Although Shen Yao and Shen Huaijin’s voices were not loud, Luo Yunping still managed to catch most of their conversation.
He thought the siblings truly had a good relationship, as it was rare to see such close bonds between brothers and sisters among the children of wealthy families.
After chatting with Shen Huaijin for a while, Shen Yao stood up, picked up the still-warm teapot from the table, and began to brew tea.
This tea set was taken out by Shen Yao from her space. It was a very exquisite Zijing Sha teapot, and the tea leaves were also from her space—the same ones she had given to her father.
As soon as the hot water was poured, a fragrant aroma of tea wafted out, with a hint of citrus.
Shen Yao’s hands moved swiftly. Brewing, rinsing, steeping—all the steps were performed with practiced ease. As a typical southerner, tea brewing was a fundamental skill.
Shen Yao quickly finished brewing the tea and then poured a cup for Luo Yunping and one for the young boy.
Shen Yao picked up the lid of the teacup, opened it, and brought it close to her nose to inhale the aroma. This was Shen Yao’s favorite part of drinking tea; the tea fragrance would settle on the lid, making it smell exceptionally good. (Hehe, a quick aside here, Da Hong Pao smells the best. I love its aroma. You guys should try it!)
“Thank you.”
Luo Yunping took the teacup and placed another one in front of the young boy. He didn’t really expect the boy to drink it.
Then, he picked up his own cup and, like Shen Yao, sniffed it.
When Luo Yunping caught the scent, his eyes lit up. He then lifted the cup and took a sip. The pure tea fragrance filled his mouth, and even his breath carried the scent of tea.
Only then did he truly understand why people were so fond of tea tasting.
As a rough man from the Northeast, he usually just put a handful of tea leaves in his thermos and poured hot water over them.
The young boy, seeing everyone lost in their appreciation, subtly moved his hand but never reached for the cup.
This incredibly subtle movement was noticed by Luo Yunping, who was still savoring the tea.
“Xiao Jun, would you like to try?”
Without waiting for the boy’s reply, Luo Yunping slowly brought the teacup closer, gently swirling it near the boy’s nose.
The hot vapor, carrying the fragrance, entered the boy’s nostrils. His nose twitched slightly before returning to stillness.
Luo Yunping quickly put the lid back on and brought the teacup to the boy’s lips. What happened next almost made Luo Yunping, a tough man, burst into tears.
“Xiao Jun, you… you drank something on your own!”
Luo Yunping’s voice was filled with excitement. If he hadn’t been holding the teacup, he would have jumped for joy.
The boy, guided by the teacup, slowly drank the entire cup. When Luo Yunping took the cup away, the boy frowned.
The boy’s reaction was observed by both Shen Yao and Shen Huaijin, suggesting the boy might also be unwell.
Seeing such a young boy, Shen Huaijin felt a mix of emotions. “What’s wrong with him?”
Luo Yunping looked startled, and Shen Huaijin quickly realized his rudeness. “I’m sorry, I…”
“Oh, it’s nothing that can’t be said. When my young master was little, he went through something that almost killed him, so he developed autism. Recently, for reasons unknown, he has also developed anorexia. The doctors said that taking him out to various places and exposing him to people might help him improve.”
Luo Yunping, being a professional assistant, wouldn’t reveal everything. However, what he said wasn’t false, just not as detailed.
As for why he would share this with two strangers he had just met, he certainly had an ulterior motive: he wanted that tea.
He could tell the tea set was not cheap, and anyone who could casually offer it as hospitality was clearly not lacking money, so he didn’t have any designs on the tea set itself.
Shen Yao narrowed her eyes upon hearing this. The boy’s behavior did indeed resemble symptoms of autism, but she noticed something else: the boy clearly had a missing soul fragment, which caused his senses to be closed off.
However, Shen Yao was not one to meddle unnecessarily. She wouldn’t offer her help proactively, but if they asked her, she might consider it.
“My young master hasn’t voluntarily eaten anything for a long time. Although this is just a cup of tea, it’s a huge step forward. Therefore, I’d like to ask if you could sell me some of this tea, no matter the price.”
Luo Yunping spoke with deep sincerity, and both Shen Yao and Shen Huaijin could detect the concern in his voice.
“No need for money, it’s a gift.” Shen Yao handed the remaining packet of tea to Luo Yunping.
Luo Yunping took the tea but didn’t say anything about refusing it if they didn’t accept money. He could only say with a conflicted expression, “No money? How can that be!”
If they didn’t accept money, how would he have the nerve to sell them tea next time?
Shen Yao smiled and then took a yellow-skinned fruit with a thick peel from the plate, offering it to the boy. “This tastes good, would you like to try it?”
The young boy suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on Shen Yao. His lips moved, but no sound came out.
Luo Yunping stared at Shen Yao in shock, his eyes filled with scrutiny. He hadn’t expected a simple sentence from Shen Yao to elicit such a reaction from Xiao Jun!
But was it really just a simple sentence?
Of course not. Shen Yao’s words carried spiritual energy, akin to a telepathic message. Thus, Xiao Jun didn’t hear Shen Yao’s voice with his ears; the sound directly appeared in his mind.
“Try it, it tastes good.” After Shen Yao spoke, the boy reached out and took the yellow-skinned fruit.
The boy looked confused; this was something he had never seen before.
Shen Yao smiled. As expected, even though he lacked his senses, he reacted to things with spiritual energy. Shen Yao was now certain that the boy was missing soul fragments.
Shen Yao did all this to let Luo Yunping understand that she was capable and might even be able to help Xiao Jun. However, it would depend on whether Luo Yunping could seize this opportunity.
Although Shen Huaijin knew his sister was extraordinary, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe, which he very well concealed.
Luo Yunping didn’t know how to eat the yellow-skinned fruit, so Shen Yao peeled one and offered it to the chubby little boy. The boy ate it with great relish, even grinning foolishly.
Luo Yunping, following Shen Yao’s example, peeled one and tasted it himself. It was indeed very good, likely a wild fruit from the countryside.
So, Luo Yunping peeled one for Xiao Jun, and indeed, Xiao Jun opened his mouth and ate it.
Luo Yunping dared not give Xiao Jun too much. After feeding him two, he stopped, waiting to see if Xiao Jun would vomit.
For a period, he would vomit anything he ate, without exception. However, the yellow-skinned fruit became one of the only two exceptions; the other was the tea.
Luo Yunping wanted to peel more for Xiao Jun to eat, but Shen Yao stopped him. “Although this fruit is quite sweet, it also has a sour taste. Eating too much is bad for the stomach. The restaurant will open soon. You can try it when it’s mealtime.”
After Shen Yao spoke, she picked up the chubby boy, and Shen Huaijin, carrying the Zijing Sha teapot, followed her away.