Chapter 660

Lily Waters and Lotus Waters blinked their innocent eyes. Though they didn't understand the adults' conversation, they stood obediently nearby, tiny hands clutching the hems of their clothes.

Alexander Hamilton suddenly asked, "Is this the only road for driving here?"

Lily answered brightly, "This is the safest one. Last time a city car tried taking shortcuts and got stuck in the mud. The whole village came to push it out."

Alexander's brow furrowed as he imagined his luxury SUV trapped in quagmire.

"Is this road easy to find?" He swiped at the navigation screen.

Lily tilted her head. "Our villagers could walk it blindfolded, but outsiders..." She pointed at the tangled routes on the GPS, "Without a guide, they can't even find the pond."

Evelyn Carter smiled at the clever girl and opened the car door. "Take us to your home."

Lily grabbed her brother's hand and hopped out. "Follow me! There's a bridge ahead!"

The adults followed the children, leaving the car parked casually by the roadside. Time itself seemed to move slower in this secluded village.

The so-called bridge was just a few precarious wooden planks barely secured to stone piers with hemp ropes. The children skipped across effortlessly, then turned to see the adults frozen in place.

Evelyn took a deep breath and stepped cautiously onto the planks. Alexander followed closely, his arm hovering protectively near her side.

"Don't be scared, Dr. Carter!" Lily's eyes sparkled. "I'll have Dad bring the boat!"

"No need!" Evelyn gritted her teeth and quickened her pace, practically running the last few steps.

Alexander's heart pounded until his feet finally met solid stone. The village was even more primitive than he'd imagined. His gaze swept the surroundings with complex emotions while Evelyn smiled and nodded at curious villagers.

"That must be Dr. Carter and Mr. Hamilton!"

"What a perfect match!"

"Perfect? They're already married..."

Alexander cleared his throat. "Just call me Alexander."

Lily urgently tugged Evelyn's sleeve. "Today they're our guests!" She then dragged her brother toward home, determined not to let another family intercept them.

Their house faced the pond, with dried chili peppers hanging in the fenced yard. Lily called toward the water, "Mom! Our guests are here!"

A weary-faced woman hurriedly dried her hands. "Dr. Carter, Mr. Hamilton, Lily talks about you every day..." She fumbled with boiling cups. "We don't have tea, just dried lotus seeds."

Evelyn cradled the rough ceramic cup, the lotus fragrance soothing. The woman brought a basket of fresh lotus pods. "Just picked, very sweet."

Alexander peeled one with interest. The woman pointed to straw weavings by the window. "My husband's handy with crafts." Her voice softened. "But nowadays...few buyers come."

Lily pouted. "The market hardly has any outsiders anymore."