The smoke inside the room gradually dissipated, and everything around began to become clearer.
Xie Tao was almost frantically crawling out of Wei Yun’s embrace, and if it weren’t for Wei Yun lending her a hand, she would have almost fallen to the ground.
With her cheeks slightly reddened, Xie Tao held a bag of snacks and stood beside him, unable to utter a word for a long time.
Wei Yun coughed lightly, his raven-feather-like eyelashes trembling. He stood up, walked over to lift the tassel curtain, then turned to look at her, “Come here.”
When Xie Tao looked up, she only managed to see the dark cyan color of his clothes shimmering with a lustrous glow.
The black belt adorned with delicate jade buckles made his waist appear even slimmer, and his back was as straight as a pine.
His broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs once again dazzled Xie Tao.
Behind the tassel curtain was the inner room of the study.
The room was furnished in a minimalist style. As Xie Tao walked in holding the snacks, she immediately noticed the ink painting hanging on the wall.
The painting depicted clouds at dawn, with the continuous mountain scenery appearing both hidden and visible amidst them, a light boat on the river, and an old man in a straw raincoat pushing a pole forward, conveying a sense of haziness and ethereal beauty, full of artistic charm.
Turning her head, Xie Tao saw the carved window facing the corridor outside, with the tree shadows swaying and copper bells at the eaves.
Charcoal fire had already been lit in the inner room, which Wei Yun had instructed Wei Bo to prepare early in the morning.
Sitting at the table, Wei Yun took the teapot from the stove, grabbed a celadon tea cup with an even glaze, and gently poured the steaming white tea into the cup.
“The timing is just right.”
He pushed the tea cup towards Xie Tao, “Sit down.”
Hearing this, Xie Tao obediently sat down opposite him.
She placed her bag of snacks on the table, then reached out to hold the tea cup. The slightly hot temperature penetrated through the cup, warming her somewhat cold hands.
“This is made with snow water I had someone collect that day, try it?” Wei Yun said.
The snow from that day?
Upon hearing this, Xie Tao first thought of the first snow she had watched with him on Yan Mountain.
Holding the tea cup, she nodded and then brought it to her lips to take a sip.
The light green color of the tea was extremely pleasing, and the warmth flowed down her throat, instantly dispelling some of the chill she had felt upon arriving.
Despite being a hot cup of tea, the flavor mysteriously had a refreshing sensation, not like mint, but light and delicate, with the unique fragrance of tea leaves. After tasting, it even added an unexpectedly sweet and refreshing flavor.
“What kind of tea is this? It’s really good.”
Holding the tea cup, Xie Tao said this and then took another big sip.
“Qi Zhou’s Chunshan Cloud Mist.”
Seeing her enjoyment, Wei Yun took her cup and poured her another.
This Chunshan Cloud Mist tea was always precious, with limited production. The batch Wei Yun had was a reward from Emperor Qi He a few days ago.
Wei Yun didn’t mention how rare the tea was, so naturally, Xie Tao was unaware. She drank several cups like a thirsty ox and even tore open a bag of potato chips to eat.
“Try some?” She brought her potato chips to Wei Yun’s mouth.
Wei Yun, though not showing any signs of movement, had a slight stiffness in his back.
After a moment of hesitation, his eyes met Xie Tao’s hopeful ones, and eventually, he moved forward gently and took a bite.
“Is it delicious?”
Seeing him eat, Xie Tao raised her eyebrows and then asked with her hands cupping her face.
“…It’s passable.”
In reality, Wei Yun hadn’t paid attention to what the taste was.
“I…” Xie Tao seemed like she wanted to say something else, but just as she started, a knock came from outside the door, followed by an elderly voice, somewhat cautiously, “Sir, it’s time for your dinner.”
It was Wei Bo.
Upon hearing this, Wei Yun said, “Bring the dinner over.”
Wei Bo seemed puzzled for a moment, “Sir, are you going to have dinner in the study?”
“Mm.” Wei Yun responded lightly, then he glanced at the girl sitting across from him with round almond eyes, seeming to pause before adding, “Bring an extra set of utensils.”
“….Yes.” Wei Bo was a bit confused but complied.
Was there a guest at the Master’s residence today?
Then why not have dinner in the dining room?
