When Xin Yunmao received her praise, he finally regained his composure from earlier, his expression completely shifting from gloomy to bright, and he hummed almost imperceptibly, "That's more like it."
"What about managing the tea garden?"
Xin Yunmao's eyebrow twitched: "I'll consider it."
Chu Zhishui saw right through his impending agreement, and she quickly pressed on: "After we're done, when we drive back to the bureau, shall we stop by to buy some fruit tea?"
"Why?"
"I feel like you enjoy fruit tea," Chu Zhishui smiled. "We'll pass by the shop anyway, and they also have desserts. We can pick some to take back and share with Jin Yu in the afternoon."
Xin Yunmao raised his eyebrows in delight: "So this time you're buying specifically for me, and just happening to get some for her?"
"You can pick what you like at the store," Chu Zhishui didn't answer directly, but said sincerely, "I haven't gone out with you all much before, so I'm not sure what flavors to choose. I usually just guess, but it's good that you're here today."
Xin Yunmao wanted to keep up his pretense, but her casual conversation distracted him, and he soon found himself in a thoroughly pleasant mood.
Chu Zhishui's attitude was so proper and sweet that Xin Yunmao couldn't find fault with it, and he ended up agreeing to her request in a daze.
In the tea garden, Little Yellow and Little Black huddled in the corner like quails, watching wide-eyed as the black-haired youth watered the tea trees with demon energy. When they heard him promise to come check regularly in the future, their faces turned ashen, their hearts sinking as they felt their future turning bleak.
How could he so easily fulfill a human's wish?
They didn't want to frequently face this deity-sealing demon who wielded the Dragon Bone Umbrella!
Xin Yunmao might have noticed the two demons' resentful gazes, as he turned his head during his leisure time to give them a cold look, casually asking, "Are they useful?"
"They..." Chu Zhishui glanced at the two demons, "They're okay, why?"
"If they're not useful, we can burn them."
Seeing the two demons trembling in fear from afar, Chu Zhishui persuaded, "Don't. They're useful enough."
Xin Yunmao quickly finished irrigating the tea garden with demon energy. The mist-like energy enveloped the tea trees, and after the demon energy catalyzed, a gentle drizzle of fine, soft water vapor burst forth.
Chu Zhishui felt the cool raindrops and was about to turn back to get an umbrella, but someone beat her to it. With a swoosh, an umbrella opened, and she looked up to see a black-blue paper umbrella shielding her from the rain.
She noticed that most of the paper umbrella was tilted toward her and quickly said, "Move it over a bit, you'll get wet."
"This is just demon energy, it doesn't matter if it gets on me."
Xin Yunmao held the umbrella with one hand as he continued walking forward with her.
Chu Zhishui remembered that his hands had been empty just moments ago, and she didn't know where he'd gotten the blue-black paper umbrella from. She carefully examined its structure. The handle resembled powerful and fierce bone joints, supporting the blue paper surface, which looked as if it had been burned by the Three-Realm True Fire. Both the handle and umbrella surface were covered in large patches of charred black, and even the lighter areas showed signs of spark burns.
"Is this called the Dragon Bone Umbrella?" Chu Zhishui asked, remembering the white-haired demon's shout from that day.
"That's what they seem to call it."
"What do you call it?"
"I usually..." Xin Yunmao paused briefly, then admitted, "don't call it anything, or just call it umbrella."
Chu Zhishui blinked with curiosity: "So are you a dragon?"
"Of course not." Xin Yunmao glanced at her sideways, seemingly amused by her words. "You've been worshipping me, yet you don't know what I am?"
"How would I know?" Chu Zhishui said innocently. "You're the one who insisted I become your devotee, and you know very well I don't have any demon energy."
Come to think of it, she still didn't understand why she had to worship him.
Xin Yunmao turned his head away, inexplicably annoyed: "Never mind, I should have known..."
Chu Zhishui asked curiously: "So what exactly are you? Just tell me directly, then I'll know."
"There's no point in telling you." Xin Yunmao's tone was extremely flat. "You're just someone who judges by appearances anyway, always coveting my looks. What I am won't change my appearance."
"..."
Chu Zhishui didn't understand why she was being accused, and after taking a deep breath, she said helplessly: "No, I don't understand why you always think of me this way. Honestly, I've never done anything inappropriate to you, have I?"
Xin Yunmao was absolutely certain: "You haven't done anything, but you've thought about it."
"...Honestly, aren't you just being too full of yourself?" Chu Zhishui studied his slightly changing expression and gently reasoned, "Fine, we can admit you're somewhat good-looking, but nowadays information is so readily available, there are tons of handsome guys in videos online, and there are many male celebrities who rely on their looks. I've seen plenty of handsome men before, have you considered that you might be overthinking this?"
