She stood too close, close enough for him to catch her scent…
The attendant at the entrance, upon spotting Lu Qingtang, immediately broke into a warm smile and approached her, bowing slightly as he said, “It’s been a while since you last visited, miss.”
“I’ve missed this place dearly, so I brought a friend to sample the desserts at Sweet Lake House.”
The attendant promptly bowed to Jiang Xunbai and asked, “Will you be seated at your usual spot, miss?”
Lu Qingtang had no idea which spot he was referring to, but she nodded along. “Yes.”
“Please follow me upstairs—”
The attendant led the two to a window-side table on the second floor.
“Bring us all of your best-selling desserts.”
At this, Jiang Xunbai’s brow twitched slightly, as if he wanted to say something but held back.
The attendant smiled and headed downstairs.
Shortly after, someone brought over a pot of tea.
“This is our Treading Snow Orchid Consort. Please enjoy.”
Lu Qingtang nodded and reached for the teapot, only to see Jiang Xunbai extend his hand first. He poured a cup for her, then one for himself.
Lu Qingtang raised an eyebrow at him. “Care to try?”
Jiang Xunbai lifted the teacup, took a small sip, and his eyes flickered with appreciation. Lifting his gaze, he met Lu Qingtang’s expectant eyes and nodded. “Not bad.”
Lu Qingtang knew that when Jiang Xunbai said “not bad,” it actually meant “excellent.” She took a sip as well, savoring the rich fragrance with a subtle hint of orchid. No wonder people in ancient times were so fond of tea—it was truly delightful.
As Lu Qingtang was lost in thought, a group of servers arrived, carrying an array of dazzling desserts.
After they had left, Lu Qingtang gazed at the table laden with an assortment of sweets and chuckled. “Second Young Master Jiang, please don’t hold back. Try them all.”
Jiang Xunbai silently swallowed his remark, “This is too much,” and nodded.
Lu Qingtang scooped a spoonful of Crisp Mountain into her mouth. An instant coolness filled her palate, mingled with a sweet flavor—it was essentially the ancient version of ice cream. On such a scorching summer day, a bite of Crisp Mountain was pure bliss.
She pushed another bowl of Crisp Mountain toward Jiang Xunbai. “It’s delicious. Try it, Second Young Master Jiang.”
Jiang Xunbai took a spoonful and nodded in agreement.
The table was adorned with an assortment of pastries: Jujube Yam Cake, Lotus Root Starch Osmanthus Sweet Cake, Mint Cool Cake, Sesame Southern Candy, Rose Crisp Candy, and more. Lu Qingtang and Jiang Xunbai ate for a while, paused to sip tea, and resumed eating once they had rested. In the end, there were still plenty of leftovers, and since they were too full to finish, they packed the remaining treats to bring back for Jiang Yijie and Su Lingyao.
As they were about to leave, Lu Qingtang patted her waist and realized she hadn’t brought any money. She had no choice but to say, “Please put it on my tab. I’ll send someone to settle the bill later.”
Worried that the attendant might not trust her, Lu Qingtang began to untie the jade pendant from her waist to offer as collateral, but Jiang Xunbai had already taken out his money pouch.
He stopped her from removing the pendant and said to the attendant, “No need. I’ll take care of it.”
Lu Qingtang widened her eyes in protest. “How can that be? I said I was treating—how could I let you pay, Second Young Master Jiang?!”
By then, Jiang Xunbai had already picked out several silver pieces from his pouch and handed them to the attendant. Hearing her words, he turned to her with a smile. “No need to rush, Miss Lu. We haven’t finished exploring yet.”
Lu Qingtang’s expression stiffened. It wasn’t that she was in a hurry, nor had she finished browsing, but she hadn’t brought any money today. If they continued shopping, wouldn’t Jiang Xunbai end up paying for everything?
Jiang Xunbai glanced at Lu Qingtang and strode out first: “Didn’t Miss Lu say you’d show me around to my heart’s content? Surely you wouldn’t change your mind so quickly?”
Lu Qingtang gritted her teeth and followed Jiang Xunbai’s steps, retorting: “Of course not!”
“Then please lead the way, miss.”
Jiang Xunbai held several boxes of desserts in his hand, turning slightly to smile at Lu Qingtang.
Lu Qingtang had no choice but to continue guiding him.
As they walked, she began to feel something was subtly wrong. Sure enough, they soon found themselves in an alley filled with the scent of rouge and powder. Just as she was about to turn and lead Jiang Xunbai away, a male voice called from behind her: “You’re here, miss!”
Lu Qingtang turned back with an awkward smile: “Yes…”
A soft, charming female voice followed: “Come sit at Fragrant Delight House for a while, miss!”
Lu Qingtang forced a dry laugh: “Th-that won’t be necessary.”
Jiang Xunbai stood nearby, lowering his gaze to look at Lu Qingtang. A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes as he curved his lips slightly and chuckled softly: “Miss Lu is truly…”
He paused, choosing his words carefully, “quite popular.”
The alley contained two towering buildings – one a brothel, the other the Southern Wind Pavilion.
The man and woman who had called out to Lu Qingtang were from the Southern Wind Pavilion and the brothel respectively.
Their manner made it abundantly clear that Lu Qingtang was a regular here.
Lu Qingtang didn’t dare lift her head to meet Jiang Xunbai’s gaze. She never imagined that someone who had never even dated in her previous life would now be misunderstood as someone who played both fields, dabbled in romance, and frequented pleasure quarters. This left Lu Qingtang unable to voice her bitterness.
She smiled awkwardly: “Second Young Master Jiang, believe me, I know nothing about this…”
Jiang Xunbai replied without hesitation: “I don’t believe you.”
In her panic, Lu Qingtang reached out and grabbed Jiang Xunbai’s arms, looking up at him earnestly: “Second Young Master Jiang, don’t misunderstand, I really don’t know them. How could I possibly come to such places—”
She was a model student, after all…
When her hands touched his arms, he froze in place. He struggled slightly, trying to retreat backward, but Lu Qingtang didn’t notice at all, still gripping him tightly while seriously explaining.
Jiang Xunbai almost held his breath. He lowered his gaze slightly to see Lu Qingtang’s eyes filled with seriousness, her cherry-like mouth moving incessantly, though he could barely make out what she was saying.
She was too close – close enough that he could smell the faint fragrance from her hair.
His heart pounded like a drum, his cheeks burning hot.
Author’s note:
TangTang: Heaven above, bear witness to my loyalty! (Raising hand as if swearing)
Jiang TangTang: What’s all this babbling about? (Avoiding eye contact)