The assembly process for the milk tea was simple. All that was needed was to layer sago pearls, mango purée, and grapefruit pulp at the bottom of the cup, then pour in the coconut milk mixture and give it a shake.
Lu Wu made all of them without ice. The slightly cool touch prompted the little monk to press the cup against his cheek and savor the sensation.
His mind felt clear and tranquil.
“Quick, try it.”
Standing behind Tianhui, Chanyu stared at the pale yellow milk tea with itching anticipation.
It looked so delicious.
Urged on by Chanyu, Tianhui took a sip.
Compared to the other milk teas, Yangzhi Ganlu had a lighter texture. With a single sip, both the sago pearls and grapefruit pulp were drawn into his mouth.
The sago had a pleasant chewiness, while the grapefruit pulp was wrapped in a thin membrane. Once bitten through, it burst with juice, and the grapefruit’s distinctive bitterness immediately swept across the taste buds.
Just when you thought that was the end of it, the silky fruit purée barged in at the last moment and conquered everything in its path.
The rich sweetness and fragrance of mango dispersed the bitterness. Then the milk joined the fray, and all the ingredients collided together, elevating the flavor of the entire drink.
The bitterness was merely the opening note. The sweetness that flowed into the heart was the true melody of Yangzhi Ganlu.
And whenever you felt the milk becoming overly sweet, the lingering bitterness would return once more, pulling you back and forth between the two sensations.
Slurp.
Tianhui hugged the cup and simply couldn’t stop drinking. The more he drank, the smoother it tasted.
The ingredients seemed ordinary on their own, but together they formed a heavenly combination that filled him with happiness.
Sweet without being cloying, rich with layers of flavor.
That was Tianhui’s most direct impression.
He nodded vigorously at his senior brothers, yet refused to waste time speaking.
Apart from the sounds of Lu Wu preparing milk tea, the only thing that could be heard was Tianhui gulping down his drink.
The monks who had been chatting moments ago all turned to look at him.
No words were necessary. From Tianhui’s expression alone, everyone knew today’s milk tea would not disappoint.
“Senior Brother, if you switch places with me, tomorrow—no, for the next half month—I’ll do all the sweeping duties for you.”
One junior monk tugged at his senior brother’s sleeve and tried to negotiate.
That way, he could drink his milk tea sooner.
Just thinking about all those cups of milk tea waiting for him made his heart burn with anticipation.
Ah, temptress. This little monk is coming to subdue you.
The two had always been close. In the junior monk’s eyes, his senior brother’s affection for him surely exceeded his love for milk tea.
Reality, however, was different.
The senior brother smiled gently, removed the hand clutching his sleeve, and shook his head with regret.
“Junior Brother, while sweeping recently, I gained some insights. I happen to need some time to consolidate them, so I don’t require any assistance for the time being.”
Switch places?
Dream on.
If he switched, wouldn’t he have to wait longer for his milk tea?
If the monks ahead of him were willing to swap positions, he’d gladly sweep for an extra month.
The rejection was so cold and merciless that the junior monk clutched his wounded heart and silently recited a Buddhist prayer.
Amitabha. Buddha, please forgive the demonic thoughts currently running through my mind about betraying my senior brother.
Once he got his milk tea, such tiny inner demons would naturally be subdued.
Similar conversations were happening throughout the queue, but in the end, not a single person agreed to trade places.
Straightening his sleeves, Chanyu calmly stepped forward after Tianhui received the last cup of milk tea.
“Boss Lu, I’ll take the full set.”
Placing spirit stones on the stall, he spoke with such extravagance that anyone unaware of the situation might think he had wandered into some questionable establishment.
“Where’s Xia Yi?”
Without stopping her work, Lu Wu asked curiously.
Xia Yi had contacted her yesterday, saying she would be staying here for a while and even asking whether they could meet privately.
Why wasn’t she here now?
“Fellow Daoist Xia has something to take care of today and will be arriving a bit la—”
Halfway through the sentence, Chanyu paused.
A glint flashed through his eyes, and he immediately changed his tune.
