Give Her a Chance to Flirt! - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 

The Hongran Project was centered on black tea.

 

Two years ago, the Westward University Tea Research Institute, in collaboration with the Yu family, used single-plant selection and isolation methods to breed a superior tea variety named Hongran No. 77.

 

Hongran No. 77 had a stable yield and strong adaptability, making it easy to introduce and cultivate in various regions. It was ideal for making Qimen black tea; its buds, leaves, color, and taste could all reach upper-middle quality, making it perfect for large-scale promotion.

 

The black tea market was a relatively weak area for the Yu family. Currently, they were preparing to cultivate Hongran No. 77 in large quantities to expand their market share—a major strategic move.

 

As luck would have it, the black tea market was the Lin family’s domain, especially regarding Qimen black tea and Lapsang Souchong; the market recognized almost no one but the Lins.

 

Lin Jiu understood the plan as soon as she saw it—she knew why Yu Yihan wouldn’t give up on cooperating with the Lin family.

 

Yu Yihan needed the Lins to promote the tea for her, to lend their reputation to the project, and to help her win the recognition of tea connoisseurs for this new variety.

 

Man, this was clearly a business deal where the Yu family should be the ones begging the Lin family, yet somehow Yu Yihan had managed the operations so well that the roles seemed reversed.

 

To be honest, Lin Jiu felt that with the original body’s limited skills, she couldn’t possibly have decided the life or death of the project; it was more likely the entire project team was being suppressed by Yu Yihan’s dominance.

 

Once she had more or less figured this out, it was time to head to the old family mansion.

 

Lin Jiu opened her walk-in closet and picked out a smoky-pink top paired with a white mermaid skirt. Thinking it was just a family dinner, she put on earrings but skipped the makeup.

 

When she arrived at the mansion, she noticed her cousin Lin Wu staring at her incessantly.

 

“Is something wrong?” Lin Jiu raised an eyebrow, looking back at her openly.

 

Lin Wu bit her lip and looked away.

 

Is it my imagination? She felt her cousin had not only become quieter but also better-looking.

 

She had been staring for a while and realized Lin Jiu didn’t seem to be wearing any foundation—even that tiny mole under her eye was clearly visible.

 

What kind of cosmetic procedure did Lin Jiu get?

 

And the way Lin Jiu looked when she walked in—tiny waist, long legs, like a literal succubus—drew eyes immediately to the curve of her hips. How had she never noticed before that Lin Jiu had such an hourglass figure!

 

Lin Wu didn’t know that the current Lin Jiu was, in fact, a genuine “spirit/demon.”

 

Green with envy, Lin Wu took note of Lin Jiu’s outfit and then hugged the Old Matriarch’s arm, acting spoiled:

 

“Grandma, I’ve visited several teachers at the Tea Research Institute lately, and I even got some tea leaves from a friend at the Yu Corporation.”

 

The eldest aunt chimed in: “That’s right, Mom. Our Xiao Wu has been so dedicated, running to the research institute every day. It’s so far away; it breaks my heart as a mother to see it.”

 

After speaking, she added as if casually: “I heard Xiao Jiu hasn’t left the house much. Young people shouldn’t be lazy.”

 

“Does Cousin not have a driver to take her back and forth?”

 

A melodious voice rang out, filled with genuine confusion.

 

The eldest aunt took a breath and looked at Lin Jiu:

 

“You…”

 

“Oh dear.” Lin Jiu covered her lips with a look of apology. “I misunderstood Eldest Aunt’s meaning. It turns out Aunt was exaggerating Cousin’s hardships because she wanted to use her to encourage me to be more proactive.”

 

The aunt’s retort—”Are you asking a question you already know the answer to just to pick a fight with me?”—got stuck in her throat. It was incredibly frustrating.

 

Lin Wu, disgusted by this move of “confronting first, then acting like a green tea,” snapped:

 

“Regardless, what my mom said is the truth. Why don’t you tell us what you’ve been doing lately?”

 

Lin Jiu pondered for a moment and said:

 

“Continuously deepening my knowledge and understanding of tea culture.”

 

“Closely monitoring the status of offline distribution channels and tea manor operations.”

 

“Engaging in in-depth, face-to-face exchanges and discussions regarding tea with our partner.”

 

“Establishing a communication platform with the person in charge of our partner—Ms. Yu Yihan—dedicated to maintaining strategic stability between both parties and promoting a more fair, friendly, and reasonable cooperation.”

 

“…”

 

In the silence filled with people either being utterly bamboozled or left speechless, the Old Patriarch—who usually had very little presence while tending his plants—was the first to clap:

 

“Not bad at all. Xiao Jiu is so capable, not bad at all.”

 

Lin Jiu gave a shy smile.

 

The Old Matriarch couldn’t take it anymore and cleared her throat:

 

“Xiao Wu, did you bring the tea leaves? Xiao Yu brewed some for me before. Today, let everyone taste what this new tea is like.”

 

Lin Wu calmed her emotions and presented the tea leaves like a treasure, opening the lid:

 

“I brewed these at home with Mom and Dad a few times. I feel that although it can’t compare to our family’s top-tier teas, the overall quality is decent.”

 

The Old Matriarch pinched a small amount of leaves to examine them:

 

“Hmm… the appearance of this batch is quite good.”

