Seeing the pink Lamborghini, Jessie Sterling thought, 'This really doesn't seem like the kind of sports car a man like Victor Morgan would like.'
She couldn't help but chuckle softly. 'Come to think of it, maybe this marriage won't be so unbearable after all.'
After all, her fiancé was incredibly generous.
'As for his stuffy, old-fashioned demeanor... well, so be it. I mean, Victor Morgan is a full five years older than me. He's pretty much got one foot in the "old man" category, hasn't he?' Jessie Sterling mused.
The elevator opened directly into the ground-floor courtyard. Jessie had received the key card last week while in Southaven, and now, at the elevator entrance in the parking garage, she registered her face for the facial recognition system.
Uncle Carter didn't go up with Jessie. His only task for the day was to get her safely to the new house. Seeing Jessie step into the elevator, he turned and headed to the event venue to pick up his young master.
Before arriving at the new house, Jessie had been a little apprehensive.
'What if it's one of those really old, traditional courtyard houses? I don't think I'd like that very much.' Even though her future mother-in-law had told her she could change anything she wanted, she worried, 'Wouldn't it be in poor taste to undertake a massive renovation?'
Just as Jessie was agonizing over whether to start a massive construction project or simply find an excuse to live elsewhere, the elevator reached the ground floor.
The moment the elevator doors opened, Jessie realized her previous worries had likely been unnecessary.
Although the house clearly had a long history, it was meant to be her and Victor Morgan's new home. And it was obvious that this courtyard residence had been completely renovated, inside and out.
Not far from her was the main entrance, which featured a large, intact spirit screen.
It was made of a simple, elegant slab of marble, its natural grain evoking the feel of an ink wash painting.
Walking forward, she entered a courtyard, which was presumably meant for receiving guests.
Rooms surrounded the courtyard on three sides, with a hundred-year-old Hall's crabapple tree in the center. It wasn't the flowering season, however, so she couldn't see the tree in full bloom.
All three sides featured massive floor-to-ceiling windows, guaranteeing the rooms would have excellent light. At first glance, the design was minimalist, yet poised and elegant.
From the courtyard, she could see the furnishings inside quite clearly; they were simple, yet artistic.
To the left and right were two more separate, smaller courtyards, which appeared to be guest quarters.
One was named Plum Garden, and the other, Peach Garden.
Sure enough, one was planted full of Meiren plum trees, and the other was filled with peach trees.
Passing through the reception courtyard she had first seen, Jessie finally entered the main part of the new home.
The central hall was about a hundred square meters, comparable to the living room in her family's Southaven manor. The color palette was cool and serene, perfectly in harmony with the karesansui dry landscape garden outside.
The room to the east was a massive dining room, while the one to the west was the kitchen.
She continued past this square courtyard, heading east through a circular arched gateway. Jessie looked up at the plaque above it, which bore three large words—
Four Joys Courtyard.
'The calligraphy has some real skill behind it.'
Just as Jessie was about to step inside, her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen; the call was from Victor Morgan.
"Hello?" Jessie answered.
"It's Victor Morgan," a man's voice replied promptly. "Where are you? I'll come find you."
Victor Morgan had already arrived at the entrance to the courtyard house, but the new home was a labyrinth of winding paths and secluded spots. With courtyards branching off in every direction, he had no idea where to find Jessie.
"Oh?" Jessie said, surprised. "You're here already?"
"Mm."
Jessie glanced at the time and realized she'd been wandering the grounds for nearly an hour and a half without noticing, and she still hadn't seen everything.
"Four Joys Courtyard," Jessie read the three words from the plaque above her. "I'm here."
Victor seemed a little surprised by her answer. "Stay put. I'll come to you."
The Four Joys Courtyard was the true marital suite—the couple's private bedroom.
Victor arrived at the Four Joys Courtyard about ten minutes later.
He walked with long, hurried strides.
As he passed through the archway beside the path, Victor saw a slender figure.
Jessie was wearing a denim dress today.
It was a light blue, halter-style dress that perfectly accentuated her long, slender neck. The cut clung to her curves, outlining a waist that was already impossibly narrow, making it look even more delicate—perhaps no wider than a man's hand.
Now, that slender figure was squatting on the ground, curled into a small ball, looking like a little mushroom.
Victor walked up to her. "What are you doing?" he asked.
The voice seemed to startle Jessie. She yelped in surprise, her squatting figure wobbled, and she looked like she was about to topple backward.
The next moment, Jessie felt a hand press down on her shoulder, while something solid braced her from behind.
Jessie: "???"
She looked back, her big, clear eyes filled with utter confusion.
"What are you doing?!" Jessie's eyes widened in shock. The moment she turned, she realized what she was sitting on. It was Victor's foot!
When he saw her about to fall, his first reaction wasn't to catch her or pull her up. Instead, he just pressed a hand on her shoulder, wedged his leg against her back, and… in a completely ungraceful and crude manner, simply blocked her from toppling over.
Jessie was baffled and utterly shocked.
'Is he the most clueless straight man in the entire universe?!'
Victor: "You didn't fall, did you?"
Jessie: "..."
They were clearly not on the same wavelength.
Frustrated, she looked at the large hand he had extended to her, and with a sharp SMACK, she slapped it away. Then she used the nearby wall to push herself to her feet.
Victor's brow furrowed. No matter how clueless he was, even he could sense Jessie's displeasure.
"Are you sure you didn't get hurt?" Victor asked again, even though Jessie's expression clearly said she didn't want to talk.
"You had your leg jammed against me. How could I possibly fall?" Jessie retorted irritably.
Victor was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry," he said. "That was inconsiderate of me."
He had no experience with being physically close to a woman. Besides, he hadn't been sure if she would have wanted him to touch her in that situation.
"Next time, I'll lift you up," Victor added.
His sequence of apology, self-reflection, and commitment was executed with flawless, practiced ease.
No matter how furious Jessie had been, the man beside her was so emotionally stable, and his process—from identifying the problem to resolving it—was so flawless that she couldn't find a single thing to criticize.
Her previous dissatisfaction with Victor's "crude rescue" was subtly defused.
"Lift me up..." Jessie muttered. "I was just being clumsy. There won't be a next time."
Victor walked beside her into the Four Joys Courtyard, not refuting her words. "Were you squatting because you weren't feeling well?" he asked.
Jessie: "...No."
"Hm? Really? Then what were you doing squatting on the ground?"
Jessie hesitated, biting her lower lip in frustration. Her voice was a few notches quieter when she answered, "Observing."
Victor: "??? Observing?"
"Biological phenomena."
Victor: "?"
"Ugh, you're so nosy! Have you never seen ants on the move before?!" Jessie snapped, as if his persistent questioning had finally provoked her.
She looked up, glaring fiercely at the man beside her. She didn't say anything threatening, but her eyes sent a clear message: 'If Victor Morgan dares to laugh at me to my face, I'll make him regret it!'
For a split second, Victor's expression went blank. Hearing Jessie's answer, he lowered his gaze slightly, hiding the flash of amusement in his eyes.