The Green Tea is Always Targeting The Wrong Person (GREENTEA)
Lan Yao took the necklace and examined it briefly with his glassy, inorganic eyes showing no emotion.
He casually tossed the necklace onto the table, and as the pendant hit the cold marble surface, a photo inside was revealed.
The serene, snow-mountain-like beauty of the girl's face was exposed, but it failed to draw even a second glance from Lan Yao.
His gaze remained firmly fixed on Yue Chu, unwavering.
"For Jiang Quan, is it worth it?"
Lan Yao already knew everything.
He wasn't sure how Yue Chu had managed to incapacitate the guards—perhaps with that trivial hypnosis—but it didn't matter. When he saw the look Yue Chu gave the camera in the surveillance footage, he understood his intentions.
He was testing him, like a kitten playfully extending its fluffy paw.
Yue Chu lowered his eyes slightly with his long lashes trembling faintly and betraying the turmoil within.
This person, who had been confined within an ivory tower for too long, still didn't know how to fully mask his emotions. To Lan Yao, he was like a blank sheet of paper, utterly transparent.
"That's not where he... should be."
"But if he's done wrong, he must take responsibility. The repeated incidents of experimental subjects going rogue—if I continue to let it slide, the lab will lose its stability."
Yue Chu's heart skipped a beat, though his expression remained unchanged and his brows still furrowed as if unable to accept Lan Yao's explanation.
Lan Yao... didn't know he had secretly read the experiment records.
It was Lan Yi who had covered for him!
If that was the case, then the words he had planned to say could no longer be spoken.
He clenched his fingers with anger flickering in his eyes as he impulsively retorted, "But you know it's not his fault!"
Lan Yao remained unmoved with his cold, sculpted face as cruel as it was breathtaking.
"Whether it's his fault or not is irrelevant. What matters is that he must bear the responsibility, and only he can ensure no further incidents occur."
Yue Chu couldn't agree with his reasoning.
He leaned forward with his hands pressing against the table, and glared at Lan Yao.
"What you're doing is utterly meaningless. As long as we don't find the root cause of why the experimental subjects are escaping, this will keep happening. What good does locking Jiang Quan in the confinement room do?!"
Lan Yao's deep gaze bore into him. Even seated, he seemed to be looking down at Yue Chu, as the weight of his presence was like a tidal wave threatening to engulf him.
"But perhaps, after locking him up, the experimental subjects will no longer escape."
Yue Chu was taken aback.
Such a statement was too speculative and almost laughable. Yet, coming from Lan Yao, it forced him to carefully consider the underlying meaning.
Lan Yao seemed certain that locking up Jiang Quan would prevent the experimental subjects from escaping.
Why... was that?
After a moment of contemplation, he finally said, "That's just a hypothesis. We can't condemn Dr. Jiang based on a mere assumption."
Yue Chu raised his head with his eyes as deep and calm as the ocean, yet with undercurrents of turmoil brewing beneath the surface. "No matter what, I need your promise—to ensure Jiang Quan's safety."
Lan Yao tapped his fingers lightly. "He's safe."
Yue Chu didn't quite feel the same way, but when he looked at Lan Yao's powerful and unquestionable demeanor, he could only temporarily suppress his worries.
As long as Lan Yao was willing to give him a promise, perhaps Jiang Quan would indeed be safe.
Moreover, soon he would divert everyone's attention away from Jiang Quan.
Yue Chu sighed softly as he try to put his mind at ease, but couldn't help but worry: "Then I can only trust Director Lan."
Lan Yao watched him leave quietly, until the door closed tightly again. Only then did he reach out to touch the tender petals as a softness rippled in his deep gaze.
There was probably nothing in the world more deserving of care than blooming flowers, so delicate and fragile yet still blooming towards the sun, adorning the world with their beauty.
He didn't like flowers, but if the flower belonged to him and needed his protection, then it was different.
If it was his flower's request, he could relax the restrictions and lower the standards.
After all, his flower was always so gentle...
Lan Yao slowly closed his eyes as his fingers lightly tapped the pale purple petals while savoring the sensation.
.........
Yue Chu returned to the laboratory and watched Mu You's busy figure through the transparent glass.
That youthful, round face looked quite commanding when serious. The few elders were working in an orderly manner under his direction and making the entire workspace thrive.
Not only that, but Mu You's abilities were also very strong, perhaps even comparable to Jiang Quan. It's just that this kid had been suppressed for too long, and too much denial had made him retreat. Beneath that arrogant exterior lay a soul full of insecurity.
That's why he was always unwilling to put his intelligence to good use because he felt that no matter how hard he tried, he could never surpass Jiang Quan, so he simply didn't try.
Because without hope, there would be no disappointment.
But when he truly had his own stage, he would also shine brilliantly, like gold left after the waves and sparkling in the sunlight.
With him in the laboratory, there would be no need to worry about anything in the future.
Yue Chu curled his lips into a smile and walked towards Mu You, who had just pushed the door open before handing him a freshly brewed cup of rose tea.
The faint aroma of roses wafted through the hazy steam and filled his lungs with a refreshing fragrance that relaxed his tense nerves.
"I brewed you a cup of rose tea because I thought that you must be tired from work. It's getting late, so this will help you relax and rest well later."
Mu You almost reverently took the cup as the pale amber color reflecting his face and the joyful smile almost leaping out of his eyes.
He took a sip directly, causing the scalding temperature to immediately turn his lips red.
