Chapter 15 - 15 The Situation is a Bit Awkward l

Translator: 549690339

The first time Wei Ruo set foot inside the Bamboo Garden, she had noticed the bamboo there, which had not yet sprouted shoots.

Today, when she returned, the bamboo shoots had grown as long as her arm. If not consumed soon, they would age.

Wei Jinyi was compelled to cease his writing again, and looked up at Wei Ruo: “Do as you please.”

His expression was one of indifference and coldness; his agreement stemming from a desire to avoid further conversation with Wei Ruo.

“Alright, thank you, Second Brother. I will return to you shortly with a serving of aromatic bamboo shoots.”

We Ruo thanked him, and ran to the bamboo shoots, plucking each one that had grown to the right size.

She then rushed back into the kitchen.

The small kitchen emitted a fragrant aroma, and Xiaobei, who lacked restraint, was grinding ink while swallowing his saliva.

Alas, the Young Master’s composure was indeed strong; the intoxicating aroma had no effect on him. His pen strokes remained steady.

Unlike him, who wasn’t even hungry to begin with, but the aroma made him feel as though his stomach, the Wuzang Temple, had surrendered first.

After a while, Wei Ruo and Xiumei emerged.

We Ruo carried a tray with a few dishes of unknown seasonings, while Xiumei carried a steaming pot from which the aroma wafted.

Both of them entered the pavilion, and Xiaobei was perplexed: “Miss, what are you up to?”

“I’m having hot pot with you! Clear the writing tools from the table.” Wei Ruo aimed for the only stone table inside the pavilion.

The table was currently littered with Wei Jinyi’s Four Treasures of writing supplies.

“You can keep it and enjoy it yourself. I don’t need it.” Wei Jinyi coldly declined.

“No, I promised that there’s a portion for you. Otherwise, wouldn’t I be taking advantage of you? I don’t like exploiting others.”

As the saying goes, borrowing and returning ensures future lending. She would need to use the Bamboo Garden’s kitchen again in the future, so today’s favor had to be returned to prevent difficulty later on.

“Besides, I’ve made servings for four. If you don’t eat, the leftovers will be wasted! The seafood was caught by fishermen who risked their lives. We need to do them justice by eating it all.”

Servings for four? Xiaobei was surprised, there was a portion for him too? But he was a servant…

Wei Jinyi looked at Wei Ruo, contemplating something. It seemed as if he wanted to refute Wei Ruo but didn’t speak out.

After a while, he compromised, got up, and cleaned up the books, ink, paper, and inkstone from the table, making room on the stone table.

Xiumei immediately put the pot on the table. Seeing the layer of bright red oil on it, Wei Jinyi knitted his brows.

Then Wei Ruo placed the bowls and plates: “This is my secret dipping sauce, Second Brother, you must try it.”

The main ingredient of the dipping sauce was her secret soy sauce, mixed with a bit of spring onion and mashed garlic. It tasted deliciously sweet, perfect for dipping seafood.

Staring at the little plate with unknown contents in front of him, Wei Jinyi frowned even more.

Seeing Wei Jinyi not moving, Wei Ruo used clean chopsticks to pick up a piece of fish and put it in the plate in front of Wei Jinyi, wrapped it with the sauce, and let Wei Jinyi taste it.

“Try it, Second Brother. It’s really good. I won’t lie to you.”

Under Wei Ruo’s persistent urging, and the expectation in her eyes, Wei Jinyi reached out for his chopsticks to appease Wei Ruo.

He picked up a small piece, put it in his mouth, and cautiously, slowly chewed a couple of times.

After a moment, Wei Jinyi suddenly started coughing violently.

Wei Ruo hurriedly poured water for him, “Slow down, slow down, drink some water.”

Wei Jinyi drank a cup of water, still coughing, and Wei Ruo helped him by patting his back.

After a while, Wei Jinyi finally caught his breath.

His face had turned red from coughing, two blushes settling on his fair skin, making him look more energetic.

Wei Jinyi put down his chopsticks: “You guys go ahead and eat.”

Well…this was…awkward…

“Or…, you can give it another try? It should be a coincidence that you choked. If you try it more times, you will discover its wonderful flavor.”

“No need.” Wei Jinyi firmly refused. This time, his attitude was very firm with no room for negotiation.

The atmosphere suddenly became a bit awkward.

Wei Jinyi didn’t say much. He got up and returned to his room, leaving only Wei Ruo, Xiumei, and Xiaobei.

With a look of embarrassment, Xiaobei explained to Wei Ruo, “Miss, don’t mind him. Our young master usually eats light food and can’t eat a lot of dishes.”

“That was my lack of consideration. Next time, I will make something else that he enjoys.” Wei Ruo said.

Wait, there’s a next time? Xiaobei’s eyes widened.

In the end, Wei Ruo and Xiumei were left to finish most of the pot, leaving some behind as they just couldn’t eat any more.

Wei Ruo patted her stomach, leaving Xiumei to clean up after the meal. She herself returned to the Garden of Tingsong, brought a roll of paper and placed it amongst Wei Jinyi’s pile of writing materials.

After Wei Ruo left, Wei Jinyi re-emerged from his room. He arranged the books, ink, paper, and inkstone back on the stone table and resumed his reading and writing.

After everything was placed back on the stone table, Wei Jinyi noticed a roll of paper that did not belong to him.

Unrolled, the paper was cool, white, smooth, and delicate; distinctly different from the other papers on Wei Jinyi’s desk.

“Where is this paper from?”

“Oh, it seems that Miss brought it. She said it was an apology gift for you.”

“This is paper from Four Treasure House.” Wei Jinyi’s gaze became profound as he examined the paper.

“Four Treasure House? Isn’t that the paper given to you by the Old Master before? I remember the Old Master saying that a colleague had gifted him a total of ten sheets of paper, and he gave you and the eldest young master five sheets each. I heard that after the eldest young master used it, he found the paper to be exceptionally good and wanted to have someone buy more. However, Four Treasure House is located in Huzhou Prefecture, which is too far away, so he couldn’t buy it. How did Miss get this paper?” Xiaobei was astonished..