When a Green Tea Meets a Love Brain - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

In our family of four, everyone except my mother is a Green Tea.

My mother used to be the number-one beauty of the capital. The men who chased her were either princes with boundless power or generals with illustrious battle merits, yet she married my father, a frail illegitimate son who could barely take care of himself.

All because of my father’s original tea studies.

For as long as I can remember, our home has been steeped in the scent of tea. My sister and I could hardly grow up to be anything but little Green Teas.

My sister was the studious one and far better than me. She tea’d her way all the way into the Emperor’s harem and became a highly favored consort.

As for me, I was already the Emperor’s sister-in-law. There was no need to keep honing the profound art of tea studies, so I tossed it aside and embraced a slacker’s life.

Until the first year after I married Shen Yue. He returned from the border with military merit-and brought back a delicate young woman.

Shen Yue slipped an arm around my shoulders and murmured, “Her name is Meng Yun. She’s the daughter of my father’s former subordinate. I brought her to the capital at the request of the two elders, to help her find a good match. Madam, you’ll have to help me look carefully.” He half-joked, “After all, with such discerning eyes, you managed to pick me out from a crowd of nobles at a single glance.”

Me: …

The reason I married him was entirely because my father said my tea skills weren’t refined and my health wasn’t robust enough-I needed someone with a love-brain.

He picked Shen Yue out of the many.

Though I didn’t see it at all.

I nodded. “That’s my father’s sharp eye. I’ll go ask him in a few days.”

Shen Yue pinched my cheek. “My lady does love to joke.”

…

The next day, Meng Yun came to see me.

Gone was yesterday’s cautious, pitiful act; in front of me, she started to throw her weight around.

“I wondered what kind of beauty could marry a great hero like Brother Shen. Now that I see you today, you’re nothing special.”

Me: ?

“Chu Shanshan, I heard your health is poor and you won’t let other women near Brother Shen. What right do you have to stop Brother Shen from taking concubines?”

Puzzled, I asked, “Who told you that?”

Meng Yun smiled softly. “Naturally, Brother Shen. Other married soldiers received letters from their wives, but Brother Shen didn’t get a single one. He said your health is delicate and writing letters is too taxing. Looking at you now, you seem perfectly fine. Clearly, Brother Shen doesn’t like you, so he didn’t want your letters.”

Me: …

“Brother Shen is brilliant and heroic. Lots of girls at the border were vying to marry him, but he said the family rules are strict and don’t allow concubines. What man doesn’t enjoy having multiple wives and concubines? It’s obviously you-a jealous shrew-who won’t let Brother Shen take any!”

…

Just then, footsteps sounded in the courtyard.

Meng Yun’s eyes lit up, and she slapped herself across the face.

The scene was so familiar it jolted an old memory. I reflexively toppled to the ground and looked toward the doorway with tear-bright eyes.

I remembered: this was my father’s classic move from when I was seven, the time he framed a love rival.

A moment later, Shen Yue appeared in the doorway.

“It’s not little sister’s fault. I just lost my footing.” I tilted my chin slightly, arranging myself in a fragile, beautiful pose, then covered my face and began to cry pitifully. “My face got hurt from the fall too.”

I truly looked fragile yet resilient, pitiful yet beautiful.

Meng Yun was stunned by my smooth, practiced sequence and froze on the spot.

Shen Yue scooped me up and ordered a servant to fetch a doctor. He looked at Meng Yun, displeased. “What are you doing here?”

Only then did Meng Yun remember to explain. With her head half-bowed, baring a pale, slender neck, she said weakly, “Brother Shen, I’ve just arrived at your residence and only know you. If I keep looking for you all day, others might misunderstand.

“You said before that Elder Sister was easy to get along with, so I thought I’d come play with her.

“But I had only just stepped in when, somehow, Elder Sister suddenly fell.”

Shen Yue’s face darkened. He ignored most of that and asked, “Suddenly fell? You don’t know why?”

“I don’t.” Tears welled in her eyes.

“Shan Shan never fell before. Why did she fall only after you showed up?” Shen Yue sneered, furious. “And you even dared hit her face?”

Meng Yun faltered, then protested frantically, “Yun’er didn’t! I didn’t hit Elder Sister. I’m being wronged, Brother Shen.”

She truly was being wronged.

I wiped away tears that didn’t exist and sobbed, “Shen Yue, little sister didn’t hit me.”

Shen Yue sighed, his tone softening. “Shan Shan, you’re too kind. That’s why some ungrateful things think they can trample your head and strut.”

He set me down and coaxed, “Shan Shan, don’t be afraid. Hit her back. However she hit you, hit her the same way.”

Me: …

I buried my face against Shen Yue’s chest, pretending to be frightened.

Inwardly, though, I scoffed. Since when does a Green Tea throw punches in broad daylight?

Shen Yue patted my back soothingly and said to Meng Yun, “My wife is soft-hearted, unlike certain venomous snakes. I only brought you to the capital as a favor to the two elders. Not only are you ungrateful, you even bullied my wife in my own home. Pack up and leave first thing tomorrow. This little temple can’t house a great Buddha like you.”

Meng Yun: …

She turned to go, wooden-faced, but Shen Yue called her back.

“Wait. My wife may not hold it against you that you hit her, but I can’t just let it go.”

I lifted my head from his arms, tugged a wronged smile onto my lips, and said, “Shen Yue, it’s fine. It doesn’t hurt.”

Meng Yun was so shocked by my performance she lost control of her expression. Twisting her face, she snapped, “Fine! Shen Yue, you’re something else-raising a venomous creature at home, huh?”

She gave herself a hard slap. “Just my rotten luck! First outing and I run into the two of you!”

With that, she stormed off.

I sneered inwardly. Green Tea is our family’s ancestral art.

I was steeped in tea from birth.