Young widow in her boudoir

Xie Rutang hesitated.

It was an open-air teahouse, and with the streets bustling with people, the man's request wasn't unreasonable. She was also genuinely longing for that place that housed the finest writing implements, and besides, Li Guan didn't know her identity. So Xie Rutang readily agreed.

The two moved to a bamboo table outside the teahouse and sat down one after the other. The bamboo stools were simple and rustic, facing the street, but they had a unique elegance.

The waiter, with his sharp eyes, recognized Li Guan at a glance. "Is this distinguished guest the usual?"

Xie Rutang was slightly taken aback, and quietly looked up at Li Guan beside her. It turned out that he was a frequent visitor to this place, and even knew the teahouse waiter well.

Li Guan didn't look at her. His refined manner extended even to the waiter, and he said gently, "The usual."

"Okay."

Before long, the tea was served.

The teaware used in the roadside teahouse was also simple, consisting of coarse porcelain bowls fired in folk kilns. However, the three-legged clay stove that the waiter brought to Li Guan was special. Xie Rutang had never seen it before. In the Shen family, she used purple clay teapots, gold and silver teapots, and agate teapots.

Li Guan poured Xie Rutang a bowl of tea, held it in his long, slender fingers, and handed it to her.

Xie Rutang then noticed a hideous scar on the back of his hand, a wound that had been extremely deep years ago. Yet, he himself appeared refined and elegant, exuding the air of a scholar.

Xie Rutang picked up the rough porcelain bowl with a small crack on the rim, took a few sips, and her eyes lit up slightly. The tea soup was dark in color and looked like ordinary coarse tea, which was unremarkable at first glance.

Once the tea enters the throat, the taste is completely different, mellow yet rich.

A slight tremor ran through her as she looked at Li Guan across from her. "What kind of tea is this?"

At first, she was quite disgusted with it, but she didn't expect it to taste so good, with a lingering sweetness.

Li Guan gently put down his teacup, a rare smile appearing on his gloomy face. "This is wild tea grown in my family's fields. Although it looks simple, its taste is no worse than the tea from the capital."

"I used to frequent this teahouse, always bringing my own tea leaves. Over time, the waiter started to recognize me."

Xie Rutang was even more surprised, her almond-shaped eyes curving slightly, "So wild mountain tea has such a taste."

Chen Fu was standing beside him when his eyelids suddenly twitched.

Of course this tea is delicious! It's Tiger Hill tea, a tribute from Suzhou to the imperial palace every year. The tribute quota is small, just one ounce is worth tens of gold coins. How could such an expensive and luxurious tea not be delicious?!

However, Xie Rutang thought he was drinking a cup of coarse tea from the common people, which was a complete waste!

Xie Rutang also noticed that the men were very particular about drinking tea, not at all vulgar, but rather pleasing to the eye. Their manners were not like those of scions of noble families who deliberately cultivated etiquette; they were both elegant and unconventional, as if they were looking at a landscape painting with a light and sparse brushstroke.

Xie Rutang's gaze fell on his hands with their distinct knuckles and calluses on his palms. She suddenly remembered that these hands had just saved her and the burning sensation of them encircling her slender waist.

Suddenly, an image flashed through her mind, and the feeling was exactly like when she was in the main hall of the temple, behind the curtain, the monks' fingertips gently and lightly stroking her wrist.

She remembered that there was also a hideous sword mark on the man's tiger's mouth.

Her pupils contracted slightly, and she frowned tightly, trying to banish the strange feeling from her mind.

There are plenty of people in this world with scars on their tiger's mouth; she must be overthinking it.

Xie Rutang picked up a peanut, his gaze lingering, finding the way he brewed tea exceptionally beautiful.

Fearing that Li Guan would discover she was spying on him, Xie Rutang quickly looked away.

After drinking two bowls, she couldn't help but ask, "Young master, you mentioned earlier that there's a place where fine writing implements are kept. May I ask where that is?"

She remained wary of him, thinking she should finish her drink quickly and leave.

