"Don’t ever mention that nutcase Lin Chan in front of me again. Just hearing his name annoys me," Gu En said irritably. The atmosphere in the car immediately grew tense. No one spoke for the rest of the drive.
Almost forty minutes later, Lin Deng parked the car. He Zhilan got out, staring at the very retro courtyard in slight surprise.
"Come on. Don’t be fooled by the old facade, this is a newly opened place. The interior design is just , it’s completely different from the outside!" Gu En urged He Zhilan before walking in first.
As Gu En said, the contrast between the outside and inside of the courtyard was like two extremes. From the outside, it looked like the residences of ordinary people, aside from the larger space, there was no trace of the inside’s ostentation.
Lin Deng quickly took a few steps to walk shoulder to shoulder with He Zhilan, explaining the background of the courtyard, "This mansion was previously a prince’s secondary residence. I heard that the prince’s favorite concubine lived here. On the surface, it’s plain and unnoticeable, but the interior, including these floor tiles we’re walking on, are all quite particular. It’s said that these kind of tiles were only found in the palace, but the prince secretly installed them here to please his mistress."
He Zhilan, as an outsider, looked down at the white tiles under her feet but couldn’t discern anything special.
"In a way, it’s interesting. The prince had prepared a lot of luxurious things for his concubine, including the furnishings and construction of this secondary residence. However, because of this house, the prince was put in prison and his property confiscated, and the house then fell into the hands of the royal family. After several hundred years, it was handed down to the current owner, who renovated it without significantly changing the original foundation," Lin Deng continued.
"So, this is a story of seeming modesty hiding grandeur?" He Zhilan laughed softly, "Indeed, beauty brings disaster."
"Exactly." Lin Deng touched his nose, "The south side of the mansion houses guests. The north and west are for dining and entertainment, and no one knows what the east side is for, as the owner has forbidden anyone from entering. We’re eating at the North Pole Pavilion. After eating, we’ll head straight through the corridor to the West Building. It has the most cutting-edge karaoke system, everything there is the newest and best!"
Gu En, who had already forged ahead, turned round when he noticed the silence behind him, only to find Lin Deng and He Zhilan walking slowly and chatting.
"Lin Deng! Could you pick up the pace? You’re as slow as an old lady!" Gu En shouted impatiently. Lin Deng muttered something under his breath about her being stroppy again before speeding up.
Clearly, Gu En and Lin Deng were familiar with this mansion. They easily found their way to the North Pole Pavilion without needing any staff members to guide them, arriving at the room Lin Deng had booked beforehand.
Having taken a detour back to school with Gu En, by the time the trio arrived, the room was already filled with people. They were greeted by various people lounging on sofas or sitting by tables, puffing on cigarettes.
"The birthday boy isn’t on greeting duty and still dares to be the last one to arrive!"