From Evil Sect Leader to Doctor-Chapter 337 - 312: Leisurely Tea Drinking

Tang Jingwei nodded, "I’ll give it some thought. Feiyang, I heard you’re about to get married?"

Zhao Feiyang couldn’t help but feel a wave of depression. The topic of marriage had just been brought up by Pei Lin during dinner, and in his view, there was no reason for Pei Lin to have informed Tang Jingwei about it.

Pei Lin had her own little schemes. Her current actions were clearly about building momentum bit by bit, indicating a certain lack of security from the way she behaved.

Now, Zhao Feiyang had no expectations for this wedding. It wasn’t because it was his second marriage but because of some of Pei Lin’s actions that left him dissatisfied.

In front of Tang Jingwei, he certainly couldn’t reveal his true feelings and nodded, saying, "Yes, we’ve talked about it, Xiaopei and I plan to marry quietly. We’re not planning a ceremony."

That was what Zhao Feiyang intended, but Pei Lin disagreed. In her view, since Zhao Feiyang had already resigned from his public position, there was no need to be so concerned. Which woman doesn’t want a fairytale wedding? She was being openly married, not something to hide. The more low-key Zhao Feiyang wanted to be, the more she wanted to make it grand.

Tang Jingwei laughed, "A major life event like a wedding should be grand, Feiyang. Don’t worry about it, I’ll handle the arrangements."

Zhao Feiyang responded with sincere concern, "President Tang, no, please don’t." Tang Jingwei’s generosity was merely a means to further bind him to the Huayuan Group’s ship. Rationality told Zhao Feiyang he should keep some distance from them.

Tang Jingwei said, "Your marriage doesn’t just represent you, it also represents the image of Changxing, and our Huayuan Group’s image. We can’t be careless!"

Xu Ying had been in Nanjiang recently, having just taken over a tea house which was still under renovation and not yet open for business. When she received a call from Zhao Feiyang, she was still busy at the shop.

After hearing Zhao Feiyang wanted to see her, Xu Ying agreed without hesitation.

When Zhao Feiyang arrived, the workers had already been sent away by her. An iron pot on the red clay stove was brewing Old White tea, filling the air with its aroma. A selection of snacks, though limited, was thoughtfully prepared and laid out on the tea table.

In a celadon vase, a single wax plum bud was waiting to bloom.

The rich scent of tea and the sight of the pale yellow wax plum brought a sudden calm to Zhao Feiyang’s restless heart. The moment he stepped into the tea house, he felt a warm sense of returning home, like a tired bird finding its way back to the forest.

Xu Ying was alone inside the shop, wiping down the tables and chairs. A bit of a neat freak, she couldn’t stand the presence of dust. Xu Ying did everything unhurriedly and meticulously; only a woman who had weathered storms could be so composed.

They hadn’t seen each other for over a month. Seeing Zhao Feiyang again, Xu Ying’s expression was unperturbed. She wasn’t a startlingly beautiful woman; back in university, Zhao Feiyang used to describe her as "as plain as a chrysanthemum". Back then, Zhao Feiyang preferred roses as fiery and vivid as flames.

"Sit!" Xu Ying welcomed him without much small talk or courtesy, as if entertaining a family member.

Zhao Feiyang sat down at the tea table, taking in the tea house’s ambiance. Though the renovations were unfinished, the elegance already manifested itself—Xu Ying’s taste in aesthetics was consistently exceptional.

Xu Ying washed her hands and, upon returning, poured Zhao Feiyang a cup of tea.

Zhao Feiyang looked at her hands, as crystal clear as jade, watched the amber hues of the Old White tea swirling in the blue-and-white porcelain cup, and suddenly realized there still existed a place in the world where he could find peace to think. He had finally found it again.

Sipping the Old Shoumei, filled with the fragrance of jujube, Zhao Feiyang closed his eyes in contentment.

Xu Ying said, "You came all the way from Dongzhou, it’s not just for a cup of tea, right?"

Zhao Feiyang replied, "You can’t find this taste in Dongzhou." He knew very well that it wasn’t the taste that was absent, but the lack of friends in Dongzhou with whom he could speak openly.

Xu Ying laughed; her smile was also subdued and restrained. Actually, the expressions on her face were far less animated than other women’s.

Zhao Feiyang often felt that Xu Ying could see through everything. Placing the teacup gently down, he said, "This place is nice."

Xu Ying replied, "It’s okay, it’s close to Nanjiang Normal University, with a stable stream of customers. Mainly, it’s near my daughter’s high school, so I can often see her."

Zhao Feiyang asked, "Why didn’t you continue with the Japanese cuisine?"

Xu Ying said, "A tea house is a lighter business. At our age, life should be about subtracting."

Yet, Zhao Feiyang felt her words carried advice meant for him. Xu Ying was three months younger than him, and if her life was starting to subtract, didn’t that mean his life should be, too? In reality, he was doing the opposite, constantly adding to his career, now even entering a second marriage.

Sipping tea quietly, Zhao Feiyang had many things he wanted to say, yet didn’t know where to begin.

As he remained silent, Xu Ying didn’t press him either. Using tweezers, she added a few walnut-sized coals to the small stove, making the fire burn more brightly.

