Lin Yuwei poured a cup of tea and handed it to Feng Jin. "Sister Feng Jin, this is the Dragon Well tea newly presented as tribute this year. Please try it and see if it suits your taste."
She picked up the teacup and took a gentle sip. The delicate fragrance of the tea spread through her mouth, leaving a lingering aftertaste. The tribute tea was indeed different; each cup was a masterpiece, and the leaves were truly of superior quality.
"It's indeed very good. A fine cup of tea."
Even someone like her, who didn't know much about tea, could tell it was a good brew. This was enough to show how excellent the tea was.
"Sister Feng Jin, if you like it, I have plenty. I'll pack some for you when you leave later."
Although these tea leaves weren't exceptionally rare or valuable, and Sister Feng Jin might have access to even better ones, she always wanted to give her best to Sister Feng Jin. That's what made her happy.
"Then I shall gratefully accept. I won't stand on ceremony with you."
Understanding Lin Yuwei's nature and knowing her sincerity, Feng Jin decided not to be polite. She accepted readily, and moreover, the tea did suit her taste.
If someone kindly offered a gift, refusing it would be disrespectful.
Lin Yuwei breathed a sigh of relief. She had initially worried that Sister Feng Jin might not like it or would look down on these things and refuse to accept them. Hearing her response, she was completely reassured, and the stone that had been weighing on her heart finally lifted.
Just as she was about to continue chatting with Sister Feng Jin, Chu Chenyi, with his usual lack of tact, walked in, and the atmosphere in the room instantly chilled.
Chu Chenyi also sensed that his timing was rather unfortunate, and he suddenly felt awkward. His gaze slowly swept between the two of them, and he finally cleared his throat, "You..."
Before he could finish, Lin Yuwei interrupted him impatiently, "Why are you here?"
His appearance at this moment was truly ill-timed. Lin Yuwei's expression immediately turned displeased. She found Chu Chenyi incredibly annoying from every angle.
Chu Chenyi awkwardly touched his nose and slowly lowered his head. "Uh... when is dinner?"
He had come to ask Lin Yuwei when dinner would be because he was hungry, but he hadn't expected Feng Jin to still be there. If he had known Feng Jin hadn't left, he wouldn't have come.
"Dinner? Can't you just eat by yourself? Why are you asking me!"
If he was hungry, he could just go and eat. Why was he asking her?
Lin Yuwei rolled her eyes in disdain. She was already being much more polite to Chu Chenyi than she would have been, and not kicking him out immediately was already a great show of respect.
"Do you both want to join?"
Chu Chenyi asked tentatively, his cautious gaze examining the two of them, finally settling on Lin Yuwei, awaiting her final answer.
"No, the small kitchen is preparing it. You go eat by yourself."
She couldn't get used to the food prepared in their mansion, so she had opened a small kitchen with her own money, allowing her to eat whatever she pleased.
Upon hearing that the small kitchen was preparing food, Chu Chenyi's scheme began to brew. He knew very well that the food prepared by Lin Yuwei's small kitchen tasted much better than that from the main kitchen.
Moreover, the mansion was short on funds now, and the food from the main kitchen was quite unpalatable. It would be better for him to shamelessly freeload a meal here.
Besides, he had already lost all face in front of Lin Yuwei and Feng Jin, so he didn't care about a little more. In comparison, his stomach was more important.
Having made up his mind, Chu Chenyi shamelessly sat down on a nearby chair, showing no intention of leaving.
Feng Jin, observing the subtle atmosphere between the two, wisely chose to remain silent. She was merely a guest, and it wasn't appropriate for a guest to meddle in the host's affairs. She might as well continue drinking her tea.
One cup of tea after another, and before dinner had even begun, Feng Jin was already feeling quite full.
"Sister Feng Jin, drink less water. You still have to eat later."
Lin Yuwei also noticed that Feng Jin had been continuously drinking water and kindly reminded her. If she got full from drinking water, how could she eat later? The many dishes prepared were specifically for Sister Feng Jin, and it would be a shame if she didn't eat them.
She directly stepped forward and took the teacup from Feng Jin's hand, placing it on the table. "Sister Feng Jin, please stop drinking tea. You'll be eating soon, and it's all your favorite dishes."
The food from the small kitchen was probably almost ready. Why hadn't it been served yet? The speed was truly slow, and it was quite impatient.
Just as she was about to send someone to check why the food wasn't ready, a maid walked in with a tray. More than a dozen dishes were laid out, filling the dining area with the aroma of food.
Chu Chenyi, who had been hungry for almost a day, couldn't help but swallow when he smelled the aroma. He had to admit that the food from the small kitchen was truly fragrant, incomparable to the main kitchen's cooking.
While Lin Yuwei's attention was fully focused on Feng Jin, Chu Chenyi seized the opportunity when no one was looking, sat down, and picked up his chopsticks, about to serve himself when he was unfortunately caught red-handed by Lin Yuwei.
"Why are you sitting here? Weren't you hungry? Hurry and go."
She naturally knew Chu Chenyi's intentions for sitting there, but Lin Yuwei still pretended not to know, speaking as if she wanted to drive Chu Chenyi away.
This was because she really didn't want Chu Chenyi to eat with them. This was food prepared with her money, and she didn't want Chu Chenyi to eat it for free.
Chu Chenyi's outstretched chopsticks froze awkwardly in mid-air, then he slowly put them down, and said with a forced awkwardness, "Well... uh, I just... I just wanted..."
"You just wanted what? Hurry and leave!"
Lin Yuwei directly issued the eviction notice, convinced that Chu Chenyi couldn't possibly be so shameless as to stay any longer.
"Alright. Anyway, there are still plenty of dishes here. How can just the two of us finish them? I think a few more people would be enough. Since His Highness the King of Jing intends to stay, let him stay. He can help share the food, and it won't go to waste."
Feng Jin kindly interjected to smooth things over. Although Chu Chenyi looked quite pathetic at the moment, this was all the consequence of his own actions, and he couldn't blame others.
"Sister Feng Jin, please don't worry. Even if these dishes aren't finished, they won't be wasted. I have a big yellow dog."