The teahouse had few patrons at this hour. The trio chose a private room for their conversation, finding it peaceful.
"I wonder what kind of tea Miss Man'er usually drinks? The Cloud Plum here is quite good and popular with young ladies. It has a hint of plum blossom fragrance in its aroma, worth a try."
Li Man'er smiled sweetly. "Does the General know about such things?"
It was the first time Xiao Si had seen such a beautiful girl as Li Man'er. Seeing her smile so charmingly, his face immediately felt warm. "I am but a small captain, hardly a General."
Xiao Qiniang quickly interjected, "My brother is indifferent to fame and fortune. He values serving the country and defeating enemies, and cares not for official positions." Xiao Qiniang gave Xiao Si a significant look, signaling him not to speak further of such matters.
Li Man'er hailed from the capital, and her maternal grandfather was Ning Liancheng. What good things hadn't she seen? What fine men hadn't she met? The man she was originally betrothed to was the young master of the Duke of Rong's mansion, Tong Qiao. Tong Qiao's mother was a princess, and his uncle was the current Emperor. She hadn't thought highly of such a family, so why would she care about superficial things like official posts?
Xiao Si, having received his sister's hint, quickly said, "Speaking of tea, I don't know much. I only know this tea sells very well in Mobei, and the buyers are mostly women, which is why I recommended it to you."
"What do you think, Sister Xiao?"
"That tea has a unique charm. Sister, you should try it."
So, Xiao Si called for the waiter, ordered the Cloud Plum and Melon Slice teas, along with two types of pastries and two kinds of snacks.
"You mentioned needing escort earlier, what was that about? Did you encounter some impudent person?" Xiao Si thought Xiao Qiniang had said that deliberately to create an opportunity for him.
"That's not it." Xiao Qiniang glanced at Li Man'er, a hint of bitterness in her heart. "We went to Jibaozhai to buy things, and Miss Man'er happened to find a luminous pearl and sell it. That Fatty Tian offered eighty thousand taels for it, saying it was a birthday gift for an elder of his proprietor. Miss Man'er had tens of thousands of taels in banknotes on her, so naturally, she needed protection."
A luminous pearl, eighty thousand taels!
Xiao Si forced himself to maintain an expression of surprise, but he couldn't help but gasp softly.
"Miss Man'er actually carried something so valuable on the street? What if a thief had targeted her?"
Li Man'er simply said, "Shopkeeper Tian had people block the staircase, so how could anyone have leaked the news? Besides, it's just a bead, what's the big fuss?"
The siblings exchanged a look, each understanding the other's thoughts.
This Li Man'er must marry into the Xiao family. The benefits she could bring were immense. To casually produce a bead worth eighty thousand taels – what a grand gesture!
They figured the Ning family was her backing. It was no wonder that despite her notorious reputation in the capital, she was still living so prosperously.
"Don't forget, He Yuanying went upstairs."
"He Yuanying? Why did that annoying person go there too?"
Xiao Qiniang coughed lightly, thinking, *How can a grown man be so ill-mannered? No matter how annoying He Yuanying is, she is still a young lady.*
Xiao Si also realized his mistake and quickly explained to Li Man'er, "It's not that I'm being rude, but this Miss He's past is quite... well, it's not something a young lady would do. I could talk for three days and three nights about it."
"You have a prejudice against her," Li Man'er said. "I think Miss He is quite nice. She even invited me to play polo with her! And if we're talking about bad reputations, are there any other girls in this world with a worse reputation than I, Li Man'er?"
Xiao Si...
Xiao Qiniang...
This woman doesn't play by the rules. Who jokes about themselves, and so bluntly at that?
Fortunately, the waiter arrived with the tea, temporarily easing the awkwardness between the siblings.
The tea's fragrance wafted, carrying a hint of plum blossom. The color of the tea was also beautiful.
Li Man'er lowered her head to smell it, then took a shallow sip. "Indeed, it is good tea."
Xiao Si became somewhat pleased. He had recommended it, so how could it not be good?
"I told you this tea was good! I never expected Miss Man'er to have such a grasp of tea ceremony."
Li Man'er reluctantly put down her teacup. This man was too eager to praise himself. What she had said was merely a polite remark, and he hadn't even noticed.
Besides, she wasn't smelling the aroma of the tea, but checking if anything had been added to it. Was he truly a member of the Xiao family? How could he not even see that?
"I actually don't understand much. Please don't laugh at me, Captain."
"It's rare for you to be out. You two shouldn't just chat. Man'er, eat something. The pastries here are indeed good, very different from those in the capital."
Li Man'er knew perfectly well that Xiao Qiniang was doing this intentionally, making it seem as though she and Xiao Si were getting along very well. Although it was an illusion, Li Man'er didn't expose it, as she had other plans.
As expected, halfway through their tea, Xiao Qiniang gently touched her forehead and closed her eyes.
Zhu Yu quickly stepped forward, "Miss, are you alright?"
"What's wrong, Sister?"
Xiao Qiniang said, "It's nothing."
"Your complexion isn't good, are you feeling unwell?"
Li Man'er glanced at Xiao Qiniang. Her complexion was rosy, how could she be unwell? Did they think she was blind? She was a doctor.
"I just have a slight headache. Perhaps I caught a chill from the wind, and I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable."
Li Man'er quickly said, "Sister Xiao, let me take a look." As she spoke, she reached out to feel Xiao Qiniang's wrist.
"No need." Xiao Qiniang quickly hid her hand in her sleeve. *If Li Man'er, with her excellent medical skills, were to examine me, what would happen?*
"This is an old ailment of mine. Whenever the weather turns cold, or I catch a chill, this happens." Xiao Qiniang said with some guilt, "Miss Man'er, I'm afraid I can't continue to accompany you. I'd like to go back to rest for a while."
"That's perfect, I'll go back too."
Xiao Qiniang quickly said, "How can that be? It's rare for you to be out, you should see the sights. Oh, right, didn't you promise He Yuanying that you would play polo with her after the new year? Perhaps Brother can take you to the polo field to have a look. I'm not feeling well, so I'll be going back first."
Li Man'er didn't insist. "Alright then, Sister, go back and rest early."
Xiao Qiniang was overjoyed and quickly said, "Don't worry, I'll be fine after a short rest. You're a young lady, unfamiliar with this place, and you're carrying so much money. You must be careful. Rest assured, my brother is skilled in martial arts, and his companions are all capable. With him protecting you, you'll be fine."
Li Man'er didn't argue, merely nodding.
Xiao Qiniang subtly rose, and Zhu Yu quickly stepped forward to support her. As the mistress and servant walked out, Xiao Qiniang secretly gave Xiao Si a look, urging him to seize the opportunity.
Xiao Si pretended not to notice, but his heart began to beat even faster.