Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Lin Family Tea Party
The Lin family's invitation was edged with gold and was made of thick paper, as heavy as a small wooden board.
Cheng Yin held the envelope in her hand and examined it repeatedly. The words "To be opened by Ms. Cheng Yin" on the envelope were written in bold calligraphy, the ink still fragrant.
"Was this sent by Lin Shirong?" Li Yaodong leaned against the door frame, waving another identical invitation in his hand.
Cheng Yin nodded: "I left it at the hotel reception this morning."
Li Yaodong walked in, holding the invitation between two fingers as if it were a suspicious object. "Old Master Lin rarely invites outsiders to tea parties." He paused, "It seems he values you highly."
Cheng Yin placed the invitation back on the coffee table: "Should we go?"
"Of course." Li Yaodong sat down opposite her. "Old Master Lin is highly respected in Macau; his tea parties are not open to just anyone."
Cheng Yin noticed that Li Yaodong frowned slightly when he said this, as if he was recalling some unpleasant past events.
Sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains, illuminating two side-by-side invitations, the gold lettering reflecting a blinding light.
"Is there anything I need to prepare?" Cheng Yin asked.
Li Yaodong shook his head: "Just dress appropriately." He glanced at his watch. "I'll pick you up at three in the afternoon."
After Li Yaodong left, Cheng Yin opened the wardrobe.
Since we parted last night, Cici has vanished as if she's disappeared from the face of the earth; she doesn't reply to messages or answer phone calls.
At 2:50 p.m. sharp, Li Yaodong knocked on the door. He was unusually dressed in a dark blue Zhongshan suit with a jade brooch on his collar, looking like a noble young man who had stepped out of an old photograph from the Republic of China era.
"Here you go." He handed over a paper bag. "Change into this."
Cheng Yin opened the paper bag, inside was a moon-white silk cheongsam, embroidered with pale blue orchids, its texture as soft as water.
"Is this appropriate?" Cheng Yin walked out of the bedroom.
Li Yaodong was fiddling with his cufflinks when he heard the sound. He looked up and paused noticeably. His gaze swept from Cheng Yin's hair to her toes, his Adam's apple bobbing: "Hmm."
As the elevator descended, Li Yaodong gently put his arm around her waist. "Old Master Lin likes things to be proper," he said. "You're a man of few words, so don't worry about you."
Cheng Yin nodded.
The Lin residence is a three-courtyard building that blends Chinese and Western architectural styles, with red brick walls, carved iron gates, and a pair of stone lions at the entrance worn smooth by time. The butler led them through the corridors, where there were artificial hills and flowing water in the courtyard, and several elderly men in long gowns were playing chess in the pavilion.
"Brother Dong!" Lin Shirong came out from the main hall, dressed in a dark blue long gown, with a string of small-leaf sandalwood prayer beads wrapped around his wrist. His eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses lit up when he saw Cheng Yin. "Miss Cheng, welcome."
"Mr. Lin," Cheng Yin nodded in greeting.
Lin Shirong's attire was a stark contrast to his usual elite image. As the prayer beads slid across his wrist, he would unconsciously adjust them, clearly unaccustomed to this style of dress.
Li Yaodong leaned close to Cheng Yin's ear, his breath brushing against her earlobe: "Old Master Lin forced him to play with prayer beads to cultivate his mind and body," he lowered his voice even further, "and to find a wife for her."
The warm breath made Cheng Yin's ears burn. She turned her head slightly and saw Lin Shirong staring at Li Yaodong's close posture, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
The main hall was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Old Master Lin, in his sixties, sat upright in a grand chair, dressed in a grey long gown, two glossy walnuts twirling in his hands. He looked up at the newcomer, his gaze sharp as a hawk's.
"Yaodong is here." The old man's voice boomed. "That land we bought last month, have the paperwork been completed?"
Li Yaodong cupped his hands in greeting: "Thanks to you, everything is settled." He gently put his arm around Cheng Yin's waist. "This is Cheng Yin. My girlfriend."
