The Green Tea Omega Has Turned Bad - Chapter 17

Watching Shang Wandong’s slender figure as she walked away, Yan Xia suddenly had a bold thought: “System, was she acting a little jealous just now?”

System: “Dear Host, what on earth makes you think a block of wood like her is capable of an emotion like jealousy?”

Yan Xia murmured, “But I just feel like something isn’t quite right.”

System: “Then why don’t you just ask her directly?”

The answer she’d get would probably be far less wonderful than what she was imagining. Yan Xia played out the scene in her head and immediately abandoned the idea.

At dusk, the entire campus was bathed in orange-red sunlight. Lush camphor trees lined both sides of the road, casting long, dense shadows across the ground. Yan Xia stepped through the shadows, clutching her backpack straps, and broke into a small trot to catch up with Shang Wandong.

The tenth graders were dismissed early. Yan Siqiu was already waiting in the car, yawning as she gazed out the window. She first spotted Shang Wandong, then noticed a girl following behind her someone whose mannerisms and appearance looked incredibly familiar.

Yan Siqiu rolled down the window, eyeing the beautiful girl, and asked Shang Wandong, “Sister Wandong, is this a friend of yours?”

Shang Wandong glanced at her, her tone turning inexplicably cold. “This is your sister.”

The expression on Yan Siqiu’s face froze instantly.

Yan Xia pulled open the car door, her voice carrying a hint of teasing. “Little sister, do you not even recognize me anymore?”

“You…” Yan Siqiu turned around stiffly, looking at her as if she were an alien.

Yan Xia arched an eyebrow and gave her a friendly smile.

Yan Siqiu asked dryly, “How… how did you turn into this?” Were you kidnapped by aliens?

“Does it look good?” Yan Xia toyed with a strand of hair by her cheek, smiling brightly. “Wandong picked this hairstyle for me.”

She was practically flaunting it: Are you jealous? You don’t have one!

For a moment, Yan Siqiu didn’t know whether to be shocked or angry. She glared at Yan Xia for a few seconds before abruptly turning away.

She didn’t even snap back at me, Yan Xia thought. Looks like she needs some time to digest this.

Suddenly, a system notification rang in her ear.

Announcement: Reader ‘Fresh Clothes and Angry Horses’ has gifted a Landmine x1. Message: “Go Xiaxia! Xia-Dong is real!” Positive Points +50!

“Ding! Positive Points +250!”

Yan Xia was startled. “Why the sudden jump?” And that number ‘250’ feels like it’s insulting me! (Note: 250 is Chinese slang for “idiot”).

“You finished the 800-meter run (+50), and there’s progress in the emotional line (+50),” the System explained. “The other 100 points are a compensatory reward for a previous system maintenance bug.”

“…There are rewards for system maintenance?!”

An even bolder idea formed in Yan Xia’s mind.

The System seemed to see right through her: “Maliciously exploiting bugs to farm positive points is strictly prohibited! Watch out, or I’ll deduct your points!”

Yan Xia replied righteously, “What are you talking about! Do I look like the type of person who likes to look for loopholes?”

System: “…You’d better not be.”

The Reaction at the Villa

Yan Siqiu wasn’t the only one shocked; the maids at the villa were equally stunned. From the start of dinner until the end, Yan Xia felt several pairs of burning eyes fixed on her. To those who lived with Yan Xia day in and day out, this transformation was no less shocking than witnessing an ugly duckling suddenly turn into a white swan.

Once she went upstairs, Mother Qiu hurriedly pulled out her phone and messaged Zhao Daimann: “Madam, this is bad! The Second Young Lady must have taken the wrong medicine!”

Zhao Daimann was currently playing cards with a group of noblewomen. She replied leisurely: “What’s wrong with that wretched girl now?”

Mother Qiu: “The Second Young Lady… she’s changed a lot.”

Zhao Daimann (dismissively): “Is that so? Did she get better or worse? Or is she sick again? That money-loser… I don’t know how much money we’ve spent on her medicine since she was a child, and she never improves.”

Mother Qiu replied honestly: “No, the Second Young Lady changed her hairstyle.”

Zhao Daimann was furious: “A hairstyle? You’re bothering me with such a trivial matter? Do you have nothing better to do!”

“But she really has changed a lot… you should come back and see for yourself.”

Zhao Daimann only dropped a cold sentence: “In the future, don’t mention such irrelevant things. Tell me when she’s about to die of illness!”

