After dinner, Uncle Meng left the house with Meng Wuyang, leaving just the three of us in the massive villa.
Since the place was practically a mansion, I naturally wanted to explore. I was just about to take my first step when Shen Leqing called out, stopping me in my tracks.
“Wen Ling, where are you going? The elevator is over here.”
Inside the elevator, Shen Leqing and Sui Yue were staring at me, looking completely bewildered.
I scratched my head awkwardly. “I just wanted to look around and explore a bit.”
Shen Leqing thought for a moment. “What’s there to look at? It’s not even that big. But hey, if you want a tour, just follow me.”
I had assumed this was just a typical luxury villa, but I was about to be proven wildly wrong.
Sui Yue gasped in shock. “Wait, there’s actually a basement floor?!”
Shen Leqing, however, acted as if it was no big deal. “Yeah, of course. Isn’t that normal? Why are you guys so surprised?”
This basement wasn’t your typical dusty storage room. In fact, it was the exact opposite. It featured a billiard table, a private home theater, and an enormous, temperature-controlled swimming pool. Right above the pool was a massive glass skylight that offered a crystal-clear view of the stars.
“I don’t come down here very often, but my uncle uses it a lot. I’m actually not that familiar with this level,” Shen Leqing said as she held the door open for us.
Sui Yue looked around, her eyes practically sparkling. “Oh my god, Shen Leqing! Why did you never mention that your house has a literal movie theater?!”
“You never asked,” Shen Leqing replied, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Following behind them, I noticed a strange vibe on this floor. Even with the lights on, the illumination felt dim and eerie. It was chilly, and I could feel a persistent draft blowing past.
Noticing my shivering, Shen Leqing grabbed a blanket for me. “It really is a bit cold down here. Probably because it’s underground and doesn’t get any sunlight.”
“No, that’s not it,” I said, immediately turning around.
At the very end of the hallway stood a locked room, and a freezing breeze was whistling straight out from the gap beneath the door.
Hearing my voice, Sui Yue followed my gaze. She gave me a bizarre look. “The door just isn’t shut tight and it’s letting a draft in. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?”
Sui Yue started walking over to close it, but Shen Leqing suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
“It’s just closing a door, I’ll take care of it,” Shen Leqing said quickly. She hurried over, forcefully slammed the door shut, and turned the key to lock it.
She walked back to us with a bright smile. “Alright, let’s go check out the other floors.”
The layout of the second floor was much simpler. Aside from a small sitting room, the open space was filled with some exercise equipment, alongside several closed bedroom doors.
Shen Leqing led us into her bedroom. The moment the door opened, Sui Yue and I were struck speechless all over again.
Calling it a “room” was an understatemen…tthe floor plan was practically the size of my entire house.
Aside from the standard bed, vanity, bookshelf, and desk, it also boasted an en-suite bathroom and a jaw-dropping walk-in closet.
This closet looked exactly like a luxury boutique store. Right in the center was a glass display case filled with all kinds of gold, silver, and gemstone jewelry that glittered under the lights. The custom wardrobes lining the walls were packed with designer clothes and dresses, and the number of luxury handbags was simply endless. There were brands I recognized, and plenty more I had never even heard of.
Sui Yue stood frozen, her mouth wide open, completely paralyzed by a mix of envy and awe.
My expression wasn’t much different. After all, a walk-in closet this luxurious was something I hadn’t seen in three lifetimes.
Shen Leqing was giving us a tour, but when she realized she wasn’t getting any response, she turned around. Seeing us frozen like statues, she frowned. “Are you two… okay?”
“It’s too luxurious. It’s like a romance novel about a billionaire CEO has literally come to life,” Sui Yue muttered to herself.
Shen Leqing looked confused. “Huh? What romance novel?”
“Nothing! It’s just my first time seeing a closet this fancy. I’m having a total system shock.”
I looked at Shen Leqing and nodded aggressively in agreement.
Shen Leqing laughed. “Oh, come on, you’re exaggerating. It’s only because I have too many clothes and my uncle got sick of seeing me throw them everywhere. He had no choice but to build this for me.”
Hearing that made me even more envious.
“I’m so jealous,” Sui Yue sighed. “If I had a closet this big, I’d wake up laughing from my dreams.”
“You’ll have one someday,” Shen Leqing smiled warmly. “Alright, let me take you guys to play some video games.”
The villa had a dedicated gaming room stocked with snacks and sodas. The vibe was incredibly cozy and relaxed, complete with bean bag chairs that were ridiculously soft and comfortable.
Shen Leqing plopped down and began setting up the console. “Let me see how to connect this to the TV. Hold on a sec.”
Sui Yue and I huddled together, snapped a sneaky photo of Shen Leqing’s back, and sent it to our group chat.
A second later, Sheng Yitang initiated a group video call.
“Wow, look at you guys living the good life, already playing video games,” Sheng Yitang said. I could practically feel the thick wave of jealousy radiating through the phone screen.
Hearing the voice, Shen Leqing turned around, flashed a peace sign at the camera, and told her, “We’re just testing the waters today. We’ll wait for you to come back so we can all play together!”
“Now that’s more like it. By the way, where are Wen Ling and Sui Yue? Why is it so quiet?”
Sui Yue flipped the camera to face the two of us. “Take a wild guess who’s holding the phone?”
I made a funny face at Sheng Yitang, making her burst into laughter. “Wen Ling, you look exactly like a little pig right now!”
“You’re the pig!” I fired back loudly.
“Oink, oink, oink…”
“Wait, what was that sound?”
