Tea-flavored Romance

I'll let it slide since you're my sister and so pretty... If it were anyone else, I would have already triggered my protagonist's passive skill and instantly slapped them in the face!

“Little Ling’er, you can’t say that.” Lu Jiujiu spoke up for Ning Yuan earnestly. “I think Ning Yuan is quite talented.”

Can he sing?

“Um… does the national anthem count…” Lu Jiujiu whispered, “I’ve only ever heard him sing this…”

Ning Yuan: "..."

"Can he dance? Can he play the piano, write songs, or use nunchucks?" Ning Yiling pursed her lips and asked back, "If he really has talent, why doesn't he show it sooner? Is he happy just playing dumb all the time?"

“That’s a bit of a stretch,” Ning Yuan retorted. “No tiger is coming up to slap me in the face. It’s possible that I’ve been keeping a low profile all along.”

"hehe."

"Ning Yiling! Don't push your luck! Fortune changes every thirty years, don't underestimate a young man's potential!" Ning Yuan spat and said, "This time I'll really show you what it means to be a true hermit in the city!"

"Who isn't a child prodigy at some point! Jiu Jiu, let's go!"

"Wait a moment."

Ning Yiling stopped him expressionlessly, rubbing her forehead with a helpless look, and said, "This is such a hassle... How did I end up with such a troublemaker like you... What kind of short film are you planning to make for the competition? I'll help you take a look."

"What do you, a finance major, know about art?"

"Mom, Ningyuan has joined a pyramid scheme..."

“I believe that discussing art without considering material factors is meaningless; finance is art’s best partner.” Ning Yuan extended her hand: “Welcome to the team, my dear sister. Let’s change the world together!”

"Hmph, you're smart to be sensible... You think I want to go through all this trouble with you? I'm just afraid you'll go bankrupt and impulsively take out a loan..."

"Okay, okay, I know you're just being a tsundere..."

"What did you say?!"

"nothing……"

"Um...are you two finished talking?" Lu Jiujiu carefully observed their expressions and interjected, "When can we start drawing? I have a sketch assignment due tomorrow~"

As she spoke, she tugged at the sleeve of her personal assistant, signaling him to get started. Ning Yuan shrugged, indicating that he was still being kept by the rich woman.

"I'll call you after they've sorted out the script and filming props."

That's what they say.

……

However, it was two days later when Ning Yuan remembered the idea of ​​making a short film with his sister and a certain rich, clueless female investor.

I sat up abruptly in my deathbed, wondering where my dreams were.

What's the date now?

Old Wu: "..."

How long until the short film competition?

"That happened in May...it hasn't been that long...Yuan-ge, didn't you promise to shoot a short film? You're not going to back out, are you?" Old Wu said with a resentful look, "It's all because of your flirting with girls..."

"It's a dream."

"Okay, my dream of picking up girls is over. Sister 10 postponed all of our get-togethers... saying she's worried you won't be able to pay back the money... Brother Yuan, did you go to Guodai?"

"What the hell is this Fruit Loan... I'm going to find Lu Jiujiu."

"Jiujiu, ah..." Xiao Hei sighed from the side, "Isn't she that pretty girl with all those anime/manga vibes? Sometimes I wonder, Yuan-ge, how come you always manage to meet such perfect girls... cute, rich, obedient, and a little silly..."

"Say what you will, Xiao Hei, why are you swearing?" Ning Yuan sat up in bed. These past two days he had been busy inspecting the school's tea gardens, not only to make himself known to Lin Xiaoya, but also to find other types of "green tea" girls as a backup plan. Unfortunately, there were just too many people at the school, and he couldn't possibly check them all, so in the end he only managed to inspect a lonely place.

I've met a few R-level applicants, but none of them were quite suitable. Good tea is hard to find these days, so if I really want to research the next green tea in advance, I might consider trying my luck at Lu Jiujiu and Ning Yiling's school.

Chapter Twenty: If you're going to fleece, then fleece them!

It sounds wonderful, but it would be quite difficult to execute. Considering that his younger sister's fists were not as hard as those of ordinary girls, and that she had the ultimate weapon of telling the parents, Ning Yuan felt that there was no need to confront Xiao Ling'er head-on in order to find new tea.

We haven't even finished appreciating what's in school yet; only focus can make a master!

Xiao Hei was so angry after Ning Yuan retorted that he jumped up and down: "Is being full of anime/manga attributes an insult?! This is discrimination! This world is full of oppression against anime/manga fans! Can this society ever get any better?!"

"By the way, Yuan-ge." Old Wu slurped up a mouthful of instant noodles and asked, "You've been saying you want to flirt with Gu, the most beautiful girl in our department... What's the plan? Is it like that guy from the film department said before, to make a short film just for her?"

"To be honest... I haven't figured it out yet." Ning Yuan sighed and said, "I successfully secured investment the day before yesterday, but suddenly I feel lost... Do you know what Gu Guanxue likes?"

How would I know?

“That’s true…” Ning Yuan sighed again, “Currently… we have enough money, but the actors are undecided, and there’s no script yet…”

"..."

