Tea-flavored Romance

I'll say it again: I wasn't coerced, it was all my own choice! I truly love you, Miss Gu Guanxue!

"After all, we're friends now, right? Why would I betray you?" Gu Xihua began to play the emotional card, enticing her: "As long as I help you, you can pretend to pursue me, and then, with my assistance, use this pretense to secretly win over Jiang Manyue!"

Ning Yuan: "..."

These two guys are using the exact same lines when they're trying to appeal to emotions... Is it a coincidence?

But... judging from what this guy said... it actually seems like there's some potential...

It has to be said, Master Ning was a little tempted. Actually, his initial thought was simple—ordinary, nice girls might fall for him easily, so he obviously couldn't have any romantic feelings for them. But with a high-achieving girl like Jiang Manyue, success was hard to guarantee. So, he could only rely on flirting with R or SR-level "green tea" girls to make ends meet and eventually become a glorious tea master. However, fate seemed unwilling to let him settle for such a leisurely life as a tea master, so it brought Ning Yuan to Gu Guanxue.

It's already at the SSR level... Regular quality R or something can't satisfy me anymore...

His tastes had indeed been spoiled by Gu Xihua, to the point that apart from Lin Xiaoya, the SR-level lady, he found the other R-level ladies rather uninteresting.

In the past, he would never have had any ulterior motives towards Jiang Xihua's SSR, but things are different now, and he feels he can.

I can do it! I really can!

Double-dealing! Fortune favors the bold, navigating between two SSR characters! Secretly swiping the "good guy" card on each one separately... wouldn't that feel like taking off?!

Brother, I'm really about to rise up!

The most crucial point is that this way, he would have a legitimate reason to stay by Gu Guanxue's side, instead of relying on their status as good friends after being rejected...

It's like having a pillow whenever you want to take a nap, and getting whatever you need!

The gods this time are really on point; the recent plot developments have been exactly what I wanted. I have to give them a thumbs up!

So, Master Ning put his superb acting skills to good use, putting on a conflicted and uneasy expression. After a long while, he pretended to muster up his courage and nodded slightly.

"It really is a mission set under the full moon!?"

"No!" Ning Yuan said angrily, "I didn't... that... it was just an excuse I made up to get closer to Jiang Manyue."

"I know, I know." Gu Xihua's small face was full of pity. She stretched out her fair little hand, seemingly wanting to comfort this poor mission expert, but she was afraid of frightening him, so she stopped in mid-air, neither going up nor down.

"Don't worry, I'll help you achieve your wish..."

"No...you must have got something wrong. Jiang Manyue and I are really not in that kind of relationship...Hey, hey, hey...listen to me properly! You just ate my fried dough sticks! Now you don't even want to listen to me!?"

"I know, I know everything." Gu Xihua seemed to be deliberately trying to see Ning Yuan's exasperated expression, and sighed, "Some things don't need to be said so clearly, everyone understands..."

Master Ning: ? ? ?

You know nothing!

Chapter 40: Now it's time to watch the snow.

This is the first time I've had an SSR character I can romance, and it also paves the way for romanceing another SSR. The joy of having two characters overlaps, and I should be even happier... But why... why have I suddenly become a mission master?

"Jiang Manyue and I are truly innocent."

"I understand." Gu Xihua blinked and said, "Then... Ning, what's your answer?"

"Ahem..." Master Ning said shamelessly, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate... After all, I used to be on Jiang's side. If I were so easily turned into a double agent, it would make me seem particularly unprincipled..."

"Don't be too careless!" Gu Guanxue said seriously, "You don't understand Jiang Manyue. That girl has been wicked since she was a child. She's cunning and ruthless. If you like her, you must cooperate with me as soon as possible. Otherwise, once you offend her, even ten lives won't be enough for you to pass the level!"

"Where is this real-life dating game from? You even have to risk your life to beat it?" Master Ning exclaimed in horror, wondering if these two girls were playing a trick on him. Why were they both saying such terrifying things?

