Chapter 23 Green Tea and White Lotus

Chapter 23: The Green Tea and the White Lotus*

The girl's smile faltered, tinged with disappointment and awkwardness.

But she quickly adjusted, waving her hand. "It's fine, really... Then, may I ask, what's your type?"

Shen Qingci looked at her, his lips thinned.

He had never been in a relationship and believed he never would be in this lifetime.

Romance was too troublesome, too uncontrollable, and too time-consuming for him.

So he answered honestly:

"None."

The girl was completely stunned.

Her mouth fell open, and she blushed, whispering, "Sorry! My bad!"

Then she quickly fled back to her seat.

Shen Qingci didn't look at her again, turning back to look out the window.

After sitting for another ten minutes, he finished his coffee, settled up, and left, leaning on his cane.

Ten minutes after he left, a café waiter brought two exquisite pastries to the girl's table.

"Hello, these are the pastries you ordered," the waiter said with a smile.

The girl was taken aback. She looked at the two pastries that looked expensive, then at the menu. "We didn't order these..."

"The gentleman at the table next to you ordered them before he left," the waiter explained. "They've already been paid for. Please enjoy."

With that, the waiter left.

The girl was completely floored.

She stared at the beautiful pastries on the table, her eyes wide with disbelief.

The guy she was with had already picked up a fork and started eating. Between bites, he said, "Oh my god, what kind of otherworldly, aloof beauty is he? Even though he rejected you, this is so thoughtful!"

The girl stared blankly at the pastries, then suddenly covered her face. "I can't take it, I'm in love..."

The boy rolled his eyes. "Give it up. My gut says someone like him is definitely gay."

"Get lost!" The girl kicked him. "How could my idol be like you! Even if he were gay, he'd still be the most handsome one!"

The two bickered playfully as they started eating the pastries.

After leaving, Shen Qingci saw the driver still waiting in the same spot. It was expected, after all—he was Lu Lin's driver.

When the driver saw him emerge, he immediately got out and opened the car door for him.

Shen Qingci sat in the back seat, closing his eyes to rest, but his mind kept returning to what had just happened in the café.

Liking someone?

Could someone like him ever fall for anyone?

Shen Qingci's fingers tapped lightly on his cane.

Then he thought of Lu Lin.

Lu Lin was twenty-six. Did he have someone he liked?

From his previous research, it seemed Lu Lin's private life was rather messy.

He frowned.

Should he have a word with him?

But he himself knew nothing about this.

Shen Qingci had lived twenty-seven years with a total blank slate in his romantic experience.

So how could he teach Lu Lin something he didn't understand himself?

As the car passed an intersection, Shen Qingci looked up and saw the public library by the roadside.

"Stop the car," he said.

The driver immediately pulled over.

Shen Qingci got out and walked into the library with his cane.

He stayed inside for an hour. When he came out, he was carrying several books.

The titles were straightforward:

*Adolescent Mental Health Education*

*How to Talk to Children About Emotions*

*Sex Education: From Science to Life*

Holding these books, Shen Qingci walked back to the car with a blank expression.

The driver glanced in the rearview mirror and nearly drove onto the curb.

Shen Qingci leaned back in his seat, looking out the window, thinking: Since I'm responsible for him, I should also teach him what needs to be taught.

Back at the villa, Uncle Fu came to greet him.

"Sir, you're back." Uncle Fu took the books from him. When he saw the titles, his expression stiffened for a moment but quickly returned to normal. "Mr. Lu just called. He said he has something to handle at the company and will be back later to make dinner."

Shen Qingci nodded without saying anything.

He took the books back and went to the study with his cane.

The study was quiet, with only the ticking of the clock.

Shen Qingci sat behind the desk and opened the first book.

After reading a few pages, his frown deepened.

The book said that adolescence is a critical period for personality formation and requires proper guidance from parents.

It said emotional education should start during adolescence and should not be avoided. *Translator's Note: "Green Tea" and "White Lotus" are Chinese internet slang referring to archetypes of people (often women) who are manipulative or pretend innocence, respectively.

Shen Qingci closed the book and rubbed his temples.

Lu Lin was twenty-six now, not a teenager.

But the two years he had missed… were precisely from sixteen to eighteen, the most crucial two years.

Shen Qingci opened the book again and continued reading.

He read very seriously, occasionally jotting down a few notes in his notebook.

Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened.

The door to the study opened gently.

Lu Lin stood in the doorway, still wearing his suit, a look of tiredness on his face, but his eyes immediately lit up when he saw Shen Qingci.

"Brother," he said softly, "I'm back."

Shen Qingci looked up and glanced at him.

Then he closed the book, pushed those educational books aside, and asked calmly:

"Is dinner ready?"

"Not yet," Lu Lin said, "I'll start on it right away. What would you like to eat, brother?"

"Anything."

Lu Lin nodded and turned to leave.

"Wait."

Lu Lin turned back, somewhat puzzled: "Brother?"

Shen Qingci looked at him and was silent for a few seconds, then pointed to the chair opposite:

"Sit."

Lu Lin was taken aback for a moment but still walked over and obediently sat down.

Shen Qingci looked at him, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk as if organizing his thoughts.

"Lu Lin," he began, his voice very calm, "you're twenty-six years old."

Lu Lin nodded: "Mm."

"Do you have…" Shen Qingci paused, uncharacteristically at a loss for words, "do you have… someone you like?"

Lu Lin's eyes instantly widened.

He looked at Shen Qingci, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just shook his head:

"...No."

Shen Qingci nodded, seeming to breathe a sigh of relief.

He continued: "If you do, you need to tell me."

Lu Lin was stunned: "...Why?"

"Because," Shen Qingci looked at him, his tone as serious as if assigning a task, "matters of the heart require proper guidance."

Lu Lin: "..."

He looked at Shen Qingci's utterly serious face, then at the books pushed aside on the table. Suddenly, he understood the reason behind Shen Qingci's sudden, inexplicable questioning.

Lu Lin wanted to laugh but didn't dare.

In the end, he just lowered his head and said softly:

"Understood, brother."

Shen Qingci gave an affirmative sound, apparently quite satisfied with his own educational efforts.

"Go make dinner," he said.

Lu Lin stood up. When he reached the doorway, he turned back and glanced at Shen Qingci.

Seeing that Shen Qingci was still reading, Lu Lin's gaze instantly softened, and the corners of his mouth quirked up slightly.

"Brother."

"Hmm?" Shen Qingci looked up.

Lu Lin didn't speak. The two looked at each other for a few seconds. Just as Shen Qingci was about to grow impatient, Lu Lin said: "I'll go make dinner."

This time, Shen Qingci ignored him, simply lowering his head to continue reading.

After reading a few pages, he suddenly took out his phone and sent a message to Lin Wei:

Shen Qingci: How chaotic exactly is Lu Lin's private life?

Lin Wei replied almost instantly:

Lin Wei: ??? Mr. Shen, why are you asking this?

Shen Qingci: Educational purposes.

Lin Wei fell silent for a full minute on the other end.

Then she replied:

Lin Wei: ...Mr. Shen, I think you might need a copy of "How to Identify Green Tea and White Lotus."

Shen Qingci frowned at the message.

Green tea?

White lotus?

What did that mean?