Knowing the Warmth of Southern Tea (GL) - Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Wen Cha expected to see Nan Nuan upon her return, but to her surprise, several days passed without a single glimpse of her.

Wen Cha began to suspect whether Nan Nuan harbored certain thoughts toward her—thoughts that shouldn’t exist. Whenever this occurred to her, Wen Cha repeatedly told herself it was impossible. Her feelings for Nan Nuan were merely those of sisters; at most, they were akin to her respect for her mother, and nothing else.

Yet, she couldn’t understand her own heart. If Nan Nuan truly married someone else in the future, would she be happy? Could she offer her blessings?

The stars at night remained bright, but in Wen Cha’s eyes, the brightest one was nowhere to be found.

Because of you, the multitude of stars have all turned to dust.

In truth, Nan Nuan wasn’t hiding from Wen Cha on purpose; she was genuinely overwhelmed with affairs recently. However, she was indeed “airing her out” intentionally.

Nan Nuan had been truly infuriated that day. Some people flirt without even realizing it—it’s absolutely infuriating! Moreover, this year’s Imperial Censor was an old veteran by the Emperor’s side—a cunning “old fox” of great resourcefulness. To subtly leak the evidence into the Censor’s hands without leaving a trace required a great deal of effort.

Furthermore, “a goose must leave a feather”—she intended to make the Fourth Prince lose a layer of skin over this. Since this matter was crucial, Nan Nuan didn’t trust anyone else to handle it. Consequently, she had to endure the hardship herself.

Even though Nan Nuan had prepared a foolproof plan, the Crown Prince’s attitude remained somewhat important. Although her brother had agreed, his consent did not represent the Crown Prince’s will. The difference between having the Prince’s help and not having it was vast.

If the Prince disagreed, Nan Nuan, as his subordinate, would be failing in her duty. She might lose his future trust, which requires a subordinate to follow orders and remain loyal to their master. This is the basic requirement of a courtier. However, if the Crown Prince were truly someone who viewed the commoners as nothing, he wouldn’t be worthy of Nan Nuan’s loyalty.

Thus, Nan Nuan looked forward to Mr. Zhuang’s return, hoping he would bring good news to Qingzhou. After all, the integrity of one’s ally can shape the future.

…

Having not seen Nan Nuan for a long time, Wen Cha sat under the soapberry tree every day, counting the pods and sighing from time to time. Rongrong worried that Wen Cha would suffocate from boredom, so she sent her to the East Market every day to buy snacks. Although Rongrong didn’t feel like eating them, she couldn’t stand seeing someone sighing in front of her all day.

Rongrong knew well that Wen Cha was lovesick, a condition for which no medicine exists. She could only wait for Nan Nuan to provide the cure; as a physician, she was at her wit’s end.

Every day Wen Cha went to the East Market, she worried that Nan Nuan might return while she was out. But she had to pamper her mother, so she couldn’t skip the errands. She worried so much that she lost a few strands of hair. Fortunately, Wen Cha didn’t know that all the snacks she bought ended up in An Shi’s stomach, or she would have been grieved to death.

Nan Nuan indeed timed her returns to coincide with Wen Cha’s absences. Rongrong guessed there was a rift between them, but it wasn’t her place to pry. In this house, the pregnant woman was the highest authority, so she chose not to meddle too much. However, out of love for her daughter, Rongrong still dropped hints in Nan Nuan’s ear, mentioning how Wen Cha couldn’t eat or sleep. She hoped Nan Nuan would show some mercy and not let her silly daughter suffer too much.

Nan Nuan naturally understood Rongrong’s meaning and reassured her repeatedly. Yet, she made no changes. Some things had only just begun; there was still much to endure.

Thus, for nearly half a month, Wen Cha did not see Nan Nuan—not until Zhuang returned with the Crown Prince’s reply.

