Vol 3 Chapter 16.2 (1/2)
Chapter 16 – Floating Orchid Pavilion (II)
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Not waiting for Anya to reply, Sura rushed to say, “Still, we shouldn’t bother Miss Anya. We will go find jobs for ourselves.”
Anya smiled and said, “It’s not an inconvenience. Yin Zhu, I remember that you are a Divine Music mage. Last time you told me you wanted to play for me. I have a zither here. How about you first play me a song? All the waiter positions have already been filled, but I am currently lacking a performing Divine Music mage.” She paused here, sent a fake smile towards Sura, and then continued, “Of course, I do not condone nepotism. If your zither skill cannot meet my standards, I won’t hire you.”
Ye Yin Zhu smiled and replied, “No need to hire me; I also want to play a zither song for Elder Sister. I’ve already got a zither.”
At this moment, the tea had arrived along with a delicate, violet clay pot and cup set. The server had clearly washed and heated the pot well already. Tea streamed directly from the pot and into the cups. Immediately, the sweet fragrance of plum blossoms wafted outward, penetrating deeply into the heart. Its fragrance was very comforting. The hot tea was of a light red color, which appeared quite captivating.
Anya smiled and replied, “Drink some tea first. This is Red Globe Amaranth flower tea, a unique scented tea. It’s a signature drink of the Milan court, and its production is exceedingly spa.r.s.e. This tea is capable of decreasing internal heat, decreasing inflammation, expelling poison, nouris.h.i.+ng one’s skin, and slowing down the aging process. Plus, it is quite tasty when a little crystal sugar is added.”
Ye Yin Zhu lifted the cup and drank a mouthful of tea. Immediately, the warm flow went down his throat, allowing him to feel comfortably warm as the chill in the air seemed to dissipate significantly. Then, he exhaled a faint fragrance of plum blossoms accompanied by a distinct sweetness from the bottom of his heart. All of his pores seemed to open up. Feeling indescribably comfortable, he couldn’t help but say instinctively, “Good tea.”
Sura stared at the scented tea at first, his eyes displaying a trace of disdain. But after he drank a mouthful, the disdain in his eyes was immediately replaced with surprise as he subconsciously drank the whole small cup of Red Globe Amaranth flower tea.
Anya said while smiling lightly, “At the top of the tea industry, green tea and oolong tea have always been revered. I, however, solely love scented tea. Many people disdain drinking scented tea, even saying that scented tea is the most pedestrian type of tea. Except, I don’t see it in that way.
“First of all, I serve scented tea here that isn’t made with just flowers mixed with dry tea leaves. Instead, real flowers are dried over a stove and then added to the tea. I serve this genuine scented tea as a signature item here at Floating Orchid Pavilion. I intend for this kind of scented tea to be for n.o.bles. Different types of scented tea have distinct effects. It’s much better than green tea and oolong tea.”
Ye Yin Zhu smiled honestly and said, “I don’t know tea, but it is indeed delicious.”
Anya sighed lightly and said, “Tea is a culture which goes back to a dim and distant past, handed down from the times of the Eastern Dragon Empire. It’s a pity. To date, innumerable skills have been lost…”
“Eastern Dragon Empire?” Ye Yin Zhu looked at Anya in shock. Although this was the first time he heard of the name, he was highly familiar with the two words, ‘Eastern Dragon.’ His actual grandfather and grandfather Qin Shang had spoken about the Eight Eastern Dragon Sects many times. Although he didn’t understand the hidden meaning, it could be a.s.sumed that the Eastern Dragon Anya spoke of was connected to the Eight Eastern Dragon Sects.
Anya’s complexion changed slightly, but it quickly returned to normal. She quickly changed the subject and asked, “Yin Zhu, didn’t you want to play a song for me? How about starting right now?”
Although Ye Yin Zhu was surprised in his heart, his character was simple. Anya had changed the subject, and he didn’t have much to ask. The sapphire drop on his ring flashed with radiance as the slender Moon and Tides’ Clear Brilliance Zither appeared, floating above the table. Although the table was slightly high, Ye Yin Zhu’s stature was lanky. He was able to sit straight and use the tea table as a zither table with only a bit of difficulty.