Chapter 10: Tangerine-Toned Lip Glaze
Xu Si felt somewhat regretful. "Really, you won’t have a drink? I made it myself. It tastes quite nice; it’s a floral tea that helps with sleep."
The living room’s lighting had been deliberately set to be very bright. More than ten antique-style wall lamps lined the room, bathing every corner in a warm, dusky yellow glow. The warmth from the fireplace filled the air, making it feel unlike the cold of midwinter.
Pei Zhen looked at Xu Si’s downcast eyes. It was unclear which of her words had moved him, but he picked up the honey floral tea, tilted his head back, and drank down most of it, sip by sip.
The floral tea wasn’t overly sweet and had a slight astringency from the flower petals. Yet, it was the sweetest flavor he had tasted in a while.
"You don’t like it?" Xu Si’s gaze fell on the remaining half cup of floral tea, a surprised look on her face.
"It’s not that I don’t like it; it’s quite delicious." Pei Zhen smiled, his eyes crinkling as he looked at her. He seemed to remember something and asked, "But, has Auntie been very busy recently? Have you not been sleeping well?"
For a moment, Xu Si felt bewildered—that familiar feeling, as if she were seeing the Pei Zhen from their first meeting in a past life.
Back then, he had said something similar, sitting lazily with crossed legs at a square table surrounded by a crowd, only his tone had been colder then, a forceful, almost aggressive, declarative statement.
—— "Miss Xu, have you not been sleeping well, to suggest such terms to me?"
The living room was quiet enough to hear a breath.
The crisp crackle of firewood pulled Xu Si from her memories. She shook her head slightly. "It’s alright. I’ll have guests tomorrow, but it’s nothing important. If you don’t enjoy their company, you can avoid them."