“Fellow Daoist Xia wanted me to ask Boss Lu whether I could purchase her portion of milk tea as well.”
If he could, he’d get double the milk tea.
After all, Xia Yi had never actually asked him for such a favor. If he managed to buy it, there was no need to hand it over.
“But I received a message from Xia Yi early this morning saying she’d come buy her own milk tea.”
Lu Wu raised an eyebrow and examined Chanyu.
He looked handsome and honest enough, like a reliable monk.
Who would have thought he was so crafty?
“Ahem. Then this little monk must have remembered incorrectly. Please forgive me, Boss Lu.”
Sighing inwardly at the missed opportunity, Chanyu maintained a calm expression while avoiding Lu Wu’s gaze.
What a sin.
His first attempt at lying had failed.
Looks like he still needed further training.
While they joked around, nearly every monk had already gotten a cup of milk tea.
“Senior Brother, doesn’t the color of this Matcha Milk Pudding Tea look just like that hat you used to wear?”
“…”
A junior monk muttered quietly and immediately received a fierce glare.
The senior monk had once had a wife.
He had believed their marriage was loving and harmonious.
Yet that woman had left him for the man next door.
But so what?
Who in this world didn’t have a little color above their head?
Wasn’t that precisely why he had seen through worldly attachments and entered the monastic life?
Not long ago, that woman had suddenly “come to her senses” and tried to rekindle their relationship.
He had rejected her outright.
A wife?
Hah!
She wasn’t nearly as attractive as Boss Lu’s milk tea.
“One more word, and you can forget about slacking off during morning lessons tomorrow.”
The senior brother whispered his threat.
The junior brother immediately shrank back and admitted his mistake.
Having overheard the exchange, Lu Wu’s gaze drifted uncontrollably toward the monk’s shiny bald head.
Hmm…
A bald head did get cold in winter.
He really could use a hat.
The color, however, might require careful consideration.
“How about… trying a different flavor?”
Lu Wu suggested.
This Matcha Milk Pudding Tea was awfully green.
A little too fitting.
“No need!”
The senior monk straightened his neck stubbornly.
“That’s all in the past. The first lesson of Buddhism is learning to face one’s past directly.”
So what if he had been abandoned?
He didn’t care.
The pitiful bald monk who recited scriptures before Buddha every day while secretly praying that his ex-wife would never find a good man for the rest of her life—
That definitely wasn’t him.
He swallowed his tears and faced reality with courage.
“As you wish.”
Lu Wu was deeply impressed.
A moment later, the senior monk stared silently at the cup of Matcha Milk Pudding Tea in his hands.
It somehow looked even greener than before.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Sure enough, true cultivators could wound people without ever lifting a blade.
At that moment, he felt as though ten thousand arrows had pierced his heart.
His heart hurt, but he said nothing.
Savoring the bitterness in his chest, he took a careful sip of the milk tea.
The cool, silky drink instantly filled his mouth.
The milk-white pudding inside trembled delicately, smooth as tofu, swaying with every movement of the cup and tempting him to take a bite.
The milk tea’s velvety texture was a delightful surprise.
Matcha was bitter too, but its bitterness was completely different from grapefruit’s.
He rolled the liquid around with his tongue, carefully savoring the taste.
Yet before the bitterness could fully peak, the sweetness of the milk pudding effortlessly rescued him from it.
He thought:
Boss Lu must be telling me that life is like this cup of milk tea—first bitter, then sweet.
As long as one endures the initial bitterness, sweetness will await in the future.
“Boss Lu, I see it now.”
I see the path I must walk.
Boss Lu, I will not waste your painstaking efforts.
Countless emotions surged through his heart.
And then enlightenment struck.
A burst of Buddhist light appeared around him, only to be suppressed moments later by the grand formation overhead.
He had broken through.
Pressing his palms together, he bowed to Lu Wu in gratitude.
At that moment, there was a smile on his face and relief in his eyes.
Lu Wu: “Huh?”
Did he somehow discover that I secretly added extra matcha powder?
Discussion
Comments
0 comments so far.
Sign in to join the conversation and keep your activity tied to this account.
No comments yet. Start the conversation.