The ground was covered with silver light, and the long desk was a mess.
The tea was boiling hot and soaked large areas of the robe, with varying shades of tea.
Yue Xu stepped forward in panic, his face full of nervousness: "—Master!"
The north wind was biting, and the water pavilion stood in the middle of the lake. It was winter, and the white lake surface was covered with ice, penetrating into the skin and bones.
The teapot was still boiling with hot water, and white mist was rising from the mouth of the kettle.
Shen Yan looked unhappy. He stroked his forehead with one hand and felt dizzy. One moment he heard Song Lingzhi calling him "Your Highness", and the next moment he heard her calling him "Sir".
"Master!" Yue Xu half-knelt forward. Before he could touch Shen Yan's pulse, the man behind the desk had already opened his eyes.
A pair of cruel eyes were as dark as a deep pool. Shen Yan supported the lacquered wooden tea table with one hand, his face stern: "Go check."
He wanted to see where Song Lingzhi's cooking skills came from.
…
The snow was as heavy as a mat. The lights in the Linyue Pavilion were lit early. Under the eaves of the corridor, an ivory-carved crabapple-shaped lantern with cloud and crane patterns was hung. The dim light and shadows were reflected in the house.
Since I had taken the medicine before, I naturally put aside the yellow croaker soup that He Ming brought me.
At dinner time, Bai Zhifang personally took it to the kitchen and reheated it.
The yellow croaker was caught from the river this morning and was very fresh and tasty.
Bai Zhi smiled. She was a kind person and was Song Lingzhi's personal maid, so others were naturally happy to talk to her.
Bai Zhi whispered, "I heard from the kitchen staff that Master He learned this skill for Madam He. Madam He was not feeling well a few days ago, and Master He went to the tea room in person."
Qiuyan entered the room carrying a lacquered wooden tea tray. Upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "Before I saw him, I was worried that Mr. He was not worthy of the young lady and could not be our son-in-law. Now looking at his appearance and character, he is... Wei Ziyuan, why are you stepping on my foot?"
Wei Ziyuan had a blank expression on his face. He looked away from Qiu Yan and stared straight ahead.
He was a solitary person, and only cared about Song Lingzhi's affairs. Qiuyan did not argue with him, but just joked with Song Lingzhi.
Because Song Lingzhi had an inconvenient left hand, the meals sent from the kitchen became more and more refined.
Bai Zhi knelt on a footstool and served Song Lingzhi her meal.
Hearing Qiuyan's teasing, Song Lingzhi glanced at her with a smile and said, "If you want to get married, I will report to my grandmother tomorrow and I will prepare a generous dowry for you."
Qiuyan's cheeks burned hot, and she covered her face and said anxiously, "Girl!"
Song Lingzhi ignored her and just lowered her head to drink soup. Her left hand was inconvenient, so she just lazily leaned on the green satin pillow and let Baizhi serve her meal.
Suddenly raising her eyes, meeting Wei Ziyuan's undisguised gaze, Song Lingzhi squinted her eyes and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Wei Ziyuan lowered his eyelashes, and after a while, he wrote on the paper: Is he my son-in-law
Song Lingzhi coughed two or three times and almost choked. She wiped the mouth with a handkerchief and said, "Don't listen to their nonsense. It's just a joke from childhood."
The two families did not exchange engagement letters, and Old Madam Song had also contacted him privately. If Song Lingzhi did not like He Ming, the marriage would be cancelled.
Wei Ziyuan bowed and stepped aside, remaining silent.
Song Lingzhi was curious: "Why are you concerned about this kind of thing?"
Wei Ziyuan lowered his eyebrows: The girl's reputation is important...
Before she could finish her words, Qiuyan covered her mouth and laughed: "Now that you follow the shopkeeper, you have learned to be old-fashioned and stubborn. You stepped on my foot just now, weren't you angry that I mentioned the word 'son-in-law' and ruined your reputation?"