Accidentally Becoming a Green Tea Goddess Everyone Loves - Chapter 16

After a few seconds of hesitation, Shen Shirou finally climbed into the car.

Unlike their previous encounters, there was a chauffeur in the driver’s seat. Qi Yan wasn’t driving herself this time; instead, she sat regally in the back.

As Shen Shirou sat beside her, her soaked clothes clung to her skin. A wave of cold surged through her, forcing a sudden sneeze.

Qi Yan picked up a folded blanket from the seat and handed it over. “Put this on.”

Without missing a beat, she gave an order to the driver: “Turn up the heat.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” the driver complied immediately.

Wrapped in the blanket with the heater humming, Shen Shirou felt the chill dissipate within minutes. She was just about to consider whether she should give Qi Yan a “Good Person” card when she realized the car was heading in the exact opposite direction of her villa.

“You aren’t planning on taking me back?” Shen Shirou turned to ask.

Qi Yan smiled. “Now that you’re in my car, shouldn’t I be the one to decide where we go?”

“If you’re scared, feel free to call your Sister Jiang for help.” Qi Yan leaned in, closing the distance between them.

Her warm breath brushed against Shen Shirou’s shoulder, sending a prickle of itchy sensation through her. Shen Shirou instinctively tried to shrink away, but as she moved, Qi Yan followed, pressing closer.

Qi Yan drew out her words: “Better do it now, otherwise.”

“Once it’s too late, even I don’t know what I might do.” Qi Yan spoke with a half-smile, her dark eyes unfathomable and flickering with a hidden chill.

Despite the thinly veiled threat, Shen Shirou didn’t feel particularly frightened. She had a nagging feeling that Qi Yan was intentionally trying to rattle her.

She wants to see me panic? Fine, I’ll indulge her.

Besides, Shen Shirou was curious to see what Qi Yan really had up her sleeve.

Shen Shirou huddled against the car door, trying to put as much space as possible between them. She gripped the edge of her sleeve, looking the part of a wary victim. “Stop the car.”

“Let me out. I’m not staying in this car anymore.”

The words had barely left her mouth when she heard Qi Yan let out a low chuckle. “I’m just teasing.”

“You’re so cute,” Qi Yan said, arching an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t it be a waste to leave you to a bore like Jiang Peixing?”

Shen Shirou: “…”

She was starting to wonder if the villain of this book was actually a paper tiger. At the very least, Qi Yan wasn’t nearly as terrifying in person as the novel had portrayed her.

Ten minutes later, the car came to a halt.

Shen Shirou peered out the window at an unfamiliar building. “Where is this?”

Qi Yan opened the door and stepped out first. Sitting inside, Shen Shirou looked up at the elegant curve of Qi Yan’s profile.

Leaning against the car, Qi Yan’s red lips parted to give a crisp, succinct answer: “My house.”

Meanwhile, the meeting had ended, and Jiang Peixing returned to her office. Seeing an unidentified gift box sitting on her desk, her brow furrowed.

“Who put this here?” Jiang Peixing tapped the desk and looked at Rong Yuan, who was also in the room. “Throw it away.”

“President Jiang, Miss Shen asked me to hand this to you,” Rong Yuan explained. “She said today is your birthday, so she made a cake specifically to bring to the office.”

The tension in Jiang Peixing’s brow smoothed out slightly. “Where is she?”

“Miss Shen said she didn’t want to disturb your work, so she left early.” Rong Yuan paused, asking tentatively, “Do you still want me to throw it away?”

“Leave it for now.”

After a moment of silence, Jiang Peixing added, “Go get last week’s report.”

Rong Yuan nodded. “Understood.”

Left alone in the office, Jiang Peixing looked up, her gaze fixed on the beautifully packaged cake box. Her eyes were dark and pensive. She stared at it for a long time before finally reaching out to open it.

A small cream cake appeared before her. Written across the top in somewhat shaky, crooked handwriting were the words: “Happy Birthday.”

A note was tucked beside the box.

“Another year older; I hope you stay safe and healthy, Sister. I’ll definitely make the cake better next time, because I want to spend many more birthdays with you.”

Jiang Peixing turned her gaze toward the window.

The rain was torrential, the sky a mass of dark clouds. The rain drummed rhythmically against the glass, blurring the world outside.

