My Wife Is A Sword Immortal
Chapter 340 - 253 Orchid Beauty and Orchid Tea_2

Chapter 340: Chapter 253 Orchid Beauty and Orchid Tea_2

For example, Teacher Zhu before me, who hasn’t even reached sixty years, possesses such cultivation. If any other woman had this talent for cultivation, why bother learning the hammer’s blow of Confucianism? Wouldn’t it be better for her to simply turn right out the door and choose any of the Taiching Four Mansions to cultivate? Why endure the strenuous task of studying?

However, Teacher Zhu chose to study, and moreover, she studied well. She passed hurdles and defeated adversaries, becoming one of the few women to ever be considered the top Confucian scholar.

Wu Peiliang swallowed hard because he knew that, despite how accomplished Teacher Zhu appeared to outsiders, there might still be many in her family and among her elders who thought she barely met the expectations of her family’s tradition and status, let alone bringing glory to her ancestors—which was probably still far from reach.

No matter what Wu Peiliang was thinking, with his mind whirling a thousand times over, at this moment, he dared not act rashly.

The one closest to Zhao Rong and Zhu Weirui was probably Fan Yushu.

He had watched the scene even more carefully just now.

At this moment, Fan Yushu’s expression was peculiar; he seemed to hardly believe what he was seeing as he rubbed his eyes. But when he saw Zhao Rong, motionless, not taking the cup of precious tea, he grew anxious and started to reach under the table to tug on Zhao Rong’s sleeve.

Are you stupid? Hurry up and drink! This is water from the Zhengguan well. What if you upset Teacher Zhu and she changes her mind and takes it back? Take the opportunity when it’s there. Ah, alright, I know you, Ziyu, have a thin skin, are a gentleman who upholds rituals and discipline, and won’t drink just anything from others, cough cough, if you truly feel too embarrassed to drink, I could do the honor...

Fan Yushu blinked and sneaked a pull at Zhao Rong’s sleeve.

Zhao Rong knew exactly what his friend was thinking, but he didn’t have the time to pay him any mind.

Zhao Rong, disgusted, slapped Fan Yushu’s hand away and gave him a sidelong glance. Stop tugging like that, you’ll tarnish my pure reputation, and what if people misunderstand...

Just then, after waiting quietly for a while, Zhu Weirui’s brow slightly furrowed as she glanced at the sandalwood teacup, where the steam was lessening. She suddenly leaned forward again, extended two fingers, and pushed the teacup she had treasured for a long time, never touched by anyone else, toward Zhao Rong, bringing it closer to his hand. The lingering white mist had already touched the back of Zhao Rong’s hand.

Zhu Weirui said somewhat helplessly, "Ziyu, drink quickly, the tea is cooling."

As soon as these words came out, there was a sound of tables and chairs being gently knocked.

The students of Shuaixing Hall grew restless, glaring resentfully at Zhao Rong as if they felt Teacher Zhu, who was behaving oddly today, wasn’t getting the respect she deserved. Yet their gazes at Zhao Rong also held envy, as if they wished to immediately push him aside and take his place...

Zhao Rong also felt the eager and almost predatory stares of his classmates, but he ignored them.

He looked down at the meaningful cup of tea in front of him. Apart from the floating tea leaves, the surface was clear, even reflecting what Zhao Rong considered a rather handsome face. His previously furrowed brows relaxed.

Zhao Rong’s gaze grew tranquil as he reached for the teacup.

Zhu Weirui smiled sweetly.

The students watched intently.

Bang—

A soft sound echoed as Zhao Rong set the teacup down the next second.

Once again, there was the noise of tables and chairs being jostled.

Zhu Weirui, sitting upright, gently bit her lip and gazed at him.

Zhao Rong held the teacup, seven-tenths full, and looked up to meet her eyes.

He refrained from drinking not because of the tea itself, whether it was from the Zhengguan well or not, but because of the significance behind drinking it. There was an unspoken understanding between them, and Zhao Rong knew that the importance of this cup of tea lay not in its content but in what it represented.

