Chapter 173: Brotherhood Is Not as Important as Milk Tea

Chapter 173: Chapter 173: Brotherhood Is Not as Important as Milk Tea

Seeing his eldest brother’s tense expression, Second Brother didn’t overthink it, simply assuming the other man was receiving vital information.

"How is it?"

He asked, keeping his voice low.

Having received no information whatsoever from that sip of milk tea, the eldest hesitated. His hand tightened on the cup, and he avoided Second Brother’s gaze. "It’s not detailed enough," he said. "I have to try again."

With that, he raised the milk tea and took another sip.

This time, however, it wasn’t a tentative little sip, but a massive gulp.

Condensation beaded on the side of the cup.

The refreshingly cool Peach Four Seasons Spring tea carried a light, fruity sweetness, while the plump pulp filled the air with the fragrance of ripe peaches.

The eldest loved to drink.

The sharp, stimulating burn of alcohol flowing into his belly always sent him into a state of ecstasy.

He was an alcoholic who had never once considered quitting, because he didn’t believe anything in the world could taste better than liquor.

But now, he was forced to eat his words.

The refreshing fruit tea felt completely different from alcohol, yet it still electrified every fiber of his being—the reaction was even more intense than when he drank.

He was addicted. Only this time, it was a milk tea addiction.

The eldest brother’s mind was expanding; he completely forgot his two younger brothers were waiting for his answer.

He just cradled the cup obsessively, taking one sip after another.

GLUG GLUG GLUG.

The eldest brother’s throat bobbed, completely lost to the world.

Although Second Brother and Third hadn’t tasted the milk tea, they could certainly smell it.

The rich, fruity aroma was overwhelming.

"Second Brother, don’t you think..."

Third tugged on Second Brother’s sleeve, a conflicted look on his face.

’Something feels off. It doesn’t seem like he’s investigating anything. It seems like he’s just drinking the milk tea.’

"Mm."

Second Brother, who had the same thought, didn’t bother to speculate. Instead, while the eldest was lost in his own world, he suddenly closed in and snatched the milk tea away at lightning speed.

"What are you doing?"

The eldest brother snapped out of his reverie and flew into a rage when the milk tea was snatched from him.

Even though it was his own brother, the eldest clenched his fists and glared at him.

"I was worried you might have missed some information. Let me try it too. It’s better to be safe."

Second Brother calmly replied, ignoring the eldest’s fury. His reasoning was sound, leaving the eldest with no room to argue.

He could only watch helplessly as Second Brother brought the remaining half-cup of milk tea to his lips.

’He knew that as soon as Second Brother tasted the milk tea, he would realize the lie. The brothers were about to be at each other’s throats.’

The eldest brother’s expression twisted with anxiety and frustration.

To Third, it looked as though Second Brother had just stolen their eldest brother’s wife.

Not that any of them actually had partners.

Second Brother was the sharpest of the three, but after a single sip of the milk tea, his quick-witted brain ground to a halt.

The pink fruit tea swirled enticingly in the transparent cup. The intertwining aromas of tea and fruit made it impossible for Second Brother to resist its honeyed sweetness.

The explosive sweetness of the fruit pulp mixed with the crisp notes of spring tea, a single sip nourishing him from the tip of his tongue to the depths of his soul.

The perfectly balanced flavor captivated his body and mind. His soul trembled as he willingly sank into the experience, as if ensnared by an opium poppy.

It was gentle, yet lingering.

Second Brother’s pupils constricted. He gave the eldest a long, hard look.

"Eldest Brother, you were right," he said. "The information in here is quite complex. It really does take some time to process."

He gave the eldest a strange smile, as if to say, ’I’m onto you.’

"Ahem!"

The eldest brother’s face flushed slightly.

’What information? He had simply been bewitched by the milk tea, not even stopping to think about the reason why.’

"Huh? What are you guys talking about?"

Only Third was left completely clueless.

He was never as sharp as his two older brothers to begin with, and now that they were trading veiled barbs, Third was even more lost in a fog.

’But it didn’t matter if he couldn’t understand. He could just experience it for himself.’

While the eldest and Second Brother were locked in a standoff, their eyes clashing, Third took advantage of the opening and easily snatched the milk tea from Second Brother’s hands.

"Let me have a sip, too."

By now, there was barely any milk tea left in the cup. Third, having no concept of saving any for others, tipped the rest of it into his mouth with a grand gesture, much to the furious glares of his two older brothers.

The fruit pulp burst between his teeth with a soft crunch.

In an instant, the aftertaste of the peach overwhelmed Third’s senses.

His eyes widened. He stared at the cup in disbelief, then at his two older brothers, his face a mask of visible rage.

"You lied to me!"

’There was no hidden information in this fruit tea at all.’

"This stuff is so delicious, and you didn’t even tell me."

As the youngest of the three brothers, he was often shamelessly exploited by his two older siblings.

But that never mattered.

Because they were blood brothers, a trinity. He believed his two older brothers loved him.

But now, that love had been fractured by a single cup of fruit tea.

Third was devastated.

So devastated that only a few more cups of milk tea could possibly heal him.

"I’ll never trust you again."

Third shouted angrily, pushed his two brothers aside, and ran off.

"Third, don’t be angry! I was wrong!"

Third, the simpleton, was genuinely angry this time. Second Brother, starting to panic, shouted an apology, but Third ran on without a single glance back.

A pang of guilt surfaced in the eldest brother’s heart.

The three of them had sworn to share their fortunes and their hardships, but now, a single cup of fruit tea had shattered that vow. He was too ashamed to face their parents in the afterlife.

"Fight, fight!"

Some of the other customers were used to such scenes and even muttered under their breath, hoping the three brothers would come to blows.

’Here comes the entertainment.’

But the three brothers did not start fighting.

Because Third had run, and run, and run... right to the back of the line, where he stopped.

’He wasn’t an idiot.’

’If he charged down the mountain now, he’d miss out.’

’The Peach Four Seasons Spring was just one kind of milk tea. There were so many other varieties waiting for him to try.’

’If every single one was so delicious it made him want to spin in circles, Third felt he could easily forgive his detestable older brothers.’

Seeing this, the eldest and Second Brother came over and got in line as well.

"Third, I was wrong."

The eldest was the first to apologize.

"I was wrong, too."

Second Brother followed suit.

"Hmph!"

Third just grunted, refusing to reply. ’He wasn’t going to soften up that easily.’

The two older brothers began sucking up to their younger brother. Amidst their quiet groveling, the line moved forward. Still reliving the shock of that first sip, Second Brother heard the surrounding clamor and tapped his head.

’Strange. I feel like I forgot something.’

’What was it?’

’Oh well. If I can’t remember it, it must not be important. Milk tea first.’

More and more customers arrived.

Up ahead, Lu Wu was swamped.

Seeing that the line had barely moved, the three brothers were now filled with immense regret.

’No wonder those other customers had looked at them like they were idiots. Weren’t they?’

’One cup of milk tea wasn’t even enough for one person, yet the three of them had split it—and unevenly, at that.’

’They’d missed their first chance, and now they’d have to wait for ages.’

「Meanwhile, in an inn somewhere in Yaoxian Town.」

A man dressed in black stared at his utterly silent One World Communication device, his expression grim.

’The time is up. Why haven’t those three brothers contacted me yet?’

’Don’t tell me they got lost.’