When a Green Tea Meets a Love Brain - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Soon after, it was the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet.

I attended the palace banquet together with Shen Yue. On the way to the palace, we ran into Shen Yue’s cousin Zhao Yao.

Zhao Yao abandoned his horse and climbed into our carriage. He sized me up and down, seemingly very displeased with me. His tone was not friendly as he asked Shen Yue, “Cousin, is this your new wife?”

Shen Yue scolded him, “Mind your manners. You should call her sister-in-law.”

Zhao Yao let out a “Tsk,” and insinuated, “Cousin, I heard that while you were away fighting, certain people at home ate well and slept soundly, not worried at all?”

Shen Yue frowned. “Who’s been spreading such nonsense now?”

“Cousin, I heard from your deputy that you watched him enviously every day as he received letters from his wife, and every day you asked him if anyone from the Shen Mansion in the capital had sent a letter.”

Shen Yue’s expression turned awkward. He glanced at me and said, “Don’t listen to his nonsense! That never happened.”

Me: …

We had been married barely half a month before Shen Yue left for the border. I truly had no feelings for him. And by then I had already stopped playing the Green Tea games, so naturally I wouldn’t fake anything. Besides, the letters he sent every month never asked me to reply.

Zhao Yao, seeing our reactions, immediately understood it was true. He said to Shen Yue with a mix of exasperation and disappointment, “Cousin, you’ve been at the border so long and she hasn’t sent a single letter. She doesn’t care about you at all!”

This triggered my Green Tea defense mechanism. Words to absolve myself blurted out: “The war at the border is intense; I was just afraid that exchanging letters would distract you.” Then I lowered my eyelids, feigning despondence, retreating in order to advance. “Shen Yue, you must have been very disappointed not receiving my letters? Cousin is right, I am not a good wife.”

Shen Yue held my hand, his eyes tender. “No, Shan Shan is the best wife. That I could marry you is a blessing from my previous life. And Shan Shan and I are connected at heart-I know Shan Shan’s longing without needing any external proof.” Then he instantly changed his expression, looked at Zhao Yao, and said coldly and firmly, “You heard her. Shan Shan was only afraid letters would distract me. How is that not caring about me?”

Zhao Yao: …

“Cousin, have you lost your mind from all that fighting?”

Zhao Yao jumped off the carriage in a fury.

Arriving at the palace, there was still some time before the banquet. My sister sent someone to summon me to her quarters.

She was dressed in a purple court gown, her hair full of pearl-and-jade gold hairpins, resplendent and alluring-completely different from her usual little white flower image.

Noticing my surprised look, she blinked and said, “Green Tea isn’t about what clothes she wears or what jewelry she adorns, but what she says and does.”

After sharing some of her recently enlightened Green Tea insights with me, she suddenly asked, “How are things with Shen Yue?”

I thought for a moment and said, “Fine, I guess.”

My sister raised an eyebrow, wearing an expression that said she was looking forward to a good show. “Lin Yubai is back. You’ll probably run into him later.”

Me: …

We Green Teas will always encounter a certain type of person-someone who can see through us at a glance. Like my father’s love rival, like my sister’s love rival. But they are high-level players and have yet to meet someone they can’t handle. I am different; my tea skills are lacking, and I’ve met the most difficult person in my life, Lin Yubai. He is not my love rival, but someone who opposes me. We’ve known each other since we were little. When I was developing my tea studies and exuding tea fragrance, he could always expose me in an instant, leaving me friendless to this day. Fortunately, a few years ago Lin Yubai passed the imperial examination as the top scholar and went to serve as an official elsewhere.

Halfway through the banquet, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor left, and the atmosphere relaxed considerably. The men’s and women’s seating was separate. When I went out to sober up, I ran into Shen Yue’s cousin Zhao Ning and Lin Yubai’s sister Lin Jing’an.

Zhao Ning had no intention of acknowledging me. On the contrary, Lin Jing’an smiled softly and said, “Madam Shen, are you here getting some fresh air, too?”

My Green Tea sixth sense made me subconsciously survey the surroundings. There was a deep pond here, but not deep enough to be fatal. And over by the long corridor, a few madams were admiring flowers.

I immediately smiled even more gently than her. “Yes, I drank a bit earlier and have a terrible headache.”

Zhao Ning, looking smug and self-satisfied, said pointedly, “You should have a headache. I heard Cousin Shen brought back a woman from the border.”

“Ah Ning.” Lin Jing’an cut her off.

