Accidentally Becoming a Green Tea Goddess Everyone Loves - Chapter 9

Perhaps Shen Shirou’s inner wishes were granted, because for the next few days, she didn’t run into Qi Yan again.

Time flew by. From the moment she transmigrated into the novel until now, a full month had passed. The day to break the engagement was drawing closer.

Just as Shen Shirou thought the remaining two months would pass peacefully, the original plot surged toward her like a sudden tidal wave.

To help her and Jiang Peixing cultivate their relationship, Father and Mother Jiang decided that Father Jiang would temporarily take over all company affairs. They granted Jiang Peixing a short vacation so she could go on a trip with Shen Shirou.

Shen Shirou confirmed with System 888 that this was a scripted event in the novel—in other words, a mission she couldn’t decline.

The good news was that the trip wouldn’t last long; she only had to endure seven days with Jiang Peixing.

Shen Shirou didn’t mind. Upon receiving the news, she went straight to find Lu Yanwei. She told Lu Yanwei she would be going away for a week and wouldn’t be able to drop by, so they would have to keep in touch via phone.

“Take good care of yourself while you’re away,” Lu Yanwei urged. “The weather has been turning cold lately. Dress warmly so you don’t catch a cold.”

Since they had become close, Lu Yanwei had become exceptionally attentive toward her.

“Don’t worry,” Shen Shirou said. “I’ll only be gone for seven days.”

“Remember to keep in touch.” After a moment of hesitation, Lu Yanwei’s face flushed. Her voice dropped so low she could barely hear herself as she stammered, “I, I’ll miss you.”

Lu Yanwei’s voice was so faint that Shen Shirou leaned in closer. “Hm? What did you say? I didn’t catch that.”

Lu Yanwei felt a surge of relief that Shen Shirou hadn’t heard her, but it was accompanied by an unavoidable sense of disappointment.

“It’s nothing.” She gazed at Shen Shirou with a complex expression, not repeating her previous words. “Come back soon.”

“Mhm,” Shen Shirou replied. “The moment I get back, you’ll be the first person I look for.”

After saying goodbye to Lu Yanwei, Shen Shirou returned to the villa and began packing.

Rong Yuan was the one who came to pick her up. She waited at the villa entrance in Jiang Peixing’s car. Once Shen Shirou finished packing, she tossed her luggage into the trunk and hopped in.

Noticing Jiang Peixing was nowhere to be seen, Shen Shirou looked around and asked, “Where is Sister Jiang?”

Rong Yuan started the engine. “The President went to the airport ahead of time.”

Oh.

Internally, Shen Shirou was unfazed, but she forced a look of dejection onto her face. “So Sister is already at the airport. I thought she’d come to pick me up.”

An hour later, Shen Shirou arrived at the airport. Seeing Jiang Peixing, she greeted her with a smile. Jiang Peixing, true to form, ignored her.

Shen Shirou had expected to sit in business class with Jiang Peixing, but she was soon given a masterclass in what “wealth” really looked like. The Jiang family had chartered a private jet. Aside from the flight crew, the two hundred-plus seats were occupied by only her and Jiang Peixing.

Jiang Peixing sat in the third row. After stowing her luggage, Shen Shirou moved to the third row as well. “Can I sit next to you, Sister?”

Jiang Peixing opened her tray table and took a laptop out of her handbag, preparing to power it on. She was as stingy as ever with her words. “Don’t disturb my work.”

No wonder Jiang Peixing didn’t seem to bring much luggage; she had simply traveled a great distance just to change her office location.

Even though Jiang Peixing’s attitude was lukewarm, Shen Shirou felt she was being merciful enough. At least she hadn’t ignored her words entirely. Shen Shirou sat to Jiang Peixing’s left and remained well-behaved the whole way.

It wasn’t until the plane was about to land and Jiang Peixing put away her laptop that Shen Shirou spoke to her. “Sister, you’ve been working for so long. Why don’t you rest for a bit first, and tomorrow we can—”

Without looking up, Jiang Peixing cut her off. “No need.”

Shen Shirou said worriedly, “But I don’t want you to exhaust yourself just to accompany me on this trip. It would make me feel so guilty.”

Jiang Peixing frowned, unmoved. “If you feel guilty, you can go back now.”

Shen Shirou felt that in Jiang Peixing’s eyes, her status probably didn’t even rank above a USB drive.

“How could I do that? I need to take care of you personally,” Shen Shirou said righteously, as if she truly cared deeply for her. “Otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep well at night.”

Of course, the main reason was that the plot wouldn’t let her leave. Otherwise, Shen Shirou would have run faster than a rabbit.

After landing, the two took their luggage to a famous local resort. The destination had apparently been carefully selected by Jiang Peixing’s parents—a romantic, exotic island.

