Chapter 21

After asking if they could freely tour the courtyard, Wu Di and Ou Dou Dou started from the front yard, while Zhong Qi directly said he was too tired and lay in the living room waiting for the meal.

At the entrance was a brick and tile structure, an independent wall, which Wu Di called a shadow wall in his hometown. This was something only wealthy families in the past would have. In the middle of the wall, there was a porcelain painting of cranes and pines, which, though a bit vulgar, was appropriate for the setting. On both sides of the wall were two large vats, each containing a few goldfish. A place like this must have been examined by a feng shui expert, but Wu Di didn't understand or care. However, he looked at the two large vats for a while and felt that they were not ordinary. But if he were to say more, it would be beyond his level as a novice in antiques.

Behind the wall was the first courtyard. In the center of the courtyard was a tree that, though not tall, was quite large, with branches and leaves almost covering the entire courtyard, probably planted when the house was built. The second courtyard was mainly water, with a small stream flowing out from behind the main house, winding through the courtyard's rock formations, wooden bridges, and small ponds, and disappearing behind the house in another direction. The courtyard had no tall trees, almost all flowers, of various kinds, with many butterflies and bees flitting about.

Following the stream to the back of the house, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a hidden garden. Wu Di was both surprised and impressed, thinking that people often say that immortals are good, but power can make even immortals fall.

Wu Di took a quick look around and found that this place was on a gentle slope halfway up a mountain. After leveling the ground and digging deeper into the mountain, the house was built. Not far behind the house was a narrow lake, which narrowed further away, connecting to another pond, resembling a gourd with a large, flat belly. At the mountain wall, a half-foot-wide waterfall cascaded several meters, hitting the protruding rocks and splashing into a mist that fell into the pond.

There was a pavilion on the lake, and a bridge at the narrow part of the gourd. Standing on the bridge, one could enjoy the mist. Looking around, the odd rocks, grass pavilions, winding corridors, and exotic trees were arranged in a pleasing manner, and anyone could tell that this place was the work of a master.

Wu Di took nearly twenty minutes to tour the small garden, which was as large as two or three soccer fields. He marveled and was amazed, thinking that this place, a hidden paradise, would be unknown to most people, let alone those of lower status.

Ou Dou Dou, after a few turns, peeked out from the bushes by the stone wall and called out, "Uncle Xiao, look, there's a small door here."

Wu Di went over and indeed saw a path hidden among the green trees and red flowers leading to the back wall of the courtyard, with an iron gate at the end, but it was locked. Wu Di looked at the camera hidden above the wall, patted Dou Dou's head, and said, "We can probably go up the mountain from here. If you want to, we can come early another day. Let's go, follow Uncle Xiao and get wet in the rain!"

Ou Dou Dou took the lead, rushing onto the wooden bridge over the pond. Just as Wu Di was about to follow, he heard a voice from the mountain behind the small gate. It was a girl scolding another person, "You, you said you wanted to climb the mountain, but you slept until the sun was high and then twisted your ankle as soon as you went out. Can you be any clumsier?"

Wu Di smiled and waved to Ou Dou Dou, signaling him to come down quickly so he wouldn't get wet. When he turned around, he saw two girls suddenly appear at the small gate, both wearing white sun hats, black T-shirts, and blue jeans. One girl was more like supporting the other, but it looked more like she was twisting her, and the other's hand was not idle, seemingly tickling the girl. Ou Dou Dou suddenly asked a question that would make Wu Di regret for years, wishing he had covered his mouth in time.

"Uncle Xiao, are they dating?"

Hearing someone speak, the two girls exclaimed and jumped apart, then lightly patted their chests and looked into the gate. Wu Di, with his keen eyes, noticed that the girl on the right had a lot of "material," and when she jumped, it was quite a sight. The light pat made it even more noticeable, making Wu Di's heart flutter. The girl on the right also had a lot, and she patted even harder, making Wu Di feel even more parched.

First, he looked at their chests, then their waists and hips, and finally their faces. This was generally the view of old perverts. Wu Di was not, so his gaze moved up, and when he saw the two faces, he had a sudden realization. Natural beauty, like a lotus emerging from the water, was truly beautiful.

The girl on the left had almond-shaped eyes, which were now wide open, making her face even rounder. Her fair skin was flushed with red, making her incredibly beautiful. The girl on the right was a bit more alluring, and Wu Di didn't dare to look at her for long, but he noticed that every feature, from her eyebrows to her nose and lips, was perfect, especially her pointed chin, which rivaled a famous actor.

The girl on the left took out a key, opened the small gate, and asked, "Who are you...?"

Wu Di quickly replied, "We came with Zhong Qi. I'm Wu Di, and this is Ou Dou Dou..."

Before Wu Di could finish, the girl on the right screamed, hopped on one foot, and jumped in front of Ou Dou Dou, hugging his head and kneading it while saying, "Wow, so you're the legendary Ou Dou Dou, so tender, so smooth! And this must be the great Wu Di, I've heard so much about you, it's an honor to finally meet you!"

Her Cantonese-accented Mandarin made Wu Di feel like he was back in his college days, watching Hong Kong movies.

