A Tale of Sips and Slanders

The First Cup of Milk Tea in Autumn It's been half a month into autumn, and I still haven't had my first cup of milk tea!

I usually work from home most of the time. When I'm busy, I leave a note asking the delivery guy to hang the items on my door.

It used to be fine, but recently, my deliveries have started disappearing frequently. When I'm stressed at work, I like to drink some milk tea.

Today, my soy milk mochi was gone for the fifth time!

The first time my milk tea disappeared, I asked the delivery guy about it. He was very polite:

"Sir, please don't give me a bad review. Could it have been taken by someone else? I really did deliver it."

"If it's really a problem, I'll compensate you, but I did deliver it! I even took a photo!"

I felt bad for the delivery guy; it might have been an accident, so I let it go.

But then it kept happening. Frustrated, I installed a doorbell camera to see who was taking my much-needed milk tea!

The next day, I found the culprit.

It was a slender girl who had recently moved upstairs. She wore a baseball cap and, as she passed by my door, she casually took the milk tea hanging there, stuck in a straw, and started drinking it without hesitation.

Her movements were so smooth that anyone watching would think it was her own milk tea, without a hint of guilt.

I was furious... but then I calmed myself down, thinking maybe she needed a sugar boost and needed it urgently.

Maybe it wasn't her every time. So, I decided to forgive her this once.

The next day, I ordered another cup of milk tea.

This time, I asked the delivery guy to hang it on the door handle and waited to see if she would take it again.

Sure enough, she did!

She grabbed it with her left hand, stuck in a straw with her right, and walked downstairs,

drinking it as if it were her own. I couldn't believe it. She had been stealing my milk tea for who knows how long, without any fear of diabetes!

I thought long and hard, unable to swallow my anger. But considering she was a girl and might be embarrassed, I didn't want to make a big scene. So, I posted a message in the residents' group chat:

"My milk tea deliveries have been stolen seven times in a row. Miss, I know it's you.

Please stop doing this! Let's just forget about the past incidents and move on.

"

I thought that would be the end of it, but soon, someone replied:

"Why is a man drinking milk tea?

Seriously?"

"Accusing someone without evidence? If you like her, just say so. Using such sneaky tricks is disgusting. Cooped up at home all day, you must be a bit off!

"

Everyone in the group chat had listed their apartment numbers.

I had lived here for quite a while, so I instantly recognized the names-it was the old couple living upstairs.

This couple had a terrible reputation in the community. They never took out their trash, leaving the hallway reeking, and the property management had to clean up after them multiple times.

Whenever a child made a bit of noise or someone came home late and closed their door, they would start cursing in the group chat, complaining about the noise disturbing their rest.

They even kicked a neighbor's dog for no reason, claiming it was a dangerous breed and should be put down by the dog-catching team.

The dog was on a leash and had all the proper documentation, but the poor girl walking it was left in tears after being berated by the couple. It was only when a passerby intervened that the couple finally slunk back home.

Suddenly, I remembered-the girl who had been stealing my drink had recently moved in with them!

I hadn't named anyone specifically in my group chat message, but the fact that they jumped to defend themselves so quickly suggested they knew exactly what was going on. Judging by her age, that girl was probably their daughter.

Their daughter was stealing, and they still had the nerve to come out and scold people?

I knew they were trouble, but I hadn't expected them to be this brazen.

Fine, if they wanted to play rough, I could do that too. I felt I had already been more than fair to them.

I ordered another drink, drank it all, and ignoring the puzzled look my cat gave me, I filled the cup with cat poop and some water. With a sly grin, I sealed the cup, put in an extra straw the shop had provided, and hung it on their door.

Sure enough, during the evening rush hour, my surveillance camera alerted me that someone was lingering at my door. It was the girl who had stolen my drink again. She grabbed the cup and headed upstairs.

I waited a few moments, then cracked my door open just a bit. Seconds later, I heard the sounds of vomiting and angry shouting from upstairs!

" That's what you get for stealing and badmouthing others," I thought,

whistling cheerfully as I closed my door and went back inside.

Not long after, they started banging on my door like maniacs.

The two old people were outside, shouting curses at the top of their lungs.

" You animal! What did you put in my daughter's drink? "

"Come out here and pay for my daughter's medical bills!

Compensate her for emotional distress!

"

I wasn't about to let this slide, so I stood by the door and shouted back.

" You two are the real animals, raising a thief!

That was trash I was going to throw away, and your daughter had the nerve to steal it and drink it!

Shameless!"

I wasn't afraid of a shouting match. There was no way I was opening the door. These old troublemakers might collapse at my doorstep, and then I'd be the one in trouble.

They kept banging and cursing outside, and when they saw I wasn't coming out, they stormed upstairs and hurled rotten food at my door before leaving.

Unbelievable! They had stolen my drink so many times and still had the nerve to throw things at my door?

Fine, just wait until midnight. I'll smear cat poop all over your door!

Fuming, I lay on the sofa and vented to my friends about this bizarre family. Suddenly, the community group chat exploded with notifications.

I opened it to see that they had beaten me to the punch, playing the victim:

"507, you heartless monster!

He put something in my daughter's drink!

"

They even posted a bunch of medical reports.

" My daughter had to go to the hospital!

"

"He's a beast, not a human!

He buys drinks just to target young girls. He's a creep. We went to confront him, but he hid inside and didn't dare come out!

"

"How could he do this to us? We only have one daughter.

.."

Reading their messages, my eyes burned with anger. They had stolen from me and now were slandering me. I shouldn't have been so lenient with them before.

Without a second thought, I posted the surveillance video of their daughter stealing my drink.

My fingers were practically sparking on the screen as I typed furiously into the group chat:

[Your daughter stole something, and you have the nerve to accuse me of tampering with her milk tea?!

Was that her milk tea?!

That was something I paid for!]

[You people are ridiculous. If you're not thinking straight, maybe you should see a doctor. Ther