Chapter 15: The Tea House Dispute (Part 1)

  Although the winter solstice has passed and the weather should be warming up, there are still not many people willing to come out and stroll around on this street. Firstly, it's cold and people are too lazy to go out; secondly, with the spring exams approaching, no one has the leisure time to run around everywhere.

  Fang Xiaoling stared at this desolate and quiet place, speechless. She gazed at the warm and gentle man's slightly pursed lips, unable to quite understand what was bothering him.

  Time went back to this morning.

  Xu Qing excitedly rushed to the old locust tree to find her, saying that today there was an annual grand gathering and it would be a pity to miss it.

  Fang Xiaoling was still half asleep at that time, her little brain couldn't turn around, and she just nodded in agreement.

  Now look at this poor pedestrian, she wouldn't believe there's a grand gathering today even if you beat her to death.

  "Ling'er, come with me." Xun Qing pulled her hand and dragged her to a nearby teahouse.

  The teahouse was still packed with anxious-looking travelers, with two plates of melon seeds and pastries in front. The storyteller sat in the middle, clapping his hand on the wooden table, and the "yi yi ya ya" sound could still be discerned as a Minnan accent.

  The tea house opposite still has the back door of the Qinglou Mansion, because it is daytime, it is obviously much colder. If you don't look carefully, you would think it's just an ordinary family's backyard.

  "Waiter, a refined room!"

  "Really!!"

  "Is there just one guest?"

  "Two... of us." Xun Qing lowered his eyes and took a deep look at Fang Xiaoling, before looking straight at the shopkeeper dressed as a young servant. Just now, he almost blurted out "two masters", what a close call...

  "Come on, guests, please take a seat." The shopkeeper shouted loudly, attracting the attention of passersby.

  Xu Qing subconsciously furrowed his brow, grasped Fang Xiaoling's hand tightly, and stared at the tactless little servant.

  "Relax, no one can see me." Fang Xiaoling said in a low voice, pinching his big hand, signaling Xun Qing not to make trouble in this place.

  Xun Qing hummed softly and followed the young waiter's footsteps, her whole person exuding awkwardness.

  "Would you like some tea, our West Lake Longjing is a well-known brand."

  "Come on, hurry up." Xun Qing waved his hand, seemingly extremely displeased with this overly enthusiastic shop assistant.

  The little second bowed, a white towel swung and landed on his shoulder, walking along the way, shouting in a loud voice, "Tianzi Jiajian, Maojian one pot!"

  It's purely self-inflicted... Fang Xiaoling saw his increasingly dark face and burst out laughing.

  "Ling'er..." Xun Qing looked at her with a helpless expression on his face, wanting to knock some sense into her, but couldn't bring himself to do it.

  Fang Xiaoling laughed and then rarely put on a serious face, saying solemnly, "Xun Qing, what's wrong with you today?"

  Xun Qing scratched his head, and for a moment, there was a struggling look in his eyes, but it only lasted for an instant before he regained his warm demeanor. "I'm still not used to you calling me Xun Qing directly."

  Fang Xiaoling simply stared at him, her eyes devoid of sorrow or joy, the black pupils reflecting the man's awkward posture.

  The silence is spreading, and the two people facing each other seem to be in a stalemate, neither willing to back down.

  A moment later, the second generation carefully arranged the tea utensils and retreated again, but no one noticed that this person was not the previous noisy shopkeeper.

  Fang Xiaoling let out a sigh, ready to put an end to this childish and boring behavior. "If you want to talk about marrying Miss Zhang, I already know."