Jing Yi and his parents finally arrived at the teahouse. Mister Zhong hurried inside, swept the floor and went to rub the counter and the tables until everything sparkled. Finally, he lit some incense for the atmosphere.

He looked around again and sighed with satisfaction. Mn, perfect! This way the customers should feel really happy when they arrived and the teahouse would become a success. Mister Zhong took his place behind the counter, straightened his shoulders and stared at the entrance, waiting for the first guest to arrive.

The scent of the incense filled the air and Jing Yi’s light steps sounded while he ran through the teahouse and explored everything he hadn’t noticed yesterday. Madam Zhong busied herself in the kitchen where the servants Zhong Gang had found trickled in one after the other. Half an hour passed and finally, a young woman entered the teahouse.

Mister Zhong perked up, smiled brightly and ran over to welcome her. "Dear customer, please come in! Have a seat! Tell me what you’d like to have!"

The woman stopped, looking bewildered. "Ah … You are …?"

"Oh! I’m Zhong Lei! This is my cousin’s teahouse!"

"So it’s like that." The woman gave him a strained smile. "My name is Nie Huang. Mister Zhong probably told you about me?"

Mister Zhong’s eyes went wide. "Nie Huang?"

His cousin had indeed mentioned that name. Nie Huang was the Master he had invited to brew tea in his new establishment. He had endlessly gushed about the lofty status of that person and his incredible skills yesterday. With how excited his cousin had been, Mister Zhong had imagined a respectable old man with white hair and a long beard who was clad in equally white robes and exuded an elegant air just like that Daoist Master back then.

But now a woman who was even younger than his wife stood in front of him! She could hardly be in her mid-twenties. Most probably she was even younger. This was … that Nie Huang? Mister Zhong scratched his head unsure what to say.

Nie Huang frowned but soon smoothed out her expression. "Well, if you don’t know anything about it, then I should better go." She took one last glance around the teahouse and turned to leave.

Her delicate brows furrowed. She should have known. Whatever that Zhong Gang said he still wouldn’t want a young, unmarried woman to brew the tea in his establishment if he had any other choice. He probably found some average middle-aged man for the job and didn’t dare refuse her directly, so he sent that guy to pretend to be his cousin who was clueless about everything. He wouldn’t lose face that way and his customers wouldn’t know anyway.

Madam Zhong sighed when she came out of the kitchen. The woman was already leaving and her husband still stood there, not moving an inch or saying anything worthwhile to save the situation. She waved at her son that was looking at the painting on the wall. "Come, Jing’er, let’s go greet that big sister, alright?"

Jing Yi nodded obediently and followed her over.

"Miss Nie, you’re finally here!" Madam Zhong caught up with her at the doorway and spoke up before Nie Huang could really leave. The woman turned around and was greeted with Madam Zhong’s smiling face. "My husband’s cousin told us so a lot about you already. Look at him, he is totally tongue-tied now that he finally saw you." She ignored her dumbstruck husband and pushed Jing Yi to the front. "Say hello to Miss Nie, Jing’er."

Jing Yi blinked his doe eyes and smiled at the woman. "Hello, elder sister!"

Nie Huang looked at the boy and couldn’t help but smile. Whatever intentions that Zhong Gang had and whoever that man over there was, she liked this woman and the child already. They seemed like nice people. "Oh, who’s this?"

"I’m Jing Yi! My mommy helps my uncle with the teahouse!"

Nie Huang lifted her brows. Oh?

Madam Zhong laughed. "This is our son, Jing Yi. My husband’s cousin told us that there wouldn’t be many people working at the teahouse for a while, so my husband will need my help. I just couldn’t bring myself to leave my son alone at home all day. Would it be too troublesome if he stayed with you in the preparation room for some time? He’s a little shy and I’m afraid he might not like being around the guests."

Nie Huang’s smile eased. If there was one reason to regret not having married until now, then it definitely was not having any children. Leaving this adorable boy with her for some time was more of a gift than a bother! "Of course not. Just leave him with me all the time. I don’t —"

Before she could finish her sentence Jing Yi grabbed his mother’s skirt, looking at Nie Huang warily.

Nie Huang was stunned but who would hold something like that against a child? Especially if said child looked so afraid? "What is it? Did elder sister say something wrong?"

"Does elder sister want to take me home? I don’t want to leave mommy!"

Nie Huang stared at him, her lips slowly curling up. Finally, she couldn’t hold it in anymore and started laughing. "Oh, so you were afraid of this!" she got out between her laughs. "You don’t have to worry, little one! Elder sister is just going to take care of you while your mommy works. She’ll come and get you as soon as she finishes work."

"Oh." Jing Yi’s grip loosened a bit but he still felt uneasy. He should ask his grandfather if it was true.

"So, the first guests should come soon. Do you want to watch me brewing the tea for them?"

Jing Yi looked up at his mother instead of an answer.

Madam Zhong nodded. "Why not? Miss Nie knows a lot about brewing tea. You’ll like it." She nudged her son, happy that he didn’t outright reject the offer. It seemed he had finally opened up a bit. Coming to the capital had been the right decision.

Nie Huang took Jing Yi’s hand and led him into the preparation room. Fortunately for her, a certain someone wasn’t there at the moment and didn’t see this small gesture of affection or it might have spelled trouble for her.