The next second, Sheng Yitang’s camera spun wildly, making me dizzy. She let out a sudden shout and rushed off toward something.
Attracted by the bizarre noises coming from the phone, Shen Leqing abandoned the console and crowded around the screen, asking, “What is she doing?”
Sui Yue stared intently at the screen, which now showed half of Sheng Yitang’s body tangled up with a porcine silhouette. “It looks like… she’s wrestling a pig?”
The three of us stared at the screen for what felt like ages before Sheng Yitang finally picked up her phone again, brushing her messy bangs out of her face. “What’s with those faces? Why are you three staring at me like that?”
I asked tentatively, “Did you just fight a pig?”
Sheng Yitang found the question hilarious. She glanced behind her at the pig, which was still squealing at the top of its lungs. “No, why would you think that?”
Sui Yue was bewildered. “Then what were you just doing?”
“Holding it down! The pig is way too heavy, and my dad and the others couldn’t pin it, so they called me over to help.”
Listening to the endless squealing echoing from the phone, I silently gave her a thumbs-up.
Sui Yue was still confused. “Why are you guys slaughtering a pig in the middle of the night? Didn’t you do that before the New Year?”
Sheng Yitang glanced back at the action. “We did, but my family is huge, and we shared a bunch with the neighbors, so we ran out. My cousin just suddenly announced he’s bringing his girlfriend home tomorrow morning. The elders in the neighborhood had a quick meeting, and well… down went the pig.”
Shen Leqing, who had never witnessed anything like this in her life, was now utterly fascinated. She stood on her tiptoes to peer into the screen. “Can you show me how a pig is slaughtered? I’ve never seen it before, I’m so curious!”
“Uh…” Sheng Yitang hesitated, looking back at the scene. “Are you sure? It’s pretty bloody, and the pig has already met its end. It’s not a pretty sight.”
“It’s fine! Just a quick peek. I’m genuinely curious.”
Seeing her persistence, Sheng Yitang had no choice but to walk over and angle the camera. The men were currently scraping the pig’s hair. The ground and the wooden benches were covered in blood, which stood out vividly even under the nighttime lighting.
Sui Yue and I weren’t interested at all, but Shen Leqing watched with absolute fascination.
Yep, I thought to myself. There really is a gap between the rich and the poor. Even our ways of broadening our horizons are completely different.
After a short while, Sheng Yitang flipped the camera back to her face. “Alright, I have to go help now. Talk to you guys later!”
Just as she finished speaking, a voice called out her name from across the yard. She shouted back, waved goodbye, and hung up.
By then, Shen Leqing’s console was fully set up. The three of us put our phones away and threw ourselves entirely into the game.
The holidays always fly by. By the time we left Shen Leqing’s villa, it was already the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.
During those few days, Zhang Youning had called me every single day to ask when I’d be back, or to send me pictures of Cunguan (her rabbit) and Long Aotian (her snake), while giving me updates on her dessert shop.
She loved chatting with me and sharing her daily life. Seeing how thrilled she always was, I never had the heart to cut her short. Considering she was a bit different from others and found it hard to make friends, I knew how heartbroken she would be if I ignored her.
So, the moment I got home, I did a quick unpack and rushed downstairs to knock on her door.
When Zhang Youning opened the door and saw me, she froze in a daze for a few seconds. Once it clicked, she grabbed my hand, dragged me inside, and started jumping up and down with a brilliant, beaming smile.
“Wen Ling is here! Happy New Year!”
Hearing the commotion, Zhang Youning’s mother walked out of her room, catching her daughter dragging me down the hallway.
I nodded politely. “Happy New Year, Auntie! I came over to hang out with Youning.”
She waved warmly and smiled at us. “Go on in. Youning has been so bored the past couple of days. I’m so glad you’re here to keep her company.”
I nodded, and Zhang Youning practically pulled me into her bedroom.
She picked up Cunguan and held the rabbit out for me to hold. Thrilled, I immediately scooped the soft little fluffball into my arms.
This time, Cunguan didn’t seem as timid. Instead of shivering like last time, the rabbit looked up at me with curious eyes, shifted around to find a comfortable spot, and went right back to sleep.
“She grew up, got fatter, and isn’t afraid of strangers anymore. You can hold her,” Zhang Youning explained.
She wasn’t kidding. The moment I lifted her, I could tell this little creature had put on some serious weight, which only made her feel much fluffier and softer.
Zhang Youning suddenly giggled. “Cunguan says you smell really nice and she likes you.”
I felt incredibly flattered as I stroked the adorably ugly rabbit. “Really? Am I that popular?”
Cunguan glanced at me, her eyes completely unreadable.
“She says yes, she likes you.”
Hehe, it looked like animals really did have a soft spot for me. One day, I am absolutely going to become the King of Animals!
…Apologies, my inner teenager is acting up again.
Next up was an old acquaintance I was both familiar with and terrified of…Long Aotian.
Its pinkish-white body was coiled around Zhang Youning’s arm. Raising its head, it locked its crimson eyes onto me and seemed to flash a knowing, smirk-like expression.
Do snakes even know how to smile? I don’t know, but I certainly couldn’t.
Knowing I was terrified, Zhang Youning didn’t let the snake crawl onto me. Instead, she encouraged me to just pet its cool, sleek skin.
To be fair, the texture of a snake is incredibly unique…it felt exactly like a high-end luxury handbag straight from a designer boutique display.
Long Aotian turned out to be exceptionally docile. He didn’t react at all as I stroked his back, not even bothering to spare me a glance.
Alright, I guess I actually really like Long Aotian.