Courtyard House: My Time Travel is a Bit Too Strong

Before Lin Quan could speak, He Daqing straightened his back and stood up abruptly, causing the chair to wobble.

"Master He, don't be shy, sit down, please sit down!"

Under Lin Quan's smiling greeting, He Daqing finally caught his breath, slowly sat down, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, his expression complex.

This old cook, who had survived the flames of war, had seen his fair share of things, but what he had experienced today had truly shaken him to his core.

The mountain-like support behind Lin Quan was clearly suffocating, yet he himself remained as still as an ancient well, without even a ripple.

Let alone outsiders, even the neighbors in the courtyard who see each other all the time, who would have thought?

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I probably wouldn't have believed it even if you beat me to death. This young man could stir up a storm in half of the capital with just a flick of his sleeve.

"Thank you for your hard work today, Master He."

Before he finished speaking, Lin Quan had already pulled out a stack of brand-new banknotes from his pocket, fifty yuan, thick and solid, and handed it over directly.

"Take some of these leftover dishes back with you and the children—they're all clean and untouched."

What kind of magical dish was that? It was all specially prepared by Lin Quan, specifically for the purpose of social obligations, and it was all steaming hot and neatly arranged there.

"Then I certainly won't stand on ceremony! Next time there's a respectable job like this, Lin, just give the word, and I'll be there with the pot!"

"My silly boy's cooking skills are passable. If I'm not around one day, just give him a call, and he'll be even faster than me!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Quan's mind immediately cleared:

"It seems that He Daqing is about to flee far away."

He glanced at Sha Zhu without making a sound, then swept his gaze over He Yushui's small face covered in rice grains.

When Sha Zhu met that gaze, he shrank back and hurriedly looked away.

He Yushui, on the other hand, tilted her head back and grinned at Lin Quan, her dimples brimming with sunshine.

Lin Quan didn't beat around the bush; his voice wasn't loud, but every word he spoke touched people's hearts.

"Uncle He, you know perfectly well who lives in your courtyard."

"I'm too lazy to talk about Sha Zhu, but how much rain is there? How can you be so heartless?"

Swah——

As soon as he finished speaking, He Daqing's face tightened abruptly, and the color drained away by three points.

He had only intended to test the waters, but Lin Quan saw right through his deepest intentions.

After a moment of silence, he closed his eyes, then suddenly waved his hand:

"Silly Zhu, take your sister home!"

Sha Zhu's lips moved as if he wanted to argue, but when he looked up and met his father's ashen face, he swallowed his words.

The words he was about to say were abruptly cut off by Sha Zhu, who forced them back down.

Then he grabbed a few aluminum lunchboxes, pulled He Yushui by the wrist, and walked out with quick but steady steps.

Watching the two figures disappear around the corner, He Daqing slowly let out a breath, his voice deep and heavy:

"I thought you were hiding it well, but it turns out you've already figured it out, kid Lin..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Quan had already raised his hand to block, making a clean and decisive move:

"Uncle He, I was just mentioning it casually; I really didn't get involved in anything else."

Upon hearing this, He Daqing opened his mouth, but it was as if his airway was blocked, and he couldn't utter a single word.

He froze on the spot, even the hem of his clothes remained perfectly still.

He had assumed that Lin Quan's sudden revelation of this matter was for some ulterior motive;

To my surprise, the other party neither pressed for details nor exerted pressure, nor did they show any intention of bargaining.

He Daqing's Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally sighed again: "I won't lie to you—there are reasons why I have to leave..."

His words were full of bitterness, but he clenched his teeth secretly, and a hard line appeared on his lower jaw.

A moment later, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, his gaze sharpened and fixed directly on Lin Quan's face:

"Young Lin, could I ask you for a small favor?"

Lin Quan met his gaze, and without saying a word, she already understood perfectly.

He simply spoke first, saying, "You want me to take care of those two siblings."

"I wonder... if you could just take a second look at Gu Xiaoyushui?"

He Daqing didn't beat around the bush; he nodded frankly, his eyes filled with sincerity.

Seeing his expression, Lin Quan burst out laughing.

It's not that he's mean, but there's no such thing as asking someone to risk their life for nothing.

Not to mention that He Daqing just opened his mouth and tried to get a promise from him without any preamble.

"I'm afraid I can't get involved in this matter."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Quan shook his head cleanly and decisively.

He Daqing hadn't held out much hope, but when he saw him shake his head, his shoulders slumped involuntarily, and his face darkened.

He didn't say anything more, just clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lin Quan, then turned and left.

His steps were neither fast nor slow, but his back looked particularly lonely and stiff. He stepped out of the kitchen door and never looked back.

Despite his impulsive actions, he is actually very shrewd.

Say what needs to be said, and don't deny what shouldn't be denied;

He would rather starve than do something as sordid as using morality as a rope to bind people.

Watching the figure pass through the courtyard and disappear into the front gate, Lin Quan gently shook his head.

"I can't be bothered with or care about Sha Zhu's affairs."

"But Xiaoyushui, that girl... is quite endearing."

"If she suffers any injustice in the future, tell her to come directly to me."

He Daqing had just stepped out the door when he heard these words. His steps suddenly stopped, and the muscles in his back tensed up instantly.

He quickly turned around and bowed deeply towards Lin Quan, his waist bent extremely low:

Thanks!

With just that one sentence, the weight that had been hanging over my heart finally lifted.

Only after the figure completely disappeared outside the blue brick gate did Lin Quan turn his gaze to Chen Xueru, his tone calm:

"If Xiaoyushui has any difficulties in the future, I will lend a hand if I can."

Ok……

Chen Xueru responded quickly, nodding like a pecking motion.

Although the neighbors next door are a bunch of clowns, Xiaoyushui is such a well-behaved child that it melts your heart.

She genuinely liked that girl, and she took Lin Quan's words to heart and remembered them.

Once all these trivial matters were sorted out, Lin Quan let out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

After a brief pause, his gaze shifted back to Chen Xueru's face, a slight smile playing on his lips:

"Xueru, it's getting late—shouldn't we be getting ready for our wedding ceremony and entering the bridal chamber?"

Chen Xueru's ears instantly turned red, as if she had applied rouge;

Her bright eyes lifted and met Lin Quan's gaze directly; her eyes were shimmering and so tender they seemed to drip with water.

A faint, alluring charm quietly spread from her side, like mist or smoke...

Swah——

In a flash, Lin Quan had already scooped her up in his arms, his movements as swift as the wind sweeping through the treetops.

In the blink of an eye, only the empty moonlight and the slightly swaying curtain remained in the courtyard.

Two hours later, the room finally returned to silence.

Time flows silently, like dewdrops sliding off the eaves, neither fast nor slow.

One night, neither long nor short.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Lin Quan rolled out of bed, washed up, stretched, and moved around with exceptional agility.

After he placed the steaming breakfast on the table, Chen Xueru slowly got up, her cheeks flushed like the morning sun, her eyes still showing signs of weariness. She rubbed her eyes as she walked towards the washroom. Lin Quan had just put the last dish of side dishes on the table, and Li Hanyi hadn't even shown up yet, but Qiao Jingjing, Wang Yuyan, and Zhu Zhuqing, as if they had timed it perfectly—less than ten minutes apart—all burst into the dining room.