Shang Chi dropped a casual "Let's grab dinner next time" before slipping away without a trace.
He must have been swamped, sending only occasional greetings over WeChat—messages that sometimes got replies, sometimes didn't.
Mingzhu gradually settled into calm, realizing that "next time" was just empty courtesy between adults.
It was only because she rarely socialized that she'd taken it seriously.
Their WeChat chats remained lukewarm.
Listening to his lazy voice message promising local specialties, Mingzhu lowered her long, dark lashes and thanked him calmly.
"Who are you chatting with?!"
Qi Kejing had been eyeing Mingzhu for a while now.
After several trips in and out of the practice room under the pretense of getting water, all without catching Mingzhu's attention, she finally couldn't hold back. She wrapped her arms around the girl's slender, pale neck from behind, her tone sharp and demanding.
Mingzhu, familiar with Qi Kejing's footsteps, hadn't anticipated her sudden approach. Startled, her long lashes fluttered.
For a moment, she couldn't tell whether the rapid thudding in her chest came from the shock of Qi Kejing's abrupt closeness or the inexplicable guilt stirring at the question about who she was chatting with.
"Let me see..." Qi Kejing murmured in her ear.
It was just an ordinary voice chat, and Qi Kejing could only see the intertwined white and green voice bubbles.
Yet inexplicably, a faint flush spread across Mingzhuo's ears. She shifted the phone away awkwardly, murmuring indistinctly, "Nothing."
"Oh~" Qi Kejing drew out her tone, "So it was him!"
"..." Ming Zhuo clenched her phone, wanting to explain, "It's just random..."
Qi Kejing laughed brightly, "So he's the owner of Sishifeng Tea House!"
"Just chatting... huh?"
Ming Zhuo froze for a moment.
Qi Kejing, oblivious to her hesitation, chattered on, "He asked if you could make it on time this afternoon."
"Oh my, the owner of Four Seasons Wind pays pretty well. Heard he's a rich kid who left home to start his own business. Looks pretty good too."
Qi Kejing grew more and more pleased as she spoke, wrapping an arm around Mingzhu and giving her a gentle shake.
"He's single too, you know. Last time he mentioned you to me, saying you're amazing at playing the piano. Shouldn't you two get to know each other better?"
It was the break between private lessons. Just then, He Yin finished packing up and emerged from Practice Room 1. Overhearing the tail end of the conversation, she asked with interest, "Introducing a new guy to Xiao Zhu? Where's he from? What does he do?"
Qi Kejing: "The owner of Four Seasons Tea House on Changxi Street—his name's Chang Xuan. Xiao Zhu's been working part-time there."
He Yin pondered for a moment: "I remember now. I've had tea at that place. The young owner's quite something—refined, composed, and a smooth talker."
Qi Kejing and He Yin instantly bonded over whether this owner would suit Mingzhu.
The subject, Mingzhu, quietly shifted her position to the side, lowering her head as her fingertips slowly swiped across the screen.
Listening to the mechanical female voice announcing the message, she finally grasped what was happening.
When Qi Kejing wrapped her arm around her, Mingzhu instinctively tried to cover her phone.
But she felt that reaction was too guilty, so her movement froze. Her finger, still on the screen, accidentally tapped into a newly popped-up chat window.
It was Chang Xuan, the teahouse owner, inquiring about today's part-time shift via WeChat.
Mingzhu replied with a voice message: "Okay, I'll be there on time."
She listened for a moment to the lively discussion beside her, flushed red by the two young bamboo enthusiasts' praise. She could only silently get up and choose to make a quick exit.
-
Her part-time shift was scheduled for 1:30 PM.
He Yin had tagged along for lunch at the studio. When Qi Kejing mentioned she had afternoon classes and couldn't drive Mingzhu, He Yin volunteered to give her a ride since she had a car.
After dropping Mingzhu off and thanking her, He Yin pulled out her phone. Aiming it at Mingzhu's retreating figure entering the teahouse, she pressed the shutter button.
She posted it to her Moments.
[He Yin: My little girl is all grown up now, off on a blind date with Xiao Zhu [wiping tears]]
Her WeChat had quite a few contacts, and likes and comments poured in quickly.
People asked whose relative she was, wished her luck on the date, suggested meeting up, or offered their own sons, nephews, or cousins as potential matches...
He Yin leisurely scrolled through the comments. Finally, after about ten minutes, a new comment appeared.
[Shang Chi: ?]
Snap. Screenshot saved.
Humming a tune, He Yin set her phone aside and drove toward home, paying no mind to that comment.
Only the curve of her lips was utterly defiant, even the fine lines at her eyes brimming with unrestrained amusement.
...
Four Seasons Wind Tea House caters to an upscale clientele, renowned for its serene and private ambiance.
Its owner, Chang Xuan, being a wealthy second-generation heir, leveraged connections among upper-class aunts and uncles during the grand opening to build his network, successfully establishing the tea house.
To maintain its high-end image, he hired students from Jincheng Conservatory of Music for live performances. Should a VIP reserve a private room, Mingzhu would be invited to perform.
After greeting Chang Xuan upon entering the teahouse, Ming Zhu headed to the lounge. She retrieved her guqin from the cabinet and began practicing a few notes.
A moment later, a knock sounded at the lounge door.
Chang Xuan poked his head in, smiling warmly. "Xiao Zhuo, the guests have arrived. Are you ready?"
Ming Zhuo rose, cradling her zither. "I'm ready."
As she did for every shift, she slipped her arm through Chang Xuan's as the tea master opened the door to serve tea. Carrying her zither, she settled quietly behind the Suzhou embroidery screen.
Her fingertips, calloused from years of practice, lightly touched the strings. As the tea master's gentle introduction flowed, she plucked the strings.
The qin's sound was clear and faintly resonant.
Amidst the thin white mist rising and the faint aroma of tea, a sense of deep, still water's tranquility filled the air.
"..."
The tall man silently lifted his gaze, glancing at the indistinct figure playing behind the nearby screen.
The semi-transparent screen, thin as a cicada's wing, was embroidered with a vivid bamboo grove. It partially obscured the scene, allowing only a blurred outline to be discerned no matter how one looked.
This arrangement ensured maximum privacy for both the guest and the musician.
Noticing his gaze, the middle-aged man beside him smiled and introduced, "Mr. Shang, this place was opened by my good-for-nothing youngest son after he ran away from home. Isn't it quite the proper setup?"
"The tea is carefully selected for the finest quality, and there's even a list for choosing melodies played live. Ha ha, back then, we relied on a few friends to help liven things up."
"..."
The man cleared his throat softly. "Hmm, it's quite good."
"Mr. Shang, is your throat bothering you?" the middle-aged man asked with concern.
He seemed perfectly fine just moments ago outside.
Now his voice sounded low and hoarse, as if deliberately strained.
The man: "...Yes, but it's fine. Let's get down to business."
Skipping the usual pleasantries and small talk, they moved straight to the formal cooperation matters. The tea master, receiving a gesture, bowed lightly and withdrew.
Mingzhu played with complete focus, never paying attention to whether the people beyond the screen were laughing and chatting or discussing crucial business matters.
No sound penetrated her ears.
She played quietly for an hour, then packed up her instrument and left.
Yet at one moment, she lifted her head slightly. Her unfocused gaze lingered for a second in the darkness ahead.
...Had she grown accustomed to Shang Chi's voice lately?
In that dazed instant, she felt today's guest's tone strangely reminiscent of his.