She presented facts and reason, trying to break through his delusion.
He sneered: "How could that be possible?"
"Why not?"
Xin Yunmao's smile faded, his eyes flickering: "Fine, then name someone right now. Which human celebrity do you think is better looking than me?"
"Male celebrities?" Chu Zhishui was actually stumped by the question. "Let me think..."
"Can't think of anyone?"
"No, it's not that, I just don't follow celebrities, I don't pay attention to these things."
"Then find someone around you, have you seen anyone better than me?"
"..." Chu Zhishui was speechless. After weighing the difficulty of both options, she said calmly, "Wait a minute, I'll go online right now, get to know some popular male celebrities, and then tell you."
Xin Yunmao showed a self-satisfied smile: "You can't name any celebrities, you can't name anyone around you, and you still think I'm overthinking?"
Chu Zhishui argued with a headache: "This is purely a misunderstanding, it's not my fault."
"Then whose fault could it be?" he said lazily. "Could it be my fault? Should I blame myself for looking like this in human form?"
Xin Yunmao gave her a profound look, with a hint of smug triumph, his face practically screaming "I've seen right through you" in an irritating way.
She had meant to mock him, but instead got countered, and now it seemed like she really did have ulterior motives.
"Anyway, it's not my fault..." Chu Zhishui was provoked to embarrassed anger by his look, and finally gritted her teeth, exclaiming in exasperation: "It's the fault of men these days!"
Xin Yunmao was shocked by her outburst: "?"
After her impulsive words, she became even more righteous: "It's all because men these days are inadequate. If you asked me to name beautiful women, I could list ten right now, and I could find beautiful women within three seconds of driving into the city, but decent-looking men on the street are painfully rare, there's no comparison with women at all!"
Xin Yunmao's expression was subtle: "That reasoning is too far-fetched..."
"How is it far-fetched? This is reality. You think you're that outstanding? It's just because the standard for men these days is too low, otherwise how could you male demons have the nerve to be so arrogant?"
"..."
"If I were a man, I'd be a thousand times better than you," Chu Zhishui concluded with a straight face. "That's right, it's not that you're excellent, you just look good in comparison to others."
"What did you say?" Xin Yunmao was so angry his head hurt, and he said coldly, "You clearly don't know my standing among demons!"
Chu Zhishui mocked: "And you don't know my standing among humans either. We should have taken the college entrance exam together back then, then you'd understand how big the gap is between us."
"???"
Xin Yunmao stared at her with dark eyes, glaring at her resentfully: "That's not what you were saying earlier."
She hadn't been like this when asking for his help.
Chu Zhishui remembered that he had just finished watering the tea garden, and she immediately changed her attitude, coughing lightly twice before saying softly: "It's getting late, what would you like to eat? We can buy something on the way."
The conflict was timely stopped, preventing further escalation.
After leaving the tea garden, they first bought fruit tea and pastries, then parked at a convenience store. There weren't any proper restaurants on the way, and while Chu Zhishui could be satisfied with snacks, she figured Xin Yunmao, being so tall, probably needed a proper meal.
The convenience store was empty of customers, small but well-lit, with the cashier sitting and playing on their phone.
"There aren't any good restaurants nearby, so we'll have to make do for lunch. Would you like any boxed meals?" Chu Zhishui watched him wandering between the shelves and added, "There's hot oden over there, and we can get some snacks too."
Xin Yunmao seemed like he was in a convenience store for the first time. He wandered around confused, eventually just following closely behind her as she made her way to the refrigerated section.
Chu Zhishui had never seen him eat before. She took a plum rice ball from the shelf, and seeing him follow suit and take one too, she reminded him: "There are tuna ones over there too."
Xin Yunmao glanced at her: "You like fish so much that you have to mention it with everything?"
"..."
She felt this situation was full of pitfalls, and they kept getting into arguments before she knew it.
She discovered that he often provoked her true nature to surface. Shortly after meeting him, her sharp tongue was exposed. Despite years of workplace experience, he had just managed to stir up her competitive spirit, leading to an open dispute about who was stronger.
Chu Zhishui had no intention of continuing their verbal sparring and simply stayed quiet, waiting for him to finish selecting food. However, after meticulously browsing the shelves, Xin Yunmao only picked up a plum rice ball and silently placed it on the checkout counter.
"Is that all you're eating? Won't you be hungry in the afternoon?" Chu Zhishui asked in surprise as she was about to pay, reassuring him, "Don't hesitate, just take whatever you want."
