After passing through the corridors leading to several guest rooms, and then through an overly long veranda, Aro pointed to both sides, “One side is where the researchers work, and the other side is the staff accommodation area. Please do not enter without permission.”

Looking around, everyone realized that they had unknowingly descended from the high ridge and were now at a height halfway up the mountain. The tall buildings on both sides had disappeared, and only rows of quaint two-story buildings remained on the open ground. These buildings were as tall as warehouses and had metal exterior walls that seemed to provide excellent security.

While described as having an antique charm, it is actually similar to the rooms on the ridge, consisting of pseudo-antique buildings with eaves, while most areas are filled with a distinctly modern atmosphere.

The buildings are surrounded by garden paths. Because it was late, there were no streetlights on the paths between the buildings. With the dim light from the rooms inside the buildings, it was impossible to see the true appearance of the garden, or even distinguish where the office area was and where the dormitory was.

However, the maintenance worker had good eyesight and saw the shadow of clothes drying on the lit balcony of a small building on the left. If there were no surprises, the left side should be a residential area.

The group followed silently behind. The small buildings on both sides were obscured by shadows, mostly blending into the dark night, which inexplicably made them feel uneasy.

When they entered the guest room area this time, they were careful and gradually noticed the difference in elevation caused by the number of stairs leading to the guest rooms. They continued to walk down until they reached the bottom of the ridge.

As soon as the back door of the alley closed, all light was instantly cut off, leaving only the distant veranda and the slivers of light hanging high in the sky from the eaves, as if surrounded by darkness, so quiet that one could hear each other's heartbeats.

Although there aren't many rooms on the ridge, the journey is quite long, and the so-called Water Lily Courtyard is nowhere to be found.

Seeing the old man rubbing his lower back, Lianrong asked, "Aren't we there yet?"

"arrive."

He Fang'er replied. She spoke very little along the way, and the few simple introductions were all handled by A Luo. Because she had sprained her ankle and the alley was too narrow, she lost Sun Han's support and took a small black umbrella from a tool shed full of daily necessities to use as a crutch to support her body. Even so, she did not walk fast, but A Luo showed no intention of waiting for her.

He Fang'er had no complaints and followed him closely, gritting her teeth.

A Luo glanced at her, pointed to the dark area, and said, "Have He Fang'er take you there. It's over there, not far." With that, he turned and left.

After the person disappeared into the covered walkway on the ridge, He Fang'er bit her lip and said in a very low voice, "The fourth step down is the Water Lily Garden, and there are lotus flowers painted at the entrance."

Upon hearing the words "courtyard gate," Cheng Shuang peered intently into the darkness and discovered that the dark place seemed to have a high courtyard wall.

Whether it was because the walls were too high or because there was no one in the courtyard, not a single ray of light could be seen.

"Sister He, aren't the rooms full? Why aren't the lights on?" the little girl asked softly.

He Fang'er looked at her, then quickly looked away. If she wasn't mistaken, Cheng Shuang saw a fleeting pity in the other woman's beautiful eyes.

She was sympathizing with her!

Is it because of Bai Xiuzhi?

Will the white veil really come to hurt me?

The young girl recalled Bai Xiuzhi's behavior of forcing her to stay in a single room, which was hardly a kind gesture.

However, before she ran over to help Bai Xiuzhi up, Cheng Shuang had already prepared for the worst, such as Bai Sha being a hidden boss who would launch a sneak attack and take revenge in the middle of the night.

Therefore, she wasn't uneasy about He Fang'er's performance; on the contrary, she was somewhat surprised by the other's emotional expression.

But it's all good, the little girl is fully prepared to fight the unknown enemy to the end without sleeping all night.

He Fang'er explained, "Many visitors from other places will selectively run dungeons and will not be in the room most of the time. You may meet during the day."

"If the Water Lily Courtyard isn't hard to find, Miss He, why don't you go back and report? Aren't there steps down there? They might be inconvenient for your injured foot!"

Sun Han had no other intention than to send the staff away so that they could wander around on their own. But He Fang'er stared at him blankly, lost in thought, as if she were thinking about something.

Sun Han coughed lightly to remind him, but the other person suddenly turned his head away, his tone alert and cold, "It's my duty, let's go!"

Sun Han touched his nose, thinking to himself, "You can never guess what a woman is thinking!"

"She blushed!" Li Lei whispered to his girlfriend. Du Jun and Cheng Shuang, who were closest to him, naturally heard this. They exchanged a glance and wondered: Could it be that Uncle Sun's (Brother Sun's) spring has arrived?

The little girl, being incredibly gossipy, tugged at Li Lei's sleeve and whispered, "Brother Li, how did you see it in the dark?"

Li Lei chuckled mischievously, "You know what I mean? I constantly change angles, my field of vision changes, which has honed my sharp eyesight." He gave a thumbs-up, praising him lavishly, "Brother Sun, you kids don't understand, a hero saving a damsel in distress is much more useful than adding flowers to brocade!"

His greasy face was instantly wrinkled and no longer greasy after his girlfriend elbowed him.

"Meimei, Meimei, don't be jealous. I'm just trying to broaden the horizons of the two kids. Xiaohe is young, but she needs to be careful not to be deceived by men. Her brother is so cold, I'm just giving him some advice in advance because I'm afraid he'll be a lifelong bachelor!"

"Ha, you acted like you weren't a perpetual single dog before you met me!"

Despite being mocked by his girlfriend, Li Lei dared not deny it, saying, "Yes, if I hadn't met you, I would have been a single dog for life, the kind who wouldn't waver even if I met a goddess."

With a single sentence, he made Han Meimei smile broadly, and then gave her another elbow strike, but this time it was extremely light, with a flirtatious undertone.

Li Lei hugged his girlfriend and chuckled foolishly.

The two single guys following behind silently looked away, unable to bear to watch.

He Fang'er, who was leading the way, continued to walk in the dark, seemingly without any lighting equipment. She stumbled and staggered as she walked. It was Sun Han who, seeing her struggling, took out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and asked, "Is there a place to charge your phone in the room?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the flashlight beam shone forward, but He Fang'er quickly dialed her phone, her voice shrill and filled with nervous anxiety, "Don't turn on the light!"

Sun Han sensed something was wrong and immediately put his phone back in his pocket, actually placing it in his spatial storage.

Suddenly, darkness returned, and even the old man and Lianrong, who were walking slowly at the back, fell silent.

He Fang'er awkwardly brushed the stray hairs from her forehead. "There are wild animals around here, and turning on the lights will disturb them."

"Is that so?" Du Jun said coldly, "It's a very large wild animal, isn't it?"

He Fang'er didn't stop walking, nor did she reply, pretending not to hear and continuing to focus on the steps beneath her feet.

But she also did not refute it.

No one present believed that the high walls were really there to keep wild animals out.

The terrain descends further and further down. If you go deep into the valley, there is only a very faint light coming from a distant courtyard, similar to the small night-lighting lights installed on the steps when climbing a mountain.

The brightness is negligible.

"We've arrived at the Water Lily Courtyard."

Then, the courtyard was filled with the cheerful laughter of men and women.