Chapter 1: The Old Place—Born with an Extraordinary Beauty
In Shouchéng, the August sun blazed high in a cloudless sky.
Despite the sweltering heat reaching $40^\circ\text{C}$, the security personnel stationed at the gates of the city center’s premier villa district remained impeccable in their suits. Responsible for the safety and passage of the elite residing within, they carried out their duties with unwavering professionalism.
A green-painted taxi slowed to a crawl and came to a stop fifty meters from the main gate. A moment later, the rear door opened, and a tall, slender figure stepped out.
He was a youth in the prime of his adolescence. With the driver’s assistance, he pulled an old, soft leather suitcase from the trunk and offered a quiet word of thanks.
It wasn’t particularly noteworthy, but perhaps because the guard duty was so monotonous, the security guard’s gaze instinctively drifted toward the boy’s thin silhouette.
Even from a distance, it was clear his clothes were simple. He didn’t look like someone who lived in this villa district; he was likely a visitor…
As the guard mused, the youth approached, his suitcase making a clattering noise against the pavement. Gradually, the guard saw the boy’s face clearly.
His first impression was that this boy was born with an extraordinary beauty.
It was a beauty that even outdated, faded clothing could not hide. The intense sunlight made his skin appear like white porcelain and cast a lustrous sheen over his black hair.
He kept his head slightly lowered, his long eyelashes casting tender shadows, while his red lips parted slightly as he breathed. Because of the heat, the hair at his temples and the nape of his neck was damp with sweat, and a layer of crimson flushed his cheeks. The small, reddish-brown mole in the center of his right cheek looked like a concentrated drop of that very blush.
The security guard’s gaze, hidden behind sunglasses, remained fixed on the youth until the boy reached him, dragging a suitcase with a seemingly broken wheel. Snapping back to his senses and remembering his duty, the guard bowed slightly. “Hello, this is Huzé Jūntíng. How may I assist you?”
The youth hurriedly wiped away the stinging sweat from his eyes and bowed in return. His voice was so soft it felt like a cloud that could be easily blown away. “Hello… I am here to find someone.”
Just as the guard was about to ask further, a ringtone sounded from the boy’s pocket.
The youth pulled out a phone with a cracked screen. He struggled to swipe it twice before successfully answering. After a few soft words, the call ended. He looked up again, a small smile playing on his lips. “Thank you, but there’s no need to trouble you. Someone will be out to pick me up shortly.”
Within five minutes, a car drove out and stopped at the gate’s reception area.
A butler, nearing forty years of age, stepped out of the car and greeted the youth. “You must be the young master Yu Xi that President Pei mentioned? I am terribly sorry I couldn’t meet you sooner, making you come all this way and wait for so long.”
The youth’s eyes widened slightly, and he waved his hands frantically. “It’s no problem! I insisted on coming myself, so it has nothing to do with you. Also, please… just call me Yu Xi…”
Since the house was still a distance from the gate and the weather was excessively hot, the two skipped further pleasantries and got into the car.
Inside the vehicle, the butler carefully explained the situation of the household’s master.
“A temporary issue arose at President Pei’s overseas branch. It was urgent, so she had to fly out personally to handle it. That’s why she couldn’t pick you up. She instructed me to settle you in properly; she should be back by the day after tomorrow at the latest.”
Yu Xi pulled back his feet, clad in canvas shoes washed thin of their color. Sitting inside a luxury car that was worlds apart from a taxi, he whispered, “I don’t mind. Her work is more important.”
The butler smiled. “President Pei said that you are an important member of the Pei family. We cannot neglect you.”
Hearing this, Yu Xi thought of that exceptionally gentle lady. His tense lips relaxed, and he offered a shy smile, softly responding, “Mhm.”
Under the butler’s gentle conversation, his nervous mood began to soothe. He turned his attention to the scenery outside the window.
The residents of Huzé Jūntíng were all either wealthy or influential. Each luxury villa was valued at nearly a hundred million, and the surrounding facilities were naturally top-tier. Leaving the grand gate behind, the car drove along a smooth asphalt road, passing a golf course before arriving under two rows of tall London plane trees.
In the dappled shadows of the trees, the scenery retreated like a montage in an arthouse film.
Yu Xi couldn’t help but feel a sense of trance, as if he were in a dream.
Only yesterday, he was living in a remote rural town thousands of miles away. After a long train journey, he had arrived in another, more prosperous world.
Even though this prosperous world was a place he was revisiting, his heart held more unease than sentimentality or nostalgia.
In these nearly twelve years, everything had changed.
Fortunately, the owner of the house he was going to was still as kind to him as ever.
Five days ago, after receiving a call from his mother, Ms. Pei immediately traveled a thousand miles to meet them, regardless of the wind or rain.
The two best friends, who had been out of contact for over a decade, had red rims around their eyes before they could even speak.
It was as if the gap between them had never existed. Upon hearing about their situation, Ms. Pei offered to help without the slightest hesitation.
“Isn’t that perfect? The university Xiao Xi got into is only ten kilometers from my place. Since you’ve decided to focus on the scientific research you once gave up, let me take care of him for you.”
Ms. Pei gave them no chance to refuse. She beckoned Yu Xi over, smiling as she patted his head.
“Our Xiao Xi has grown up, and he’s still so well-behaved and handsome. When you come to Auntie’s house, it’ll be just like when you were little—just treat it as your own home.”
