Chapter 87 - 071 A Cup of Spring Tea Thoughts Stretch Long (Request for Continued Reading!)

"Miss, do I need to tell you about your body’s condition?" Xu Chang’an said helplessly.

Easily fatigued, drinking strong tea might cause palpitations.

"What’s wrong with me?" Yun Qian tilted her head, a lock of side hair slipped from her ear.

"Drinking some tea can make you feel drunk, anxious, short of breath, weak, and flushed. What’s the point?" Xu Chang’an sighed.

The sensations and causes of tea drunkenness and alcohol drunkenness are different, because Yun Qian usually controls her alcohol consumption well, so the former will be more uncomfortable for her.

"I might not get tea drunk now." Yun Qian said.

"I probably know your constitution better than you do; you will definitely get drunk." Xu Chang’an reached out and lifted her fallen hair, thinking about the little things he knows well, like when Yun Qian gets tired, her alcohol limits, her taste in food, and the strength she uses to wash her hair.

"Know me better... than myself?" Yun Qianxin thought to herself that’s indeed the case, and then said, "So should I just watch you drink tea with her?"

"..." Xu Chang’an blinked slightly.

Yun Qian said this calmly, so Xu Chang’an couldn’t interpret it as Miss Yun being jealous. He knew she was simply asking, so he replied gently, "How about you drink some plain water on the side? Never mind... Just sit quietly, Miss."

Drinking tea isn’t the main point; the focus is on the simple tea offering and then discussing Yun Qian’s cultivation with Wen Li.

It would be improper to confuse the priorities.

A little tea isn’t worth worrying about.

"..."

But Yun Qian didn’t think so.

For her, drinking tea with Xu Chang’an, or rather, tea brewed by him, would certainly be a wonderful experience.

Last time, she didn’t seriously drink tea with Xu Chang’an; she just picked up his cup to quench her thirst, and ended up half-drunk.

"What kind of tea are you preparing to drink with her?" Yun Qian asked.

"Small Mountain Tea," Xu Chang’an replied, "Harvested last year. Although fresh tea tastes the best, the weather this year was unpredictable, and the tea produced wasn’t good. Last year’s is more mellow."

"How does it taste?" Yun Qian asked further.

"The tea brews slowly, the aroma isn’t strong, the flavor is mild. I can drink it, but it’s a bitter tea." Xu Chang’an thought, knowing Yun Qian prefers sweet flavors and probably wouldn’t like the tea.

"Hmm." Yun Qian nodded.

Xu Chang’an looked at her a few more times.

Not liking tea, but continuously talking about tea.

"Miss, are you interested in tea?" Xu Chang’an asked.

"A little." Yun Qian pointed to a nearby book she previously used as a pillow, "The book says spouses should share a cup of A Cup of Spring tea together—yet I’ve only drunk wine with you."

A Cup of Spring tea reflects deep affection.

As expected.

Xu Chang’an sighed.

Learned from reading again.

"Is wine not enough?" Xu Chang’an said helplessly, "We’ve always enjoyed drinks together, how is that different from tea?"

"It’s different." Yun Qian’s tone was steady, but Xu Chang’an saw stubbornness in her eyes.

"How is it different?" Xu Chang’an asked.

"I haven’t shared tea with you yet," Yun Qian said earnestly.

Xu Chang’an was taken aback.

Though Yun Qian wasn’t jealous, hearing such words naturally made Xu Chang’an think of something.

At Muyu Peak, due to work, he has tasted aromatic teas with many ladies and learned quite a bit about tea ceremonies, though his understanding is only partial.

He drinks a lot of tea, personally enjoys it, but since Yun Qian can’t, he usually makes tea for himself at Muyu Peak.

So far, he hasn’t served tea to anyone else, nor has anyone else tasted his tea-making skills.

Back in Beisang City, he knew nothing of tea artistry, so even if Yun Qian drank it, it didn’t count.

If he were to host Wen Li on Yun Qian’s behalf, it would be the first time he showcases his skills to outsiders.

"Want to try?" Xu Chang’an asked Yun Qian.

"I can try it." Yun Qian said.

"First time, it should certainly be reserved for Miss." Xu Chang’an rose reluctantly and said, "Since it’s still early, let’s treat it as a practice, but you can’t drink much... I’ll also try to use Spiritual Power to filter the leaves clean, so it won’t affect tonight’s plans."

"I’ll follow your lead." Yun Qian stood up with Xu Chang’an, thinking he’s still indulging her.

Xu Chang’an walked into the tea room helplessly.

Just a little tea wouldn’t really harm the body, otherwise he wouldn’t agree.

——

Better than the sound of rain was the bubbling sound coming from the kettle on the stove. Alongside the sound, a slender cloud of steam wafted gently from the teapot’s spout.

Steam was everywhere, and... because of the continuous rustle of tea filtering, the room was filled with a unique tea aroma.

"Miss!" Xu Chang’an raised his voice slightly, towards Yun Qian who was close to the boiling water, saying, "Step back a little, don’t burn your hand."

"Oh." Yun Qian obediently moved a few steps back.

Xu Chang’an carefully selected the tea leaves, asking casually, "Curious?"

"Hmm." Yun Qian nodded.

"Miss often drinks wine." Xu Chang’an said, "Do you know the difference between tea and alcohol? They are indeed not the same."

"Wine tastes better than tea." Yun Qian answered without hesitation.

"Strictly speaking, the Jade Dew you often drink doesn’t even count as alcohol." Xu Chang’an thought that Yun Qian’s alcohol tolerance is low, so it barely tastes alcoholic. It’s more like juice, of course it’s better.

——

"Tea keeps one alert, wine intoxicates, but whether drinking wine or tea, it’s about a mental realm." Xu Chang’an explained.

As they say, it’s not the wine, but the person who becomes drunk; it’s not the tea that clears, but the heart that clears.

"Do you understand?" Xu Chang’an asked.

"Don’t understand." Yun Qian touched her smooth face, saying, "Still, alcohol is easier to understand and tastes better."

One should enjoy their drink completely, hence she likes alcohol.

"I knew it." Xu Chang’an shook his head, as if Miss Yun drinks alcohol without considering its meaning. If it’s tasty and gives her the pleasantly hazy drunkenness, it surpasses any meaning.

This tea-drinking experience is alike, she simply wants to drink tea with him, without any extra thought.

Miss Yun drinks not for the mental realm, but for the water.

Then what about himself...

Xu Chang’an lowered his eyes, thinking compared to Miss Yun, he’s far inferior.

When he drinks with Yun Qian, what he cares about isn’t the alcohol.

....

Xu Chang’an stood up and took the almost boiling water from the stove, scalded the cup with hot water, looking at the steaming, pure white tea cup. He turned to ask her, "Miss, why do you think, since I’m going to brew tea for you, I didn’t wait for Senior Wen to come, instead doing it early?"

"Because you want to drink tea with me alone too." Yun Qian said.

"..."

Xu Chang’an was silent for a while, then said helplessly, "You can even guess that?"

Yun Qian looked into his eyes, asked, "Is that difficult?"

"Not really."