Zhuang Dongqing’s tears flowed endlessly, his mind was completely blank, and upon suddenly hearing those words, he was left dumbfounded. After a while, he dazedly raised his head, his eyes rimmed in deep red, staring at the hazy figure in front of him, and let out a single syllable: “Ah?”

Had he already gotten so angry that he was hallucinating?

But then he heard a laugh, and the nobleman, whose appearance he couldn’t quite make out, leisurely repeated, “I said, I also find this place quite annoying.”

It was clearly said with a smile, yet the tone carried an undeniable sense of frustration.

His mind still hadn’t caught up, and his instinct to avoid danger made Zhuang Dongqing instinctively shrink his neck. He felt that the person in front of him was someone formidable.

The surroundings fell silent again.

For a few moments, Zhuang Dongqing felt embarrassed, just as he was about to say something more, the other party spoke first.

“Since we are so fated, why not sit down and have a pot of tea together?”

“This place is quiet, right by the pond, and we can enjoy the scenery.”

Zhuang Dongqing wanted to refuse.

Cen Yan said, “Coincidentally, my servant also has some medical knowledge; let him take a look at you, so you don’t hurt your muscles and bones.”

“…”

Oh right, his foot had bumped into something.

It was better not to mention it, but as soon as Cen Yan brought it up, Zhuang Dongqing felt a sharp pain again, and tears welled up in his eyes once more.

At this pause, Liu Qi stepped forward and handed Zhuang Dongqing a freshly prepared warm towel.

For someone with tears streaming down their face, it was really hard to refuse.

Once he took it, he found himself completely following the other person’s rhythm—standing when told to stand, sitting when told to sit, and even taking off his shoes… oh no, that wouldn’t do; Zhuang Dongqing had some pride and firmly refused to take them off.

“Then I’ll press on your joints; if it hurts, just let me know.”

Liu Qi didn’t push him too hard, just helped Zhuang Dongqing check, and thankfully, he hadn’t twisted his ankle; it was just a bump, nothing serious.

After checking, someone brought water for Zhuang Dongqing to wash his hands.

Dazed and confused, the whole process was completed, and by the time Zhuang Dongqing came to his senses, he was already sipping on freshly brewed tea.

“…”

He wrinkled his nose, feeling embarrassed about his own recklessness. He still didn’t even know who this person was, yet he had received so much care; it was quite awkward.

Having stopped crying, he discreetly touched under his eyes during a pause in drinking tea, confirming that his skin was dry and his appearance should be presentable. He sighed in relief and returned his fingers to the teacup.

Cen Yan couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

“Is the tea to your taste?”

Huh?

Zhuang Dongqing’s mind was completely elsewhere, and upon hearing this, he hurriedly took another sip.

Cen Yan’s lips curled up slightly.

“This is…” Looking at the bright red tea, Zhuang Dongqing hesitated, “Dian Hong?”

Cen Yan’s eyebrows moved slightly, “You recognize it?”

The current emperor favored Longjing and Biluochun types of green tea, and among the nobility, green tea was considered the best. The late emperor, however, enjoyed drinking the Pu’er produced in their fief, but the current emperor had a cold relationship with the late emperor. Over the years, even though they still offered it every year, only a few royal elders still drank it.

The red tea from the fief had never been offered, and its audience in the capital was even smaller than that of Pu’er.

Feeling that he might have said something wrong, Zhuang Dongqing could only vaguely reply, “It feels like it.”

After a pause, he added quietly, “It’s quite rich.”

Liu Qi laughed and replied, “Young master has a good eye; this is ancient tree tea sent from my hometown, produced from tea trees over a hundred years old, and only a small amount can be harvested each year.”

Zhuang Dongqing didn’t know how to respond, so he lowered his head and took a couple more sips, saying even more quietly, “Just a lucky guess.”

“It’s delicious, thank you for the hospitality.”

Not being an ancient person, he didn’t dare to delve into tea culture, so Zhuang Dongqing steered the conversation back.

This time, the gentle host didn’t continue the conversation.

After drinking a couple more cups of tea, the prolonged silence made Zhuang Dongqing increasingly anxious.

With each sip of tea, his suspended heart felt a little more at ease.

His ability to maintain composure was naturally no match for someone like Cen Yan, who mingled in official circles.

