Nanli Manor

Good times always pass too quickly.

A little past two in the morning, the movie ended, and Meng Qianyu, drowsy-eyed, retreated to her room to sleep.

Su Yang, meanwhile, stayed up with Pan Ning in his room, continuing their deep conversation about life...

The night passed without incident.

By eleven the next morning, Su Yang finally stirred awake.

He and Pan Ning had talked late into the night, and by the time he returned to his own room, it was nearly five. No wonder he’d slept in past eleven.

Stretching luxuriously, he rolled out of bed. They were supposed to head over to Meng Wenzhou’s father’s place by one, so it was about time to get ready.

Su Yang took a quick shower, styled his hair simply, and changed into slightly more formal attire before stepping out of his room.

Descending from the second floor to the living room, he found no sign of Pan Ning or Meng Qianyu.

"Huh? Still asleep?"

Just then, through a large floor-to-ceiling window, he spotted the two of them swaying gently on a pair of swings in the backyard.

"Oh, so they’re already up." He chuckled and made his way outside.

Pushing open the glass door to the backyard, Su Yang called out, "What are you two up to?"

Hearing him, Meng Qianyu turned her head and grinned. "Just chatting~"

"About what?"

"Dad’s birthday, of course. Su Yang, we should head over early today—I still need to go home and change. Next time, I’m copying my sister and bringing more clothes. Look at her, already in a new dress."

Su Yang glanced at Pan Ning beside her. She was indeed wearing an elegant black gown, her makeup subtle yet striking, giving her an effortlessly ethereal beauty.

He shook his head with a smile. "Alright, then. Have you two eaten yet?"

"Not yet. We’ve been busy showering and doing our makeup—just finished a little while ago~"

"Got it. I’ll make some noodles then."

At this, Pan Ning immediately turned and called, "I want eel noodles~"

"Me too!"

"Fine, fine~"

Forty minutes later, after finishing their noodles and sipping coffee, the three prepared to leave.

It was now 12:40. Just as they pushed open the front door, Su Yang’s phone rang.

He answered, "Hey, Lao Meng."

"Lao Su, where are you?"

"At home."

"Good, it’s about time. You should head over early—I’ll send you the address."

"Got it, was just about to leave."

"Perfect. Oh, is Pan Pan with you?"

Su Yang glanced at Pan Ning and smirked. "Yep~"

"Figured. I can excuse her being at your place, but where the hell is that little rascal Qianyu? Today’s a big day—I’m already here, and she’s nowhere to be found. Not even picking up her phone."

Hearing Meng Wenzhou’s complaint, Su Yang scratched his head and stepped aside, lowering his voice. "Uh... Qianyu’s here with me too..."

"Qianyu’s with you too."

"WHAT?!?!" Meng Wenzhou exploded.

"Don’t shout. She insisted on coming over for food—it’s not like I could turn her away, right?"

"Damn it! So that’s where she disappeared to. Both my sisters are at your place?!"

"Wow, Lao Su, stealing one cousin wasn’t enough—now you’re going after my actual sister too? And both at the same time..." Meng Wenzhou feigned outrage.

Su Yang sighed. "What nonsense. Qianyu just came for food—don’t read into it."

A pause. Then Meng Wenzhou burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Lao Su, I didn’t say anything~ But since you brought it up... I get it now."

"Get what?" Su Yang blinked.

"You said Qianyu just came for food, but didn’t mention Pan Pan. So that means you two must’ve already, heh..."

"Seriously? You were baiting me this whole time?"

"Your words, not mine."

Su Yang rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just send the address."

"Why bother? With both my sisters there, you don’t need it."

"Fair point. Alright, see you soon."

"Hurry up, though. Most importantly, get Qianyu here first—she needs to be present for the greetings."

"On it."

After hanging up, Su Yang walked over to where Pan Ning and Meng Qianyu stood by the car.

"Who was that?" Pan Ning asked.

"Your dear elder brother~"

"My brother?" Meng Qianyu echoed.

"Yep. Said you weren’t picking up your phone, so he called me."

"You—wait, Su Yang, you told him I was here?"

"Obviously."

"WHAT?!"

"...Was that bad?"

"Did he... say anything?"

"Not really."

Meng Qianyu scratched her head. "Okay... fine. My phone was on silent—didn’t notice."

"No worries, no need to call back. Let’s just get going."

"Right."

The three climbed into the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, doors shutting behind them.

Su Yang started the engine and pulled out onto the road.

Soon, they merged onto the main street. Meng Qianyu, tired of giving directions verbally, sent Su Yang the address for the car’s navigation system.

Su Yang checked the route—their destination was Nanli Manor, located in Qingshan District, the southernmost part of Haicheng.

Though Qingshan was suburban and far from downtown, it was dotted with lavish villas and estates, prized for their serene, picturesque surroundings.

This made it a favorite among Haicheng’s ultra-wealthy.

After all, the truly rich preferred discretion, and the older crowd valued peace and quiet.

Su Yang had only been to Qingshan once since moving to Haicheng. From Jingyutai, it was a 26-kilometer drive.

But with light traffic at this hour, they’d arrive in no time.

Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to Nanli Manor’s grand entrance.

The estate was massive, its gates opulent and imposing—like stepping into a city’s central park. Beyond them, lush greenery stretched as far as the eye could see, with only a handful of buildings visible.

As Su Yang approached the gate, a burly security guard in his thirties stepped up to the driver’s window.

"Sir, may I ask which resident you’re visiting?"

Before Su Yang could reply, Meng Qianyu rolled down the rear window and leaned out. "Hey, it’s me!"

The guard’s face lit up in recognition. "Ah, Miss Meng! My apologies."

He hurried back to the booth to raise the barrier.

Su Yang gave a polite nod and drove through.

"Does security here memorize every resident’s face?"

"I don’t know, maybe because this is my home and I’m always around, so he recognizes me."

"Oh, got it. You lead the way—this place is pretty huge."

"Sure~"

Under Meng Qianyu’s guidance, Su Yang finally drove the car to the front of an enormous mansion three minutes later.

Staring at the massive house dozens of meters away, Su Yang rubbed his eyes with one hand.

"This estate is seriously impressive."

The sprawling manor before them featured gray-white walls and blue-tiled roofs, its grandeur impossible to take in at a single glance. The architecture leaned toward a European style, with two main buildings spanning a total area of 9,700 square meters—4,600 of which were built-up space.

Inside, the grounds boasted landscaped gardens, an artificial lake, two basketball courts, and three swimming pools. The two main buildings stood one behind the other, with the first surrounded by recreational facilities for family and friends.

The road leading to the estate was flanked by wide stretches of lush lawn, the surroundings pristine and tranquil.

As they reached the estate’s gates, Meng Qianyu hopped out of the car and jogged up to a broad iron gate, where she scanned her face for recognition.

A soft click sounded, and the gates parted smoothly down the middle, sliding open to either side.

From the car, Su Yang thought to himself, ‘So this is how the ultra-wealthy live? Damn, this is next level.’

Once the gates were fully open, Meng Qianyu hurried back and climbed into the passenger seat. "All set, Su Yang. Let’s head in."

"Got it."

With a light press on the accelerator, Su Yang drove the car forward into the estate.

......