The other girl's face turned even redder, even her ears, and she looked at the confused Wu Di, explaining, "This is my Uncle Yang's granddaughter, Yang Yanzi, from Hong Kong. So she's a bit... a bit..."

Wu Di nodded in understanding, reached out to rescue Ou Dou Dou, who immediately ran off. Wu Di silently cursed his lack of loyalty and felt a light tap on his shoulder.

"Great hero, can you teach me Chinese kung fu?"

"What? Chinese kung fu?"

"Sure, I heard you fought dozens of police officers, who were all beaten up, and you rescued Ou Dou Dou after three days in the mountains. You're like a modern-day Wong Fei-hung!"

Wu Di felt a bit like a big-headed Fan Wei, unable to keep up with the girl's pace. Just as he was about to ask what was going on, the girl suddenly turned to the other girl and said, "Oh no, I look so terrible, Lingling, it's all your fault for insisting on climbing the mountain, making me look so disheveled, and then I run into the legendary hero..."

Seeing Wu Di's face turn red, the girl's eyes sparkled with mischief, and she propped her chin on her hands, staring at Wu Di with intense electricity in her eyes.

"Hero..."

Her voice was nasal, melodic, and lingering, making Wu Di's hair stand on end, wishing he could run away like Ou Dou Dou.

"Deserved! Daring to call me a lesbian and staring at my chest! Humph!"

It seemed she was blaming Wu Di for what Ou Dou Dou said, which wasn't entirely wrong, as children are innocent and should be corrected by adults.

The girl named Lingling, seeing Yang Yanzi's gaze, smiled and said, "Alright, Yanzi, stop it. It's their first time here, so we should welcome them properly..."

In the distance, footsteps approached, and Ou Dou Dou led Zhong Qi, who called out, "Lingling, when did you come back? You didn't even call. What's so fun about this mountain? Come play with me later!"

Wu Di breathed a sigh of relief, secretly giving a thumbs-up to the panting Ou Dou Dou and watching Zhong Qi deal with the girls.

"Zhong... This is Uncle Yang's granddaughter, Yang Yanzi, you haven't met her, right?"

"Oh, so you're the legendary Yanzi... niece. Come, call me Uncle, and I'll give you candy."

Yang Yanzi's eyes sparkled, and she smiled, "So you're the Uncle Zhong that Lingling can't stop talking about. How come you're so young, did you have plastic surgery?"

"Ha ha, seeing that you've done well in your studies, I'm very pleased, so I look younger, hehe."

Chang Lingling pinched Yang Yanzi, smiling awkwardly, "Yanzi is lively and likes to play, but she's usually quite good."

Yang Yanzi immediately stopped, lowered her head, and played with the hem of her dress, looking like a well-behaved girl. She thought Wu Di was easier to tease, and decided to leave the "uncle" to Lingling to deal with. She had another idea and said in a small voice, but loud enough for everyone to hear, "I thought uncles would be old and rugged, but he's so handsome, my little heart is still pounding, Lingling, feel it, feel it..."

Wu Di closed his eyes, not daring to look, thinking, "She's a demon, a demon must be what they mean by such a girl."

Suddenly, Chang Lingling gasped, and Yang Yanzi laughed, "Ha ha, Lingling's heart is beating even faster than mine!"

Chang Lingling covered her chest, her face so red it could drop red rouge, and with Yang Yanzi's teasing, Wu Di knew she had been touched. He quietly moved his feet backward, wanting to protect himself. Wu Di turned to leave but felt a sudden urge to play, and shouted, "Demon, run!"

Yang Yanzi was speechless, and Chang Lingling laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight. Her almond eyes occasionally glanced at Zhong Qi, who didn't notice Chang Lingling but saw Yang Yanzi's expression and laughed, "Let's go, we haven't eaten yet. After the meal, you can deal with that boy however you want."

The meal was tense, with sparks flying. Wu Di handled the situation calmly, no longer showing his initial awkwardness, much to the surprise of Chang Lingling and Zhong Qi. What they didn't know was that Wu Di was thinking, "These noble girls, I won't have much interaction with them. Once I drive away, I might never see them again, why should I be afraid?"

Chang Lingling had been sent to London for university and had only returned twice in four years. This time, after graduation, she decided not to go back. The summer was cool in the mountains, so she came to her grandfather's place. Yang Yanzi's grandfather in Hong Kong had sent her to the capital, and they had become close friends in just a few days. They had planned to go hiking today, but Yang Yanzi overslept and didn't start until noon. They hadn't gone far when she twisted her ankle and returned, just in time to run into Wu Di.

Although Wu Di didn't have a girlfriend in college due to his lack of height, wealth, and good looks, it didn't mean he lacked discernment. Seeing Chang Lingling's hesitant expression, he understood. While helping Zhong Qi fend off Yang Yanzi's "bullets," he silently cursed, "Even her niece, I'll have to give a big shut-up fee to keep her from telling my godmother."

Yang Yanzi, who rarely saw such Chinese-style subtlety, kept lashing out, but most of her attacks were deflected by Wu Di. Old grudges and new ones rose in her heart, and she wished she could use her high heels to slowly beat this black boy to death. Wu Di, however, was gritting his teeth, thinking, "This crazy girl, she should just watch the show. Why did she jump out so quickly? Does she want to die? If she dies, don't drag me down with her!"

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