Chapter 897: The Palace-Style Mansion
They arrived in Si Yiyan’s mansion in Moscow at eight in the evening.
The journey was smooth with no obstructions or heavy traffic.
They arrived at their destination safely and there were no accidents along the way at all.
Wen Xinya had long begun to get exhausted as her excitement depleted. She spent most of the seven-hour flight getting intimate with Si Yiyan, after which she dozed off in Si Yiyan’s arms during the two-hour journey back to the mansion.
The dim, yellow light of the street lamps in the city was cast on her face while she slept soundly, making her look alluring and breathtakingly beautiful.
“Ninth Young Master…”
“Hus.h.!.+” Si Yiyan shot her a glance and placed a finger on his lips, hinting for her to stay quiet.
The driver stole a glance at Si Yiyan to see that Wen Xinya was laying in his arms, sound asleep. He hurriedly looked away without hesitation.
The car door was opened.
Si Yiyan carried Wen Xinya in his arms carefully and got ready to alight.
Little did he know, she had already been woken up by the slight movement and her lashes formed a shadow on her face. At this moment, her long lashes resembled a fluttering b.u.t.terfly as she opened her eyes slowly.
Si Yiyan’s heart pounded rapidly.
Wen Xinya asked in a raspy yet pleasant voice, “Are we here already?”
Si Yiyan asked softly, “Yes, we are. Did I wake you up?”
Wen Xinya shook her head, feeling too sluggish to speak.
Si Yiyan carried her out of the car and said, “I’ve already instructed someone to arrange dinner. You can rest after dinner.”
She did not have much to eat along the way and she barely ate any of the Russian specialty snacks as well. Hence, he reckoned that she must have been hungry.
Wen Xinya instantly sobered up at the instant that she saw the architectural building. “Si Yiyan, is this your mansion in Moscow?”
The mansion was about a hundred hectares and it was built in a cla.s.sic baroque style that was a favorite amongst Europeans. It was also a symbol of power and wealth.
The special bit about Baroque-style architecture was that it consisted mostly of expensive and ostentatious building materials. It was a combination of sculptures and paintings, and both the exterior and interior designs were closer to nature. It gave off a dreamy, opulent and posh vibe.
There were two tall white stone pillars in front of the yellow bricked walls and the roof had a crisp, pointed edge. The most eye-catching and captivating part of the mansion was the colorful gla.s.s windows. The vibrant colors, ruby red, gemstone blue, and violet were reminiscent of the Buddhism stories that the Chinese believed in, such as “Suffering To Acquire Dharma”, “The Exorcism Beneath The Bodhi Tree” and “The Debtor Haunting Buddha”. It looked rather religious.
Yellow was the most opulent color in China.
The Baroque-style architecture paired with Chinese opulence exuded a cla.s.sic beauty that was prominent during the times when literature was booming.
Carrying her into the chateau, Si Yiyan asked, “Do you like the architecture here?”
Along the way, Wen Xinya admired the architecture style of the mansion and she absolutely could not take her eyes off them. “They’re so lavish and ostentatious! They always say that only the wealthy and affluent can afford a Baroque, Palace-style house. It does seem to be the case.”
It was practically a palace.
While walking, Si Yiyan introduced the features of the architecture to her.
Wen Xinya burst into laughter and said, “Si Yiyan, Baroque-style architecture is a symbol of wealth. I didn’t expect that you’d be so ostentatious and spend so lavishly here. You’re so attention-seeking.”
Si Yiyan had always been a prideful person and he enjoyed the four arts, namely music, chess, literature, and painting. He also had a penchant for poems, wine, and tea. He ought to be a refined gentleman. However, she felt that Si Yiyan was a little superficial after the knowledge she gained today.
Si Yiyan smiled and said, “Russian architecture embodies all the special characteristics of each country, and it only formed a unique style of its own in the 17th century. It had also gradually weaved into the new architecture, and most of the architecture in Moscow is Baroque-style.”
Wen Xinya burst into laughter, amused by how Si Yiyan beat around the bush for so long just to prove his point. He was just trying to say that he was living like a Roman when in Rome. Pointing at one of the sculptures, she exclaimed, “That’s the story of Buddha cutting his flesh to feed the eagles, right!?!”
Such sculptures were rampant in Russia because of the Russians’ penchant for sculpted architecture.
Si Yiyan burst into laughter. This was the only story that had spread across the world and was well known by everyone.
At this moment, Wen Xinya kept her eyes fixed on the window and Si Yiyan looked in the direction that she was facing, only to see the story of “Asura Listens To Dharma” written on the window.
Wen Xinya suddenly said, “Legend has it that Asura feels emotions and l.u.s.t like a normal human does, but he can still possess incredible power. However, he has good karma but no virtues and hence, sunk into the Devil’s path which made him become menacing. Although he listens to Buddhist teachings all day, he has never done a good deed. Do you think… that sounds like you?”
Asura is one of the eight guardian dragons of Buddha. He abides strictly by Buddhism but has never done any kind deeds.
Si Yiyan gazed at her, seemingly thinking about something. A while later, he asked, “Look how hideous Asura is in that Buddhist sculpture, do you really think I look like him?”
Wen Xinya snorted with laughter and said, “It has nine heads, a thousand eyes, eight limbs, and it towers over the seas and mountains. It breathes fire and is always naked. Hahaha…”
It was the most commonly known image of Asura.
It is often said in Buddhist scriptures the male Asura is hideous while female Asura is beautiful. Sakra has once had a huge battle and feud with Asura because he stole the female Asura.
Si Yiyan answered, “I heard that Asuras are very l.u.s.tful, and he even declared war with Sakra because he was jealous of Sakra’s wine and women.”
Does he look very l.u.s.tful?
Wen Xinya laughed and said, “Hmm, that resembles you.”
Si Yiyan was the most lecherous person on earth, even though he was only l.u.s.tful towards her.
Si Yiyan walked into the living room that was simple and cla.s.sy, a stark contrast to the opulence of the architecture outside. It was a visual stimulation which somehow did not seem too abrupt. That was probably one of the specialties of Russian architecture.
After pa.s.sing through the living room, they arrived at a five-meter-long open concept dining hall where polished black gla.s.s tables glistened under the large hanging lamps.
Everything made Wen Xinya gasp in shock!
That was real wealth!
A man stood beside them playing the violin with his eyes closed. The melodious music from the violin sounded in the living room, making the ambiance feel graceful and pleasant.
Servants stood in single files on both sides of the dining tables, most of whom were Chinese with only a few Russians. They were dressed in black s.h.i.+rts and black skirts, a cla.s.sic ensemble that made them look neat and presentable.
Si Yiyan pulled Wen Xinya’s chair for her like a true gentleman.
They both got onto their seats.
One of the butlers clapped his hands gently, after which some chefs exited, clad in white chef’s uniforms and tall chef hats. They entered the dining hall with finesse, carrying some Russian delicacies in hand.
One of the servants stepped forward to try every dish before saying politely, “Young Master, Miss, please enjoy the meal!”
To Wen Xinya’s knowledge, food-tasting by servants only took place in ancient royal palaces. To her surprise, such a system existed in Si Yiyan’s mansion as well. She began to feel a little upset as she wondered to herself if Si Yiyan had been living a dangerous life in Russia.