Xie PanâErâs lips couldnât help but twitch as she looked at the child led by the shopkeeper, her mind buzzing.
"This... child canât even tell her directions. How am I supposed to question her?!"
Hearing this, the old shopkeeper of Zhiwei Restaurant grew anxious.
"Oh, Third Miss! You canât refuse to help this old man! This child is clearly an acquaintance of yours. You canât just see her in distress and not help!"
Seeing the shopkeeperâs anxious expression, Xie PanâEr found it hard to refuse and said, "Alright, Iâll try asking her."
"Thank you, Third Miss. This old man will have someone bring you a pot of tea. You can take your time asking."
The Xiao Er brought them tea. As he was leaving, Xie PanâEr caught a glimpse of him subconsciously rubbing his eyes.
The Xiao Er himself found it very strange. His eyes seemed particularly itchy today, and it felt like he had rubbed out some sleep crust from them.
Xie PanâEr picked up a teacup and asked Xiaosuisui, "Would you like some tea?"
Xiaosuisui nodded. Although it was already September, the weather outside was still quite hot. She had been searching for Xiaobai all this way and was extremely thirsty.
"Drink!"
Xie PanâEr held the teacup, personally blew on the tea to cool it, and then carefully brought it to her lips.
She gently lifted the Girlâs veil and slowly helped her drink the tea.
"Is it good?" Xie PanâEr asked.
Xiaosuisui nodded. "Itâs delicious. Third Aunt said that while the preserved fruit from Zhiwei Restaurant is tasty, their brewed tea is truly exceptional. Itâs cooling in summer and warming in winter, fragrant, sweet, and mellow, with an endlessly delightful aftertaste."
The little Girl recalled when she had just arrived at the Ji Familyâs home to recover from her injuries. Because the medicine was too bitter and she refused to drink it, Third Aunt would use preserved fruit from Zhiwei Restaurant to coax her into taking her medicine. So, during their casual chats, Third Aunt had mentioned other specialties from Zhiwei Restaurant.
The shopkeeper and Xie PanâEr were very surprised. While the preserved fruit and Dim Sum from Zhiwei Restaurant were famous in the Capital City, their brewed tea was even more outstanding. Any woman who could come to Zhiwei Restaurant for tea was definitely of high status, holding at least a Third Grade imperial title. This was because the Restaurant only had three private rooms and received only three tables of guests each day.
"Your Third Aunt has had tea at Zhiwei Restaurant before?" Xie PanâEr stared at the little Girlâs face, but unfortunately, with the black veil she wore, Xie PanâEr couldnât see the expression underneath it at all.
"It *is* my Third Aunt!"
The little Girl was truly very young and rarely interacted with outsiders. The Ji Family hadnât taught her social graces. So, she quite naturally assumed that everyone should know who her Third Aunt was!
"No, Iâm asking what your Third Auntâs name is. And which Mansionâs young lady are you?"
Xiaosuisui tilted her head, thinking.
"First Aunt and Second Aunt call Third Aunt âXiuxiuâ. Iâm the little young lady of the Ji Mansion."
Xie PanâEr put a hand to her forehead.
With this kind of conversation, forget the shopkeeper; even she couldnât make sense of it.
She tried hard to recall the scene of her first meeting with this little Girl in Yang City, desperately seeking a breakthrough.
Finally, she decided to focus on the matter of the Girlâs Guards.
"You told Shopkeeper Grandpa that your name is Suisui, right?"
The little Girl took another sip of tea and nodded.
"Then, may I call you Suisui as well?"
Still, she nodded.
Xie PanâEr considered her words for a moment before tentatively asking, "Suisui, last time I saw you in Yang City, you had several Guards with you. Whose orders do they follow?"
The Guards who were with her in Yang City?
Xiaosuisui tilted her head, thought for a moment, and said, "Those people were sent by His Majesty, my adoptive father, to pick me up!"
"His Majesty... adoptive father?"
Xie PanâErâs heart clenched. Was it âHis Majestyâ or âBi Xiaâ? Or some other homophone?
Heavens, please donât let it be the possibility she was dreading!