Unfortunately, plans couldn’t keep up with changes. On this day, Ms. Pei was unable to personally pick him up at the high-speed rail station.
So, Yu Xi had come alone, hailing a taxi to find the place himself. The butler had received the news a bit late, and the driver he sent out was stuck in traffic, failing to intercept him.
“I am truly sorry. I heard from President Pei that you get motion sickness easily. The journey must have been very taxing, right?” the butler apologized again.
The motion sickness was something he’d had since childhood. Yu Xi didn’t expect Auntie Pei to remember this. He said with a smile, “It’s alright. I took motion sickness medicine in advance.”
He had barely endured the suffering of motion sickness, but between the travel fatigue and over ten hours in a hard-sleeper berth, he was already exhausted.
The thoughtful butler had prepared everything. As soon as they got out of the car, there was stomach-warming soup and calming tea waiting. A servant took his luggage to bring it to his room ahead of time.
Yu Xi couldn’t adapt to the pace so quickly. He felt embarrassed letting an elder carry his luggage for him. Unexpectedly, during the back-and-forth, his old suitcase, which had been with him for years, couldn’t hold on any longer. The already precarious wheel fell off completely, reaching the end of its life.
The scene was a bit awkward. Yu Xi’s ears turned red in the quiet atmosphere, and he whispered, “It’s a bit heavy, I’ll do it myself…”
The servant didn’t insist further and led him upstairs.
“President Pei specifically reserved this room for you. She said you stayed here when you were a child. The furniture has been replaced, but the layout is mostly the same. You should feel more comfortable living here…”
The door opened, and the first thing that caught his eye was a window full of green.
The banyan tree outside was much taller and grander than before, its lush branches reaching all the way to the third-floor balcony. This sea of green, intertwined with the sunlight, made the room feel vibrantly alive.
“Are you satisfied?” the servant asked.
Yu Xi nodded, his eyes curving slightly with the reflected greenery. A subtle dimple appeared where the small mole sat on his right cheek. “Everything is wonderful.”
The servant was momentarily dazzled by his smile and smiled in return. “I came to work for the Pei family nine years ago. You can call me Auntie Wan. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. President Pei said you are part of the family, so don’t be stiff.”
Changing environments requires time to adjust. Auntie Wan didn’t disturb him for long. She set down the soup and tea and left Yu Xi some private space.
The surroundings grew quiet, leaving only the rustle of the banyan tree blowing in the wind.
Yu Xi remembered climbing it when he was little. He had accidentally fallen, giving his friends a huge fright and getting scolded by the adults afterward.
Though he’d sustained a few minor injuries, it had become a precious childhood memory. He still remembered the way his friends were so worried they were on the verge of tears.
After so many years, he wondered how they were doing.
Yu Xi’s gaze pierced through the window, looking toward the villas further away.
The days he spent living here had been a rare time of happiness and carefree joy in his life. To this day, he still remembered the names of every single friend.
But… they had likely forgotten him long ago.
Even if a few pitiful traces of memory remained, the distance created by status and time would make it impossible for them to be as close as they were in childhood. Just like this house—the general structure remained the same, but everything else that had grown old was discarded and replaced with something brand new, gradually becoming unrecognizable.
Therefore, pretending to forget and not disturbing them was the best choice.
Yu Xi pushed aside the melancholy rising in his heart and turned to organize his broken suitcase.
“Come, these dishes were all made specifically for you, so don’t be shy. Eat as much as you like!”
A bowl of white rice, piled high like a small mountain, was placed in front of Yu Xi, followed by a pair of white jade chopsticks being tucked into his hand.
Auntie Wan served him side dishes while saying, “I heard from President Pei that you can’t handle spicy food very well, so the dishes are all light. Try them and see if you like them; I can adjust them later if anything isn’t to your taste.”
Yu Xi was a bit flustered by Auntie Wan’s enthusiastic behavior. Watching his small bowl get piled higher and higher, he gripped the chopsticks. “That’s… that’s enough, Auntie Wan. Thank you. I can do it myself.”
“Look at me, getting carried away because we have such a likable child in the house.” Auntie Wan stopped serving the food. “I just can’t stand seeing kids your age so thin. You’re still growing; you should eat more. You’re about the same age as Xiao Wang, right? But you look so much thinner…”
As they were speaking, a sudden noise came from the front door. A soccer ball entered the house before the person did. After two thumping sounds, a boy in a fiery red jersey burst into Yu Xi’s line of sight.
The boy was covered in sweat from playing outside. His soaked hair was styled into spikes pointing toward the ceiling. Kicking off his shoes, he shouted, “Auntie Wan! I want a Coke, make it ice-cold—”
The remaining words came to an abrupt halt when he saw Yu Xi sitting at the dining table. His body tensed instantly, his brown eyes locking on, and his thick brows knitting together. Like a beast discovering an intruder in its territory, he became immediately alert, emitting an unshielded sense of displeasure and hostility.
His tone changed, becoming almost accusatory.
“Who are you?”
Translator’s Note:
Welcome to the first chapter! Yu Xi is such a “Little Beauty” (小漂亮), right? Shouchéng literally means “Capital City,” and Huzé Jūntíng (湖澤君庭) roughly translates to “Lake Marsh Royal Garden,” a very fancy name for a luxury district.
Enjoy this new novel~
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