Chasing Gu Guanxue is about mining nuclear raw materials, but what's with chasing Jiang Manyue? Is it like the Journey to the West? Without Sun Wukong, they'd be killed by bandits in no time, right?

"Calm down, calm down." Gu Guanxue waved her hand, speaking earnestly, "This is nothing... The important thing is, are you scared?"

"..."

"Very good, I knew you wouldn't be afraid! I knew I hadn't misjudged you! Young man, let's work together towards that lofty goal. This operation will be named: Acting on Behalf of the Moon!"

"You've used too much pesticide, haven't you!?"

"Hmm? Doesn't it sound nice? Then let's do Operation Moon Slaying~" Gu Xihua said nonchalantly.

"Or... Blood Moon Kill?"

Master Ning: "???"

Blood Moon... is it the blood I'm thinking of?

Wait, wait, let me catch my breath... How did things turn out like this...?

After being rejected upon meeting, all I wanted was to stay by Gu Guanxue's side as a friend and wait for her to get over her "friend zone" status before confessing my feelings... But Jiang Xihua said: No, you'll get physically blocked if you do that.

Want to learn? I'll teach you. It won't cost much—just treat me to a meal.

Then I boarded Jiang Xihua's pirate ship... or rather, I pretended to board her ship, but actually planned to sail the ship to where I wanted to go.

Gu Xihua became suspicious because of my close relationship with Jiang Manyue, and because I insisted on being friends with her despite not liking her much, and stayed by her side. She felt that this was all Manyue's doing, hoping to turn me against her and make us turn our attacks against Jiang Xihua...

Are they playing Infernal Affairs here?!

Who turned me against them, and whom did I turn against them?

It was me... who turned me against them!

Master Ning suddenly realized something, and in that instant, he felt the entire universe become clear. Then he solemnly looked at Gu Xihua.

You can't lie to me.

"I promise I won't lie to you."

"Then what do you want?" Ning Yuan gritted his teeth, still calculating whether his little savings would be enough to feed the two beautiful girls in the department, when Gu Guanxue spoke up.

"What do you want? I don't want anything."

"So you helped me pursue Jiang Manyue... for...?"

"Love and peace." Gu Guanxue smiled radiantly, her eyes and brows radiating beauty. Her rosy lips and snow-white skin glowed, her fleeting beauty making her seem like an angel descended to earth.

If she changed the color of her highlights from burgundy to gold, Ning Yuan would definitely stare wide-eyed and exclaim that an angel had descended. But there's nothing she can do; even if she were an angel now, she'd be more of a rebellious angel.

Hair dyeing is forbidden in Heaven. Even highlights are prohibited.

“I got enjoyment from this, so you don’t need to pay me, right?” Gu Xihua waved her little hand. “If we have to calculate it, the fried dough stick I just ate can be considered my payment for helping you.”

"I admire Mr. Gu's noble character and integrity." Ning Yuan was filled with respect. There are really not many young ladies like this who help others selflessly without asking for anything in return, just to make themselves happy... Unlike that little vampire Jiang Manyue, who clearly does good deeds but still insists that he treat her to a meal.

"For me to be able to see the snow is like a fish finding water!"

"Hmm~" Gu Xihua narrowed her eyes, as if she had finally fulfilled some wish, and said in a lazy and comfortable tone, "Seeing how moved you are, I can tell what kind of person Jiang Manyue is... That girl really can't stand to suffer even the slightest loss..."

"Alright, the defection operation is a perfect success..." The girl stood up, extended her small hand, and smiled, "It was a pleasure working with you, Ning, and Director Ning too?"

Ning Yuan stared blankly at the girl's outstretched, fair wrist, then said with a hint of frustration, "My movie might not even be made..."

Master Lin... I don't know if she took the bait or not...

"We need to take pictures, we need to take pictures..." Gu Guanxue lowered her voice and leaned a little closer: "It used to be Manyue's task, now it's Guanxue's task."

"What we need to do is stand there and flirt with Jiang Manyue!"