Li Guan did not answer immediately. He slowly took a sip of tea before putting down the coarse teacup, still smiling. "Walk two more alleys ahead, and there's an old shop that specializes in Huangshan pine soot ink."

Li Guan exudes a cold and stern aura when he's not smiling. This is the first time Chen Fu has ever seen him so gentle with a woman. After meeting Xie Shi today, His Highness has smiled countless times! If the Crown Princess finds out, what will become of her?

Li Guan stroked the rough teacup with his fingertip. "That was the former residence of an old gentleman. He was skilled at making inkstones and rarely saw outsiders. Even when he had a masterpiece, he would only entrust it to someone he knew well. I had met him a few times, so I was able to introduce him to him."

"Just choose a date to go, there's no need to announce your name, I'll let him know in advance."

Xie Rutang breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, stood up and gave him a slight curtsy, her waist bending slightly into the most graceful arc, the worn skirt concealing her plumpness. "Thank you."

"It's getting late, I should go back now."

Li Guan sat there, not getting up to see her off, watching her dress rustle and her steps light and slow as she walked out of the teahouse.

Once she boarded the carriage by the roadside and the soft silk curtains fell, Xie Rutang vaguely remembered that she and he had sat together drinking tea and having a heartfelt conversation, but in her haste, she had forgotten to ask his name.

After the woman left, Chen Fufang stepped forward and whispered, "Your Highness, Madam Shen has already boarded her carriage and left."

The wisps of tea smoke were still lingering. The smile on Li Guan's lips slowly faded, and his face returned to its gloomy and indifferent state. He sat there and finished the rest of his tea alone.

He sipped this last cup very slowly, savoring it carefully. As Li Guan drank the tea, he thought of Xie Rutang's gentle, obedient, and graceful figure as she walked into the long street.

With a soft thud, the teacup was set down.

Li Guan rested his hands flat on his knees, his eyes dark and deep.

He unconsciously raised his hand and stroked the old scar on the web of his hand. Years ago, this knife had almost broken his bones, and he was bleeding to the point of death, but he hadn't thought much about it. Today, after only a cup of tea with her, his mind was in turmoil. Li Guan sneered coldly to himself.

Although he was married, he realized after meeting Xie Rutang today that a married woman could be so charming and graceful. Xie Rutang's slender waist was bound by a silk ribbon, and her hips swayed gracefully as she walked, her skirt exuding a subtle fragrance.

Although Xie Rutang is the daughter-in-law of the Shen family, her gentle and kind eyes make her unforgettable.

"Take it."

After a moment, Li Guan spoke, his voice returning to its usual calm.

The waiter hurried over to clear away the teacups, the rough porcelain clinking softly, but the man's original spot was nowhere to be seen.

……

Tonight, Madam Pei brought Miss Su over again to speak with Madam Shen.

Pei Zhiheng returned from the government office and was summoned by his two mothers when he saw Su Yao, whom he had met during the day, sitting in the room. Su Yao had changed her clothes tonight; the light pink dress made her face look radiant and perfectly complemented her complexion, making her appear translucent.

Pei Zhiheng glanced at her, his face hardening, and immediately understood his mother's intentions—she was forcing him into marriage.

Pei Zhiheng took off his cloak, and a maid immediately stepped forward to take it from him. It was covered with his pine syrup fragrance, and the maid blushed slightly when she smelled it.

Madam Shen smiled and said, "Yuanzhi has arrived."

She was adept at playing dumb, pretending that nothing had happened between Pei Zhiheng and her daughter-in-law. Although she knew she was being unfair to Pei's mother, she still had to take advantage of her close friend.

After Pei Zhiheng sat down, his mother had already been complaining about his absence from home for the past few days. Moreover, how could someone so old still be unmarried? Wasn't this delaying a young woman's life?

If this drags on any longer, Su Yao will become an old maid!

Su Yao is beautiful and sensible. Wouldn't it be great if she got married and gave him a few big, healthy sons?

So Pei's mother got straight to the point: "You're going home tomorrow, it's time to get engaged to Yao Niang."