Chapter 144 – Love Affairs I
"Why? Why should I do that?!" Jiang Ruolan hid her hand behind her back. "Everyone's fingers aren't exactly the same size, and it just so happens that this ring is suitable to wear on this finger. I wouldn't feel comfortable if I wore it on another finger."
Qin Gengxin didn't argue with her again. After all, Jiang Yijun had grown up with her, so it was unlikely that he should be jealous of her brother. Thus, he didn't say anything more.
After the elevator door opened, they both walked out. This time, Qin Gengxin didn't hold her hand. It was obvious that he didn't mind, but he was still a bit unhappy.
"How hard it is to serve you." Jiang Ruolan frowned and followed him helplessly.
Shortly after they sat in the tea room, a waiter brought them a menu with some fruit and sweets. Qin Gengxin pushed the menu in front of him and said, "According to what Zihao said, even though Imperial Dynasty is a hotel, their tea is still quite tasty. Zihao likes to drink tea here, and I haven't had a good taste of our country's good tea for many years, so today is the perfect day for him to treat us!"
Jiang Ruolan glanced at the last page of the menu. It was just a pot of tea, but it cost 2,000 RMB, and there were also tens of thousands of top quality Yellow Mountain Mao Peaks¹.
Her eyelids twitched. Jiang Ruolan put down the menu and smiled at the waiter. She told him to wait for a while because they were still waiting for another person.
After the waiter left, she slapped the menu and pointed to the price. "This is 28,000 RMB! Twenty-eight thousand! I could buy a house with that money!"
Qin Gengxin looked at her nonchalantly. "What? You're afraid that Zihao can't afford it?"
Could Jiang Ruolan mention to Qin Gengxin that she and Xian Zihao were husband and wife and had the same property?
Could she say that Xian Zihao spending twenty-eight thousand yuan to buy a pot of tea was the same as spending twenty-eight thousand yuan on her?
Could she say that her heart ached when she saw the price?
Although she knew that the wealth of the Xian Family was enormous and that Xian Zihao was not short of money, however, when looking from her perspective, it really hurt her.
Jiang Ruolan wanted to cry, but there were no tears. She could cry in silence.
Qin Gengxin looked at her with disdain. He then leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. He said lazily, "Zihao is not in the same class as us, why are you overthinking about it? Do you think that he is just President Xian?"
"Why don't you come and search? Other than Xian Group, what else is in my sleeves?" Suddenly, the private room door was opened, and a faint voice came through. In a moment, Xian Zihao's tall figure appeared in front of the door.
Jiang Ruolan's expression froze as she turned to look at him.
When Qin Gengxin saw Xian Zihao's gentle expression, he immediately laughed and waved his hand. "It's really easy to be caught speaking ill of others behind their back!"
Xian Zihao glanced at him disapprovingly and walked to the table.
His gaze seemed to inadvertently sweep over Jiang Ruolan's body. After he sat down, he caught a glimpse of the menu on the table. "What did you order?"
"We don't order anything yet. Ruolan wanted you to treat us a pot of extreme An Xi's Tie Guanyin²." Qin Gengxin smiled shamelessly as he pointed at the line of words.
"I never said that!" Jiang Ruolan glared at him and quickly turned to look at Xian Zihao who had his eyebrows raised slightly. "I didn't ask for it. There's no need for you to treat us. This tea is too expensive!"
Xian Zihao glanced indifferently at the price. He already had a rough idea of what was going on. With Jiang Ruolan's personality, it would have been great if she had not turned down the offer and left.
Xian Zihao chuckled lightly as he glanced at Qin Gengxin, who had a carefree smile on his face, "Shameless, your cultivation level has risen greatly."
Qin Gengxin shrugged his shoulder and let out a low laugh. Seeing that Jiang Ruolan was staring at the menu, he couldn't help but say, "Ruolan, it's fine if you're being polite with me. Why are you being polite with Zihao? I have to slaughter him cruelly every time I meet him."
Xian Zihao snickered.
The atmosphere in the private room was much more relaxed, but Jiang Ruolan's heart was still in suspense. When Xian Zihao had first entered, he had glanced at her with a hint of a gaze that made it hard for her to ascertain his thoughts.
Not long after, the waiter came in to retrieve the menu. The tea was served very quickly, and when An Xi's Tie Guanyin was brought up to the table, Jiang Ruolan immediately looked at the small purple clay teapot.
No matter how emotional she felt, no matter how much pain she felt, there was nothing she could do.
When she saw Xian Zihao slowly pouring tea for her, Jiang Ruolan held half her face in one hand and watched the tea flow out, sighing almost inaudible.
Twenty-eight thousand! This small pot was worth 28,000 yuan! Her entire salary was four to five months! At most, she could only pour out six or seven cups of tea!
"Right, Zihao." Qin Gengxin suddenly said, "I've been back for so long, but I haven't asked you about your recent love affairs."
Jiang Ruolan froze when she heard that.
However, Xian Zihao just glanced at him indifferently. "What is it?"
"Is there any beauty by your side? Candidates for marriage? It's been so many years, you can't possibly have been so pure hearted until now, right?" There was a hidden meaning in Qin Gengxin's words and his eyes revealed a faint sense of probing.
His attempt to probe was due to Zhou Shufen returning back home. However, from Jiang Ruolan's point of view, she assumed that he was starting to suspect something. The hand holding the teacup tightened immediately.
Xian Zihao seemed to be thinking about something. Suddenly, he glanced at Jiang Ruolan.
Jiang Ruolan noticed something from his gaze. It was obvious that he did not intend to continue hiding their relationship.
"Gengxin, about this, I should …"
*Pah!*
Before Xian Zihao could finish his words, the cup in Jiang Ruolan's hand "accidentally" slid off and fell to the floor. There was a low cracking sound.
"What a pity. Such a good cup. I didn't pay attention to it just now, so it fell!" Jiang Ruolan scratched her forehead. She looked at Qin Gengxin with an apologetic gaze and smiled at Xian Zihao who had a slight frown.
After saying that, Jiang Ruolan lowered her body to pick up the fragment.
Qin Gengxin didn't pay much attention to her sudden situation. He turned around and asked, "Zihao, what did you just say?"
Knowing that Jiang Ruolan's actions were intentional, Xian Zihao glanced at her again before continuing calmly, "Before you returned home, I had already …"
*Bang!*
"Ah …"
The table in front of them suddenly shook. Xian Zihao immediately frowned and looked at the woman who came out from under the table. She was clutching the back of her head.
"I'm dead!" Jiang Ruolan held onto the back of her head when she stood up. With an exaggerated expression, she rubbed her head. "It hurts …"
.
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Glossary:
¹ Huangshan Maofeng Green Tea (Yellow Mountain Mao Peaks) is a type of green tea that has tiny white hairs on its tea leaves. It has a clean and smooth taste with a fresh and floral aroma.
² Tie Guan Yin is semi-fermented oolong tea and one of the best oolong tea types. In China, when speaking of Tieguanyin, Anxi Tieguanyin tea always comes to people's minds first.