Wei Bo was puzzled. He leaned in beside Wei Jing, who was standing in the corridor, and said, “Wei Jing, I heard some female voices in the Master’s study just now?”
Wei Jing frowned, standing tall, “Impossible!”
“…I don’t quite believe it either, but I really heard something?” Wei Bo hissed.
“Impossible! You must be getting old, your ears aren’t working well.” Wei Jing stated firmly.
A woman’s voice in the Master’s room?
Absolutely impossible.
“……”
His remark left Wei Bo speechless, causing him to stroke his beard and glare before he stormed off to the kitchen.
Wei Jing, following behind, rubbed the back of his head and coughed softly.
“Wei Jing.”
At that moment, Wei Jing, who had always had excellent hearing, heard Wei Yun’s voice from inside the door.
He immediately focused and hurried up the steps, approaching the door and responding, “Yes, sir.”
“You go and guard outside the courtyard.”
He only heard Wei Yun say this much.
???
Wei Jing was a bit confused but still acknowledged with a sound before turning with his sword and heading outside.
After Wei Jing left, Wei Yun turned around to see Xie Tao standing by the antique shelf against the wall, occasionally reaching out to touch it cautiously, being careful not to disturb anything.
“These are all cultural relics…” Xie Tao looked at the items on the shelf, suddenly remembering the sound of coins dropping one by one, clear and pleasant in her mind.
“They shouldn’t be counted as such.”
Wei Yun sipped his tea, speaking calmly.
Xie Tao turned to look at him, “Why not?”
“After the Yi Dynasty, your timeline has diverged greatly from here. In other words, everything existing here after the Yi Dynasty doesn’t exist in your world. So if these things were to be brought there, they would just be considered oddities, without any historical context.”
This was something Wei Yun had basically confirmed after studying all the various books Xie Tao had sent him over the past few days.
It seemed that after the Yi Dynasty, the two timelines they were in had no further connection.
“Oh, I see…” Xie Tao nodded, as if she understood his words.
“If you want to take something with you, it’s better to bring something of real value, like gold and silver.”
He held the teacup, his lips forming a slight smile.
“…I, I didn’t plan to take anything.” Xie Tao laughed awkwardly.
But when it came to the matter of money, she suddenly remembered the events of that day at the hospital.
“Xie Lan lent me some money, and I’ve already paid back all of Uncle Zheng’s money…”
She also told him about the situation with Old Xi and Xie Lan suggesting she work at the small tavern.
Upon hearing her words, Wei Yun suddenly set down the teacup in his hand with a sound that was neither heavy nor light, yet it made Xie Tao abruptly fall silent.
There seemed to be a slight chill in his expression, as if the verdant branches had suddenly frosted over, sending a shiver down one’s spine.
“He lends to you, and you accept, but when I offer, you refuse?”
His voice was clear and cold, “Xie Tao, what is the reasoning behind this?”
Xie Tao was stunned.
After a moment of realization, she quickly waved her hand, “I didn’t…”
“Hmm?” His knuckles rapped against the tabletop distinctly, and upon hearing her speak up, he raised his gaze, giving her a glance.
He was waiting for her answer.
“It’s not the same.” She said with her head bowed.
“Not the same?”
Wei Yun tugged at the corner of his lips, suddenly laughing with a hint of coldness, “I am curious to hear, what is the difference between him and me, exactly?”
“They’re inherently different.”
Xie Tao hesitated for a long time, her face flushing red. Her lips pursed and trembled as she mustered the courage to speak. She instinctively closed her eyes, her eyelashes quivering, and even her voice was somewhat unsteady:
“I, I like you so much…”
At this moment, her complexion seemed to resemble the snow-white blossoms that bloomed between the branches in spring, gradually acquiring a hint of pale pink over a few days and nights, then taking on the hue of sunset after dusk.
Wei Yun never expected her to suddenly say such a thing.
His hand, which was about to pick up the teacup, froze in mid-air. His slender fingers bent slightly, and his flawless face showed a hint of indescribable strangeness. His back stiffened, and his earlobes once again felt a slight warmth.
It felt as though the faint warmth from the charcoal in the brazier on the table was seeping into his ears, sneaking directly into his heart, gradually intensifying until it became scorching hot, almost throwing him into confusion for a moment.
