chapter 4

Chapter 4: Lou Dongzang - My name is He Guan, the "Guan" that cannot be confined even by a garden in full bloom.

He Guan paid three hundred yuan when he got out of the car.

The ride from the city center port to Hongqiao District takes two hours and truly costs only two hundred yuan.

However, halfway there, He Guan had the driver make a detour to Costco, filling the entire taxi with daily necessities and food.

The detour to wait for He Guan to shop and the additional transportation costs added up to an extra hundred.

He Guan happily paid the amount.

He disembarked where the driver suggested, carrying with him an assortment of daily goods, including but not limited to instant meals and water, looking at the foreboding mansion before him.

The mansion sat halfway up a hill, elevated. Turning around, He Guan could see the cityscape formed by clustered houses below and the distant coastline.

In this season, merely standing in front of the mansion's entrance, He Guan could feel a cold shadow approaching him.

He noticed a plaque fallen at the entrance, picked it up, and brushed off the dust.

The white cuffs of his sleeves were stained with grime, but he didn’t mind.

It's a windbreaker; a wipe would do.

The plaque bore vigorous and unrestrained calligraphy, reading: "Winter Hideaway Garden."

This plaque should have been hanging above the entrance.

The doorway showed messy, dirt-covered footprints.

It seemed many had come and gone.

Following the footprints, he saw that the door was ajar.

There were two stone lion statues at the entrance. Behind the left lion, He Guan spotted an aluminum house number.

Hongqiao District, No. 300.

This was the place; he hadn't made an error.

In the original novel, the protagonist's younger uncle, Lou Dongzang, had lived here for several years.

Lou Dongzang barely had a presence in the early stages of the story; he only emerged in the plot after the lead characters reconciled.

To be more specific, he wasn't a character introduced in the main storyline.

Perhaps the author, after writing about the cremation scene, felt a lack of content but wanted to maintain consistent output. Or, the author might have thought concluding directly would seem abrupt and thus added a side story.

Everyone had anticipated sweet moments between the main characters, but it turned out the author had other plans.

A twist of the plot, metaphorically described as a forty-meter long blade.

Not only had thirty-nine meters of that blade fallen, but extra force was applied in the last meter.

And thus, Lou Dongzang made his unexpected entrance.

Accompanied by lengthy descriptive monologues from the author.

He was initially regarded as the most promising successor of the Lou family, the undoubted next head of the family, and its most intelligent and elite strategist.

The stock market and finance seemed to be like predictable algorithms to him.

Whenever he delved into it, he'd effortlessly pinpoint the most improbable yet most lucrative opportunities amidst the chaotic data.

At the same time, he was unparalleled in looks, tall in stature, decisive and ruthless in action, making him the ideal marriage match for countless families in Huaiyin City and the most significant asset for the Lou family.

However, all of this was destroyed by his sudden vision impairment.

Initially, his left eye began occasionally fogging up, as if covered by a hazy web.

Lou Dongzang went for medical check-ups, but the results showed everything as normal.

Doctors advised rest, saying it would heal over time. However, that wasn’t the case.

He started losing his vision unpredictably.

Blindness isn't synonymous with darkness.

Blindness represents "nothingness" or "absence".

The eye, being one of the essential human organs, suddenly seemed nonexistent for Lou Dongzang.

His left eye rapidly progressed from occasional haziness to prolonged blindness, lasting weeks.

Eventually, opening his left eye felt no different than keeping it closed.

Symptoms accompanying his condition started to manifest.

Lou Dongzang began to frequently bump into objects on his left when walking.

The baseboards on the left inside rooms, the left walls when stepping outside, people passing him by on his left.

These were the repercussions of the loss of his left eye's vision.

The Lou family spent unimaginable sums, seeking medical expertise worldwide, but no one had seen such a mysterious condition.

— Blindness without a discernible cause.

Upon returning to Huaiyin City after traveling the globe, the Lou family received the worst news.

The other eye of Lou Dongzang also "vanished."

He became blind.

From then on, he began to read and work in Braille.

But the field he was involved in... How slow it would be to translate everything into Braille and then back again.

This means that documents and data, constantly changing market trend charts, which he used to scan through in minutes, now turned into stacks of books he had to feel through.

After reading, he would still need to visualize it in his mind, and it might not even be comprehensive. While feeling through, if he recalled some details that needed revisiting, he would have to trace back.

Voluminous books filled his room.

His decision-making faltered.

His reputation plummeted from its pedestal.

If he was once the towering tree of the Lou family, now he was just a pig lying beneath the roots, waiting to be slaughtered after use.

Lou Dongzang soon realized he was abandoned.

The abandonment was pragmatic, yet gradual.

At first, there were fewer people around him.

His assistant was transferred, and his driver was snatched away.

Then people began to challenge him openly.

All sorts of troublemakers—He Guan remembered that the original book took a whole chapter of three thousand words just to describe those who troubled Lou Dongzang.

