Chapter 081 – Snowbrew - Part 1
Inside a private room at the Ginger Tavern, Li Yuan sat looking rather distressed.
He had brought Zhou Jia here to meet the staff, but no matter how much he insisted, Zhou Jia refused to sit. Instead, he stood rigidly at the door with a polite bow, not even stepping into the room.
“Old Zhou, what’s the point of this?” Li Yuan tried coaxing him. “I said you should come in and have a bite to eat. What’s so bad about that? Here, take pen and paper if you need them.”
Zhou Jia took the pen, then immediately started scribbling on the paper. “I cannot do that! A blade servant should never share a table with his master!”
Li Yuan rolled his eyes. “We don’t stand on that kind of ceremony here. Come in and sit. It’s a snowy day, and I’ve got ginger and dates simmering in some mulled rice wine. It’s a special batch from a traveling merchant. Once we finish it, there’s no more. If you don’t like wine, at least have some tea or food.”
Despite Li Yuan’s efforts, Zhou Jia remained unmoved. He stood there with his head down, hand resting on the slender blade at his hip, staring at some fixed point in the shadows—lost in his own world or memories, unable to snap out of it.
Just then, quick, light footsteps sounded on the stairs.
In the glow of the lanterns flanking the private room, a striking woman appeared.
With delicate features, almond-shaped fox eyes, and her shapely form wrapped in a crimson fur-lined robe, she radiated a graceful warmth. Even just walking over, she projected a kind of soft allure that put men at ease yet feeling slightly unworthy.
“Dearest.” Xue Ning smiled, her eyes lighting up. She quickly approached Li Yuan’s side, then turned to look at Zhou Jia, who stood half-hidden in the darkness. “So you must be Mister Zhou? I was just over at the teahouse and already heard mention of you. Please, don’t stand on formality. Think of this place as your home.”
Zhou Jia said nothing.
Xue Ning offered a polite smile. “My husband rarely drinks, so for him to order ginger and red dates in a pot of mulled rice wine is something special. Don’t ruin his fun. Come in and have some to warm up.”