"Anyway, Yuan-ge, your main goal is to flirt with girls... just take some random photos." Monkey chimed in, "It's not like you have to be aiming for an award."

“Monkey, you’re being narrow-minded… If I don’t win the award, how am I going to pay back Lu Jiujiu?”

"Use your body."

"Get lost! Don't taint me with such vulgar ideas... I need to think about the script, otherwise Xiao Ling'er might suspect I took the money to join a pyramid scheme..."

Ning Yuan grabbed his coat, opened the door, and left. He turned back and added, "Don't bother packing dinner for me. I should eat with someone else."

"Who?"

"My personal intelligence agent!"

……

"So," said Jiang Manyue, the personal intelligence strategist, sitting expressionlessly in the cafeteria, rubbing her forehead, "you're basically clinging to me now, Ning Yuan?"

"Why would you have such a thought, Jiang?" Ning Yuan asked in surprise. "I felt we got along quite well, so I specially invited you out for a meal... Why would you think that?"

"I thought our relationship was pure, without any ulterior motives or other emotions..."

"..."

"Can I just eat rice?"

"Of course not," Ning Yuan said seriously. "You have to eat vegetables too. Don't you find it hard to choke on just rice?"

"..."

Jiang Manyue sighed softly, then said helplessly, "Fine, I guess I'm just unlucky to have gotten involved in this... Ask me anything you want to ask, but only during this dinner tonight."

"Hey... Jiang, you're joking..." Ning Yuan waved his hand with a smile, then lowered his voice and said, "Do you know why Gu Guanxue didn't participate in that short film competition?"

"Too lazy to participate."

"Why is it always the same excuse?" Ning Yuan said speechlessly, "You didn't tell me Gu Guanxue was a lazy, unattractive beauty in the department..."

He's already a washed-up nobody, how can he possibly create a scandal? Will he even be able to? Will Master Lin take the bait?

Jiang Manyue, every piece of information you provide is despicable!

“Who said she’s a lazy bum?” Jiang Manyue looked at him strangely: “Well… I should say that she has too many things she wants to do, so she has to selectively give up some of them.”

Ning Yuan asked suspiciously, "Didn't you say you didn't understand her?"

"You believe everything a girl says?"

"..."

"That's a bit of a scoundrel, Jiang... Should I believe you or not?"

"It's up to you."

"She's so busy, why did she choose film studies in the first place?"

"A year has passed, she's probably learned about everything that interests her by now."

"So careless?! Is this why she doesn't hand in her homework and often skips class?"

"I don't know about that. If you're interested, you can ask her in person." Jiang, the most beautiful girl in the department, glanced at Ning Yuan with interest. "Could it be... you haven't met her yet?"

"..."

"I'm too busy..." Ning Yuan said earnestly, "Personal feelings and such really affect my pursuit of dreams."

"So what are you doing now?"

"I want to ask you about Gu and find out what's going on in the film department."

Jiang, the most beautiful girl in the department, nodded: "I'll pretend to believe you."

"No need to pretend... cough cough... By the way, Jiang Manyue, I have a question. I have a friend who plans to confess to Gu, the most beautiful girl in our department, in some way during the short film competition... What do you think the chances are that my friend will be rejected by her?"

"Are you planning to confess your feelings during the short film competition?" Jiang Manyue, who had initially seemed uninterested, suddenly became interested. "Is it the kind of confession you do, shouting it out to all the judges and teachers?"

"How brave do you think I am?" Ning Yuan said irritably, "You'd get expelled for causing trouble at a school event of this caliber... Besides, the most beautiful girl in the department, Gu, isn't wearing a bunny girl cosplay outfit... It's not that bad, really not that bad."

"It's alright. As long as Gu Guanxue agrees, no matter how big a fuss you make, someone will protect you." Jiang Manyue said with a smile, "I guarantee that this information is absolutely true."

"..."

"You mean some of the information you gave me before was just to make fun of me?!"

“A little bit.” Jiang Daxihua said matter-of-factly, “From a principle point of view, Gu Guanxue has obviously known me longer than you have... Even I would feel guilty for so blatantly betraying information about an acquaintance.”

"Heh." Ning Yuan sneered.

"Jiang seemed quite remorseful."

You're kidding me! This girl practically has "I want to watch a show" written all over her face!

"so what?"

Jiang, the most beautiful girl in the department, smiled and said, "If Ning Yuan is planning to fully express his ambitions in the micro-film competition... I will definitely give you my full support!"

"I won't do that," Ning Yuan said firmly. "I'm a cultured person; of course, I'll express my feelings in a subtle way!"

"Ok?"

"...What I mean is, I'm a cultured person, and I will definitely help my friend express his feelings in a subtle way."

"How do you plan to confess your feelings?" Jiang Manyue seemed very interested in the source of Ning Yuan's confidence. "In your so-called subtle way?"

"Add a message to Gu Guanxue in the blackout at the end of the short film; it's subtle yet impactful."

"Most people can't see the dark side of your ending."