Master Ning: "..."

We're never going to let go of this "task master" thing, are we?! Damn it, you nutcracker!

Even though he was filled with the urge to complain, Master Ning still held the girl's small hand seriously and shook it symbolically.

Many books describe the hands of beautiful girls with phrases like "soft and boneless" or "hands like tender shoots." Those who haven't held a beautiful girl's hand might find this metaphor incomprehensible, but Master Ning believes that anyone who has held Gu Xihua's hand will understand why the ancients were right.

Hmm, slightly softer than Jiang Xihua's little hands... Miss Manyue's little hands have a slightly cool feel; they must feel so comfortable to touch in the summer~

He made a mental assessment of it with great seriousness, but without lingering, he quickly let go of Gu Xihua's small hand.

"It's a pleasure to cooperate..." Master Ning thought for a moment, then said with some unease, "You mustn't secretly tip off Jiang behind my back... These kinds of spy games aren't fun..."

"Don't worry, why would I betray my friends!?"

"I'm going to class now~ Do you want to come play together?"

"Didn't you say you were going to skip it?! It's almost nine o'clock! The first class should be over by now!?"

"I was just late, how can that be considered skipping class?" Gu, the department's most beautiful girl, retorted seriously. "We'll discuss the Blood Moon Killing Plan properly later..."

"There's a saying that goes, a man is most charming when he's focused on doing something, so you'd better make a good impression!"

Bye-bye~

The girl turned and left, walking towards the faint morning light outside the cafeteria, leaving Master Ning sitting alone with a slight smile on his lips.

Chapter 41: The Snow Moon Assassination Plan, Initiated!

An interesting woman… President Ning smiled wickedly, feeling that he might be the biggest winner in this round.

Blood Moon Kill? Snow Moon Kill should be the real name!

Although he didn't know what grudge Gu Xihua and Jiang Xihua held against each other, as long as they were willing to fight, it would give him an opportunity to fish in troubled waters.

What does it mean to reap the benefits without lifting a finger?

These past two days, everything related to the two SSR card girls seems to be going incredibly smoothly, except for the SR Lin Xiaoya, which has really given Master Ning a lot of trouble.

This morning, this girl didn't even have the slightest thought towards me! Could it be that she's afraid of Gu Xihua's aura and doesn't dare to make a move?

Master Ning decided to give her another chance.

With a calculated move against Lin Xiaoya, he successfully orchestrated his second chance encounter. Unlike his proactive approach at the library, Ning Yuan's current status as the central figure in the department's beauty scandal meant he had to maintain a certain distance. Therefore, he didn't test the waters but patiently waited to see what Master Lin would do.

Lin Xiaoya: I felt no emotional reaction whatsoever, and even felt a little like laughing.

Master Ning was quite distressed, feeling insulted by Master Lin. However, he quickly adjusted his mindset, a wicked smile appearing on his lips.

Woman, even though you're just a lowly SR, you've successfully caught my attention.

Where exactly did things go wrong? Ning Yuan spent the entire afternoon in advanced mathematics class meticulously reviewing the reasons for the failure of this phase of his "fishing for the bull" plan. Logically, his deduction was correct; Lin Xiaoya wasn't some nobody...

But given his and Gu Xihua's fame, they are no longer unknown. It's impossible that she only likes pure love stories and looks down on love triangles, right?

Master Ning curled his lip, thinking to himself, how could a minotaur with such unwavering faith possibly exist in this world? Ultimately, it's because his relationship with Gu Xihua remained merely a rumor, never being definitively proven in front of everyone…

There's still a tough battle to fight... You're really something, Lin Xiaoya, pushing me to this point is already a milestone in your Bull Warrior career.

Although he and Gu Guanxue are now acquainted, considering the complicated and entangled relationship between him and the two campus beauties, Master Ning decided to use the original Schrödinger's cat confession method to prevent either Gu Guanxue or Jiang Guanxue from causing a riot at their respective mining sites.

A triangle... it really is the most harmonious shape!