I’m a Green Tea in a Matriarchal World

Su Muqing’s lips pressed tight, her eyes swirling with complex emotions.

Logically, as a brother-obsessed sister, she should agree to anything Su Yu asked without a second thought.

But this request from her little brother…

Could she agree? Should she agree?

It wasn’t like they’d never had physical contact before, but those were always unintentional moments.

She’d always kept things proper with him, never daring to cross any lines. That night, well…

Cough, cough!!

She’d just been groggy from sleep and let her guard down, that’s all.

But now, Su Yu was asking for it outright. Had he changed?

…

“Sis… can we?”

The words barely left his mouth before Su Yu’s face flushed red.

What was with this soft, timid tone?

“Ah… y-yeah, sure.”

Caught in her brother’s hopeful gaze, Su Muqing grew a little flustered. Her voice stayed as bright as ever, but it was noticeably different from usual.

She couldn’t resist Su Yu’s charm after all—even the most unreasonable requests were impossible to refuse.

But why had it come to this?

Su Muqing suspected Su Yu had been influenced by their younger sister. Had she slipped him some weird ideas while she was away? That girl loved stirring up trouble.

With that thought, Su Muqing extended her hand.

…

Su Yu’s brows furrowed slightly. Nothing happened—could it be that spiritual energy from others didn’t work?

Unwilling to give up, he pressed, “Sis, do you feel anything?”

Su Muqing blushed. “Does feeling hot all over count?”

Su Yu: “???”

Su Muqing was stunned by her own words. She didn’t know what was wrong with her—spouting nonsense all day.

Her voice came out dry and raspy, so unfamiliar she almost didn’t recognize it herself.

Su Yu’s face darkened. He’d half-expected not to cultivate spiritual energy himself, but for the system to ignore someone else’s too?

At first, he thought the contact wasn’t enough.

But from fingers to wrist, wrist to shoulder—it was heading toward who-knows-what territory…

Su Yu mulled it over. Why no spiritual energy? His sister was a cultivator, wasn’t she? Did the system block absorbing it from others?

Wait!!

It hit him like a bolt.

By this world’s bizarre logic, chest size was a visible gauge of spiritual energy storage. But with Su Muqing’s flat-as-a-board figure—where you could see her toes when she looked down—did she even have any?

Su Yu was deeply puzzled, but this was something he couldn’t verify.

Freeloading spiritual energy was a bust. That left just one option.

“What about getting spirit stones?” Su Yu asked.

Since Su Muqing had given him one before, she must have a way to get more.

“Spirit stones? What do you want those for?” Su Muqing shot back, suddenly wary.

It wasn’t suspicion of her brother—she was worried he’d been conned.

He lacked for nothing—food, clothes—so she couldn’t imagine him needing spirit stones for himself.

If not for him, then who?

Gu Yanran!

Su Muqing’s mind jumped straight to that woman.

Pretty enough, one of the top beauties in vast Qiluo City, but Su Muqing despised her.

All that talk of defying fate to become a true cultivator.

Did she think Su Muqing couldn’t see through her little schemes?

Always hovering around her brother—a mere peasant girl daring to dream of her precious treasure.

Taking advantage of his pure, naive heart, shamelessly clinging to him.

Claiming “childhood sweethearts” and “innocent playmates”—Su Muqing just scoffed.

“Only women truly understand women. Girls are all pigs—no one could resist my little brother!”

Su Muqing had consulted a real cultivator: her brother’s future was secure—wealth, luxury, a life of ease.

Then look at her.

A face screaming poverty, a future destined for hardship.

She probably couldn’t even scrape together the money to marry a husband, have kids, buy a sword, or afford a house and betrothal gifts.

Someone like that—with her brother?

Su Muqing darkly suspected Gu Yanran had heard some rumors lately, realized her hopes were doomed, and was now fishing for a payout through her brother.

She’d investigated Gu Yanran thoroughly.

The only non-family, non-servant woman close to her brother—how could Su Muqing, as his sister, not be on high alert?

A gentle少女 on the surface, but a scumbag who toyed with feelings underneath.

Since ancient times, how many pure boys had fallen to deceitful women?

Gu Yanran’s father died young, her mother ran off with someone else and never returned. She’d survived on neighbors’ charity, working odd jobs for living and school expenses.

Normally, a girl raised like that would do anything for money.

Yet Gu Yanran was oddly upright—which was why, after investigating their chance meeting when Su Yu ran away as a child, Su Muqing hadn’t separated them.

Just a disposable playmate to pass the time. If her brother liked her, fine—she’d graciously let her stay.

A lone orphan—could she really cause trouble?

But now, Su Muqing regretted it.

Didn’t know her place? Or did she, and still harbored those forbidden thoughts?

…

“Just asking casually,” Su Yu said in a soft, sticky voice, brushing it off. He wasn’t about to reveal his real reason.

“Hm.” Su Muqing nodded. “Spirit stones are priceless—hard to buy with silver. If you want them, you’d have to hunt demon beasts and trade their materials at the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.”

Recalling her own near-death hunts, Su Muqing’s face turned grave.

“Don’t do anything stupid for spirit stones, little brother. Don’t fall for lies and let some wicked woman trick you.”

A chill flashed between her brows. She could stomach spirit stones, but if that woman’s greed endangered her brother, she’d have to take action.