The courtyard gate was beautifully crafted.
As the first area on display to the outside world, it had been designed from the very beginning of renovation with an array of ornate patterns, including a colorful dragon weaving and swirling among the clouds.
Whenever someone stood outside and tried to open the main gate, the small display screen beside the door would automatically light up, recording the visitor’s facial features and every movement of their hands—there was a high-tech sense to this smart door lock.
However, compared to the typical single-switch security doors common in city homes, this main gate was clearly much grander, and the cost of its transformation must have been far more expensive as well.
I stopped pressing my grandmother’s shoulders, staring intently at the scene displayed on the screen beside the courtyard gate.
A tall man, whose face was extremely familiar to me, stood on the threshold with only the door between us. The corners of his eyes tilted slightly upward, giving off a kind of inexplicable allure.
He wore a mid-length dark navy trench coat, with matching inner layers and fitted trousers. His sleeves were slightly rolled up, exposing a forearm adorned with a jet-black wristwatch.
Behind him stood two bodyguards in suits, their faces half-covered by sunglasses as big as a frog’s eyes. Even with their stern expressions, a trace of their hard-edged character could be discerned from their straight lips.
Even with the broad suits blocking the view, one could still sense how robust the muscle groups wrapped within must be.
Because the smart door lock not only transmitted images but also audio, I could hear the conversation between the man and his bodyguards.
“Boss, the key you need should be in the car. Should I go get it now?”
One of the suited bodyguards, wearing a baseball cap, bent forward slightly and asked in a steady voice toward the well-dressed, handsome man.
It was only then that I noticed the bodyguard was clutching a large ring of various keys in his right hand, with several car keys bearing logos mixed in.
“Hurry back.”
Even after so many years, his voice hadn’t changed at all. His appearance, too, seemed as if time had stopped—he didn’t look the slightest bit older.
After waving the bodyguard off to retrieve the key from the car, the young man—addressed as ‘Boss’—put one hand in his pocket and looked at the screen calmly, as if he were making eye contact with me through it. The intensity of his gaze startled me.
I quickly averted my eyes, dodging his sharp, fox-like gaze. Every time he looked at me like that, it felt as if he could see right through every little secret I tried to hide.
“Mother-in-law, are you inside? Could you open the door for me?”
The young man tugged slightly at his tightly buttoned trench coat as he spoke in a calm tone. But from his resolute posture, it was as if he was certain someone inside was watching the screen, observing every move outside.
I noticed that the relatives who had been noisily chatting not far away all fell silent the moment this imposing man appeared, simply watching to see what would happen, not daring to make a sound and disturb him.
Some mischievous children, unable to grasp the strange tension in the air, stomped their feet, wanting to continue running about. But their elders quickly clamped a hand over their mouths, pulled them close, and quietly scolded them to squat down and behave.
Grandmother’s gaze was also fixed on the display screen, but given her age, even squinting only allowed her to barely make out that a familiar person was standing outside the door.
It wasn’t until the visitor addressed her as ‘Mother-in-law’ that she reacted, gently shaking my fingers and beckoning me.
“Child, go open the door for your father… Grandma walks too slowly, and my reading glasses are still inside the house. Be a dear and open the door for me, then have a nice chat with your father.”
“……”
I pressed my lips together, wanting to protest against her half-commanding tone.
But feeling how thin and weathered her skin was on the back of my hand—her cracked skin scratching me slightly—I gave up.
Forget it. It’s just opening a door, what does it matter?
Realizing I was about to act like a child, opening the door for a father who had been away on business for so long and ‘enthusiastically’ welcoming his return, I couldn’t help but feel goosebumps rise all over me, the discomfort spreading inside.
It’s hard to accept… Not because I dislike my father, but simply because I never imagined something like this would happen to me.
Meeting a relative I hadn’t seen in so long—especially a parent and child—just opening the door and greeting them was somehow several times more awkward than making eye contact with a stranger for a minute. I wasn’t sure why.
With my legs wrapped in white stockings pressed demurely together, I took a deep breath, calming the unease inside me before slowly walking toward the gate.
“Ka-da-da…”
I slid back the bolt and pushed open the gate that separated the courtyard from the alley.
Lifting my head slightly, I met the gaze of the tall, peach-eyed young man standing at the door.
“Long time no see… Zhi Nian.”
Father’s gray-black pupils narrowed slightly, clearly surprised to see me inside the courtyard, personally opening the door for him. Maybe he wasn’t as clever as he seemed after all.
He hesitated for a moment, and instead of calling me ‘daughter’, he addressed me by the name he had given me when I was born: “Zhi Nian.”
Now that I think about it… What was Father’s surname again?
After returning to my mother’s hometown, she’d taken me to change my surname to match hers—Shen—determined to erase every trace of my father from me.
Even so, I ended up resembling Father a bit, especially in the corners of my eyes that always seemed to exude some sort of charm. Maybe that’s why Mother didn’t like staying at home.
My mind wandered, and in silence I stepped aside from the doorway.
Father told the bodyguard to keep all the curious relatives outside the alley, then entered the courtyard alone. I quickly closed the gate again, blocking out their nosy, inquisitive stares.
“Mr. Lin, my mother is in the main hall talking with Grandfather. If you have business, you can go in and find them directly. I won’t keep you company.”
At first, I had instinctively wanted to call him by the familiar name, but then thought of how my mother would feel if she heard me affectionately call a cheating man ‘Father’. She would definitely be upset. I had to have some backbone.
Father’s eyebrows lifted slightly when he heard me address him as “Mr. Lin.”
But he showed no trace of dissatisfaction—just smiled faintly, then walked into the pavilion, found a stone bench, and sat down, showing none of the airs of a man in power.
“It’s fine, I’m not in a hurry. I haven’t seen Zhi Nian in so long, and after rushing all the way here, I’m a bit tired. I’ll just sit here in the courtyard for a while. Would you like some tea? I still make a pretty good cup.”
“……I don’t like tea.”