Reincarnated as a Poor Little Green Tea, Am I Destined to Be Bullied? - Volume 1 Chapter 41

Chapter 41: What’s Going On?

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No way… Is this for real?

At first, Lin Yueye thought Yuebing was just playing a prank.

But when she saw the little cat girl’s utterly shocked expression, with eyes full of 【How can you not love such a delicacy?!】…

Only then did Lin Yueye realize she must have misunderstood her.

Apparently, this wasn’t enough excitement.

Yuebing thought for a moment, took the plate from Lin Yueye’s hands, and instead of dipping the cake in it, she started pouring the salt grains directly into her little mouth!

This terrified little Yueye!

“Hey…! Are you trying to kill yourself?! Ugh…!”

“Gulp gulp… Guga!”

This series of actions turned little Yueye’s already snow-white face as pale as the salt grains.

Her throat felt an illusion of extreme saltiness, and she shrank into a corner, too disgusted to speak.

You… your taste can be unconventional, but it can’t be this bizarre!

What seemed like a deadly way of eating to Lin Yueye was a piece of cake for Yuebing.

In no time, half the plate of salt grains was gone.

Yuebing crunched and chewed, savoring the taste, with one hand on her hip. Her starry eyes rolled, and she gave a thumbs up to the poor little Yueye who was already scared stiff.

Vibrant and energetic, even her voice became clearer!

“Delicious! I must admit, you humans’ creativity in food is unparalleled. The seasoning tastes even better than the main dish! Hmm… but eating it like this is a bit wasteful… it’s gone before I can fully taste it.”

“No, no, no… I don’t think this is how it’s supposed to be eaten. Wait… Yuebing, do I need to call emergency for you?!”

“Emergency? Is that the kind of call where they come to deliver food so people don’t starve? Then hurry up and call!”

“Oh, looks like you don’t need it. You’re not going to die.”

“Huh?”

Don’t tilt your head and act cute with me! If we ever run out of salt for cooking at home, I’ll bonk you on the head!

“How strange,” Yuebing peered at the shocked Lin Yueye, her sharp little eyes gleaming. “Lin Yueye, were you always this gentle?”

“Gentle…? What are you talking about?”

“I mean, something this delicious, and you’re not eating it? Leaving it all for me? It’s unprecedented. Actually, it’s fine, there’s plenty here, and it doesn’t cost anything. Why don’t you chew on some too?”

Yuebing brought the plate with the remaining salt grains at the bottom closer to Lin Yueye, scaring the silver-haired girl into frantically waving her arms. Her gesture was like she was warding off evil spirits, even though she was facing a divine being.

“Get away! Take your salt and stay away from me! I don’t like eating that stuff!”

“Look at you, being modest is one thing, but now you’re acting all tsundere! To be honest, even I’m a bit moved. Resisting such temptation, I was wrong to say you weren’t nice to me before. Now I see you in a whole new light!”

“Huh?!”

Yuebing had discovered a new world. She took out a small bag from somewhere, poured the remaining salt grains into it, her eyes sparkling. It was as if she wasn’t packing salt, but precious jade pearls and treasures.

“I’ve struck it rich…! This trip wasn’t in vain, Lin Yueye. Sticking with you was definitely the right choice! Slurp… hehe, I’m going to look for more of this ‘salt’ stuff. I’ll be back in a bit!”

“Hey…! Don’t run too far!”

“Got it!”

Yuebing transformed into a black cat, running on four legs faster than two, carrying the bag in her mouth as she set off on her treasure hunt.

Lin Yueye was left standing there dumbfounded, looking at the plate with just a bit of salt left at the bottom, her face full of disgust.

But human curiosity is just that strong.

She couldn’t believe it.

Recalling Yuebing’s expression of enjoyment earlier…

No way, did I do something wrong when I first tried it? Is this really all salt?

Once again, she dipped her finger into the scattered salt grains at the bottom of the bowl and brought it to her mouth.

Cautiously sticking out her tongue, trembling with nervousness, she tried to lick her fingertip. Her ruby-colored eyes wavered with curiosity and worry.

“Ah…”

As she gently put her finger in her mouth, the salt stimulating her taste buds caused her delicate body to shudder suddenly, and for a moment, she felt a kind of astringent sensation.

Well.

She shouldn’t have expected anything different.

“Ack! Ptooey! So salty! It really is all salt?!”