She assumed he hadn't brought his wallet and might be feeling embarrassed, hence being so restrained in his selection.
Xin Yunmao shook his head.
"Alright then, if you see anything else you want to eat along the way, just let me know."
What Xin Yunmao didn't tell her was that he actually didn't need to eat; he had picked up the rice ball purely out of curiosity about which flavor she had chosen.
Neither of them chose to heat their rice balls, and they stood at the convenience store entrance unwrapping them.
Chu Zhishui gently pulled the wrapper, revealing the seaweed-wrapped rice ball perfectly intact, making it easy to hold with the wrapper while eating.
Xin Yunmao, however, was making a mess. He frowned as he opened the plastic wrapper, finding the seaweed stuck to the transparent packaging, nearly destroying the entire rice ball.
"You need to tear it from the middle," Chu Zhishui said, watching his struggle. She held out her rice ball, saying with amusement, "I forgot to tell you earlier. Here, have mine instead."
"That's not necessary..."
Before Xin Yunmao could finish speaking, his failed attempt was taken from him and replaced with the perfectly unwrapped one.
Chu Zhishui quickly unwrapped the other one and slowly took her first bite of the messier rice ball, making no attempt to exchange them back.
Xin Yunmao was surprised by her swift action. He withdrew his hand and pressed his lips together: "You seem to do this often."
"Do what?" she asked casually while enjoying her food, her slow, deliberate chewing making her look more like she was dining in a Michelin-starred restaurant than standing outside a convenience store.
Xin Yunmao felt that fish had been right about something - Chu Zhishui carried an inherent nobility about her. Not the showy kind of luxury, but rather an effortless grace in everything she did, along with a relaxed demeanor that came from complete self-assurance. Even when helping others, her actions were natural and casual, as if they weren't worth mentioning.
"Taking care of others habitually," he said calmly. "You did the same with that fish."
"You call this taking care of someone?" Chu Zhishui was startled. "It's just a rice ball, isn't it a bit of an exaggeration?"
Xin Yunmao remained silent.
Chu Zhishui continued eating her rice ball, noticing his expressionless face. She frowned slightly, showing a hesitant look.
Xin Yunmao observed her subtle expression and asked, "What do you want to say?"
"Never mind, I'd better not say it... it'll just lead to another argument..." She thought it best to avoid stirring up trouble.
However, the more something is half-hidden, the more others want to know about it.
Xin Yunmao persisted: "Tell me."
She felt quite nervous: "You'll accuse me of deliberately provoking you if I do."
"Just say it," he promised solemnly. "Just this once, I won't accuse you."
Considering his long-held bizarre notions, Chu Zhishui wondered if her actions had led to his misunderstanding, making him interpret such small gestures as intentional kindness. She muttered, "I was thinking, could it be that you're quite pitiful, never having been cared for by anyone, which is why you're making such a big deal out of this?"
After all, exchanging rice balls wasn't anything significant.
Objectively speaking, she felt these words were provocative and quite offensive to say out loud.
But Xin Yunmao wasn't angry. His eyes were deep and calm as he replied, "Indeed, I haven't."
Her eyelashes fluttered: "...Now you've left me speechless."
This was Xin Yunmao's first time eating a rice ball. He ate methodically, experiencing the plum flavor spreading across his tongue, awakening every long-dormant taste bud. The freshness, tartness, and slight sweetness all mingled together, creating a novel and stimulating experience, vibrantly unfamiliar.
After finishing, he said, "I want another one."
"Go get one then, I knew it wouldn't be enough."
They went back to check out again, and Xin Yunmao handed the rice ball to her, silently watching, as if waiting for something.
Chu Zhishui didn't complain. She casually tore open the wrapper and handed it back to him with one hand, saying leisurely, "Let's head back after you finish."
Her fingers holding the rice ball were slender and fair, with small, rounded pink nails that easily caught one's attention.
"Mm."
He quietly finished his second one, finding it even more sweet and sour than the first.
Back in the Economic Development Section, Chu Zhishui and Xin Yunmao returned with afternoon snacks, calling out to Jin Yu who had stayed behind in the office.
Jin Yu rushed over excitedly, routinely offering to transfer money to Chu Zhishui, and only accepted the drinks and pastries after her offer was politely declined. Just as she took her first bite of the fresh cake, she suddenly remembered something important and spoke with her cheeks full: "Oh right, Director Hu came looking for you earlier."
Chu Zhishui: "For me?"
"Said he had something to discuss."
"Alright, I'll go see him then." Chu Zhishui took out the newly bought cookies from the plastic bag, thought for a moment, then put them back, asking, "Jin Yu, where did you put the green tea from last time?"
