GDRG CH13

Chapter 13: Green Tea’s Airplane Ticket

Shi Xueqing posted on his social media for four days straight. This time, he was very cautious. Every day, the items that appeared in his photos were genuine articles he had bought in middle school, including a pair of outdated Off-White sneakers. In order to make his social media posts impeccable, he started to fall behind the current trends.

It’s okay. We artistic grifters love nostalgia. This is what’s called a renaissance.

After four days of renaissance, Shi Xueqing went out to eat with Lü Yimeng. He played a little trick, not inviting Xing Wei, but asking Lü Yimeng to check out a new restaurant with him—under the pretext of thanking her for bringing back the postcard.

Lü Yimeng and the bespectacled Tao Shu were both Xing Wei’s best friends. By extension, anything the two of them knew, Xing Wei would definitely know.

After a few plates of yakitori were served, Lü Yimeng started the conversation: “Xiao Shi, what have you been busy with lately?”

“In the rare books library, helping Mr. Eiffer with some research,” Shi Xueqing said elegantly. “I’ve borrowed many books that are usually unavailable and have seen many past ways of thinking… things that are unseen.”

“Oh…” Lü Yimeng said thoughtfully. “No wonder you’ve been posting so much on your social media lately. So it was inspired by what you saw.”

Shi Xueqing held his teacup, instantly entering a state of high alert. He said, as if unintentionally, “It’s not just because of the books… I was thinking about when spring had just ended.”

“May?”

“Early May, we were in Seattle…” Shi Xueqing lowered his eyes. “…Sometimes I feel very lonely.”

He took a sip of green tea, revealing the bracelet on his slender wrist. His snowy skin looked shockingly white against the silver chain. Lü Yimeng said without thinking, “I often feel that you are very melancholic.”

Shi Xueqing smiled faintly. “But during that time in Seattle, I was very happy.”

He paused. “Especially with… never mind.”

Shi Xueqing paid the bill and, as they were leaving, he gave Lü Yimeng two of the small Maneki-neko cat sculptures he had bought at the temple. “I saw these when I went to the temple to pray for good fortune. They’re so cute. This calico one is for you, for good luck.”

“Wow, so cute. What about this pink one?”

“This pink one, could you please give it to Xing Wei for me? Thank her for the headphones,” Shi Xueqing said, pretending to be casual.

Shi Xueqing’s mission was accomplished. The next day, Xing Wei sent him a message, thanking him for the little cat he sent.

Cyan_S: You’re welcome. I feel like you haven’t been in a good mood lately.

Xing Wei: Ah, how could you tell?

Cyan_S: You haven’t been posting on Instagram much lately, and you haven’t been going into the city to have fun either.

He watched as Xing Wei’s side showed “typing…” for a while. A moment later, Xing Wei replied, “You can even tell, and my brother is still like a dead person. I’m really speechless!”

Venting was a good start. Shi Xueqing’s heart leaped with joy, but his words became even more gentle and considerate as he asked her what was wrong.

Xing Wei spilled the beans, pouring out all her dissatisfaction with Xing Jun. She said her brother was domineering, overly suspicious, and only ever gave her money. He finally came to visit, but he bossed her around, controlling this and that, and even looked down on the people around her…

After sending this paragraph, Xing Wei paused, as if she regretted saying something she shouldn’t have. Shi Xueqing smiled on the surface, but thought to himself, Xing Jun must have been talking about me.

Damn Xing Jun.

The green tea nature kicked in at this moment. Shi Xueqing said, “Actually, both you and Brother Xing have it tough. Brother Xing has to deal with the family company’s affairs at such a young age. It’s very tiring and hard, so it’s understandable that he can’t take care of you. But he doesn’t realize that you are also growing up alone. You’re working so hard and got into such a good university. He is very capable, but what he says isn’t necessarily always right.”

Xing Wei, a little moved, became even angrier. “Yeah, he even said I’m going to turn bad. If I wanted to turn bad, why would I come here to study? And he even spoke ill of you, saying you’re a bad person and I shouldn’t get close to you.”

Shi Xueqing: …

As expected.

Xing Wei: “I think he’s the bad one! Making baseless assumptions about people. Xiao Shi, you even comfort me. What does he do!”

