Chapter 2

Chapter 2

1

Although I had promised Wilbur to get him the craving tea, the truth was, the shop had run out of stock. If he still wanted the tea, the only option was to sneak into the tea garden where Denise specifically grew the coveted tea and try to pick some secretly. However, to do that, I needed someone else's help-Kellan.

Kellan and I were both taken in by Denise. She said she loved children and had once had a child who later went missing. So, she took us in, but she clearly favored Kellan more. Denise assigned me to work in the tea room, and I could only stay in the rest area behind it, not allowed to go to the tea garden without permission. Kellan, on the other hand, lived directly in the tea garden, in Denise's small villa. He was supposed to be guarding the garden, but in reality, he had a lot of free time and could go wherever he wanted. Denise spoiled him, fulfilling his every request, and even gave him a generous monthly allowance.

But I was confident I could get Kellan to help me because I knew he had liked me for a long time. Denise spent most of her time in the tea garden, so if I went there, I might get in serious trouble. I could only sneak over when she wasn't around.

For the past two days, I had been keeping an eye on Denise's movements. Yesterday, when Gerald came to the shop to buy tea, I overheard him on the phone with Denise, saying he would introduce a new client to her the next day. I silently noted the time they agreed on and decided to go to the tea garden then.

I contacted Kellan in advance on my phone. At first, he refused. I had to play the damsel in distress and say, "Only you can help me, Kellan. Wilbur harasses me every day, and I really can't take it anymore..."

Before Kellan could respond, I continued, "If you can't help me, then... I'll just endure it for a few more days."

Kellan, being the pampered child he was, couldn't resist such a plea. As soon as I finished speaking, he agreed immediately.

"Don't worry! Just wait. Come to the tea garden tomorrow. I'll make sure you get the tea!" he said.

This fool, I thought after hanging up the phone. Why does Denise favor such an idiot?

2

The next day, I arrived at the tea garden right on time. Kellan was waiting for me at the entrance. Seeing me, he smiled and grabbed my hand.

I resisted the urge to shake off his hand and smiled, asking, "Kellan, are you ready?"

Kellan proudly lifted his head. "Of course, no problem. Let's go, I'll take you to pick the tea."

He then put his arm around my shoulder and led me towards the coveted tea area. The overpowering scent of his hair gel made me want to vomit. But thinking about the fivefold price I could get for this deal, I held back.

When I saw the 'greenhouse' from a distance, I was surprised. It wasn't just a greenhouse; it was more like a giant vault! It was square, with smooth, thick copper walls gleaming in the sunset, and several heavy locks on the door.

Kellan took out a bunch of keys and unlocked the locks one by one while I kept watch. When I heard the last lock click open and confirmed no one was around, I quickly turned and pushed Kellan into the greenhouse.

As soon as we entered, the heavy smell of blood and rot almost made me vomit. Under the faint light inside, ten short tea trees stood in a row. At first glance, they looked no different from other tea trees. But upon closer inspection, I noticed that the veins on each leaf were clearly visible, with deep crimson liquid flowing inside. The bark of the trees was also unnaturally smooth and delicate.

I reached out to touch one lightly, but the warm, smooth texture scared me, and I quickly pulled my hand back. It felt eerily like human skin.

With my heart still pounding, I hurriedly started picking the tea leaves with Kellan. Unlike regular tea picking, which required picking young buds, craving tea required fully matured leaves. The veins on the mature leaves were thicker, with deep crimson liquid flowing inside, and the smell was even stronger.

To avoid being discovered by Denise, we only picked one leaf from each tree. After we finished, I was about to leave when Kellan stopped me.

"Wait, Auntie Rong told me that after picking craving tea, you must water the trees, or the leaves won't grow back."

There was a watering can right by my feet, so I picked it up and started watering. But what came out was a thick, deep crimson liquid with a strong smell of blood. It was blood!

My hand holding the watering can trembled. After hurriedly watering all the trees, I ran towards the garden entrance without looking back. But as soon as I reached the entrance, I froze. I felt a chill run down my spine.

Denise had returned. Her car was parked at the entrance, and she was getting out with her bag, turning to meet my gaze.