"Our honored guests, this way, please."
A young servant appeared from behind the vermilion-lacquered gate, his face a mask of flattery upon seeing Lu Yu and Lu Shanshan at the door.
Lu Yu, as usual, wore a playful grin.
"It's been quite a while since I've last seen Sister Jiang."
Lu Shanshan, long since numb to her improper brother's antics, stepped straight over the threshold and into the residence.
The young servant, of course, dared not respond. He simply led the two politely past a series of pavilions and waterside terraces, finally arriving at an elegant gazebo.
Although Huanglong Prefecture was in the Northern Territory, this place felt like a Jiangnan water village.
The babbling brook beneath the gazebo enveloped them in a cool moisture, dispelling the sweltering heat of summer.
Residences designed like this were a rare sight in the Northern Territory.