Shi Xueqing offered a few more words of comfort, and then finally started to sow discord again, saying that a brother should give in to his sister, and that it was Xing Jun who was in the wrong in the first place, so there was no reason for Xing Wei to be the one to seek reconciliation. Also, since they would just argue whenever they talked, they should just not talk for the time being.

Not only did Xing Wei agree, but she also extended the final invitation: “Xiao Shi, we’re going to Hawaii next week. Are you free to go with us?”

“Who’s all going?” Shi Xueqing was overjoyed upon receiving the invitation, but he asked with a feigned casualness.

“Me, Xiao Tao, Yimeng, you… and we’ll find two more guys, six people will be just right for one car.”

Hearing that two more guys were to be invited, Shi Xueqing sat up straight.

“Which two guys are you planning to invite?” he probed the enemy’s situation.

“…Hmm, of course, the ones I’m on good terms with,” Xing Wei said. “Are you going? Is it a bit sudden… I don’t want to talk to my brother. This time, I won’t ask my brother to help book a private jet.”

Shi Xueqing: …

So the private jet to Seattle before was booked by Xing Jun.

“We should be able to book tickets now, right? Let me see, I’ll book them together in a bit…” Xing Wei said again.

Buying tickets at such short notice, the fare would definitely be expensive. But Shi Xueqing thought of the phrase “guys I’m on good terms with” and then thought about what Xing Jun might have said to Xing Wei. His left hand tapped on the table, while his right hand sent a message: “This time, I’ll buy my own ticket.”

“Ah? Why are you suddenly saying that?”

“I was thinking about your brother… it’s nothing.” Shi Xueqing displayed the characteristic vagueness of a green tea. “Xing Wei, I hope you can be happier.”

“I’m very happy to be your friend.”

Shi Xueqing ended the chat. He didn’t have time to savor his perfect words; he immediately started browsing for flights.

He had to be quick; time was already very tight. Every day’s delay meant the price would go up by tens of dollars, and that was his hard-earned money from slaving away in the library for hours.

Seeing the price, which was as high as 800 dollars with taxes, Shi Xueqing felt numb again. But he thought of the phrase “on good terms” and felt that he had finally managed to squeeze into Xing Wei’s circle of close friends, becoming one of the final third.

He gritted his teeth, confirmed the itinerary with Xing Wei again, and booked the ticket.

With checked luggage, his savings were down by 900 dollars.

…

It’s okay, this is a necessary price to pay! Hope is right in front of me!

Shi Xueqing still felt a bit of a sting. As he brushed his teeth, he looked in the mirror and felt that he looked like 900 dollars.

As he looked, he felt that his gaze was so melancholic at the moment. If he took a picture and posted it on Instagram, it would surely be very attractive.

Once he started taking pictures, Shi Xueqing forgot about time and pain. He carefully selected a picture and posted it as a story. Not only did he receive a like from Lü Yimeng in the first instance, but he also received another piece of good news.

Someone had directly bought the scarf he had listed.

The scarf, originally priced at 480, was sold for 350. He had barely recouped half of his losses. Shi Xueqing calculated in his head, and his annoyance at Xing Jun for badmouthing him dissipated a little.

Not much, maybe 38%. On account of Xing Jun having served as a 40% off coupon for his plane ticket.

The person who bought the scarf was surprisingly a Chinese person, and the address was also in the Bay Area. But there were many Chinese people in the Bay Area anyway, and Shi Xueqing couldn’t distinguish between places like Palo Alto and Menlo Park. He was very enthusiastic and told the buyer he would ship it out the next morning.

There were still six hours until the next morning, and eleven hours until UPS opened. In this capitalist country where the post office didn’t open until eleven in the morning, Shi Xueqing carefully wrapped the scarf in the middle of the night and attached a note that said “Thank you for your purchase.”

The signature was also written beautifully—”Cyan.”

He placed the package on a clean table. With 62% melancholy, he fell into a deep sleep in his cramped studio.

…

That night, Xing Wei was also pondering some things. For example, Shi Xueqing’s sudden decision to buy his own plane ticket.

Although Xing Wei’s mind was only filled with the group she was chasing, the TV shows she was watching, and her girlfriends, she quickly figured out the plane ticket matter.

And then, she quickly saw red.

During the day, Xing Jun had been pondering for a long time over the urgent social media posts that Shi Xueqing had revealed. But in the middle of the night, he was woken up by a ringing phone, receiving a call that crossed two time zones. On the other end of the line, Xing Wei was screaming, “Xing Jun, all you do all day is scheme about people, thinking that all anyone sees is money. Your character is so bad!”

