Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 421, the first "Dad"

Time flies like an arrow, and the calendar has quietly turned to the end of the year.

Lunar New Year's Eve, 1989 (Year of the Snake in the Chinese lunar calendar).

Lin Yan decided to stay in Beijing for the Chinese New Year.

From early morning, the side room in the courtyard where the teleportation array was located would occasionally emit a faint light.

Alexander stepped out of the teleportation array, his tall figure exuding a cold aura, but he instantly melted when he saw the little dumpling taking its first steps under the eaves, the large bag in his hand filled with whimsical toys from all over the world.

Next came Albert, who was carrying a huge food box containing several classic French desserts.

Marcus brought a perfectly fine silver fox pelt from the snowy plains of Northern Europe, saying it was to make a cushion for the children.

James was holding several pieces of raw jade, but his eyes were already glued to Chenchen, who was chasing after Xiaoqi.

Even Wang Qin, who rarely ventured out, made a quiet appearance. He was travel-worn, placing only a small sandalwood box imbued with spiritual energy on the table, and gave Lin Yan a slight nod:

"Give these to the young masters as New Year's gifts to ward off evil and calm their minds."

These key figures, who were scattered around the world and in charge of their respective regions, have gathered in this courtyard today as if by prior arrangement, using a teleportation array.

Their reasons were varied—"We came to visit on the way," "We wished the young master a Happy New Year," "We missed Yuling's cooking," but everyone's eyes involuntarily followed the two brightest red figures in the courtyard.

Chenchen and Xixi were dressed up today like lucky dolls straight out of a New Year's painting.

Both of them were wearing bright red cotton-padded jackets made of brocade, with the auspicious characters and mythical beasts on the brocade subtly visible in the light.

The edge of the jacket was trimmed with fluffy, soft white rabbit fur, which made her little face look even more fair and lovely.

The cotton-padded jacket is lined with top-quality white fox fur, making it lightweight and warm.

Xi Xi had two cute little pigtails on her head, each with a rabbit fur pom-pom tied to it in the same color as the hem of her coat. The pom-poms trembled slightly as she shook her head, making her look incredibly adorable.

Chenchen was wearing a small black brocade melon-shaped hat with a red pom-pom on top, which surprisingly gave him a somewhat chubby and spirited look.

Even Xiao Qi was dressed in a specially made red vest by Wang Yuling with a smile. Her white fur contrasted with the red, making her look very lively.

The three little ones huddled together, playing in the newly cleaned yard, truly becoming three lively and lovable "little lucky babies".

Because they were carefully fed with spiritual food from a young age, the brother and sister, though only eleven months old, were much healthier than ordinary children.

By now, they were able to shake off their parents' hands and walk several steps on their own, albeit unsteadily.

The sudden appearance of so many unfamiliar "uncles" and "grandpas" in the house, each carrying novel gifts and trying to attract their attention with exaggerated expressions and voices, delighted Xixi, this crazy little girl.

She wasn't shy at all. Her big, dark eyes looked around curiously, then she excitedly took short strides to catch up with her father, Lin Yan, who was talking quietly with Alexander in the yard.

"Bang... bang..."

She mumbled incoherently, but her small body was not very obedient. She walked too fast and landed on her bottom on the cold stone ground.

If it were an ordinary child, they would probably have burst into tears long ago.

But Xi Xi only paused for a second, blinked, and then, supporting herself with her little hands, nimbly got up and continued to relentlessly "charge" towards Lin Yan's back, cheering herself on with "ah ah" sounds.

That stubborn yet adorable little face almost melted the hearts of the group of seasoned men around her.

Albert couldn't resist going up to hug him, but Alexander stopped him with a look—the young master disliked others spoiling their children too much.

Although Lin Yan had his back to the camera, his divine sense was fully aware of everything in the courtyard.

Feeling that little "tagalong" approaching again, and about to fall over again, he finally sighed helplessly.

He stopped talking, turned around, bent down, and scooped up his persistent little daughter, gently tucking her into his arms.

Xi Xi's scheme succeeded, and she immediately forgot the hardship of "walking". She nestled contentedly in her father's arms and reached out her chubby little hand to touch Lin Yan's face.

The fingertips are warm and soft, with a novel tactile experience.

She tilted her little face up, her dark, grape-like eyes fixed intently on her father's face so close to hers. Suddenly, she opened her little mouth and clearly uttered two sounds:

"Beep beep!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a tiny electric current that instantly struck Lin Yan.

He was usually unsmiling, but at this moment, his arms tightened slightly around his daughter, and stars seemed to suddenly light up in his deep eyes before quickly returning to their deep tenderness.

His heart was surging like spring tide breaking through ice, but his expression softened as he lowered his head and gently touched his daughter's forehead with his own.

"Xixi, call me again?"

Perhaps sensing her father's rare emotional fluctuation, Xixi became even happier, giggling and leaning forward to plant a wet kiss on Lin Yan's cheek, then clearly called out again:

"Bang—bang!"

This time, Lin Yan could no longer suppress the pure and overwhelming joy that welled up in his heart.

He raised his head, looking triumphantly at Lin Gang and Wang Yuling, who had been watching them with smiles, and said loudly:

"Lin Gang, Yu Ling! Did you hear that? Xi Xi just called for her father!"

Wang Yuling nodded repeatedly with a smile, "I heard that! Our little Xixi is so smart!"

Lin Yan lowered his head again, coaxing the little baby in his arms:

"Xixi, say it to Daddy again?"

Unfortunately, the little beast's thoughts are as unpredictable as the weather in June.

Having exhausted her previous focus and cooperation, Xi Xi's attention was now drawn to a new target—she saw her brother Chen Chen trying to climb onto Xiao Qi's back, who was lying down, to play "riding a horse."

She immediately wriggled in her father's arms, her little body like a nimble red carp, pointing in the direction of her brother and Xiaoqi, urging them with "ah, ya," completely ignoring their request to "call me 'Daddy' again."

This stark contrast in treatment made everyone who had witnessed Young Master Lin go from calm to showing off to being humiliated unable to hold back any longer. Someone burst out laughing first, and then the whole courtyard was filled with laughter, both low and high, all equally hearty and cheerful.

Even Elder Dan and Elder Fu stroked their beards, shaking their heads and smiling.