Chapter 56 Oolong Tea The exam is coming up soon!
Shen Mi sat up abruptly, breathing heavily. The bizarre and absurd memories and terrifying sounds from his dream, Jing Yuan's struggling appearance and Dan Heng's restrained and tearful appearance, all seemed to have really happened.
She recalled the words spoken by the women with different faces to Danheng before she woke up from the dream, which seemed to be a response to his words: "Fortunately, I have someone I love, someone worth seeking out."
Although their words differed, they all conveyed the same meaning—an agreement.
The thought sent a chill down Shen Mi's spine. She couldn't help but let her mind wander: Did all those women vanish into thin air the moment they agreed?
The thought had barely crossed her mind when she quickly shook her head to dismiss it. She patted her face, forcing herself to wake up. She reassured herself again and again: it was just a nightmare. The pressure from being confessed to by different people these past few days, coupled with the system's previous warnings fermenting in her mind, made her keep telling herself in the dream not to accept anyone's advances.
Shen Mi leaned against the bed and rested for a while. She reached up and touched her back, only to find her hand covered in sticky sweat. But all she felt now was cold. The whole room felt like a sieve, letting in drafts from all sides, chilling and eerie.
She glanced at the doors and windows; they were all closed.
Shen Mi turned on the light, changed into a clean set of clothes, and felt a little restless when she thought of the scene in her dream. She felt as if there was something she hadn't noticed, and her mind was empty and without any thoughts.
Shen Mi's gaze fell on the kettle on the bedside table. She grasped the handle and shook it in the air. The kettle was light and empty.
With a sigh, Chen Mi picked up the kettle, pushed open the door, and walked out in the dark.
A faint light shone from the side door crack a few meters away, very faint, like a painter accidentally making a line with pale yellow paint on a dark canvas.
Shen Mi tiptoed past, looking out the window at the gradually brightening sky, wondering if it was already the next day.
She glanced back at the door; the person inside seemed to have been awake all night, and she could faintly hear voices, as if they were discussing something with someone.
Chen Mi filled the kettle with hot water, casually grabbed an empty teapot and placed it on the table, then rummaged through the kitchen cabinets. She remembered that when she bought something before, the merchant had given her a small packet of oolong tea as a gift, which she had stuffed in a corner of the cabinet. Now she couldn't find it.
Chen Mi went through several cabinets before finally finding the oolong tea, which was flattened by a salt packet, on the shelf where sugar and salt were kept.
She patted the dust off the outer packaging, pinched the opening with her fingers and flicked it in the air to gather the tea leaves at the bottom, then tore it open and poured it all into the empty teapot. With one hand supporting the bottom of the teapot and the other holding the handle, she went to the hot water inlet.
Boiling hot water flowed slowly from the bronze-colored faucet, its gurgling sound echoing in the quiet morning, as if steam were dissipating, creating a sense of peace and tranquility.
Shen Mi yawned, and the warm steam hit her face, soothing her body which was covered in cold sweat. Weariness slowly washed over her mind.
The hot water gradually filled to the mark, and Chen Mi turned off the tap. She then grabbed a few dried goji berries and carefully rinsed them to remove the surface dust. Afterward, she tossed the goji berries into the steaming teapot. The bright red goji berries swayed among the green oolong tea leaves, resembling several red koi carp swimming and weaving in the clear water.
Shen Mi took a glass and gently placed it over the spout of the teapot.
Morning light streamed through the window into the corridor. Holding a teapot, she walked slowly to Jingyuan's door. Hearing the faint sounds of conversation still coming from inside, Chen Mi simply knocked on the wooden door a few times, then put down the teapot, quietly turned around, and returned to her own room.
*
Jing Yuan rubbed his eyes wearily. He hadn't slept a wink all night, his mind constantly on edge. It wasn't that he didn't want to sleep, but Yonghai had suddenly sent an important message; the situation was urgent, and he had been discussing countermeasures with his colleagues from the Ten Kings Division all night. Only just now had they finally finalized a plan, and before he knew it, it was already broad daylight.
Having just ended the call, Jing Yuan glanced at the time; he only had three hours left before his day job. Just as he was about to lean against the table for a short rest, he heard a soft knock on the door.
He paused for a moment, then remembered that Shen Mi was still living in the house. A thought crossed his mind, and fearing that she might need his help, he stood up after a few seconds and walked to the door.
As I opened the door, I saw a round teapot on the floor by the entrance, with a few bright red goji berries floating inside. The delicate aroma of tea wafted towards me. Bending down to smell it more closely, I could discern the unique, mellow fragrance of oolong tea.
He suddenly remembered that when he went to a meeting, the waiter at the teahouse introduced that oolong tea is a semi-fermented tea, mild in nature, rich in theaflavins, which can help metabolize edema and indigestion after staying up late, while goji berries can nourish the eyes and protect the liver.
Thinking of this, Jing Yuan involuntarily glanced towards Chen Mi's room, his palm resting on the slightly bulging belly of the teapot. The teapot still retained its warmth, and it seemed as if her feelings, carried by this warmth, seeped into his palm and into his heart. The weariness that had been permeating his heart quietly dissipated at this moment, like ripples on water returning to calm.
