Yandere Erii, stop tormenting Lu Mingfei!

"Master, let me do it." Genji offered to serve the guests in place of Tachibana Masamune.

Erii's words made him very uncomfortable. Originally, it was a very elegant and classy thing for the head of the family to entertain guests with tea ceremony, but after her commotion, it was like a waiter serving tea and water, and the class was directly lowered.

This is also why Tachibana Masamune felt embarrassed.

He glanced at the Kansai iron kettle, the water gurgling in the breeze. He shook his head. "If Lu Mingfei were just an S-class student at Kassel College, it would be appropriate for you to step forward. But he is also Angers' godson. In America, a place with a strong religious atmosphere, the relationship between godfather and godson is often regarded as that of biological father and son."

Tachibana Masamune's words finally brought the tea ceremony back to the relationship between etiquette and equality of status. In other words, even though Lu Mingfei had not yet formally enrolled, he should be regarded as Angers' alter ego.

This was a high-level meeting between representatives of the Snake Clan and representatives of the Kassel College headquarters.

Yuan Zhisheng nodded and said nothing more.

Just as Tachibana Masamune was about to regain control of the meeting, a single sentence from Lu Mingfei nearly caused him to have a heart attack.

"Patriarch, you don't seem to be human?" Lu Mingfei said in confusion.

Tachibana Masamune stared at him in shock.

How dare you! This brat from China is so rude! Even if you don't like me, you don't have to say such things to my face!

Just as Tachibana Masamune was pondering how to avoid Lu Mingfei's disrespect without turning the meeting into a conflict between the Snake-Headed Eight Families and the Academy Headquarters, Lu Mingfei suddenly realized he had misspoke. He was too flustered and quickly explained, "Don't misunderstand! I meant you don't look Japanese!"

Tachibana Masamune has a high nose bridge, deep-set eyes, and sharp facial features, which makes him look less Japanese.

In Lu Mingfei's mind, a Japanese old man should be dressed in a black kimono, emaciated, breathing through his nostrils, with a lewd and sinister appearance, full of bad ideas, yet cruel and domineering, as if he could draw his katana at any moment and perform an iaido.

However, Tachibana Masamune's temperament and appearance seemed a bit off. He certainly had an air of authority and oppression, but he didn't feel Japanese.

"I am only half Japanese and half Russian," Masamune Tachibana explained.

Genji couldn't help but show a surprised expression; clearly, he was unaware of this.

"Soga! Comrade! Hurrah!" Lu Mingfei suddenly realized, his eyes shining. He was filled with romantic imagination about the Soviet Union, or rather, at this time, the Chinese themselves had a bit of a Soviet complex. Although the Soviet Union was gone, Russia was still there. He couldn't help but shout out a couple of familiar Russian phrases.

After saying this, he stared intently at Tachibana Masamune, his body involuntarily leaning forward, his face full of expectation, as if hoping that the other party would also respond to his enthusiasm.

"The water's boiling, it's the perfect time for tea." Tachibana Masamune pretended not to hear, feeling that this brat surnamed Lu was even more troublesome than Angers. Despite his cultivated social skills and etiquette, he was completely at a loss. To make matters worse, Lu's identity was special, and Erii, that troublesome love-struck girl, was protecting him. He couldn't help but feel a sense of desolation, like a master being restrained by an idiot.

Tachibana Masamune picked up the iron kettle, poured boiling water into the teacup, then poured the water out. He then used a wooden tea spoon to scoop out two spoonfuls of tea powder and put them into the teacup. He then took a large spoonful of hot water from the iron kettle and poured it into the teacup, gently stirring it with a whisk.

He's a professional at this; his expression is serious, but his technique is light and agile.

Lu Mingfei witnessed this scene and recalled the Japanese etiquette he had hastily learned.

It was his first time meeting Erii's family, and although their relationship wasn't very harmonious, he couldn't be rude.

After all, China is a land of etiquette. He would have to say something after drinking tea. He couldn't be too vulgar, otherwise he would seem like a spineless gigolo. He also had to make sure everyone could save face and have a pleasant time. So he fell into deep thought.

At this moment, Tachibana Masamune took out a golden ancient silk gauze from his waist, placed it on a teacup, gently twirled it in his hand, and turned the side with the bamboo and sparrow pattern towards Lu Mingfei before bowing and serving tea.

