Chapter 14: Sent to the Tea Lover

After seeing Huo Jingcheng off, Su Ruoyun opened the backend of the mobile review mini-program, preparing to check customers' feedback over the past few days.

Most were five-star reviews, with a few short comments of just a few words, such as: the tea is good, the environment is tranquil, and so on...

After a rough browse, her thumb swiftly swiped, and then what entered her sight were several five-star reviews, but the review content was different.

Su Ruoyun clicked in to see, and the comments were all about that tea master Chen Xi—either saying his tea art was lacking or that he made too many small movements...

She knitted her brows, her pretty face overcast with a heaviness.

Because before opening the teahouse she knew the clientele were all wealthy, to avoid any issues she had emphasized before staff started work not to behave poorly.

She noted down the names and phone numbers of the few customers who left comments, planning to send some inexpensive tea as compensation, and called Xiao Li over.

"Chen Sister has taken leave these days."

"Leave?"

Xiao Li: "Yes, she said she needs to handle graduation matters at school these days, so she took a few days off. Do you have something for her?"

Su Ruoyun also didn't want to bring this up with others, just shook her head and brushed it off lightly: "I just wanted to ask her if she can balance school and work."

Xiao Li nodded in understanding, and before leaving, Su Ruoyun called her back: "Ask Xiao Chen later—if school gets busy, let her focus on school, after all graduation is definitely more important than a part‑time job."

"Okay."

Upon learning the person wasn't there, Su Ruoyun also couldn't say anything, and turned her attention back to the reviews, swiping her thumb all the way to the bottom, when she unexpectedly spotted a special review, which was a five‑character quatrain.

She moved her gaze to the upper‑right corner; the review time was three days ago in the afternoon.

"Sipping the clear, flowing water,"

"Watching the tea leaves darken as they fry."

"Unable to hold a bowl,"

"I send it to the lover of tea."

This is Bai Juyi's "Mountain Spring Tea Brewing, With Longing".

Her thumb hovered above the screen, her gaze briefly lingering on the final line of the poem.

As if driven by ghosts and gods, Su Ruoyun clicked into that person's avatar; the photo jumped to the center of the screen, it was the one she had just seen.

A snowy day, all white and vast, a desolate winter, distant pine‑covered mountains, a barren snow‑covered lake, a warm lamp aboard a boat.

It's hard to imagine a man like Huo Jingcheng using such a literary, affected picture as his avatar.

It doesn't look like northern scenery; rather, it resembles a southern Jiangnan snow scene.

She zoomed in with two fingers on the photo filling the screen, stared hard, trying to find a clue, but unfortunately the world's beautiful sights are too many, and she could find no flaw.

The QR‑code review plaques stand on the tea tables in each private room; every customer can review, and Su Ruoyun didn't think much of it, assuming he was just in the mood.

She rose from the recliner, went to the backyard rest room, and the paper bag holding the suit was still where she left it, untouched.

Su Ruoyun took out the three‑piece set one by one and laid them on the sofa; the jacket and trousers were fine—dark colour hid any marks—but this white shirt had its collar stained yellow with tea.

She pinched the shirt's collar, lifted it to her nose, twitched her nostrils, sniffed carefully, and could smell a fresh jasmine fragrance.

She muttered softly: "Can this still be washed out?"

Not knowing whether it could be cleaned, Su Ruoyun took the three garments home, gave them to the apartment's attendant, explained they were tea‑stained, and added: "It's been two or three days—can it still be washed clean?"

"It should be fine, I'll try." Li Ayi took the paper bag, smiling: "Dinner is already ready, Miss Su can come over to eat."

Su Ruoyun answered with an "Okay," then turned her head; the milk‑cat named Panda walked over on cat‑paws, its head rubbing against her ankle, and let out a soft "meow~".

Su Ruoyun casually tossed the small bag onto the sofa, sat on the carpet, held Panda in her arms, placed her hands on its round body, looked into its eyes, and asked: "You haven't seen me in a day—do you miss Mom?"

Actually, it's only been about six hours at most.

Panda can't speak; it only fixes Su Ruoyun with a pair of blue eyes as deep and mysterious as the deep sea.

Panda is a cross between a milk cat and a Ragdoll, inheriting the milk cat's coat pattern and the Ragdoll's soft, fine long fur and blue eyes.

Su Ruoyun was so overcome by its cuteness she couldn't speak; she took nine photos of Panda's stunning looks, uploaded them to Moments—female celebrities wouldn't need retouching, the raw images were perfect as‑is.

Just after the upload succeeded, a friend commented: "【So cute, want to squeeze Panda.】"

Su Ruoyun replied with an emoji: "【hehe. jpg】"

Less than two seconds later, the friend commented again: "【Have you taken Panda to be neutered?】"

This friend is none other than Panda's grandma, the owner of that Ragdoll mother cat.

Because she needed to type a reply, Su Ruoyun naturally put the kitten down, and Panda spontaneously lay on her thigh.

"【Not yet, I plan to take it this weekend; any pet‑hospital recommendations?】"

Originally Su Ruoyun planned to go when the kitten was nine months old, but it coincided with the spring of March‑April, the kitten's first heat period lengthened, so she delayed it, and thus it has come to now.

The friend sent the name of a pet hospital: "【I've heard from others that this one is not bad.】"

"【OK, I'll go check it out.】"

Mutual friends can see all the comments on Moments.

Huo Jingcheng saw this Moments post at nine in the evening, after finishing his day's official duties.

The night wind blew in, a corner of the dark‑blue curtains fluttered, sending out slow, regular waves.

He sat in the study's office chair, holding the phone with one hand, and called Chen Zheyan.

"What do you want at this hour?" Chen Zheyan still had his carefree, laid‑back look, his lazy voice coming through the earpiece.

"Lend me your German Shepherd for a bit."

A few months ago Chen Zheyan adopted a retired police dog, a large‑bodied German Shepherd.

"What, what are you planning to do?"

Chen Zheyan doesn't have Su Ruoyun's WeChat, so he naturally doesn't know why Huo Jingcheng suddenly got the idea.

"You're not going to take my Baobei for breeding, are you?" he exclaimed incredulously, "That's not allowed—my Lego can't be used for that."

The man's rich, low voice came through: "Just take it for a bath; Saturday, I'll come to Huadu Imperial Garden to pick it up."

Upon learning it was just for a bath, Chen Zheyan didn't object either, and casually asked: "Do you also want to keep a dog, or are you planning to use it to trick some little girl?"

One word hits the mark.

The phone fell silent again.

Chen Zheyan: "I wouldn't have guessed right again, would I?"