When Liu Qi skillfully refilled the third cup of tea, Zhuang Dongqing, who had been huddled with his head down, finally lifted his face.

Wiping away his tears, his eyes, just like Cen Yan remembered, were bright and direct, and because of that clarity, even if their gazes lingered a bit longer, it wouldn’t feel intrusive.

But wait, there was still a change; he had lost weight.

Zhuang Dongqing also looked at Cen Yan.

Unlike before, when he saw him clearly for the first time, he was stunned.

High brows, deep-set eyes, three-dimensional features, light-colored pupils—quite exotic.

But upon closer inspection, with his hair tied back in a jade crown, his contours were smooth, and the slightly humped bridge of his nose, along with the moderate cheekbone structure, subdued the exotic feel of his eyebrows and eyes, giving him an overall calm and reserved demeanor.

His clothing wasn’t that of a scholar but rather a practical narrow-sleeved outfit, with dense embroidery on the collar and cuffs. In the sunlight, the nearly black blue robe shimmered with a soft satin sheen.

He was good-looking, and the person sitting in front of Zhuang Dongqing was indeed a true nobleman.

But what surprised Zhuang Dongqing wasn’t just that; he tilted his head, looking utterly confused.

“You… look so familiar…”

“Have we… met somewhere?”

Thinking deeply, he unconsciously asked out loud.

“…” He must have been stunned silly by the male lead.

Cen Yan remained composed, and even after being scrutinized for so long, he showed no signs of annoyance.

Hearing this, he calmly tossed the question back to Zhuang Dongqing, “Oh, is that so? What do you think?”

Zhuang Dongqing was bewildered.

Meanwhile, Liu Qi, standing nearby, was shocked; the guess that had been pounding in his heart all along was almost confirmed by Cen Yan’s words.

So that “Qing” really was “Qing.”

Although he was just a illegitimate son, he was indeed from an official family. The Zhuang family matriarch came from the crown prince’s faction, and this illegitimate son seemed to be familiar with the sixth prince. If this matter were to be used against Cen Yan…

As various schemes to trap Cen Yan flashed through Liu Qi’s mind, he was left stunned, his palms sweating.

But despite the turmoil in his heart, Liu Qi kept his head down and said nothing.

There was no other reason; Cen Yan throwing the question back at Zhuang Dongqing was a test in itself.

If there were ulterior motives, he would naturally lead the conversation in that direction. The more he spoke, the more likely his true intentions would be revealed.

On one side, Liu Qi was racking his brain, while on the other, Zhuang Dongqing’s mind was completely blank.

Where had he seen him before?

Had he ever seen such a face? He had no impression at all?!

Zhuang Dongqing suddenly realized, “If I really have seen you, it must have been in my dreams.”

Cen Yan: “…”

Liu Qi: “…”

Zhuang Dongqing declared earnestly, “With a nobleman as striking as you, if I had truly seen you, I wouldn’t possibly forget.”

With reason and evidence, he added jokingly, “Or maybe I dreamed of someone as handsome as you.”

Cen Yan: “…………”

Liu Qi: “…………”

Zhuang Dongqing sincerely said, “I’ve been ill lately, and my mind isn’t working well; I hope I didn’t embarrass you.”

His apologetic gaze was particularly sincere.

Cen Yan found himself momentarily at a loss for words.

He didn’t speak, and Liu Qi awkwardly chimed in, “Young master, you are too humble; how could someone who remembers dream scenes have a poor mind?”

After saying that, he caught a glance from Cen Yan, and Liu Qi lowered his head, realizing he had spoken a bit too sarcastically.

But Zhuang Dongqing laughed, completely without guile, saying, “Isn’t it true that I can’t remember right now?”

“You don’t need to comfort me; I bumped my head before, and the bruising hasn’t fully subsided. The doctor said that before that, I might have some issues with memory.”

Liu Qi: “…”

Cen Yan: “Where did you bump your head?”

Zhuang Dongqing was unguarded, pointing to the back of his head and then to his forehead, “It seems the worst were these two spots; I can’t remember if there are any other injuries.”

Cen Yan’s gaze fell on the spot on his forehead, and his eyes darkened.

His tone softened a bit, “How could you not remember?”

