Yun Qi invited Mu Zhiheng inside solely because he knew the original plot of the novel. This wealthy second-generation heir was the protagonist’s fiercely loyal number-one lackey in the original story; he was the definition of someone with more money than brains.
However, Yun Qi had not expected that his intervention would cause things to develop in such a subtle direction.
“Mhm, you may get up,” Wen Zui said perfunctorily, telling his cheap disciple to rise while stealing a glance at Yun Qi.
He had snatched the role of Master first, and Yun Qi did not seem unhappy about it. It appeared Yun Qi was not dead set on having Mu Zhiheng as his own disciple after all.
“Zhiheng, what does your family usually like to buy? The expensive kind,” Yun Qi asked. He was setting his sights on the wealthy, preparing to harvest his first pot of gold.
“Uh… buildings, land, reservoirs, things like that,” Mu Zhiheng replied after a moment of thought.
This was clearly not what Yun Qi wanted. He pressed his tongue against his cheek and asked again, “I mean the kind of things that are both useless and expensive.”
In other words: a “stupidity tax.”
“My sister likes jewelry, I like watches, and my grandfather likes tea!” Mu Zhiheng caught Yun Qi’s meaning this time and answered quickly.
Tea… Yun Qi thought pensively.
Meanwhile, Wen Zui looked back and forth between Yun Qi and his cheap disciple, frowning. He felt like he could not get a word in edgewise. What was Yun Qi up to? Thinking of this, he found Mu Zhiheng even more eyesore. He offered a smile that did not reach his eyes.
“Disciple, is it not time for you to head back?”
“Ah? Me? I do not have anything to do, I do not really want to go yet.” Under Wen Zui’s cold gaze, Mu Zhiheng’s voice grew weaker until he was practically hiding behind the sofa.
“Then let me add you on WeChat before I go, Master!” Mu Zhiheng made a final struggle, tremulously presenting his QR code to Wen Zui.
Wen Zui hesitated for a moment before opening his phone to scan it. Simultaneously, a sharp beep sounded in his ear. Looking up, he was shocked to see Yun Qi smiling and waving at his cheap disciple, gently saying goodbye.
Yun Qi had actually taken the initiative to get Mu Zhiheng’s contact information?
Yun Qi lay on the sofa playing with his phone, his thoughts drifting. Mu Zhiheng was truly a “Money-Sending Boy,” though unfortunately, he belonged to Wen Zui.
But then again… is Wen Zui’s not also mine? Recalling the red thread tied to their pinkies, Yun Qi’s lips curled into a pure, innocent smile.
Wen Zui was full of questions. He could not understand what Yun Qi saw in Mu Zhiheng; the guy was not even as handsome as he was. Unable to figure it out, he simply stood up to kick him out.
“Master, I will be back tomorrow!” Mu Zhiheng’s excited voice drifted from behind the door until Wen Zui slammed it shut with a loud thud.
“Yun Qi, what kind of bad idea are you brewing?” Wen Zui felt that Yun Qi was acting very unusual toward Mu Zhiheng.
Yun Qi smiled purely, his fingers flying across his phone screen as he replied, “If I do not maintain a good friendship with him, who will I sell my goods to?”
After weighing his options, selling tea suited him best. Regardless of the era, wealth was mostly concentrated in the hands of the elderly.
“Huh?” Wen Zui was confused. “What are you going to sell?”
“Tea.”
“Selling tea?” Wen Zui’s mind immediately jumped to the “Tea Girl” scams he had heard about online, and he burst out laughing. “Are you going to tell people you have a tragic life and a grandfather back home?”
Yun Qi: “?”
At this moment, the System, which had been blocked for a long time, finally found an opening to speak. A humorous short story instantly appeared before Yun Qi’s eyes. He scanned it quickly and finally understood why Wen Zui was laughing.
The System chimed in: Wen Zui is mocking you! Master, you cannot let him get away with this!
“Forget it. He has been teased enough by me lately. If I push any further, this little gray rabbit might actually bite me.” The curve of Yun Qi’s lips rose again, thinking of something.
The System was speechless. These two had left it in the dark for so long! What kind of “adults only” things had happened? The CP-Breaking System peeked at Wen Zui, feeling proud once again of its brilliance in choosing this Host.
If I turn the Dragon Aotian male lead gay, won’t that completely solve the overpopulation issue of this small world?
Wonderful, truly wonderful! The System stroked its non-existent beard and laughed happily. It would never let Yun Qi discover that the “Ghost Marriage” mission was a spur-of-the-moment idea! Fortunately, that snake had not questioned why he received no points after completing it.
The CP-Breaking System felt it was truly a tactical mastermind!
Seeing that Yun Qi had not spoken for a while, Wen Zui realized the snake might not know what he was talking about. He scratched his head and waved his hand. “It is not important, haha. Sell it if you want. How much per jin?”
“Have you heard of the Wuyi Mountain Mother Tree Dahongpao?”
“Of course! Who has not heard of the top-tier tea that costs 200,000 yuan for 20 grams!” Wen Zui’s eyes sparkled with excitement. He ran over and grabbed Yun Qi’s arm, restraining the urge to shake it. “But is picking not forbidden now? Do you have a way to conjure an identical one?”
Yun Qi gave him a strange look. “I am not a flower or tree spirit. How could I grow tea?”
Wen Zui choked and asked, “Then what are you going to sell? Do you know where there are other tea trees?”
“You will find out tomorrow,” Yun Qi said, keeping him in suspense.
The next day, Yun Qi arrived at his shop with a roll-up banner he had printed online.
It had to be said that although Mu Zhiheng was a bit dim, his taste in gifts was excellent. The shop he gave Yun Qi was located on Hai City’s central commercial street, where foot traffic was immense.
