Chapter 27 Slap in the Face (2k comments) "She seems to really know how to do it..."

Chapter 27 Slap in the Face (2k comments) "She seems to really know how to do it..."

Ye Hantao's series of violent coughs instantly interrupted the two tea ceremony teachers' process.

Cheng Zhao had to prop himself up on the table before he could get up when four tissues facing different directions were handed to Ye Hantao.

He glanced at the cameras in the room, then sat back down in his chair without showing any emotion.

The tissues from several people bumped into each other, and Wu Xia silently withdrew his outstretched hand.

"Quickly wipe it off." Su Yi'ang stuffed a tissue into Ye Hantao's hand.

Ye Hantao coughed until her face turned red, and her voice was slightly hoarse. "Thank you."

He Qiang also put down the tissue.

Jin Shiyue, holding the unused tissue in her hand, said sarcastically, "I've never seen you this eager before."

He Qiang kept a straight face, perfectly conveying her reluctance to answer.

After a while, Jin Shiyue curled her red lips, her eyes revealing obvious pleasure.

She must have heard Ye Hantao's praise of her in person at the restaurant that morning, which is why she couldn't sit still.

With her around, He Qiang shouldn't even think about winning over Ye Hantao.

Ye Hantao wiped the water stains from her lips, and then heard Liao Jiayue, who was sitting in a chair away, complain: "You guys are all too fast. I just pulled out a tissue and you didn't even have time to catch up."

"Teacher Zheng, you said this high-mountain Biluochun tea..." Ye Hantao stared at the empty cup, her almond-shaped eyes filled with doubt and surprise, "It costs four thousand yuan per kilogram?"

Zheng Qiuxia nodded, "That's roughly the current market price."

Ye Hantao was incredulous, “But the tea I bought from the supermarket tastes the same! And a bag only costs—” thirty-something yuan.

"--That's the price too."

Others: "..."

The audience: "..."

The subsequent additions were really awkward.

[Disease progression: 88.5%]

[Hahaha, can Ye Hantao at least be a little more plausible when she lies? Four thousand yuan a pound of tea in a supermarket?]

【The tea supermarket near my house has them; they even have tea for ten thousand yuan, let alone four thousand.】

Don't think too badly of supermarkets; they sell premium-grade teas there too.

[I'm speaking boldly: if Ye Hantao can truly drink tea that costs four thousand yuan per kilogram, she wouldn't be so shocked by the price that she choked!]

"Why did the production team bring this segment back again..."

Zhou Ti frowned, her fingers unconsciously tightening. "Tao Tao's tongue can drink it right away."

Ye Weizheng, his wrist pinched, endured the pain and said, "The tea from Langqiao Town is famous after all. The director must be reluctant to part with it."

Considering Tao Tao's taste buds, as early as when they received the program schedule, they used their status as investors to replace the tea tasting segment with a fishing segment.

Everything was prepared, but the unexpected happened without warning.

Tao Tao inexplicably developed a rash that night, and they immediately had their secretary contact the production team to say that they would no longer interfere with the program's flow.

Tao Tao's rash has cleared up, and this procedure has been brought up.

From the moment they set off for the tea garden, Zhou Ti was on tenterhooks, and sure enough, Tao Tao tasted it.

"Ye Weizheng, this is your fault!"

Zhou Ti slapped Ye Weizheng's arm, "I told you not to let Tao Tao drink tea all the time! You just wouldn't listen!"

Ye Weizheng obediently accepted the beating.

He truly never imagined that Tao Tao would one day appear on a variety show.

"Don't worry, don't worry," he reassured her. "If Tao Tao has any doubts, we'll take her to the supermarket to buy tea ourselves."

They've done similar things before, just like clothing stores.

Zheng Qiuxia also felt that Ye Hantao's pause was... strange.

But she had never seen Ye Hantao lie before, so she assumed that Ye Hantao had gotten a discount but didn't want to say it directly in front of the camera. That's why she hesitated when she mentioned four thousand.

