Chapter 778
4
Zachary finished cleaning the stove, rinsed the cloth, and then washed his hands again. He turned to Serenity, stopping in front of her. Cradling her face in his large hands, he pinched her cheeks lightly a few times before saying,
smiling, “I told you, you should go only if you want to. If you don’t, then you don’t have to. I’m fine either way.”
Serenity took his hand, walked with him to the balcony, and sat down on the swing.
Leaning against his shoulder, they gazed out at the city lights together.
“When all the houses below are lit up, the huge building across from us goes dark. Everyone must have gone home for New Year’s,” she observed.
“Tomorrow morning, we’re heading back to the old residence. I’ve already informed Nana, and a room is ready for us,” Zachary replied.
With his arm around her shoulders, their heads rested against each other.
In that moment, they felt warmth and sweetness enveloping them.
“Seren, our old York family residence is quite old. I hope you won’t mind it when you visit.”
“How old is it? Is it a clay tile house or a thatched cottage?”
Zachary chuckled, “It’s not that bad. It’s just the old residence left by the York ancestors. While it’s maintained each year, it’s clearly an older place. And we all live together there—I think I’ve mentioned this to you before.”
“How big is the old family residence?”
“Our ancestors started their business in the 1900s and made a small fortune, so the old residence covers quite a large area. It was considered luxurious back then. Each family unit has its own wing, though they’re all connected. We enter and exit through the main entrance.”
“Is it like a mansion?”
“Yeah.”
“Your old family residence was built in the 1900s and is still livable? It must be well maintained.”
Zachary chuckled. “You don’t think we’re so poor that we can’t afford to build new houses, which is why we all still live in the old residence left to us by our ancestors?”
Since their grandparents’ generation, the family had moved out of Whitmore Mansion and constructed Wildridge Manor. To the younger generation, Wildridge Manor was regarded as their old family residence, as all the cousins lived in their own villas and only returned to Wildridge Manor during the holidays.
“You can afford a villa and even paid for our current place in cash. How could you possibly be poor enough to not build another house? The older generation probably stays there out of nostalgia.”
Zachary smiled. “My wife is very perceptive. That’s correct. Especially Nana—when she married into the York family, she moved straight into Whitmore Mansion, making her sentimental about the place. She didn’t want to leave, so everyone has to chip in with money and effort every year to maintain it and stop it from falling apart.”
“The older generation is like that,” Serenity replied, understanding.
“Look, Nana came to stay with us for just a few days before she rushed back home. She isn’t used to it.”
“To us, living here is wonderful, but Nana believes the old residence is better. There’s a saying: one’s own shack is better than someone else’s mansion.”
Zachary scoffed inwardly. Nana had hurried back home to avoid Mrs. Stone revealing their identities.
“Zachary, can we go for a walk? We’ve been married for a while, but we’ve never held hands and strolled down the street like other couples. Most people have gone home for the holidays, so it should be less crowded.”
There are fewer people and cars on the streets now, making it quieter as well.” Zachary said affectionately, “I will support you and stand by your side, no matter what you choose to do.” He stood up, gently pulling her with him. “I’ll grab you a jacket from the room; it gets colder at night.”
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