Chapter 16: Settling down in this new life

That afternoon, a plain and unassuming van entered the village, eventually turning into the spacious yard of the large homestead where Lin Feng was staying.

At that moment, Lin Feng was standing in the attic.

A glass window had been built into the sloping ceiling, allowing sunlight and fresh air to filter into the room. He had pushed it open and was quietly leaning closer to admire the view outside.

The boy’s amber eyes rested on a pair of birds that had landed on the roof near him.

The two little birds tilted their heads from side to side, curiously staring at him as though they were wondering just who this strange boy was.

Lin Feng watched them in silence.

It was such an adorable sight that the boy’s eyes curved up into a gentle smile.

Housekeeper Yang stood quietly by the doorway, watching the boy who seemed to emanate a warm, almost ethereal glow.

For a moment, he was reluctant to disturb the peaceful scene.

However, the sight of the boy’s ill-fitting clothes was becoming increasingly distressing. No matter how beautiful the young master’s appearance was, wearing clothes that were clearly too large and unsuitable for him simply wouldn’t do.

After hesitating for a moment, Housekeeper Yang finally spoke in a gentle voice.

"Young Master Lin Feng."

The boy’s attention shifted toward him.

"The designer and the clothes have arrived. They’re waiting for you downstairs. You can take a look and choose whatever you’d like to wear during your stay here."

After a brief pause, Lin Feng looked down at the clothes he was wearing. They were clearly loose on him and had originally belonged to someone else.

He nodded in agreement.

The two of them then went downstairs.

The moment Lin Feng stepped into the living room, his eyes widened slightly.

He couldn’t help it.

Earlier, before he had gone upstairs, the living room had still been spacious and relatively empty. Now, however, row after row of clothing racks filled the entire room, each one packed with various kinds of men’s clothing.

There were trousers, shirts, sweaters, coats, jackets, and even suits.

It looked as though an entire clothing store had been moved directly into the living room.

Lin Feng stared at the sight for a moment before turning toward Housekeeper Yang, a silent question in his amber eyes.

Housekeeper Yang immediately understood.

He gently guided the boy toward the sofa before introducing him to the designer and her group of assistants.

"Young Master Lin Feng, this is Designer Lan. She is the one responsible for designing and making Master Hou’s everyday clothes."

After exchanging greetings, Designer Lan finally showed her true colors.

She stared at Lin Feng with a face filled with excitement.

"What beautiful eyes, hazel with vivid amber hue, but not an ordinary amber. They have the warmth of molten honey, with a little gold flecks."

Her gaze moved to his soft hair, then his fair skin and naturally rosy lips. "Hoho, this naturally pale hair color is rare, such a delicate shade against your skin. How beautiful!"

She slowly circled Lin Feng, studying him like an exquisite piece of art.

Lin Feng:... O.O

Somehow, he felt like a little fluffy chick being surrounded by an excited cobra.

"Your features are incredibly delicate, and your soft aura makes people feel a sense of fragility. Soft silky hair, that glowing skin, those warm amber eyes, and rosy lips..." She giggled and burst out laughing. "You don’t need clothes to make you look good. Even if you wear rags, people will line up to you."

Designer Lan suddenly looked toward the racks of clothing, her eyes practically shining.

"Now I understand why Master Hou assigned this to me." She clasped her hands together excitedly. "We can’t simply dress you in ordinary casual wear. That would be a waste of such a beautiful canvas. I need to build the entire palette around you."

The woman immediately went into full battle mode, diving into the sea of clothes and pulling out one piece after another, tossing them onto the empty sofa without hesitation. Shirts, trousers, jackets, and coats quickly piled up until the sofa was almost completely buried beneath the growing mountain of clothes.

Lin Feng couldn’t help but take a cautious and fearful step back, staring at the chaos with uncertainty before glancing at Housekeeper Yang, who remained calmly standing beside him.

Sensing the boy’s unease, Housekeeper Yang smiled reassuringly. "Designer Lan may be a little too energetic when it comes to her work, but she is one of Master Hou’s most trusted subordinates. She definitely won’t harm you."

Lin Feng nodded slowly, though his eyes remained fixed on the woman currently rummaging through another rack as though she were preparing for battle.

In his previous life as Madame Lin, he had naturally dealt with plenty of shopkeepers and tailors while shopping for clothes. However, most of those people had always been respectful and restrained in his presence. That was why Designer Lan’s sudden bursts of fiery enthusiasm were somewhat shocking to him.

Once again, Lin Feng couldn’t help but think that this era was indeed very different. In this era, designers like Designer Lan, as well as those who frequently immersed themselves in the arts, seemed to have much more freedom to act a little... abstract, as modern people would put it.