The room was not heated, and it was a bit chilly. The two sat face to face, tending to the small red clay stove.

Indeed, the distance of space and time can make people grow distant. Zhao Feiyang took a sip of tea.

"Have you been drinking?" Xu Ying caught the scent of alcohol on him.

Zhao Feiyang nodded: "Had a little too much to drink."

Xu Ying asked, "For work?"

Zhao Feiyang nodded again, and a hint of disappointment flashed in Xu Ying’s bright eyes.

Zhao Feiyang said, "I’ve long wanted to come see you, but work has been overwhelming."

Xu Ying smiled and said, "Why come to see me? I’m perfectly fine."

Zhao Feiyang said, "I’m planning to get married."

Xu Ying smiled and said, "Congratulations!" But her heart was stirred, was it with Pei Lin? She didn’t know why Zhao Feiyang had made such a decision. Was this still the wise and ambitious Zhao Feiyang she knew? Did reality change him? Or was he always like this?

She didn’t have high hopes for Zhao Feiyang’s second marriage. She had many reasons but would not say them, even if spoken, they wouldn’t change Zhao Feiyang’s mind.

Zhao Feiyang said, "She’s pregnant."

Xu Ying softly said, "A man should take responsibility."

Zhao Feiyang sighed, his face lacking any joy of someone about to enter marriage.

Xu Ying said, "Welcoming a new life is a great thing, but you don’t seem happy."

Zhao Feiyang said, "You majored in psychology in college; you should know what I’m thinking." He always felt Xu Ying understood him best. He enjoyed talking with her, but even with Xu Ying, he didn’t want to completely open up.

Xu Ying said, "Regarding your marriage, I have no say. I’m a failure in that regard myself."

There was a hint of bitterness in Zhao Feiyang’s smile; he too was a failure in marriage, and it was unfortunate that his second marriage started this way.

Xu Ying said, "Since you’ve decided to marry, you should treat her well."

"I had too simple a view of Pei Lin." Only in front of Xu Ying would Zhao Feiyang speak his mind without reservation.

Xu Ying poured him a cup of tea and softly said, "You didn’t want this child?" From Zhao Feiyang’s words, she realized this might be a trap; as shrewd as Zhao Feiyang was, he had already been caught in it, unable to extricate himself.

Zhao Feiyang shook his head and said, "An accident, I suspect she did something."

Xu Ying took a sip of tea, looking at Zhao Feiyang with sympathy, even heroes cannot resist beauties. Even the most astute men are the same. Back in Dongzhou, she had warned Zhao Feiyang, but he was too confident, thinking he could completely control Pei Lin. In his eyes, Pei Lin’s skills weren’t even on the same level as his.

Zhao Feiyang said, "She has changed."

Xu Ying said, "Often, when you think someone has changed, it’s not that she changed, but rather that your understanding of her was shallow. Maybe she was always like that, but you didn’t know."

Zhao Feiyang pursed his lips: "Back then, she did sacrifice a lot for me, even giving up on the pharmaceutical business."

Xu Ying said, "There’s an old saying: ’Without risking the child, you won’t catch the wolf.’

Zhao Feiyang felt a bit embarrassed; though he was defending Pei Lin, in his heart, he agreed with Xu Ying. To be precise, he wasn’t defending Pei Lin, but making excuses for his own naivety. If Pei Lin wasn’t worth anything, wouldn’t that prove how poor his judgment was?

His phone rang; it was Pei Lin calling. Zhao Feiyang glanced at it but didn’t pick it up immediately. After a few rings, he finally picked up the call, telling Pei Lin he was handling something outside and to talk later.

After hanging up, he smiled at Xu Ying: "She’s become a bit emotional since the pregnancy."

Xu Ying returned the smile, but her heart was full of worry. She realized Zhao Feiyang had lost his way; the once spirited Zhao Feiyang was gone. She could foresee Pei Lin becoming a shackle impeding his progress.

Though she wasn’t one to meddle in others’ family affairs, as a friend, there were things she still needed to say.

"Feiyang, you must make sure Pei Lin keeps her distance from Changxing, including Hua Nian Group. Don’t let her interfere in any of it."

Zhao Feiyang nodded. Although Pei Lin didn’t openly meddle with Changxing, she was behind the scenes in the medical beauty center and the traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis center. After the Renhe Hall Ointment incident, Zhao Feiyang was determined to remove Pei Lin from these connections. But one thing was hard for him to control.

Since coming to Nanjiang with him this time, Pei Lin’s relationship with Tang Jingwei’s family had progressed rapidly. Pei Lin’s climbing mentality was normal, but Tang Jingwei’s enthusiasm made Zhao Feiyang wary; he suspected Tang Jingwei intended to use Pei Lin. Just then, Pei Lin sent a message; Zhao Feiyang glanced at it. Tang Jingwei’s mother, Mrs. Tang, liked her a lot and wanted to make her a goddaughter, so she sought his opinion.

Zhao Feiyang instantly felt a headache. Pei Lin didn’t think it through, what did she do to deserve it? Would Mrs. Tang make her a goddaughter without reason? Wasn’t it all because of him? How could she not see such an obvious pattern? He quickly replied to her, "Not a good idea." But he vaguely felt he might not be able to change anything.