His disposition was naturally calm and elegant. His successive actions now were fluid like flowing water, free and easy, which, coupled with his handsome features, were truly pleasing to the eyes.
Cai Wei took the teacup, smiling, she said, "No need to taste, just by looking at Young Master Huo’s demeanor, I can tell this tea won’t disappoint."
With that, she lowered her head and took a sniff, only to feel that the tea was subtly fragrant, the scent was misty. She took a sip; it was mellow, refreshing, and lingered in the mouth.
"Hmm, indeed it tastes good!"
She praised, "I didn’t expect Young Master Huo to be proficient in the Tea Ceremony. It’s quite a surprise."
Huo Yuan was startled, then fell silent, "Wei’er, should I be happy or sad about your comment?"
Cai Wei raised her eyebrows, puzzled she asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Huo Yuan replied, "The Tea Ceremony is quite common among noble houses, almost every youngster is taught it. Knowing a little about it isn’t unusual. So why did Wei’er say ’did not expect’? Could it be that in Wei’er’s eyes, I am just a heartless, money-obsessed merchant reeking of copper?"
Cai Wei held her forehead recollecting her words and regretted her careless praise that had made him overthink. She hurriedly explained, "Young Master Huo is being sensitive. I am a girl born and raised in a humble family. How would I know that the Tea Ceremony is a must-have skill for every youngster in the noble houses? I thought only the master of the tea house would master this skill!"
Hearing her explanation, Huo Yuan’s gloomy face suddenly broke into laughter. He laughed uncontrollably, and his joyful laughter lasted for quite some.
Sensing that something was wrong and seeing him laughing unrestrainedly, Cai Wei woke up to reality. She gritted her teeth and said, "Did you do this on purpose?"
Realising he had been discovered, Huo Yuan stopped laughing, but his face still held a joy he couldn’t repress.
Knowing she had been fooled, Cai Wei angrily put down the cup and turned her face sideways. She pouted and stopped speaking.
Noticing her cold expression but stealing glances every now and then, Huo Yuan knew she wasn’t really angry at him, and his heart smiled cheerfully. He brewed another pot of tea for her, handed it over, and said, "Wei’er, don’t be mad anymore, admit I was wrong, okay? The first brew of this tea is highly fragrant, the second brew is mellow, taste it quickly, it won’t taste good when it’s cold."
Cai Wei didn’t take the tea, or acknowledge him, she stayed silent and kept her face taut.
With a helpless smile, Huo Yuan said to her affectionately, "Consider me at fault, I shouldn’t have teased Wei’er. So, how shall Wei’er punish me?"
Cai Wei gave him a sideways glance and snorted, "You tell me, how to punish. If it’s too light, I won’t accept."
Huo Yuan put his fist to his mouth and lightly coughed, saying, "How about, in punishment, I help Wei’er set up the Mu family’s ginseng business, how’s that?"
Upon hearing that, Cai Wei exclaimed in surprise, "How did Young Master Huo know I wanted to start a ginseng business?"
Seeing her surprised expression, Huo Yuan knew he had guessed correctly. That night in the teahouse, when she had asked him in detail about starting and running a ginseng business, he had seen the same brilliance in her eyes as when they first met and she was discussing business. He was sure she wanted to venture in this.
Huo Yuan gave a light smile and said, "Maybe there is a tacit understanding!"
A tacit understanding?
Cai Wei’s smile stiffened a bit, this phrase was generally used to describe the mutual understanding between lovers. Using it on them seemed somewhat... inappropriate.
Noticing her forced smile and silence, Huo Yuan knew he had overstepped. He paused for a moment and quickly changed the subject.