Chapter 946: Drumbeats and Noise
A special set of Jie Dezhen’s blue and purple clay tea set was laid on the table, complete with teapot, teacups, and other tea utensils.
According to the short-haired woman’s request, three types of top Da Hong Pao were prepared for her.
She looked at the tea set in various sizes in front of her, utterly bewildered.
What’s with all these big and small cups? Do people from the Celestial Dragon Continent really need such a hassle just to drink tea?
And those dried leaves, can they really be divided into so many kinds?
Faced with these things, she thought it would be more straightforward to lay knives and guns in front of her.
Lin Tian’s lips curved slightly; he rather enjoyed seeing a beauty with such a troubled expression.
"Since we’re making friends over tea, shouldn’t we at least introduce ourselves first? I guess I don’t need to introduce myself; I bet there are several versions of my dossier on your desk, and you probably know me better than I know myself."
"Nan Qiu." The short-haired woman said tersely; she really wasn’t keen on dealing with this annoying guy sitting in front of her.
"Nan Qiu? That’s quite a poetic name, like our Celestial Dragon Continent people." Lin Tian said with a smile.
Nan Qiu lowered her gaze, mumbling as if to herself: "It’s just a codename; I can’t even remember my original name."
As a soldier, she had her true character, but she would never so easily reveal it to Lin Tian. It was just a spur of the moment thing.
Lin Tian’s sense was extremely sensitive, her words carried a trace of sadness, detected not from her tone but from her flickering eyes.
"This is a woman with a story," Lin Tian thought to himself.
Nan Qiu looked to Hua Dongxu, asking, "How do I brew this tea?"
She really didn’t want to talk to Lin Tian.
Hua Dongxu was seated elsewhere, appearing indifferent, "Well, you’d better ask Mr. Lin; I’m no expert."
Before Nan Qiu could ask, Lin Tian spoke first: "Light the fire. On your right, there’s a charcoal stove and a copper kettle. Once the fire is burning, place the kettle on top and wait for the water to boil."
"Do you Celestial Dragon Continent people have to go through such a hassle for tea? Even have to build a fire?" Nan Qiu complained impatiently.
Lin Tian didn’t answer but merely smiled.
Nan Qiu raised an eyebrow, "What are you laughing at?!"
"Nothing, it’s just that your accent is a bit funny. You can’t even speak Celestial Dragon Continent language properly, how can you question our national treasure? Don’t be mad, getting angry makes you age. Now, about tea, it’s not a hassle, it’s a way of life. ’Tea is nourished by water, contained in vessels, infused with fire, all interconnected and indispensable.’ To have good tea, one naturally needs good water. Good water needs the heat and roasting of the copper kettle, to complement each other. Boiling water with electricity lacks a certain vitality."
The more Nan Qiu listened, the more her eyebrows knitted because she couldn’t understand what this guy was talking about, luckily, she didn’t bother to listen, and started to build the fire with the materials.
As a Jin Guard bodyguard, wilderness survival was basic training, so starting a fire was nothing difficult, and she had it going quickly, placing the copper kettle on the stove.
Tap-tap-tap...
This was the sound of Lin Tian’s fingers gently tapping the table. Nan Qiu looked up slightly at the annoying guy in front of her, only to find him not causing trouble at the moment, rather, he appeared peaceful with eyes closed, as though solemnly devoted.
When this guy’s quiet, he’s not that annoying.
Tap-tap-tap...
In the large conference room, there were only the sounds of Lin Tian’s fingers lightly tapping the table, and the crackling of the wood in the fire, gradually, the copper kettle started to gurgle as well.
These three sounds intertwined together to form the most primitive rhythm, surprisingly pleasing to the ear.
Hua Dongxu, for some unknown reason, also closed his eyes; this kind of enjoyment bore some resemblance to being in the National Opera House.
The fire burned brighter, the water roared louder, and the tapping on the table grew more urgent.
Like beads from a broken curtain, like a furious rainstorm.
In that moment, Nan Qiu felt a heat in her abdomen, her inner strength became active, much like the water in the copper kettle about to boil.
The two resonated quickly.
"This..." she was slightly stunned for a moment, then immediately calmed her mind, feeling the tension of inner strength in her abdomen. It’s as if they unknowingly braided together into one strand, rampaging and charging through her body.
The meridians in her body had never endured such an impact, not only was there no pain, but it was also exceptionally comfortable.
Her strength improved significantly in just these short two minutes, advancing by leaps and bounds. Like a natural progression.
Sigh~
This heartfelt sense of comfort made her subconsciously moan softly, small enough that it made her cheeks blush slightly.
All this happened in just a few minutes, yet Nan Qiu gained a lot from it. She began to seriously look at Lin Tian, feelings mixed in her heart, aware that if not for this Celestial Dragon Continent man, her strength wouldn’t have progressed so quickly.
Why did he help me?
This question suddenly popped into Nan Qiu’s mind.
Though appreciative, she raised her guard again.
If not for her diligence in staying alert, she might not be alive today.
Lin Tian placed his hand flat on the table, calmly saying, "The water’s boiled."
"Ah?" Nan Qiu, still immersed in her change in strength, failed to respond in time.
"First rinse the tea set, this is called warming the cup. Then start brewing tea," Lin Tian smiled slightly.
Looking at his smiling face, Nan Qiu found it a bit annoying again, completely different from the one who tapped in tune just moments ago.
However, Nan Qiu’s attitude towards Lin Tian softened slightly; after all, he just helped her quite a bit.
She warmed the tea set and followed Lin Tian’s steps: dropping the tea, pouring, skimming the foam, to pouring and serving the tea.
Nan Qiu had good perception, but her actions were still a bit awkward.
When a small cup of tea was placed in front of Lin Tian, a fragrance wafted up, somewhat reminiscent of the aroma of zongzi leaf.
Small, three-sip drink, the flavor was rich and not weak, making one’s mouth water.
"Mr. Lin," Nan Qiu asked softly, "the rhythm you were tapping just now, was it..."
"What rhythm?" Lin Tian looked at her blankly, as if he didn’t understand anything.
"The rhythm you were tapping out with your finger on the table just now," Nan Qiu said patiently.
Lin Tian still looked puzzled, shook his head, and said, "I was tapping randomly, what’s up? Was it nice? Should I tap some more?"
Tap-tap-tap...
His fingers tapped the table without a hint of rhythm; it sounded more like a woodpecker pecking a tree.
Not only was it not pleasant, it was practically noise!
Nan Qiu’s mind went blank listening, unable to stop her eyes from widening. This bastard, he must be doing it on purpose!
Seeing the beauty in front of him so exasperated, Lin Tian’s smile grew even wider, finally unable to suppress hearty laughter, prompting Nan Qiu to take a couple of deep breaths, her chest rising and falling, quite the captivating sight.