Chapter 34: Ch 34: Green Tea Schemes and Hidden Tears

The kitchen was bathed in the soft, warm light of the late afternoon sun streaming through the wide windows. Golden rays danced across the polished countertops and stainless steel surfaces, creating a deceptively peaceful atmosphere.

Su Wanyan moved with quiet efficiency. She brought out a sturdy pot from the lower cabinet, the metal cool against her fingers, and filled it with clear, cold water from the tap. The liquid splashed gently, creating small ripples that caught the light.

She placed the pot on the stove and turned the knob to medium-high heat, listening to the soft click and the steady hum as the flame ignited beneath it. The faint, comforting scent of boiling water and fresh potatoes filled the air, mingling with the subtle herbal notes from the ingredients Su Wanyan had laid out.

Next, she retrieved several potatoes from the basket, their skins rough and earthy under her hands. She washed them thoroughly under running water, the cool stream washing away dirt and revealing the smooth, pale flesh beneath.

After drying them with a clean towel, she peeled them carefully, the thin strips of skin curling away like delicate ribbons. The rhythmic sound of the knife against the cutting board was soothing—steady, precise chops that turned the potatoes into neat, uniform cubes.

As she worked, Su Wanyan’s mind wandered back to Mo Xingxue. How do I coax her properly? Su Wanyan thought with a quiet sigh, her hands never stopping their task. She finished chopping and gently slid the potato cubes into the now-boiling pot, watching them sink and swirl in the bubbling water. She turned around to grab the condensed milk from the pantry—and froze.

Lin Xuanyu stood silently at the kitchen entrance, his figure framed by the doorway like a shadow that had appeared from nowhere.

Since when? Su Wanyan thought warily. Even with her enhanced hearing from the potion, she hadn’t caught a single footstep. Was this part of his plot armor or something? She took a cautious step back, her body tensing instinctively.

Lin Xuanyu’s face remained perfectly composed, as if he hadn’t noticed her startled reaction. Then, with theatrical suddenness, tears welled up in his eyes. He strode forward and threw his arms around Su Wanyan in a tight hug, burying his face against her shoulder.

"Teacher Su....." he whimpered, his voice pitiful and trembling, as though he had been wronged by the entire world. The embrace was desperate, his grip surprisingly strong for someone with such a delicate appearance.

One of the recording cameras in the corner of the kitchen captured the entire moment in high definition. The barrage immediately split into two warring factions.

[Wow, they look so cute.]

[I didn’t like Su Wanyan’s attitude toward Lin Xuanyu these past few hours, but I think I’m changing my mind.]

[They look so good together though.]

[Wait.. this ship is kinda giving.]

[Is it wrong to say I have shipped them since day 1?]

[Agreed.]

The other half was far less impressed.

[HEY! YO, GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER! And yes, it’s wrong to ship them.]

[Distance yourself from her this instance, you insolent fool! And yes, it is wrong to ship them.]

[Hey, hey, hey!! That’s not good! What if Mo Xingxue misunderstood her again?!]

[SOMEONE HOLD ME BACK BEFORE I BEAT HIS BITCH ASS UP!]

[Upstairs, you can’t even walk from our activity last night, how can you beat him up?]

[CAN YOU SHUT UPP??!]

[Don’t worry, upstairs. I’ll beat him up for you.]

[Finally! You finally said something right!]

[Wait, what activity are you two talking about??]

Su Wanyan froze for a split second, then gently but firmly pushed Lin Xuanyu away, using just enough strength from her enhanced abilities to avoid hurting him while creating distance. Despite her careful force, his grip was like a vice—stubborn and unyielding.

"I’m cooking right now, Teacher Lin," Su Wanyan said, her voice calm and polite, trying to persuade him with words alone.

In response, Lin Xuanyu only sobbed harder, his tears soaking into her shirt. "No one! No one in this villa likes me!" he cried dramatically.

Su Wanyan felt deeply uncomfortable in every part of her body. Fuck, leave me out of your schemes! she thought angrily, fighting the urge to shove him harder.

She sighed. "Can you let go of me first?" she asked, resigned.

Lin Xuanyu shook his head and buried his face deeper into her shoulder.

Su Wanyan felt alarm bells ringing loudly in her head. She gently nudged him again. "Let go first. We’ll talk about why you’re sad," she said, twisting slightly in his hold. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Lin Xuanyu finally looked up at her, eyes red and the tip of his nose pink. To others, it might have looked heartbreakingly pitiful. To Su Wanyan, it only reeked of calculated manipulation. This scheming man! she thought, disgusted. I don’t want to get pulled into your petty little schemes!

