Chapter 103
Chapter 103: Buddha’s Chosen, She Craves Your Body
Zhao Lv Liu felt very pleased. In the noble lady circle of the capital, no one could resist the lure of her secret Capital Handsome Men Register.
Everything was ready. She only lacked Lin Qing Xuan’s portrait in casual clothes. Once she drew it, her world-shaking “masterpiece” would be complete.
When it came out, the album would cause a storm in the Imperial Capital. Even her tender romance stories would rise with the tide and sell for sky-high prices.
The more she imagined, the happier she felt. Excitement and hunger spread through her whole body.
That hot “creative passion,” mixed with her obsession for “handsome-man material,” glowed like fireflies in the night and caught the notice of a certain heart demon black cat.
Lounging under a warm wall, the black cat Tuan Tuan twitched his ears. He sniffed the air hard, and his green eyes gleamed with amusement: [Well now, what crooked wind is blowing today? Where did the Heir Apparent Manor get such a strong scent of… yes, “longing for male beauty”?]
He was very sensitive to this blend of artistic frenzy and secret adoration.
With a light spring, Tuan Tuan hopped onto the wall and followed the scent with his eyes. He saw Lin Yu Jiao tugging along Lin Yu Ning and a supposed maid whose clean, bright bearing was impossible to hide. The three were sneaking toward Auspicious Cloud Residence.
Tuan Tuan’s gaze locked onto Zhao at once. His whiskers trembled, and he looked knowing: [So it is this girl. Peach and willow, just like her name, and her tastes are bright as her name too. Tsk, the Imperial Capital City is really something. A princess who collects male beauty, and a noble lady who paints handsome men. They suit each other. What a lively place.]
Right then, Yu Ning noticed the ball of black fur on the wall. She forgot her awkwardness and pointed in curiosity: “Second Sister, when did Elder Cousin get a cat? It’s really… sturdy. Its black fur is shiny. It looks pretty impressive.”
Her voice held a bit of natural fondness.
Tuan Tuan flicked his tail high, unhappy about the word “sturdy,” but he accepted the praise for “impressive.”
From his high perch, he studied the three young misses with different thoughts, especially Zhao, whose eyes were so bright and whose mind was full of his house’s Buddha’s Chosen. He settled in to enjoy a good show.
Yu Ning’s heart was still uneasy. She tugged Zhao’s sleeve and whispered: “Sister Lu Liu, maybe we should wait here for a bit? See if Elder Cousin will come out on his own?”
Thinking it the safest plan, Lin Yu Jiao agreed at once: “Yes, yes. Let’s wait here. Hey, this black cat really is impressive. Why don’t we play with the cat for a while?”
She tried to switch the topic and ease the tension.
Zhao’s gaze was already locked on the proud, sleek black cat on the wall. Her eyes flashed. She pulled a charcoal stick and sketchbook from the small cloth pouch at her waist: “This black cat really has the air of a ‘black king.’ My album needs a spirit creature like this to anchor it. You two wait a moment. I’ll do a quick sketch first.”
Just then, Xiao Man lifted the curtain of the meditation room and stepped out. She saw the two cousin misses at the gate and the so-called maid whose behavior and bearing looked nothing like a servant. With a warm, proper smile, she came up to greet them: “Greetings, Cousin Misses. Are you here to see Eldest Grandson Young Master? He is in the meditation room. It’s cold outside. Why don’t you come in and sit? I will brew a pot of hot tea to warm your hands.”
Seeing a savior, Yu Ning hurried over, grabbed Xiao Man’s hand, and lowered her voice: “Sister Xiao Man, can you find a way to ask Elder Cousin to come out? Right here in the yard is fine.”
Xiao Man blinked. In this cold, what could not be said inside?
Her eyes slid over the “maid” bent over her drawing. Her heart gave a small thump, and she understood at once: [Oh. This young miss… likely isn’t a real maid.]
At that moment, Tuan Tuan hopped down from the wall and rubbed against Xiao Man’s ankle. A teasing mind voice slid straight into her head: [Meow. Xiao Man, look. That fake maid is Zhao Lv Liu from the blind date feast. She came to paint the Buddha’s Chosen. Hurry and get them inside. There will be a good show!]
So that was it.
Face calm, Xiao Man bowed slightly and kept smiling: “Three misses, the wind is strong. You might catch a chill. Please come to the tea room and sit. I will brew a fine oolong and add a little locust flower honey. How does that sound?”
Lin Yu Jiao’s heart jumped: [Did Xiao Man see through it? Impossible. How could she…]
She opened her mouth to explain, but Xiao Man had already turned to Zhao, her tone as natural as could be: “You must be Miss Zhao, the one drawing. The stone bench is icy and bad for you if you sit long. Please come inside to warm up. You will draw better there. The cat likes warmth too. I can carry him in for you.”
