The empire I conquered with my own hands is waiting to be reclaimed.
On the seventh day of Song Yunxi's visit to the tea plantation in Taiwan with Shen Yao, she received a WeChat message from Lin Xiaoran.
There were two messages on WeChat. The first was a link, and the second was a message from Lin Xiaoran: "Unnie, are you sure when you're coming back?"
Song Yunxi glanced at the title on the link, then typed a reply to Lin Xiaoran: "Soon. I'll be back before your wedding."
Lin Xiaoran and Jiang Hailang's wedding date was set not long ago, and it will be this weekend.
"Now that I've done everything I was supposed to do, can I retire gracefully?"
"Of course not. There are still many things waiting for you in the future. Don't think that you can escape my grasp just because you're married."
In fact, Song Yunxi knew what Lin Xiaoran meant when she said that everything that needed to be done had been done. When she left the Platinum Hotel before, although most of the work was on track, someone still needed to be in charge to carry it out, and that person was Lin Xiaoran.
Even though she had made some contingency plans beforehand, she was still worried that Lin Xiaoran wouldn't be able to handle things well because she left in such a hurry. Unexpectedly, Lin Xiaoran did not disappoint her at all, and single-handedly took on all the new projects such as Miss Chi's Afternoon Tea and the Membership Black Card.
At the executive meeting a few days ago, when it was decided that Song Yunxi would take charge of Miss Chi Afternoon Tea, which was separated from Platinum Hotel, Lin Xiaoran was also the one who kept an eye on the administrative staff to change the original legal representative, Mu Chen, to Song Yunxi.
Now everyone is eagerly awaiting the return of this long-lost, yet renowned, new leader of the martial arts world.
Shen Yao, who was sitting across the tea table with Song Yunxi, put down his cup and nodded.
"The tea liquor is clear, the taste is mellow, and the aftertaste is very sweet. Although this tea was made by someone like you who is not an expert, the taste is quite good."
"Thank you for the compliment, Teacher Shen." Song Yunxi also picked up her cup and took a sip.
It has the unique sweet taste of Taiwanese tea, with a subtle aroma of ripe fruit in the tea soup. Song Yunxi wondered if it was because she had picked and processed the tea herself, but she felt it tasted better than any other tea she had ever drunk before.
A few mornings ago, she went up the mountain with the tea garden workers to pick tea leaves, stepping through the morning dew. When she returned, she learned how to make tea from the workers. She did every step of the process with utmost care, from sun-drying and pan-frying to rolling, initial drying, shaping, re-drying, and roasting, without the slightest slack. Finally, she lived up to expectations and completed several boxes of finished tea.
Shen Yao even enthusiastically helped her name the tea leaves: Yunxi Morning Dew.
Song Yunxi thought that this tea might become their best-selling product in the future. After all, the person in charge of Miss Chi's Afternoon Tea had spent more than two months refining it in the tea garden, so there was definitely a story to tell.
Shen Yao spoke again: "Actually, life is like this tea. As long as you are good enough, you will shine no matter what."
Song Yunxi laughed upon hearing this. She put the teacup back in its place and joked with Shen Yao, "Why do I feel like Teacher Shen's words weren't a compliment to me? Is the tea so delicious because the tea leaves themselves are excellent, rather than because your chief disciple worked hard to make it?"
Oh, after traveling through the tea gardens together for two months, Shen Yao not only became an advisor to Rui Huaisen Tea Garden, but also reluctantly became Song Yunxi's mentor.
"I want to tell you that you are an excellent girl and you shouldn't be easily defeated by setbacks. The road ahead is long and full of possibilities, and there isn't just one option."
"I understand. So, I probably can't accompany Teacher Shen on her travels anymore; I have to rush back to Lancheng."
Under Shen Yao's slightly questioning gaze, Song Yunxi clicked on the link Lin Xiaoran had sent her. It was a headline news article: Miss Chi's Afternoon Tea Welcomes a New Leader.
Shen Yao laughed too. "I thought you were upset and didn't want to face failure, so you hid away to escape reality. I didn't expect you to come out to bide your time and strategize. It seems my 'poisonous chicken soup' is useless."
“How could that be? Teacher Shen’s chicken soup is so delicious and comes in a big bowl. One bowl is enough to benefit you for life.” After saying that, Song Yunxi thanked him earnestly, “I have really learned a lot from Teacher Shen during this time. Thank you.”
"There's no need for such formalities between disciple and master. When are you planning to return to Lancheng?"
"Let me check the plane tickets. If I have time, I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."
"So eager?"
"Of course I'm anxious. The empire I built with my own hands is waiting for me to reclaim it."
*
Even though Song Yunxi set off from Chashan early in the morning, after changing buses to Taipei and then taking a plane, it was already past 8 p.m. when she arrived in Lancheng.
She was pushing a 28-inch suitcase with a small box on top, resembling a safe. As she turned out of the passageway with the crowd, she immediately spotted Mu Chen standing in the middle of the group.
Her man was tall, handsome, and already eye-catching, especially since he was holding such a large bouquet of pink Diana roses.
Song Yunxi smiled instantly. She walked quickly through the crowd towards Mu Chen, and even started jogging when she reached the last few meters.
