Princess Arrives
As soon as Qi Guanlan left, the shop became deserted. Wen Ruo stood guard at the counter and turned away more than a dozen people in one afternoon. Some people did dare to come in, but they came to inquire rather than work, and she turned them all away.
She was sore from dealing with these people that she was about to burst into tears. She had planned to hold on a little longer, but a sneeze attracted two more people, and she was locked inside again.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but as she was practicing calligraphy, Mr. Yi knocked on her door. "Your guest has arrived, go quickly."
"Can't Mr. Yi handle this?" What kind of guest could make Mr. Yi so wary? Her guest, Wen Ruo put down her pen. "Could it be that someone has fulfilled my request?"
Wen Ruo muttered to herself, but quickened her pace. She knew this half-baked master wouldn't die so easily.
Lifting the curtain, one could see Pomegranate Maiden nervously serving tea. Beside the long table, a noblewoman sat Princess Rongjing, dressed in a dark purple dress with auspicious cloud patterns in the folds and a phoenix-shaped purple jade hairpin on her head. Her whole body radiated dazzling golden light, and her every move exuded nobility.
"Your Highness?"
The carriage stopped at the shop entrance, with a large "Qi" character on a bright yellow embroidered banner. Four pure-colored horses were harnessed to the front of the carriage. The tall, gilded sandalwood carriage with a golden roof was so impressive that even an ignorant child would recognize its owner at a glance.
When did the princess start making such a flamboyant entrance?
Wen Ruo walked up to her and was about to kneel down, but was stopped by her aunt beside her, "You are not in good health. The princess said you don't need to kneel."
"Lan'er said your illness has relapsed, so I came to check on you."
"I see," Wen Ruo smiled faintly. "The doctor just gave me acupuncture, and I'm much better now. Thank you for your concern, Princess."
Large and small items were unloaded from the carriage and placed on the table. There was a faint smell of herbs. Princess Rongjing seemed to be there only for medical treatment. Her tone was very caring, and she did not mention a word about the rumors outside.
After a short while, even the imperial physician arrived, accompanied by Qi Guanlan. After an incense stick had burned, Wen Ruo and Shi Liu Niang personally escorted her to the door. Princess Rongjing boarded the carriage, her face showing tenderness as she looked around.
"I specifically asked His Majesty to make sure you take the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician properly. Guanlan will stay here to repay the favor, so don't spoil him."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty and Princess. Young Master Qi has already done more than enough."
"If only I had a thoughtful daughter," Princess Rongjing sighed softly, glancing regretfully at Qi Guanlan. "She should learn from me."
The princess gave a few instructions and then left. Just now, when she was there, everyone around dared not breathe. The princess must not have been in a good mood after going to prison. Although her face was the same as before, she was very imposing, and every word she said sounded like it had a hidden meaning.
Wen Ruo thought she would have to spend a lot of time explaining, but to her surprise, the shop seemed to have an invisible shield, and pedestrians avoided it.
Qi Guanlan: "So, is the shop ready to open now?"
The shop was still open. Wen Ruo looked around and saw that even the birds had moved on to other branches. Her gaze deepened, and she calmly returned to the shop. "Forget it, it's good to be under a big tree. Matchmaking is secondary. Drinking tea and fishing are the real things. Instead of looking for someone, we might as well catch them in a trap."
Qi Guanlan accepted the order to look after his benefactor and sat openly behind the counter. Upon hearing her words, he said unhappily, "So you were messing with me this morning?"
"How could that be? I spent the whole night thinking about how to repay the young master's kindness in saving me. But the next day, the young master said something about appearing in my dream. I thought I hadn't slept well and had encountered a ghost."
"So it's still my fault. How about I write you another document and personally inscribe a plaque for you?"
Wen Ruo nodded, "I'll keep it."
Young Master Qi is a living advertisement no matter where you put him. Rather than letting someone else have him, I'd rather earn the money myself. It's not easy to let him go out, so I'll just wait for customers to come to me. This isn't the first or second time she's taken such a risk.
