A howling snowstorm raged outside.
Warmth filled the house.
Goblets clinked, cups passed from hand to hand.
If Wu Xian and Qin Li had both been there, they would have recognized that everyone present belonged either to the Tianhai Noble Family or to Wu Xian's trusted inner circle. At a glance, there were more than twenty of them. They enjoyed the delicacies Xu Xie had arranged, while strings and pipes accompanied the dancers' graceful movements.
They seemed immersed in the festivities, but their minds were elsewhere.
When the song ended, the dancers and musicians bowed and withdrew.
The man seated closest to Xu Xie was the first to lose patience. Grabbing a random topic as an opening, he steered the conversation toward what they really wanted to discuss.
"When it comes to enjoying life in all of Tianhai, no one beats Literary Scholar Wen."
Xu Xie, too, was distracted.
At that, he said, "What makes you say that?"
The man smiled. "Who doesn't know that Literary Scholar Wen keeps the finest dancers? Unless it's a special occasion, he keeps them hidden away and won't let anyone see them. Now that I've seen them, I can say they're even more enchanting than the rumors."
Xu Xie was rather displeased. Pretending to be a little tipsy, he propped his cheek on his knuckles and turned his eyes toward the speaker.
He said coolly, "What's this? Have you taken a liking to one?"
The man knew how to read the room.
Hearing the displeasure in Xu Xie's words, he hurriedly waved his hands. "Ha ha, that's not what I meant. A gentleman doesn't take what another likes."
The others present quietly sipped their tea and wine.
Of all the things he could have said, he had to bring that up.
It was common