…

Wen Cha knew Nan Nuan was meeting with Zhuang. She planned to wait until her foster father left Nan Nuan’s room and then go straight in to catch her. During these days, Wen Cha had gradually realized that her feelings for Nan Nuan were indeed not simple. Her heartache wasn’t because of the Love Gu, but because of Nan Nuan’s avoidance.

When you care about someone, their actions affect you most profoundly. Sometimes, you don’t care about the attitude of a stranger; you only care about those close to you. Similarly, the attitude of the person closest to you is the easiest to be hurt by.

Zhuang handed the reply to Nan Nuan, who opened it immediately. The letter simply said: Granted.

It seemed the Crown Prince had not only agreed to the Qingzhou plan, but what about the other plan? Nan Nuan had sent a “Double-Entendre” letter! If the Prince agreed, certain things were about to become very interesting.

“Thank you, Sir,” Nan Nuan thanked Zhuang. Zhuang showed no interest in talking to her; he simply nodded and turned to leave. He knew such letters were often layered with hidden meanings and didn’t care to linger.

Nan Nuan lit a candle and held the letter over the flame. When no hidden ink appeared, she let the paper catch fire. She was satisfied with this answer. No rejection was essentially a silent agreement, wasn’t it?

Next, it was time to have some fun with Wen Cha. Nan Nuan left through a secret passage, giving Wen Cha no chance to find her.

When Wen Cha went to Nan Nuan’s room, she found it empty. However, she saw a letter left on the table. Out of curiosity, she opened it. The words read: Granted. You shall marry the Crown Prince.

Nan Nuan was to marry the Crown Prince? Wen Cha felt as if she had been struck by lightning. This couldn’t be a joke. How could Nan Nuan marry the Prince? Had Nan Nuan agreed? Then what about… herself?

This should be a good thing. Not only was the Qingzhou issue resolved, but after Nan Nuan married the Prince, wealth and honor would be within her grasp. She should be happy for her! But why was she so heartbroken?

Wen Cha fell into a deeper state of melancholy than ever before. The two best things in this world are that which you cannot obtain and that which you have already lost.

…

Gu Zhuang successfully completed his mission. This trip to the Capital had been quite fruitful. Having been the Prince’s teacher, seeing the boy grow up brought him a genuine sense of pride. In this world of mediocre people, those who know exactly what they want are rare.

Gu Zhuang eventually found Rongrong under the soapberry tree. She had timed his arrival and brewed a pot of fine tea. She sat on the stone bench, watching him approach, and handed him a cup. Gu Zhuang took it but set it back on the table.

“You are simply… being reckless.”

Rongrong smiled sheepishly, but what choice did she have? “I couldn’t help it. He’s already here; was I supposed to get rid of him?” Parents and children are bound by fate; when fate arrives, can one truly reject it?

“You care so little for your own health.” Gu Zhuang didn’t know Rongrong had secretly stopped taking her preventative medicine. If he knew… if he knew…

“Rest easy. My health suffered back then because I caught a cold during my recovery month after childbirth, but that was over a decade ago. Xingyue is already so grown; nothing will happen. Besides, I’m a doctor—don’t I understand my own body? Stop worrying. Don’t you want to feel him?” Rongrong took Gu Zhuang’s hand and pressed it to her stomach, which wasn’t showing yet.

Gu Zhuang touched her with extreme caution. Rongrong couldn’t help but laugh; it was rare to see her “Brother Gu” being so gingerly.

“Don’t worry. If you have time, why not think of a name for the child?” Rongrong comforted him. In truth, she was speaking the truth, but given her age, she was a high-risk mother. Despite ten years of recovery, this pregnancy carried danger.

“I will ask someone about this. If… don’t blame me.” Gu Zhuang intended to consult another specialist. If this child posed a threat to Rongrong’s health, then…

“Ask all you want. I’m the doctor here; would I lie to you?” Rongrong felt a twinge of guilt. No matter—once more time passed, an abortion wouldn’t be something one could just perform on a whim.