Chapter 9: The Grand Tea Art Competition

"Xiao Xiao, isn't that Yingying? Don't you recognize her?"

Seeing the timid look on Ye Xiao, Ye Cheng instantly pulled his arm back from Bai Yingying's clasp.

Xiao Xiao, rural as she was, naturally lacked the poise of Yingying; of course she was frightened on her first trip to the big city. Yet here he was, the older brother, so engaged with Yingying that he had ignored Xiao Xiao, who now looked like she was about to cry.

"So you are Sister Yingying, your dress is so beautiful, I've never seen such a gorgeous dress before."

Ye Xiao gazed with envy at Bai Yingying.

"Xiao Xiao, if you like, I'll take you to buy clothes right now."

Ye Cheng, seeing the look of envy in Ye Xiao's eyes, thought his sister must have suffered a lot in the countryside. The sports clothes she was wearing seemed faded from too many washes and were probably worn for a long time. He even wondered if they were hand-me-downs. His sister truly seemed pitiable.

"No, I want to go home, I want to see mom and dad as soon as possible."

Ye Xiao shook her head and looked obediently at Ye Cheng.

Bai Yingying felt a lump in her chest, choked with irritation. Ye Cheng was going to take Ye Xiao shopping for clothes; he had never taken her clothes shopping in all her years in the Ye family.

This country bumpkin was somewhat capable, managing to cast herself as the disadvantaged one in just a few words and successfully arousing Ye Cheng's protective instincts and sympathy.

"Alright then, let's head home. Mom heard you were coming today and has prepared a whole table of food, just waiting for you."

Watching the sensible and deferential Ye Xiao, Ye Cheng felt even more compassion. He wanted to stroke her head, but just then she turned away and missed his hand.

It wasn't an accidental miss; Ye Xiao had seen Ye Cheng's hand approaching and deliberately turned her head so he wouldn't touch her. She didn't want the hand that had stroked Bai Yingying to touch her, fearing she wouldn't be able to resist cutting it off.

"Big brother, practicing dance has been so tiring lately, my hands are so sore. The luggage was almost slipping from my grip."

Bai Yingying looked at Ye Cheng with a coquettish expression.

Although she didn't explicitly say it, the message was clear. She wanted Ye Cheng to help her with her luggage.

"Tsk..."

Just as Ye Cheng reached for Bai Yingying's luggage, he suddenly saw Ye Xiao holding her wrist with a pained expression in her eyes.

"Xiao Xiao, what's wrong? Do you feel unwell?"

Ye Cheng looked into Ye Xiao's beautiful eyes, which seemed so teary that they might start spilling out.

"It's... it's nothing."

Ye Xiao stammered, shaking her head.

The more she claimed it was nothing, the more Ye Cheng felt something was amiss. Her beautiful eyebrows almost squeezed together as she seemed to be holding back something while shaking her head. She looked pitiable.

"Xiao Xiao, what happened to your hand? Tell big brother the truth."

Adopting a stern tone of an elder brother, Ye Cheng spoke seriously.

"A few days ago, when I was getting water from the well, I accidentally dislocated my wrist. It's been set now, and it doesn't hurt at all, really."

As she spoke, Ye Xiao forced a grim smile.

"Xiao Xiao, you won't have to do chores like fetching water anymore. Big brother will pull the luggage for you."

Ye Cheng was filled with tenderness and snatched the luggage from Ye Xiao's grasp.

To think his sister had to do such heavy chores back in the countryside. At home, Yingying had never even touched cold water. The disparity between their lives was stark. From now on, he would have to take good care of Xiao Xiao.

Bai Yingying, biting her lip, watched as Ye Cheng pulled Ye Xiao's luggage. Watching them walk together, it was in this moment they truly appeared as brother and sister, and she felt superfluous. It was as if her lungs were about to explode.

Just now, she seemed to have seen Ye Xiao flashing a victorious smile at her. Originally, she wanted to remind Ye Xiao not to covet anything or anyone from the Ye family by getting Ye Cheng to pull her luggage, but now she found herself outmaneuvered. She had indeed underestimated this country girl.

The corner of Ye Xiao's mouth curled into an almost imperceptible sneer. Bai Yingying, this amateur Green Tea, dared to compete with her? Over her nine thousand years, she had seen enough Green Tea corpses to make a mountain. Naturally, she had learned a thing or two.