Upon seeing Zhou Xiaohong and Lin Lan, Chen Dongming gave a good-natured smile. "I just got here, and you're here already." Then he introduced them to the homeowner. "Mingxuan, this is Lin Lan, a friend of Little Hong's."
Xu Mingxuan and Lin Lan exchanged polite greetings. He then said to Chen Dongming, "Let's go inside and see the house first."
"Okay!"
Zhou Xiaohong linked arms with Lin Lan and followed the two men through a small side gate. They walked down a narrow, partitioned alley for about a dozen paces before reaching another small gate, which Xu Mingxuan pushed open to lead them into a small courtyard.
The courtyard was a mess. Most of the flowers and plants were withered and dead. However, a few clusters of vibrant rosebushes peeked over the top of the wall. At the base of the wall, portulacas bloomed in red and purplish-pink, along with other drought-resistant plants like orchid cacti and chenille plants.
