Chapter 26: A Cup of Cat Poop Coffee
"Those are specifically made for the two male guests," Qian Meng informed. She moved closer to the table and picked up the teacup before presenting it to Mr. Bai. "I hope you'll enjoy this," she said sincerely. Though she didn't smile, Mr. Bai looked extremely delighted.
"Thank you," he said silently before glancing at the others. Qian Meng proceeded onto pouring everyone their drinks, leaving Bai Ye Qing for last. She didn't pick up his cup of coffee, neither did she ask him to take it himself, leaving it to him to do what he wished.
She had shown her courtesy to the others, but to this scum, she didn't owe anything.
"When did you learn how to make tea?" Yun Sui Bo asked, looking surprised. Qian Meng had not taken a cup for herself, but she figured that her tea must have tasted good. She shrugged, not wanting to tell him that she usually did everything well. It was he who didn't acknowledge her. No need to disrespect him in front of 'guests.'
"Why didn't you hand Ye Qing his drink?" Jiang Xin asked. There was irritation in her voice that she tried very hard to hide but didn't.
"He is a capable young man, he can use his own hands." For some reason, this comment seemed to make Chen Yue laugh.
"Meng'er must be shy," she commented in a teasing manner. Qian Meng looked at the woman in surprise and didn't know what to say. From which angle did she look shy. She wasn't even sure that she was capable of such an expression.
Bai Ye Qing joined in, leaning in and picking up the coffee cup before taking a small sip. His face twisted at the taste and he glanced at Qian Meng for a moment. Before he could get a word out, Mr. Bai spoke up.
"Miss Yun, how did you know I enjoy this tea?" he asked. He had taken the first sip with his son, so he got a clear taste of what she had prepared. Qian Meng's lips turned up into a hint of a smile but she didn't say anything.
"What did she make?" Chen Yue asked, looking shocked. She glanced at her husband's cup with a peculiar look. "Lemon and spice tea?" she gawked.
"I didn't know that Mr. Bai enjoyed it. I find himself enjoying a cup of this after a long day of work. It's refreshing and really helps you shed all your worries," she informed without hesitation. There was momentary silence in the room.
Even Qing Yuan, who had been happily sipping at his share of the tea at her side quietened down. It took Qian Meng a moment to realize why that had happened.
She had mentioned that this was something one would enjoy after a long day at work. Didn't that imply that the others in the room were wasting their time away? Qian Meng felt a sense of admiration at her unintended jab. She even wanted to pat herself on the back.
But to be safe, she had to amend her statement. "Mr. Bai looked tired, so I thought to make this." The others nodded, acting as if they hadn't thought otherwise.
"I thought you were playing favorites!" Chen Yue chimed in. Her attention turned towards her son, who had stopped taking sips from the cup. "Ye Qing, how is your coffee?"
With a strained smile, Bai Ye Qing replied. "It tastes very refined. I've never had anything like this."
Qian Meng let her smile loose and didn't speak.
"We store a lot of coffee in our house, you see," Jing Xin informed before turning to Qian Meng. "Meng Meng, which beans did you use?" she asked politely. freeweb(n)ovel.com
"I used the Kopi Luwak beans I brought as a gift earlier this year," she informed them without a hint of guilt. Everyone seemed to praise the choice except for Qing Yuan who spluttered on his tea.
He coughed away, to the point that Qian Meng had to slap his back to force him to breathe.
"I just burned my tongue," he said apologetically. He shot his sister a look before a sly look crossed his eye. "If I'm not wrong Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world, right?" The others turned, looking even more interested.
"Meng Meng, you never mentioned this!" Jing Xin voiced.
'You would have known if you had looked into it. You just kept it aside and never tried it,' Qian Meng thought sourly. If only…
"It costs about six hundred dollar a pack. But do you know why it is so expensive?" Qing Yuan leaned forward, grabbing the attention of the crowd. The ambiance reeked of a summer camp where the kids surrounded the fire to tell horror stories.
Qian Meng was waiting for the screams to come.
The others were rapt in attention as Qing Yuan proceeded. "The farmers feed Civet cats the flesh of the coffee cherries and not the bean. The natural enzymes in the civet's stomach enhances the bean flavor. Apart from the natural production of the coffee through animal droppings and certification, the coffee's unique taste and rarity also adds to the exclusivity of the product."
It was in this moment, Qian Meng crossed her leg and leaned back into the couch. She took in the expression of every person in the room. Bai Ye Qing slowly dropped the coffee cup to the table and leaned as far away from it as possible. Yun Qing Yuan was a ball of energy as he discovered how good it felt to cause anarchy. Chen Yue and Jing Xin looked flabbergasted, whereas Mr. Bai looked somewhat amused.
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