"Zhiqing, give it a try and see how it tastes." Old Master Lu said with a smile, showing no regret over the preciousness of the Qingxin Bamboo Tea.
Bai Zhiqing did not refuse, she nodded gently, picked up the teacup, and took a sip. Her eyes imdiately showed a hint of surprise, and she subconsciously took another sip. The peculiar look in her eyes grew stronger. The tea appeared scalding hot, but when she drank it, a coolness spread instantly throughout her body, making her feel as if every cell was revived by the coolness, filling her with energy, removing any fatigue. It was as if she had gone from seventy or eighty years old back to twenty, feeling full of vitality and endless energy. A faint bamboo fragrance lingered between her lips and teeth, lasting for a long ti.
"How is it, Zhiqing, isn’t this tea great?" Old Master Lu asked with a smile, looking at Bai Zhiqing.
Hearing Old Master Lu’s words, Bai Zhiqing exhaled slowly and praised, "Such good tea, I didn’t expect it to really have a refreshing sensation. And though it seems scalding hot, when you drink it, you don’t feel any heat. Instead, you feel a cool sensation, and it leaves a lingering fragrance in your mouth. It’s truly magical. I’ve never seen such a magical tea before. This tea truly lives up to its reputation."
"Of course, this Qingxin Bamboo Tea was sothing I worked hard to snatch from that old fellow Ji Xingyun. That old guy treated it like a treasure, so it must be extraordinary." Old Master Lu said proudly.
"Is that so? This tea is just like that; isn’t it just mint candy with a tea leaf flavor? Nothing special."
Just at this mont, a voice intruded, ruining the mont. The smile on Old Master Lu’s face froze.
Bai Zhiqing, on the other hand, looked at Lu Tianxing, bewildered at his casual drinking of the tea as if it were plain water. Now she finally understood why Old Master Lu didn’t make tea for Lu Tianxing last ti. Old Master Lu was not wrong; making tea for Lu Tianxing was indeed a waste. This top-notch tea, to him, turned into mint candy with a tea leaf flavor. How could he even say that without fear of getting beaten?
"What? Why are you looking at like that? Did I say sothing wrong? The taste is just average. Even when I eat mint candy, I feel refreshed." Lu Tianxing said, seeing Bai Zhiqing and Old Master Lu staring at him, taking another sip with a smirk.
"You... shut up."
Old Master Lu was so exasperated by Lu Tianxing’s words that he almost spat out his tea, his finger trembling as he pointed at Lu Tianxing, wishing he could slap his face. He knew it was a colossal mistake to make tea for Lu Tianxing. Making tea for this brat was like casting pearls before swine.
Seeing Old Master Lu’s expression, Lu Tianxing shrank his neck and chuckled awkwardly, "Hey, Grandpa, calm down, calm down. I really don’t know how to appreciate tea, but Zhiqing does. How about when we leave later, you give us ten or eight pounds?"
"Ten or eight pounds."
Upon hearing this, Old Master Lu almost spat out the tea in his mouth, his mustache twitching in anger. He snapped, "Get out, get out, as far as you can. Ten or eight pounds, do you think this is the vegetable market? Do you even know the annual production of this Qingxin Bamboo Tea? Ten or eight pounds, you won’t even get that much in ten years."
Though Old Master Lu scolded Lu Tianxing unreservedly, there was no anger on his face. Instead, it bore a cheerful smile. In the Lu Family, no one dared talk to him so unrestrainedly, no one simply regarded him as a family mber rather than the Head of the Lu Family. He felt no familial affection with other Lu Family mbers, not even with Lu Haoyue and Lu Bowen. But now, he felt this family warmth with Lu Tianxing and Bai Zhiqing. In their eyes, he was just an old man, soone who needed care, not the high and mighty Head of the Lu Family.
Looking at Old Master Lu, Lu Tianxing grinned and said, "Grandpa, don’t be mad, I was just saying. But, grandpa, you see Zhiqing is busy with work every day, sotis she doesn’t even have ti to eat regularly, it’s not good for her health. Don’t you really plan to give your granddaughter-in-law so tea?"
Bai Zhiqing glared at Lu Tianxing after hearing his words, then turned to Old Master Lu and said, "Grandpa, don’t listen to Tianxing’s nonsense..."
