After taking the subway back near the old house, Vera walked up to it. Observing the tightly shut crimson gate and the exquisite columns of the porch, she climbed the steps and rang the doorbell.
"Coming." Footsteps sounded, and a middle-aged female servant opened the door. She smiled instantly upon seeing Vera. "Miss Vera, please co in."
Vera was stunned. "You... know ?"
"Mr. Cooper showed your picture." The servant politely invited her in. As she guided Vera toward the backyard, she explained, "Your belongings have all been packed. The room will be the one you stayed in before. If anything isn’t to your liking, just let know. My surna is Feng; you can call Aunt Feng."
Following Aunt Feng through the courtyard, Vera’s gaze swept over the neatly kept grounds and the trees, lush with new buds and blossoms. It felt as if she had suddenly returned to the past.
Back then, her father was still alive. At this ti of day, her grandmother would surely be trimming branches with gardening shears. Whenever Vera returned, Grandma would always turn and smile affectionately at her, saying, "Vera, I’ve made your favorite Osmanthus Cake in the kitchen."
...
Vera walked into the living room. Looking at the familiar furnishings, a wave of mixed emotions washed over her.
After half a year, she could finally return here. But she was no longer the owner—a realization that was both heartbreaking and thrilling.
"Mr. Cooper ntioned you like pastries from Daoxiang Village, so I bought a few and placed them on the table. See which ones you like, and I’ll buy them for you next ti." The servant smiled, took Vera’s bag, and set it on a table. "Just tell what you’d like to eat, and I’ll make it for you."
Vera turned and saw several exquisite plates on the table, neatly arranged with various pastries.
Pea Flour Cakes, Sachima, Date Paste Cakes... all authentic Old Imperial City pastries, all her favorites.
She reached out, her fingers almost touching a pastry before she quickly drew her hand back.
"You said..." She turned to look at the servant. "Kris Cooper knows I love these?"
"Oh..." The servant, realizing she’d misspoken, quickly tried to cover it up with a smile. "No, no, I misrembered. The master simply said you like pastries, so I went to Daoxiang Village and bought so. I must be getting old; my mory isn’t what it used to be. Please don’t mind ."
Vera smiled. "It’s okay."
Of course, she thought. How could Kris Cooper possibly know what she loved to eat?
"Then please sit for a while; I’ll go check on the kitchen."
Aunt Feng poured her a glass of water and then left.
Vera picked up a pastry, popped it into her mouth, and wiped her fingers. Then, she grabbed her bag, walked out of the living room, and made her way to the backyard. Everything was just as it had always been, including her room.
The furniture, the decorations—everything was just as it had been before. Reaching out to touch the familiar large bed, Vera couldn’t help her eyes from welling up.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang, breaking the silence.
Vera wiped her eyes and turned to leave her room.
"I’ll get it!"
It must be Kris Cooper returning at this hour, she thought. Thinking of him, her mood seed to lift a little.
"Coming!" Vera called out, trotting to the door. She pulled it open, and sure enough, Kris Cooper was standing outside. A smile imdiately lit up her face. "You’re back! Let take your bag."
"No need." Kris Cooper sidestepped her hand and took a gift box from his driver. To the driver, he said, "You can go now."
The driver bid them farewell and left. Kris Cooper and Vera stepped over the threshold together.
Not far away, at the corner of the alley, a figure slowly erged from behind the bend. Watching Kris Cooper and Vera disappear through the doorway, the light in Nathan Leafcastle’s eyes gradually grew heavier.
"So, it was you!"
...
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