White walls, green bamboo, shadows shifting in the breeze.
Hua stood where she was, waiting quietly.
Xianyu's expression shifted slightly, his gaze settling on the bottle of wine in her hand.
This was the promise the Guardian had made with Hua before leaving.
He had said that if fate allowed, they would meet again.
Perhaps by then, Hua would be old enough to drink.
And so, she had come to keep their appointment.
After a brief standoff, Xianyu gave in first. He sighed deeply, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
Hua did not choose the seat beside the Guardian. She circled halfway around the table and sat opposite him.
The reason was simple. If she sat right beside the Guardian... she could knock him unconscious with a lift of her hand.
Then the Guardian would be on his guard against her the whole time!
Better to keep her distance and take things slowly.
Hua lowered her head and looked at the dishes laid out to accompany the wine, inwardly regretting the waste.
Teng Xiao had prepared the ingredients in advance, and a dedicated cook had made the dishes ahead of time.
Unfortunately, the Guardian probably would not touch his chopsticks.
Hua picked up the bottle, deliberately showing Xianyu its unopened, intact seal.
Then she slowly pulled out the cork with a corkscrew.
Xianyu merely watched her without reacting.
Hua glanced at the wineglass by Xianyu's hand.
Before, the Guardian would surely have handed her his glass.
He was guarding against her.
It seemed she would have to resort to special measures if necessary.
Such as appealing to the Guardian's emotions?
Hua smiled apologetically.
"I almost forgot."
"It's so dusty outside that the glasses have gotten dirty. We should rinse them with hot water."
Just then, a server arrived with