This title made Cheng Yin's fingers tremble slightly.
Lin Shirong sat opposite him, his prayer beads pausing for a moment before continuing to spin.
Grandpa Lin paused for a moment, looking Cheng Yin up and down: "Where are you from?"
"Huaizhou," Cheng Yin replied softly.
"Oh?" The old man raised an eyebrow. "Women from the Jianghuai region are usually quite graceful, it's rare to see one so thin."
Cheng Yin didn't know how to respond, so she just lowered her head slightly.
Li Yaodong tightened his grip on her waist: "She has a small appetite."
Lin Shirong interjected at the opportune moment: "Father, the tea is ready."
The tea tasting event was held in the pavilion in the back garden. Several long-time friends of the Lin family were already seated. Upon seeing them enter, they all stood up to exchange pleasantries.
Cheng Yin noticed that one of the young women in a pink cheongsam was secretly looking at Lin Shirong.
"Miss Zhang," Li Yaodong whispered in Cheng Yin's ear, "the daughter-in-law the old master has chosen."
The tea master began to perform Chaozhou Gongfu tea. Cheng Yin sat quietly next to Li Yaodong, imitating his movements to smell the aroma and taste the tea.
The first brew of Phoenix Dancong tea had a sharp, intense aroma. She took a small sip, and the bitterness made her tongue tingle.
"A lingering sweetness," Li Yaodong reminded her.
Sure enough, a few seconds later, a sweet taste rose in her throat. Cheng Yin looked up in surprise and met Li Yaodong's smiling eyes.
This subtle interaction did not escape the notice of Grandpa Lin, and the walnut in his hand spun even faster.
"Does Miss Cheng know anything about tea?" the old man suddenly asked.
The conversation at the table abruptly stopped.
Cheng Yin put down her teacup: "I don't understand."
"So, what do you think of this brew?"
Looking at the amber liquid in her glass, Cheng Yin honestly said, "It's very bitter."
Lin Shirong's prayer beads suddenly stopped. Li Yaodong's lips curled into a slight smile.
"Interesting." Old Master Lin actually smiled, and he personally poured tea for Cheng Yin. "Would you like to try some more?"
After taking her second sip, Cheng Yin still frowned: "It's still very bitter."
Old Master Lin laughed heartily: "Honesty! Much better than those who pretend to know what they don't." He turned to Li Yaodong, "How did the two of you meet?"
Li Yaodong took Cheng Yin's hand under the table: "Fate."
Lin Shirong's teacup clinked softly against the saucer. Miss Zhang's gaze darted back and forth between the three young men, finally settling on her meticulously manicured nails.
After a few rounds of tea, the conversation turned to business.
Cheng Yin listened quietly as these business tycoons discussed the stock market, real estate, and the future development of Macau, as if she were attending a vivid economics class.
Lai Yiu-tung occasionally chimed in, his words sharp and incisive, a stark contrast to his usual casino persona.
"Ms. Cheng," an elderly man in a suit suddenly asked her, "I heard you're a certified public accountant? What are your thoughts on the tax reform for the gaming industry in Macau?"
All eyes were once again focused on her. Cheng Yin put down her teacup: "Cross-border capital flow monitoring will be strengthened," her voice was soft but clear, "and we suggest preparing for offshore account registration in advance."
Her professional and precise answer drew nods of approval from those present. Old Master Lin glanced at her again, and the walnuts he was spinning slowed down.
"Accountant Cheng is amazing!" He Jingwen's father exclaimed, slapping his thigh. "Much better than my son!"
The conversation then turned to the children of each family, and Cheng Yin breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Yaodong whispered in Cheng Yin's ear, "His family mainly deals in the import and export of building materials, and we have business dealings with them in the decoration industry."
Cheng Yin nodded, subtly stretching her ankles, which were aching from the high heels. Li Yaodong's hand slid to the back of her chair, his fingertips brushing against her shoulder unintentionally, like a silent encouragement.
