Malfoy wandered through the guesthouse garden, finding everything wonderfully new.
Lucius and Narcissa sat nearby, having finished a dinner that, while not quite what they were accustomed to, had tasted rather good.
Most guesthouses under Zhao Yuanxu's jurisdiction were used only for internal affairs, so the entire place had been built in a traditional style.
Its garden was a typical southern Chinese garden, renowned for its delicate, understated beauty.
Although Lucius and Narcissa knew nothing about how a garden's scenery could change with every step, they could still sense the cultural depth woven into its landscape.
Narcissa had fallen in love with this distinctive garden almost at first sight, taking in its rockeries, ponds, flowers, and trees.
She felt a peace deep within her, and much of the stress and uncertainty that had accumulated lately seemed to melt away in that moment.
"Lucius," she said softly, "if we're going to settle in China for a while, I'd like to live in a house like this."
Lucius hummed in acknowledgment, his cold gray-blue eyes narrowing slightly.
As a member of the most adaptable of the pure-blood families, he had already begun considering a long-term stay in China should the Dark Lord return.
The Chamber of Secrets affair had caused an uproar, and Lucius would find it difficult to explain to the Dark Lord why he had revealed the Diary's whereabouts.
"Narcissa, I think..." Lucius said slowly, "we could consider expanding our business here.
"They may all be Muggles, but the Muggles here feel completely different from those in Britain."
He looked at the distant tower cranes, packed together like a forest. The entire city resembled one enormous construction site, working without pause even as evening approached.
"There seems to be something brewing in the air here, something ready to burst forth.