"Erya, don't be rude," Xia Qingtian said, seeing Erya staring intently at Madame Camille and Amiya. "Haven't you ever seen a beautiful foreign lady before?"
"We don't have any in our village..." Erya replied, looking at Xia Qingtian.
"Then you haven't seen any since coming to Z City?" Xia Qingtian asked. "Don't they have exchange students at Z University?"
"None as good-looking as them," Erya said, looking at Madame Camille again. "They look like people in Western paintings, just a little too many clothes..."
She remembered seeing people in Western paintings before, and they were only covered with a piece of white cloth.
"You're getting more and more outrageous," Aunt Liu said helplessly. "Look at the sweat on your head."
"Sweat?" Erya finally snapped back to reality, remembering her original purpose. She immediately puffed out her cheeks and looked at Xia Qingtian, saying, "I'm here to settle the score with you!"
"Wipe your sweat first," Xia Qingtian said, handing Erya her white handkerchief. "Go back to your room, take a shower, and there's peach sorbet and Aunt Liu's strawberry mousse cake in the fridge. We can eat them together when you get back, okay?"
"Peach sorbet and strawberry mousse cake?" Hearing the two desserts Xia Qingtian mentioned, Erya felt a fruity aroma fill her throat. She immediately swallowed and said, "Then you must wait for me to come back!"
"Don't worry," Aunt Liu said with a smile. "Remember to change into that mint-colored dress I bought you after your shower."
"Got it!" Erya said, and then she ran upstairs as energetically as before.
After Erya left, Aunt Liu and Xia Qingtian exchanged a helpless smile.
"My friend said she's never seen such an elegant and beautiful foreign beauty as Madame Camille before," Xia Qingtian turned to Madame Camille and said. "I hope you don't mind her rudeness."
"Not at all, it's our rudeness to disturb you unannounced," Madame Camille said with a light laugh. "We actually wanted to give you a surprise."
"Yes, I've been studying Oriental social customs recently and discovered that Orientals love surprises very much, so I wanted to create one for you," Amiya's smile was somewhat shy and reserved. "I asked Madame Camille to cooperate with me, but I didn't expect..."
Amiya was also a little embarrassed. Ever since she learned that Xia Qingtian possessed mysterious Oriental powers, she had become fascinated with the distant and enchanting East.
She had self-studied many things about the East, but she hadn't expected things to backfire.
"Not at all, I'm truly happy you could come. This is a very successful surprise!" Xia Qingtian said with a light smile.
Aunt Liu looked at Xia Qingtian with a faint smile, then glanced at Madame Camille.
Seeing this, Xia Qingtian translated for Aunt Liu again. Aunt Liu immediately nodded to express her welcome, and Xia Qingtian translated back.
They continued to communicate like this until Erya returned. Xia Qingtian, acting as a translator for both sides, switched between languages with ease.
Before long, Erya came running down the stairs.
Hearing her footsteps, Aunt Liu got up to prepare the peach sorbet and strawberry mousse cake.
"Slow down! Can't you be more ladylike?" Xia Qingtian said speechlessly. "After all this time, you still haven't learned from my Qingyu!"
"I know! I know your Qingyu is the most amazing!" Erya had heard this so many times her ears were almost calloused. She curiously sized up Madame Camille and Amiya, who were sitting opposite her.
"Your eyes are very beautiful, lively and pretty, like jewels," Madame Camille immediately noticed Erya's large, round eyes and couldn't help but praise them.
She hadn't seen such beautiful eyes in a long time.
"Erya, Madame Camille is saying..." Xia Qingtian was about to translate when she saw Erya wave her hand.
"I understand," Erya then proceeded to converse fluently with Madame Camille and Amiya, much to Xia Qingtian's surprise.
As Aunt Liu served the desserts and peach sorbet, Xia Qingtian looked at Erya and quietly asked, "Haven't you met foreigners before? How did you learn French? And so perfectly."
"My master taught me. Master said having many skills is never a burden," Erya said, scooping a spoonful of sorbet directly into her mouth. The coldness made her eyes narrow slightly, and then she smiled happily. Only after the sorbet melted in her mouth and slid down her throat did Erya continue, "I know many languages, even some very obscure ones. About... ten or so."
"So many?" Xia Qingtian was a little surprised.
"Yes, my third brother said that learning one more language gives you one more option when you need to run away," Erya nodded. "I really agree with what my third brother said."
"Hmm..." Xia Qingtian's speculation about the never-met Di San deepened. What kind of job did this Di San do? And why would he need to run away?
While Xia Qingtian and Erya were talking, Aunt Liu personally served the desserts and sorbet to Madame Camille and Amiya.
Madame Camille thanked her politely, "Thank you, madam."
"You're welcome," Aunt Liu replied subconsciously in French. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she paused slightly and immediately turned to look at Xia Qingtian.
Seeing that Xia Qingtian was still chatting with Erya and hadn't noticed, she breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Madame Camille and Amiya beside her were also taken aback, but they said nothing. They simply pretended nothing had happened, continued chatting and laughing with Xia Qingtian, and left the Xia residence after dinner.
Xia Qingtian walked them to the door. Hearing Madame Camille and Amiya thank her for the evening's hospitality, Xia Qingtian smiled and said, "Feel free to contact me anytime you're not busy these next two days. I'll accompany you around Z City and be a good host."
"This time it was mainly Madame Camille doing the design, and I was just here as her special assistant and apprentice. Also, the client this time gave us plenty of time, so we're not busy," Amiya said with a smile. "When Madame Camille isn't paying attention, I'll sneak out to find you."
"Sounds good," Xia Qingtian replied with a smile.
"You two make me jealous," Madame Camille chuckled, looking at Xia Qingtian again. "I feel you've become even more radiant and charming than when you were at Camille Manor. You inspire me the moment I see you. If there's a chance, I'd like to create some more designs for you. We really have ample time this time. If possible, could we arrange a time to visit my place tomorrow afternoon so I can sketch you?"
"If that's the case, I have something I'd like to ask of you," Xia Qingtian said as if remembering something.
"Alright, we'll talk about it tomorrow then," Madame Camille said with a light laugh, her gaze following behind Xia Qingtian to where Aunt Liu stood watching her from a distance.