Free Web NovelChapter 212: IS THIS YOUR WAY OF TELLING ME YOU MISSED ME
Workers were maintaining sections of the enormous property. His confusion only grew.
The vehicle continued forward for several more minutes. And then several more. And then even more.
Guiying finally looked back at Liuxian. "How big is this place?"
Liuxian considered the question briefly. "It is big enough."
Guiying stared at him. That answer was somehow even less useful than all the others.
Before he could continue interrogating his husband, something appeared in the distance. A mansion stood before them.
It was not a large house. It was not a villa. The building dominated the surrounding landscape so completely that it immediately drew his attention.
Even from a distance, Guiying could tell it was significantly larger than their previous residence. He looked at it. Then he looked again.
Then he slowly turned toward Liuxian. "What happened to our house?"
Liuxian glanced at him briefly. "It is still ours."
Guiying blinked. "It is?"
"It is," Liuxian confirmed. The answer immediately created another question.
"Then why are we here?" Guiying asked.
Liuxian remained silent for a moment. Then he finally answered. "Because I moved."
Guiying stared at him. The man sounded as though relocating to an entirely new residence was the most natural thing in the world.
"You moved?" Guiying raised a brow.
"Yes," Liuxian replied.
"When?" Guiying asked.
"About three weeks ago," Liuxian answered. Guiying looked back toward the approaching mansion. Then he looked at Liuxian.
Then he looked at the mansion again. For several seconds, he genuinely didn’t know what to say.
"You moved into an entirely different estate while searching for me?" Guiying asked.
Liuxian seemed to think about it. "When you say it like that, it sounds strange."
Guiying almost laughed. "It sounds strange because it is strange."
A smile appeared on Liuxian’s face. The expression looked lighter than it had in weeks. The sight alone made Guiying’s irritation fade slightly.
Liuxian glanced out the window before speaking again. "The old house wasn’t large enough."
Guiying immediately looked skeptical. "It was huge."
"It wasn’t large enough," Liuxian replied. The response arrived so quickly that Guiying already knew arguing would accomplish absolutely nothing.
Liuxian continued calmly. "There wasn’t enough privacy, and the security coverage wasn’t where I wanted it to be. This property gives us considerably more space."
"It is much easier to control access," Liuxian added. Guiying looked outside again.
The deeper they traveled into the estate, the more obvious the scale became. The grounds seemed endless. No matter where he looked, there was still more property stretching into the distance.
Liuxian’s voice softened slightly. "You like spending time outdoors. You enjoy gardening and walking around. You disappear into places where nobody bothers you."
Guiying looked at him. Liuxian kept his eyes on the road.
"I wanted somewhere that would give you all of that," Liuxian said. The warmth that spread through Guiying’s chest was immediate.
The estate suddenly felt different. A few moments ago, it had simply looked extravagant. Now it felt personal.
The mansion grew larger as they approached. Before long Guiying could make out people standing near the entrance. At first he assumed there were only a handful of employees waiting outside.
Then the vehicle drew closer.
And closer.
And closer.
Guiying slowly realized there were far more people than he originally thought. The estate wasn’t just larger than their previous home. It operated on an entirely different scale.
By the time the vehicle stopped in front of the main entrance, a sizeable crowd had already gathered outside. Some employees stood near the steps while others waited further back. Yet all of them seemed focused on the arriving vehicle.
The passenger door opened. Guiying stepped outside.
The first people he recognized were Butler Wang and Old Li. The two older men immediately walked forward. The relief on their faces was impossible to miss.
Neither of them spoke right away. They seemed more interested in confirming that Guiying was actually standing in front of them. For several moments, they simply looked at him.
Then Butler Wang smiled. "Welcome home, Young Master Xue." The familiar greeting immediately tightened Guiying’s throat.
A month ago he had disappeared without a trace. Now he was returning to find everyone waiting for him.
"I’m back," Guiying said. His voice came out softer than expected.
Old Li clicked his tongue and looked him over carefully. The older man inspected him from head to toe. Then he finally gave an approving nod.
"You look healthier," Old Li said. Guiying laughed.
That was apparently the first thing Old Li wanted to discuss. "Is that your way of saying you missed me?"
Old Li rolled his eyes. "My way of saying you gave everyone a scare." Despite the complaint, there was obvious relief in his voice.
Guiying’s smile softened. "I’m sorry." Old Li looked as though he wanted to continue scolding him.
Instead, the older man simply shook his head. He muttered something under his breath about troublesome young people.
Meanwhile, Butler Wang adjusted his glasses and studied Guiying carefully. His gaze briefly landed on the ring resting on Guiying’s finger. Then a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
The older man didn’t mention it. He didn’t need to.
The ring explained everything. Only then did Butler Wang turn toward Liuxian. The smile on his face remained.
His eyes, however, shifted slightly. "You look terrible."
Guiying immediately nodded. "Exactly."
Several nearby employees struggled to hide their laughter. Liuxian looked genuinely betrayed.
Old Li didn’t appear sympathetic in the slightest. "You’ve lost weight, your beard is a mess, and you look like you haven’t slept properly in weeks."
Liuxian opened his mouth. Then he closed it again. Unfortunately, everything Old Li said was true.
Butler Wang sighed softly. "I believe the Young Master should be groomed immediately."
Guiying looked pleased.
Liuxian looked outnumbered.
The estate staff looked entertained.
For the first time in an entire month, however, nobody seemed particularly worried.
The person they had been waiting for had finally returned home.
Judging from the smiles surrounding him, everyone intended to make sure he stayed this time.
