The Green Tea is Always Targeting The Wrong Person (GREENTEA)
"Brother..."
Feng Xuan gazed at her brother's figure with her mind still somewhat dazed, her thoughts drifting back to the Otherworld.
…….
After inexplicably clearing the world, she was summoned by Da Gui.
The ghost looked her up and down while nodding appreciatively, and a token with the character "soldier" floated into his hand.
"Xie Wei, you have cleared the Otherworld. According to the rules, you should be sent back to your original world."
Da Gui grinned wickedly, revealing a sinister face: "But that's all a lie. Those who are summoned to the Otherworld are all deeply sinful individuals. Whether you clear it or not, there are only two choices: one is death, and the other is becoming a part of the Otherworld."
Feng Xuan's eyes darkened, and she spoke calmly but firmly: "Since you've come to talk to me, it seems the second option is on the table."
Da Gui burst into laughter while shaking his head: "Don't get too cocky. If it weren't for... you would certainly be doomed, but now you do indeed have a second choice."
"Become an NPC of the Otherworld. Your soul will remain in the Otherworld, but the Lord has granted you a privilege. When your world is not active, you can continue to live in the real world."
Feng Xuan was momentarily stunned. Seeing the envy in Da Gui's eyes, she naturally understood how generous these terms were, but... why?
She knew all too well that good things don't just fall from the sky.
Da Gui didn't explain much and just simply waved his hand and tossed the token to her.
"Take a look at this good news."
Yue Chu heard her call, turned around, and opened the latest headline before handing it to her.
"Hua Feng Group's CEO Xie Zhou passed away last night."
Feng Xuan's pupils trembled and her fingers shaking as she clicked on the trending topic. She read every word carefully, as if she wanted to chew through the few short lines.
She then burst into laughter with tears streaming from the corners of her slightly raised eyes.
Finally... finally...
Yue Chu chuckled softly and patted her head, letting her vent her emotions.
Perhaps the scar had been hidden for too long and festering in unseen corners. Only by tearing it open completely could new flesh grow.
Seeing Feng Xuan calm down a bit, he mysteriously blinked and whispered, "This is just the beginning. The real show is yet to come."
Feng Xuan smiled while wiping away her tears, and nodded vigorously. She tightly clutched Yue Chu's sleeve, finding endless warmth and support in his broad embrace.
Yue Chu affectionately patted her shoulder with his gaze drifting out the window.
Beautifully dressed girls walked past in small groups while laughing and chatting. Their joy is infectious just by looking at them.
And he hoped that Feng Xuan could be like that too—happy, confident, and content.
………
Evening
Yue Chu, wearing a black apron, busied himself in the kitchen. His knife skills were excellent as the vegetables he cut were thin and neatly arranged, and he worked quickly.
A pot of porridge simmered beside him with steam rising with a gentle hiss, filling the room with its aroma even before it was fully cooked.
Standing behind him, Fang Tian stared intently at him like a hungry dog eyeing a bone and panting heavily as a drool almost pooling on the floor.
Originally, Fang Tian had wanted to help, but his clumsiness only caused more trouble, so Yue Chu had banished him from the kitchen.
However, not long after, and feeling lonely as snow while watching TV alone in the room, he sneaked back into the kitchen. Just watching Yue Chu work was a blissful experience.
Yue Chu looked so charming in his apron...
The black string tied behind his waist made his figure appear exceptionally slender and tempting to embrace him from behind.
As Yue Chu turned around, he nearly pressed the spatula against Fang Tian's face.
He slightly raised his eyebrows, extended his hand to push him away, and set aside the washed vegetables for later use: "Why are you standing so close? Be careful or the oil might splash on your face."
Fang Tian didn't mind; even if it did splash on his face, he wasn't afraid. He could just fix it up and continue using it.
He continued to stay close to Yue Chu before leaning in to whisper in his ear in a deep voice: "When will dinner be ready?"
Yue Chu glanced back with a smile: "Soon. I just need to finish stir-frying this dish, and then we can eat."
That glance seemed to strike Fang Tian's heart, making his legs go weak and his head spin, as if he were lying on a cloud of cotton that was floating upwards.
After Yue Chu turned away, Fang Tian's gaze deepened and fixated on the pale, slender neck, as he greedily licked his dry lips.
What a perfect spot to leave a kiss mark.
Ding dong!
The doorbell rang.
Yue Chu was busy cooking, so he asked Fang Tian to answer the door.
Fang Tian obeyed, but his previously bright eyes turned dark. Even through the door, he could smell the stench of those old Taoist priests.
Standing at the door were none other than the old Taoist priest and Huang Song.
They had waited nearby for three days without Yue Chu showing up, so they had to come themselves.
Fang Tian and the two men locked eyes. He kept standing like a door god and blocking the entrance without any hint of politeness or courtesy.
Huang Song even double-checked the house number.
Wasn't this the right place? Why did it suddenly seem like someone else was here??
He scratched his head and looked troubled as he asked: "Um, we're looking for Fellow Daoist Yue. Is he here?"
Fang Tian's gaze was cold. "He's not."
‘Huh?’ Huang Song was at a loss. What should they do if he's not here?
The old Taoist priest pushed aside his foolish disciple. He smiled kindly, causing the wrinkles on his face to deepen.
"I know Fellow Daoist Yue is here. May we come in to discuss an important matter?"
‘An important matter? Isn't it just about how to kill him?’
Fang Tian sneered coldly and about to shut them out, when he saw Yue Chu wiping his hands and walking over. Yue Chu was slightly taken aback to see the two as his brow furrowing.
He placed a hand on Fang Tian's shoulder while forcing a bitter smile as he addressed the two Taoist priests: "Please go back. I truly have nothing to say."