Cai Youshu Academy was rather deserted today. The door was open but no one went in. Wen Ruo sneaked out, but as soon as she reached the door, a servant blocked her way, his voice somewhat arrogant, "Go somewhere else, my young master has booked it."
He was kind and gentle to other scholars, but treated her like this; it was clearly a case of treating people differently based on their status. Wen Ruo smiled and said:
“I know, I’m waiting for Cao Xi. I’ve always heard that the third young master of the Fang family is a man of integrity and a book lover. I didn’t expect that he would choose the study even at a time like this. Cao Xi is a famous talented woman. They seem to be a good match. There’s really no need for me to help her choose.”
The servant's expression hardened, and his face immediately became amiable. Wen Ruo, having nothing else to do, casually asked, "Besides books, does Young Master Fang have any other hobbies?"
Why are you asking this?
"You clearly don't understand love between men and women. No matter how good the wood is, without a skilled carpenter, it's just wood. Just like cooking, without a good chef, it's still hard to swallow."
The servant blushed slightly and stammered, "I can't really say what he likes. Lately, my young master has been locking himself in his study and won't let me in at all. Sometimes he seems to be possessed, and even when he's eating, his wife has to order someone to break down the door for him."
The two chatted casually, one sentence after another, until there was finally movement at the door. Cao Xi led her maid out first, carrying several books in her hands. When she saw Wen Ruo, she smiled gently and handed her the books. Wen Ruo put them into her bag without even looking at them. "Come on, Leng Hua Lou has some new pastries. It's on me."
The servant looked at her in surprise, thankful that he had stopped himself from going too far. If he had ruined the young master's wedding, his legs would have been broken. He had never heard of Cao Xi having such a friend.
Lenghua Tower is a newly opened building by Zhao Heng. The interior decoration is elegant and understated, with tables and chairs divided into small open rooms by carved wooden panels, each with a different style, such as plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum.
Instead of calligraphy and paintings, the walls are decorated with lifelike pastries and various novel teas and hot drinks. Although they are flashy, they are pleasing to the eye and are a favorite spot for young women.
Besides the small rooms, there are also private rooms on the second floor, which offer a high degree of privacy, but she never goes upstairs when she's hosting guests.
Wen Ruo chose a spot further inside. Along the way, every small room had the same painting and a stamp. "New? So the Linglong Milk Tea is the new product."
Cao Xi nodded, and after ordering the food, she said, "You're not feeling well, so your mother asked you to come out?"
Wen Ruo took out a book and said, "This little illness won't stop me from repaying your kindness. Miss, please take a look and give me your opinion."
Cao Xi flipped through the book, which was filled with pictures of various young masters, some of whom even had portraits. Young Master Fang was among them. She quickly scanned the pages, identifying about five or six families, all of whom were her parents' preferred candidates. "How did you know that?" she asked.
Wen Ruo smiled, "I've always been meticulous and serious in my work."
Cao Xi thanked him, put the bag away, and then, as if remembering something, frowned, covered her mouth, and whispered, "I have a friend named Sun who has taken a fancy to a scholar who is going to the capital for the imperial examination. That person is quite outstanding. I'm a little worried. Does your mother know about these scholars?"
Wen Ruo was taken aback, then bit her lip and said, "While I'm no longer playing matchmaker, I can certainly gather information about everyday matters. What's the scholar's name?"
Young ladies from wealthy families have always preferred to marry scholars, but most of these scholars come from out of town, making it difficult to trace their backgrounds. In most cases, the marriage is already a done deal before fiancées or wives appear, creating quite a stir.
Cao Xi only uttered the name "Fu" before someone came down the aisle. She sat back down, and the hot drink she had ordered was already prepared and delivered by the shopkeeper himself.
A square charcoal stove sits in the center, and the round lid of the purple clay teapot has four ventilation holes. A milky aroma wafts out from the holes, along with the fragrance of black tea. Inside the glass bowl are some sugar, roasted red bean paste, and crystal-clear pink sashimi.
Zhao Heng held the handle, tilted it slightly, and a light amber color flowed from the spout, filling the air with a sweet aroma.