“I fell on the ground and caught a chill, developed a high fever, and by the time I woke up, it was already a few days later.”

“Caught a chill?”

“Um.” Zhuang Dongqing touched his nose, his gaze drifting, and his voice lowered, “My family has strict rules, and just so happened, I made a mistake and was punished…”

The last few words were barely audible.

Cen Yan lowered his gaze.

Before the atmosphere could become tense again, he gently continued, “In the capital, scholarly families are indeed known for their strict discipline.”

Secretly, he was also lifting Zhuang Dongqing’s spirits, and Zhuang Dongqing scratched his head, smiling a bit shyly.

Cen Yan gazed at the young man’s face, thinking how simple he was.

Like a shallow spring, everything he thought was written on his face, clear as day, requiring no effort to guess.

Such a person…

“The flavor has faded; let’s change the pot of tea.”

He casually poured out the bland tea in his cup and added, “Since we are fated, young master, why not try some other famous teas from my hometown?”

…

Pu’er, tuo tea, and white tea, each brewed a pot.

As Liu Qi brewed, he introduced them, and Zhuang Dongqing became more and more interested, eventually staring eagerly at Liu Qi. With that thirst for knowledge in his eyes, Liu Qi felt he couldn’t say less.

During the conversation, Liu Qi inadvertently mentioned his hometown, and before he realized it, he had said quite a bit. When he noticed that Zhuang Dongqing was still listening with great interest, Liu Qi felt quite complicated and stopped talking:

“The remote mountains can’t compare to the splendor of the capital; I hope young master won’t laugh at it.”

“Not at all, the scenery in the Yunnan-Guizhou region is beautiful, and the climate is pleasant; it’s great.” Zhuang Dongqing praised, then thought of something and added, “It’s warm in winter too, unlike the biting wind and snow here in the capital.”

Cen Yan suddenly looked outside the pavilion.

Zhuang Dongqing turned around and saw Liu Fu coming to find him.

Oh, he had been out for too long; even if he was just pretending, he had to go back.

After bidding farewell to Cen Yan and expressing his gratitude, he suddenly realized they hadn’t exchanged names. Zhuang Dongqing hurriedly introduced himself.

After finishing, it was Cen Yan’s turn, but he smiled and said, “My reputation isn’t good; if I say it, the young master might not like it.”

“Then… since we met, it must be fate; if we are fated, we will meet again.”

Cen Yan raised an eyebrow, not expecting Zhuang Dongqing to respond like that.

Fated, huh?

After a moment of thought, Zhuang Dongqing deeply bowed to him and left gracefully.

As he stood to see him off, once Zhuang Dongqing had walked far away, Liu Qi muttered, “Master, is this person really… so guileless?”

Cen Yan watched Zhuang Dongqing disappear into the garden path and remarked, “He said we come from the Yunnan-Guizhou region, yet he doesn’t know my identity. What do you think?”

“You never mentioned where your hometown is.”

Liu Qi’s heart skipped a beat.

When he looked up, he saw Cen Yan with a faint smile on his lips, shaking his head as he laughed.

His expression was playful, not at all annoyed.

Liu Qi was left confused.

*

After mingling at the banquet for a while, Zhuang Dongqing left early, citing discomfort.

Not wanting to go home and continue chewing on food, the master and servant ordered two bowls of noodles to make do.

Fortunately, they had eaten well at noon, so they weren’t too hungry in the evening.

By the time they walked back home, it was dark. Zhuang Dongqing’s mind was a mess, and he didn’t want to think about the plot anymore, so he decided to give himself a break and went to wash up and rest early.

— “Young Master Zhuang, are you alright?”

— “Let me help you to rest…”

— “Who?”

— “Who sent you here?”

— “What happened to your head?”

— “You know why Hao San sent you here, right?”

The blurry face in front of him drew closer, finally becoming clear—prominent brow bones, deep-set eyes, amber-colored pupils, leaning in close to Zhuang Dongqing, capturing his lips…

Zhuang Dongqing dodged, but couldn’t escape. In his line of sight, the other person’s nose had a slight hump…

In the middle of the night, Zhuang Dongqing suddenly sat up, drenched in cold sweat.

He touched his forehead; he didn’t have a fever.

No, that day, did he really fall and end up here?

He hadn’t fallen asleep before coming over, had he?!