After closing the door and returning to his desk, Jing Yuan poured himself a cup of tea and took a small sip. The tea, not too hot, swirled on his tongue, initially slightly bitter, but quickly neutralized by the subtle sweetness of the goji berries, becoming mellow and lingering. He closed his eyes briefly, feeling the aroma of the tea slowly spread through his mouth and throat, as if a cool breeze had seeped into his heart and lungs, dispelling the heaviness and fatigue left by the all-night discussions.
The tea flowed smoothly down his throat, its warmth spreading through his chest like a soft feather gently brushing against it, calming the restlessness and weariness born of his toil. He held the cup to his lips, sipping it slowly. The fatigue of the past few days gradually dissipated in the hot tea and its aroma, soothing his weary heart and softening his gaze.
Jing Yuan slowly put down his cup, his gaze passing through the translucent tea to the rising morning light outside the window. The soft light seemed to bring a touch of comfort to his busy and tense mind and body. He took a deep breath, feeling the heaviness in his chest gradually lessen, and his thoughts became clearer.
*
When Shen Mi woke up again, it was almost noon. He quickly prepared lunch, put it in a thermos, and brought it to Yu Tie to give to the general. He then hurriedly went to the Star Cha Sea Central Hub.
Because her quiz results yesterday were too good, Bai Xuan immediately arranged to register for the exam, fearing that if she delayed even half a day, the knowledge would leave her mind.
Shen Mi felt it wasn't as exaggerated as her master had made it out to be, but thinking about the mission that couldn't be started because of her driver's license, Shen Mi thought for three seconds and agreed to the formal test this afternoon.
The sooner you finish, the sooner you can start the task.
She wasn't the only one taking the exam; the unlucky student in front of her who accidentally got ink on his face was also there.
He was unusually excited the whole way, unsure whether it was the upcoming exam or the prospect of personally operating the procedures he had practiced so thoroughly in the simulator. Probably both. Shen Mi was flipping through her notebook, and he tried to strike up a conversation with her several times, but seeing her focused and attentive expression, he swallowed his words and reluctantly shut up after her prompting.
To avoid the flow of goods and passengers, the examination location was set up in a location that was as remote as it could possibly be, although it was still in the central hub of Xingchahai.
When Chen Mi calmed down and looked at the sign for the examination center, she mistakenly thought that Bai Xuan had gone to the wrong place.
Is this overgrown, weed-covered place the officially designated examination location?
Later, thanks to the explanation from the unlucky person in front of me, I learned that because the people of Xianzhou have such long lifespans, the driving test for Xingcha is usually valid for fifty years. Few people can complete the entire test in a short period of time. Over time, this place has become deserted, and apart from people who come here to work, almost no one else ventures here.
After listening, Shen Mi nodded and watched the unlucky student in front of him talking non-stop. Suddenly, as if wiping away the fog on a glass, he remembered the student's appearance.
The unlucky student in front of him was caught off guard by her stare, and a blush involuntarily rose on his face. He reached out his hand to Shen Mi to show his goodwill: "Hello, Shen Mi, my name is Song Hou, and I am also a short-lived species."
"Hello." Shen Mi extended her hand and shook it back.
After a brief handshake, Song Hou politely withdrew his hand. Looking at Shen Mi's serious expression, he couldn't help but ask, "Shen Mi, is this your first time taking the exam?"
Shen Mi nodded.
"I've taken this exam countless times! Every time I fail by just a few points... Are you nervous right now? If you are, I have some cooling water. My cousin gave it to me. She's very good at making these kinds of little remedies. Just apply a little of this to your temples, and it will keep you awake for three or four hours..."
This was the first time Shen Mi had ever met someone who could speak so many words in one breath, and he was incredibly shocked. It seemed he had encountered a chatterbox.
Shen Mi shook his head, "I'm fine, not too nervous... it's just you..."
Shen Mi hesitated, her gaze falling on Song Hou's face. She saw many large beads of sweat on his forehead, about to slide down.
She rummaged through her bag and pulled out some tissues, handing them to Song Hou: "Would you like to wipe your sweat?"
Song Hou accepted it, thanked him repeatedly, and carefully wiped the sweat from his face and neck.
Just then, Bai Xuan came out of the examination center, holding two examination cards in his hand. He calmly looked at the two of them, raised his hand and handed one card to each of them: "If you're ready, just take this and go in to take the exam."
The exam badge was made of wood, with a metal ring holding the perforated part together. The metal was hard and slightly cool to the touch. Chen Mi took her badge and glanced at it. Her name, exam room number, and seat number were clearly printed on it.
"Alright." Shen Mi closed the book in his hand and respectfully handed it to his master.
As soon as she stepped into the examination room, Master Bai Xuan caught up with her, his brows furrowed in seriousness: "Chen Mi, leave your phone with me for now. You can't bring it into the examination room."
Shen Mi snapped out of her reverie, realizing she had almost forgotten about it. She took her phone out of her pocket and gently handed it to her master.
Bai Xuan took the phone and gripped it tightly, giving Shen Mi a final few words of advice, telling her to read the questions carefully and not fall into the trap set by the question setter.
Shen Mi nodded, walked into the examination room, aligned the examination card with the slot, and the system read the information and began generating random questions.
A few seconds later, a hundred random questions appeared. Shen Mi glanced through them and was overjoyed, feeling that victory was assured and he was just waiting to hear the horn of triumph.
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Author's Note: In this chapter, the author makes a gender-swapped appearance, testing the waters on themselves. The darlings who have "watered" my page will gradually appear later. Their entrances might be quite unexpected. [doge][doge][doge][doge]
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