"Oh, that's not necessary. Xiao Yi just took first place in the Provincial Math Olympiad not long ago." Lucy Lu spoke casually, almost offhandedly.
As soon as she said this, everyone's expression changed; when they looked at Evan Lin, their eyes held far more complexity than before.
Lawrence Wang, who had been grinning and ready to say a few more words, suddenly froze. His eyelids drooped, head lowered, and he pursed his lips with a sigh, instantly losing interest in offering any tutoring help.
Even as a university math professor, he knew that competing in a provincial Olympiad was tough—he might not even get a good score if he took the test himself.
Those problems were way too flexible, totally different from orthodox math research or standard exam requirements.
Walking ahead, Molly Su turned her head slightly at that moment to look at Evan Lin. On her usually calm face, a hint of surprise flashed by.
For girls, there's always a bit of extra goodwill toward boys who excel academically.
Walking beside Evan were Lynn Chen and Yolanda Fang. Both glanced at Molly Su, who was now looking over at Evan, and at the same time felt a faint sense of crisis rise in their hearts.
Molly Su didn’t say anything—she just glanced at Evan, then turned her head away.
White Dragon Court was located on a slope beside White Dragon Mountain Resort, atop a high tower that, from the outside, looked almost like a regular mountain TV tower.
But the whole tower was completely sealed off by iron fences and gates.
"When I set up White Dragon Court, it was mainly because the view here is so open, and I personally like quiet places. So I built a private retreat right here."
"Sometimes I come here to relax, invite a few friends for a game of Go, and just enjoy a peaceful life."
Sawyer Summer walked up the solid wood steps of the tower, smiling as he spoke.
So-called 'hand talk' just means playing Go—the classic game of black and white stones on a sixteen-by-sixteen board.
Victor Su, walking beside him, glanced around and saw mountains all around, peaks winding into the distance. He sighed softly: "It really is a place with a broad view. I've always thought that if there were a spot where you could quietly listen to the rain, lower your head and play chess, spending a whole day on a single game, ignoring the outside world—this would truly be an ideal place."
Victor Su and Sawyer Summer were happily chatting, but every so often, they'd exchange a knowing glance and look back at Evan Lin, who was trailing behind the group.
Still, both could tell that Evan probably didn't want to stand out, so they didn't push to chat with him or try to get closer.
There were three hundred thirty-six steps in total. As they climbed, everything around seemed to gradually shrink away.
"It's gorgeous," someone murmured.
"Today really is our lucky day."
"Honestly, this is all thanks to Joy Zheng and Lucy Lu."
The group admired the scenery, but still couldn't help showering Lucy Lu and Joy Zheng with compliments.
At the top of the tower was a room of over thirty square meters. The floor was covered with white plush carpet, and in the middle sat a square table with an unfinished Go game set up on it.
The walls were lined with famous calligraphy and paintings, as well as some finely crafted, but not particularly famous, little art pieces.
Just stepping inside gave you a sense of calm and focus. Not far away, incense smoke curled from a burner—the scent was top-grade sandalwood, relaxing and almost ethereal.
As soon as Sharon Xiao and the others walked in, they looked nervous. The decor wasn't flashy, but there was an invisible pressure that made them hesitate to even sit down.
Sawyer Summer turned to Evan Lin and asked, "Young friend, what do you think of this place?" His eyes showed a hint of pride. "Not only is it perfectly situated between several peaks, but even the height of White Dragon Court was calculated by experts."
"Can you see the mystery behind it?"
This was Sawyer Summer's favorite spot. White Dragon Court was his proudest creation—every detail, from the decor to the placement of even a single chair, had been meticulously arranged by him.
Now, as Sawyer spoke, everyone turned to Evan Lin, waiting for his answer.
Most people didn't expect much from Evan, but they were still curious what he would say.
Victor Su and Molly Su also glanced at Evan Lin.
Evan Lin looked around, walked two steps forward, and stood by the window, gazing toward White Dragon Mountain Resort. After a moment of silence, he spoke quietly: "Dragon raises its head, snake coils its body."
Just six simple words, but everyone else looked completely baffled.
"What does that mean?" Yolanda Fang asked Lynn Chen curiously. Lynn Chen just shook her head.
They understood the individual words, but together, they made no sense to Lynn Chen.
Lynn Chen thought Evan Lin sounded like some kind of mystic or fortune-teller. She even worried that his words might offend Sawyer Summer, since it all sounded like nonsense.
But to everyone's surprise, Sawyer Summer wasn't offended at all. He paused for a moment, then laughed: "Exactly! Dragon raises its head, snake coils its body. White Dragon Court is right at the dragon's mouth. I brought in top feng shui masters to pinpoint this location and this exact height—it took a lot of work."
"I've invited plenty of people here, but you're the first to spot the feng shui layout at a glance."
Sawyer Summer burst out laughing, his face full of praise.
But to everyone else, the conversation was still a mystery. They just chimed in with praise, except for Victor Su, whose eyes flashed with insight as he studied Evan Lin, looking more thoughtful than ever.
"Mystic, huh? Isn't that just sucking up?" Yolanda Fang stuck out her tongue at Evan Lin when no one was looking, making a funny face and silently mocking Sawyer Summer.
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Lucy Lu just smiled and treated it as a joke—she didn't believe in feng shui masters anyway. That was rich people's business; if you made enough money, you always found some fancy hobby.
Either it's feng shui, or religion, or even just tea—people find all sorts of ways to keep themselves busy.
Joy Zheng let out a sigh. She also thought Evan Lin had gone a bit too far, but since neither Sawyer Summer nor Victor Su said anything, no one else dared to comment.
Henry Zhang brought up some snacks from downstairs. In White Dragon Court, Sawyer Summer and Victor Su played a game of Go as the others watched and chatted, making for a harmonious scene.
At night, everyone reluctantly parted ways. They were all assigned rooms in the guesthouse at White Dragon Mountain Resort.
Sawyer Summer stayed until evening, but had to leave for business in River City.
Lucy Lu and Joy Zheng moved into Villa No. 2, to the envy of the others. Villa No. 4 was left empty after Ken Kong left, and was quickly claimed by Yolanda Fang and Lynn Chen.
As for Evan Lin, he simply moved into Villa No. 1.
All four villas had private hot springs, each fed by its own spring and kept at the perfect temperature.
Those staying in the guesthouse could only use the public hot springs.
At 7:30 that night, Yolanda Fang called Evan Lin, her voice sweet as she invited him to join her and Lynn Chen for a soak in the hot springs. Before she finished, Evan hung up on her, earning an exaggerated eye roll from Yolanda.
Later, Yolanda called Evan again, asking what he meant by his words at White Dragon Court, and what Sawyer Summer was really after with that place.
Next to her in the hot spring, Lynn Chen leaned over, curious and listening in.
All they heard on the other end of the line was—
Evan Lin paused for a moment, then quietly replied with four words.
"For peace of mind."