His elderly father, out of compassion, sent him to this mansion.

This mansion was the unsuccessful venture of Lou Dongzang's older brother, a middle-aged man obsessed with trivial pursuits, later transformed at great cost into a private garden.

The middle-aged man proudly presented it to Lou Dongzang at a family banquet, naming it "Zangdong."

Zangdong Garden.

Lou Dongzang hadn't expected that he would one day find a use for this private garden, which he had initially dismissed as casually as one would a piece of vegetable.

His father sighed, saying, "Here's what we'll do... You need someone with you. You're a grown man. Having a woman might be complicated, so I'll find you a male companion. It's easier."

He continued, "As for the family affairs... don't worry too much. There's a young one, about your age, with potential. Mentor him. Sit in the office, and when he faces challenges, he can come to you for advice. He's your nephew, don't be petty. Be good, listen."

That younger generation was Lou Jun Duo.

With his eyes closed, Lou Dongzang held a string of prayer beads in his hand, not uttering a single word.

The next day, he obtained both the marriage certificate with He Guan and the position of Chief Assistant to Lou Jun Duo.

Perhaps "obtained" isn't the right word.

Demotion would be more apt.

He did not go.

He never subjected himself to humiliation.

The marriage certificate wasn't in Braille, without raised dots, so Lou Dongzang couldn't discern who was named on it.

Had it not been for the original owner who later maliciously signed a prenuptial agreement to get fifty million, aiming to divorce Lou Dongzang and demand half his fortune, Lou Dongzang wouldn't even have known He Guan's name.

Former business partners, family, and friends all left him; only a nanny remained by his side.

And under someone else's coercion, even the nanny left.

Who was this someone?

It was Lou Jun Duo.

Since birth, Lou Jun Duo and Lou Dongzang shared the same birthday, as though they were a naturally contrasted pair.

Initially, Lou Jun Duo was overshadowed in every aspect by Lou Dongzang, merely serving as a foil.

In terms of lineage, education, intellect, diligence, and appearance, Lou Jun Duo couldn't compare.

But everything changed after Lou Dongzang went blind...

Now, Lou Jun Duo was the star of the Lou family, the most cherished and recognized.

They even treated him better.

Because the Lou family feared he might work himself blind like Lou Dongzang did.

By the story's end, Lou Dongzang's sight was never restored.

Over three years, he orchestrated a series of explosions, and in the dead of night, reduced the main Lou estate and company headquarters to a boisterous and brilliant display of fireworks.

Then, he found his original body, by then kicked out of the entertainment industry and in dire straits, and dumped it into the Jingyuan Pond of Zangdong Garden.

In that pond were 111 piranhas he raised.

Why precisely 111?

January 11th was the day he lost his sight.

After completing his vengeance, Lou Dongzang took one last stroll around Zangdong Garden, finally seating himself on the second-floor terrace. With finesse, he drew a sharp knife, piercing it into his heart.

The blade was so sharp, there was scarcely any pain.

Blood gushed out.

He closed his eyes amidst the overpowering scent of blood, casting a deep shade of darkness over this novel, alongside this garden.

In the original text, it reads:

As Lou Dongzang's body rapidly lost blood and grew cold, his heart rate surged. Through the haze, he seemed to glimpse the ruined garden.

This sight, which he had never witnessed since moving in, was revealed to him in all its chaos as he neared death.

He murmured, almost subconsciously,

"All that I once loved and even enjoyed... has now become my agony."

His family, his friends, his partners - all gone.

What pained him the most was...

The heartbreak it caused him.

[Oh my God! Wasn't this supposed to be a romantic chase story? Why didn't I cry until the end, only for Lou Dongzang? It's so tragic! He's suffered so much. He was clearly the best. Didn't he deserve better? Why was he abandoned? What's wrong with the author's mind? I want to passionately write a long rant, but I'm too civilized for that.]

[Same here.]

【+1】

【+2】

[Let me go first (followed by an implied long rant of expletives).]

[Honestly, I can understand. A large family can easily replace one person. But the subsequent scenes of them kicking him while he's down, literally stomping on his face, is just too much. Never seen anything like it. My heart breaks for him.]

Author's reply: [I'm sorry.]

Some had differing opinions.

[Given this, I'm donating to the author. Your creativity deserves it. If this character had been introduced earlier, you'd have been famous by now. Impressive writing, here's +10 gold coins.]

Author's reply: [So you think this has sparked a controversy?]

The person responded: [Well, your so-called romantic chase turned out to be misleading anyway. The masochist gets hurt, not the sadist. Either way, you'd face criticism. Better to create a memorable character to give readers some solace.]

Author's reply: [You have a point, and I can't argue against that. I apologize, no more romantic chases from me.]

He Guan rang the doorbell thrice, signaling his entry, and pushed open the heavy brass door.

