After An Xiaoni finished tidying up, she saw Quan Ying and Fu Jingzhi still talking. She stood aside obediently, waiting for further instructions. Every now and then, Quan Ying’s gaze would drift toward the tea set on the table, a look in his eyes that was hard to define. Having served him for so many years, Fu Jingzhi knew exactly what that look meant. He turned his head toward An Xiaoni, who was standing nearby, and said in a clear voice, "Xiaoni, come over and make some tea."
"Oh, right away!" An Xiaoni replied brightly. She had just lifted her foot to head over when Quan Ying’s frigid voice cut through the air: "No tea. Move along."
The coldness in his voice, like shards of ice, froze An Xiaoni in her tracks. Her face flushed a deep red, and in her overwhelming embarrassment, she stammered, "Oh, I’ll go tidy up the courtyard first."
Chapter 29