Previously, I could pretend that we were strangers, with a ’no trespassing’ sign between us, asking you politely not to bother me, ’What word? I don’t understand what you’re saying.’

But now, after drinking the cup of "wholehearted" tea personally prepared by Zhu Weirui, we are acquainted, and if you ask me something, I must answer. I can’t keep playing coy... Zhao Rong knew this was the little scheme of the woman before him.

On the surface, it looked like he had saved face in front of the Shuaixing Hall disciples, but there is no such thing as a free lunch in the world, let alone the most difficult favor to return—a favor from a beauty. He remembered how he had been entangled by a clumsy yet "clever" little Fox Demon... Even though the Mr. Zhu before him probably didn’t mean that, it was still a favor from a beauty that was hard to accept.

Zhao Rong felt a slight itch in his teeth, wondering why it seemed like he was at a loss after drinking the tea.

As Zhao Rong hesitated, the upturned corners of Zhu Weirui’s mouth gradually softened, and her gaze lowered slightly. In her eyes, bright as stars, there seemed to be a lively luster that was fading, about to extinguish. But just then, the aloof man before her suddenly made a sound.

"Ahem, ahem."

Zhao Rong cleared his throat softly twice.

Zhu Weirui looked up in surprise.

Zhao Rong glanced left and right and then fixed his gaze back on her, blinking.

Zhu Weirui was taken aback for a moment, then quickly lifted her eyelids, her mouth curving into a smile as she nodded lightly.

The next moment, she extended her slender finger, dipped it in the clear water for rinsing hands beside her, and then wrote something swiftly on the surface of Zhao Rong’s table.

Suddenly, Zhu Weirui retracted her finger, stopped writing, and without even glancing at the onlookers who were now looking up, she smiled at Zhao Rong and said:

"Ziyu, they can’t hear us anymore, ah. I told them to practice their calligraphy seriously, but they still pricked up their ears to eavesdrop... However, now you can speak your mind without worry."

Zhao Rong glanced at Yu Huaijin standing behind her—this old-fashioned and boring guy had been staring at him nonstop, making Zhao Rong slightly uneasy.

Zhu Weirui turned to look at her close disciple behind her and whispered, "Well, except for Xuanji, Ziyu, have no worries. She won’t get in the way."

Yu Huaijin withdrew her gaze from Zhao Rong, her face stern and her hands poised as she stood behind Zhu Weirui, eyelids lowered, silent and still.

Zhao Rong arched his eyebrows, observing the suddenly well-behaved Yu Huaijin, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, "Good, this is very good."

At that moment, on the open ground, the disciples of Shuaixing Hall looked on for a while and then gradually realized that Zhu Weirui and Zhao Rong’s lips were moving without any sound coming out. They exchanged glances and soon came to a realization, sighing softly. Although they couldn’t hear what was being said, many still glanced sideways from time to time at Zhao Rong and Zhu Weirui, curious about the tea.

Zhao Rong lifted the cup of tea to his nose and sniffed it, but still didn’t drink it. Instead, he twirled it in his hand, amusement flickering in his eyes as he looked at Zhu Weirui and suddenly asked, "Miss Zhu, on the road just now, did I look like a fool to you?"

"Hmm?" Zhu Weirui was surprised by his question.

However, perhaps thinking of something, she pressed her lips together in a smile, her sparkling eyes unblinkingly fixed on Zhao Rong, "Not at all. Ziyu has a visage as fair as jade, eyebrows sharp as swords, eyes bright as stars, nose as refined as if carved, lips as if painted, and a figure tall and upright, like a fine tree in the breeze. To my eyes, you should be described as sincere and straightforward, simple and honest—far from foolish."

She shook her head with certainty, her expression earnest.

Zhao Rong’s hand turning the tea cup paused, and he twitched the corner of his mouth, giving her a glare.

"Pfft."

Zhu Weirui’s eyes crinkled, her expression joyful.