The car slowly came to a stop in front of the main courtyard.
The wheels rolled over the stone path, producing a faint scraping sound. Several servants in dark uniforms were already standing outside the gate. Upon seeing the vehicle, they stepped forward in unison.
The door was pulled open from the outside.
Night air slipped through the gap, carrying the damp scent of plants from the courtyard.
Shen Huaixue stepped out first, her long black hair gently lifted by the wind. After steadying herself, she didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she turned and reached her hand out to Lin Jianqing, who was still sitting in the car.
Lin Jianqing glanced at her hand, then finally placed his in hers.
Shen Huaixue’s fingers were cold, and she didn’t let go right away after holding on.
Once both were out of the car, a nearby servant took their luggage and murmured, “Fourth Miss.”
Shen Huaixue simply nodded. Her expression was far colder than usual, and the playful smile she often wore when teasing Lin Jianqing was nowhere to be seen. Lin Jianqing stayed by her side, watching her navigate the steps before the entrance with practiced ease.
The main courtyard was even larger than Lin Jianqing had imagined. Dark wooden corridors stretched along both sides of the courtyard, with a row of warm yellow lanterns hanging beneath the eaves.
Wind rustled through the leaves in the yard, casting fragmented shadows on the stone path that never stopped moving.
The surroundings were quiet. Occasionally someone passed by, and they would only stop to bow to Shen Huaixue before lowering their heads and continuing on.
Lin Jianqing could feel those people’s gazes briefly land on him.
Shen Huaixue’s fingers tightened slightly.
The next second, her voice appeared directly in Lin Jianqing’s mind.
‘Don’t look at them. Keep walking.’
Lin Jianqing turned his head to glance at her.
Shen Huaixue didn’t look back. She simply continued leading him forward.
After passing through the corridor, a middle-aged woman was already waiting ahead. She wore a neat black dress and held a silver key card in her hand.
“The matriarch is still handling matters,” the woman said in a low voice. “The room has been prepared. Mr. Lin may rest first.”
Lin Jianqing’s steps faltered briefly when he heard his own surname.
Shen Huaixue took the key card, then looked toward the other side of the corridor.
“Lead the way.”
The woman nodded and turned, heading deeper into the courtyard.
The woman walked ahead, her heels landing on the stone path with a light, steady rhythm.
Neatly trimmed shrubs lined both sides of the corridor, their branches swaying gently in the night breeze. Several warm yellow wall lamps were mounted on the dark wooden pillars, casting dim light that barely illuminated the path ahead.
Lin Jianqing walked beside Shen Huaixue, his hand still held in hers.
He glanced down. Their fingers were intertwined, Shen Huaixue’s grip so natural it felt like they’d held hands countless times before.
Lin Jianqing subtly moved his wrist.
Shen Huaixue didn’t let go. She just turned her face slightly to look at him.
That familiar voice appeared in his mind once more.
‘Don’t fidget.’
Lin Jianqing looked up and didn’t respond.
‘We’re only pretending to be a couple, yet you sure have a lot of demands.’
The woman ahead passed through an arched doorway, and the scenery around them quickly changed.
The outer main courtyard had been spacious and quiet, but this courtyard felt far more secluded. Tall trees blocked most of the night sky, casting elongated shadows across the grayish-blue walls.
In the center of the courtyard was a modest pool, its surface reflecting scattered lights. Occasionally, the soft sound of water could be heard.
Several rooms were arranged around the pool, warm light glowing from their windows.
The woman stopped in front of one of the doors and inserted the key into the lock.
As the door swung open, a faint scent of wood drifted out.
The room was large, with lights already turned on. A neatly made bed sat against the wall, flanked by a dark wardrobe and a desk.
The desk was near the window, and beside it stood a drawing board with paper laid out nearby. In the corner were paints and several unopened brushes.
It was clearly a guest room.
Lin Jianqing stood at the entrance, not stepping inside right away.
His gaze slowly swept across the room before settling on the brand-new easel by the window.
Shen Huaixue followed his line of sight.
Her expression barely changed, but her hold on Lin Jianqing’s hand gradually loosened.
The woman stood to the side and said quietly, “These were all prepared by the matriarch in advance. If there’s anything else you need, please let me know at any time.”
Shen Huaixue didn’t answer.