This man was someone He Guan wasn't sure how to deal with.

After reading the novel, he too pondered for a long time about Lou Dongzang.

He pondered how he would react if he were in Lou Dongzang's situation.

But before he could reflect deeply, he experienced the loss of his parents and the rise of his career.

The subsequent overwhelming pressures quickly left him gasping for breath.

Unexpectedly, he now found himself transmigrated into a role that was married to him.

The garden was centered around ponds, with artificial hills complementing them.

The residence was encircled by two lakes that converged into a pool named Jingyuan.

A bridge spanned across the pool, connecting the main residence to the rear hills, where the Beihai Pavilion stood.

The front residence, where He Guan was currently situated, consisted of seven sections and was called the Gui Hall.

He Guan immediately noticed the overgrown weeds in the courtyard's atrium.

Winter hadn't completely faded; the artificial hills seemed lifeless, and the ivy on the walls curled up, turning black, resembling hanging ropes.

The walls bore dark stains from the ivy's sap. The moisture had perhaps caused the walls to become mottled.

They turned yellowish.

He Guan placed a plaque by the entrance and began moving in the items he'd purchased, heading further into the residence.

There were both evergreen and deciduous trees in the yard. While the evergreens dominated, presenting a lush appearance, fallen leaves from the deciduous trees littered the ground, having been left untouched for some time.

As He Guan swept with the tip of his shoe, some of the leaves, stuck to the ground from earlier, clung stubbornly, unmoved by his gesture.

The cypress trees barely clung to life, the magnolia trees lay dead, the wisteria rotted and emitted a foul odor, and the juniper trees had been uprooted.

He toured each room and chamber. By mid-morning, he reached the last door.

This structure... the two-story building where Lou Dongzang had taken his own life.

It was also the place where Lou Dongzang had spent his time after arriving here.

From his earlier observations, He Guan realized that if the garden's ecosystem was in balance, it could sustain human life. There was ample space for gardening, fishing, and poultry farming.

The rooms were well-equipped with modern amenities, and the utilities like water, electricity, gas, and heating were in good condition—just turned off.

He Guan suddenly felt that Ren Ning had a point.

Even the Virgin Mary might not shine as brightly as he did now.

He unveiled the furniture from their dust covers and placed the foreign peonies into empty vases.

Without taking a break, He Guan went back to the entrance, moving items in and out.

Without electricity, in this wilderness, he shouldn't have brought the foreign peonies; he should've brought ice cream instead.

Fortunately, with the current low temperature, the meat I bought won't thaw.

He Guan was carrying a large bag of noodles and two bags of rice, with a bucket of peanut oil tucked under his arm. By the time he had made the round trip, he was drenched in sweat.

This body is too frail; fitness needs to be prioritized.

By the time he was down to his last trip, needing to retrieve the remaining two 5L containers of water, there were faint noises from above.

It seemed like some serpentine creature had observed enough and finally dared to peek out.

He Guan leaned against the door frame to rest, oblivious to the source of the noise.

After those trips, he felt so drained that he just wanted to lie down. He made a call on his phone, sneaking a break amid the hustle.

Eyes closed, he dialed the number in the slight chill of the breeze.

"Hello."

"Hello, this is the 95598 National Power Supply hotline. How can we assist you?"

"My power's out. Could someone come to restore it this afternoon?"

"Could you please provide your address? We can schedule a technician to arrive by 3 p.m. today. Does that work for you?"

"That's fine. My address is No. 300, Hongqiao District, Huaiyin City, Nanyuan Province."

"Alright, please wait. If the technician hasn't arrived by 3 p.m., feel free to call this number again. For bills and other services, you can access them through our online app. Thank you for calling."

"Mhm, goodbye."

After a night's rest, the young man's voice had fully recovered. At the moment, his tone was clear and relaxed due to his recent exertion.

His phone didn't have the sound of key presses.

Hence, the gloomy owner of Winter Garden, standing at the staircase corner holding the rail, could hear He Guan muttering to himself while swiftly typing a string of characters.

"Online National Power Grid... This seems no different from the world I knew before. An exact replica..."

"That's not bad... Hmm..."

The visitor seems to bear no ill intent.

Lou Dongcang furrowed his brows, asking uncomfortably.

"Who's there?"

His voice was husky, sounding even more severe than when He Guan had tonsillitis. Emerging from the dark room, it felt eerily chilling.

Like a venomous snake hissing.

He Guan paused in his typing.

Lou Dongcang thought he had startled him and was about to scoff.

If he's a coward, he should leave, so as not to dampen his mood.

However, the response was unexpected.

After a few moments of silence, the young man turned with a hint of a smile, his voice slightly louder.

"Ah, hello, nice to meet you."

"I'm the one in the wedding photo... beside you."

"My name is He Guan."

"Guan as in congratulations."

"Guan as in ‘Springtime cannot be confined to a garden’."