The Green Tea’s Gambit

Chen Hao opened his mouth, but not a single word escaped him.

Zhou Yi watched his face instantly fall into a pallid despondency, feeling no thrill of victory, only a chilling weariness and sorrow.

In that moment, she finally understood; viewing things from an outsider’s perspective was akin to activating a full map hack in a game, with one’s vision completely unhindered.

They say those involved are often blind, and wasn’t she herself a prime example?

When she was immersed in the beautiful dream she had woven, her eyes were utterly blind.

She was but one of those insignificant fish, hooked and drowning in the waters of her own self-delusion, nearly succumbing.

Had she not inadvertently witnessed Xu Yao’s intimate actions with that silver-haired man, she would likely still be deceiving herself in that stagnant pond.

Xu Yao had probably never imagined that the readily available backup in her eyes would, one day, see through the facade.

Compared to Lin Yating, however, Xu Yao’s tactics were utterly childish. The woman before them, *she* was truly of a kingly tier.

First, she would feign indifference, presenting herself as pure and independent, making you believe she was unlike those brazen gold-diggers.

Then, she would nonchalantly accept your gifts, only to turn around and display them on her social media, feigning gratitude, yet never tagging you directly.

This would leave you feeling your efforts were worthwhile, yet perpetually just shy of that final breakthrough.

“Because you like her, she knows…

Saying no only makes you want to give more, and using the things you send makes you even more inclined to send more.”

“When one likes someone…” She paused, a hint of self-mockery lacing her tone.

“We automatically apply a beauty filter to them.

When she tells you not to send gifts, you perceive her as noble and unmaterialistic.

When she offers a smile, you’ve already started naming your future children.

And when she accepts a gift, you feel utterly needed.”

As she spoke, Zhou Yi’s voice softened.

Were not these very words also tearing open her own wounds?

In the past, she had been just as lowly, counting every smile Xu Yao bestowed upon her, cherishing mere crumbs as treasures.

“We delude ourselves into believing our efforts are genuine, when in reality, they are nothing more than one-sided self-indulgence.”

[Notification: Target’s emotional state is wavering. Simp Index has significantly dropped to 75%. Congratulations, Player, your output was effective!]

Observing Chen Hao’s wavering resolve, Zhou Yi finally exhaled in relief.

This combo attack had been quite formidable; she almost wanted to give herself a thumbs-up.

Who would have thought Zhou Yi possessed a talent for emotional counseling?

Strike while the iron is hot!

This was the opportune moment to land the ultimate critical blow.

She cleared her throat, preparing to unleash her grand finale.

“Ding-dong!”

A crisp notification sound for a text message rang out unexpectedly, shattering the carefully cultivated atmosphere.

Zhou Yi’s heart sank with a jolt.

Glancing askance at the familiar name on the screen, a sense of ominous foreboding washed over her.

Chen Hao’s gaze, which had been clouded with confusion and struggle, instantly sharpened upon seeing the name ‘Lin Yating’ on the screen.

It was as if his internal simp-radar had been activated, his fingers completing a muscle-memory triple tap in an instant.

[Brother Hao, have you been avoiding me lately…? (Crying cat emoji)]

[I know you’ve been under a lot of financial pressure recently, you really don’t need to buy me any more gifts.]

[Honestly, just getting a message from you makes me happy. (Smiling face)]

[I passed by the basketball court today and suddenly remembered you once said you really wanted to see a live NBA game~]

Zhou Yi was dumbfounded.

‘What kind of epic ‘white lotus’ rhetoric was this?!’

‘What an unbelievable turn of events!’

Such a solicitous, profoundly understanding tone!

Such precisely targeted lines, striking directly at Chen Hao’s weakness!

Her tier was simply outrageous!

“Sister Zhou, look! She isn’t the kind of person you described! She genuinely cares about me!”

Chen Hao’s hand, gripping his phone, trembled with excitement.

Zhou Yi: “…”

‘Brother, did you learn your reading comprehension from a dog?! Can’t you see this is a clear tactic of feigned retreat to advance?! It’s obvious she’s afraid you’ll truly collapse and she’ll lose her cash cow, so she’s giving you a preemptive jab to stabilize you, you blockhead!’

[Ding-dong!]

And it wasn’t over yet; Lin Yating delivered another blow: [Oh, right, my birthday party is next week… will you come?]

‘This is pure evil!!!’

‘That move was an absolute finisher!’

[Warning! Target’s emotions are fluctuating wildly! Strong anticipation and conflicted feelings detected! Simp Index rapidly rising to 89%! Nearing dangerous threshold once again! Player, immediate intervention required!]

Zhou Yi felt a rush of blood surge to her head, her vision momentarily blurring.

‘Damn it… this ‘green tea’ is on an outrageously high tier?!’

‘This combo attack just instantly refilled the HP bar she had painstakingly chipped away, and then some?!’

‘She had just whittled the boss down to critical health, and the opponent just cast a summon spell to fully revive it with an added attack buff?’

But what truly made her want to vomit blood was Chen Hao, her utterly useless ‘pig teammate.’

She had just pulled him out of the pit, and the fool merely dusted himself off and jumped right back in!

That last burst of effort had drained all the emotional intelligence and eloquence she had accumulated over two lifetimes, even costing her a bit of her own dark past.

And what was the result?

A single, seemingly innocuous text message from the other party had instantly nullified all her previous efforts!

A profound, chilling sense of powerlessness spread from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head.

‘Is this damned system secretly giving Lin Yating a health-lock cheat and infinite mana buff?!’

[Friendly Reminder: Elevated heart rate can impair judgment! Player, it is recommended you immediately take three deep breaths, otherwise, this current maneuver might truly be a ‘throw’!]

‘Deep breaths, my ass! If you’re so capable, *you* do it!’ Her inner turmoil at that moment mirrored the tumultuous rise and fall of her chest.

‘No, I can’t explode.

If I explode, I truly lose.’

‘I need to counterattack, I need to find a weakness, I need to…’