"Yes, occasionally, its price has dropped to two or three thousand."

[A few thousand yuan per kilogram sounds expensive, but a 50g pack would only cost a few hundred yuan. It's not that I can't afford it.]

[…Shocking! There are rich people here!!!]

[Is this considered rich? If I were truly rich, I'd be drinking top-grade Icelandic ancient tree tea that costs over 100,000 yuan per kilogram.]

【Huh? There's also tea worth 100,000 yuan per kilogram?!】

What does this taste like?

[Hahaha, ask Ye Hantao, she'll definitely say she's had it (doge.jpg)]

It dropped to two or three thousand?

Ye Hantao swallowed. Two or three thousand is quite expensive.

I bought a 500g bag of tea from the supermarket for only thirty-something yuan.

The production team couldn't possibly buy something that costs a few dozen yuan and report it as costing four thousand yuan, especially since Teacher Zheng is the Secretary-General of the National Tea Art Association; he couldn't possibly be unaware of its value.

The mangoes she usually eats taste the same as the organic mangoes the production team sent from the farm.

So this is the difference between direct shipping from the place of origin and brand premium.

Ye Hantao became increasingly certain, "It tastes like the Biluochun tea I drank at home."

"Can they really taste the same? Some people have dull tongues and can't tell the difference between good tea and cheap stuff." Ji Changtu finally found a chance to save face and immediately said, "You couldn't tell the difference between the premium Tieguanyin I brought and the cheap stuff?"

Before Ye Hantao could speak, she heard a soft laugh.

When Cheng Zhao noticed others looking over, he shrugged and asked a completely unrelated question, "I heard you own a tea shop that sells tea?"

Ji Changtu puffed out his protruding belly, unable to hide his pride, "Yes, it's called Yu—"

"Stop, stop, don't waste everyone's time advertising your tea shop." Cheng Zhao interrupted Ji Changtu, his tone drawn out as he looked down and toyed with the teacup in his hand. "Someone like me who can only afford cheap tea probably can't possibly patronize your business."

Upon hearing this, Ji Changtu's face turned pale and then flushed.

He forced a smile and said, "What are you saying? I was just joking with Tao Tao."

“I can taste the difference,” Ye Hantao said earnestly. “The Tieguanyin you brewed was too hot, it has a slightly burnt taste. This Biluochun is much better.”

Ji Changtu suppressed his anger.

These two all get along with him!

[Aaaaaah, I knew there was something going on between Cheng Zhao and Ye Hantao!!!]

Is Cheng Zhao standing up for Ye Hantao?

[Can't this kind of lust-driven mentality just go away? Cheng Zhao is clearly being hit where it hurts by cheap goods; a typical case of a poor person's defenses crumbling.]

[He's a classmate of Chen Xiaofeng! With over five million followers on Instagram and that kind of charisma, how could he be poor?]

[Friendly reminder: Ye Hantao and Liao Jiayue are classmates, and she has a great presence too :)]

[Ye Hantao is a college student, and Cheng Zhao is a wildlife photographer. How can he travel abroad so often if he doesn't have money?]

[Perhaps Chen Xiaofeng will pay the bill.]

[And then he dared to call himself Chen Xiaofeng's father in front of him? What, does he have evidence that Chen Xiaofeng broke the law?]

Zhou Ti and Ye Weizheng, who were in the live stream the whole time: "..."

They were both well aware of Cheng Zhao's background and wealth, so he wouldn't be swayed by the words "cheap goods."

So why did he suddenly launch a scathing attack on Ji Changtu?

Ye Weizheng rubbed his wrist, which had been pinched so hard, and said, "This kid is quite good at talking." He felt much better after hearing that.

On the other side.

In the manor bedroom, an elderly man with white hair and eyebrows leaned against the headboard, waiting for the family doctor to take his temperature.

