Chapter 15: Brewing Tea

Jiang Panyue was a woman dressed in magnificent attire. Although she was nearing fifty, she was exceptionally well-maintained; not only were there few wrinkles on her face, but her aura immediately marked her as someone of extraordinary status—she exuded an air of nobility.

Today, she was having a small gathering at a private dining club with her close friend. However, halfway through the meal, the restaurant owner suddenly mentioned that her daughter was also dining there, using her husband's card, and had specifically chosen a private room for two.

Upon hearing that her daughter was present, Ms. Jiang naturally felt the need to go and check on her.

She soon arrived in front of the private room her daughter had booked. The room featured a sliding door design and was not particularly large, making it ideal for a romantic rendezvous between a couple.

Thinking her daughter might just be craving something special and had come alone, she was about to push the door open when, in the next second, her daughter's voice and a man's response drifted from inside.

"Sister Yuan, can I eat this?"

"No, don't push your luck. Eat this instead."

"Wow, it's so tender!"

Ms. Jiang: Σ(⊙▽⊙“a

As someone who had seen it all, her mind immediately jumped to an indescribable scene. Being part of the wealthy social circle, she had heard countless stories of children from prominent families behaving wildly—it was a case of "there is no such thing as chaos, only more chaos."

This was unacceptable! She did not want to end up like one of her old friends, whose daughter went out playing too wildly and ended up pregnant under mysterious circumstances, leading to a dramatic scene of parents tearing the lovers apart.

At this thought, Ms. Jiang could no longer remain calm. She swung the door open

"Stop right there!"

As the door was violently pushed open, the two people sitting inside eating were startled.

Lin Mo had just swallowed half of an abalone when he choked, nearly suffocating himself. His lips were still coated in thick sauce, and his eyes were filled with terror. What? Was the abalone poisoned?

Beside him, Yuan Meng was so frightened that she dropped her bowl of sweet fermented rice balls with glutinous rice—and those were her absolute favorite.

Yuan Meng was about to turn around and scold her, but the moment she saw her mother standing at the door with a furious expression, her brain completely stalled.

"Mom? What are you doing here?"

Hearing this, Lin Mo hurriedly swallowed the abalone, stood up, and greeted her: "Hello, Auntie."

At this moment, Ms. Jiang also felt a sense of numbness. The scene inside was nothing like what she had imagined. Both youngsters were fully clothed, and it seemed she had actually terrified the young man. For a moment, even with her years of experience, she felt incredibly awkward.

Fortunately, Ms. Jiang was a woman who had weathered many storms. She quickly adjusted her emotions and smiled.

"Oh, hello to you too. I heard from the owner that Yuanyuan was here, so I came to check on her," Ms. Jiang said with a smile. "Yuanyuan" was Yuan Meng's childhood nickname.

"Yuanyuan, aren't you going to introduce me?"

Hearing this, Yuan Meng stood up as well, speaking with a hint of helplessness in her eyes. "This is my mother. And this is my colleague at the company and also my good friend, Lin Mo. Mom, you can just call him Little Black Dog."

Lin Mo:...

"Get outta here!" Ms. Jiang gave her daughter a sidelong glance before looking at Lin Mo. Well, she had to admit, he wasn't bad-looking, but he looked quite young. She wondered what his family did for a living, then continued, "I'll just call you Little Lin. It's fine, I just came to check in. You two go ahead and finish your meal. I'll head to the teahouse across the street. Yuanyuan, bring Little Lin along to sit with me in a bit."

Without giving Yuan Meng a chance to argue, Ms. Jiang nodded to Lin Mo and turned to leave.

With Ms. Jiang's departure, only the two bewildered people were left in the room.

"Uh, Sister Yuan, what do we do? Should I just leave?"

They weren't close, and it would be awkward to go for tea during their first meeting. Besides, what if she was just being polite?

"Leave my ass! Just eat first. We'll go sit with her after we're done. What are you afraid of!" Yuan Meng didn't seem to care.

"Alright then."

Seeing this, Lin Mo knew that sneaking away now would be impolite. Since that was the case, he might as well go and see; he had to finish his meal properly first.

On the other side, Ms. Jiang informed her dining companion and headed to the teahouse across the street. Her husband often came here for tea after business meetings, so it was very convenient.

In truth, Ms. Jiang knew that as her daughter grew up, she would eventually fall in love. She didn't oppose it because she knew that while dating was one thing, marriage would depend on the actual circumstances. In their social circle, arranged marriages through alliances were the norm.

However, while she didn't oppose it, since she had encountered him, she didn't mind getting to know the young man a bit better.

Meanwhile, Yuan Meng and Lin Mo finished their meal quickly. In less than twenty minutes, they walked into the teahouse across the street.

"Mom, I'm here!"

"Hello, Auntie."

"Oh, don't just stand there. Little Lin, please, have a seat."

Inside a very elegant and tasteful tea room, the three sat at a table set with a Ru kiln tea set.

Because there were matters to discuss, the waiter prepared everything and then stepped out.

Seeing that Ms. Jiang was about to brew the tea herself, Lin Mo quickly spoke up

"Auntie, let me do it. I've studied a bit."

Firstly, as a junior, it felt improper to let an elder brew the tea. Secondly, he wanted to test his tea skills; ever since he saw this tea set, his mind had automatically begun visualizing the corresponding brewing movements.

"Oh? Then I shall have to have a taste." Ms. Jiang was somewhat surprised. Nowadays, those who learned tea brewing were either professionals, hobbyists, or people from wealthy families who had learned through osmosis.

Lin Mo rose to wash his hands, sat down, took a deep breath, and relaxed his entire body. Even his aura seemed to change, giving off a sense of tranquility.

He took out the tea leaves, and with one glance, he knew it was a type of green tea—Xinyang Maojian.

He boiled the water, prepared the tea, pressed his wrist down, and poured the tea out. However, the first infusion is generally not for drinking; after discarding it, he added water again to brew.

Then, the sequence of skimming the foam, crushing the tea, shaking the aroma, entering the sea, spreading the leaves, and returning to unity unfolded flawlessly in Lin Mo's hands. His movements were neither rushed nor slow, making them a pleasure to watch; it was clear he had formal training.

Finally, he poured the tea into three cups arranged in a triangular formation.

"Auntie, please enjoy the tea!"

"Mhm." Ms. Jiang took the tea offered with both hands by Lin Mo, smelled it, and took a small sip. Her eyes instantly lit up.

It had to be said that it was indeed much better than the tea she usually drank. After one sip, her mood calmed significantly, and she even felt the boy before her was a bit more pleasing to the eye than he had been moments ago.

Lin Mo also took a sip. The taste was indeed excellent, with a sweet aftertaste and a lingering aroma. It was several levels better than what he used to drink; truly, you get what you pay for.

Just as Lin Mo and Ms. Jiang were silently savoring the tea, Yuan Meng, watching his performance from the side, couldn't help but speak up

"What the hell are you acting so extra for?!"

Lin Mo:...

Ms. Jiang:...

(End of Chapter)