Chapter 29: Facing the Sea, with Spring Blossoms

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After returning home, Lin Haoran washed up and went straight to his bedroom, falling soundly asleep early that night.

He had been living in this world for nearly a month and had long since settled into his new identity. The unfamiliarity and unease he had felt upon first arriving had quietly faded away.

The following morning, he did not emerge from his bedroom until after nine. With a touch of languor, he stepped out yawning, his face alight with anticipation for the new day.

The Lin family villa had been exquisitely designed. Four imposing stories rose above ground, while a single subterranean level lay in quiet, shadowed depths.

Lin Haoran’s quarters occupied the top floor of the mansion—a distinctive attic space filled with character.

His parents favored the warmth and convenience of the second floor, while his eldest brother, Lin Haoning, had once occupied part of the third. As the youngest member of the family, Lin Haoran had naturally settled on the fourth floor.

It was worth noting that although his two elder sisters had long since married, their rooms were still carefully preserved on the second floor, as though always awaiting their return for a brief stay.

Though his elder brother Lin Haoning had moved out, his room had likewise been kept intact. Lin Haoran had no intention of occupying any of their rooms.

He did not mind the height of the floor in the slightest. On the contrary, he was especially fond of it.

The reason was simple: beyond the fourth floor lay a spacious, sunlit terrace.

The terrace enjoyed an enviable position, facing the vast, boundless sea. Its view was open, and the scenery delightful.

It had been arranged with abundant greenery, including more than a dozen pots of brightly colored flowers and plants. A comfortable beach chair had also been placed there, accompanied by an elegant parasol.

Lin Haoran adored the terrace. It had practically become his private refuge. Apart from the Filipino maid who occasionally came up to clean, hardly anyone ever ventured there to disturb him.

Whenever he wished to escape the bustle of the world and seek a moment of peace, he would come to the terrace and recline leisurely in the beach chair.

Closing his eyes, he let the sea breeze brush gently across his cheeks, carrying the salty fragrance of the ocean and the fresh scent of distant flowers and greenery. He could almost feel the sea breathing, as though he had merged with nature itself.

In his previous life, many people had dreamed of a beautiful existence with the sea before them and spring flowers in bloom. Here in this world, Lin Haoran had unexpectedly realized that dream.

As he enjoyed breakfast in the dining room on the first floor, his mother told him gently, “If you have nothing important to do this morning, don’t rush out. Your second sister will be bringing your nephew back here shortly.”

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Lin Haoran smiled and nodded. He had nothing else weighing on his mind, and today was the perfect day to remain at home and wait leisurely for his second sister’s arrival.

After breakfast, Lin Haoran walked into the villa’s rear courtyard. At that moment, the brothers Li Weiguo and Li Weidong, along with his father’s personal bodyguard, Old Zhang, were sweating profusely as they went through their morning exercises.

As the senior among them, Old Zhang would occasionally pass on some of his experience to the two brothers.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves, dappling their resolute figures and lending the scene a particularly vivid quality.

According to Lin Haoran’s memories, whenever it was the weekend and his father had no special matters to attend to, he preferred to remain at home and spend some warm, quiet time with his mother.

Old Zhang, that loyal bodyguard, had silently guarded Lin Haoran’s father for more than a decade. His presence had long since become an indispensable part of the Lin family. The passage of time had not diminished his vigilance or efficiency; instead, it had given him an added measure of composure and steadiness.

The Lin villa had been deliberately equipped with all kinds of exercise equipment so that its bodyguards could maintain peak physical condition and deal with any situation that might arise.

Ever since they had been selected as Lin Haoran’s bodyguards, the brothers Li Weiguo and Li Weidong had likewise trained diligently every day.

“Good morning, Young Master.”

“Good morning, Young Master!”

When they saw Lin Haoran, the three men stopped their exercises and greeted him.

“Mm, good morning to you too. Carry on—don’t mind me.” Lin Haoran greeted them with a cheerful smile before beginning his own workout by himself.

His movements were neither as professional nor as intense as those of the three bodyguards, but they were relaxed and assured.

“Young Master, the Second Young Miss has arrived. Madam asked me to come and fetch you,” a servant hurried over to report while Lin Haoran was absorbed in his exercise.

He immediately stopped and replied with a smile, “All right, I’ll be there.”

By the time he entered the main hall, laughter and conversation had already filled the entire space, suffusing it with warmth and joy.

“Uncle!”

A chubby little boy suddenly darted out from the crowd and ran excitedly toward Lin Haoran.

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At the sight of him, Lin Haoran’s smile blossomed even more brightly. He strode forward, scooped the boy up, and spun him around once before laughing. “Well, look at my little nephew! How long has it been since we last met? You’ve grown so sturdy!”

At the same time, Lin Haoran turned around, his gentle gaze settling on the elegant, well-dressed lady seated on the sofa.

She appeared to be in her early thirties, with a gentle countenance and a full, graceful figure. She was none other than his long-unseen second elder sister, Lin Yiyi.

“Second Sister, it’s been a long time.” Holding his nephew in his arms, Lin Haoran smiled warmly and greeted Lin Yiyi with unmistakable affection in his eyes.

“You little rascal. Mum told me that you’ve been back from Britain for three months, yet you haven’t come to see your second sister even once. What a heartless boy—you’ve certainly made all those years of spoiling you seem wasted.” Lin Yiyi pretended to scold him with playful indignation, but her bright eyes were filled with tenderness and affection for her younger brother.

Deep in Lin Haoran’s memories, his second and third sisters had always doted on him especially. As one of the later-born children in the family, he had grown up almost entirely beneath their meticulous care and affection.

As for his eldest brother, Lin Wan’an, Lin Haoran remembered him as someone who had once looked after him quite well. Yet after his brother entered into marriage, his temperament seemed to change subtly overnight. The intimacy and concern he had once shown gradually faded, until he even began to feel somewhat unfamiliar.

Holding his nephew, Lin Haoran walked over to them and sat down on the sofa, listening as they chatted about family matters.

Marriages between wealthy families traditionally emphasized matching social standing. His second sister had naturally followed the same custom, marrying several years earlier into the prestigious Chu family of Hong Kong in a grand ceremony.

The Chu family, which stood behind the Hengguang Property Group, possessed even greater influence and resources than the Lin family. The Hengguang Property Group under its control had a market value exceeding three hundred million Hong Kong dollars and wielded a certain degree of influence in the business world.

At noon, after the meal, his second sister remained on the first floor, chatting warmly with Lin Haoran’s parents about various family matters. Lin Haoran, meanwhile, carried his five-year-old nephew up to the fourth-floor terrace to play.

After quite some time, his second sister came upstairs and said gently to her son, “Darling, go downstairs for a while and keep your grandfather and grandmother company. Mummy has something to discuss with your little uncle.”

“Second Sister, did you come looking for me because there’s something in particular you wanted to talk about?”

After the little boy was led downstairs by a servant, Lin Haoran brought two comfortable chairs out from the room. The two of them sat side by side on the terrace, gazing at the distant sea glittering beneath the sunlight as the breeze drifted softly past, bringing with it a trace of coolness and tranquility.

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