“Pei Yuan, are these your classmates?”
Although she asks in a soft tone, Pei Yuan still thinks that he has never been in such a place before.
If he shakes his head, the fairy will just ignore them and he can “revenge” for what they had done to him in the past two months. As long as he shakes his head slightly… Pei Yuan’s inner self is asking him to shake his head. It seems that he has hesitated for a long time but it is actually just three seconds before he says,
“Yes, they are my classmates… I’m not very familiar with some, though.”
Lin Luoran doesn’t care about the ones that Pei Yuan is “not very familiar with”, instead, she smiles at this interesting reply.
If Pei Yuan answers “No”, Lin Luoran will be happy to teach those students a lesson for him as it is not a big deal for that they have met before. However, if he really says “No”, their “tie” may break here today.
Pei Yuan didn’t say “No”, nor did he say “Yes” like a “nice guy”. The choice he made confronted with temptation makes Lin Luoran feels that he is actually very kind — does that mean that she likes kind kids better?
“Since they are your classmates. This Mr…?” Lin Luoran looks at Zhang Shuming, who was talking a lot of nonsense. She believes that real elegant people, like Liu Zheng, should be well-educated and never make others feel embarrassed.
Zhang Shuming was feeling uncomfortable all over him. Seeing that Lin Luoran is looking at him, he feels that his uncomfortableness has gone. He nods his head and says, “My name is Zhang Shuming, fairy, you can call me ‘Shuming’…”
Lin Luoran holds her laughter. This Zhang Shuming is just a student and he wants to act like an adult and plays up to her. “Shuming”? Why would I call you Shuming?
“Oh, Mr. Zhang then. You said that my tea was fake, didn’t you?”
Looking at Lin Luoran’s smile, Zhang Shuming is messed up inside his head. If the tea comes from the fairy, he can drink it up even if it is poisonous. How can he say that it is fake?
Jiang Ping is reluctant to admit the mistake, “Fake or not, it should be tested by all of us…”
Lin Luodong gets angry. He never compares unrealistically with others but he knows that Grandpa Mu is wealthy and that he will never offer them fake tea.
The cup of Kungfu tea is very small and the teapot they use is for four people. There is only one left. Seeing that his sister doesn’t stop him, Luodong picks up the final cup and gives it to Zhang Shuming. To Luodong, Zhang Shuming is a smiling tiger and Luodong really doesn’t like him.
By now, Zhang Shuming has already known that he messed up. However, he knows that possession is more important than admiration. Besides, he has spent a lot on Xia Bingyan and there is no way to give up. He blinks his eyes — his only choice is to expose the true colors of Pei Yuan and his “accomplice”.
Zhang Shuming understands the tea ceremony a little bit. He takes the cup and observes the tea inside. It has a clear golden-red color and an excellent fragrance. Just a smell and Zhang Shuming knows that it is indeed very good Dahongpao Tea.
However, it cannot be Dahongpao Tea from the seed tree. People have been forbidden to pick tea-leaves from the seed trees for several thousand years. Even if someone has Dahongpao Tea leaves from the seed tree, they will hide them rather than share them with strangers.
The more Zhang Shuming thinks, the surer he is about himself. He has made the judgment already and he does not have the mood of tasting tea. When he is tasting tea, the first sip has a slight caramel flavor. After the second and the third brew, there is a slight fragrance of orchid. At first, the tea is mellow with a little bitterness. Soon he feels the sweet taste in his mouth. Moreover, the tea is durable. Even after the fifth or the sixth brew, the tea is still mellow and smooth and has a good aftertaste.
The above are all distinctive features of top-range Dahongpao Tea. Everyone knows about tea ceremony will know the features. However, due to his unstable mind, Zhang Shuming doesn’t notice them. He tastes for a while and says in hesitation, “I’m not sure.”
It is his commonly used method to retreat in order to advance. He doesn’t say yes or no. He is “not sure” but he will not admit that this is real.
Lin Luoran can’t help laughing. Mr. Zhang is really shameless.
“Why did you ask to do something that you actually cannot do?”
Lin Luoran shows no mercy and Zhang Shuming is embarrassed. He is about to quote something to quibble with Lin Luoran when Xia Bingyan, who has been standing there in silence, suddenly says,
“It is the right fragrance… Can I have a cup of tea as well, please?”
“Bingyan, why do you…” Jiang Ping is confused. This request from her friend is totally helping the “enemy”.
As for Zhang Shuming, his fragile heart has already broken.
Xia Bingyan ignores them. Since she asked, there is no need for her to hide. She takes off her baseball cap — a refreshing girl with a ponytail hair, not very stunning, but still good-looking.
