Pretending to know

Tang Fangjing came back to her senses. She hurriedly composed herself, and her expression gradually returned to normal.

"I'm fine."

"Xia Xia, seeing you and my Brother Heng getting along so well now makes me so happy for you both."

Xia Zhi smiled. "That's why I have to thank you properly. Without you, your brother and I wouldn't be getting along this well."

Tang Fangjing forced a smile. "You two were meant to be."

She seethed inwardly. She had never imagined that even "fate" could be forced. She had clearly met Brother Heng first. They had grown up together, and she had had countless opportunities.

She regretted always acting so reserved before instead of taking the initiative.

Xia Zhi still held Tang Fangjing's arm cheerfully. "Tangtang, it's your birthday today. Your brother and I wish you a happy birthday."

She pointed to the box the girl behind her was holding.

"This is the present your brother asked me to pick out for you. You're sure to like it."

Only upon hearing that Brother Heng had asked Xia Zhi to choose it did Tang Fangjing's mood improve a little. She was looking forward to it, too.

"What is it?"

Xia Zhi signaled to the girl. "Open it."

The girl placed the box on the card table beside the main table and carefully unwrapped it, layer by layer.

Everyone widened their eyes and craned their necks, thinking there must be some extraordinary treasure inside. After all, Second Young Master Lu now headed the Lu Family. With his current wealth, his gift was bound to be expensive.

But when the gift was revealed, everyone was stunned.

A tea set?

Cups-a set of tragedies?

Green tea?

That was it?

And the tea set did not even look new.

Everyone immediately began murmuring.

Xia Zhi studied Tang Fangjing's expression. It certainly went through a colorful range of changes. If circumstances had allowed, she really would have liked to photograph it.

Tang Fangjing was so furious that her vision darkened and blood rushed to her head.

What did this little bitch mean?

Was she calling her a fake, innocent little bitch?

Wishing tragedy on her?

Bitch, bitch!

She wanted to tear that little bitch Xia Zhi apart!

Sure enough, Zhao Qingqing sneered, voicing Tang Fangjing's thoughts. "Well, Xia Zhi, what an original gift. A tea set? Are you mocking Tangtang for acting like a scheming little innocent?"

Xia Zhi almost applauded Zhao Qingqing when she heard that. What a perfect interpretation.

"Zhao Qingqing, how could you say that about Tangtang?"

"Tangtang is good-natured and well-liked. That's nothing like being a fake, innocent bitch. You shouldn't say such nasty things."

With Xia Zhi turning the tables on her, Zhao Qingqing's eyes went round with anger.

"Xia Zhi, you really know how to play the victim first! You're the one giving her a tea set, and you're the one calling Tangtang a fake, innocent bitch. How has this somehow become my fault?"

Xia Zhi said, "Weren't you the one who said she was 'acting like a scheming little innocent'?"

"They say someone with Buddha in their heart sees Buddha everywhere, while someone with shit in their heart sees shit everywhere."

"They must mean people like you, right?"

Zhao Qingqing stamped her feet in fury. "You-"

Since when had Xia Zhi become so sharp-tongued? Before, she had only ever howled in anger. Now she could actually insult people?

The others, however, were not surprised. Those two always fought whenever they met.

Looking as though she could not be bothered with Zhao Qingqing, Xia Zhi turned to Tang Fangjing with a beaming smile.

"Tangtang, do you like it?"

"I searched for ages before I managed to buy it. I practically ran my legs off."

Tang Fangjing felt as though a stone was lodged in her throat. "Does Brother Heng... know?"

Her aggrieved, wounded little expression made it seem as though Xia Zhi had given her arsenic or deadly poison rather than a valuable tea set.

Xia Zhi said, "Of course. I discussed it with him before buying it. He thought I had excellent taste."

"D-did he?"

Tang Fangjing's face grew even paler.

Zhao Qingqing added fuel to the fire from the sidelines. "Xia Zhi, look, you've practically made Tangtang cry. Who ruins someone's party like this? She kindly invited you to her birthday banquet, and you give her some lousy tea set."

Xia Zhi countered, "What did you give her?"

Zhao Qingqing proudly produced a pale yellow dress. "Look. It's from DC's new summer collection this year."

Xia Zhi laughed disdainfully. "How tacky. It's just a lousy dress. Mine is a work of art."

"Besides, that color doesn't suit Tangtang. Her complexion is on the darker side, and pale yellow will only make her look darker. Are you deliberately trying to disgust her? You dress yourself respectably but make Tangtang look ridiculous."

Zhao Qingqing's face turned livid. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Tang Fangjing's expression also grew somewhat unnatural. She was probably thinking of how she had toyed with Xia Zhi before.

In particular, Xia Zhi's face full of exaggerated makeup had indeed looked utterly ridiculous.

Xia Zhi could not be bothered to keep arguing with Zhao Qingqing. All she could do was stamp her feet and howl in anger, which was really no fun. So Xia Zhi turned her sights back on Tang Fangjing.

"Tangtang, Aheng said you like brewing and drinking tea, but judging by your expression, you don't seem to like this very much."

"Is the style I chose not to your taste?"

"If you don't like it, I can exchange it. I still have the receipt and everything."

Afraid Xia Zhi would bring back all sorts of other tea sets to aggravate her, Tang Fangjing quickly put on a smile. "How could I possibly dislike something you picked out, Xia Xia?"

She said she liked it, but anyone with eyes could see she did not mean it.

Only Xia Zhi seemed unable to hear the unspoken meaning. "I knew you weren't like those vulgar people, Tangtang. This tea set is an antique. Empress Huìrén of the Jin dynasty used it."

Tang Fangjing felt even more disgusted. Someone else had even used it.

Studying Tang Fangjing's expression, as though she had swallowed shit, Xia Zhi felt delighted.

[Calling Little Sponge. Open Du Niang and let me show off.]

Little Sponge covered their mouth and giggled. [You got it, dear host.]

Soon, a passage about tea automatically appeared in Xia Zhi's mind. She casually picked out two sections to show off on the spot.

"Tea culture has a long history in our country. It includes the way of tea, tea ethics, the spirit of tea, tea couplets, books on tea, tea utensils, tea manuals, the art of tea, and so on. I'm sure someone who loves tea as much as you do must know more than I do, Tangtang."

Tang Fangjing pretended to know. "There are indeed a great many intricacies."

Xia Zhi sneered inwardly. "I remember a gentleman known as the Sage of Tea once said there were nine difficulties in tea: first, making it; second, discerning it; third, utensils; fourth, fire; fifth, water; sixth, roasting; seventh, grinding; eighth, boiling."

"What was the ninth again?"

"Tangtang, you're an expert in the art of tea. You must have heard of this, right?"

Show your true colors, you little fake-innocent tea spirit.

Tang Fangjing's face flushed slightly. How would she know any of this?

"I... can't remember just now."

Xia Zhi suddenly seemed to remember. "Oh, right, it's having a drink."

"After boiling it, don't you have a drink? Ninth, having a drink."

Tang Fangjing hastily agreed. "Yes, yes, I remember now. It's having a drink."

Xia Zhi abruptly slapped her forehead. "No, that's wrong. Why would the ancients use such a crude expression as 'having a drink'? It should be 'imbibing.'"

Tang Fangjing was speechless.

This little bitch kept going back and forth. Was she deliberately trying to make a fool of her?

Yet Xia Zhi was still sighing away. "Tea culture really is so particular. A crude person like me simply can't appreciate it. Our Tangtang is the sophisticated one, enjoying such an elegant art."

Tang Fangjing could not shake the feeling that Xia Zhi's words were slapping her across the face, again and again. Her face turned green with anger.