"Grandpa, I heard that Young Master Zhao is on a variety show. Don't you want to watch it?"

"I don't have that kind of free time."

Grandpa Cheng adjusted his reading glasses and slowly flipped through the book in his hand.

"He can't say anything nice," said Old Master Cheng. "He's just looking for another place to bully people."

He closed the book and sighed.

"I don't know if I'll be able to see him settle his marriage before I close my eyes."

Having a troublesome son who runs around the world chasing after his daughter-in-law isn't enough; even his grandson is a lonely old man.

Why didn't his son and grandson take after him?

Family doctor: "Young Master Zhao is young, promising, and handsome. Why do you need to worry about your future granddaughter-in-law?"

"I didn't have to worry." Old Master Cheng's voice was barely audible, and he was filled with melancholy as he thought about it.

You brat!

You don't understand his good intentions!

If it weren't for his friendship with Lao Zhou, Cheng Zhao would never have been able to get involved with a lovely girl like Tao Tao in his entire life!

well!

I wonder how Tao Tao is doing. In the last two years, I've called Lao Zhou to ask about Tao Tao's situation, but the old man has become increasingly perfunctory.

Yesterday I even scolded him for spying on military intelligence, saying he still harbors treacherous intentions.

Grandpa Cheng: "?!!"

You're so engrossed in watching TV dramas that you're losing your mind!

"Sir, your blood pressure—"

As soon as the family doctor spoke, Grandpa Cheng immediately opened his book and pretended to read it.

"Sigh, I've been so busy lately, I'm exhausted." He doesn't see a doctor, he just reads books. "It's normal for a person's physical condition to fluctuate when they're under pressure."

Family doctor: "Where's the chocolate you've been secretly hiding, you stressed-out old man?"

Old Master Cheng: "..."

None of them are likable.

He decided to take some time to watch the variety shows that the brat was on, so that he could feel better after seeing him mess with other people.

After the second round of ten cups of tea were finished, Zheng Qiuxia signaled to everyone that they could now taste the tea.

Ye Hantao picked up the teacup and gently smelled the aroma of the tea; it was jasmine tea.

It smells the same as my favorite soap.

Just as I was about to drink, I caught a glimpse of Cheng Zhao sitting by the window, who had finished his tea in one gulp.

Ji Changtu suppressed his anger, determined to win first place in this round.

He took a sip, but before he could swallow, he said, "Jasmine tea."

This time he didn't mention the price.

On the one hand, she didn't want Zheng Qiuxia to point out any more mistakes, and on the other hand, she couldn't taste it.

The jasmine tea had a rich aroma, and not only Ji Changtu could tell, but even Su Yi'ang, who usually gulped down everything, smacked his lips and exclaimed, "It's jasmine!"

Ye Hantao withdrew her gaze from Cheng Zhao, held the teacup in both hands, and sipped the tea slowly.

Jasmine has a sweet and refreshing taste that leaves a lingering fragrance in your mouth.

This tea is quite different from the jasmine tea she usually drinks at home.

Before the fragrance fades, it has a slightly astringent taste, while the jasmine in my house has a distinctly sweet rock sugar flavor.

Besides that, this cup of tea also has some other flavors.

Zheng Qiuxia: "Does anyone have other opinions?"

"Yes." Ye Hantao raised her hand, feeling the refreshing taste on her tongue, and said confidently, "This is jasmine tea and Baihao Yinzhen tea."

Ji Changtu suddenly looked up and saw Zheng Qiuxia nodding with a smile.

"It's jasmine tea scented five times, paired with Baihao Yinzhen tea made from only the first buds," Zheng Qiuxia explained. "If you're looking for the ultimate aroma, nine-scented tea is the best, and it's also sweeter."

Ye Hantao happily drank the rest of her tea.

She didn't understand anything about the five or nine scenting processes; she relied entirely on the wide variety of teas her father bought from the supermarket.