“Hehe… You really are tsundere. You wouldn’t eat all that earlier, but now you’re sneaking a taste when I’m not around.”

“Yuebing?!”

Hearing the voice, she looked up to see the mischievous black cat perched on the second-floor railing, her eyes conveying an “I knew it” look.

“If you want to eat, just say so. When we get home, I’ll invent a new way to eat it. Let me tell you, if you put this stuff in water, it’s absolutely delicious!”

“Wait…!”

“I’m off to continue my treasure hunt!”

“……”

Before she could finish speaking, Yuebing had already scampered off on her four short legs.

Lin Yueye silently withdrew her left hand that was about to stop her.

Well…

Nothing more to say.

Rather than trying to reason with her…

It might be better to hide the water cups at home from now on.

………………………………..

The waiting time turned out to be much longer than expected.

Perhaps it hadn’t been that long at all.

It’s just that Lin Yueye, sitting alone in such a spacious area with such comfortable soft sofas, found everything too unfamiliar. She couldn’t help feeling uneasy, and when people are anxious, they tend to perceive time as moving slower. It’s like when you’re waiting for the last ten minutes of class to end – the more you watch the clock count down, the longer those ten minutes seem to stretch.

And right now, the source of Lin Yueye’s unease…

— Was probably the upcoming “meeting the parents” part.

What should I say when I see them, and what kind of expression should I show?

I can’t just outright say I’m their son lying in the coffin, that would scare them to death.

Do I have the right to say any words of comfort?

Or should I just politely greet them as Xia Mujin’s friend?

After all, Xia Mujin’s parents are well-known business tycoons in the city, big shots who often appear on TV and in magazines. Lin Yueye is just a poor girl who worries about paying rent for her apartment… Even if Xia Mujin says she’s her friend, what will her parents think? Will they feel that their daughter shouldn’t have a friend of such a vastly different social status…?

She wasn’t sure.

After all, even with her own biological parents from her previous life, Lin Yueye never knew their personalities.

Or rather, she had never even figured herself out.

Leaning back against the sofa, she stretched out her legs covered in white knee-high socks.

Little Yueye let out a soft sigh, unclear whether it was one of relief or lament.

“Hah… Never mind, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. It’s not like I can knock myself out… Let’s leave it to fate.”

She muttered to herself, giving herself a pep talk.

— But at that moment, she heard the sound of someone entering the passcode to unlock the main door at the entrance of the reception room.

Yuebing…?

No!

Lin Yueye’s eyes widened as she snapped to attention, quickly composing herself and standing up straight, her nerves on edge!

What Yuebing? She can barely recognize all the numbers, how would she know about passcodes!

This could only be…

Mom and Dad are here!

Extremely nervous and shaken, she stared at the door as it slowly opened.

Lin Yueye had already prepared in her mind all the possible phrases to express a first meeting.

And just as the door opened wide enough for someone to enter, even though her mind was in chaos and most of the prepared words had slipped away from her thoughts, little Yueye had no choice but to brace herself!

“N-Nice to meet…!”

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Yueye! My apologies~ We got held up a bit.”

“Huh…?!”

Xia Mujin’s voice…?

Did she come with her parents?

Didn’t she say her parents would arrive first?

Lin Yueye looked up in a daze, only to see the stunningly beautiful girl in a black dress wearing an apologetic smile on her face.

She pushed the door closed behind her.

And behind her, there was no second person.

Lin Yueye stepped out from behind the sofa, changing her angle to confirm, with an ominous feeling growing in her heart.

“Classmate Mujin…? Um… where are your parents? Didn’t you say… your parents were coming here…?”

She cautiously probed in a low voice, but to her surprise, Xia Mujin waved her hand and replied matter-of-factly.

“Ah, I know Yueye is a bit anxious, but that’s not very realistic. Today, both my father and mother are extremely busy and in terrible moods. Even if I asked them to come, they wouldn’t.”

As if confirming her own statement, or perhaps for some other reason, Xia Mujin lowered her voice and repeated.

“Yes, they won’t come.”

“?”

The way you’re saying this…

You didn’t tell them at all, did you?!

Then why did you have that maid tell me all those things earlier…

Thump.

Suddenly, a very unsettling possibility dawned on Lin Yueye.

And that thump wasn’t just the sound of Lin Yueye’s heart skipping a beat.

— It was also the sound of Xia Mujin discreetly locking the passcode lock from the inside.

No… no way…

Haha…

In broad daylight, why lock the door?