“You…”
He hesitated for a moment, his thin lips moved slightly, but he could hardly get another word out.
“Because of this… I feel even more embarrassed to borrow money from you.”
Xie Tao finally managed to say the second half of the sentence, her head almost lowered to the table.
She realized that this was the first time in her life she had ever liked someone, and this initial cautiousness was inevitable.
Many things were easier to ask of others, but when it came to him, she always hesitated.
Xie Tao didn’t understand why this was the case.
However, Wei Yun suddenly stood up, walked around Xie Tao, and stopped by the rosewood cabinet behind her. He then reached out, opened the cabinet door, and pulled out a brocade bag filled with something.
Turning around, he threw it directly onto the table in front of Xie Tao, making a heavy sound.
The brocade bag’s string was not tied tightly, so Xie Tao could see at a glance a corner of the gold ingots peeking out from the half-opened bag.
She was familiar with this brocade bag.
Wasn’t this the bag she had returned to him before?
She blinked, about to speak, when she suddenly heard him say, “Take these and repay the debt you owe him.”
“It seems you’re willing to owe him?”
Seeing Xie Tao’s lack of action, Wei Yun stood there with his hands behind his back, squinting slightly, his tone seemingly calm but inexplicably cold.
“… ”
Xie Tao had intended to say something, but catching sight of his gaze, she pursed her lips and obediently stuffed the bag of gold ingots into her pocket.
The pockets of her wool coat were a bit small, so she couldn’t fit it in completely. She could only laugh awkwardly and carefully place the bag of gold ingots on the table. “It… it won’t fit… I’ll just leave it here and take it when we leave.”
Before Wei Yun could say anything, they heard a knock on the door followed by the voice of Mr. Wei, “Sir, dinner has been served.”
“Come in,” Wei Yun said.
After saying that, Wei Yun made a gesture to Xie Tao to keep quiet.
Xie Tao nodded, covered her mouth, and with her round apricot eyes wide open, she looked a bit silly yet adorable.
Wei Yun suddenly curved his lips for some reason. When he heard the sound of the door being pushed open from outside, he straightened his expression and said, “Put them on the table outside and leave.”
“Yes.”
Wei Bo only heard the voice but didn’t see the person. As he instructed the servants to place dish after dish on the table, he glanced behind the fringe curtain.
For some reason, he always felt that the master was a bit strange.
But ultimately, these were not matters a servant should concern himself with. Wei Bo understood propriety, so after preparing two sets of bowls and chopsticks, he led the servants out of the study and closed the door.
Xie Tao had already smelled the fragrance. Suddenly, even the potato chips in her hand didn’t seem appetizing anymore.
“There are many people in the courtyard, and it’s not appropriate for you to show up suddenly.”
Wei Yun explained to her.
Xie Tao nodded absentmindedly, as if her mind was elsewhere.
“Let’s go.”
Seeing her distracted appearance, Wei Yun found it somewhat amusing.
“Yeah yeah!” Xie Tao hurriedly followed him out of the room.
Xie Tao almost couldn’t take her eyes off the table full of delicious dishes. She rushed over and sat on a stool, picked up the chopsticks placed beside her, but didn’t start eating. Instead, she just looked at Wei Yun.
Wei Yun walked over and sat opposite her, saying, “No need to be reserved, go ahead and eat.”
Upon hearing his words, Xie Tao immediately speared a piece of fish with her chopsticks from the pickled pepper fish, took a large chunk of meat down. But after hesitating for a moment, instead of putting it into her own bowl, she stood up, reached out, and placed the piece of fish in the small bowl in front of Wei Yun.
Wei Yun had just picked up his chopsticks when he noticed an extra piece of fish in his bowl. As he lifted his eyes, he caught sight of the girl biting into the meat and smiling at him.
Her eyes curved like a clear spring.
Unconsciously, he lifted the corners of his lips.
Just as Xie Tao was enjoying her meal, there came a knock on the door from outside, followed by a slightly deep voice:
“May I come in, sir?”
Xie Tao paused with a chicken leg in her mouth.
Wei Yun frowned slightly, placing his chopsticks on the jade chopstick rest.
It was Sheng Yueqi’s voice.
“What brings you here?” Wei Yun asked indifferently.