"I put it in the cabinet, I'll get it for you now."
"Could you get two cans for me? Thanks."
"Sure." Jin Yu asked curiously, "Two cans? What for?"
"Gifts shouldn't come alone - they're for Director Hu." Chu Zhishui saw her eyes widen and reassured her, "Don't worry, it's just a small gift, it won't get Director Hu in trouble."
"...That's not what I was worried about."
Chu Zhishui set off carrying two cans of tea, unsure what Hu Chenrui wanted to discuss, but thought it best to bring something just in case.
In their workplace, one couldn't avoid trying to impress leaders as that would show a lack of initiative, but neither could one do it too often as that would invite scrutiny. It was all about maintaining the right balance, keeping neither too close nor too distant, in order to survive.
Chu Zhishui composed herself before the director's office. She knocked gently and only slowly pushed the door open after hearing Director Hu's response.
"Ah, Little Chu, you're here." Hu Chenrui said kindly, "I came looking for you this morning but you weren't in."
His mood seemed good, so it probably wasn't anything bad.
"I was checking on the tea garden this morning," Chu Zhishui explained, then said softly, "I brought you something..."
"Oh no! This isn't appropriate!" Hu Chenrui hurriedly refused when he saw the tea cans on the desk.
"It's nothing really, this is a new product from the Economic Development Section, made from tea leaves from our bureau's garden. Everyone's been busy with this lately," Chu Zhishui said with a gentle smile. "You can try it and give us some feedback on what we can improve."
"This is all your team's work?" Hu Chenrui picked up a can of tea and saw the brand name "Observation Bureau" on it, exclaiming, "It looks quite professional, very nice indeed!"
"These are just samples. If you think anything needs adjustment, we can still make changes."
"I think it's great," Hu Chenrui said approvingly. "I wanted to talk to you about this actually. You've been in contact with Yinhai, right? Director Ye called me yesterday to discuss your section's new product. I heard you haven't signed any contracts yet?"
Director Ye was the head of the Yinhai Observation Bureau, holding the same position as Hu Chenrui in the Huaijiang Bureau.
Chu Zhishui suddenly understood - this was a high-level leader pushing for progress. Since the Yinhai Bureau had decided to order tea, they had repeatedly inquired about the matter, wanting to know about the Observation Bureau brand green tea's production volume and pricing. At the time, she wasn't sure about the differences between the two types of green tea, and noticing their unusual eagerness, she naturally hadn't given an immediate response, politely deflecting until now without quoting a price.
Of course, she also had her own agenda in negotiating, wanting to drag things out for psychological advantage. She hadn't expected Director Ye to make a phone call.
Chu Zhishui quickly said, "Yes, there were some procedures we needed to follow first. It's almost ready now, and soon we'll be able to..."
"No rush, no rush. Little Chu, don't work too much overtime, young people should take it easy," Hu Chenrui quickly waved his hand. "It's normal for our type of organization to move a bit slower!"
Chu Zhishui: "?"
Hu Chenrui cleared his throat and said with concern, "We have a good relationship with the Yinhai Bureau. I heard you haven't set the prices yet, so do more market research, take things step by step. Don't exhaust yourself by thinking about work all the time."
Neither of them were foolish, and Chu Zhishui particularly caught on quickly.
"Good relationship" equals "the deal won't slip away," "market research" equals "I'm not satisfied with how much you're fleecing these suckers," and "following procedures" equals "jack up the prices or I'll stall them to death."
Chu Zhishui looked at Director Hu's gleaming eyes, and after processing his words, she responded, "I understand. We're mainly concerned that Director Ye and others might be too eager to support our business and buy impulsively. Impulse buying isn't advisable. It's better to price things more carefully after cooling down, to avoid wasting resources..."
"Exactly, exactly right!" Hu Chenrui clapped his hands delightedly. "Ah, talking with you is always so easy!"
Chu Zhishui seized the opportunity and humbly asked, "So what do you think would be an appropriate price?"
Hu Chenrui's eyes darted craftily as he countered, "What's the highest price in the market right now?"
Chu Zhishui paused for several seconds, surprised by how ruthless the old fox was being. She answered diplomatically, "Director Hu, green tea prices vary greatly in the market, depending on appearance and processing techniques. Setting prices arbitrarily might disrupt the market."
"From what I understand, Director Ye and his people want to buy it all," Hu Chenrui argued forcefully. "We're selling tea to supernatural beings. As long as it doesn't enter the human market, it won't count as market disruption, and we won't get trouble from market regulators!"
"..."
Well, well, creatures of the same kind really know how to fleece each other - they're truly not treating supernatural beings as equals.
