The Emperor’s Beloved Ugly Girl

51. A’Chou’s Insight

Translator: Iris Guo

However, Chen Qingxuan didn’t hate A’Chou. He held the teacup, smelled the slight fragrance of jasmine, and saw her leaning on the table corner and staring at the jasmine in her cup without blinking. Her clear eyes moved with the floating jasmine, and she couldn’t know that the reflection in her eyes was much more beautiful than the flower itself.

Chen Qingxuan couldn’t help smiling. He sipped his tea, which was randomly made but tasted unexpectedly good.

“Mr. Chen, where did you get the tea?” After seeing enough of jasmine, A’Chou asked him while holding her cup, “The market?”

Chen Qingxuan chuckled: “You want to buy some tea, Miss?”

“Yes, it tastes nice.” A’Chou nodded.

Actually, A’Chou didn’t find the jasmine tea delicious but fragrant and beautiful. She preferred water and didn’t like the bitter tea. However, she assumed that Zhong Mingwei would like it.

Noble men always had tea in their hands, no matter when they were talking, reading, playing chess, or watching flowers, which was regarded as social graces. A’Chou didn’t understand graces, but she felt sorry for Zhong Mingwei. Now he could only drink water every day like she did, so he must have missed this fragrant and bitter tea.

“The tea was from a friend out of town. I’m afraid that you won’t find it in the market.” said Chen Qingxuan.

“I see… Could I buy some from you?” asked A’Chou cautiously and expectantly. She looked at Chen Qingxuan with dark eyes and looked like a lovely deer.

Chen Qingxuan said nothing. He put the teacup on the table, took a tea jar off the shelf, and put it in front of A’Chou: “You can have it.”

“How much is it?” A’Chou looked at the jar happily while worrying about the price, “Is it expensive? If it costs more than one… two qian of silver ingots, I’ll just… buy half of it.”

A’Chou was gnashing her teeth hard in resolution. She used to do laundry day and night in Yuqing Palace, and could only get one qian of silver ingots per month.

Chen Qingxuan was so amused by her face that he couldn’t help smiling: “It’s okay. I’ll give it to you as a gift.”

“No.” A’Chou straightened and looked at Chen Qingxuan seriously, “Mr. Chen, I know that you are kind, but there is no reason for you to encourage people to do bad things, right?”

Chen Qingxuan was stunned: “Miss, what do you mean?”

“Today you give me a jar of tea for free. What if I want your tea set tomorrow? Will you give it to me for free as well? And what if I want your house? Mr. Chen, you are a good man, but there is a chance that you’ll turn me into a greedy person,” said A’Chou seriously, “Am I right?”

Chen Qingxuan had been teaching for two years, but he was educated by an ugly maid. He hastened to get up and bowed to A’Chou: “Miss, you are definitely right!”

“What are you doing? Mr. Chen, please stop!” A’Chou blushed and helped him get up hurriedly while scratching her head, “Mr. Chen, I was just talking nonsense. Please forget about it… How much is the tea anyway?”

Chen Qingxuan couldn’t help laughing again: “Thirty wen of silver ingots.”

“Seriously?” A’Chou squinted in disbelief, “For such a big jar?”