Yue Chu helplessly covered the cup's opening, "Are you stupid? The tea is freshly brewed and boiling hot, how can you drink it directly?"
Mu You gave a silly smile, which looked out of place on his shrewd, sesame-seed-like face.
He tightly held onto his cup and did not want to let go for even a moment because he was scared that someone might snatch it away, like a food-protecting hamster.
Yue Chu patted his head before speaking softly, "You've done very well these past days. Without your help, I would probably be lying awake every night with a headache."
Mu You looked at him obediently, as cute and quiet as a little white rabbit, with his clear black-and-white eyes fixed on Yue Chu, unwilling to look away for even a moment.
He didn’t think he had done anything special, but Yue Chu’s praise made him incredibly happy. After all, whatever Yue Chu said was right, and all he needed to do was listen quietly.
Yue Chu couldn’t help but pinch his cheek and continued with a smile, “You’re very capable, no less than Jiang Quan. From now on, I’ll leave the lab to you, so I can enjoy a few more days of leisure.”
Mu You blinked and nodded earnestly.
At first, he had some reservations about Yue Chu’s hands-off approach, but now… now he wished he could take on everything himself, just so Yue Chu could relax comfortably while sipping his tea and playing with his phone.
Yue Chu felt reassured.
Although he felt a bit guilty for burdening Mu You, he believed that despite Mu You’s innocent and youthful appearance, he was actually very responsible.
“Go back early tonight and rest. I’ll stay here a bit longer.”
Mu You wanted to refuse, but when he met those gentle eyes, he couldn’t say a word. It was as if he had fallen into a soft, endless quagmire, sinking deeper and deeper until he was completely submerged.
Dazed, he held the teacup as Yue Chu gently pushed him out of the lab.
Back in his room, he happily placed the empty teacup on the table and leaned on the desk while smiling as he traced the smooth rim of the cup with his fingers as his infatuation almost overflowed.
Yue Chu… his Yue Chu…
Meanwhile, the door to Detention Room Number Seven opened, and Jiang Quan looked up to see Lan Yao and Lan Yi walking in.
He pursed his pale lips as his face devoid of any smile, and his cold eyes like the surface of an autumn lake, shrouded in a chilly mist.
Lan Yao sat on the couch opposite Jiang Quan before he casually picked up a book from the table, glanced at it, and then tossed it aside, bored.
He scrutinized Jiang Quan, his icy voice carrying the chill of winter, making one shiver involuntarily.
“You’re clever by knowing to seek Yue Chu’s help.”
Jiang Quan adjusted his glasses but didn’t deny Lan Yao’s words.
The affection he once showed Lan Yao in Yue Chu’s presence was gone, replaced by a calm detachment, like the vast, desolate autumn sky.
“What else could I do? Wait for you to dispose of me?”
Lan Yao narrowed his eyes as a hint of malice spreading from the brown irises to the center of his pupils.
A defective product, yet so bold.
Having a backer really changes things.
He coldly warned, “Do what you’re supposed to do, and don’t get any ideas. Otherwise… I’ll make you disappear before Yue Chu even notices.”
Jiang Quan clenched his fingers with his pale lips pressed into a straight line and his eyes burning with humiliation.
But when he thought of how Yue Chu had worked so hard for him, that resentment turned into quiet resolve before being buried deep in his chest.
He took a deep breath and said hoarsely, “I agree.”
Seeing him compliant, Lan Yao didn’t bother to say more.
If it weren’t for Yue Chu, he wouldn’t even spare him a glance.
Meanwhile, in the empty lab, Yue Chu walked slowly into the storage room before he quietly opened the isolation box, and directly picked up Little Ball then placed it in his pocket.
He smiled leisurely while restoring everything to its original state as if nothing had happened, and then left the laboratory.
Following the pre-planned route, he deftly avoided all patrols, then used his highest-level Identity Card to open the gates of the Research Institute, and casually hopped into a vehicle.
Just as the driver was about to ask questions, he met Yue Chu's deep, dark eyes and instantly sat back in his seat obediently before starting the car, releasing the handbrake, and shifting gears as he drove Yue Chu away from the Research Institute.
Yue Chu rested his arm on the window sill while smiling as he felt the refreshing breeze outside, even catching a faint scent of grass in the wind, which made him feel a rare sense of vitality.
He gently tapped Little Ball with his finger, and seeing no movement, he knew it hadn't woken up yet.
He slightly curled his lips while hoping that Little Ball wouldn't be too surprised when it woke up, otherwise the nagging would be quite a headache.
.......
In the room
Mu You, who had been holding a cup and sweetly daydreaming, suddenly looked up.
The innocence and purity in his dark eyes vanished and replaced by a cold, crimson glow.
With a loud bang, the table under his palm shattered into pieces, while the porcelain cup that had been on it remained intact as it landed in his other hand.
His fair, youthful face was filled with a murderous aura, and he clenched his teeth tightly and squeezed out two words: "Yue! Chu!"
.........
Detention Room Number Seven
The moment Yue Chu left the Research Institute, the three people who had been coldly conversing simultaneously looked up in the same direction.
The scene was eerily bizarre, with each person's pupils glowing with a cold, crimson light, and their mouths opening and closing in unison while speaking overlapping words: "He ran away? Truly spoiled."
After that, they chuckled softly as their low laughter echoed in the quiet room: "It's fine, we'll catch you soon."
Translator:
Umm.. that's eerie, truly.
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