“Can I have a cup of tea please?” She asks again. Her tone is cold, but she is being polite.
Pei Yuan is a little embarrassed, “This is Xia Bingyan, my good friend.”
Lin Luoran shows due respect. She takes out a cushion and tells Xia Bingyan to come and sit down.
Under the pine tree, three of them except Pei Yuan are all good-looking. Sitting there, tasting tea, they add unique scenery to the Mount Hua.
Xia Bingyan holds the purple-brown cup with her fingers. She takes a slight sip and enjoys the aftertaste with her eyes closed. When she opens her eyes, she says, “The taste of Wuyi Tea…”
She never knew that only in a place like the Mount Hua can she actually tastes the real flavor of Wuyi Tea! Xia Bingyan feels a little inferior. If people Pei Yuan knows all have powerful connections, why would he choose her?
“This is real.”
Xia Bingyan is proud. Although she doesn’t have a good appearance or connections as Lin Luoran does, she will never tell lies.
Jiang Ping gets angry and stamps her feet. Zhang Shuming feels humiliated and says, “Bingyan… how about a rechecking?”
Xia Bingyan turns to him, “Zhang Shuming, have you ever tasted Dahongpao Tea from the seed tree?”
Emm…
No, he hasn’t. Therefore he is very embarrassed.
“I have tasted once at my grandpa’s. This is exactly the same taste… No, this one is better. This is the real Dahongpao Tea from the seed tree!”
Xia Bingyan’s “grandpa” is the retired headmaster of Jinling University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Zhang Shuming cannot bear anymore and he offers to leave the mountain.
He assumes that there will be people asking him to stay, but none of the four people do that.
Zhang Shuming runs away in confusion. His “guys” cannot stay here and nor could Jiang Ping. She stands there, feeling dazed and confused. Xia Bingyan bites her lips and says, “Jiang Ping, you should go with them… I have misjudged you.”
Xia Bingyan is a smart girl. She thought that Jiang Ping just looks down on Pei Yuan, but after everything that happens in this tour, she knows that Jiang Ping has made a deal with Zhang Shuming in private.
She can accept that her friends have shortcomings, but she cannot forgive if her friend betrays her.
Jiang Ping makes up her mind and leaves with Zhan Shuming.
With everyone she doesn’t like leaving, Lin Luoran feels the air is refreshing. She packs the tea set and takes out the fruit wine she made. She fills everyone’s glasses and says in a low voice,
“It’s interesting when kids are ‘quarreling’.”
She now knows that Miss Xia actually believes Pei Yuan and she is just jealous. The two concerned don’t see that and it leads to their deadlock.
Hearing Lin Luoran’s words, Xia Bingyan blushes. She makes up her mind and asks,
“Is Pei Yuan’s picture… real?”
Lin Luoran is confused. Why is she so stubborn? Xia Bingyan looks at her, feeling inferior, but somehow, she wants to struggle.
For what? She doesn’t know exactly.
Receiving no reply, Xia Bingyan picks up her glass and drinks up the wine. She is drinking too fast so even the wine is mild, she is still choked to tears… Pei Yuan wants to explain but he doesn’t know how to. Looking at her stubborn look, Pei Yuan feels unhappy as well.
When Xia Bingyan is getting desperate, Lin Luoran stands up and says, “It is real if you believe it. If you don’t believe it, even a sincere heart is not real.”
Eh?
What kind of answer is that? Xia Bingyan turns to Pei Yuan and looks at him in the eye. Pei Yuan feels his heart beating strongly.
Lin Luodong is about to say something but Lin Luoran covers his mouth. The two of them disappear in the crowd and they even don’t take away the little table.
The sun rises. Far away is the crowd of tourists. Above the pine tree is the floating cloud and below it are two hearts moving closer to each other, unaware of what is happening outside.
When they are brought back to earth, they find the sister and brother gone. Only the tea and food left as well as the cushions remind them that everything is real.
On the table, there is a small bag of tea leaves, under which is a piece of paper, written,
“Mr. Pei, remember to give back the cushions while enjoying your love life.”
Pei Yuan smiles, but suddenly he gets nervous, “She really is…”
Xia Bingyan blinks her eyes and says, “I believe you!”
*********
Hiding on a pine tree in the opposite mountain, Lin Luodong curls his lip, “Sister, adults are strange. Why are they looking at each other for such a long time?”
Lin Luoran smiles. Her first love failed, but she will never deny that it was a pure and beautiful relationship. Being suspicious, jealousy or unhappy is all kids expressing their feelings in the wrong way.
She will never hesitate when she can offer a chance. Looking at the kids seeing each other, Lin Luoran feels youth.