With that, she slammed the phone face-down on the table and dove back into the mahjong whirlwind.

Mother Qiu felt helpless. Sometimes, she truly pitied the Second Young Lady. The Yan family’s way of raising children was more like an investment; they demanded an equivalent return. Yan Yonggui and Yan Siqiu were “excellent stock” the more they shined, the more care and encouragement they received. Yan Xia never had any of that.

No one stood up to support or help her during her hardest times. Zhao Daimann would only tell her: “You aren’t working hard enough. Look at yourself you’re useless.”

How could constant blame make a child better? But Mother Qiu didn’t dare say these things aloud; she could only remain silent.

The Eve of the Exam

Yan Xia, oblivious to these conversations, spent another night reviewing in Shang Wandong’s room. The next day, she went to school looking radiant.

Upon arriving at class, Zhong Quan turned around eagerly and said, “Yan Xia, let me get some water for you.”

“Thank you.” Yan Xia stayed seated, smiling as she watched him run out of the classroom.

Jiang He glanced at her, her tone icy. “You’re certainly popular.”

Yan Xia ignored her and pulled out her books to continue reviewing.

“You’re still memorizing?” Jiang He leaned over, sprawling across Yan Xia’s desk and muttering, “You don’t seriously think you can get into the top ten, do you?”

Yan Xia didn’t look up. “I promised the homeroom teacher. I will definitely make the top ten.”

Jiang He was surprised. “I thought you were joking… with your grades, it’ll be a miracle if you don’t drag down the class average.” Seeing that Yan Xia didn’t respond, she added hypocritically, “Don’t blame me for being direct! After all, your usual grades aren’t great; you can’t blame anyone else for saying so.”

“Jiang He, just shut up.” Zhong Quan returned, placing the water bottle on Yan Xia’s desk and rolling his eyes. “Can’t you see she’s reviewing? She needs peace and quiet right now.”

Jiang He snorted. “No matter how much she reviews, she’ll just move from the bottom ten to the bottom hundred. Don’t you guys have any common sense?”

Zhong Quan ignored her and turned to Yan Xia, advising, “Don’t listen to her. Just review and do your best when the time comes.”

Yan Xia held the warm water bottle and smiled with crinkled eyes. “I know.”

Zhong Quan looked at her quietly reviewing and couldn’t help but sigh. “You really overreached by saying you’d get top ten… if you fail, Old Liu will surely find a way to punish you. He’s had it out for you for a long time.”

Yan Xia tilted her head. “You don’t believe I can do it either?”

Zhong Quan scratched his head. “It’s not that I don’t believe you… it’s just really hard. The exam is tomorrow; it’s a bit late for hard work to kick in now.” He paused, a look of realization crossing his face as he leaned in and whispered, “Hey… you aren’t planning to cheat, are you?”

Yan Xia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Not necessary.” She took a sip of warm water and added, “I never cheat on exams.”

Zhong Quan nodded. “True. You usually just turn in a blank paper.”

Yan Xia: “…” This conversation is over.

Before school ended that afternoon, the homeroom teacher walked into the classroom and gave instructions from the podium: “Everyone, empty your desks. Arrange them into single rows; we’re setting up the examination hall for tomorrow.”

Yan Xia stacked her textbooks into several tote bags, intending to store them in the office.

High schoolers had an immense amount of material; the exercise books and test papers alone were a massive pile. It would take her several trips to move it all alone. Seeing this, several Alphas stepped forward, volunteering to help her move the books.

Since free labor was available, Yan Xia didn’t let it go to waste. She stood back with her hands free, watching the group of Alphas panting and sweating as they hauled the books to the office. When they finished, she offered a smile. “Hard work. Thank you, everyone.”

The Alphas blushed and waved her off. “Don’t mention it, we’re all classmates.”

Yan Xia was in a great mood. She turned around, hands empty, only to see Shang Wandong was standing at the classroom door, arms crossed, watching her.

Yan Xia was stunned. “…Sister, when did you get here?”

Shang Wandong: “Just now.”

“…You’re out of class early today?”

Shang Wandong’s expression was flat: “Yes. I originally came over to help you move your books.”

Yan Xia felt an inexplicable chill run down her spine. She whispered, “The books… are already moved.”

Shang Wandong nodded slowly. “Then you’re quite capable, aren’t you?”

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