Chapter 218: An Odd Coincidence 8
He knew that Heir Pei’s personality had undergone a huge change after he had fallen sick. He had visited the other man that day because of their past acquaintance back in the Capital, and he had also wanted to find out more about the relationship between Qi Qingyao and Su Hexiao. Pei Fengtang was a man that had his own quirks. He had not eaten any food brought in from outside ever since he was poisoned. What he did today—eat a cake brought in by a commoner without testing it for poisons first—was unthinkable. Not to mention that his servants behind him did not even take any action; they let their master eat unclean food just like that, unafraid that he might be poisoned to death.
Heir Pei realized something after he ate one. “It’s bland. There’s a little sweetness, but it’s not cloying at all. Fresh, even.”
Qi Qingyao was satisfied by his rating. She said with a smile, “If you think that it’s delicious, then my hard work hasn’t gone to waste.” It tasted fresh because she added some mint into it.
“Can you let me taste one, Heir?” Lu Yan did not know why, but the words came out.
Even Lu Yan himself was surprised.
Heir Pei looked away. “Master Lu, you’re still here?”
Lu Yan: “…”
When had he ever had such a weak presence before?
Lu Yan frowned. He pointed toward Horse-face, who was standing behind Qi Qingyao, and said lightly, “My cat likes him, so I can’t leave for now.”
Then he patted the cat in his arms, saying slowly, “Don’t you like playing with him?”
He pinched the cat’s tiny, golden ear. “Go.”
The white cat was happy that he could play with Si Jin, so it jumped down to the floor and quickly ran toward Si Jin’s feet.
Si Jin picked the cat up off the floor and gently smoothed its fur.
Pei Fengtang seemed to have realized that Lu Yan stayed deliberately. His eyes glimmered with interest.
“I recall that Master Lu rarely eats outside.” Heir Pei also recalled that this cat was rarely close to other people other than Lu Yan.
Lu Yan said calmly, “You recalled wrong.”
As his guest did not want to leave, Heir Pei could not shoo him out, so he no longer entertained this fellow who reeked of money and ate another matcha-flavored cake.
Qi Qingyao made small talk. “How has your health been recently?”
“I can sit in the hall and talk to you now, right?” There was a smile on Heir Pei’s face. He praised, “Your medicine prescription was very effective.”
Lu Yan suddenly narrowed his eyes and stared at Qi Qingyao.
Qi Qingyao said nothing; she merely smiled.
Heir Pei patted the other side of his couch and gestured for Qi Qingyao to sit closer, so that he could speak softer and save more energy.
Qi Qingyao noticed that there was a brazier in front of the couch. She felt that she would be closer to the brazier on the couch, so she rushed over excitedly, and even took off her shoes quite unceremoniously, before putting both of her feet onto the couch. She then covered herself with a cotton blanket nearby and grabbed a small warming stove at the same time, which she hugged close to her chest. She behaved as if she was in her own home.
Lu Yan was stupefied at the sight of her consecutive chain of actions.
‘You are a guest! He just asked you to sit over there! What guest would take off their shoes like they were going to sit on a bed-stove? Cover themselves with a blanket and even grab a warming stove for themselves?’
She had really made herself at home.
Heir Pei was not an amiable person.
Everyone in the Capital knew that Heir Pei, whose eyes were as dark as they could get, was somewhat recalcitrant. All in all, he was not a person that was easy to get along with.
With how uncouth her behavior was, this woman would definitely be shooed out.