I Just Wanted To Live but I Somehow Became Better Than the Protagonist

13

Just Wanting to Live Well but Surpassing the Protagonist – 12 The Cultivator’s Tea

Half a year had passed since the engagement was called off, and this was Qin Shimeng’s first visit to where Ye Yong lived.

Nestled in one of the Ye family’s spiritual peaks, the luxurious courtyard boasted mountains, water, and abundant spiritual energy, making cultivation here twice as effective.

“Sit,” Ye Yong did not lead Qin Shimeng into the house but invited her to converse in the pavilion.

This surprised Qin Shimeng. Glancing at Ye Yong’s eyes, although he was looking elsewhere and not at her, the usual madness and fervor were gone. Could it be that he had truly lost interest in her? Qin Shimeng began to suspect whether this was some sort of scheme.

Ye Yong asked Wu Xue to bring the tea set and leaves, while secretly using 200 reversal points to purchase a book named “The Art of Tea Control,” albeit only a “Beginner” level.

The reason for spending precious reversal points on the seemingly trivial “The Art of Tea Control” was because this is a world of cultivation, where spiritual tea exists. Besides good tea leaves, proper technique is also required.

A pot of fine spiritual tea can soothe the soul and concentrate the mind of a cultivator, with some even achieving breakthroughs while savoring the tea.

After all, having more skills is definitely better.

With Qin Shimeng’s favorability so low, what if inviting her to drink good tea increased it? An increase in favorability could lead to more reversal points, which Ye Yong considered an investment, a surefire gain without loss.

Even if Qin Shimeng’s favorability did not increase, he would have learned the beginner’s “The Art of Tea Control.” It could be said that there are no useless skills sold in the system; if one could learn them all, Ye Yong felt he could become a sage in all aspects, like a Tea Sage, Painting Sage, Poetry Sage, and so on.

Wu Xue nervously brought the tea set and leaves, managing not to fall, wanting to brew tea for the young master and miss. But after Ye Yong thanked her and took the tea set and leaves, she was so startled that she hastily stepped back. When she regained her senses, she found the young master brewing tea with an incredible technique.

Brewing tea with hand seals was something Wu Xue had never seen before.

Is this the world of cultivators?

Wu Xue was dazed only for a moment before being attracted by a refreshing and incredibly fragrant tea aroma. She was not a tea lover, but even she couldn’t help but secretly swallow her saliva.

Compared to the ignorant mortal Wu Xue, Qin Shimeng, as a cultivator, was shocked by Ye Yong’s tea brewing technique. Their family had an elder who understood tea brewing; even without good spiritual leaves, he could brew quite excellent tea, precisely because he understood “The Art of Tea Control.”

However, “The Art of Tea Control” requires long-term contact with tea, and only those who truly understand tea can glimpse its threshold and gradually master it. Ye Yong’s technique just now was clearly more profound than that of her family’s elder. With good spiritual leaves and technique, the quality of this pot of tea had risen by who knows how many grades.

Showing off in front of a beautiful woman, Ye Yong kept a cool face, but inside, he was ecstatic. Showing off in front of the opposite s*x is natural, and even though he wanted to completely sever ties with Qin Shimeng, Ye Yong couldn’t control his desire to show off.

Look at Qin Shimeng sitting opposite, her cold and stunningly beautiful face, her eyes full of disdain now mixed with a bit of admiration. Even without an increase in favorability, Ye Yong felt that the 200 reversal points spent were well worth it.

To show off, one must do it completely. Ye Yong, with a cool expression throughout, poured a cup of tea for Qin Shimeng: “Miss Qin, please enjoy.”

“Thank you,” Qin Shimeng was not polite with Ye Yong, nor was there a need to be. Her jade-like white hand picked up the cup, her red lips gently blew on the steam, and she took a small sip.

The sweetness of the tea instantly spread in her mouth, and the rich aroma lingered at the tip of her nose.

Her heart, which was somewhat irritable upon arrival, suddenly calmed down. The spiritual energy contained in the spiritual leaves entered her body unreservedly with the tea, and although the amount was small, long-term consumption was equivalent to invisibly increasing her cultivation.

“Master Ye possesses such skill, it seems I, Qin Shimei, have been ignorant,” she remarked. However, Qin Shimei’s fondness for Ye Yong was outrageously negative. At most, she could only express amazement at his tea-making skills, but she still found him quite detestable.

“A mere trifle, not worth mentioning,” Ye Yong replied, glancing at the favorability list. Qin Shimei’s score had risen from -87 to -86. He then checked the reversal points; originally at 300, after deducting 250 points for purchasing the “Body Refinement Compendium” and “Tea Mastery: The Beginner’s Chapter,” there should have been 50 left, but now it had increased to 100.

What the heck? A single point of favorability equals 50 reversal points? Not to mention, if he could change the favorability from negative to zero, wouldn’t that net him over 4000 reversal points?

At that moment, the system reminded him: ‘Depending on the personality of each female lead, the value of favorability increase varies. However, it is certain that the value will progressively increase with each stage.’

‘It will continue to rise? I’m going to be rich!’ Ye Yong almost exclaimed in excitement.

Suppose Qin Shimei’s score went from -90 to -80, each point of increased favorability would add 50 reversal points. From -79 to -70, perhaps it would then increase to 100 per point, and after turning positive, maybe 1 point could equal 1000…

Of course, Ye Yong was well aware that as favorability increased, so would the difficulty of raising it. But this did not dampen his spirits. No wonder the system said that seizing the protagonist’s women and opportunities was the best way to earn reversal points.

To be honest, Ye Yong was quite reluctant to part with Qin Shimei. She was the first female lead to interact with Long Tian in the novel. If Ye Yong couldn’t change her trajectory, reality would follow the plot of the novel. So, even though he was reluctant, he had no choice but to let go.

“Xiaoxue, come here.” Fortunately, Ye Yong still had Wu Xue by his side. This adorable girl was absolutely under Ye Yong’s control, and increasing her favorability should not be too difficult.

“Is there something you need, young master?” Wu Xue approached Ye Yong cautiously. She thought she had upset the young master by inadvertently swallowing her saliva at the scent of the tea. However, the young master poured a cup of tea and handed it to her, which left Wu Xue’s mind spinning.

“Drink.”

Wu Xue hesitated, shaking her head and hands, wanting to take it but not daring to. The young master was entertaining guests, and she was just a maid.

Could this be a trap set by the young master? If she took it, would he slap her to death for disrespecting the guests?

With this thought, Wu Xue grew even more frightened.

Ye Yong was speechless. How could this valiant goddess be so timid? “Alright, I believe Miss Qin won’t mind these things. If you want to drink, then drink with us.”

Qin Shimei thought Ye Yong was deliberately trying to show a gentle side in front of her to win her favor. Although she didn’t like it much, she didn’t reject it either. She smiled at Wu Xue, “It’s alright. This tea has a certain allure for cultivators, let alone mortals. Drink, too much restraint is bad for the body.”

Since Qin Shimei had spoken, and Wu Xue had heard that her young master liked Miss Qin, with her presence, the young master probably wouldn’t kill her, at least not now.

Respectfully bowing, Wu Xue took the cup, walked a bit further away, and sneakily glanced at Ye Yong. Seeing that he had started talking with Qin Shimei, she felt somewhat relieved. Then, pursing her lips, she blew on the hot steam and took a tentative sip.

Wu Xue, still a mortal, felt her head explode with the fragrance of the tea overwhelming her senses. She had drunk tea before, but never imagined it could taste this good: “Incredible, is this tea brewed by a cultivator?”