Andrea was dressed in a white cotton-padded dress. Her hair was tied up, which made her look youthful and sultry. She also exuded the aura of a pretty and charming lady.
When she saw me, she smiled and greeted, "Arianna, you're back. It's cold outside. Come over and have a cup of hot tea with us!"
I pursed my lips, but there was no expression on my face. I stared at the two of them and responded, "No, thank you. You two can take your time. I'm going back to my room for a rest."
"Arianna, don't be in such a hurry. Come and sit with us for a while. I've been constantly busy in the Granger Manor all these years and I've never sat and talked with others like this before. Since we're all here, you should join us!" Sometimes, I especially envied Nerissa for her ability to put on a perfect pretense. She could really do whatever she liked without feeling troubled at all.
As she had made it so clear, there was no reason left for me to reject her. Hence, I walked to the living room and sat down.
While Nerissa was making tea, Andrea had a faint smile on her face. At a glance, the situation was so harmonious that it was frightening.
It seemed as if the three of us were pictureperfect friends, but everyone knew the truth deep within.
After making tea, Nerissa said softly, "The most classic procedure of drinking tea is to smell the fragrance, but people are so impatient that they often forget this step. Since we aren't in a hurry today, we can take our time to enjoy the tea's scent. Doesn't it smell good? It's ten years old, and truly a rare find!"
I had no interest in tea ceremonies. I slowly picked up the cup and sniffed it. It was truly fragrant, but it was already late. Was it appropriate to be tasting tea in the middle of the night?
Meanwhile, Andrea's posture was elegant. She sniffed the tea lightly and could not help smiling. "Aunt Nerissa, this tea is the best. It's intoxicating before you even taste it. I've begun to look forward to trying this quality tea."
Nerissa smiled at her words. After serving each of us a cup of tea, she prompted in a graceful manner, "Have a taste!"
I only took a sip and then stopped drinking, while Andrea commented with a smile, "It's indeed good tea!"
Truth be told, I admired the both of them. They were still so leisurely and elegant even when drinking tea in the middle of the night.
Seeing that I only drank a small sip of tea, Nerissa asked, "Arianna, don't you like the tea?"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: My Pretty Sweetheart