Xiaoyun, you haven’t said goodnight to me yet…
Yun Fan didn’t manage to see Wen Tingwang at Li Pavilion, only handing the caviar to the butler there.
Completely different from the old butler, the Li Pavilion butler wore a tight cashmere shirt, flared pants, and a pair of tinted glasses.
Yun Fan looked up, only then confirming he was at Li Pavilion.
“Thank you, young Butler Yun. I’ll let the master know you came by.” As this butler spoke, his upper lip mustache rippled like waves.
“Oh, no need, no need, it’s my duty. I’ll be off now.” Yun Fan quickly hopped away and left Li Pavilion.
After turning the corner at the entrance, Yun Fan glanced back at Li Pavilion. This relatively smaller residence had colorful lanterns hanging at its gate, twinkling on and off. He thought carefully, if he had to describe Li Pavilion, it would definitely be: dazzlingly disorienting.
Though he hadn’t met Wen Tingwang yet, Yun Fan felt that having such a god-grandfather would be quite a handful for Liu’er Xing.
These Wen family members really did have distinctive personalities.
Returning to Langyun Terrace, Yun Fan saw that Wen Zhaofu was still waiting for him. He quickly walked over: “Sir, you should go rest.”
“I was waiting for you,” Wen Zhaofu said explicitly. “Did Li Pavilion give you any trouble?”
Yun Fan was puzzled and shook his head: “I didn’t go inside; I only met their butler. He seemed pretty easy to get along with.”
Before Wen Zhaofu could speak, the old butler interjected: “That’s just how it looks. After you left, the young master was quite worried, thinking he shouldn’t have let you go alone.”
“That Li Pavilion is notoriously difficult to deal with.”
“Sir, it’s fine. I came back safe and sound.” Yun Fan turned and bent down to look at Wen Zhaofu. “Don’t worry.”
Only then did Wen Zhaofu smile, raising his hand to brush aside the stray hairs on Yun Fan’s forehead. But catching sight of the old butler’s wide-eyed stare from the corner of his eye, he withdrew his hand.
Before bed, Yun Fan was delighted to discover that tomorrow would be a clear day. He got excited. With sunshine, he absolutely had to air out the quilts!
They usually used dryers for laundry here, and he hadn’t smelled the scent of sunshine in a long time. But spring in the harbor city was always rainy, so this big sun was a golden opportunity not to be missed.
Just as he was happily planning his quilt-airing scheme, a “ring-ring-ring” sounded in the bedroom. Yun Fan was startled—at this hour, could something have happened to Wen Zhaofu?
“What’s wrong, sir?” Yun Fan hurriedly picked up.
Hearing the anxious tone in Yun Fan’s voice, Wen Zhaofu let out a silent sigh, wondering if he was being too forward. Yun Fan had only occasionally forgotten to give him a call before bed, why did he care so much?
But tonight, for some reason, he couldn’t fall asleep without hearing Yun Fan’s voice.
“Xiaoyun, you haven’t said goodnight to me yet.” Wen Zhaofu’s voice, through the receiver, struck Yun Fan right in the chest.
Yun Fan looked at the handset, then rubbed his chest. What was going on his boss’s voice sounded a bit aggrieved?!
The next day, once the sun was high in the sky, Yun Fan immediately executed his quilt-airing plan. This matter had never been recorded in the butler’s manual. If Yun Fan guessed right, the old butler would come charging out any moment now.
“Xiaoshan, come help me out.” Yun Fan held a drying rack in one hand while a quilt was tangled around his other arm, making him quite clumsy.
The young gardener set down his watering can, pointed at himself in Yun Fan’s direction: “Young Butler Yun, you’re calling me?”
“That’s right, Little Shan.” Yun Fan nodded, pulling the blanket tighter around himself.
The young gardener was confused. “But my name is Shi An.”
Yun Fan smiled. “Exactly Shi An, Shan. Calling you Little Shan makes it easier to remember.”
The young gardener was still puzzled, and Yun Fan frowned slightly. “What, you don’t learn pinyin?”
“We haven’t.” The young gardener shook his head like a rattle-drum.
Seeing the topic drifting off course, Yun Fan quickly said, “I need to air out my blanket. The sun’s strong right now, so let’s hurry.”
The young gardener had no idea what Yun Fan was up to, but his hands and feet obediently followed along. He helped Yun Fan prop up the drying rack, grabbed the corner of the blanket, and spread it out over the rack.
“Wow! It’ll smell like sunshine in a bit.” Yun Fan stroked the blanket’s surface with delight, even turning his cheek to rub against it.
“Yun Fan! What are you doing!” The old butler charged out, lint roller in hand, looking fierce.
Having anticipated this, Yun Fan leisurely pointed at the sun. “The sun’s so good today, don’t waste it. The weather in Harbor City is always damp, and we’re staying on a low floor. Catching some sun to air out the blanket it’ll feel great.”
