They had indeed arrived very quickly.
Yuan Shan hadn't even finished her first cup of the new tea when someone knocked on the door.
To be honest, although the bookstore was a street-front shop, its door rarely got this kind of treatment.
After all, when it wasn't open for business, even if people could see the owner inside, few had the nerve to disturb him, given his imposing presence.
Even Chen Ping, who had been invited, could feel something of that same hesitation.
He'd clearly wavered for a moment, but in the end, he'd decided that it couldn't hurt to be polite and knocked three times, carefully and deliberately.
"Welcome."
Fortunately, the proprietor was a genial sort, and immediately invited him in.
"Sorry to bother you."
As the head of a family, Chen Ping quickly steadied himself and carefully made his way inside, all the way to the counter.
"Have a seat. I should be the one apologizing for making you come all this way."
Fu Qian remained just as friendly, smiling as he gestured for Chen Ping to sit and chat, then fetched another cup and poured him some tea.
Since when had this guy become so polite?
Yuan Shan stared at him for a moment, especially considering how he'd treated her in the past.
This time, the invitation to sit wasn't just for show. There really was a chair for guests.
He'd gone upstairs to get it just before Chen Ping arrived.
And when she thought back to how, back then, he and Su Gao had each sat reading across from one another while she'd been forced to stand and talk, she couldn't help marveling at the unfairness of the world.
Still, Fu Qian did have some decency. At least, for the best, he didn't look like he