Chapter 31: Chang'e Personally Pours Tea
In Guanghan Palace,Chang'e sat gracefully at a table, leaning forward to brew tea for both Marshal Tianpeng and Sun Wukong.
Her movements were exceptionally elegant; just watching her make tea was a pleasure.
Yuer tightly clasped her small hands together, a slight blush on her face, too shy to lift her head and glance at Marshal Tianpeng.
Every time Marshal Tianpeng's gaze turned toward her, her cheeks would turn as red as an apple, leaving Marshal Tianpeng puzzled, wondering if the young girl was unwell.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the tea is ready. Please enjoy," Chang'e pushed the teacups, filled with tea, towards them.
Marshal Tianpeng eagerly picked up his teacup, pretended to savor the tea carefully, wrinkling his brows as if experiencing the taste. Finally, he relaxed with a satisfied expression, saying:
"Excellent tea! Truly exceptional! I never thought Fairy Chang'e's tea skills would be so superb. It is truly admirable."
In reality, he knew nothing about tea; he was just stringing together flattering words. In the original story, this guy casually swallowed something as precious as the ginseng fruit. Seeing him appreciating tea here was enough to make Sun Wukong laugh at his extravagant waste of precious resources.
Chang'e was momentarily surprised by his praise, not expecting Marshal Tianpeng to compliment her tea skills so highly. She didn't respond but simply smiled, then lowered her head to take a sip of tea.
Sun Wukong picked up his teacup; the osmanthus tea had a pleasant aroma. He wasn't a tea connoisseur and usually drank alcohol. With a gulp, almost half the teacup went down his throat.
Smacking his lips, he frowned. The tea was truly hard to swallow, with a mouthful of bitterness. He almost spewed it out.
Chang'e noticed his wrinkled brows, making her feel displeased.
Although she knew her tea skills were just average and far from what Marshal Tianpeng praised, she didn't expect him to dislike it so much.
After a while, the tea was finished. Chang'e stood up and said, "I have some snacks to offer as a token of appreciation. Please enjoy."
Marshal Tianpeng quickly said, "Fairy, you are too kind."
Chang'e nodded slightly, then turned to Sun Wukong, saying, "Please accompany me, and lend a hand if you don't mind."
Marshal Tianpeng hurriedly added, "Fairy, if there's anything you need, let me do it. No need to trouble Monkey."
Chang'e shook her head, smiling, and said, "Marshal, please wait here. Let Yuer keep you company and chat with you; she has many things to tell you."
With that, she walked to Sun Wukong's side, ignoring his puzzled eyes, forcibly grabbing his arm, and pulling him away.
Only when they walked out of Guanghan Palace did Chang'e let go of Sun Wukong.
"Oh, so that's the case," Sun Wukong said with a drawn-out tone, looking at Chang'e with a knowing expression.
"What's wrong with you?" Chang'e couldn't help but ask when she saw Sun Wukong's expression.
"So, you're trying to matchmake them," Sun Wukong said with a smirk.
Chang'e smiled and said, "I didn't expect you to be quite perceptive, not in tea but in matchmaking."
Sun Wukong gave Chang'e a disdainful look and chuckled.
"Why are you laughing?" Chang'e raised her beautiful eyebrows and asked.
"With your tea, there's nothing to appreciate. It almost made me spit it out. Truly the worst tea I've ever had, no exaggeration," Sun Wukong mocked.
Sun Wukong's mockery made Chang'e's face blush, but she maintained a strong tone, saying, "With your way of drinking, even the best tea would turn bitter in your mouth."
Sun Wukong didn't respond, standing there quietly, gazing at the immortal realm below.
Chang'e was shocked to see that Sun Wukong ignored her. She had been in the celestial realm for countless years, and in all those years, every man who saw her had shown great devotion. This monkey not only belittled her tea skills but also disregarded her completely.
This was the first time she encountered such a situation, and she couldn't help feeling a bit unusual—a mix of frustration and anger. Angry, she turned her face away, no longer paying attention to Sun Wukong.
Ignoring Chang'e, Sun Wukong also didn't take the initiative to speak to her. So, the two stood there, each looking in a different direction, silent.
After a long while, seeing that Sun Wukong showed no sign of apologizing, Chang'e couldn't help but mutter to herself, "Could it be that he's only interested in female monkeys?"
After a while, feeling the awkward atmosphere and considering the other party was a guest, Chang'e took the initiative and said, "Including the last time, this is our second meeting. I still don't know your name. I can't keep calling you 'Bi Ma Wen' forever, can I?"
Sun Wukong glanced at Chang'e with surprise, not expecting her to inquire about his name.
"What? Don't tell me you don't have a name?" Chang'e feigned astonishment.
"I'm Sun Wukong. Call me Sun Wukong," he smiled and added, "Well, the time is almost up. We should go in; otherwise, who knows what might happen between those two inside."
Chang'e nodded, and they took some osmanthus cakes and walked towards Guanghan Palace.
Once inside, Sun Wukong found that Marshal Tianpeng and Yuer were happily chatting, with smiles on their faces.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Marshal."
Chang'e smiled and placed the osmanthus cakes on the table.
The four of them chatted and enjoyed the osmanthus cakes for the rest of the afternoon.
Looking at the time, Sun Wukong stood up and said, "Thanks for your hospitality, Fairy. It's getting late, and we should take our leave now."
With that, ignoring Marshal Tianpeng's protests, he dragged him away from Guanghan Palace.
Watching Sun Wukong's departing figure, Chang'e felt a sense of curiosity rising within her. Faced with her, he showed no possessiveness, even went so far as to belittle her, completely ignoring her. This was the first time she had encountered such a situation, and she couldn't help but feel a mix of curiosity and anger. What kind of man was this Bi Ma Wen, who made even the mighty Marshal Tianpeng call him "Monkey Brother"?