Others: "!!!"

The audience: "!!!"

[What?]

[Even Ji Changtu couldn't detect the presence of Baihao Yinzhen (Silver Needle White Tea), yet Ye Hantao did?!]

No, family, I need to calm down.

[You only guessed one cup correctly? Do you really think Ye Hantao's tea-tasting skills surpass Ji Changtu's?]

Don't forget that Chef Xing personally praised Ye Hantao as having a golden tongue!

Please, Ye Hantao had memorized it beforehand!

One incident can be a coincidence, but two or three happening at once demonstrate true skill!

[I can no longer tell if you're praising Ye Hantao because of the million-dollar gold prize draw, or if you're genuinely praising her...]

Liao Jiayue looked at Zheng Qiuxia with disbelief as she saw her accept Ye Hantao's answer.

How could Ye Hantao tell the difference?!

It was the surrounding cameras that quickly calmed Liao Jiayue down. She pretended to be surprised and said, "Tao Tao, you're the only one among us who got it right! Even Brother Changtu was careless."

Upon hearing this, Ji Changtu's resentment burned like a raging fire.

He was just careless!

This Secretary-General Zheng was really something, concealing from the start that two kinds of tea were used in this cup of tea! It just so happened that Ye Hantao was lucky enough to get the benefit of the surprise.

Liao Jiayue successfully captured the emotion she wanted on Ji Changtu's face, and then said regretfully, "Taotao, I didn't know you liked tea when I was in school."

“I wouldn’t say I love tea,” Ye Hantao replied. “My dad does.”

When Ye Hantao suddenly mentioned her family, Cheng Zhao couldn't help but recall some of the things Ye Hantao had said on the show.

Even if the family went bankrupt, they would still try their best to provide for her materially.

Cheng Zhao paused, his fingers stroking the rim of the cup, and he lifted his eyelids to look directly at the camera not far away.

His previously relaxed posture suddenly became as upright as if he were attending a business meeting.

Will Ye Hantao's elders recognize him?

Back then, the old man canceled the engagement because Ye Hantao's family went bankrupt. How could this family still look favorably upon him?

as well as……

The old man probably didn't tell the other family about the few things he said in a moment of madness, right?

After a moment, he raised his hand and tugged at the collar of his T-shirt, never before had he felt so restless.

Zheng Qiuxia picked up the teapot and poured the third round of tea for everyone. "This is the last round. For now—"

She glanced at the group number tags pinned to Ye Hantao and Cheng Zhao's clothes. "Group C and Group E each have 5 points."

Su Yi'ang slumped in his chair and let out a long sigh. "Damn it, I might have to pitch a tent in the yard tonight."

The next second, two voices came almost simultaneously, "Phoenix Dancong and Jin Jun Mei."

Just as Su Yi'ang was about to praise Boss Ji and Tao Tao again, he suddenly realized that one of the voices sounded very familiar. Wasn't that Wu Xia's voice?!

Ye Hantao was also looking at Wu Xia and exclaimed in surprise, "We got the same answer!"

Feeling the gazes coming from all directions, Wu Xia lowered her eyelashes and said, "...Hmm."

He wasn't used to white tea and didn't know the taste of Baihao Yinzhen, but the flavors of Phoenix Dancong and Jin Jun Mei were very obvious in this cup of tea.

【？？？】

[Is this fake? Ji Changtu hasn't even guessed it yet!]

[Just making this up!]

[Have you black people lost all their intelligence? How can two people simultaneously come up with the same nonsensical answer?]

[I'm speechless. You guys still believe Ji Changtu? His excuse for wearing fake jade was so flimsy!]

[Yeah, I don't think the tea at his tea shop is as good as he claims.]

Everyone is waiting for Zheng Qiuxia to reveal the answer.

Zheng Qiuxia then kept everyone guessing, asking, "What about the other people's answers?"