The last-minute cramming worked. Lu Mingfei bent down, calmly took the teacup, and used the golden ancient silk gauze in front of him as a cushion. He rotated it clockwise twice in his palm, with the bamboo and sparrow pattern facing Tachibana Masamune, as a sign of respect for the tea brewer.

His next task was to drink the tea in one gulp and then offer some words of praise to the other person, thus ensuring the guests were all happy—a perfect start.

Just as he was about to tilt his head back to drink the tea, Erii suddenly reached out and stopped Lu Mingfei, saying, "Don't drink it directly, it'll be hot."

She took the teacup, placed it to her moist lips, and gently blew on it. Ripples spread across the tea, and the rising steam carried away the heat.

When it was almost time, she handed the teacup to Lu Mingfei, saying, "Drink slowly."

Lu Mingfei nodded, slowly drinking the tea. The words he had been preparing for so long were still stuck in his throat; he didn't know what to say. His face flushed, and after a long pause, seeing everyone staring at him, he finally blurted out:

"My dear subject, you have excellent tea!"

The terrace fell silent instantly.

Only the sea breeze blowing from the distant Tokyo Bay startled Tachibana Masamune once again, leaving him bewildered in the wind.

He underestimated how eccentric Lu Mingfei was.

What is the title "My dear minister"?

Are you the emperor so you can be my favorite minister?

Should I then say that Your Majesty is too kind in praising this old minister?

Originally, the two were barely equal in status, but after the term "my beloved minister" was uttered, his status immediately became several places lower than Lu Mingfei's.

Lu Mingfei, completely unaware of his outrageous words, then spun the teacup counter-clockwise twice, aligning the bamboo and sparrow pattern with himself. He looked down to admire it, a look of admiration on his face, and gave a thumbs up. "Excellent, excellent! The tea is good, and the teacup is good too. The Snake Clan truly lives up to its reputation!"

Tachibana Masamune coughed lightly, pretending not to hear. "Brewing tea is not my specialty. It is the only way to show respect to distinguished guests. I will not take up any more of your time. You young people will surely have more to talk about. Please convey my greetings to Principal Angers. I have to go now."

He stood up to say goodbye, thinking that he finally didn't have to deal with this oddball anymore. "I hope you have a pleasant time in Japan."

Lu Mingfei stood up to return the greeting.

After leaving the Kōjinji Temple, Genji Chisei picked up the Kansai iron kettle and brewed tea for Lu Mingfei's teacup again. While performing the tea ceremony, he said bluntly, "I have made a detailed plan for your idea of ​​becoming stronger, but there may be many difficulties in it. I don't know if you are mentally prepared."

Lu Mingfei nodded firmly. After experiencing the rainy night on the overpass and the kidnapping of Su Xiaoqiang, he knew that he couldn't always rely on the awakening of that terrifying power in his body. The little devil also looked like a ruthless businessman tempting him to work for him, so he had to be strong!

"It's alright, brother-in-law. I can handle any hardship or fatigue!" Lu Mingfei clenched his fists, his eyes resolute.

Genji looked at him with satisfaction, then said to Erii, "Eri, please step aside for a moment, we need to talk about something."

Erii looked at Lu Mingfei, seeking his opinion.

"It's alright! My brother-in-law isn't a bad person." Lu Mingfei nodded.

Erii then got up and walked out of the torii gate.

"Lu Sang, do you know what the method of tempering the mind is?" Yuan Zhisheng asked mysteriously.

"I'd like to hear more details!"

"An excellent soldier must excel in both spirit and physique. Your personality is terrible; to put it bluntly, you're cowardly and pathetic. Therefore, I need to give you special mental training first!"

"Does it mean getting up at four in the morning every day to run along Tokyo Bay?" Lu Mingfei asked with anticipation.

"No! Since it's about tempering your heart and spirit, you'll inevitably have to do some extremely shameful and embarrassing things. Once you withstand this mental pressure, you'll be completely transformed! You'll soar to new heights!" Genji finally couldn't hold back his laughter. "So, are you interested in running a male-female maid café for a while?"

"Yes!" Lu Mingfei answered without hesitation, then tilted his head, exclaimed "Eh?" as if he had misheard, "A...maid café?"

"It's a male-female servant cafe!" Genji pointed out the key point, his facial features contorted, and he laughed like a villain.