Following Xiao Shu's example, I held my breath, closed my eyes, and jumped. For a second or two, I felt as if I were flying, my arms and legs swinging freely, the wind roaring past my ears like a bird soaring in the sky. Suddenly, splash! Water sprayed everywhere. Cool droplets instantly coated my hands, forehead, and neck. Another second, and I was submerged, the icy chill shocking my entire body into an involuntary shiver.

Opening my eyes, I found myself surrounded by clear lake water. Water weeds, small fish, and tiny shrimp swam about freely on the lakebed. Looking up, a brilliant, dazzling sun was mirrored on the surface, yet it wasn't blinding at all.

Xiao Shu had jumped in first and was treading water nearby, waiting for me. Seeing that I had followed, he swam over and made a gesture, motioning for me to continue swimming straight ahead.

Following the direction of his extended finger, I saw a villa standing upside down in the water, perfectly connected root to root with the villa on the islet, identical to it—like the reflection of that structure on the water. At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me; reflections were supposed to be a phenomenon of light refraction visible only from the shore, not underwater. Instinctively, I reached up to rub my eyes. Xiao Shu immediately grabbed my hand before it touched my face, shook his head, signaling me not to rub my eyes while underwater, and led me toward the submerged villa.

As we gradually approached the structure, I realized it wasn't a mere reflection. It was genuinely a villa standing inverted beneath the water, an exact counterpart to the one rooted on the islet above us, facing it, perfectly upside down.

We quickly reached the front of the building. Xiao Shu dove down to the side of the door and pressed a doorbell. The door opened automatically. I was intensely curious about the interior of this inverted house—would we also have to turn ourselves upside down to use the facilities normally?

It turned out my worries were excessive. Xiao Shu walked straight inside, and I followed him, swimming to the threshold first, then planting both feet on the floorboards.

That was when the magic happened. Everything in the entrance hall was indistinguishable from a normal house. There was no sign of the algae, small fish, or crabs I expected from something submerged. Stepping over the threshold, the interior was completely dry and clean, with no trace of water, not even on Xiao Shu or me. It was as if an invisible barrier lay upon the sill, completely separating this space from the lake.

The air inside was clear, faintly scented with blooming flowers. An old woman approached us, carrying two pairs of slippers, handing one pair to each of us. I thanked her, slipped the shoes on, and had a distinct feeling I had seen her face somewhere before, though I couldn't place it immediately.

Xiao Shu slowly changed into his slippers, offering the old woman a brief nod and a smile. Then he took my hand and led me toward the study.

Although the exterior of this villa was identical to the one belonging to Li Xiaohao on the islet, the interior was entirely different. It lacked ornate decoration; furniture and furnishings were starkly simple. Rooms connected sequentially; there were no grand corridors, just a straight line of doors arranged one after another. I counted about a dozen of them.

Xiao Shu pushed open one of the doors and guided me inside. Good heavens! Beyond the door was a colossal library, stretching perhaps ten meters high from the floor to the ceiling. Entire walls were lined with towering bookshelves, packed tight with volumes. In the center of the room stood a rolling ladder designed to reach any height.

Possessing such a magnificent repository, anyone would feel immensely self-assured. It was no wonder Xiao Shu always performed so brilliantly at school.