"It must be the Phoenix and Jin Jun Mei tea that Tao Tao and Wu Xia were talking about. Auntie loves drinking tea, and Wu Xia has been drinking it with her since she was little." Su Yi'ang tapped his head, looking bitter and resentful. "Why weren't we in the same group today?!"

Upon hearing this, Liao Jiayue, who was in the same group as him, clenched her fingers.

Liao Jiayue was unwilling to believe that Ye Hantao could give the correct answer, so she turned to look at Ji Changtu, the expert among them. Yuan Kai was also looking at his old classmate.

Ji Changtu had already finished his cup of tea.

Under everyone's gaze, he forced a composed expression and said, "I'm ashamed, I was a step too slow."

It wasn't that he didn't guess it, but he just couldn't speak as quickly as Ye Hantao.

Liao Jiayue pressed on, "Brother Changtu, do you also think it's Phoenix Dancong and Jin Jun Mei?"

How could that be?

Even she could only taste the flavor of Phoenix Dancong tea, with Jin Jun Mei mixed in very little. How could Ye Hantao possibly taste it?

Ji Changtu smiled slightly, "Yes."

Zheng Qiuxia then said, "Congratulations to Group A and Group C for each getting 5 points!"

Audience: Holy crap?!

Liao Jiayue couldn't accept this result, and she couldn't even pretend to be relaxed.

The storyline does include a tea-tasting process, but it's only briefly mentioned in two sentences.

This plot focuses on Yuan Qiong teaching them how to brew tea. As the female lead, she became famous for her smooth and skillful tea-brewing video.

Now, Ye Hantao has stolen all the limelight!

[Ye Hantao and Wu Xia actually got it right? ???]

So Ye Hantao wasn't just guessing last time?

[Believe in wild guesses, or you'll be better off believing I am Qin Shi Huang (dog head with rose in hand.jpg)]

[Green tea, black tea, oolong tea, and white tea are broad categories. Ye Hantao's ability to accurately identify Baihao Yinzhen (Silver Needle White Tea) suggests she wasn't just guessing!]

Of all those present, Cheng Zhao was the only one who wasn't surprised.

Ye Hantao's family had accumulated some wealth.

He also heard that the old man and the other party's elders met at a teahouse.

Of course, he knew nothing more.

[Isn't Ji Changtu the tea shop owner?!]

He's clearly drunk; that's why he was slow to answer.

[You believe that? Wasn't he quick-witted last time?]

[While we were drinking tea, his brow was so furrowed it could have crushed an ant; he was clearly copying answers verbatim!]

Am I the only one wondering if Ye Hantao's claim that the tea she brewed had a burnt taste is true?

【………………】

Just then, Ye Hantao finished listening to Zheng Qiuxia's explanation of the two types of tea and raised her hand, "Teacher, I have a question for you."

When Zheng Qiuxia saw that it was Ye Hantao who asked the question, a kind smile appeared on her round face.

When explaining science, she had observed others, among whom Ye Hantao looked at her with bright eyes, as attentive as if she were in class, occasionally pausing to understand something.

She, as a lecturer, felt a great sense of accomplishment after seeing this.

"Go ahead and ask."

"I've had Tieguanyin tea brewed by Boss Ji before, and I felt the water temperature was too high, so it tasted a bit burnt." Ye Hantao couldn't contact the teacher who taught them how to brew tea in her traditional Chinese painting class, so she could only ask here. "But Boss Ji said that the higher the quality of the tea, the less it is affected by the water temperature."

Upon hearing this, Ji Changtu felt as if he had been slapped across the face from afar, his cheek burning with pain.

He gripped the cup so tightly he wanted to crush it.

Ye Hantao asked a question she was concerned about, "Teacher Zheng, I would like to know what temperature of hot water is best for brewing a pound of lightly fragrant Tieguanyin tea that costs several thousand yuan?"

