The east wing had a terrace on top, with no tall buildings nearby, offering a vast view.
Cheng You loved the place the moment she walked in.
Qi Chengyan and his group walked over.
Sun Xiaowan asked curiously, "Did you rent out that small courtyard?"
Qi Chengyan shook his head, "No."
The main house and the east and west wings were locked, untouched.
Only the small courtyard was unlocked.
So the question was, how did those people get in from the main gate?
Cheng You said, "They broke in illegally, let's call the police."
Rather than dealing with a lot of trouble herself, it was better to let the police handle it.
Qi Chengyan nodded, agreeing with her.
Song Jingtang hesitated, "Shouldn't we wait for them to return before deciding?"
"No need, just call the police."
Song Jingtang agreed and went out to report the incident.
There was a police station just down the street, so the治安 in the area was famously good.
While he was out, Qi Chengyan unlocked the doors to the various rooms.
"These are just the rooms Grandma lived in. They contain some old belongings and have been left as they were."
Cheng You glanced inside; everything was neatly organized.
"Let's leave them as they are. We can tidy up inside when we have time, and pay our respects to Grandma."
Qi Chengyan thought the same, and closed the doors again.
Before long, the people from the small courtyard returned.
A woman came in and, taking charge, questioned them, "Who are you? How did you get in!"
Sun Xiaowan scoffed, and in her peripheral vision, saw Song Jingtang returning with the police.
"You can tell that to the police."
The woman panicked. She had only asked two questions, why call the police?
Qi Chengyan presented the property ownership documents.
"I've been in the countryside for the past two years. When I returned, I found people living in the house. This is the house my grandmother left me, and it contains many valuable items. I hope you can help us deal with this."
The police verified the documents and, finding them in order, approached the woman.
"What is your name, and how did you get in here?"
The woman said in a hurry, "This house belongs to my nephew. We came to Yan City to join him, and he's temporarily arranged for us to stay here."
"Your nephew? Is it him?" he pointed at Qi Chengyan.
The woman shook her head, she didn't even know Qi Chengyan.
The police explained, "This house you're currently staying in belongs to him. Your current actions constitute illegal trespassing. Besides you, who else is there?"
The woman seemed unsure if she understood, her lips moved, but she said nothing.
A moment later, a creaking sound was heard, and a man emerged from the courtyard.
"Mom, is there any food? I'm starving!"
He looked like he had just woken up, his eyes blurry, and only then did he see so many people in the yard.
"Mom..."
The woman's face turned ashen. She didn't know what was happening.
"Officers, it's really my nephew who arranged for me to be here. If this yard wasn't my nephew's, how would he have the key?"
Cheng You asked, "What is your nephew's name?"
"Zhou Qi."
Qi Chengyan and his group suddenly understood. So it was him.
Seeing their expressions, the woman realized these people must know Zhou Qi.
"Daughter, you know Ah Qi, right? For Ah Qi's sake, let's talk this over privately, no need to involve the police."
Not just her, but the two police officers also felt it wasn't necessary to escalate the matter.
Cheng You smiled, "We do know Zhou Qi, but we're not close, and we don't know where he got the key. How about this: you move out quickly, and we won't pursue it."
The mother and son wanted to settle it privately, but clearly didn't want to move.
"You're telling us to move out right away. Where can we go on such short notice?" the woman said with a troubled look.
She and her son had finally found a place to stay, and after such a short time, they were being told to leave.
Cheng You said, "This is my home, not a shelter. Please understand. If you don't know where to go, go find your nephew Zhou Qi, instead of trying to stay here."
The police nodded, "That's right. We've already verified the owner's information. The owner's name is Qi Chengyan, and he has no relation to your nephew Zhou Qi."
"Qi Chengyan!" The woman clearly knew him.
She stared at him, wide-eyed, and said urgently, "Then why don't you know me? I'm Zhou Qi's aunt! We're all relatives, you're too heartless."
Sun Xiaowan retorted unceremoniously, "You just said yourself that you are Zhou Qi's aunt. What does that have to do with Brother Chengyan? Your Zhou family is named Zhou, do you have any self-awareness?"
The woman's face turned green and white. She wanted to try and build a connection with Qi Chengyan, but then heard Cheng You speak.
"Don't bother with emotional appeals, it's annoying. If you ask around a bit, you'll know our relationship with Zhou Qi isn't good. Either move out, or let the police handle it officially. You need to make a decision now."
The woman was about to plead further when she heard the young man beside her say, "Move! Can we move out tomorrow?"
Cheng You nodded slightly, "As soon as possible. This place is close to the police station. Moving out yourself is more dignified than being forced out."
The young man looked wronged.
This woman had an angelic face but a wicked heart.
He wiped his face forcefully and gritted his teeth, "We understand!"
After resolving the matter, Qi Chengyan escorted the police out and decided to have the locks replaced.
He had almost forgotten that his mother also had a key to this courtyard.
Sun Xiaowan was still indignant, "That's too shameless. It's not his house, yet he dares to bring people to live here!"
Duan Liping pulled her, "Stop talking."
Everyone knew a little about Qi Chengyan's family situation.
His biological children didn't care for him, yet he cared for his adopted son. It seemed bizarre.
Cheng You glanced at the main house. There was a bedroom here, with an en-suite bathroom and a small walk-in closet.
The room had a canopy bed, which looked very retro.
Cheng You had never seen such a bed before and couldn't help but touch it.
Sun Xiaowan exclaimed, "I've only heard of canopy beds, this is my first time seeing one."
It was understated yet luxurious, clearly expensive.
Song Jingtang chuckled, "Qi's grandmother's maiden family had deep roots and was very wealthy. This canopy bed is made with mortise and tenon joints, using over a thousand such joints, without a single nail, and made of pure golden nanmu wood. You won't find anything like it elsewhere."
He had even slept on it when he was young.
Cheng You was stunned by his words, it sounded very valuable.
"You've made me afraid to sleep on it."
Qi Chengyan smiled, "Don't listen to his nonsense, it's just a bed."
Cheng You looked inside. There were dressing tables on both sides, carved with intricate patterns.
Sun Xiaowan leaned against the doorway, looking somewhat envious.
"My house isn't even as big as your courtyard."
In such a central location in Yan City, even with money, it was hard to buy such a large courtyard.
Cheng You said, "Then would you like to come and stay for a couple of days? There are plenty of rooms, you can tidy them up yourself."