Did Shen Shirou make it back?

Jiang Peixing pulled out her phone and scrolled to Shen Shirou’s contact. She hesitated for a moment, but before she realized it, her finger had already pressed the call button.

After a long time, the line simply rang with a busy signal.

“The user you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later.”

Entering Qi Yan’s home, Shen Shirou realized just how monotonous the lives of the wealthy could be.

The house was cavernous. Compared to Jiang Peixing’s villa, this place was even more extravagant. Shen Shirou had to admit—Qi Yan’s claim that she could provide anything Jiang Peixing could wasn’t just empty talk.

“See any room you like?” Qi Yan asked, crossing her arms. “The position of the ‘other mistress’ of this house is still vacant.”

She continued, “This is just one of my properties. If you’re willing, they could all be yours.”

Shen Shirou ignored the bait. “Why did you bring me here?”

Qi Yan countered with a meaningful look. “What do you think we could do here?”

“Given my status, it’s not appropriate for me to stay at your house.” Shen Shirou didn’t bite. She continued matter-of-factly, “Thank you for the ride, but I should go home now.”

“Not so fast.” Qi Yan picked up a bathrobe and stuffed it into Shen Shirou’s hands with an air of practiced ease. “Take a shower first.”

“You’ve been soaked for too long. If you don’t change, I’ll likely be driving you to the hospital next.”

“Don’t worry. Since I said I’m pursuing you, I won’t take advantage of you while you’re vulnerable.” Qi Yan added with a smirk, “At least, not this time.”

Being soaked to the bone was indeed miserable, so Shen Shirou didn’t argue.

After her shower, Shen Shirou changed into the robe. She wanted to check the time, but after searching her pockets, she couldn’t find her phone. Only then did she remember she had left it back at the villa.

As she stepped out of the bathroom, she ran straight into Qi Yan.

Qi Yan was leaning against the hallway wall, looking as if she had been waiting. Seeing Shen Shirou, she extended a slender finger and beckoned. “Come here.”

Shen Shirou stayed put. “If you have something to say, you can say it from there.”

“Why so far away?” Qi Yan rested her chin on her hand, smiling playfully. “I don’t bite.”

But whether I’ll “eat” you is another matter entirely. Qi Yan kept that thought to herself.

“Fine, I’ll stop teasing you.” Seeing Shen Shirou looking like a cat that had just had its tail stepped on, Qi Yan enjoyed herself immensely. “I’ll dry your hair for you.”

Shen Shirou: “I can do it myself.”

Qi Yan’s refusal was absolute. “No.” She left no room for negotiation.

“Why?” Shen Shirou asked.

Qi Yan replied with a straight face, “Because I want to do it.”

Shen Shirou thought she was joking, but when Qi Yan actually stood behind her and picked up the hairdryer, moving with surprising gentleness through her damp hair, she realized Qi Yan was serious.

As her fingertips brushed through the soft, dark tresses, Qi Yan leaned down and whispered in a low voice, “You smell lovely.”

Shen Shirou didn’t quite catch it. “What?”

Lifting a lock of Shen Shirou’s hair, Qi Yan leaned against her shoulder in an intimate stance. “I said you smell very sweet.”

Eventually, Qi Yan drove Shen Shirou back to the villa. By the time she stepped out of the car, the rain had almost stopped.

Shen Shirou had no intention of lingering, but Qi Yan spoke up first. “Aren’t you going to invite me in for a cup of tea before I go?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Shen Shirou said. “If Sister Jiang is home and sees you, she’ll misunderstand our relationship.”

Qi Yan didn’t look like the type to clear up any misunderstandings. In fact, Shen Shirou felt lucky enough as long as Qi Yan didn’t fabricate more lies.

“Wouldn’t it be better if she misunderstood?” Qi Yan teased. “That way, I could openly elope with her fiancée.”

Who wants to elope with you? I never agreed to that, Shen Shirou thought.

“And,” Qi Yan glanced at Shen Shirou’s bare wrist, “remember to wear the bracelet I gave you next time.”

“Alright.” Before Shen Shirou could respond, Qi Yan motioned toward the house. “The wind is picking up. Get inside.”

Shen Shirou hesitated for a moment, then gave a small, quiet parting: “Goodbye.”

With that, she turned and headed into the villa courtyard without looking back.