Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Compete with the Green Tea Demon, and I’ll Break All Five of Your Fingers

Jiang Tea Tea’s injured palm lay open and red. Jiang Zong Shen and Mu Mei Xi’s anger wavered.

Mu Mei Xi softened first. “Tea Tea… does your hand hurt?”

Jiang Tea Tea blinked those watery eyes and lied without the slightest strain, dumping filthy water straight onto Jiang Yi Zhu. “Thank you for worrying, Dad and Mom. My hand got cut when Sister came to find me. She startled me from behind, and I accidentally sliced myself on a blade.”

“Sister didn’t even notice I was hurt. She left her flyer behind and rushed off to find Brother Chu Ming. I’m fine. I don’t blame Sister at all. Please don’t blame her either.”

As a green tea spirit, Jiang Tea Tea didn’t just talk sweet—she fought demons and ate flesh. Turning the tables and framing someone was as easy as breathing.

Every trick Jiang Yi Zhu had used on the fake heiress, Jiang Tea Tea could use too. Now she wanted to see how Jiang Yi Zhu liked tasting her own medicine.

Jiang Zong Shen and Mu Mei Xi knew exactly how they’d treated the fake heiress since their real daughter returned. And because they knew, they didn’t question Jiang Tea Tea’s story at all.

Instead, they silently blamed Jiang Yi Zhu for being careless enough to leave an opening.

Mu Mei Xi forced a smile that barely covered her awkwardness. “Tea Tea, you’re such a sensible child. Your sister suffered so much out there. She’s been a bit willful since coming home. As her sister, you should be more tolerant.”

“After all… if you hadn’t been switched at birth, the one who would’ve grown up suffering on Trash Planet would’ve been you.”

Jiang Tea Tea smiled politely, then stabbed exactly where it hurt. “You don’t need to tell me, Mom. As her sister, of course I take care of her.”

“Just like how, at school, Sister is always looking for my fiancé. Coming and going with him. Calling him ‘Brother’ this and ‘Brother’ that. I never blamed her once.”

Mu Mei Xi’s face tightened. She blurted, too fast, too sharp, “Your sister never tried to steal your fiancé.”

They were a third-rate family on the capital planet. If rumors spread that two sisters were fighting over one man, they’d lose every shred of face.

And more importantly, when they sent Jiang Tea Tea away later, they needed all the filth dumped on Jiang Tea Tea alone. Their precious biological daughter couldn’t be stained.

Jiang Tea Tea put on the perfect look of understanding. “Of course I know they’re innocent. Sister only sees him as a brother-in-law. Like a brother.”

“Mom, don’t overthink it either. Otherwise people might misunderstand and think our Jiang family has no upbringing. They’ll say Sister came from Trash Planet and can’t shake that nasty habit of grabbing anything good she sees.”

Mu Mei Xi looked like she’d swallowed bitter medicine. Her expression twisted for a heartbeat, then she forced herself to nod along. “Yes, yes. You’re right. Your sister just treats him like a brother.”

“It’s normal for brother and sister to be close. As long as you understand… that’s fine. That’s fine.”

Jiang Tea Tea’s smile turned sweet enough to rot teeth. “Of course I understand. Dad, Mom, my hand hurts so much. Can you take me inside so I can change clothes and bandage it properly?”

Mu Mei Xi answered immediately, “Of course—”

“Wait.” Jiang Zong Shen tugged her aside and lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear. “Ever since our daughter came back, we gave Tea Tea’s room to Yi Zhu. There’s no room for her here anymore. No clothes either. If you bring her in to change, where’s she going to change?”

Three floors. Nearly ten rooms.

Not one belonged to Jiang Tea Tea.

Everything she’d owned since childhood had been thrown into the recycling station. If she weren’t still useful, they never would’ve sent Yi Zhu to find her in the first place.

Mu Mei Xi’s eyes flicked, calculating. “Don’t worry. Leave it to me.”

Jiang Zong Shen’s tone turned warning-sharp. “If it’s up to you, then coax her properly. Coax her until she’s willing to let us send her out.”

Mu Mei Xi forced a smile. “I know. Don’t worry.”

Jiang Tea Tea stood right there, listening, her expression blank.

She was a tree demon. If she returned to her true form and planted herself into the ground, her roots might not cover an entire planet, but they’d cover a quarter of one without trying.

These humans plotted against her without even bothering to hide it, whispering like they were subtle when they were practically screaming.

Humans really were an arrogant species.

Fine. Her demon life was boring anyway. She’d play with them. Here, there were no demon clan rules to bind her.

Mu Mei Xi brought her inside and bandaged her hand.

A human with no awakened ability was fragile as glass. Even with advanced equipment, they couldn’t simply seal the wound in an instant. They had to apply medicine, wrap it, and wait.

The entire time, Jiang Tea Tea sat obediently, eyes soft and adoring as she looked at Mu Mei Xi.

Mu Mei Xi’s heart went tender. She remembered how she used to spoil Jiang Tea Tea, back when she still believed Tea Tea was her biological daughter.

Then she remembered the day Yi Zhu returned, how every glance at Tea Tea had made her irritated.

Guilt surged.

She went to Jiang Yi Zhu’s room and came back with an expensive custom white dress, tag still attached.

Jiang Tea Tea changed into it.

Her black hair spilled like a waterfall down her waist. Her big, dark eyes shone with a watery glow. Her small face looked tender as jade, white as a peeled egg.

Then the front door opened.

Jiang Yi Zhu and Chu Ming walked in together, fingers interlaced. The moment they saw Jiang Tea Tea sitting there in white, smiling sweetly like a harmless little lotus—

Enemies met, and sparks flew.

Jiang Yi Zhu exploded. She flung Chu Ming’s hand away and stormed forward. “Jiang Tea Tea, you bitch! You hurt me like that, and you still have the nerve to sit here?”

Jiang Tea Tea gave an Oscar-worthy performance. She shivered, shrinking back into the soft sofa, arms thrown over her head.

“Ah—Sister, don’t hit me! I know I was wrong! I won’t fight you over Brother Chu Ming! I’ll annul the engagement with Brother Chu Ming and let you have him!”

A man who ate from one bowl while eyeing another—she’d rather use him as fertilizer than keep him. And even then, she’d find him filthy. If the real heiress wanted him, she could have him.

“Yi Zhu, don’t hit—” Mu Mei Xi started.

“Yi Zhu, what are you doing?” Chu Ming barked at the same time.

Jiang Yi Zhu’s raised hand froze. She couldn’t hit. She couldn’t not hit.

Jiang Tea Tea hugged her head, but from the angle no one could see, she smiled at Jiang Yi Zhu like a victor and mouthed a single silent word:

“Loser.”

Jiang Yi Zhu read her lips. Her eyes went bloodshot. Her hand finally came down, aimed straight at Jiang Tea Tea’s face.

As if Jiang Tea Tea, a demon, would let a mere B-rank water-ability human touch her.

Jiang Tea Tea yelped like she was terrified and deliberately slid off the sofa onto the floor.

Jiang Yi Zhu’s strike slammed into the sofa instead.

Chu Ming caught Jiang Yi Zhu and dragged her toward the medical pod, forcing her to lie there for half an hour. Her previously broken wrist was barely healed when Jiang Yi Zhu lunged again.

Jiang Tea Tea caught her hand.

Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack.

Five fingers snapped.

“Ah!” Jiang Yi Zhu screamed, clutching her wrist. “Mom! My fingers broke! Jiang Tea Tea broke my fingers! It hurts—so much!”