After drinking three cups of tea in a row, Ye Hantao was quite certain that the tea brewed by Teacher Zheng was much better than that brewed by Boss Ji.

She thought that if she got the answer from here, she could taste the difference after returning to the villa and Mr. Ji brewed it again.

Zheng Qiuxia asked in surprise, "Who is this Boss Ji you're talking about? You're completely wrong!!"

The people present: "..."

The audience: "..."

After the group met, they did not introduce themselves to the two teachers. Zheng Qiuxia had heard Liao Jiayue call Ji Changtu "Brother Changtu", but she could not match him with the "Boss Ji" that Ye Hantao mentioned.

Before they could answer, Zheng Qiuxia corrected them, saying, "Low-quality tea leaves are the least affected by water temperature because their leaves are older and more tolerant of water temperature."

“High-quality tea is quite the opposite; it’s rich in nutrients and also very delicate,” Zheng Qiuxia continued. “You’ll taste a burnt flavor because it’s been brewed with boiling water that’s been too hot, causing the tea polyphenols and other substances to be released.”

The entire room fell silent.

Ye Hantao looked at Ji Changtu and exclaimed in her heart, "So this is the best liar!"

Stared at by everyone with an indescribable gaze, Ji Changtu blushed and wanted to glare at Ye Hantao, but the surrounding cameras pulled him back to his senses.

[…I checked online! Teacher Zheng is absolutely right!!!!]

[I said it before, nobody even noticed me being surrounded by your sarcastic remarks (picking nose.jpg)]

[Help! I just made fun of Ye Hantao because of him! I'm so embarrassed!]

[They immediately began deleting comments.]

[Fun fact: On Qingmang TV, comments cannot be deleted after five minutes.]

[Aaaaaaahhhhh, the society is dead!!! I hate Ji Changtu!!!]

While resentfully thinking that Ye Hantao was indeed his nemesis, Ji Changtu still had to smile gently at Ye Hantao and say, "I already said this when you pointed out that the taste was not right. Some secret roasting techniques can improve the tea's tolerance to water temperature."

As soon as she finished speaking, Zheng Qiuxia frowned. "Which tea vendor's sales pitch is this now?"

This time, amidst the complete silence, Cheng Zhao suddenly laughed.

He wasn't afraid of offending anyone. He lazily glanced at Ji Changtu and, right under Zheng Qiuxia's nose, called him out by name: "Boss Ji, it's one thing to fool the customers, but don't fool yourself too."

Just as Ji Changtu was about to lash out, Zheng Qiuxia exclaimed in surprise, "You're Boss Ji?"

Upon discovering that the main ingredient was right in front of her, Zheng Qiuxia couldn't help but adopt a long-winded approach, saying, "No matter how secret the stir-frying technique is, the principle is nothing more than over-killing and heavy roasting."

"One of their principles is to prolong the filming process—"

The audience couldn't understand the remaining technical terms, but they all boiled down to one thing: Ji Changtu's statement was completely wrong!

【Aaaaaaaahh ...

I hate him so much! I bought over 5,000 yuan worth of tea from his shop!

【I also……】

[He spoke with absolute certainty, and Liao Jiayue even said it was good after drinking it.]

[What does this have to do with Yueyue?! Besides Ye Hantao, who else said there was a burnt taste? It's normal that Yueyue couldn't taste the burnt flavor!]

[Besides, his poor tea-brewing skills don't mean the tea quality is bad.]

[Just a heads-up, he's wearing a fake jade pendant.]

[If you're really afraid of being robbed or stolen from when you're out and about, just don't wear one. What's the point of wearing a fake one? I don't believe his excuses.]

Although Liao Jiayue's fans tried their best to defend her in the live stream, the general public still had opinions about her.

To put it bluntly, they decided to buy because they believed in Liao Jiayue's reviews and the celebrity effect.

It was half an hour later when Zheng Qiuxia finished explaining all the theories about tea.