Sheng Yueqi’s voice seemed deliberately lowered, with a teasing tone, “Naturally, I’ve come to see… your little girlfriend.”
Startled by the sudden cue, Xie Tao dropped her chicken leg back into the bowl.
Little, little girlfriend?
Xie Tao secretly glanced at the young gentleman sitting across from her, only to meet his seemingly calm eyes.
She immediately lowered her head and fed the chicken leg into her mouth.
Wait, something’s not right?
Why would that person outside know the term “girlfriend”?
She turned her head, somewhat curiously looking at the blurry figure outside the door.
Wei Yun had intended to tell Sheng Yueqi to leave, but before he could speak, the door was pushed open from outside.
In that instant, the wind in the courtyard lifted his dark green robes, and the gem set on his forehead gleamed brightly.
The young man’s profound features carried an indescribable exotic charm, yet he seemed different from the foreigners Xie Tao had seen before, more like a mixed-blood.
And behind him, the yard was filled with gorgeous hues of light.
“Sheng Yueqi.”
Wei Yun’s voice sounded, sending an inexplicable shiver down the spine.
“Doesn’t the esteemed gentleman have anything to ask me?” Sheng Yueqi’s face showed no signs of fear. His gaze lingered on Xie Tao’s face for a while before he smiled. “Madam, I’ve heard much about you.”
Finally, he added, “Indeed, the esteemed gentleman’s judgment is quite good.”
Xie Tao bit into the chicken leg, her eyes widening.
“Come in,” Wei Yun suddenly said coldly.
Sheng Yueqi knew that this Master Wei was not one to be trifled with, so he decided to leave it at that and stepped inside without saying anything further, closing the door behind him.
As he entered, at that moment, Wei Bo, who had just passed by the corridor near the Yue Dong gate, caught sight of his figure from afar.
He stroked his graying beard and finally realized.
So, the esteemed gentleman was dining with that Sheng young master.
With this thought, Wei Bo turned and left the main courtyard, heading to the back to organize some chores for the servants.
In the study, the three sat at the table, and for some reason, the atmosphere seemed strangely tense.
No one spoke first.
Xie Tao was so nervous that she hadn’t even touched her food.
“Aren’t you going to have someone prepare another set of utensils, sir? I haven’t had my dinner yet,” Sheng Yueqi asked with a smile.
Wei Yun glanced at him lightly, ignoring him, and instead said to Xie Tao, “Eat yours, don’t mind him.”
“Oh…” Xie Tao picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of her rice.
“Sir, are you really that stingy? But wouldn’t you feel awkward eating while I sit here and watch?” Sheng Yueqi hadn’t tasted fresh dog food in ages, and now that he was eating, he wasn’t too willing.
“You came uninvited.”
Wei Yun picked up his chopsticks again, picked up a piece of fish from the bowl, and leisurely took a bite.
Xie Tao saw him eating the fish she had picked for him. She secretly chuckled, then continued to battle with the roast chicken.
Sheng Yueqi, although once a modern man, had been taught by his father for many years to be disciplined. Even when it came to eating, he had been trained under the stick of his father, who had once been the leader of the valiant cavalry.
… He just didn’t understand why people who wielded knives and guns also liked to indulge in this formalism?
But there was no way around it. Over the years, Sheng Yueqi had gotten used to it.
Not to mention, he himself had a cleanliness obsession, even borderline OCD.
So even if he coveted the roast chicken on the table, which had already had two legs torn off, he absolutely couldn’t tolerate himself grabbing it with his hands.
“Never mind, I’ll eat it myself later.”
Sheng Yueqi sighed.
“Master, the bag of gold powder I gave you can only last for about three hours at most. You must have noticed by now, haven’t you?” He suddenly got to the point.
Wei Yun heard his words and straightened up.
Even Xie Tao stopped gnawing on the chicken leg.
“That gold powder is of a special material, belonging to the same lineage as the copper pendant, but it’s particularly rare. I was particularly eager to return to modern times, so I researched the copper pendant for a long time, but besides this gold powder, I couldn’t find a way to let the young lady stay here longer.”
As Sheng Yueqi spoke, he glanced at Xie Tao.
But Xie Tao seized upon the keyword in his words. She widened her eyes for a moment, scrutinizing him up and down, before finally speaking, “You… aren’t you from ancient times?”