The old butler frowned. From the sound of Yun Fan’s words, it seemed the living conditions at Wen Yan Lan Manor weren’t all that great.
The old butler knew about airing blankets. In an ordinary household, air away but this was the Wen family.
“This isn’t proper. If the reporters catch a photo, they’ll spin it all sorts of ways.” The old butler reasoned with him.
Yun Fan tilted his head, thought for a moment, then gestured with his chin toward the young gardener. “Come on, Little Shan, let’s find another spot.”
They found a corner that was out of sight from outside but still caught the sun. The old butler stamped his foot in frustration, about to scold Yun Fan, when Wen Hao Chen appeared out of nowhere.
He was holding the husky on a leash. Yun Fan turned around, and the moment he saw the dog, he quickly pulled out his phone and aimed its back camera at it.
“What are you two doing?” Wen Hao Chen asked curiously.
Yun Fan patted the blanket. “We’re capturing the sunshine! Good sun is so rare in Harbor City.”
Wen Hao Chen, who had lived here his whole life, wholeheartedly agreed especially in the damp, foggy spring when everything felt sticky.
“A blanket that’s been aired out has the smell of sunshine, all warm and cozy. It’s so comfortable to sleep under, soft like cotton candy. It’s nature’s gift can’t miss out on it.”
Yun Fan squinted as he described it, tilting his head slightly with a blissful expression. Wen Hao Chen watched his profile, noticing the lovely curve of his eyes and the corners of his mouth lifting. The sunlight wrapped around Yun Fan, softening his silhouette.
“Oh, is it really that magical.” Wen Hao Chen said dazedly. “Uncle Cheng, I want to air my blanket too.”
The old butler stamped his foot anxiously, then pulled it back. “Second Young Master, how can you join in on his nonsense!”
But who was Wen Hao Chen? The more he was told not to do something, the more he wanted to do it. He tugged the dog’s leash and dashed off in a flash from Lang Yun Terrace.
Seeing his master run, the dog ran too. Man and dog both moved at lightning speed, and for a moment it was hard to tell who was faster.
Yun Fan, afraid the old butler might snatch his blanket away when he wasn’t looking, simply sat on the edge of the flower bed, chin in hand, guarding his blanket.
Only Yun Fan knew that despite looking well-behaved, he still had a rebellious heart. Gazing at the plaque reading “Lang Yun Terrace,” Yun Fan suddenly thought of Wen Zhao Fu. Somehow, he felt Wen Zhao Fu was that kind of person too.
Compared to Cheng Yu, who was no pushover, and Liu’er Xing, who was clearly not simple at a glance, Wen Zhaofu’s true nature was hidden beneath his wheelchair.
In Yun Fan’s view, he was by no means someone who could be manipulated at will. His principles and bottom line were buried deep in his heart, unshakable by anyone.
Contrary to the old steward’s expectations, when Wen Haochen returned to Red Cotton House and spread the word about airing out the quilts, the other residences actually all propped up quilts in their courtyards.
“Steward Cheng, Taiping Clearwater Residence has aired theirs.”
“Baofeng has aired theirs.”
“Huiyuan has aired theirs.”
The old steward listened in despair as the reports came back, tilting his head toward the sunlight and sighing: “Where on earth did the matriarch find someone like this?!”
Except for Langyun Terrace, the courtyards of every residence in Wen Yanlan’s estate were packed full of quilts airing in the sun. Soon, someone photographed the scene and posted it online.
The group had personnel specifically tasked with monitoring public opinion about the Wen family, and they immediately reported the matter to Wen Zhaofu. After reading the message, a smile appeared on Wen Zhaofu’s face.
Only his Langyun Terrace had aired a single quilt, while the others had pulled out everything they could find. Clearly, this had started from Langyun Terrace.
“No need to intervene,” Wen Zhaofu replied.
When he returned home in the evening, it was already dark, so Wen Zhaofu missed witnessing the grand quilt-airing spectacle. Today, Wen Haochen came to Langyun Terrace for dinner and vividly described how comfortable the aired quilts felt.
Wen Zhaofu looked up at Yun Fan: “It seems I’m the only one without a quilt that’s been embraced by the sunlight.”
Yun Fan immediately admitted his mistake: “Sir, I’m sorry. Next time the sun comes out, I’ll definitely air yours for you.”
Wen Zhaofu smiled and said nothing more. The old steward glanced at Yun Fan but also remained silent.
The kitchen made a dish of sizzling eel shreds tonight, which Uncle Man said could replenish qi, repair damage, strengthen bones and muscles, and dispel dampness.
Once it was served, hot oil was poured over it, crackling and popping with a sound all its own.
Watching the eels curl in the dish, Yun Fan felt that Wen Haochen at this moment bore a striking resemblance to the dish.
Wen Zhaofu naturally noticed Wen Haochen squirming around. He set down his chopsticks and gently wiped the corner of his mouth: “Go on, what do you want to buy this time?”