Chapter 30 Green Tea Deer

Chapter 30 The Little Deer with Green Tea Tendencies

Fu Nanyu ultimately abstained from drinking, and Li Chen didn't press him. They weren't there for drinks anyway. Once they shifted into work mode, Li Chen's devil-may-care attitude faded, replaced by a grounded, serious demeanor.

While the men on the sofa got down to business, the three at the bar had already begun enjoying their drinks.

Jian Wenzhu walked behind the bar, picked up a set of cocktail tools, and in a voice as gentle as the faint scent of gardenias, asked, "What would you ladies like to drink?"

Lu Jingtang exclaimed in surprise, "Jian Wenzhu can mix drinks?"

"Sister Wenzhu is amazing—horseback riding, archery, mixing drinks, playing cards—there's nothing she can't do. Most of it she learned from my brother," Qi Yao said, raising an eyebrow proudly.

Wenzhu? Jian Wenzhu? So this was Jian Wenzhu—Li Chen’s official match. This woman was seriously cool. After tangling with Li Chen for a while and realizing he was a wild horse that couldn't be tamed, she played along—if you want to play games, I'll play better—then ended up having Li Chen detained, outmaneuvered him right under the Li family’s nose, and finally kicked him to the curb before fleeing abroad.

Since they had other activities planned later, Jian Wenzhu mixed each of them a "Lover’s Tongue," a low-alcohol drink that wouldn’t get them drunk.

Lu Jingtang wasn’t much of a drinker. She took a sip but couldn't quite make out the flavor. Her puzzled frown as she held the glass and sipped cautiously looked so innocent it made people want to tease her. Qi Yao breathed words by her ear, her breath like orchids, "Do you know why this drink is called Lover’s Tongue?"

"Why?" Lu Jingtang looked up, her eyes shimmering with colorful reflections under the bar’s mood lighting, her eyelashes fluttering.

Qi Yao whispered enticingly, "When the drink first hits your palate, it’s just a light malt aroma. But after it lingers in your mouth for a moment, your tongue starts to tingle with a warm, numbing sensation—like when you’re deep in a kiss with a lover, hormones surging, tongues entwined, the heat in your mouth burning like fire."

Lu Jingtang clapped expressionlessly. "Oh, what a great name!"

"Seriously? I thought a little bunny like you would blush and your ears would turn red after hearing that," Qi Yao pouted, disappointed.

Lu Jingtang chuckled inwardly. Yeah right—back in the day, she was a loyal member of a certain XX website, poring over "certain" masterpieces without even batting an eye. Did they really think this would faze her?

Eventually, Lu Jingtang found watching Jian Wenzhu mix drinks fascinating and said she wanted to learn too. Jian Wenzhu smiled gently. "Of course."

"What’s this?" Lu Jingtang shook the cocktail shaker and suddenly noticed a small cup of something white on the bar. Jian Wenzhu said it was milk to be added, so she poured it in.

Jian Wenzhu pointed to a blue bottle and said to add a small cup. Lu Jingtang’s hand slipped, and she added too much. She figured if there was too much alcohol, she could balance it with more milk, and if there was too much milk, she could add more alcohol. In the end, what she concocted wasn’t light blue but resembled the color of moldy egg yolk—thick yet runny, and kind of gross.

Lu Jingtang’s eyes sparkled as she looked expectantly at the other two, as if asking, "Who’s going to try it?"

Jian Wenzhu and Qi Yao exchanged glances and cowardly averted their eyes.

Lu Jingtang pouted pitifully. "...You know, I’ve never had friends since I was little." She looked utterly pathetic.

Just as Qi Yao clenched her fist, about to give in and brave the poison, the three men finished their discussion and walked over. Relieved, she quickly passed the buck. "Nanyu-ge, this is a drink Youyou specially mixed for you. Come, try it!"

Fu Nanyu glanced at the dubious concoction and was about to refuse when he met Lu Jingtang’s pitiful gaze. "It’s okay if Big Brother doesn’t want to. I don’t mind."

As Lu Jingtang spoke, she lowered her eyes sadly, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her voice soft and pleading. Qi Heng and Li Chen’s inner love for cute girls instantly ignited, and they shot disapproving looks at Fu Nanyu. How could he be so inconsiderate, bro!

Fu Nanyu’s temple twitched. Gritting his teeth, he said, "I’ll drink it."

He picked up the cup and, under the others’ funeral-like stares, took a sip. His eyes flickered slightly, and then, to everyone’s astonishment, he took another sip. Calmly, he commented, "Not bad. Sweet aftertaste, and the mint fragrance is just right."

Lu Jingtang didn’t even believe herself. Had her big brother been poisoned into stupidity?

"Really?" Li Chen asked skeptically.

Fu Nanyu raised an eyebrow, his expression unchanged. "Try it yourself and you’ll know."

Encouraged, Li Chen also took a sip. The corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, but seeing the amusement in Fu Nanyu’s eyes, he forced himself to keep a straight face—his acting was even more masterful than Fu Nanyu’s.

"I thought it’d be terrible, but it’s actually okay. Just could use less milk. Here, Qi Heng, you try it too."

Qi Heng, convinced by their performance, took a big gulp without suspicion. The moment he swallowed, Fu Nanyu and Li Chen exchanged smug looks. Qi Heng gagged and spat it out. "Well done. You’re both born actors."

Lu Jingtang laughed apologetically and thoughtfully poured Qi Heng a glass of water. "Qi Heng-ge, have some water."

Qi Heng took the water to rinse his mouth. "Little Deer, since you’re so thoughtful, gege forgives you." He reached out to ruffle her hair.

Fu Nanyu snorted coldly and pulled her back to his side. "What kind of gege are you to her?"

"Hey, you’re way too authoritarian. She called me gege herself," Qi Heng grumbled.

Another reason Li Chen had chosen this place was its above-ground racetrack.

Lu Jingtang stood on the spectator platform, listening to the roaring engines on the track. She watched as Fu Nanyu walked out in fiery red racing gear, his helmet tucked under his arm, his hair slightly tousled. His usual steady, mountain-like demeanor was gone, replaced by an unseen wild confidence. His nose was tall, his eyes deep, and he swept a casual glance across the spectator stands. The lights behind him cast a mesmerizing halo.

The moment he appeared, the entire venue erupted in deafening cheers. Her mouth fell open in surprise. "My big brother actually does stuff like this?"