Chapter 199: Zhang Liyong

Chapter 199

Zhang Liyong

Liu Qiulian and Zhang Liyong came out to welcome the Lady Boss and Princess An Le. They noticed an unfamiliar handsome man accompanying them but, feeling it would be inappropriate to stare, quickly averted their gazes. After escorting the princess and Lady Boss to the reception room, Nie Shuang was the first to speak.

"We’ve come today on personal business with Miss Zhang. Manager Liu, you may go about your duties."

Hearing this, Liu Qiulian excused herself, leaving only Zhang Liyong sitting quietly with her head bowed.

"Miss Zhang, could you tell us about your life before being brought into the Hou Manor?"

Zhang Liyong, seeing that there was a man present, felt embarrassed. Seeing this, Nie Shuang reassured her.

"This is Manager Wang, who oversees the tea house in Huangjing. He is someone I trust; you needn’t worry."

Zhang Liyong acknowledged her words and began to speak.

"My childhood wasn’t worth mentioning. I was sold to a brothel at a young age. All I remember is growing up there, being forced to learn various arts. When I turned fifteen, people from the Hou Manor purchased both me and Manager Liu to become concubines of the General, as you already know."

"And your original family—do you remember anything about them?"

Nie Shuang asked.

"I was an orphan, sold when I was very young, so I don’t remember anything."

Nie Shuang glanced at Wang Dongpo, hoping he might reveal himself as her brother.

"I’ve heard that your tea-brewing skills are exceptional, and that you’ve even performed a tea ceremony in the presence of the Emperor. I heard this all the way in Huangjing, so I took the opportunity to visit while in the capital,"

Wang Dongpo said, gazing at Zhang Liyong with gentle eyes. An Le turned to look at her former confidant and exclaimed,

"Oh! Manager Wang! Why are you..."

Nie Shuang, seated beside her, quickly tugged on her sleeve and shook her head subtly, signaling her to stay quiet. Zhang Liyong, confused by everyone’s behavior, still couldn’t figure out what was going on, so she continued to bow her head respectfully.

"Thank you, Manager Wang, for the compliment. The rumors are surely exaggerated. I was simply fortunate the His Majesty came here, and having the chance to brew tea for His Majesty was a great honor."

"If you wouldn’t mind, could you prepare some tea for me to see your skills firsthand?"

Wang Dongpo asked. Zhang Liyong instructed the maid to bring a tea brewing set. After she prepared the tea for the three guests, she spoke softly,

"In truth, you didn’t come to see me brew tea, did you?"

"Miss Zhang, please don’t worry. The Lady Boss is merely wondering if you might be the person she’s been searching for. The world is vast; finding one person is no easy task."

With that, Wang Dongpo made an excuse to leave.

"Forgive me for disturbing you today, Miss Zhang. This is my first chance to visit this tea house, and I must say it is truly grand and beautiful. I think I’ll take a walk to see it all."

Zhang Liyong just had a chance to lift her head to look at him, but Wang Dongpo had already turned around and left. An Le glanced at Nie Shuang, puzzled, and Nie Shuang said,

"Miss Zhang, if you have any duties, feel free to attend to them. The princess and I will chat a bit longer."

Zhang Liyong bowed to the two women before leaving the room. Once they were alone, An Le blurted out,

"Sister Nie! I don’t understand! His sister was right in front of him, yet why didn’t Manager Wang tell her the truth?!"

Nie Shuang responded calmly,

"Perhaps Manager Wang doesn’t want his sister to feel pain. It’s been so long, and she has a good life now. If she were to remember her childhood, who knows how she might handle it? He may feel it’s better for her to forget such a tragic past."

The straightforward An Le disagreed.

"If I were Zhang Liyong, I’d want to face my past. If I found out I still had a brother, I’d be so happy."

"This is a decision for Manager Wang to make. We shouldn’t interfere, Your Highness."

Meanwhile, after leaving the room, Zhang Liyong began searching for Manager Wang. When she was with the princess and the Lady Boss earlier, she hadn’t dared to look at him directly. She didn’t know what the real reason was that they had to call her in to question, but she couldn’t believe his earlier excuse, and something about it seemed connected to him.

"Have you seen Manager Wang?"

She asked a passing maid. The tea house was busy, and the maid, unfamiliar with who Manager Wang was, hadn’t noticed him. Zhang Liyong glanced toward the front entrance and saw the tall man in a blue robe walking away. She quickly ran after him.

"Manager Wang! Manager Wang, please wait!"

She was sure he had heard her, but he didn’t stop or even turn around. He kept walking. The tea house was located on the princess’s estate, far from the bustling commerce district. If he were leaving, surely he’d need a carriage, yet it seemed as though he intended to walk to the city.

Catching up to him, Zhang Liyong grabbed his sleeve.

"Manager...Wang..."

She spoke between breaths, her hand gripping his sleeve tightly.

"What business do you have with me?"

Wang Dongpo’s voice was flat, and he didn’t even turn to face her. Zhang Liyong stepped in front of him, but he averted his gaze. Even just seeing the side of his face left Zhang Liyong stunned and speechless.

He was a handsome man, but wasn’t his face strikingly similar to her own? She could barely believe her eyes. Suddenly, everything clicked into place.

"Who...who are you? What do you have to do with me?"

As soon as she spoke, tears began to flow. Zhang Liyong couldn’t quite describe how she felt. She had always been alone, but now she had family—someone who had been searching for her—even though she didn’t understand why he had stopped halfway.

Seeing his sister cry, Wang Dongpo felt heartbroken and immediately tried to comfort her.

"Miss Zhang, please don’t cry. It doesn’t matter who I am. What matters is that you’re happy now."

"Are you my brother? Why...why did you change your mind and not want me?"

Zhang Liyong asked through sobs.

"A’You...how could your brother not want you? I just didn’t want you to suffer. What happened to our family is too tragic, and I didn’t want you to remember."

Wang Dongpo finally turned to look at his sister, his eyes filled with affection. His tone warmed her heart, yet she couldn’t remember him at all.

"I grew up in a brothel, all alone, thinking I had no one left. Each day, I was terrified I’d be sold off to someone. What could be more tragic than that?"

She replied, her voice tinged with bitterness. Hearing this, Wang Dongpo felt regret. After finally finding her, why had he left her to face the world alone once again?"It was my fault. I shouldn’t have kept the truth from you. Let’s return to the tea house, and I’ll tell you about our family. Even if you don’t remember me, it doesn’t matter. You’ll always be my sister, and that will never change, A’You."