To Lin Feng, this was another strange but fascinating aspect of the modern world.

The next few hours passed in a whirlwind of activity for Lin Feng.

Unable to resist Designer Lan’s passionate persuasion, he was dragged into changing from one outfit to another, endlessly matching different pieces together—hats, trousers, coats, and even accessories, all paired with different shoes.

Yes, Designer Lan had even brought an astonishing number of shoes, clearly intending to take care of every aspect of his wardrobe.

By the time Lin Feng realized what was happening, he had already changed so many times that he had begun to wonder whether the woman intended to dress him for every possible occasion in his life.

Finally, three hours later, just as the sun was sinking completely below the horizon, Designer Lan finally emerged from her passionate state.

Lin Feng could not help but limply sit onto the sofa, feeling as though every last ounce of his energy had been drained from his body.

For the first time, he felt a little sympathy for the models he had occasionally seen on television. He had always thought they merely needed to stand there and wear beautiful clothes.

Now, after experiencing it himself, Lin Feng realized that their job was clearly not as easy as it appeared.

Before leaving, Designer Lan leaned down and planted an affectionate kiss on the exhausted boy’s cheek, a thick notebook tucked securely beneath her arm. The notebook was filled with all kinds of sketches she had drawn throughout the day, each one inspired by Lin Feng.

"My dear Lin Feng, I’m practically overflowing with inspiration!" she exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to choose only the best designs for you. Once I’ve finished them all, I’ll come right back and let you be the first to wear my creations! After all, you’re the muse of these designs!"

After the van carrying the high-energy designer and her assistants finally sped away, Lin Feng was at last able to eat dinner. However, even while eating, he was visibly drained of energy after the exhausting ordeal.

Housekeeper Yang watched him with sympathy. He himself could never keep up with Designer Lan’s boundless energy, and even Master Hou would usually do his best to minimize her home visits when it came to his wardrobe.

Thus, Lin Feng’s first day in Bego Village finally came to an end.

That night, the boy fell into a deep sleep the moment his head touched the pillow, no longer having the energy to think about anything else.

.....

....

It had been three days since Lin Feng arrived in this idyllic village.

During these few days, he spent most of his time familiarizing himself with the technology and conveniences he had only known through his memories. He would quietly turn on the television and watch whatever shows happened to be playing. At times, he would suddenly wander into the kitchen and insist on trying his hand at cooking simple dishes, much to the chef’s worried dismay.

He wanted to experience everything for himself—the satisfying click of the refrigerator door opening, the controls of the oven, the strange workings of the electric dough mixer. Even the dishwasher fascinated him. Lin Feng would occasionally stand beside the servants and curiously imitate the way they operated it, marveling at how such a seemingly simple machine could wash and dry an entire collection of dishes by itself.

It was all so wondrous.

Of course, Lin Feng was not completely clueless. He already possessed the memories of this modern world, so he understood the basic functions of most of these devices. Still, knowing something from memories and experiencing it with his own hands were two entirely different things.

After three days of tinkering with various electronic devices and familiarizing himself with the conveniences of his new life, Lin Feng finally began to settle down.

Lin Feng realized that he might have an innate love for cooking, likely because when he was still the virtuous Madam Lin, he had learned various recipes and tinkered in the kitchen in previous life.

Whatever the reason, Lin Feng sometimes found himself wandering into the kitchen in the afternoons, looking up recipes and trying his hand at baking desserts.

Yesterday, he had attempted chocolate chip cookies. For his first try, they had turned out surprisingly perfect.

Today, he decided to make a strawberry shortcake.

The first attempt was too dry. The second was undercooked. But on his third try, everything finally came together.

Satisfied, Lin Feng spent nearly an hour carefully decorating the cake with clouds of whipped cream and fresh strawberries, taking far more care with its appearance than he probably needed to.

Once he was finished, he carried a slice to one of his favorite places in the house—the sunroom.

Wearing an off-white romanesque-style loose shirt and pants that draped beautifully on his body with brown angular patterns on the hems and collar lining, Lin Feng settled comfortably into the seat with the strawberry shortcake and a cup of hot tea, leisurely savoring each bite as he gazed through the windows.

Outside, spring was quietly announcing its arrival. Tiny flower buds had begun to emerge, dotting the lush green hedges scattered throughout the garden with delicate hints of color.

Lin Feng took another sip of tea, his soft amber gaze lingering peacefully on the garden.

His entire demeanor was relaxed and languid, as though nothing in the world could disturb him.

For the first time since arriving in this strange new world, he felt as though he had truly begun to settle into his new life.