CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 52: THE STONE LION OF MEI GARDEN

On the highway, Tang Xiaowan gazed out the car window, anxiety ridden, as Qingcheng drew closer and closer.

Her phone had been confiscated by Li Zishen, and now, without even a means to distract herself, she was left with nothing to do but stare at the scenery.

Should she fix her gaze on the overbearing man beside her?

Little did she know, Li Zishen was watching her at that very moment.

The girl was dressed quite plainly today.

Her mid-sleeve dress was white on top and black on the bottom, paired with all-black four-season shoes, and even the small shoulder bag she carried was a simple pure white.

Her jet-black hair cascaded straight down her back, adding a touch of docility to her appearance.

This outfit must be for Grandma Tang!

It was almost two months since the old lady passed away on July 15th.

Throughout the whole of July, Li Zishen had only seen Tang Xiaowan once, and after that, on August 15th, the night he had stormed into Mei Garden to save her from an attack.

For a whole month in between, Tang Xiaowan hadn’t left Nanshan.

Li Zishen had thrice visited Mei Garden to knock on the door, but each time the reply was the same, "Miss Tang is in a poor mood and does not wish to see anyone, please do not disturb."

The messenger was always a young woman.

Li Zishen had never directly encountered Tang Xiaowan’s bodyguards or driver.

Only once, upon departure, had he seen a middle-aged man come to pick her up, who was well-built, around 180cm tall, and looked to be in his thirties.

Later, he learned that this man, named Cheng Shi, was Tang Xiaowan’s personal bodyguard and driver.

As for that young woman, Li Zishen now figured, was probably Lin Xiaoxiao, Tang Xiaowan’s other bodyguard whose whereabouts were unknown.

Bai Long had been secretly investigating her, but unfortunately, there had been no progress, not even a clear frontal photograph.

"Tang Mei, 65 years old."

Li Zishen silently recited Grandma Tang’s name, his curiosity about her identity in life growing ever stronger, convinced that she was no ordinary old lady—she must have held some unknown secret.

She lived a simple, reclusive life, never meddling in worldly affairs.

If she lived such a hermitic life, why arrange for bodyguards for Tang Xiaowan, and not just one, but two, a man and a woman?

The closer they got to Qingcheng, the more Li Zishen’s concern grew.

He did not know what Tang Xiaowan might face upon returning to Mei Garden, he only hoped that everything would go smoothly and that she would be safe.

...

Mei Garden was nestled at the top of Nanshan mountain.

Thus, there was no need to exit the highway and enter Qingcheng City; one could simply take the fork and drive up the mountain road.

By ten in the morning, they had finally arrived at their destination.

After getting out of the car, the six bodyguards stood orderly behind Li Zishen, awaiting further instructions.

"This mansion is quite sizable, isn’t it!"

Uncle Cai couldn’t help but exclaim.

Enveloped by green trees, with the bamboo forests swaying in the wind, it was undoubtedly a place with excellent Feng Shui.

Seeing how earnestly Uncle Cai was observing, Fang Yun raised an eyebrow and said, "Uncle Cai, Mei Garden is full of traps, so please don’t touch anything once we’re inside, and make sure to stick with me, okay?"

Uncle Cai: "..."

Fang Yun: "?"

Scared, at his age?

Fang Yun picked up the medical bag and smiled with pursed lips, "Just kidding, there’s nothing to worry about. Actually, the inside is quite quaint and beautiful."

"Ah, someone’s a mother and still so..."

"Who says I am? I’m still young."

While the two were bantering, Tang Xiaowan finally started to get out of the car, a bit nervous and apprehensive.

Li Zishen did not rush Tang Xiaowan, preferring to pretend he hadn’t noticed; perhaps this way, he thought, she might feel a bit more at ease.

The characters "Mei Garden" were forceful and vigorous.

On each side of the gate were stone lions, both exceptionally smooth, indicating they had been there for quite some time.

Tang Xiaowan walked alone towards the one on the left, gently touching its head, then its eyes, followed by its nose.

As she continued, an involuntary smile graced the corners of her lips.

She looked like a child who had finally returned to her mother’s side, eliciting a sense of pity in everyone.

The crowd was somewhat confused but dared not say more.

Li Zishen sighed softly, as if he saw Tang Xiaowan’s past.

The little girl snuggled up to her mother, acting spoiled, listening to stories, humming little tunes together, and playing games of hide and seek.

When her mother found her, she laughed!

She must have missed home and her mother so much!

Last year, Li Zishen had asked Tang Xiaowan about her mother, and the answer he received was heart-wrenching.

She said she couldn’t remember, only that she had heard Grandma mention her once.

"Your mother was such a knowledgeable and reasonable person, how did you not inherit any of that, and become so mischievous instead? Tell me, would you dare do it again?"

That was what Grandma Tang blurted out in anger when Tang Xiaowan caused some serious trouble.

But now, she couldn’t remember anything; just a small part of her subconscious retained some fuzzy memories of her mother.

As for her biological father, she knew nothing at all.

Thinking of this, Li Zishen felt increasingly sorry for Tang Xiaowan, who had lost the companionship of her parents at such a young age.

"Xiao Wan, are you okay?"

Tang Xiaowan was somewhat dazed; she wasn’t sure what was wrong with herself, but she really wanted to stay by the stone lion’s side and didn’t want to leave.

At that moment, Li Zishen called out to her, making her feel slightly embarrassed, and her face flushed red all of a sudden.

After pausing for a few seconds, she asked loudly, "Where is the key?"

Li Zishen: "..."

She was indeed a little rascal without a care in the world, changing the subject too quickly, huh?

I thought nothing was wrong, and I worried over nothing!

Li Zishen smiled faintly and took out two sets of labeled keys from his briefcase, one set adorned with a small red bell, the other black.

At that moment, Tang Xiaowan’s eyes lit up.

She had started searching for these two items the second day she arrived at Li Garden.

Really, they were in here all along!

It was infuriating, why not in the safe or in the drawer, but in this inconspicuous briefcase?

Indeed, the more dangerous the place, the safer it was!

When she left Mei Garden, upon the helicopter’s ascent, she faintly heard a woman asking Li Zishen, "Brother Shen, about the two keys found in the study... if Lady Tang wakes up and asks about them, what should I say?"

"Just say you don’t know, you didn’t see anything."

"And...?"

"We’ll talk about other things later, I’m tired."

"Yes, Brother Shen."

...

She knew she was being held in Li Zishen’s arms on the helicopter, but she just couldn’t open her eyes and felt powerless.

Now that she thought about it, she was still terribly scared.

It was then that she realized she had a fear of flying and suffered from acrophobia.

And now it was finally in her hands.

"What beautiful metallic patterns!"

Tang Xiaowan gently touched the wooden door and the brass lock, feeling indescribably emotional, wanting to cry and laugh, such a complex feeling.

"Hurry up and open the door, invite me in for some tea," she said.

Tang Xiaowan smiled warmly, and following Li Zishen’s guidance, carefully inserted the key into the lock.

Returning here, I am the master.

With a click, the brass lock unlocked.

Tang Xiaowan pushed, but the wooden door didn’t budge; after hesitating for a few seconds, she pushed harder, slowly opening it.

"Grandma, it’s Xiao Wan, I’m back!"

Her face, with a smile on her lips, was suddenly streaming with tears.