"These are plum blossom cakes and pear syrup, a gift for you. Please taste them and tell me if there's anything that needs improvement."
The plum blossoms were pressed down by sugar frosting and surrounded by green snow tea. When they were first placed down, there were still clear ripples. Wen Ruo was overjoyed and thought, "Truly exquisite."
"Your mouth doesn't taste bitter, drinking something sweet will make you feel better."
As rumored, the milk tea was indeed delicious. As soon as the cup was placed to her lips, the aroma of fine black tea wafted out. It was smooth on the palate, and Cao Xi savored it with great seriousness. Seeing her satisfaction, Zhao Heng couldn't help but smile.
The waiter just came to report that Cao Xi has arrived. He didn't believe it, because she only likes light tea and only goes to places like the Book House when she goes out.
But she actually came with Wen Ruo. How could the two of them have any connection? Zhao Heng secretly observed their expressions. Wen Ruo, who was opposite him, had tasted the sweetness and her eyes were wide open.
Unlike the maid waiting not far away, she was not at all reserved in front of Cao Xi. Cao Xi even showed a hint of doting on her face. Zhao Heng was shocked. Then he suddenly remembered that Cao Xi had actually helped her mother write a complaint. It seemed very strange.
Wen Ruo scooped out a mouthful of pear syrup; it was sweet but not cloying. Zhao Heng stood there dumbfounded in front of the table, not saying a word, which was quite an eyesore. Wen Ruo sighed inwardly, "Young Master Zhao, do you have something to say? Should I make room for you?"
Zhao Heng snapped out of his daze and quickly denied it.
With only two people left, Wen Ruocai asked, "Fu what? Where is he from?"
“Fu Jingjiang is from Jishui County, Xiangyang. He saved her by chance, and my friend fell in love with him.”
Wen Ruo put down her bowl with some surprise. "Surname Fu?"
"You know him?"
"There's someone with the same name, but a different surname, so they're probably not the same person."
"Keep an eye on Miss Sun for me."
After finishing their tea and leaving half a pastry, Cao Xi suddenly asked as they were about to part ways, "Will Xi You appear again?"
Wen Ruo's eyelids twitched. She looked up and saw the woman's confident expression. Could it be that she had guessed? "You know?"
"I happened to run into Miss Zhou and heard about it from her."
It turns out it's Miss Zhou again.
"Thanks to her, my father still clings to wishful thinking, believing that Qi Guanlan is irreplaceable and is still daydreaming about finding a prince's son-in-law. So even if I'm perfunctory when these people from the manor come to propose marriage, he doesn't say anything."
"I see."
Wen Ruo felt a little sad. She should have known better than to hide it. Shi Liu Niang was right. One lie requires a thousand more to cover it up. No one who lies will have a good ending.
"Don't worry, it won't happen again."
"It does help me, though." Cao Xi said something cryptic, then lowered his head to sip his tea. After a moment's thought, he whispered a reminder: "It's best to use it sparingly. When you walk by the river, you're bound to get your shoes wet. Xi You is a prime example."
After finishing their tea and snacks, Wen Ruo left the shop and parted ways with Cao Xi. She was still pondering what Cao Xi had just said: "Go to the academy." Before, she hadn't even had time to think about it. "Miss Wen, what a coincidence! What brings you out here!"
Zhou Xuanyan suddenly appeared before her, and Wen Ruo quickly greeted her, "Feeling stuffy? Came out for a walk. By the way, what about Xi You?"
Zhou Xuanyan interrupted, sighed softly, and said somewhat dejectedly, "Let's leave it at that for now."
She didn't know that Cao Xi was truly clever, able to deduce the truth from just a few words. She was right; there are countless clever people in the world, but not all of them are as foolish as Qi Guanlan. She really should be careful.
Seeing that she was in a bad mood, and that the two of them were only a few steps away from Lenghua Tower, Wen Ruo said, "What would you like to drink? It's on me. I really like hairpins."
She perked up and said with a smile, "Then I won't stand on ceremony."
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