“???”

“He’s right. I’m not going to talk to you anymore!”

After saying that, Xing Wei hung up the phone.

Xing Jun on the other side of the phone: …

He had always been a light sleeper. Being woken up in the middle of the night, he was originally full of irritation and displeasure. But when he saw it was a call from Xing Wei, he started to get nervous and worried.

And then he was screamed at and scolded head-on.

Xing Jun was a little dazed. He sat on the bed and pondered for a while. Slowly, a sinister look crawled onto his face.

He got it.

Who else could Xing Wei be talking about? Of course, it was Shi Xueqing.

This green tea grifter, is he sowing discord between us?

He called Xing Wei back, but she didn’t answer. And due to a mix of new and old grudges, she started to play dead. Xing Jun was so angry that the veins on his forehead throbbed. To calm himself down, he got out of bed, washed his face, and then went to his home gym.

While punching, he gnashed his teeth and muttered that name.

“Shi Xueqing!”

I underestimated your methods!

As he punched the sandbag, the other’s seemingly cold and beautiful, but actually scheming face appeared before his eyes again. Shi Xueqing stood behind the sandbag, tilting his head, wearing a clavicle chain, looking at him with a seemingly gentle expression. But upon closer inspection, his eyes were full of mockery.

As if to say, let’s see what you can do to me, Xing Jun.

Xing Jun stopped his movements.

The sandbag was still swinging. He walked towards the phantom, clenched his fist, but didn’t throw a punch.

He had to be calm. Xing Jun told himself, impulsiveness solves no problems.

Especially with a high-level green tea like Shi Xueqing.

Xing Jun spent three days at work thinking about this problem. As he was about to leave work, he went to the front desk to pick something up and heard the front desk staff talking to a UPS person: “Did someone send a package to the company’s address?”

In theory, the company did not accept employees’ personal packages. Generally, as long as it was picked up before leaving work, the company would turn a blind eye. Xing Jun held his things and heard the UPS delivery person say, “A signature is required for receipt. The recipient is Cyan Shi…”

At that moment, Xing Jun suspected there was something wrong with his ears.

“Oh no, the sender is Cyan Shi. The recipient is…” The delivery person said an employee’s name.

Xing Jun stood there and didn’t continue walking. He heard the front desk call that employee: “He said he can’t get away. Can I sign for him?”

“No, it must be him in person,” the delivery person said rigidly.

“Hey, it’s just a scarf. Why do they need a signature for receipt? Are they afraid it’ll get lost?” the employee complained on the phone.

Xing Jun stepped back behind a potted plant. He stood in the shadows, watching his employee hurry down from the elevator and open the box at the front desk to sign for it.

The box was opened, and an extremely familiar scarf was revealed.

Xing Jun: …

There was also a note. The employee glanced at it and said, “The handwriting is quite nice.” He took the scarf and went back, casually throwing the note into the trash can.

It didn’t go in. The note fell on the floor.

After he left, Xing Jun came out of the shadows. He picked up the note and unfolded it.

Then he opened the picture of the leaf that Xing Wei had sent him before.

The handwriting was identical.

“…”

That night, Xing Jun returned home alone. He sat on the sofa, radiating a low pressure. Until he heard a notification sound. Xing Wei had posted a new story.

“Hawaii squad, assemble! 4=2.”

In the photo were her, Tao Shu, and Lü Yimeng. Besides the three girls, there was also a handsome boy.

Shi Xueqing.

He was in a corner of the table, handsome and aloof. In the photo, he stood up, raised his wine glass, and clinked glasses with the three girls. Because he was too far away, his T-shirt had ridden up, revealing a sliver of his bare waist.

The waistline was beautiful, the lines elegant, and it disappeared into the jeans he was wearing.

It was as if by tracing it downwards, one could sink into a soft, yielding embrace.

“…”

The clock ticked. Xing Jun looked down at the photo, the storm in his eyes growing darker and darker.

Shi Xueqing. He muttered the name coldly in his heart again.

What a good move. Not watching him for half a month, and he’s already so restless.

Another dark thought, following that sliver of waist, also surfaced in his mind.

—A vain person like Shi Xueqing needs to be fucked until he cries and dies to be obedient.

—A green tea who sows discord should be teary-eyed, crying and begging for mercy under a man’s body.