Even as fury simmered inside her, Su Wanyan kept her expression gentle and calm, offering a small, wry smile. "Really?" Lin Xuanyu asked, his voice nasal and trembling.

Su Wanyan fought the urge to frown and nodded gently. "Yes, really."

Lin Xuanyu finally released her. Su Wanyan immediately took two small steps back, nodding politely. Lin Xuanyu, sensing he had her attention, smiled slyly inside. Heh, what a naive alpha. But outwardly, his eyes reddened again as he launched into his performance.

"Teacher Su...." he started, voice choking up, "why does no one like me?"

Su Wanyan blinked at him, fighting the urge to say, It’s because we can all see you’re green tea. Instead, she put on a reproachful look. "Hey, don’t say that," she said gently, using the same soothing tone she would with upset children. "We like you."

Lin Xuanyu shook his head, bowing it sadly. "No," he uttered pitifully. "They clearly don’t like me." Then he stared straight at her with sparkling, teary eyes. "You’re the only one who’s good to me, Teacher Su."

Su Wanyan looked at him weirdly but expertly masked it. I didn’t even do anything yet? she questioned inwardly, growing more curious about whatever scheme was brewing in that head of his.

She pursed her lips and managed a soft, slightly distant smile. "CEO Gu is very good to you though?"

Lin Xuanyu froze for a fraction of a second, then covered his face with his hands, masking a sly smile before looking up again with fresh tears. "He’s more good to Teacher Mo rather than me," he sobbed.

Su Wanyan just looked at him calmly, then turned back to check on the boiling potatoes, not really minding his words. "Oh, is that so?" she hummed.

Lin Xuanyu froze again, sensing the lack of care, but he pushed on. "I know you and Teacher Mo have a thing going on," he said, his voice laced with guilt, looking at her as if afraid she would lash out.

Su Wanyan raised an eyebrow at him. He’s trying to wedge my relationship with Mo Xingxue? She revealed a calm smile. "I know my best friend, Teacher Lin," she said, turning her back on him fully. "She won’t try to get between you and CEO Gu." After saying that, she continued her work without another glance.

Lin Xuanyu stared at her back, shocked by her unwavering trust in Mo Xingxue. But he quickly recovered, revealing an annoyed expression, but his position was perfectly angled that it wasn’t captured in the camera. Mo Xingxue might not care about Gu Chengze, but Gu Chengze sure as hell would do anything to get close to her, he thought angrily. Then he stomped off, leaving the kitchen.

Su Wanyan noticed the absence of his presence and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Her shoulders relaxed, and her face softened noticeably as the tension drained away.

[Hah, he’s finally gone.]

[Fr, he stressed me out.]

[It’s so funny how he’s trying to create a wedge between Su Wanyan’s and Mo Xingxue’s relationship.]

[Lol, true!]

[Luckily our Su Wanyan trusts her wife very much.]

[Yeah, if only she stopped calling Mo Xingxue "best friend" and called her "wife" instead, smh.]

[Fr.]

While the barrage continued its chaotic banter, Su Wanyan finally finished preparing the fruit salad and mashed potatoes. She plated them nicely, the colors vibrant and appetizing under the kitchen lights, then headed back toward the living room carrying the dishes carefully.

When she arrived, she couldn’t find Mo Xingxue anywhere. Instead, Gu Chengze was sitting close to where Mo Xingxue had been earlier. Something felt off. Su Wanyan’s instincts prickled.

"Where’s Mo Xingxue?" she asked.

Song Meiyu pointed toward their shared room. "She’s in your room."

Su Wanyan smiled and nodded gratefully before hurrying off. When she reached the door, she knocked gently. "Xuexue? You in there?"

There was no answer. She pressed her ear to the door and heard soft, muffled sobbing.

Alarm shot through her. Su Wanyan opened the door and rushed inside. Mo Yan was sleeping soundly on the crib, but on Mo Xingxue’s side, there was a large bundle huddled under the blanket.

Su Wanyan gently placed the dishes on her own bed and approached carefully. "Xuexue?" she called softly, getting closer. "Xuexue, it’s me. What’s wrong?"

The bundle froze. "Yanyan?" Mo Xingxue’s voice came out small and trembling, as if afraid Su Wanyan might disappear.

Su Wanyan hummed reassuringly. "It’s me. What’s wrong?" Her voice became even gentler, filled with quiet concern.

Mo Xingxue pulled the blanket down and rushed forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Su Wanyan. Su Wanyan hugged her back just as fiercely, one hand patting her back in slow, soothing circles.

Then, in a tearful, broken voice, Mo Xingxue whispered, "I’m scared."