Unintentional Surprise (GL) - Chapter 17

In the courtyard stood a stone table. It wasn’t far from Jiang Shunyao—just two or three steps away.

Jiang Shunyao carefully measured her movements and slowly walked to the stone table, setting down the celadon wine pot in her hand with a trembling touch.

Wen Dinglan saw clearly—it wasn’t the wine pot that was trembling, but Jiang Shunyao’s hand, strained from trying to suppress her anxiety.

The more flustered Jiang Shunyao was, the more intrigued Wen Dinglan became.

After placing the pot down, Jiang Shunyao turned to face Wen Dinglan and bowed formally, her posture respectful and proper. “I’ve come late. Greetings, Master Wen.”

The top scholar’s dignified bow was calmly accepted by Wen Dinglan, who made no move to tell her to rise.

Instead, she took a step forward to the stone table. Deliberately standing on the same side as Jiang Shunyao, she reached out to stop her from retreating.

What can’t be avoided… shouldn’t be avoided.

And what you don’t want to avoid—shouldn’t be either.

“Oh? Still offering a man’s bow?” Wen Dinglan tapped lightly on Jiang Shunyao’s clasped hands, asking something unrelated to the bow itself.

Jiang Shunyao, clearly flustered, rushed to cover it up with words. “A man… of course a man should bow like a man.”

When exactly had her female identity been discovered?

Wen Dinglan’s fingers traced upward, from the hands to the neck, teasing and provoking until Jiang Shunyao had no choice but to lift her head.

“No Adam’s apple,” Wen Dinglan said as her fingers lingered mischievously. “Even though you shaded your throat heavily with powder, I saw it immediately. No Adam’s apple—you’re a woman.”

Jiang Shunyao’s ears turned red. “Aren’t you worried I might be… a eunuch?”

Wen Dinglan almost laughed aloud as though hearing the funniest joke. She leaned in again, this time her beautiful face nearly brushing Jiang Shunyao’s cheek.

Her breath was warm and fragrant, her voice soft and teasing: “I’ve seen too many people. I’m confident I can tell a man from a woman.”

She had indeed seen countless faces—but among them, the newly crowned top scholar, Jiang Shunyao, was the only one like this.

Special, in a way no other wandering passerby or forgettable stranger could ever be.

“I came to bring wine. The wine you asked for,” Jiang Shunyao finally remembered her purpose.

“There’s plenty of wine at Fuxian Lingyin Pavilion,” Wen Dinglan lowered her eyes, noticing the fine patterns etched into the celadon wine pot—it was clear Jiang Shunyao had carefully selected it.

Jiang Shunyao’s heart sank. She thought Wen Dinglan still wouldn’t accept it.

But Wen Dinglan, fearing she might shrink back again, quickly changed her tone. “But what the Pavilion lacks is wine from the Zhuangyuan’s manor.”

And just like that, Jiang Shunyao’s dimmed eyes lit up, sparkling like starlight.

Wen Dinglan would drink it. After all the trouble Jiang Shunyao had gone through to get this wine—how could it go to waste?

But there were no wine cups on the stone table. Jiang Shunyao, unfortunately, hadn’t brought any.

Panic returned.

Wen Dinglan, however, already had an idea. She always had ideas.

Spinning lightly, she twirled her skirt and widened the space between her and Jiang Shunyao, returning to the spot beneath the pink peach tree.

With folded arms, she reached up and plucked one of the newly bloomed buds.

“Eh?” Jiang Shunyao let out a soft sigh of pity.

What was Wen Dinglan up to?

She tilted the celadon pot, pouring the warm wine onto the petals of the peach blossom.

The flower, now laced with wine, glowed an even deeper pink.

Without looking at Jiang Shunyao, Wen Dinglan brought the blossom to her lips and gently bit off a single petal.

Just like that—she had tasted the top scholar’s wine.

There was still plenty left, but Jiang Shunyao hadn’t taken a single sip—and already, she was utterly intoxicated.

Wen Dinglan then presented the peach blossom, now missing a petal, to Jiang Shunyao. The scent of the wine was strong, but it couldn’t overpower the fragrance of the flower.

With delight, with shyness, but no rational thought whatsoever, Jiang Shunyao took it.

“I saved you. You brought me wine. We’re even now,” Wen Dinglan said, though who knew what she was up to next.

“Mmm… so we’re even,” Jiang Shunyao nodded reluctantly, reluctant to admit it.

“I gave you a flower. Now you owe me a favor.”

“Mmm… I still owe?” Jiang Shunyao asked, confused.

Of course she still owed.

Meeting Wen Dinglan, Jiang Shunyao had incurred a lifelong debt—

One she would never be able to repay.