Glory

Considering his residence and distinct capital accent, it was evident he hailed from the capital. This man must come from either wealth or nobility!

A noble young master from the capital, possessing both striking handsomeness and an aura of martial valor intertwined with aristocratic grace—such a man would inevitably stir the hearts of young ladies in the neighborhood. No wonder countless visitors had found excuses to call on him recently, prompting his household to keep its gates firmly shut and turn away young women.

With this speculation, Ye Yaming breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as it wasn’t trouble caused by a sister who resembled her, all was well.

In the modern era, what kind of handsome men hadn’t she seen? Born into a wealthy family, young and affluent, yet stunningly beautiful—since childhood, she had been pursued by countless admirers. Those lacking in looks or means hardly dared approach her.

Even so, none had ever caught her eye, and she remained unmarried past thirty.

In this ancient era with its severe restrictions on women, if marriage were unavoidable, she leaned toward finding a groom who would live with her family. That way, she would be the head of the household, free from being dominated by an incapable man in status or finances, and not subject to anyone’s control.

Thus, although the man before her was exceptional, in her eyes, he was merely a fleeting illusion.

Relieved, she also felt a sense of tedium and lost interest in expanding business or retaining such a premium customer.

She stood up and said calmly, "We still have to collect tea from other places, so we won’t disturb you further, Young Master. Farewell."

Seeing her about to leave, Ye Hongsheng quickly rose and cupped his hands toward Lu Guanyi. "Farewell."

Lu Guanyi stood and returned the gesture. "Master Ye, please wait a moment."

He pointed to the silk on the table. "The price I paid for that pressed tea was extremely low, hardly worthy of the generous amount of fine silk you’ve brought as a gift. I’ll keep half of the silk; please take the rest back with you."

He wasn’t sure how much of the moldy pressed tea Ye Jia had sold. If it were a significant quantity, compensating in this manner would indeed be a heavy blow to the family.

Ye Yaming glanced at Ye Hongsheng and noticed he seemed about to speak, but his lips merely quivered without uttering a word.

If this dragged on, the atmosphere would turn awkward. Moreover, it was better to clarify certain matters to prevent customers from forming a negative impression of Ye Jia upon learning the details.

She spoke up, "Thank you for your kindness, Young Master. However, our tea house encountered a mishap—we were set up, which led to the sale of that batch of tea. Although my grandfather has severely punished the culprit and plans to recall the tea, it has still inconvenienced our customers. The silk is our apology; how could we take it back? Unless… you still hold a grudge against our tea house and intend to pursue responsibility?"

Lu Guanyi now understood why Master Ye had brought his daughter along for the tea exchange. It seemed Master Ye wasn’t particularly adept at social interactions, whereas his daughter was both eloquent and sharp.

Her words were meant to convey that the sale of the tea wasn’t intentional on Ji Xiang Fang’s part but the result of a setup. By offering silk worth several times the tea’s value in exchange, they hoped customers like him wouldn’t hold Ye Jia accountable—essentially, a gesture to secure their silence.

Explaining the situation clearly was far better than leaving room for speculation.

He had no intention of making things difficult for Ye Jia. Refusing the silk would only make them overthink.

He cupped his hands and said, "In that case, thank you."

"If Young Master Lu has no other matters, we’ll take our leave," Ye Yaming said.Ye Hongsheng bowed to Lu Guanyi before turning to exit, with Ye Yaming following closely behind.

An Tai escorted them out, his attitude noticeably improved along the way, no longer carrying the subtle resistance from earlier.

As the group reached the entrance, Shi Mo opened the main gate. The door had only cracked open a sliver when a young man’s voice drifted in from outside: “What a coincidence! This saves me from waiting at the door.”

He then complained, “I must say, your master is far too fond of tranquility. With such a large estate, couldn’t he hire a few more servants? At least station someone behind the gate!”

By then, the door had swung open fully, revealing the face of a young man.

At the sight of him, Ye Yaming couldn’t help but marvel at the abundance of handsome men and beautiful women in this ancient era. Not to mention the Ye family’s own good looks, the two men she had met today were exceptionally striking.

This young man before her stood around six feet tall, with slightly upturned peach-blossom eyes and features even more refined than Lu Guanyi’s. However, while Lu Guanyi exuded a masculine vigor, this gentleman leaned toward a gentle and scholarly elegance.

Ahead of her, Ye Hongsheng exclaimed in surprise, “Qi Gongzi?”

The young master, initially startled to find guests at the Lu residence, paused briefly upon hearing Ye Hongsheng address him before exclaiming, “Master Ganquan?”

“Master Ganquan” was the respectful title tea connoisseurs used for Ye Hongsheng, praising his tea as superior to sweet spring water—the ultimate flavor in the mortal realm.

Ye Hongsheng smiled and cupped his hands in acknowledgment. “Indeed, it is I.”

“What brings you here…?” Qi Gongzi began, then seemed to recall something and exclaimed with sudden understanding, “Zi Mo purchased tea from your family!” His tone was utterly certain.

Ye Hongsheng deduced that Zi Mo was likely the courtesy name of the young master Lu he had just met and replied with a laugh, “Yes, yes. There was a minor issue with the tea, so my daughter and I came to apologize to Young Master Lu.”

Noting Ye Hongsheng’s relaxed smile and the absence of his usual awkwardness around strangers, Ye Yaming grew curious.

Given Ye Hongsheng’s obsession with tea, this Qi Gongzi must have considerable expertise in tea and had earned Ye Hongsheng’s recognition in this regard. Otherwise, her socially challenged adoptive father would not have behaved so congenially.

Hearing the words “my daughter,” Qi Gongzi turned his gaze to Ye Yaming, his expression friendly and clear, tinged with a hint of curiosity.

He cupped his hands in greeting and said, “I am Qi Ji. Pleased to meet you, Miss Ye.”

“Qi Gongzi,” Ye Yaming returned the courtesy.

Ye Hongsheng then explained, “Qi Gongzi is the third son of Prefect Qi. He has a great fondness for tea. Last year, I crafted a fine tea, which Qi Gongzi sampled at the Gathering Fragrance Pavilion. He praised it highly, and we had a chance encounter there, conversing quite delightedly.”

So that was it.

“Hahaha, indeed! The tea Master Ganquan creates has an exceptional harmony between aroma and flavor. Unlike other teas where added spices overpower the tea’s essence, reversing the natural order and losing its authenticity—truly worthy of the name Master Ganquan,” Qi Ji laughed. “I was so fond of that tea, I bought twenty chests of it in one go.”

He then asked Ye Hongsheng, “Master Ganquan, have you recently crafted any new fine teas?”

Ye Hongsheng shook his head but then, recalling the Osmanthus Tea Ye Yaming had made, nodded."My skills are limited, so I haven't been able to produce any exceptional tea. However, my daughter has surpassed her teacher - her craftsmanship exceeds mine. These past few days she has been working on developing a fine tea. Once it's released in a few days, I'll definitely have the teahouse staff deliver some for Qi Gongzi and Young Master Lu to sample."

Qi Ji looked utterly astonished, gazing steadily at Ye Yaming as he praised: "Indeed, a worthy father doesn't raise common children. Despite Miss Ye's young age, she can actually create tea that earns Master Ganquan's praise - remarkable talent. I truly look forward to tasting this tea with great anticipation."

He said to Ye Hongsheng: "Then it's settled - when the tea is released, you must have someone deliver some for us to taste."