Chapter 79 What man doesn't steal a bite?
Study.
Moyun Pavilion.
The shopkeeper suddenly stood up to greet him personally: "Lord Shen has arrived!"
Wang Lian'er's heart tightened; she knew the crucial moment had arrived.
She took a deep breath and caught a glimpse of a middle-aged man in an indigo robe stepping in.
Although Shen Yan is nearly forty, he is well-maintained and still retains the handsome features he had in his youth.
Wang Lian'er's fingertips trembled slightly as she calmly brewed the tea.
"This rare collection of poems just arrived the other day; I specially reserved it for you." The shopkeeper's bow was even more pronounced than usual.
His study.
Although many literati and scholars came, Shen Yan was the only one with such a high-ranking official position.
That's why the shopkeeper was exceptionally hospitable to him!
Shen Yan nodded and glanced over the bookshelf, his slender fingers tracing the poetry collection before he eagerly found a place to look through it.
Wang Lian'er immediately came over to serve tea.
The color of the tea was very enticing, just like her beauty.
Amidst the rising steam, she heard Shen Yan's voice descend from above: "This young lady looks unfamiliar."
The shopkeeper hurriedly said, "This is the new girl, Lian'er. She is a refugee who lost her entire family on her escape journey. Now she is all alone, and since she knows a few words, I decided to keep her here..."
Those who come to the study are generally refined people.
They would naturally sympathize with Wang Lian'er's plight.
In addition, she was beautiful and educated, so the shopkeeper was very satisfied with her.
That concludes the introduction.
The shopkeeper's sigh came at just the right moment: "They are poor people who fled famine from the south."
Shen Yan couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for the woman before him.
actually.
When Shen Yan spoke.
He was already somewhat curious about Wang Lian'er.
Or perhaps they were simply amazed by her beauty!
Now that the shopkeeper has given this introduction...
Shen Yan felt a pang of sympathy and pity for him.
"Greetings, Lord Shen." As she curtsied, the silver tassels in her hair swayed gently, like a startled butterfly.
She had practiced this angle countless times, trying to make Shen Yan see her beauty clearly while maintaining the fear that a disaster victim should have.
Sure enough, I heard a soft sound as the teacup touched its saucer.
“Miss, there’s no need for such formalities. Here, you don’t need to treat me like an adult; just think of me as an ordinary customer.” Shen Yan’s voice carried a reassuring tone.
Wang Lian'er looked up at the right moment, met Shen Yan's gaze, and then lowered her eyes slightly.
This glance up and down perfectly captured the shyness of a respectable young woman meeting a strange man for the first time.
A hint of appreciation flashed in Shen Yan's eyes.
Seeing that Shen Yan was so interested in Wang Lian'er, the shopkeeper, with great insight, instructed her: "You come and introduce the other books and paintings to Lord Shen."
Wang Lian'er accepted the order and quickly began the introduction.
She walked lightly to Shen Yan's side, maintaining a just-right distance, neither too intimate nor too distant.
Sunlight streamed through the carved wooden window, bathing her in a soft glow on her simple dress.
She revealed a section of her fair neck, her voice clear and gentle: "Lord Shen, please look at this painting, 'Visiting Friends in Spring'."
She pointed to a traditional Chinese ink painting on the wall, saying, "The brushstrokes are vigorous and rich, and the depiction of the mountains and rocks is original. Look at how the distant mountains are treated; the light ink and mist create a serene and distant atmosphere, which perfectly matches the charm of 'after a fresh rain in an empty mountain' mentioned in one of your poems."
Wang Lian'er's voice was gentle, and every word touched the man's heart.
Every movement has been meticulously crafted.
Shen Yan listened attentively, his gaze occasionally falling on Wang Lian'er's face: "Miss seems to have quite a bit of insight into painting."
“My father was a scholar who was also quite knowledgeable about painting.” As Wang Lian’er said this, a tear unconsciously fell from her eye.
When the words "before death" are mentioned.
A wave of sorrow welled up in Wang Lian'er's nose without warning, and her eyes uncontrollably burned.
Perhaps he realized his loss of composure.
Wang Lian'er turned her face away, but a single tear had already slid down her cheek, leaving a small, dark stain on her pale blue dress.
This tear.
Crystal clear and fragile!
It instantly touched the softest corner of the man's heart.
"I was wrong, I shouldn't have brought up your sad story!" Shen Yan apologized, "How about this, I'll treat you to dinner as an apology."
Wang Lian'er was about to refuse.
The shopkeeper immediately stepped in to mediate: "There's not much to do in the study, so you should go with Lord Shen!"
As a result, Shen Yan had more contact with Wang Lian'er.
The more he got to know Shen Yan, the more he liked him.
The poems and songs he liked.
Wang Lian'er could chat with him for a while, and had even read every poem he wrote.
Moreover, he liked the appearance of women, and Wang Lian'er had all of those qualities.
He admired the elegance of women, like a solitary orchid in a secluded valley, rather than the flamboyant beauty of a peony.
Wang Lian'er, dressed simply and with light makeup, was composed and at ease, which perfectly suited this mood.
He preferred a woman with a scholarly air about her, rather than someone who was simply naive and ignorant.
Wang Lian'er's insightful remarks perfectly illustrate this point.
He prefers women who are gentle and understanding, perceptive of emotions, and know how to maintain appropriate boundaries.
Wang Lian'er's thoughtfulness and consideration seemed to be innate.
He even discovered...
The curve of Wang Lian'er's lips when she lowered her head and smiled, the slight turn of her face when she listened attentively, and the occasional hint of shyness she revealed were all exactly what he imagined an ideal woman should look like.
Shen Yan slowly began to like her.
This fondness is no longer the initial pity or a fleeting whim.
It seeped into Chen Yan's daily thoughts...
When I feel tired from dealing with official documents, I suddenly remember the cup of tea she brewed.
Seeing the beautiful moonlight evokes an urge to capture it in a painting and share it with her.
He began to look forward to each meeting at the study.
I started to care about her evaluation of my new poems.
I began to notice that Wang Lian'er possessed a unique charm that set her apart from the other noble ladies in the capital!
Feelings quietly grew with each encounter...
It's entwined in my heart, growing tighter and tighter, becoming increasingly difficult to let go.
And then all the subsequent ups and downs.
It all stemmed from that time I got drunk!
That day, they ate at the recently popular Mingyuelou restaurant as usual.
He took advantage of his drunkenness to push her down on the dining table, and Wang Lian'er's fingernails unconsciously dug into the muscles of his arm.
Shen Yan didn't feel any pain; instead, he felt a sense of excitement.
The dining table became his battlefield.
Sweat soaked their skin, their breaths mingled, rapid and hot.
The entire room.
The temperature rose steadily, and an atmosphere of sensual allure filled the air.
Wang Lian'er's initial tension and resistance gradually turned into powerless compliance under his increasingly intense offensive.
After she complied, she shed tears...
He bent down and kissed away the tears at the corner of her eyes. For a moment, his actions were strangely tinged with a tenderness that even he himself did not realize.
But this gentleness was fleeting, replaced by an even more turbulent wave.
He tirelessly demanded more, again and again…
For a moment, Shen Yan felt as if he had returned to his youth.
In short, he rarely felt this exhilarated...
Even though his marital relationship with Mrs. Li had always been harmonious.
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