Everyone advised her to stay away from Fu Yinli, yet she clung to him as if "obsessed," living together and even sharing the same bed.
If they were ultimately doomed to end without a resolution, could she also learn to be at ease in a relationship?
Su Lingzhi turned over, her forehead resting against his chest.
"Do you always sleep without clothes?"
The next day, morning.
Su Lingzhi inquired about his schedule.
Su Lingzhi continued, "Can I borrow Uncle Zhao for a bit?"
Fu Yinli fixed his gaze on her, asking, "What do you need him for?"
"When we were in England, I noticed his skill in tea ceremony, and I want to learn from him."
At this moment, Housekeeper Zhao, who stood by, advised, "Miss Su, given your current condition, it might not be suitable to learn tea ceremony."
Su Lingzhi understood his concern, "Uncle Zhao, don’t worry, I have a pretty good aptitude. I won’t burn my hands, as long as you’re willing to teach me."
"This..." Housekeeper Zhao looked at Fu Yinli, unsure of what to do.
Fu Yinli spoke, "If you get injured once, ten percent of this month’s bonus will be deducted."
Su Lingzhi was displeased, "You’re using your authority to oppress."
"Do you still want to learn?"
Su Lingzhi gritted her teeth, finally resolved, and nodded, "I want to learn."
The scene shifted to the backyard.
Housekeeper Zhao sat nervously across from her, teaching her under Fu Yinli’s watchful gaze about the tea utensils on the table.
"Uncle Zhao, just pretend he’s not here, no need to be nervous."
"I’m worried about you getting burned, Miss Su."
Su Lingzhi fell silent and poked the person beside her with her finger, "Can you go mind your own business first?"
As soon as Fu Yinli left, Housekeeper Zhao visibly relaxed a bit.
"Uncle Zhao, let’s continue."
"Alright." Housekeeper Zhao settled his nerves and began teaching, "Properly brewing a pot of tea, the utensils are fundamental. Different types of tea leaves require different materials to accentuate their flavors. What we’re using now is a green clay pot, suitable for brewing green tea, such as Biluochun, Dragon Well from West Lake, and Mengding Ganlu..."
Halfway through his explanation, Housekeeper Zhao suddenly made a turn, saying to her, "Sir likes drinking Biluochun."
She wasn’t learning this to please Fu Yinli.
After that, from warming the pot to tasting, Housekeeper Zhao demonstrated each step personally.
Su Lingzhi counted the timing, noted the sound of the water flow, and followed Uncle Zhao’s instructions, executing the process herself.
Her movements were inevitably clumsy, and Housekeeper Zhao watched with a tense heart, fearing she might accidentally scald herself and have her bonus docked.
But throughout, she only faltered when holding the soup cup, slightly misplacing it, while everything else was executed steadily. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveI★Fire.net
Su Lingzhi presented the finished product, placing it in front of him, "Master, please have a taste first."
Housekeeper Zhao was flustered, "I don’t deserve this, just call me Uncle Zhao like before."
Housekeeper Zhao skimmed the foam and took a sip.
"How is it?" Su Lingzhi eagerly asked.
"Not bad." Housekeeper Zhao looked admiringly at the young girl opposite.
Her ability to remember the placement of the utensils and control over them was extraordinarily precise, almost as if she could see them, which was truly amazing.
Su Lingzhi tasted it herself, shaking her head in dissatisfaction, "I feel like it’s not as good as yours, a bit too bitter."
"For you to have learned to this extent is already commendable."
For the entire day, Su Lingzhi wrestled with Biluochun.
Repeating was merely to train her ability to identify sounds and manage time, striving to live like a normal person even if she couldn’t see, while cultivating her mind and body through the process of learning tea art.
Come evening, Fu Yinli descended the stairs, walking towards the people in the courtyard.
Housekeeper Zhao hastily rose and discreetly left the courtyard, leaving the space for the two of them.
"How was the learning?" Fu Yinli asked as he took her hands and inspected them.
Before he could examine further, Su Lingzhi withdrew her hands, offering him a cup of tea with a flattering smile, "Your favorite Biluochun, give it a try."
The tea’s fragrance was fresh and delicate, lingering around.
Fu Yinli took it and sipped.
"Is it good?" Su Lingzhi asked.
"Who’s was better, mine or Uncle Zhao’s?"
"Yours." Without a second thought, he set the cup down.
Su Lingzhi quickly grasped his hand, pulling it to her chest, negotiating, "Uncle Zhao taught me so well, can his bonus be doubled this month?"
Fu Yinli couldn’t help but chuckle, "Agreements can’t just not count. If I don’t deduct but instead increase, how will I manage in the future?"
"They count, I only got slightly burned twice, and it’s not severe. On the original bonus basis, deducting two tenths, then adding double the bonus doesn’t contradict what you said."
Not hearing him speak for a while, Su Lingzhi shook his hand, "Just say if you’ll give the bonus or not."
Fu Yinli looked at her indulgently, a rare exception, "Yes, I’ll give it."
Su Lingzhi’s smile blossomed, "Boss Fu is a considerate boss to his subordinates."
In the following days at Jing Garden, everything gradually returned to normal.
Xiaoxi called her every day, yet never showed her face.
And Fu Yinli, well, he worked from home.
On this day, it was rare for Fu Yinli to go out.
Su Lingzhi took out her phone, waking Siri, and dialed a call to Zhuang Xiaoxi.
"Xiaoxi, can you help me check whose property is the villa I’m currently living in?"
Zhuang Xiaoxi puzzled, "Why, suddenly wanting to check that? Are you uncomfortable living there?"
Su Lingzhi didn’t explain, "I just want to know."
"Alright, hold on a minute, I’ll check it for you now."
The other end didn’t mince words, and soon the faint sound of keyboard typing could be heard, "Zhizhi, this concerns personal privacy. It’s a bit tricky without proper authority. Let me see if my brother from law school can help."
Shortly after the call ended, it rang again.
Zhuang Xiaoxi’s voice came through, "I found out, but my brother’s worried about problems, so he’s only willing to reveal a surname. The ownership of the villa you rented is under the Fu surname."
Upon hearing this, the answer in Su Lingzhi’s mind became a little clearer.
Zhuang Xiaoxi was puzzled, "Strange, I remember that the contract was signed with a different surname."
"Doesn’t matter, that fool rented a villa to me for four thousand, it’s a profit for me."
"Huh?" Zhuang Xiaoxi was a little confused hearing this.
"Nothing much, where have you been playing? Haven’t seen you for a few days."
"I... I’m just with a few of my old classmates, taking a little road trip, visiting our alma mater, and now lying in a hotel." Her voice was a bit vague, seemingly hiding something.
Su Lingzhi didn’t think much of it, "Alright then."
After pondering for a moment, Su Lingzhi decided to tell her the truth, "Xiaoxi, Fu Yinli has returned and is now living with me."