'Watching ants move house?'
'A law of nature?'
'The average person really couldn't come up with such a high-brow excuse.'
"That's impressive," Victor said.
Jessie: "…"
She felt like he was being passive-aggressive, but she had no proof.
"So, what kind of place is this Four-Winds Courtyard?" Not wanting to get stuck on the "ants moving house" issue, Jessie proactively changed the subject.
Victor: "Our marital home."
Jessie felt his gaze on her as he spoke.
She met his gaze unexpectedly. She wasn't sure if it was the weight behind the words "marital home" or the sheer intensity of Victor's gaze, but she felt an undeniable pressure, and the tips of her ears began to burn red against her will.
"…Oh." Jessie looked away, pretending nothing had happened. "I noticed the calligraphy on the plaque hanging outside the courtyard. It's actually quite beautiful."
"You like it?" There was a hint of surprise in Victor's eyes.
"Yes." Jessie nodded. "It looks just like the calligraphy on the plaques for the Plum Garden and Peach Garden I walked through earlier."
They were all so powerful and fluid.
Victor nodded slightly. "Noted. I'll write the invitations by hand."
Jessie: "? Huh?"
Victor glanced at her. "Didn't you say you liked it?"
Jessie met Victor's deep, dark eyes. It took her a moment to process before she blinked. "You wrote them?"
Victor nodded.
It wasn't something he felt the need to show off. But who would have thought Jessie would notice those unassuming plaques?
Jessie: "…"
'That's not what I meant. Writing invitations by hand... who even does that anymore? Everything is digitally printed these days.'
Besides, even with a dedicated team handling all the wedding preparations so she didn't have to worry, Jessie could still imagine the sheer number of guests they'd be inviting, given their families' social standing.
If he were to handwrite them all, even just addressing them to each guest would be a monumental task.
"That's not what I meant…" Jessie mumbled.
Victor had already pushed open the door to the main hall. "It's fine," he said upon hearing her. "As long as you like it."
Jessie: "…"
It was still a bit awkward, coming with her fiancé to see the bedroom they would be sharing.
Especially when Jessie saw the massive bed—over two meters wide—in the center of the room. For a split second, she had no idea where to even look.
The room's decor continued the style of the gardens they had just passed through—simple and elegant.
Stylish, designer furniture, like the sofa, was cleverly integrated into the modern Chinese architecture, not looking out of place in the slightest.
The room was filled with light from two sides. The view from the front was of a miniature pond, complete with a small arched bridge.
Flowers were planted around the pond, all competing to show off their blooms in the height of summer.
The view out the back revealed a small garden. Next to a bluestone path stood a swing set made from solid, natural wood.
The bedroom was huge, but Jessie didn't dare look around too much.
"Does it need anything else? Is there anything you don't like?" Victor asked.
He had come today without the butler accompanying Jessie, thinking she might be too embarrassed to make requests in front of a stranger.
Jessie shook her head. "It's all lovely."
Victor frowned. "Really?" He recalled a conversation with his future father-in-law, who had mentioned that his eldest daughter was extremely picky and spoiled. He'd said most people wouldn't be able to handle her personality.
But from what Victor could see, the young woman before him didn't seem so picky or difficult to please.
"Yes, really! Of course!" Jessie said quickly. She hurried out of the bedroom with its enormous double bed, not even taking a moment to glance at the adjoining walk-in closet and bathroom. She practically fled through the door.
Victor had no choice but to follow. Walking behind Jessie, he watched her retreating figure, which seemed to be making a frantic escape, and couldn't help but chuckle.
It was getting late, so Victor planned to take Jessie to dinner first.
"Is it a restaurant nearby?" Jessie asked. After leaving the Four-Winds Courtyard, she finally felt the heat in her cheeks begin to cool. The question came out when Victor mentioned getting food.
"Yes, a Cantonese place." Victor was worried Jessie might not be accustomed to Northern cuisine, so he'd specifically chosen a well-regarded Cantonese restaurant nearby.
Jessie looked up the place Victor had mentioned. It was less than 800 meters from the hutong—very close, easily within walking distance.
She felt like taking a walk along the lanes outside the hutong anyway. "Can we walk?" she asked.
Victor was surprised. "You want to walk?"
Jessie: "If I'm going to be living here, I want to walk around. Think of it as getting familiar with the route ahead of time."
She had a slight tendency to get lost and couldn't really tell north from south.
Victor was silent for a moment.
"Is that a no?" Jessie asked.
"We can." Victor agreed to her suggestion. "But you might want to brace yourself."
Jessie was about to ask what she needed to brace herself for, but she had already reached the main gate and pressed the switch for the electronic door on the wall.
As the gate slowly swung open, Jessie heard several gasps nearby.
She instinctively looked toward the sound and met the astonished gazes of several young people standing right at the entrance.
Closest to the gate were two young, stylishly dressed women. A little in front of them, a young man held a camera.
Jessie froze on the spot, equally stunned.
In a daze, she vaguely understood the reason for Victor's silence a moment ago.
Jessie couldn't help but turn, her gaze searching for that familiar figure.
Victor was already by her side. He looked perfectly calm, his gaze not even pausing on the people taking photos at the gate. He just looked at Jessie. "Still feel like walking?"
Jessie: "…"
They walked through the hutong, where the lush, vibrant leaves of plane trees blocked most of the sun, making it feel pleasant underneath. "Why didn't you warn me?" Jessie muttered, keeping her head down and stepping on Victor's shadow as she walked.
She'd never expected to find tourists taking pictures for social media right on her doorstep. It was a world away from living at the Southaven estate.
Victor: "…I didn't get the chance."
When Jessie had suggested walking to the restaurant, Victor had been about to explain that they rarely used the main gate. This whole area was practically a tourist attraction, with crowds of pedestrians and sightseers passing by the entrance all day long.