Yu Ning and Yu Jiao stared with round eyes, trading shocked looks: [How does Xiao Man know everything? Has she become a spirit?]
Without another word, Xiao Man made a neat curtsey and went into the meditation room.
Inside, Lin Qing Xuan sat on a cushion with his eyes closed. Xiao Man stepped near and spoke softly: “Eldest Grandson Young Master, three young misses wish to see you. Would you…”
“For what?” His voice was calm, and he did not open his eyes.
Xiao Man paused, then reported honestly: “Most likely… to draw you.” She added, “The visitor is Miss Zhao, Zhao Lv Liu. Tuan Tuan says she came to paint you.”
Neatly, she put the source on the cat.
Lin Qing Xuan slowly opened his eyes. A hint of helplessness flickered there. He had long grown used to this sort of thing. After a moment of silence, he said: “Invite them to the tea room.”
“Yes.”
Xiao Man withdrew and greeted the three with a smile: “Eldest Grandson Young Master invites you to the tea room. It is cold outside. Please follow me.”
Yu Jiao and Yu Ning both let out a breath and looked at each other. Their eyes said, “That was actually easy?”
Zhao quickly put away her charcoal and sketchbook. Excitement flashed in her eyes. She could already see her Capital Handsome Men Register completed and worth its weight in gold.
Xiao Man led them through the corridor into a tea room set up with quiet elegance. Inside, it was warm and cozy, a different world from the cold outdoors. She laid out the cushions with quick hands and then went to prepare tea and snacks.
Soon, Lin Qing Xuan came in. He wore plain white casual clothes. His face was calm. His eyes passed lightly over the three, pausing for a heartbeat on Zhao, who kept her head down and tried to shrink into the background. He did not expose her identity.
“Sit,” he said simply, taking the main seat himself.
Yu Ning twisted the hem of her dress, nerves tight. Yu Jiao tried to hold a proper, graceful smile.
Zhao took a quick, hungry look and soaked in every detail: his upright posture, the long lashes when he lowered his eyes, the clear joints of the fingers holding a teacup. All perfect reference.
Xiao Man came in with a tray, placing oolong tea and delicate snacks in front of each person. The sweet scent of honey rose with the tea steam.
As the older sister, Yu Jiao forced herself to speak first and tried to find a pretext: “Elder Cousin, we… we came today to ask you about Buddhist Dharma…”
Lin Qing Xuan lifted his cup. At her words, his lashes rose a little. His voice stayed calm: “Which sutra? What doubt do you have?”
“Uh…” Yu Jiao froze. She knew nothing about Buddhist Dharma. She shot a pleading look at her little sister.
Yu Ning broke into a sweat and could not get out a single word.
The air went stiff.
At that moment, Tuan Tuan, whom Xiao Man had carried in, hopped onto an empty cushion and curled into a comfortable ball. His green eyes swept over the room with mischief and finally landed on Zhao, who was doing her best to look invisible. He flicked his tail and sent a mind voice that only Xiao Man and Lin Qing Xuan could hear, thick with tease: [Meow. All of you are pretending to be proper. Not one of you is thinking about sutras. Buddha’s Chosen, that Zhao girl’s eyes are glued to your hands. She didn’t come to seek answers. She came to quench her thirst to draw. And those two little ones beside her are scared like quail. It kills me!]
Xiao Man’s hand paused for a blink as she poured tea. She forced down a laugh.
Lin Qing Xuan’s fingers around the cup seemed to tighten a fraction. He lowered his eyes to hide a flash of helplessness and acted as if he had heard nothing.
Tuan Tuan, never one to let a show die, tossed in another spark: [Meow. Buddha’s Chosen, why don’t you move a little? Change your pose. Maybe raise your hand and intone a Buddha’s name. Or turn toward the window. Give Painter Zhao more material. Look, she’s about to snap her charcoal. Tsk. With “male beauty” right in front of her and she can only sit and stare. What torture.]
Xiao Man almost choked on her own spit and ducked her head.
After a moment of quiet, under Zhao’s burning gaze, Lin Qing Xuan made the smallest adjustment. He lifted the hand that had rested on his knee and set it lightly by the teacup. The light from the window traced the clean lines of his wrist and fingers.
Zhao’s eyes burst with light. Her fingers trembled under the sketchbook as she locked in the angle and the shadows.
Yu Jiao and Yu Ning missed the subtle play between them. They only felt Elder Cousin looked even more… handsome than before, and that the air had grown even stranger.
Watching this odd yet funny scene, Xiao Man saw the Buddha’s Chosen sitting upright as if cooperating with a “shoot,” a secret painter on the edge of fainting with joy, and two cousins completely lost. With Tuan Tuan’s running commentary in her head, she finally could not help it. As she refilled the cups, she turned away for a moment, her shoulders shaking the tiniest bit.
This “Buddhist Dharma consultation” was likely the most unusual one ever held in this tea room.