Chapter 136: The Uninvited Guest

Chapter 136

The Uninvited Guest

As night fell, the sound of a zither drifted sweetly from the Nie family mansion. Though the melody was beautiful, it carried an underlying sadness. When the song ended, Chunmei brought a cloak to cover her mistress, nearly on the verge of tears as she gently expressed her concern.

"Miss, it’s late. You should rest. Tomorrow, you have to work early."

"Mm,"

Mu Rongying acknowledged but didn’t move. Seeing that her young miss still wished to remain outside, Chunmei retreated. It was now spring, and though the dew at night was cold, it wasn’t too bitter. Mu Rongying’s beautiful face was cast downward as she looked at the zither, her expression steeped in sorrow, lost in thought. During the day, she poured her energy into work, but at night, her heart felt unbearably empty, soothed only by the music of the zither.

Her delicate fingers brushed the strings again, playing one more tune. Chunmei, knowing this would be the last song of the night and her mistress was about to return to her room, went to prepare the water basin inside the room. Neither she nor her mistress noticed the dark figure crouching on the roof. Cloaked in the night, even the guards from the Shen Nong Protection Agency had no idea he had infiltrated the mansion. Yet, there was no malice in his actions—he simply observed Young Miss Mu in silence.

As the final notes of the song faded, Mu Rongying cradled her beloved zither and made her way back to her quarters. The zither had been a gift from Kang Wang. At that time, she had not yet clearly rejected him. He would often bring his work to the tea house and ask her to brew tea for him, occasionally requesting that she play the zither. Those moments had been full of happiness. Though he never confessed his love, his deep gaze always lingered on her. Mu Rongying had once wished that those days would never end, but that was impossible. Both of them had their own dreams and paths to follow. In the quiet of each night, she could only use the zither’s music to remember him.

Once she disappeared into her room, the figure on the roof lingered a while longer. Only when the steady rhythm of her breathing could be heard from inside did he finally vanish into the night.

It had now become incredibly difficult to secure a table at Xiangyun Tea House, even on days without tea ceremonies. Some scholars from prestigious backgrounds sent their servants ahead to reserve tables. Guests from out of town often had to wait for an hour to be seated. Fortunately, the tea house was located at the end of the commercial district’s street, allowing visitors to browse nearby shops while waiting. As a result, the neighboring businesses also benefited, seeing an increase in sales. Now that the weather had warmed, the tea house had added more tables in the garden and by the river to accommodate the growing number of guests.

Naturally, Wang Dongpo’s workload had increased dramatically, but fortunately, he had Mu Rongying and Chunmei to assist him. Coming from a noble family, they were well-versed in the customs and tastes of the upper class. Besides helping him maintain order in the tea house, Chunmei took care of Wang Dongpo as if he were her own brother. All of his personal items were sewn by her. She often shared amusing stories, and recently, a smile would frequently grace his once stoic face. Since losing his family, Wang Dongpo had never imagined he could feel happiness again.

Both Mu Rongying and Chunmei were undeniably beautiful women, and many guests frequented the tea house hoping to catch a glimpse of them. Among the regular patrons, Teacher He Shangbian was the most familiar face. On days when he wasn’t teaching, he would spend the entire day at the tea house, ordering the house’s renowned dishes and snacks, accumulating quite a substantial bill. The staff knew he was a teacher at the academy and would offer him a discount without needing him to present his credentials.

Unless there was a tea ceremony, Mu Rongying rarely came out to tend to guests. Opportunities to see her were limited, usually when she traveled to and from the tea house. He Shangbian never attempted to speak with her; watching her from a distance was enough for him. He had heard that Young Miss Nie didn’t have a betrothed, and so he patiently awaited the return of the Lady Boss from the capital, as she was the only elder of Young Miss Nie’s that he knew. He planned to formally request her hand in marriage.

He Shangbian wasn’t the only one with such hopes. Many young men in Huangjing urged their parents to send marriage proposals to Young Miss Nie. However, she had no close relatives in the city, so they tried befriending Wang Dongpo, hoping he might put in a good word. Yet Wang Dongpo paid them no mind—he loved Chunmei like a sister, and Mu Rongying was already favored by Kang Wang. Thus, the young men left disappointed.

Mu Rongying, however, paid no attention to these matters. She was focused on launching a new fermented tea that Nie Shuang had assigned Jiang Ru to ferment the year before. Nie Shuang had explained its properties and entrusted Mu Rongying with organizing the product launch.

Mu Rongying pondered the details carefully. This black tea was said to lower blood fat levels and promote healthy circulation, making it ideal for those who were overweight or had heart conditions. She consulted with Wang Dongpo about previous product launches. The Lü Cui tea had stood out due to its novelty and superior quality compared to the widely consumed white tea. The Hong Bao red tea had a rich flavor and auspicious color, while the Mo Cha Fen was a unique ingredient used in cooking, and had been showcased through the highly popular tea ceremonies. In fact, demand for the tea brewing sets had far exceeded supply, with orders still being delivered to customers who had placed reservations.

In the past, Nie Shuang had always invited merchants and officials from Huangjing, who eagerly attended the events. However, Mu Rongying wanted this product launch to be different. In her view, the unique selling point of this black tea was its health benefits. From her experience, whether it was her father, her brother, or most of the men in her family, they rarely took care of their health. When socializing, they would eat and drink excessively, and in cold weather, they often wore too few layers, unafraid of the chill. This contrasted with women, who were more concerned about their health, knowing it could affect both their beauty and fertility. With this in mind, Mu Rongying began drafting an invitation that deviated from the usual.

The following day, the lady bosses of the city gathered at Xiangyun Tea House to meet Young Miss Nie and thank her for the invitation they had received. These women, though in charge of their families’ finances, were usually confined to the inner quarters. Aside from hosting small tea parties among themselves, they rarely had the opportunity to participate in social events. With Xiangyun Tea House being so renowned and each product launch celebrated with great fanfare, it came as a surprise that they, the matriarchs who were rarely seen or acknowledged, had been invited. At first, they thought they had misread the invitation, and even their husbands, the bosses or shop owners, were surprised that their wives had been invited.

"Young Miss Nie, my husband, Boss Hong, asked if he could attend the event. The invitation was only addressed to me, and he could hardly believe his eyes. I still can’t stop laughing at his expression."

"For the morning session, I’m afraid it will be exclusive to the lady bosses. I’ve planned this first round especially for you all. If the bosses wish to attend the tea launch, they’ll have to wait for the later session with the scholars from the academy."

"How unfortunate. The old man at home is sure to complain."

Though they spoke as if disappointed, their eyes gleamed with delight. The lady bosses felt special, having been invited to such an event, and they left to prepare their finest clothes and accessories, spreading word of the event throughout the city.News of Xiangyun Tea House’s new product launch soon reached Kang Wang’s palace. Invitations had been sent out to everyone, yet Kang Wang had not received one. This was perhaps the first time he hadn’t been invited to a product launch. Since the event was exclusively for women, it didn’t seem strange to most that Kang Wang hadn’t been invited. However, Kang Wang himself couldn’t help but wonder whether this was a deliberate attempt by her to avoid seeing him.