Chapter 75: Constellations

“Slow down, be careful—it’s hot.” Rong Shen’s timely reminder came almost at the very moment An Tong lifted the teacup to her lips.

But it was still too late.

Half a mouthful of strong tea slid down her throat, and the heat was as scalding as her mood was foul. After all, it was freshly boiled water. The burn left her lips numb and her eyes shimmering with a thin mist.

“What’s got you so distracted?” The man glanced at her as she parted her lips, drawing in cool air. Setting his teacup down, he twisted open a bottle of mineral water and handed it to her. “Did you burn yourself?”

An Tong took several gulps before shaking her head sullenly. She didn’t want to speak—couldn’t, really, with her tongue still tingling.

Seeing this, Rong Shen sighed and stood, circled around the coffee table, and stopped before her. As he bent down, his palm naturally settled atop her head. “Look up.”

His tall frame cast a shadow over her. An Tong stiffened, tilting her face up, looking innocent and a little dazed.

He studied the reddened edge of her lips, confirming there was no real burn, and a helpless smile flickered in his eyes. “You managed to drift off even while drinking tea. What was weighing so heavily on your mind?”

Maintaining her upward gaze, An Tong ran her tongue over her numbed lips. “Who taught you the art of tea?”

It sounded both like a question and a statement.

Rong Shen couldn’t help but laugh. As he spoke, he curled his index finger and tapped her forehead twice, lightly. “You’re this badly scalded, yet you still have the mind to ponder tea ceremonies?”

It was hardly an intimate gesture—more a teasing reproach with a touch of playfulness.

Yet An Tong’s cheeks flushed involuntarily, as if the heat at the corner of her lips had spread throughout her body.

“Dr. Rong, your tea-making skills are so refined…” She averted her gaze and murmured, “You could be a teacher yourself.”

The man paused mid-turn, his handsome features softening. “So after all that pondering, you just wanted me to become your teacher and instruct you in tea art?”

An Tong didn’t know how she’d let her thoughts slip out, but now that they had, there seemed little point in holding back. After all, embarrassing herself in front of Dr. Rong had become almost routine—she might as well be candid.

“If it’s inconvenient…” she began, voice calm with a hint of resignation, “then next time you brew tea, I’ll just sit by and watch. I have a good memory. Watching a few times should be enough for me to learn.”

“What kind of teacher refuses to teach a willing student?” Rong Shen watched her eyes flicker with anticipation, his smile deepening. “If you truly want to learn, I can’t just let you observe from the sidelines.”

An Tong’s eyes brightened. “So when do we start?”

“No rush.” He walked back to the sofa opposite her and sat down, a trace of indulgence in his calm eyes. “Tomorrow, go upstairs to the storage room and pick out a tea set you like. If you’re going to learn, you should be properly prepared.”

On a whim, An Tong glanced toward the staircase. “Can I go have a look now?”

Rong Shen sipped his tea, raising an amused eyebrow. “It’s almost eleven. Planning to stay up late tonight?”

“Oh—then… tomorrow, I suppose.”

…

The next day, An Tong rose early.

Thinking about choosing a tea set, she fed An An her dog food and sat in the living room, waiting for the man to come downstairs.

Truth be told, she didn’t have much genuine interest in the art of tea. She was only considering it because Dr. Rong had suggested it.

Hugging a cushion, An Tong stole glances at the stairs every so often.

As it neared seven thirty, steady footsteps sounded from above.

An Tong unconsciously straightened her posture, then realized she might look too eager. Glancing around, she picked up her phone and aimlessly tapped open an app, pretending to pass the time.

But though her eyes were on the phone, she didn’t really see the screen. Her apricot-shaped eyes remained fixed on any sign of movement from the man.

Rong Shen descended the stairs, immediately spotting the young woman with her chin propped on one hand, seemingly engrossed in her phone.

An Tong looked up at the right moment, offering a bright good morning and a smile.

“Why are you up so early?” he asked, taking a seat on the sofa and glancing toward the dining room. “Haven’t had breakfast?”

Her tone was composed, but her words were enough to lift anyone’s spirits. “I’m not hungry yet. I thought I’d wait and eat with you.”

A faint smile curved Rong Shen’s lips. His voice was gentle and caring. “Don’t go too long without breakfast. In the future, eat when you come down—you don’t have to wait for me.”

An Tong pressed her lips together, neither agreeing nor refusing.

A short while later, they sat together at the dining table. An Tong placed her phone at the edge and struck up conversation. “Are there many tea sets in the storage room upstairs?”

“Not that many. Just pick whichever one you like.” The man’s gaze drifted over her phone screen, then abruptly stilled.

As An Tong lifted the lid off her breakfast, she asked, “Is there anything I should look for when choosing a tea set—”

She broke off, struck by a sudden intuition, and looked up at Rong Shen.

Noticing his gaze fixed on her right side, she followed it, then—

She set down the lid and, feigning nonchalance, quickly turned off her phone screen.

She pressed her lips together, bewildered and anxious. No words could capture the mess of her emotions.

She didn’t know why she was so nervous, nor did she realize that the app she’d randomly opened was her search engine. The page still lingered on the question she’d looked up the night before:

—Compatibility rating between Capricorn and Taurus.

It was an utterly ordinary astrological analysis, except Capricorn was her sign, and Taurus was Dr. Rong’s.

An Tong stealthily slipped her phone into her pocket, trying to reason that someone like Dr. Rong probably knew nothing about astrology.

In truth, she barely understood it herself. She’d simply stumbled across a recommended search and, on a whim, entered her and Rong Shen’s zodiac signs.

“Um…” she asked, trying to sound casual, “Dr. Rong, what’s your zodiac sign?”

Rong Shen raised his brows with an inscrutable look, his voice low and unhurried. “Taurus.”

An Tong, a little flustered, replied nonsensically, “What a coincidence, I’m Capricorn.”

He placed a glass of milk in front of her, lowering his gaze to hide whatever lay within. “Are you usually interested in astrology?”

“No, I’ve never really looked into it, and I don’t care for it much.”

She meant to sound indifferent, but her words tumbled out too quickly, her eager denial only exposing her unease.

(End of chapter)