Yun Qi surveyed the area. His neighbor to the left was a historic five-star hotel, and to the right was a long-established pastry shop. His target demographic was exactly these people with “old money.”
Looking at the sign his “grand-disciple” had made overnight—Kongshan Tea House—Yun Qi nodded in satisfaction. He hung the bright red banner at the entrance and went inside to pack his specially made tea into the small tin cans he had bought wholesale yesterday.
The sudden appearance of a tea house on a busy street piqued the curiosity of passersby. However, seeing that the shop was empty, most lost interest and moved on. Yun Qi did not have a single customer all morning.
The System said: Master, your business is a total failure! You should just go back to robbing rich heirs!
Yun Qi remained noncommittal, showing no sign of anxiety. Instead, he elegantly brewed a cup of tea for himself and began to sip it slowly.
The entire shop was instantly filled with the fragrance of tea—a fresh, lingering scent of pine smoke that gently teased the senses, making one feel as if they had stepped into an untouched primeval forest.
Before long, the scent attracted an elderly man leaning on a cane. He stood at the door, adjusted his glasses to read the banner, and pushed the door open.
Ding-ling.
“Young man, is this Dahongpao you are selling?”
“That is correct. Does it not smell wonderful?” Yun Qi greeted his first customer with a smile, but he made no move to pour the man a cup.
The old man pursed his lips and took a deep breath. “It is indeed good. It smells rich and fragrant. But 50 yuan for 20 grams? Is that not a bit expensive?”
The expression on the young man’s face seemed to shift for a split second. Before the old man could see clearly, Yun Qi pulled over a poster from the side and pointed at the numbers, saying word for word:
“Sir, it is 500,000 yuan for 20 grams.”
“What? Have you gone mad for money! You are insane!” The old man hobbled away with his cane, never looking back, as if terrified Yun Qi would charge him just for smelling the tea.
The System rolled around on the sandalwood table. I told you that you could not sell it! Just sell it cheap to that old man. If you do not make a single cent, the male lead will laugh at you!
Yun Qi reached out with an undeniable force and pinned the System to the tea table, picking up the kettle to pour boiling water over it.
“No one will think you are mute if you stay silent. Just be a good tea pet.”
Throughout the afternoon, several more people wandered in, but every single one was scared off by Yun Qi’s astronomical prices. It was not until nightfall that things took a turn.
The warm lights of the tea house window cast a soft yellow glow over Yun Qi. Half of his exquisite face was in shadow and half in light, looking like fresh snow about to melt under the setting sun—sacred, rare, and captivating.
Tap, tap, tap.
A woman in her late twenties, dressed expensively, pushed open the door in her high heels.
“Handsome, are you all alone?”
Yun Qi looked up slightly and smiled at her. At that smile, the woman felt her body go weak. Thousands of “screaming chickens” seemed to be shrieking in her heart; she could think of nothing else.
“Handsome, if you grab a coffee with me, I will buy your tea. How about it?”
A strand of hair slid off her shoulder as she leaned her face on her hand, revealing three diamond-encrusted Cartier Love bracelets. She smiled brightly and graciously, as if she were inviting him to a business event rather than asking a young man out for coffee.
“Sure.” Yun Qi remained smiling, but his movements were swift. He reached out, grabbed the card reader from the side, and handed it to the woman.
“…”
The air in the room momentarily stagnated. The woman glared at him but pulled out a black card and handed it over.
The System said: Master, how did you become as money-obsessed as Wen Zui!
Yun Qi ignored it. He casually handed the woman a very simple tin box—the kind that looked like it held ten-yuan cookies from a roadside stand. He said, “Payment received. Keep the tea safe. I am closing up now, let us go.”
The woman felt a sudden surge of regret as she stared blankly at the tea tin.
Tang Tingting, what on earth did you just buy because of a pretty face! Your dad is going to scold you again at the end of the month! You still have not dealt with that unfinished building you bought last month!
She sighed unconsciously, her aura instantly deflating.
Yun Qi, however, was in a great mood. He walked to the door and flicked the cute little wind chime. “What is wrong, Miss Tang? Are we not having coffee?”
Yun Qi’s voice was clear and gentle. Standing up, he looked even taller than when he was sitting—wide shoulders, narrow waist, and those thin peach-blossom eyes looked as though they only held her reflection. It was intoxicating.
Tang Tingting’s eyes went wide. She wiped the imaginary drool from her lip and ran to Yun Qi’s side, looking up at him with a sweet smile.
At the café.
Lyrical music flowed through the shop. Tang Tingting ordered a cappuccino and a piece of strawberry cake before handing the menu to Yun Qi. Yun Qi stared at the menu for a while and decisively ordered one of every single cake in the shop.
“You… you are going to eat that much cake?” Tang Tingting stared in shock. Was this handsome man a glutton?
“Since we are here, I might as well try them.” Yun Qi blinked, his long lashes seemingly brushing against Tang Tingting’s heart, leaving her entranced again.
“Okay, okay!” Tang Tingting turned red and said no more.
Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps approached, and the seat next to Yun Qi was pulled back. Tang Tingting was stunned and immediately felt annoyed.
Which shameless little vixen dares to steal the man I have my eye on!
She looked up angrily, only to be met with a face that could be described as devastatingly handsome. Unlike Yun Qi’s soft aura, this newcomer had a different style—sharp and striking, like a sword drawn from its scabbard.
Tang Tingting immediately turned shy. Two peerless beauties were sitting right across from her! What a lucky day!
With stars in her eyes, she was about to speak when the newcomer spoke first.
“Yun Qi? What is your relationship with her?”
Tang Tingting: “Huh???”