The next day, after lunch, Uncle Qiang drove Aunt Mei and Nannan to thank the boy who had saved her. Uncle Qiang said the boy was a newly arrived neighbor.
Aunt Mei and Uncle Qiang had already taken Nannan to see the town doctor the day before. The doctor said that Nannan had only been frightened and that there was nothing serious. Uncle Qiang kept complaining that Aunt Mei hadn't looked after Nannan properly, while Aunt Mei felt deeply guilty about her oversight. They also lectured Nannan together, insisting she must never run off recklessly in the future.
Aunt Mei carefully dressed Nannan up. She put on this year's newest dress: a blue short-sleeved top connected to a puffy white tulle skirt. Aunt Mei also tied a matching blue bow in her hair, a sharp contrast to Nannan's usual T-shirt and shorts. After dressing her, Aunt Mei praised her, saying she looked like a little princess.
Nannan didn't actually like this kind of clothing because it prevented her from climbing trees and catching birds. Every year, despite her mother and Aunt Mei buying her such dresses, she usually refused to wear them. But today, Aunt Mei said that when visiting her "lifesaver," she needed to dress properly. Though Nannan didn't believe Aunt Mei truly understood what "proper dress" meant, she relented and put on the outfit. Perhaps the boy who saved her shared Aunt Mei's taste after all? He had been dressed quite formally yesterday, after all. Aunt Mei had put on her own favorite dress as well, and to Nannan's astonishment, Uncle Qiang had actually dressed himself in a suit.
The new neighbor's house wasn't far—just across the bridge that Uncle Qiang often drove by. Unlike Nannan's open courtyard, the new neighbor's house was tightly enclosed by tall walls and a heavy iron gate, giving it a mysterious aura. Nannan had passed by this iron gate before, but since it was always closed, she never had a chance to see inside. Peering through the gate, one could only see dense layers of forest and a two-lane path extending from the gate deep into the woods.
This time, as soon as their car arrived at the gate, it opened automatically. Uncle Qiang drove along the path inside for less than a minute, and as they passed through the barrier-like woods, a grand courtyard with a traditional Chinese garden-style wall appeared majestically before them.
"His house has two walls?" Nannan exclaimed in surprise.
Aunt Mei and Uncle Qiang glanced at her without saying a word. Uncle Qiang parked the car and got out carrying the gift boxes, with Aunt Mei pulling Nannan along.
At the entrance to the second wall, Uncle Qiang pressed the video doorbell. The gate opened, revealing a young man in his thirties, sharp-featured and dressed in a black Zhongshan suit. Nannan recognized him as the one who had stood behind the boy yesterday.
A bodyguard, Nannan thought.
"Mr. Chen, hello. Nice to see you again," Uncle Qiang said.
"Hello, Uncle Qiang. I'm delighted to see you again. Please, come with me. Our young master is waiting in the study," Mr. Chen replied politely.
Uncle Qiang handed over the gifts to Mr. Chen, and they followed him into the courtyard. They walked along a long, winding corridor with exquisite wooden structures that curved through the garden until they reached the study of Nannan's "lifesaver."
The study sat beside a small artificial lake, serene and quiet. One wall, facing the lake, was entirely made of floor-to-ceiling windows, adjacent to the outdoor corridor.
The study door was open. At first glance, Nannan felt the room was enormous, perhaps as large as her own living room at home. Along the interior wall stood a towering bookshelf reaching the ceiling, densely packed with countless books. A wooden ladder was placed nearby for accessing the upper shelves.
A boy in a white long gown, about thirteen years old, was quietly reading at the desk near the bookshelf. The slanting afternoon sunlight poured through the window, illuminating him and the rows of books behind him, creating a beautiful scene.
In front of his desk were several sofas and a small tea table, clearly arranged for receiving guests.
The bodyguard knocked lightly on the study door. "Young Master, guests have arrived. They brought gifts."