Su Yi'ang is someone who always falls asleep in class, but today he was full of energy. It wasn't that he was paying attention, but rather that he found it interesting to observe Ji Changtu's changing expressions throughout the lesson.

While Yuan Qiong was demonstrating the tea-making process, he patted Wu Xia's arm under the table and asked in a low voice, "You didn't drink a second cup that day, because you tasted—"

Wu Xia turned his head to look at him.

Su Yi'ang suddenly stopped talking, raised his head, and stretched his arms in a very affected manner, "Ah~~~ Teacher Yuan's tea smells so good!"

Yuan Qiong stroked the pearl necklace around her neck and gently reminded her, "We're waiting for the water to boil; it hasn't been steeped yet."

“…Ha…haha.” Su Yi’ang laughed awkwardly a few times, revealing two small tiger teeth.

Wu Xia knew what Su Yi'ang wanted to ask, "I tasted something burnt in my drink that day."

Su Yi'ang: "!"

The audience: "!!"

He spoke in a voice that was neither loud nor soft, so that at least the people sitting around the table could hear him.

As a result, Ji Changtu's face, which was already a liver color, turned even darker purple.

Ye Hantao asked curiously, "Why didn't you say that that day?"

Wu Xia paused for a moment, her face slightly flushed, "I don't think they said anything."

[I can do what Wu Xia did.]

[Even under these circumstances, Ye Hantao was still able to repeatedly insist on her own opinion...]

[To be frank, aside from being vain and a bit of a liar, Ye Hantao doesn't seem to have any major flaws.]

The two had been junior high school classmates for three years, so Su Yi'ang wasn't surprised by Wu Xia's answer.

Normally, Wu Xia rarely speaks out unless it concerns his health or his family.

"You two are really good." Su Yi'ang said in a simple and honest way, "My tongue is dull, I couldn't taste it, hehe."

He chuckled, only to realize that the previous sentence sounded familiar. It wasn't until he caught sight of the silent Ji Changtu that he realized it was Ji Changtu's evaluation of Tao Tao.

Ji Changtu sighed heavily, then clenched his fist and pounded his chest, extremely annoyed, saying, "It's all my fault! I trusted the old master in the shop who explained things too much!"

He said to Ye Hantao, "I hope Hantao won't take some of what I said before to heart."

Ye Hantao didn't answer, but only gave a warm smile.

Ji Changtu tacitly agreed with Ye Hantao's words, turned around, and stopped looking at Ye Hantao to avoid getting angrier the more he looked.

Cheng Zhao's gaze swept over Ye Hantao's slightly curved eyes, and he found that the smile did not reach her eyes.

After looking at it for a few seconds, he lowered his eyelids and twirled the empty teacup between his fingers.

Ye Hantao stopped smiling warmly and touched the pink beads on her wrist.

Hmph, she still remembers how Ji Changtu looked down on the pink beads her mother gave her.

After Yuan Qiong elegantly demonstrated the entire tea-making process, she pointed to several small rooms separated not far away, "Each group selects a representative to brew tea in a room, and then everyone will taste it together."

Ye Hantao turned her head, "Brother Xiaofeng, you—"

"You come here!" Chen Xiaofeng grabbed the back of his head, looking like he had a toothache. "I don't understand any of this at all."

Ye Hantao nodded, "Okay."

The five candidates were quickly decided.

Group A: Wu Xia; Group B: Liao Jiayue; Group C: Ye Hantao; Group D: He Qiang; Group E: Ji Changtu.

Ji Changtu stood up, leaning on the chair; his body felt weak and limp.

His cell phone in his trouser pocket kept vibrating; without even looking, he knew it was a message from a tea shop employee.

There must be a lot of return requests in the store!

I can understand that Ji Changtu wasn't in good form, but Liao Jiayue didn't look too well either.

These haters are blatantly lying!

[What's wrong with Yueyue's complexion? Why are you making things up?]

