The Mistress Is Reborn As The Fiancée
Chapter 31: Tea

Chapter 31: Tea

The grand dining room, bathed in the warm glow of crystal chandeliers, buzzed with a renewed sense of familial warmth. Grandmother Jia, her eyes sparkling with a mischievous delight, had declared a welcome dinner for her new grandson-in-law, Flynn. The atmosphere was a carefully constructed facade of normalcy, a delicate dance of pleasantries and polite conversation.

Flynn and Noelle descended the grand staircase together, their expressions carefully neutral, their movements synchronized. They had agreed to present a united front, to bury their earlier disagreement beneath a veneer of marital harmony. They were determined to play their roles, to convince the family that their marriage was a picture of perfect bliss.

Ma-Ri, unknown to them had lingered near the gym after their earlier confrontation, her ears straining to catch every word, she had felt a surge of smug satisfaction. She had witnessed the tension between them, had heard Noelle’s fierce warning. She knew that her plan was working, that she was driving a wedge between them.

The fact that Noelle was insecure over her amused and excited her, she felt emboldened and knew for sure that her plan was going to work. There was no way that a man like Flynn was going to be content with a boring woman like Noelle. Ma-Ri knew that her cousin was a frigid woman, she had never even allowed Evan touch her and that was why he had come running to her. Soon, Flynn would be next.

She watched them enter the dining room, their hands lightly brushing against each other, their smiles fixed and artificial. She knew that their performance was a charade, a carefully crafted illusion. And she knew that she was the one pulling the strings.

The dinner progressed smoothly, a symphony of polite conversation and delicious food. Flynn, charming and attentive, captivated Grandmother Jia with his wit and intelligence. He answered her questions with grace and composure, painting a picture of a successful doctor, a devoted husband, a man of impeccable character.

Noelle, her smile fixed, her eyes watchful, played her part with a practiced ease. She was determined to maintain the illusion, to protect her family from any hint of discord. She knew that Ma-Ri was watching, waiting for a slip-up, for a crack in their facade.

"We still don’t know the romantic story behind how you both met." Alice quipped in, "why don’t you share with us."

Noelle and Flynn exchanged glances. "Actually, we met at work and i could not take my eyes off her." Flynn said as he stared at Noelle and she felt the butterflies in her belly go aflutter.

Grandmother Jia looked at the two young people and smiled. She could tell that the young couple were still finding their feet, but they were going to be okay. She did not need to fear that Noelle would not find someone good enough for her.

"So, what work were you doing?" Vernon asked.

"I was wait—-" Flynn started

"He was waiting for a client." Noelle interrupted quickly. "We bumped into each other while he was waiting for a client."

Vernon’s eyes narrowed as he sensed that something was amiss, but he could not prove any further because Flynn reached into his jacket pocket and produced a small, nondescript box. He handed it to Grandmother Jia, his expression warm and sincere.

"Grandmother," he said, his voice laced with a gentle respect, "I brought a small gift for you, I know it is not much."

Grandmother Jia’s eyes widened with surprise and delight. She accepted the box, her fingers trembling slightly. "Oh, my dear," she said, her voice laced with a warm affection. "You should not have."

She carefully opened the box, her breath catching in her throat. Inside, were a bunch of herbal teas and their aroma wafted up into her nose. Grandmother Jia knew immediately that this was no ordinary tea, her admiration for Flynn soared even higher.

Grandmother Jia’s eyes lifted up to his in surprise. "It’s..," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

"Very special tea for a very special lady." Flynn said with a smile. "I trained under an old monk and I learned about how to harvest qi from herbs."

She looked at Flynn, her eyes filled with a deep gratitude. "Thank you, my dear," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "You should not have gone to so much trouble."

"It was no trouble at all," Flynn said, his voice sincere. "I wanted to give you something that symbolized my respect and admiration."

Vernon, unable to contain his curiosity leaned close to his mother and peered into the box. He sat back down, his face unimpressed.

"Tea?" He asked in disgust. "You marry into one of the most powerful families in the region and you bring tea to the matriarch?"

"What is wrong with tea?" Noelle snapped in irritation. "He could have asked me for money and brought some pretentious gifts but he brought something as thoughtful as this. Moreover, i don’t hear Halmeoni complain."

"Indeed, I have no complaints." Grandmother Jia said, eyeing Vernon and effectively shutting him up.

Flynn looked at Noelle, his eyes filled with a quiet affection, Noelle’s heart skipped a beat, when she met his gaze, her eyes filled with a mixture of surprise and gratitude. When he had said that he had his own gift to give, she had not expected him to bring tea bags.

The gift, though small, was a sweet gesture, a subtle declaration of his intentions. For a moment, she wondered if he was lying about apprenticing under a monk. He looked so young and flighty, not at all like someone who would undertake such deep pursuits. She realized that there was a lot under the vain facade.

Ma-Ri, watching the interaction, felt a surge of resentment. She had expected Flynn to be easily swayed by money, to be seduced by her charm. But he was proving to be more complex, more elusive than she had anticipated.

She had to change her tactics, to find a way to break through his carefully constructed facade. She had to find his weakness, his vulnerability. And she was determined to find it.

The dinner concluded, the family dispersing to their respective rooms. Flynn and Noelle walked together, their footsteps echoing softly in the quiet hallway. The silence between them was charged, heavy with unspoken words.