 

“Eh?” Lin Jiu let out a small syllable.

 

Lin Wu became instantly alert and defensive:

 

“What is it now?” What kind of trouble are you going to stir up this time?

 

Surprisingly, Lin Jiu just shook her head, looking gentle and obedient:

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

The effort Lin Wu put into her alertness hit nothing but air; she just felt mentally exhausted.

 

Lin Jiu is too difficult to deal with!

 

The family dinner ended successfully amidst the fragrance of Qimen black tea—at least, that’s what Lin Jiu thought.

 

On the way home, she pulled out her phone and opened her chat with Yu Yihan.

 

The chat window was spotless; the two hadn’t spoken a single word since adding each other.

 

Lin Jiu considered their relationship and felt it wasn’t appropriate to make saucy remarks, nor did she feel comfortable acting “moe,” so she said politely:

 

“President Yu, I require a few tins of Hongran No. 77 for experiments. I hereby apply for them and hope for your approval.”

 

The night was deep, but the Yu Corporation’s executive floor was still bustling.

 

Further down the dimly lit corridor, inside the CEO’s office, it was so quiet that even the sound of the humidifier was clearly audible.

 

The air conditioning in the office was turned up high, yet the man in the suit standing before the desk was covered in sweat. He stood with his hands down, not daring to wipe his forehead.

 

The CEO’s assistant stood nearby, not daring to intervene.

 

Tap. Tap.

 

The sound of a fountain pen tapping against the mahogany desk was dull and rhythmic. The subordinate’s head dropped three inches lower.

 

“The tea garden in Jiangbei has such a huge mess, yet you have quite the talent for deceiving your superiors.”

 

Yu Yihan gave a short laugh, but there was no mirth in her eyes; there was even a hint of ruthlessness hidden there:

 

“Uncle Jiang, I’ve called you ‘Uncle’ since I was a child out of respect for your friendship with my father’s generation. That doesn’t mean you can treat me like a child to be fooled with excuses.”

 

“Yihan… no, President Yu, it was my mistake this time, but that—”

 

Yu Yihan raised her index finger to her lips, signaling the man to stop his repetitive clichés.

 

They were useless against her.

 

Her pale finger against her cherry-red lips created an aura of intense charm, while simultaneously representing the “prohibition” issued by the Queen of the Yu business empire.

 

The office fell silent again.

 

Until a soft vibration alert sounded.

 

The assistant noticed that this wasn’t President Yu’s work phone, but her private one.

 

Seeing Yu Yihan pick up the phone, he understood she didn’t intend to continue the conversation. He politely escorted the middle-aged man out.

 

When he returned, he saw a shallow smile on President Yu’s lips—so faint the assistant thought he was seeing things. When he blinked, it was gone.

 

He only heard his boss command:

 

“Go send some black tea made from Hongran No. 77 to the Lin family.”

 

“Certainly. To the Lin family mansion?” the assistant asked, assuming that was the case.

 

“To the third branch of the Lin family. Give it to Lin Jiu.”

 

Um… come again??

 

After Lin Jiu received the tea leaves Yu Yihan sent, she immediately began her experiments.

 

The fragrance of the dry tea was relatively faint, but to Lin Jiu, it felt as though the entire air had been dyed with the scent of tea.

 

The moment she smelled it, she could vaguely perceive the best way to process this tea and what the flavor would be.

 

After locking herself at home for two days, Lin Jiu finally determined that brewing was simply not the best fate for Hongran No. 77!

 

That same day, she took her results to find Yu Yihan.

 

Lin Jiu had informed Yu Yihan before coming. Yu Yihan gave her face and arranged for her assistant to meet her on the first floor.

 

The assistant, wearing a friendly smile and looking straight ahead, escorted Lin Jiu into Yu Yihan’s office. He then turned and jogged back to his seat to open the “CEO Office Slacking & Chatting Group”:

 

“You guys know that Ms. Lin who was fighting with President Yu, right? Holy crap, she is incredibly beautiful—indescribably, pitifully beautiful!”

 

“Most importantly, she came up carrying a thermal container. Is she delivering lunch to President Yu? Total ‘Little Wife’ vibes!”

 

This was like a stone causing a thousand ripples.

 

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“How beautiful? Can she be more beautiful than Goddess Yu?”

 

“I just passed the front desk, I can testify—the thermal container is real, and the big beauty is real too. I used to hate her, but after seeing that face, instantly: ‘Sister, I’m yours’ QAQ”

 

Lin Jiu was completely unaware of the fervor in the company chat group.

 

Her primary concern right now wasn’t Yu Yihan, but showing Yu Yihan her results.

 

Lin Jiu was radiating an aura of “Quick, look at this!” Yu Yihan paused and stood up to walk toward her.

 

She suddenly remembered that Lin Jiu was probably twenty-three or twenty-four years old, yet at this moment she still seemed like a child who couldn’t suppress her excitement, her eyes sparkling like stars, reservedly waiting for praise.

 

Whether it’s a junior or a child, they both need encouragement. Yu Yihan walked over compliantly and saw a fairly large thermal container.

 

The President was polite enough not to let the question mark show on her face.

 

The thermal container was opened.

 

Inside the porcelain bowl sat five tea eggs.