Before Bai Zhiqing could finish, Old Master Lu interrupted with a smiling face, "It’s okay, it’s okay, Tianxing’s right. You are now the chairperson of Bai’s Group, and Bai’s Group has just rged with Dingtian Group and Jiang Feng Group, so businesses are bigger now. You have a lot to deal with every day, and you need good spirits for that. Wait a mont, I’ll go to my room and get so tea for you."
With that, Old Master Lu slowly got up.
Seeing this scene, Bai Zhiqing stood up and said, "Grandpa, I don’t want it. You should keep it for yourself!"
Old Master Lu smiled as he looked at Bai Zhiqing and said, "Zhiqing, it’s not a big deal. The old man loves to drink tea. I will just keep a little for myself; you can take the rest away. Anyway, leaving it here is of no use, and I doubt many people would dare to drink the tea I brew. Instead of wasting it here, it’s better to give it to you. After all, these bamboo leaves co every year. To , it’s not sothing valuable."
After finishing speaking, Old Master Lu sighed quietly. Keeping the tea leaves here was useless; even the Lu Family mbers who ca to see him would be trembling with fear, let alone sit here harmoniously with him for tea. After all, as the saying goes, a thousand cups of wine are too few with a close friend; the sa goes for tea. If you cannot find like-minded people, no matter how good the tea is, what use is it to drink it?
Signaling Bai Zhiqing to wait for him, Old Master Lu said nothing more and turned to walk into the room.
Bai Zhiqing watched Old Master Lu with a sowhat downcast expression and sighed quietly in her heart. She understood the aning behind Old Master Lu’s words: keeping the tea leaves with him was pointless because no one would co to him for tea, and no one could talk to him so casually and relaxed.
This is the sorrow of soone in power. As the forr head of the Lu Family, Old Master Lu, despite having unimaginable wealth and status, lost familial affection.
"Tianxing, Grandpa looks so lonely." Bai Zhiqing looked at the silhouette of Old Master Lu walking into the room and said softly.
"Lonely, yes, Grandpa is very lonely."
Hearing Bai Zhiqing’s words, Lu Tianxing slowly put the teacup he was holding back on the table, sighing quietly in his heart.
For an elderly man in his sixties, not desiring his children’s wealth to reach the heavens, but hoping for many descendants is enough. For most older people, this is a lifelong pursuit, the simplest pursuit. But for soone like Old Master Lu, who wields authority over the world, this supposedly simplest pursuit is the hardest to achieve.
Though the Lu Family is now prosperous, and Old Master Lu has many descendants, how many dare to speak freely in front of him? Let alone ask for things from him as casually as Lu Tianxing does. In the eyes of the other Lu Family mbers, what they have accumulated most from childhood is likely the awe of Old Master Lu’s authority in the family. When this mindset becos ingrained over ti, this view can never be changed.
Even knowing Old Master Lu is their kin, standing before him, they dare not act recklessly, scarcely daring to breathe, perhaps even trembling with fear over a joke from Old Master Lu. In that mont, what familial affection remains?
What is familial affection?
Familial affection is people being together, supporting each other, advancing and retreating together, chatting idly during free ti, boasting a little—this is the most direct embodint of familial affection. But when your kin stand before you, reverent as an ancient courtier before an emperor, then what familial affection is there to speak of!
Thus, Old Master Lu is lonely, extrely lonely. No one shares his laughter, no one chats with him, and no one jokingly angers him without any kind of agenda to let him loosen up. Since there is none of this, how can Old Master Lu not be lonely?
Although there’s an old saying, "The imperial family is most emotionless," is it true that the royal family is truly emotionless?
Apparently not; no one starts off as heartless and cold-blooded; they are forced by reality. When your loved ones sche to harm you, when outsiders seek your life, if you don’t wish to die, you must learn to be cold-blooded and unfeeling. Only then can you live longer.
Humans aren’t inherently unfeeling, but reality compels them to be. If you are not unfeeling, your only end is a path to death; this is the imperial family.
Upon hearing Lu Tianxing’s words, Bai Zhiqing also sighed softly within. Everyone pursued the lofty dreams of resting on a beauty’s lap, with the power to control the world when awake, constantly chasing power in the pursuit to rise above others. However, when you finally hold all of this in your hands, when you look back on your life, you’ll find you’ve lost too much, too many things, leaving behind too many regrets.
Your descendants dare not show you a smile. In front of you, they are always full of reverence and fear. At this mont, even though you might have vast wealth and power, what remains in your heart is likely only sorrow, not satisfaction or contentnt.
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