Chapter 35
"Qin Wanshu, what kind of tea do you like to drink?" Zuo Qinghuan asked Qin Wanshu as they shopped together.
"There's a saying: green tea in summer, black tea in winter, and oolong tea all year round. Green tea is unfermented, bitter, and cold-natured, not suitable for women. Black tea is fully fermented, sweet, and warm-natured, which can easily cause excess heat in the body during summer. Oolong tea is semi-fermented, falling between the two—it's neither too hot nor too cold, and helps cool the body, relieve heat, and restore fluids." Qin Wanshu explained the nature of different teas seriously to Zuo Qinghuan, clearly showing how much she cared about health.
"You pick the tea set, I don't know anything about these things," Zuo Qinghuan said, feeling overwhelmed by the variety of tea sets.
Qin Wanshu seemed quite interested in the various tea cups and trays. After browsing for a long time, she carefully selected a set of exquisite purple clay teapots. Many purple clay teapots on the market are fake, but Zuo Qinghuan knew she had brought the right person along. Qin Wanshu, being an expert in antique appraisal, had a sharp eye that could easily spot a fake.
When Zuo Qinghuan went to pay, she was nearly speechless—a teapot and six cups cost nearly ten thousand yuan. She stole a glance at the unbothered Qin Wanshu next to her, silently marveling at how things like taste and elegance clearly required money to cultivate.
In fact, Qin Wanshu had already considered Zuo Qinghuan's financial situation. Anything cheaper would be of poor quality and useless, while anything better would be even more expensive and unsuitable for her. So, Qin Wanshu had chosen a reasonably priced yet decent-quality authentic Yixing purple clay teapot.
Zuo Qinghuan thought to herself, it's a pity she wasn't using a rich man's card, but her own savings. Ever since she opened her coffee shop, her savings had significantly dwindled, and now she felt a bit of pain at the expense. She had thought a teapot and cups for a few hundred yuan would be good enough, never expecting them to be so expensive.
"Are you Zuo Qinghuan?" Suddenly, a woman appeared in front of Zuo Qinghuan, unsure of herself. She had been following Zuo Qinghuan and Qin Wanshu for a while but was uncertain because Zuo Qinghuan had changed so much. Finally, unable to hold back, she came forward to ask.
"You've got the wrong person," Zuo Qinghuan said coldly. She hadn't expected anyone to recognize her.
"Your voice is the same—you must be Zuo Qinghuan!" The woman, initially unsure, was convinced after hearing Zuo Qinghuan speak.
Qin Wanshu quietly observed the situation. It was clear that the woman knew Zuo Qinghuan, but Zuo Qinghuan had no intention of acknowledging her.
"You've got the wrong person." Zuo Qinghuan grabbed Qin Wanshu and walked away. She had thought she had already left her past behind, believing no one would recognize her now.
The woman didn't give up, only stopping when Zuo Qinghuan and Qin Wanshu got into their car and drove away.
Zuo Qinghuan stole a glance at Qin Wanshu, who had been driving silently. As a woman, Qin Wanshu seemed to have no curiosity. Most people would have asked about what had just happened.
"Why didn't you ask what that was all about?" Zuo Qinghuan couldn't help but ask.
"Everyone has secrets; that's normal, isn't it? If you want to tell me, you will," Qin Wanshu replied calmly. She had already thoroughly investigated Zuo Qinghuan's background, so she wasn't particularly curious.
"You're really considerate." Zuo Qinghuan felt complicated emotions. She was relieved Qin Wanshu hadn't pressed her about her past, but she also felt a bit disappointed. It reminded her that she was still insignificant to Qin Wanshu—if someone really cared, they'd be at least a little curious about what was happening in her life.
"If you don't want to be recognized, you should change your name too," Qin Wanshu remarked about the earlier incident.
"She left me only this name and this face, which aren't too bad..." Zuo Qinghuan smiled lightly, her smile tinged with sarcasm.
