among themselves, can we get the best price."

Lawrence smiled, revealing a set of white teeth: "Understood. Then I'll stall for time, only saying that the patent holder is interested, but needs time for evaluation and comparison."

He Damin nodded and waved his hand: "If there's nothing else, you can go back now."

"Yes, Mr. He. Please feel free to call me if you need anything." Lawrence bowed respectfully, then turned and left.

After Lawrence left, Chen Xueru began arranging the rooms.

The presidential suite has seven rooms, enough for one person per room. But after thinking about it, she decided to arrange for He Yushui to be next to herself and He Damin for easier care. She arranged for Qin Huairu and Yu Liang to be next to He Daqing. He Yuzhu, who is already a grown man, has his own room.

"Zhu Zi," Chen Xueru said, pointing to a room at the very end of the corridor, "your room is over there, and you can see the sea from the window."

He Yuzhu sighed and carried his worn canvas duffel bag inside. When he reached the door, he couldn't help but turn back, looking at the huge living room and the seemingly endless lights of thousands of homes outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. He felt a mix of emotions and suddenly his nose started to sting.

He recalled that three years ago, he was just an apprentice chopping vegetables in the kitchen of Hongbinlou Restaurant. He would get up before dawn every day, work himself to the bone, and earn a few dollars a month for pocket money. His biggest wish was to one day become a head chef, earn more money, and give his family a better life. Now, he was sitting in the most luxurious hotel in Hong Kong, living in such a large house, with the dazzling night view of this bustling metropolis outside his window. Tomorrow, he was going to apply for a Hong Kong ID card.

All of this was given to me by my uncle.

He sniffed, blinked hard to suppress the slight dampness, and pushed open the door to his room. The room was large, with a big bed, a writing desk, and a separate bathroom. He walked to the window, drew back the curtains, and sure enough, there was a sea view outside. Although it was night and he couldn't see the color of the sea, he could faintly hear the sound of waves and the lights of distant ships. He let out a long sigh of relief, feeling like he was dreaming.

He Yushui excitedly spun around in her room several times.

The bed was much softer than the kang (heated brick bed) at her house, like sinking into a pile of cotton. The quilt was as white as snow and smooth to the touch. There was also a separate bathroom in the room—it was the first time she had ever seen a separate bathroom in a house. Inside, there was a large, snow-white bathtub, a gleaming toilet, and a huge mirror that reflected everything clearly. Curious, she pressed the toilet button. A loud "whoosh" of water startled her, and then she giggled.

She stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself—with two little braids, wearing the new clothes her aunt had made for her during the New Year, with a round face, bright eyes, and rosy cheeks from excitement.

She made a face at herself in the mirror and then giggled.

Chen Xueru pushed the door open and saw her like this, and couldn't help but laugh.

Do you like it here?

He Yushui nodded vigorously, her little head bobbing like a rattle drum: "I love it! I love it so much! Auntie, this place is so much better than our home!"

"I'm glad you like it." Chen Xueru walked over, straightened her collar, and said softly, "Tomorrow, a policeman will come to take our photos. After that, we'll have Hong Kong ID cards. We can live in Hong Kong from now on, okay?"

He Yushui thought for a moment, then tilted her head and asked, "Then...can we still go back to Beijing? I miss Brother Shazhu, and I miss Uncle Yi and Uncle Er."

Chen Xueru paused for a moment, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, before her expression softened again: "Yes," she said softly, "when you grow up, you can go back whenever you want."

He Yushui got a satisfactory answer, nodded vigorously, and stopped worrying about the question.

She climbed onto the large, soft bed, buried herself in the blankets, leaving only her two bright, sparkling eyes showing.

"Auntie, why is Uncle so good to us?" she asked softly, with the innocence unique to children.

Chen Xueru remained silent for a while, then walked to the bedside and tucked the blanket around her.

"Because he's your uncle," she said, "because you're family."

He Yushui blinked, seemingly understanding, yet not quite, but she didn't ask any more questions. After playing for a while, her eyelids began to droop, and she quickly fell asleep, a satisfied smile still lingering on her lips.

He Damin stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the night view outside.

The night view from Victoria Peak is indeed beautiful. The lights along both sides of Victoria Harbour are a dazzling ribbon, outlining the entire harbor. Ferries and cargo ships occasionally glide by, leaving trails of light. In the distance, the neon lights of Kowloon Peninsula flash incessantly, displaying a kaleidoscope of colors and patterns, extending the city's prosperity and hustle and bustle into the deep of night. In 1955, Hong Kong, though lacking the skyscrapers of later years, already possessed a nighttime vibrancy and modernity far surpassing that of mainland China at the time.

Chen Xueru walked gently to his side and draped a cashmere coat over his shoulders. The mountaintop was still a bit chilly at night.

"What are you thinking about? You've been standing here for so long."

He Damin did not turn around; his gaze remained fixed on the distant lights.

"Think about what to do next."

"What is it?" Chen Xueru also looked out the window, her tone calm.

"There's a lot." He paused, then slowly said, "How should we negotiate patent licensing to maximize profits; how should Spark Technology operate, and what kind of staff do we need to hire; which school should we choose for the children, and we need to settle them down as soon as possible; we also need to arrange a job for Zhuzi, since he's interested in machinery, we should see if he can get into a car factory or a related industry... and also, the matter of teaching you cultivation."

When the topic of "spiritual practice" was brought up, Chen Xueru fell silent.

She knew what those two words meant to He Damin, and vaguely sensed that they might conceal secrets she couldn't even imagine. Over the past three years, she had witnessed too many inexplicable things about He Damin—his superhuman speed and strength, the piercing gaze he occasionally gave, his accurate predictions of certain future events. She never questioned him, simply accepting it silently, because she trusted him.

Now, he says he's going to teach her.

"Can I... learn it?" she asked softly, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. She was just an ordinary woman who had never imagined she could come into contact with these legendary things.

He Damin turned around and looked at her intently.

Under the lamplight, her features were as soft as a warm porcelain statue. Three years had passed. From the shrewd, capable, and sharp-tongued proprietress of the Zhengyangmen Silk Shop, to the wife standing beside him now, facing the unknown future together, the sharpness and calculation in her eyes had faded, replaced by composure, restraint, and gentleness. The white magnolia brooch he had given her was still pinned to her lapel, pure and elegant.

"Yes," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "I will teach you."

Looking into his determined eyes, Chen Xueru suddenly felt at ease and smiled slightly.

She didn't ask "why" or "what will happen" again, but simply leaned into his arms, quietly looking at the dazzling lights outside the window, feeling the warmth and strong heartbeat from his chest.