Wan San followed Xia Xia, and Wang Chao, feeling anxious, took a few steps to follow as well. However, realizing it might not be appropriate, he hesitated and stood awkwardly in the corridor, unsure whether to proceed or retreat.
Noticing his predicament, Xia Xia turned back with a light laugh and said, “Wang Chao, come along with us. The young master just said that since you’ve come such a long way and waited so long in the tea room, you should go to the Cool Pavilion to deliver your message.”
Wang Chao was puzzled. “The young master isn’t in the banquet hall?”
Xia Xia replied, “The banquet hall is for meeting guests. The guests have all been seen now. You’re from the Wang family, and Young Master Wan isn’t an outsider, so naturally, the meeting is in the inner room. The young master has been speaking a lot today and is feeling a bit stifled. The Cool Pavilion has two ice fans, so it’s more comfortable there.”
Hearing that Wang Cang Hai was “feeling a bit stifled,” Wang Chao became even more nervous. As a servant born and raised in the Wang household, he had spent over twenty years in the stables and had never once seen the world-renowned Young Master Wang. Growing up in the Wang family, he had heard countless legendary tales about him, and in Wang Chao’s mind, Wang Cang Hai was nothing less than a godlike figure. Now, about to meet the person he admired most, Wang Chao’s heart raced faster and faster.
They walked along a short winding corridor and crossed a narrow waterway that flowed like a small stream. Wang Chao immediately felt a noticeable coolness in the air.
Xia Xia lifted the curtain and softly announced, “Reporting to the young master, Young Master Wan San and the messenger Wang Chao have arrived.”
Wang Chao dared not even lift his head to glance inside. Bowing deeply, he stammered, “Your servant Wang Chao pays respects to the young master.”
Wan San, seeing Wang Chao’s timid demeanor, couldn’t help but chuckle. However, he showed no hint of mockery. Instead, he removed his shoes, stepped onto the Cool Pavilion’s woven grass mat, and walked straight inside, grumbling as he went, “Wang Cang Hai, you’re really not much of a friend.”
Wang Chao finally straightened up and saw a sand table model near the entrance of the Cool Pavilion. It depicted the winding contours of the Yellow River, complete with several red triangles and white semicircles marking the planned locations of canals, dams, and reservoirs. The lifelike model seemed to bring the roaring waves of the Yellow River to life before Wang Chao’s eyes.
Raising his gaze further, Wang Chao saw a luxurious double-sided silk embroidery screen depicting a majestic qilin (a mythical creature symbolizing good fortune). He recognized the design—it was identical to the qilin ink painting displayed in the main hall of the Wang family’s estate. He vaguely remembered hearing that the painting was drawn by the young master himself at the age of fifteen and was so admired by the master of the house that it was placed prominently in the main hall.
The semi-translucent silk screen revealed a figure reclining on a chaise longue inside. Dressed in white as pure as snow, with long hair cascading down, the person’s posture was as poised as a pine crane and exuded a radiant elegance that surpassed even the brilliance of moonlight.
Wang Chao’s heart, which had been pounding wildly moments ago, suddenly calmed.
The extraordinary twenty-year-old, reclining with effortless grace, was none other than the young master of the Wang family—Wang Cang Hai.
Calmly, Wang Chao thought to himself, That’s my young master, the incomparable Wang Cang Hai. He mimicked Wan San’s actions, carefully removing his shoes, and walked slowly and steadily toward the young master.
But soon, Wang Chao’s heart began to race again.
Because Wang Cang Hai’s cold, clear voice rang out from within, vibrating Wang Chao’s eardrums:
“Did you wash your feet?”
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