She walked into the room, reached out to flip through the drawing paper on the desk, then checked the clothes that had been hung in the wardrobe beforehand.
Her movements weren’t rushed, but her expression had grown even colder than before.
Lin Jianqing stood behind her, watching her inspect each item one by one.
For a moment, the only sound in the room was the soft rustle of hangers brushing against one another.
Shen Huaixue closed the wardrobe door and turned to look at the woman standing nearby.
“Take the clothes away.”
The woman was clearly taken aback but quickly lowered her head.
“All of them?”
“Keep the essentials. Remove everything else.”
After saying this, Shen Huaixue walked to the desk and pushed several daily items bearing the Shen family emblem to one side.
The woman didn’t ask any more questions. She simply summoned two servants to gather most of the clothes from the wardrobe and the items from the desk.
Lin Jianqing stood by the door, watching them quietly move in and out of the room.
The overly tidy space quickly emptied out, leaving only the easel, art supplies, and a few basic daily necessities in place.
Shen Huaixue did one final check before handing the silver key card to Lin Jianqing.
“This is the access card for the courtyard.” This courtyard had originally belonged to Shen Huaixue.
Lin Jianqing took it and looked down.
The front of the card bore a simple black emblem with a thin line of silver tracing its edge, gleaming faintly under the light.
“The main courtyard, dining hall, and outer garden are all accessible,” Shen Huaixue said as she walked to the window and pulled the heavy curtains halfway open.
“The deeper areas are off-limits, though I wouldn’t recommend trying to explore them either.”
Beyond the window was a quiet courtyard. The distant corridor was blocked by trees, with only a few dim lights visible.
Further in, an old building stood in darkness, its black eaves pressed into the night, starkly different from the bright and orderly courtyards around it.
Lin Jianqing looked in that direction for a moment longer.
Shen Huaixue raised her hand to block his view and drew the curtains closed again.
“Get settled first.”
She didn’t explain. She simply turned and left the room.
As the door clicked shut, the space quickly fell into silence.
Lin Jianqing set his duffel bag on the bed and took out his clothes one by one. He hadn’t brought much, and after placing them into the emptied wardrobe, they only took up a small corner.
He put the charger on the nightstand and took his toiletries into the bathroom.
The room was tidied in no time. Lin Jianqing stood by the bed, looking at the unfamiliar yet orderly space, and didn’t sit down for a while.
It was too quiet here. Through the closed window, he could barely hear any sound from outside. Only the soft hum of the air conditioning echoed continuously through the room.
It felt like the scene of a suspense case, so quiet it made Lin Jianqing uneasy.
To be honest, Lin Jianqing was starting to regret this.
Even now, he still didn’t understand why he’d agreed so easily to come to the Capital City with Shen Huaixue.
He walked to the desk and reached out to touch the easel.
The wooden surface was smooth, clearly prepared just recently.
Before Lin Jianqing could examine it more closely, two knocks sounded at the door.
The door opened, and Shen Huaixue reappeared.
She had changed out of her previous clothes and was now wearing a simple black dress with clean lines. Her hair had been neatly redone, making her look even more aloof than before.
She stood at the doorway, giving Lin Jianqing a once-over. Then she stepped closer, raised her hand, and straightened his collar.
Lin Jianqing instinctively took half a step back.
Shen Huaixue didn’t stop. Her fingers pressed lightly along the collar before brushing the stray hair from his forehead to the side.
Only after finishing did she withdraw her hand.
“Mother is done with her matters.”
Lin Jianqing looked at her. Shen Huaixue shifted her gaze toward the door, her voice very gentle.
“Time to go to the main hall.”
The two left the room together.
The lanterns in the corridor were all lit, their warm yellow light falling across the grayish-blue floor. Night wind swept through the courtyard, stirring the leaves into a soft rustle.
Shen Huaixue walked beside Lin Jianqing without taking his hand again.
It wasn’t until the main hall appeared at the end of the corridor that her voice once more landed directly in Lin Jianqing’s mind.
‘If you don’t want to answer a question later, just look at me.’
Lin Jianqing turned his head.
Shen Huaixue kept her eyes forward, her expression calm.
Two servants stood outside the main hall doors.
Seeing the pair approach, they stepped aside in unison and pushed open the heavy wooden doors.
Bright light spilled out from within.
Lin Jianqing’s steps paused for half a second before he followed Shen Huaixue inside.