But the smile on his face was as bitter as if it had been soaked in coptis, making anyone who saw it feel heartache.
Fang Tian clenched his fists. He couldn't bear to see Yue Chu wallow in self-blame, but he also didn't want to leave him.
For the first time, he felt torn and unsure of what to do.
The old Taoist priest spoke earnestly: "Fellow Daoist Yue, even if you don't think of yourself, you should think of the people of the world. I see that your face is clear and honest, certainly not the type to be heartless. Why are you so tight-lipped about this matter?"
Yue Chu's eyes flickered and his lips pressed tightly together, showing a powerless resistance.
He said bitterly: "I have my own difficulties..."
The old Taoist priest didn't say more and just pulled out a black jar and handed it to Yue Chu, his voice filled with pity: "If you doubt my words, Fellow Daoist Yue, why not try picking up this jar?"
Yue Chu was slightly stunned, about to reach for it, but Fang Tian stopped him.
He had already seen what was inside—it was Karma Fire.
The old Taoist didn't hide anything: "This is the Karma Fire I borrowed from the Grand Temple. Why don't you try it, fellow practitioner, and see how deep your sins are?"
"Shut up!"
Fang Tian felt as if his heart was being torn apart. Yue Chu had never sinned; the only one guilty was him!
He desperately reached out to remove the Karma Fire, but Yue Chu grabbed his hand.
Yue Chu's hand was slender and delicate, far less broad than Fang Tian's, yet it effortlessly stopped Fang Tian's movement.
Naturally, he couldn't let Fang Tian touch such a thing. With a soft sigh, he took the Karma Fire from the old Taoist.
The previously silent black jar suddenly emitted a small flame, burning Yue Chu's hand.
Only when the jar fell to the ground did the flame slowly extinguish.
Fang Tian, heartbroken, cradled Yue Chu's hand. His usually cold and hard eyes welled up with tears, which then transformed into a crimson hatred, piercing like arrows toward the two men.
‘How dare they…’
Yue Chu didn't feel much pain.
Looking at his swollen palm, his gaze remained calm and unperturbed. Gently patting the back of Fang Tian's hand, he pulled Fang Tian aside and stepped away from the door.
"You've won, please."
Yue Chu took a sip of tea and said indifferently, "I did meet someone, and I do have suspicions about her."
Fang Tian was as stiff as a stone with his eyes locked tightly on Yue Chu, filled with a desperate resolve.
‘So Yue Chu had suspected him all along, which was why he had been getting closer recently…’
A bitter taste filled his eyes. It didn't matter; even if the closeness was with ulterior motives, he was willing to be used by him.
Yue Chu placed his phone in front of the Taoist and sighed deeply, "What truly changed my mind wasn't your words, but this..."
"I suspect that someone has died, and Xie Zhou's death might be suspicious."
"On that day, I accidentally ran into Madam Fang Wan, the only person I had contact with for the first time."
‘What...?’
Fang Tian looked at Yue Chu in stunned silence.
The old Taoist took the phone and checked the news on it. He had naturally seen this trending topic before but hadn't paid much attention to it.
He stroked his long beard as his clear, wrinkled eyes looked at Yue Chu, "How can you be sure?"
Yue Chu's expression was grave and his brows slightly furrowed.
He wasn't entirely sure, but his extraordinary intuition told him the likelihood was at least seventy percent.
He shook his head lightly, "I'm not sure. In fact, I find it hard to believe that someone as delicate and beautiful as Madam Xie, who is also deeply worried about her seriously ill son, could be as malicious as you say."
"That's why I was reluctant to speak at first, because such suspicions are baseless and deeply hurtful."
He looked up at the two Taoists, "I've said all I needed to say. As for the truth, it's up to you to verify."
He placed a full cup of tea in front of them, making it clear that it was time for them to leave.
The old Taoist pondered for a while and decided to investigate first. Whether Yue Chu was telling the truth or not, it wouldn't escape his discerning eyes.
"Alright, we'll go to the Xie family."
Yue Chu breathed a sigh of relief, and a faint smile finally appeared on his face.
"With you two Taoists here, I feel at ease."
Even after the door closed, Fang Tian remained sitting on the sofa in a daze with the cup in his hand scalding hot, yet he continued to grip it tightly while feeling nothing.
Yue Chu raised an eyebrow in amusement, walked over, and took the cup from his palm before placing it aside. He then gently blew on his scalded, reddened palm.
"Why?"
Fang Tian's voice was hoarse as he asked. In one swift motion, he pressed Yue Chu down onto the sofa and looming over him as he gazed deeply into his eyes.
Those pitch-black eyes were unfathomably deep, carrying a darkness akin to storm clouds pressing down on a city. They stared at Yue Chu with an intensity that seemed to pierce through him.
Fang Tian wasn’t foolish, and he knew Yue Chu was clever and perceptive. When he connected all the events that had transpired, everything suddenly became clear.
Yue Chu knew—in fact, he had likely noticed his peculiarities long ago.
Yet, even so, he had chosen to keep his secret.
Fang Tian's heart pounded wildly in his chest. His fingers tightened around Yue Chu's wrist, torn between the urge to pull him into his arms and the fear that all of this might just be a figment of his imagination.
Yue Chu smiled softly. His clear eyes curving into crescent moons, like a spring shimmering with silvery ripples and flowing with gentle warmth.
"Are you asking me why I’m willing to continue being with you even though I know you’re the Demon King of the Otherworld? Or are you asking why I chose to hide your identity in front of those two Taoist priests?"
Fang Tian froze and nearly collapsed onto Yue Chu in shock.
‘How… how did he know so much?!’
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