Xiao Yun followed behind Qian Renxue as they returned to the manor from before.
Qian Renxue was clearly very familiar with the place. When the guards saw her, they became exceedingly fervent and saluted her with perfect formality.
After passing through several gateways and walking down several corridors, Qian Renxue led Xiao Yun to an exquisite little courtyard.
It was a courtyard within a courtyard.
The courtyard walls were not high, built of grayish-white stone. There were no decorations set along the tops, only several old vines hanging down, most of their leaves already fallen.
The gate was a dark brown wooden door, without gilding or carvings. Above it hung only a small plaque bearing the three words "Returning Snow Residence." The calligraphy was somewhat soft, with the ends of the strokes slightly raised. It was clearly the handwriting of someone practicing calligraphy in childhood.
Pushing the door open, they found that the courtyard was not large. Cyan-gray stone slabs paved the ground, with thin moss growing in the cracks.
At the center of the courtyard stood an old Ginkgo Tree, its trunk so thick that one person could not wrap their arms around it. Its branches spread in every direction, holding up a small patch of sky above the courtyard.
Beneath the tree sat a stone table and two stone stools. The tabletop was smooth, and all its edges had been worn round.
In one corner of the courtyard was a shallow stone mortar, half-filled with rainwater, with several tiny red fish swimming inside.
Rooms surrounded the courtyard on all four sides—three main rooms, with two Side Rooms each to the left and right. Their doors and windows had all been painted dark red, though the paint had already become somewhat mottled. Clearly, no one had lived here for