Halfway through the tea party, a servant came in and whispered a few words in Old Master Lin's ear. The old man frowned and stood up: "Excuse me, I have some family matters to attend to."
Lin Shirong immediately relaxed, unbuttoned the top button of his collar, and threw the Buddhist prayer beads aside.
"You must be tired of pretending, right?" Li Yaodong teased, pouring himself a glass of Da Hong Pao tea.
Lin Shirong rolled his eyes at him: "You think everyone's like you, able to convincingly portray any role?"
Sunlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, dappling his body with light and shadow. The folds of his long robe concealed fragments of light and shadow. This Lin Shirong was completely different from the meticulous financial director in the office.
After a while, the butler came to invite the guests to move to the restaurant.
As Cheng Yin stood up, Lin Shirong approached her subtly: "Does your foot hurt?"
Cheng Yin shook her head slightly.
Lin Shirong handed her a small paper packet: "Band-Aids."
Li Yaodong walked up from behind and casually put his arm around Cheng Yin: "What are you talking about?"
"It's nothing," Lin Shirong adjusted his glasses. "The Zhang family is asking about your marriage."
Li Yaodong sneered, "Mind your own business."
Inside the restaurant, exquisite Cantonese dim sum is laid out on a round table.
Cheng Yin sat next to Li Yaodong, taking small bites of the shrimp dumplings in front of her. Across from them, Miss Zhang was diligently serving food to Lin Shirong, who thanked her politely but distantly.
"Not to your liking?" Li Yaodong asked Cheng Yin.
Cheng Yin shook her head: "It's delicious." She paused, "It's just... I'm not used to this kind of occasion."
Li Yaodong picked up a piece of sticky rice chicken for her: "It's very well made."
Those few simple words warmed Cheng Yin's heart. She looked up and saw that Old Master Lin was observing them, his gaze deep and unfathomable.
After the meal, the men went to the study to discuss business, while the women stayed in the garden to drink tea.
In the garden pavilion, several ladies were chatting. Cheng Yin sat quietly in a corner, listening to them talk about jewelry, Paris Fashion Week, and their children's education.
Miss Zhang would glance at her every now and then, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
"Miss Cheng," a lady finally couldn't help but ask, "how did you and Mr. Li meet?"
Cheng Yin put down her teacup: "It's a debt relationship; I owe him money."
The room fell silent upon hearing this.
Cheng Yin was used to it and simply took a sip of tea. The tea had already gone cold, and the bitterness was even more pronounced.
The study was filled with smoke.
"Yaodong, you're not getting any younger. It's time to think about settling down." Old Master Lin glanced outside. "Playing around is fine, but don't take it too seriously."
Li Yaodong's expression turned cold: "My affairs are none of your concern."
"Dad!" Lin Shirong suddenly stood up. "Let me refill your tea."
Old Master Lin narrowed his eyes: "And you? Do you really like..."
"Dad!" Lin Shirong interrupted again, "You've crossed the line."
Li Yaodong stood up to say goodbye: "I'm going to pick up Cheng Yin."
In the garden, the ladies' tea party had turned into a jewelry appreciation event. Cheng Yin remained seated in the corner, like a forgotten ink painting.
"Let's go." Li Yaodong reached out and helped her up.
On the way back, Li Yaodong remained silent. Cheng Yin watched the scenery rushing past the window, the collar of her cheongsam making it hard for her to breathe.
"I'm sorry," Li Yaodong suddenly said, "I shouldn't have taken you."
Cheng Yin shook her head: "It's okay."
As the car drove past the Haojiang Tower, sunlight dappled the water with golden light.
"Li Yaodong," she suddenly asked, "Why did you say I was your girlfriend?"
Li Yaodong turned to look at her, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Otherwise? Say you're my accountant?" He sneered, "Old Master Lin despises mistresses the most."
"So it's... a strategy?"
Li Yaodong's hands tightened and loosened on the steering wheel: "Think what you want."
"But when they asked, I said... debt relationship."
The car braked suddenly and stopped at the red light.
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