However, Shen Shirou privately believed that when traveling with someone like Jiang Peixing, even the most romantic place could be turned into a private office. Perhaps Father and Mother Jiang had considered this, as they had already prepared a detailed itinerary for them.

As expected, their schedule followed the plan. After dinner, the two headed out to visit a nearby ancient temple. To get there, they had to cross an old suspension bridge. Because of its age, the wooden planks let out a sharp creak with every step.

Shen Shirou stepped onto the bridge cautiously. “Sister, can I hold your hand? It’s so high; I’m afraid to cross.”

Perhaps not wanting to delay the schedule because of her, Jiang Peixing frowned and said tonelessly, “Let go once we’re across.”

Shen Shirou had been prepared for a rejection, so she was surprised by Jiang Peixing’s leniency. Since she had made the request, she had to play the part. She gripped Jiang Peixing’s hand timidly, stopping every two steps, appearing genuinely terrified.

“You’re moving too slowly,” Jiang Peixing couldn’t help but urge. “Do you want to spend the night here?”

“I’m sorry, Sister, but I’m really scared.” Shen Shirou peeked over the edge, looking petrified. “I’m afraid of heights.”

Jiang Peixing looked up. “Close your eyes. I’ll lead you.”

Shen Shirou did as she was told. In the darkness, Jiang Peixing led her across the suspension bridge quickly.

“Thank you, Sister,” Shen Shirou said afterward, her voice full of feigned sincerity. “You’re so good to me.”

Jiang Peixing was not the understanding Lu Yanwei. Her expression didn’t change, and she seemed entirely unaffected by Shen Shirou’s words.

Just past the bridge was the temple. The sign read “Mianyue Temple.” According to the resort staff, this ancient temple was specifically for those seeking blessings for their romantic relationships. There was a “Marriage Tree” in the temple, draped in countless red silk ribbons. Each ribbon had two names written on it, representing a wish for a beautiful union.

Shen Shirou asked the monk for one. Holding the blank red ribbon, she clasped her hands together before the tree and muttered, “I want to be with Sister forever, never to be parted.”

A breeze brushed through the night air, rustling the silk on the tree. Shen Shirou stood on her tiptoes and hung her ribbon on a branch. Jiang Peixing stood to the side, watching her. Her eyes were deep, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

On the way back to the resort, Shen Shirou accidentally sprained her ankle. Looking down at her reddening ankle, she worried that Jiang Peixing would leave her behind.

Glancing at Shen Shirou crouching on the ground, Jiang Peixing knit her brows and muttered in a heavy voice, “Troublesome.”

She turned her back and crouched down as well, saying in a near-commanding tone, “Get on.”

Shen Shirou mused that Jiang Peixing still had a shred of a conscience left since she didn’t plan to abandon her halfway. She wrapped her arms around Jiang Peixing’s shoulders and let herself be carried.

“It’s all because I’m so clumsy.” Shen Shirou put on a distressed expression, though she felt no guilt at all. “Now I’ve become a burden to you, Sister.”

“Less talk.” In the stillness of the night, Jiang Peixing’s voice was exceptionally clear. “Unless you’d prefer to walk back yourself.”

Shen Shirou shut her mouth immediately. If she had to limp all the way back on her own, she wouldn’t make it until dawn.

Once they reached their lodgings, Shen Shirou went straight to her room and flopped onto the bed. she pulled out her phone, selected “Lu Yanwei” from her contacts, and dialed the number.

The call was picked up almost instantly.

Lu Yanwei’s voice came through. “Shirou? Is that you?”

With caller ID, Lu Yanwei obviously knew who was calling. But it was only by hearing Shen Shirou’s voice with her own ears that her heart could truly settle.

“Mhm,” Shen Shirou hummed in response.

That single-syllable reply was enough to make Lu Yanwei’s eyes curve into a smile.

“I passed by that bar today and remembered the first time we met and that convenience store, I bought the strawberry yogurt you like. The weather here is wonderful, it’s been sunny and breezy all day.”

Realizing she was rambling incoherently, Lu Yanwei gradually fell silent. She didn’t quite know what she was trying to say; she was simply sharing every beautiful thing she encountered with Shen Shirou by instinct.

Lu Yanwei hadn’t explicitly said she missed her, yet every word out of her mouth felt like a confession of longing. Even though this was only the first day of Shen Shirou’s absence.

Shen Shirou said, “Everything is fine here, too. The night is beautiful, but—”

“But what?” Lu Yanwei asked.

“But you aren’t here, so I find it quite dull.” Accompanied by Shen Shirou’s sweet, melodic chuckle through the phone, Lu Yanwei’s breath hitched.

Her heart, which had finally managed to calm down, began to throb wildly once again.