"I don't look anything like her. She's the same type as Li Xin—charming and seductive—but far inferior to her. She's vulgar, while Li Xin's allure is more enchanting. When I was young, I wished I wasn't her real daughter. You don't know this, but in most families, when children ask their parents where they came from, parents say they were found by the roadside. I really wish that were true—I wish I'd been adopted by her…" If that were the case, maybe I wouldn't hate her so much. The funniest part is, I worked so hard to change my destiny, only to discover in the end that I'm not so different from her after all.
Qin Wanshu said nothing, just quietly drove. She realized Zuo Qinghuan had probably never spoken about these things to anyone else, and she was a little surprised that Zuo Qinghuan would share her past with her. She knew Zuo Qinghuan's past wasn't as simple as she made it sound. One thing she admired about Zuo Qinghuan was her intelligence and determination. Zuo Qinghuan had a resilience similar to Yan Ruoshan, but Zuo Qinghuan was more worldly, more adept at reading people and navigating social situations, while still retaining a pure heart underneath it all.
"Can't let go of the past?" Qin Wanshu suddenly asked. Everyone has things they can't let go of, but letting such obsessions dictate one's life isn't wise.
Zuo Qinghuan looked at Qin Wanshu in surprise. Let go? She wished she could forget her past—how could she not let it go?
"Was there ever something you desperately wanted but couldn't have?" Qin Wanshu asked. Most things we can't let go of stem from unfulfilled desires.
"There was, but I don't need it anymore. Let's not talk about these depressing things. Let's go home and try out the new tea set," Zuo Qinghuan said, changing the subject. Maybe the things she wanted could be found with Qin Wanshu.
"Okay," Qin Wanshu nodded. She didn't like seeing Zuo Qinghuan down. She preferred the version of Zuo Qinghuan always scheming, twisting right from wrong, but full of resilience.
"Sister Qi, guess who I ran into today?" Du Xiaoli excitedly asked Wang Qi. She knew Sister Qi had been looking for Zuo Qinghuan for a long time.
"Who?" Wang Qi asked lazily, stroking the Persian cat in her arms.
"Zuo Qinghuan! It was really her. She's changed so much I didn't even recognize her at first. She was bare-faced and looked so pure—completely different from how she used to wear heavy makeup," Du Xiaoli said quickly.
"Was it really her? Where is she?" Wang Qi stood up involuntarily, her tone becoming agitated. She had been searching for Zuo Qinghuan for a long time, almost ready to forget about her when she reappeared. That woman who had initially been so annoying, who later pretended to be a kind-hearted sister, had suddenly disappeared without a word. Wang Qi was full of rage toward Zuo Qinghuan.
"She pretended not to know me, but I'm sure it was her. She was with a very classy, good-looking, and wealthy woman. Oh, and I got their license plate number," Du Xiaoli said, eager to please.
Seven years ago, both she and Zuo Qinghuan were seventeen. Back then, neither Wang Qi nor Zuo Qinghuan were the people they are today.
When they were thirteen, Wang Qi and Zuo Qinghuan were in the same class. In Zuo Qinghuan's words, Wang Qi was a brainless, neurotic girl obsessed with everything pink, dressing herself like she thought she was cute, but in reality, she was just stupid. Out of fifty classmates, she always ranked below forty-five in exams. To Zuo Qinghuan, she was nothing but a fool. But because her family had some connections to the underworld, both the classmates and teachers were afraid of her. She always had a group of girls trailing behind her and would pick on Zuo Qinghuan for no reason.
Wang Qi didn't like Zuo Qinghuan either. When none of the other girls wore makeup to school, Zuo Qinghuan would, and she was different from everyone else. The worst part was, the boys Wang Qi liked were always attracted to Zuo Qinghuan. So, Wang Qi used her power to bully Zuo Qinghuan for three years. It wasn't until much later that Wang Qi realized her feelings toward Zuo Qinghuan had changed. Just when she started being kind to her, Zuo Qinghuan disappeared. After that, a series of brutal events shook Wang Qi's family, causing her to change overnight. Wang Qi was no longer the same person she used to be.
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