Zhao Ning rolled her eyes, dismissively saying, “Sister Jing’an, this matter has spread all over the capital; she’s long since thrown away all her face.”
I: ?
I said, “There was indeed such a thing. That woman was the daughter of an old subordinate of Shen Yue’s father, but because she missed her family too much, she’s already gone back.”
Lin Jing’an suddenly covered her mouth, saying, “But I heard that it was you…”
She stopped mid-sentence.
Zhao Ning said, “It was clearly you who were jealous and forced that woman to leave.”
I roughly knew what these two were up to. Their back-and-forth was merely to make me angry so they could take advantage.
I immediately lowered my eyelids, feigning sadness: “In this world, no woman is willing to share her husband with another woman.”
Then I raised my head again, revealing a smile that was both strong and aggrieved, as if I loved Shen Yue to the bone: “But if Shen Yue likes her, I would agree. As long as Shen Yue is happy, I am happy.”
Zhao Ning: …
Lin Jing’an: …
Their expressions were speechless.
With one plan failed, Zhao Ning grew impatient.
Lin Jing’an walked towards me. Just as she was one step away, her foot twisted. I quickly found a good angle, smiled, and under their astonished gazes, fell backward toward the pond.
Except from the very front view, no matter from which direction you looked, it appeared that Lin Jing’an had pushed me in.
Lin Jing’an: “Why didn’t you tell me she’s so good at pretending?”
Zhao Ning: “Damn it, you damn Green Tea!”
Just as I was about to succeed, a force pulled me back.
I opened my eyes and saw Lin Yubai’s face, looking at me with a half-smile.
I couldn’t help but feel my eyelid twitch.
Zhao Ning instantly panicked and explained, “Lord Lin, she jumped in herself. We didn’t push her. If you don’t believe it, ask Sister Jing’an.”
Lin Jing’an’s expression was complicated: …
Lin Yubai smiled sarcastically and said, “Miss Zhao, what are you panicking about? I saw nothing at all.”
He glanced at Lin Jing’an, who trembled and said, “Second Brother, I’ve been out too long; I should go back.”
Saying this, she bowed slightly, then grabbed Zhao Ning, who still wanted to say something, and left.
Throughout this, I said nothing; after all, pretending to be a Green Tea in front of Lin Yubai was no different from winking at a blind man.
I turned to leave as well, but Lin Yubai suddenly said with a strange tone, “Madam Shen, shouldn’t you thank me?”
Thank him? Without him, I would have shown those two what a real Green Tea is.
I quickened my steps, but Lin Yubai stepped forward and grabbed my hand. “Stop right there!”
I looked at him in confusion. He awkwardly released my hand and said, “Does Shen Yue know your true nature? Tell me, if I were to tell Shen Yue, what would he do?”
I replied indifferently, “Then go ahead and tell him.”
I didn’t love him anyway, so who cared what he thought?
As soon as the words left my mouth, Shen Yue’s figure appeared ahead.
I quickly walked towards Shen Yue, and he looked somewhat flattered.
“How come I feel that Shan Shan has been especially enthusiastic towards me tonight?”
I said perfunctorily, “Shen Yue, I’m tired.”
“Let’s go home.”
“Alright.”
Just as we were about to board the carriage, Lin Yubai appeared again at the palace gate and called out to Shen Yue.
I sat in the carriage and clearly heard their conversation.
Lin Yubai said, “General Shen, don’t be fooled by someone.”
Shen Yue found it baffling and asked, “Lord Lin, why do you say that?”
Lin Yubai laughed: “General Shen, that wife of yours is very good at deceiving people. Be careful you don’t get completely fooled by her.”
Shen Yue’s expression turned sour. “Lord Lin, it seems you’re meddling a bit too much.”
“General Shen, you might not know, but I’ve known Shan Shan for a long time, long before your marriage.”
Lin Yubai’s words were ambiguous, making it easy to misinterpret that I had put a green hat on Shen Yue.
Indeed, as a Green Tea, our greatest fear is this kind of fated enemy.
The air fell silent for a moment, then Shen Yue’s voice quickly rang out.
He said, “Why does Shan Shan only deceive me and not others? She must love me.”
He deliberately emphasized the word “others.”
Lin Yubai: …
I: …
At that moment, I had to admit that my father had a sharp eye, able to spot among many that Shen Yue was suitable for gathering wild vegetables.
Moreover, given the one-sided situation at the scene, even a madman like Lin Yubai was at a loss when faced with a love-struck fool for the first time.