The boy in white looked up, put down his book, smiled, and stood up. He walked around the desk toward the door and said, "Thank you, Shiwei. Please ask Wu-ma to bring four cups of tea to the study." Then, addressing Nannan's family, he said, "You've come—how considerate. Please, have a seat," gesturing toward the sofas.
Nannan carefully observed the boy before her and thought he was more handsome than anyone she had ever met. His skin was very fair, his hair thick and lustrous. His eyes were long and slanted, sparkling like stars when he smiled. He was tall, nearly as tall as Uncle Qiang. The white gown suited him even better than the suit he wore yesterday.
After Shiwei left with the gifts, Uncle Qiang politely said, "Young Master Yuwen, thank you for saving our young lady yesterday." His tone sounded as if he were addressing a respected adult rather than a boy.
"Yuwen Young Master?" The boy seemed slightly taken aback.
"Yes, Mr. Chen told me yesterday that your family name is Yuwen. Or would you prefer I call you Mr. Yuwen?" Uncle Qiang's tone became even more formal.
"Oh," the boy smiled faintly, "either is fine."
Since the boy was so handsome and smiled so gently at them, and judging from his conversation with Uncle Qiang, he seemed to be a good-natured person, Nannan decided to give him a nickname. She stepped forward confidently from behind Uncle Qiang and said, "Brother White, thank you for saving me yesterday."
"Brother White?" The boy chuckled.
"Yes. You're so fair, you like white clothes, and you're a big brother—so isn't that Brother White?" Nannan tilted her head as she explained, and she couldn't resist adding another compliment: "White really suits you."
"Really? Does white suit me?" The boy smiled, clearly pleased with her praise. He then addressed all three of them: "Please, come in and sit. There's no need to thank me. I just happened to be passing by yesterday—it was nothing." He looked at Nannan again and said, "You were very brave, little sister. You didn't even cry."
He did seem easygoing. Nannan thought for a moment and decided she should acknowledge his compliment about her bravery. "If it weren't for that troublemaker Xiao He, I wouldn't have fallen in the river. I am brave—I never cry." Nannan felt pleased when Brother White smiled approvingly at her again after hearing this.
After Nannan sat down on the sofa with Aunt Mei and Uncle Qiang, the boy in white sat on the opposite sofa. A middle-aged maid brought over four cups of tea and placed them on the table.
The boy said to Uncle Qiang and Aunt Mei, "Please have some tea." Then he asked Nannan, "Little sister, would you like some snacks or something to drink?"
"Do you have chocolate cake? I love chocolate cake the most," Nannan said without hesitation.
"Wu-ma, please bring some chocolate cake for Miss Chu," the boy instructed.
Nannan sat on the sofa, looking out at the lake through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and asked, "Brother White, the little lake outside your house is connected to the river outside, isn't it?"
"Yes, you're really clever to notice that," he said with evident approval.
"Mm." Nannan felt proud of herself. "Then there must be fish in the lake too, right?"
"I haven't really checked. Perhaps," he replied, looking at her with a searching gaze, as if trying to understand her true intention.
"I fell into the river yesterday while trying to catch fish. My mother used to take me fishing in the river," Nannan said, feeling a bit wistful remembering those days with her mother.
"Are you planning to come to our house to catch fish?" Brother White asked helpfully, as if to confirm her intention.
"Yes! You're so smart—you guessed right away. Can I come?" Nannan's excitement returned in a rush. She stood up eagerly.
"That's not possible," Uncle Qiang and Aunt Mei quickly objected. "Nannan, you mustn't trouble Young Master Yuwen."
"I want to. Brother White already said yes," Nannan protested, stamping her foot.
The good-natured young master was amused by her protest. He smiled warmly and said, "It's absolutely no problem. I'll be at Miss Chu's service anytime."
"Then it's settled, Brother White," Nannan said happily, thrilled to have found a safer place to fish.