Liao Jiayue sat in the private room, looking at the tea set that had been prepared earlier on the tea table. She wanted to pick up the teapot, but her fingers trembled slightly. A sense of unease, as if things were slipping out of her control, enveloped her.

I mustn't panic.

I practiced brewing at home for so long for this storyline, and even the angle of my hand is extremely graceful. How could I possibly lose to Ye Hantao!

"oops!"

A soft exclamation interrupted Liao Jiayue's reverie.

She looked up and saw that Ye Hantao had accidentally knocked over the teacup.

Ye Hantao's right hand hovered in mid-air, as if she was troubled and didn't know where to start.

Liao Jiayue suddenly calmed down.

Ye Hantao just has a sensitive tongue.

Coming from an ordinary family in Yuncheng, even though they had tea sets at home, it was far inferior to the tea master she had invited.

Ye Hantao picked up the teacup, and seeing that everyone was looking at them, she emphasized loudly, "I'm very good at brewing tea!"

Lying, vanity!

Sister, let's be honest.

[You're all flustered and clumsy; do you think you know how to make tea?]

When it comes to tea, I will always have a preference for Ye Hantao.

Don't even mention it. Looking back at my comments mocking Ye Hantao for not knowing how to drink tea, it feels like a public execution (smile.jpg)

Who isn't?

Ji Changtu's downfall made the viewers who had previously mocked Ye Hantao feel ashamed to continue targeting her, and they no longer cared even though Ye Hantao had obviously lied about being good at brewing tea.

Ye Hantao waited in vain for any changes in her condition, and her shoulders slumped down.

In the storyline, the control group is someone who doesn't know how to brew tea but pretends to know how, and is ridiculed by netizens for lying. Then, a screen recording is made to compare them with Jia Yue, and the trending search results are extremely high.

A high number of trending topics means more people will click to view, which is very helpful in maintaining one's public image.

Ye Hantao tried to knock the cup over again.

—The disease is not progressing as expected.

Ye Hantao deliberately spilled water on the tea table.

—The disease is still not progressing.

"..."

It seems this path is not feasible.

While Ye Hantao persisted in making mistakes, the other four had gradually reached the end of their tea-making process. Su Yi'ang used both hands as megaphones, shouting, "Taotao! Keep it up!"

"I'll be there soon!" Ye Hantao replied without looking up.

Not wanting to keep others waiting, she quickly poured boiling water around the gaiwan, her seemingly slender wrists lifting the teapot with surprising steadiness.

Viewers couldn't help but wonder if Ye Hantao's teapot was even filled with water, since she carried it so easily.

Yuan Qiong happened to walk over and noticed that Ye Hantao did not fill the pot with water all at once, but only poured in a little water. After the tea leaves were thoroughly soaked by the boiling water, she then poured in water until the pot was eight-tenths full.

Ye Hantao gently swirls the teacup, then lifts the lid to filter the first rinse of tea.

Steam rose in wisps, drifting into the cubicle.

Cheng Zhao just watched.

Ye Hantao has always given people the feeling of a sunflower blooming in the middle of summer.

Her passionate and open-hearted nature shines through, and her smile is absolutely radiant.

At this moment, as she focused on her work, her expression suddenly became calm.

It felt like being immersed in warm jade, filtering out all the restlessness around me as I filtered the tea.

Ye Hantao picked up the teapot again and poured in boiling water, her wrist moving precisely with each lift and press.

The entire process was clean and efficient.

The audience watched intently.

Especially the water being poured from the teapot into the teacup.

It remained perfectly balanced from beginning to end, and the water flow was visibly uniform.

[...]

She seems to really know how to do it.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Over 2k comments! Here's a generous chapter for you [kissing emoji]

I've read all your comments! It gives me so much motivation to keep writing! [cheering emoji]

*Refer to "Chemical Thinking in the Science of Tea Drinking"