The moment she threw herself into Mu Chen's arms, Song Yunxi suddenly realized that although she was smiling, her eyes were a little wet; she was so happy that she wanted to cry.
In the end, she held back. To cry over something that's only been a few months is just being dramatic.
However, even though she didn't cry, she still needed to express her longing in some way. So, standing in the bustling airport, she hooked her arms around Mu Chen's neck, looked up, and kissed him.
One light kiss wasn't enough, so she tiptoed and went to find his lips again.
Mu Chen responded to her repeated requests for a kiss, but it was inappropriate to do so in public. He could only push her suitcase with one hand and take her hand with the other.
"Walk."
The two walked hand in hand out of the airport terminal and found Mu Chen's car in the parking lot. In a not-so-private space, Mu Chen reached out and put his hand on Song Yunxi's head, brought her in front of him, and kissed her.
Regardless of whether anyone walked past their car or cast curious glances through the window, he was determined to give her a good kiss.
It wasn't the coldest time of year in Lancheng yet, but both of them were already dressed in winter clothes. Song Yunxi pulled open Mu Chen's coat, unbuttoned his suit jacket, and then slowly pulled his shirt out from his belt before touching his lower abdomen with her slightly cool hand.
She could clearly feel his lower abdomen suddenly tighten, and then his breathing became heavier, and he pressed his lips against hers more forcefully.
From the moment they got into the car, Mu Chen turned the air conditioning up to the maximum. At this moment, Song Yunxi felt herself starting to sweat, unsure whether it was because the car was too hot or because his kiss had set her ablaze.
After what felt like half a century, Mu Chen finally released Song Yunxi. He pulled her hand out of his clothes, reluctantly lowered his head and pecked her lips twice before speaking as if he had made up his mind: "Let's go."
Song Yunxi was still a little unsteady on her breath. Taking advantage of a moment to catch her breath, she responded to him, "Okay."
She turned around, pulled on her seatbelt, and fastened it. Mu Chen then started the car and drove out of the airport.
After driving for only about ten minutes, Mu Chen turned the steering wheel and drove into the hotel closest to the airport.
Song Yunxi turned to look at Mu Chen, who was also looking at her. They smiled at each other, understanding each other without saying a word.
Mu Chen had already booked a room in advance, and since there weren't many guests in the evening, he quickly completed the check-in process.
Before the door could be closed properly, Mu Chen had already pinned Song Yunxi against it, and with his gentle force, the wooden door clicked shut as they leaned against it.
He pressed his lips to hers, and the two of them were pressed tightly together, as if even the air had become thin.
Mu Chen reached out and took off his coat, then ripped off his suit jacket and threw it on the carpet by the door. Song Yunxi didn't have to do anything except kiss him; she just had to enjoy his kisses and his services.
Shirts, belts, boots... more and more items fell to the ground, and the two bodies drew closer and closer together.
Mu Chen scooped Song Yunxi up in his arms and carried her into the bathroom next door.
The bathroom lights were a warm, orangey yellow, and the existing rose fragrance filled the space with an ambiguous atmosphere that made hearts race.
Mu Chen whispered in Song Yunxi's ear, "Do you want to stay here, or go to bed?"
“This.” After saying that, Song Yunxi turned her head to look for Mu Chen’s lips again.
"Wait for me." Mu Chen pushed Song Yunxi under the showerhead, letting the hot water wash over her.
He then walked a few steps to the bathroom door and took a small square box out of the pocket of his coat that had fallen to the ground.
Although the hotel provides them, he's unsure if they're his size or a brand Song Yunxi likes. So, it's better if he brings his own.
Song Yunxi looked up in the "drizzle" from the showerhead and smiled again as she met Mu Chen's eyes.
"Mr. Mu, it's been a long time."
"Miss Song, welcome back."
As soon as the words were spoken, the two of them, after two and a half months apart, once again became one.
*
The next morning, Song Yunxi woke up first.
The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the handsome face sleeping next to her. He had one hand under her head and the other around her waist.
She gently moved her body closer to him, then squinted her eyes and kissed his eyelashes.
She really loved his eyelashes—long, thick, and black—the kind of eyelashes that would make countless girls envious. She used to always try to find an opportunity to press her lips to his eyelashes while he was asleep. But such opportunities were rare, because he always woke up earlier than her.
Just as Song Yunxi withdrew her kiss and was planning to give her a second one, Mu Chen opened his eyes. He smiled at her as if trying to bewitch her, then rolled over and pinned her beneath him.
Song Yunxi said, "No, that's all."
The small box that Mu Chen brought yesterday was one of those small packages, containing only three sleeves. They worked until the early hours of the morning and had used them all up.
Mu Chen's kisses didn't stop; he reached into the neatly arranged pile of items on the bedside table and gently groped around. The condoms provided by the hotel were usually placed in the most conspicuous place on the bedside table.
Sure enough, he touched a rectangular box.
He parted his lips slightly from hers so he could make a sound. "Will this work?"
Even though her speech was a little unclear, she still replied, "Mm."
With permission, Mu Chen quickly tore open the packaging and took out the small bag inside.
He thought the three he brought would be enough, at least enough to last until they went home today.
But he was wrong. He didn't have a clear understanding of himself.
Next time, if there is a next time, he will definitely bring a few more boxes.
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