Chapter Forty-Seven: No Honor Among Fighters

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At that moment, Chu Nan was sitting leisurely behind the counter, with a pot of fragrant tea and a crystal-clear glass on the table before him.

He lifted the glass and took a small sip, his gaze drifting over the magazine in front of him.

Several identical glasses lay scattered carelessly in one corner of the table. He was nearly out of room for them.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside, accompanied by a slightly haughty voice.

“Chu Nan, are you there?”

Chu Nan raised his head, recognizing the visitor at once.

He arched a brow, set down the magazine, and said lazily, “The door’s unlocked. Come in.”

The door swung open, and Yang Ruyan entered in full military dress.

Her stride was crisp and decisive, and that proud, heroic air still lingered between her brows.

She cast a glance around the room, but her attention was soon drawn to the glass on Chu Nan’s table.

“That cup is rather beautiful,” she thought, though she showed nothing on her face.

Chu Nan leaned lazily against the back of his chair and looked up at her with a smile.

“Well, well. Miss Yang has graced my humble shop with her presence. What a rare guest. To what do I owe this early-morning visit?”

Hearing the teasing note in his voice, Yang Ruyan frowned slightly. Nevertheless, she lifted her chin and said coldly, “I’m here on business, not to listen to your slick tongue.”

“Business?” A playful smile tugged at the corner of Chu Nan’s mouth. He picked up the glass and gave it a gentle shake, sending clear ripples through the tea.

He spoke unhurriedly. “A personage as important as Miss Yang—what could you possibly want with a humble merchant like me?”

Yang Ruyan paused faintly, her eyes falling on the glass in his hand.

She then glanced discreetly at the other glasses on the table, a trace of admiration flashing through her eyes.

She quickly suppressed it and said, “I heard that the battle formation you demonstrated at the Northern Barracks was extremely effective. Unfortunately, I had my household troops practice it, but they simply couldn’t get it right.”

“So I came specifically to ask how this formation is supposed to be trained.”

At that, Chu Nan could not help laughing.

“Miss Yang, hearing the word ‘ask’ come from your lips is truly a rare sight.”

“Didn’t you say that someone like me was beneath your notice?”

“And now you’ve come to seek my instruction?”

Yang Ruyan’s face immediately flushed, but she stubbornly maintained her cold and haughty bearing.

“Don’t make it sound so unpleasant. I’m here to learn, not to listen to your mockery.”

“If you’re willing to teach me, then teach me. If not, I won’t force you.”

Seeing her stubborn expression, Chu Nan found her rather amusing.

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He set down the glass, leaned back in his chair, and said with a smile, “All right. You want to learn? Then say, ‘Please teach me, Young Master Chu.’”

“You!”

Yang Ruyan’s face reddened with anger, and her voice caught.

She clenched her teeth, then simply fell silent, standing where she was and staring fixedly at Chu Nan.

Seeing her like that, Chu Nan could only shake his head and sigh.

“You’re incredibly hard-mouthed, but you hate losing even more. Forget it. I can’t be bothered to argue with you.”

He casually picked up the brush, ink, and paper from the table and swiftly wrote several lines.

Then he folded the paper once and tossed it onto the table.

“Here. The key to the battle formation is written on it.”

Yang Ruyan froze, then hurried forward. She picked up the paper and unfolded it, her brows rising at once.

It contained several simple training steps and diagrams showing changes in formation. Everything was laid out clearly, even the adjustments required in the finer details.

“It’s actually this simple?” Yang Ruyan murmured, somewhat incredulously.

Chu Nan leaned lazily against the back of his chair, lifted the glass, and took another sip of tea.

“It isn’t difficult. It mainly depends on the person.”

“A genius like Miss Yang should understand it at a glance.”

Yang Ruyan studied the instructions. They were indeed practical and easy to follow.

But upon hearing Chu Nan’s words, she could not help blushing. Her voice sounded somewhat stiff.

“Thank you.”

Seeing her expression, Chu Nan nearly laughed, but he kept the thought to himself.

Yang Ruyan folded the paper and put it away. She stood there hesitating for a moment.

Then she raised her head and spoke in a rather formal tone.

“Chu Nan, although things between us were unpleasant before, I can see now that you’re not quite as useless as I thought.”

“Oh?” Chu Nan arched a brow and regarded her with an amused, unreadable smile. “And then?”

Yang Ruyan drew a small breath and continued, “Although you truly are unworthy of me, which means we can never become husband and wife… I’ve changed my opinion of you.”

“If you’re willing, I suppose I could consider becoming your friend.”

When Chu Nan heard this, he was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Miss Yang, that’s quite an amusing thing to say.”

“What’s so funny?” Yang Ruyan asked with a frown, plainly displeased.

Chu Nan lifted his head, amusement dancing in his eyes.

“No need. I, Chu Nan, have no use for a friend like you.”

With that, he calmly raised the glass and took another sip of tea.

His words infuriated Yang Ruyan. Her face instantly flushed crimson as she glared at him.

“You!”

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Chu Nan paid her no attention at all, maintaining an utterly untroubled expression.

Yang Ruyan stamped her foot in anger. Then, almost inadvertently, her gaze fell once more upon the glass on the table.

“Hmph!”

She suddenly reached out and picked up one of the crystal-clear glasses.

Without even looking at Chu Nan, she said coldly, “This glass is beautiful. Consider it compensation for upsetting me just now!”

“Wait—”

Chu Nan reached out to stop her, but Yang Ruyan was far too quick. She turned and strode straight out the door.

By the time Chu Nan realized what had happened, she was already gone.

“You woman!”

Watching her retreating figure, Chu Nan ground his teeth in fury and cursed under his breath.

“Do you even know what that thing is? Ten thousand taels of gold! And you just snatched it away!”

He slapped the table hard and continued grumbling angrily.

“Sure enough, Yang Ruyan’s temper hasn’t changed one bit. She’s still as overbearing as ever! She just takes whatever she wants, even glassware. Shameless!”

When Yang Ruyan returned to the Yang residence, she was still carrying the glass she had taken from Chu Nan.

Along the way, she appeared perfectly composed, but inside, she was filled with conflicting emotions.

Though she was stubborn about admitting it, she had to acknowledge that the glass was indeed beautiful enough to make anyone’s heart stir.

It was crystal-clear and dazzling, so light in her hand that it seemed weightless. Under the sunlight, it scattered rays of every color.

Even a martial woman like herself found it impossible to look away.

“That fellow really does know how to make strange and unusual things.”

Muttering to herself, Yang Ruyan placed the glass on the writing desk in her room.

After sitting down, she could not resist picking it up again for a closer inspection. The more she looked at it, the more extraordinary it seemed.

She raised the glass beside the window. Sunlight passed through it and refracted into brilliant, multicolored radiance, brightening the entire room.

“No wonder Chu Nan was hopping mad.”

Yang Ruyan murmured softly, unable to suppress a smug smile.

“Still, keeping something this beautiful unused would be such a waste, wouldn’t it?”