What Should I Do if My Best Friend Is a Green Tea? [Transmigrated Into a Book]

Jiang Tao was referring to the scandal involving Zhou Qingyu from a month ago.

A month ago, Zhou Qingyu was filming late into the night on set when she was caught on camera by paparazzi using eye drops to soothe her eyes. Coincidentally, the next scene required her to cry, so the paparazzi spread rumors that she needed eye drops to fake her tears.

Zhou Qingyu knew her acting skills weren’t exceptional, but they weren’t so bad that she needed eye drops for a crying scene. Those paparazzi were clearly spreading baseless rumors.

However, every role she had played in the past had been criticized, so when this news broke, everyone immediately believed it and thought her acting was terrible.

Zhou Qingyu gritted her teeth, "That news was just the paparazzi trying to smear me! I don’t need eye drops for crying scenes!"

Jiang Tao retorted, "Then give me one minute. Try crying right now!"

Zhou Qingyu scoffed, "If I cry, will you let me play the female lead in your project?"

Jiang Tao paused, her words catching him off guard. He thought carefully but still shook his head, "No, even if you can cry, I can’t let you play the female lead. You’re not suitable. I have to be responsible for my work!"

Zhou Qingyu: "…"

Zhou Qingyu didn’t say anything. Her fox-like, strikingly beautiful eyes fixed on Jiang Tao, unblinking. Within seconds, her eyes turned red, brimming with tears.

[Oh my, Zhou Qingyu actually cried?]

[It hasn’t even been a minute, has it? It feels like just a few seconds!]

[See? The eye drop scandal was just baseless slander!]

[Even though Zhou Qingyu’s acting isn’t top-tier, being able to cry in under a minute is still impressive!]

Jiang Tao stared at Zhou Qingyu in shock. She looked genuinely aggrieved, her teary eyes softening the sharp, stunning beauty of her face.

Jiang Tao suddenly felt he had made a mistake. Even if Zhou Qingyu’s acting wasn’t great, he shouldn’t have said it to her face. How crushing that must have been for her!

The next second, Zhou Qingyu’s expression shifted instantly. She perked up and looked at Jiang Tao and Xiao Yu, "So, how was my pitiful act? Not bad, right?"

Xiao Yu was stunned. For a moment, she had thought Zhou Qingyu was truly hurt by Jiang Tao’s words.

"That was really good!" Xiao Yu praised.

Jiang Tao had to agree. For that brief moment, he had genuinely felt Zhou Qingyu’s pain.

"Your acting… is better than I thought," Jiang Tao admitted reluctantly, his neck stiff.

Everyone believed in Zhou Qingyu’s "acting," including Jiang Tao, Xiao Yu, and even some viewers in the live stream.

Only Yan Xi, who gently placed her hands over Zhou Qingyu’s, saw through it.

She realized that Zhou Qingyu’s earlier distress was real, and her follow-up comment was the act.

Zhou Qingyu’s acting skills were indeed mediocre, but she had always been proud and couldn’t stand others criticizing her performance.

"Your acting is good enough for idol dramas," Jiang Tao commented calmly. "But Xiao Yu and I are working on a suspense drama next. The female lead is a hardworking forensic examiner, and your image doesn’t fit the role."

"In acting, it’s crucial for the actor and the role to align. With your current appearance, you’d be better suited to play a wealthy heiress or a glamorous villain. Those roles would highlight your strengths. The roles you’ve played before just don’t suit you."

[Jiang Tao is speaking my mind! Zhou Qingyu is so beautiful; she should play stunning, captivating characters!]

[Every time I see Zhou Qingyu playing naive, sweet roles, I feel like it’s such a waste. It just doesn’t suit her at all!]

[Qingyu! Listen to Jiang Tao and take on roles that fit you better!]

Zhou Qingyu pouted, "Fine, I don’t need your consolation. You should worry about your funding instead. Without investors, how are you going to hire actors?"

"If the work is good enough, the funding will come!" Jiang Tao shot back confidently. "Besides, I’ve already found my male lead. He perfectly fits the role, and I have faith in my project!"

"You’ve found the male lead?" Yan Xi asked, surprised.

Jiang Tao always required auditions for casting, but Qin Li had been busy with a variety show recently. When did he have time to audition?

Did Qin Li approach Jiang Tao privately last night to perform?

"Can you reveal who the male lead is?" Yan Xi pretended to be curious. "Since we’re live right now, maybe mentioning it could attract investors?"

Jiang Tao thought for a moment. He didn’t expect the male lead to bring in funding, but showing it to Yan Xi and Zhou Qingyu wouldn’t hurt. It might even show them what real acting looks like!

Jiang Tao pulled out his phone and showed them the audition clip of the male lead.

The clip wasn’t broadcasted, and the production team didn’t allow the audition content to be shared. Only the actor’s performance could be heard.

This was a solo scene where the male lead, a police captain, loses his memory after capturing a criminal. When he wakes up, he’s saved by the criminal and mistakenly believes he’s one of them.

In this scene, he’s forced to sell drugs. He knows it’s wrong, but his assumed identity as a criminal leaves him no choice. He’s deeply conflicted.

This kind of emotionally complex scene is difficult to portray. It needs to feel real, not exaggerated, so the audience can empathize.

The male lead is both a criminal and a man with a sense of justice, creating a contradictory state.

But the moment Jiang Tao called "action," the man on the screen was fully immersed in the role. His identity crisis and inner struggle were palpable—lost yet resolute.

Yan Xi watched the screen, feeling as conflicted as the character. Should he sell drugs? If he doesn’t, he’ll die. But if he does, his conscience won’t allow it.

Yan Xi was so engrossed in the character’s dilemma that she didn’t notice when the audition clip abruptly ended.

Both Yan Xi and Zhou Qingyu were left wanting more. Even though one was an outsider and the other an average actress, they could tell that Jiang Tao’s male lead was award-worthy.

No wonder Jiang Tao was so confident in his project this time. He was serious, refusing to let capital dictate changes to the script or cast.

However, the male lead wasn’t Qin Li.

Jiang Tao’s male lead wasn’t Qin Li!

Yan Xi remembered clearly that Jiang Tao’s project was called *The Bottom Line*. It became a massive hit upon release, and Qin Li won the Red Magnolia Award for Best Actor for his role.

If Qin Li’s acting was better, it would make sense for Jiang Tao to replace him after seeing the audition.

But Yan Xi had seen *The Bottom Line*. She was certain that the male lead Jiang Tao had found now was far superior to Qin Li’s performance.

In the original story, Qin Li’s participation in *The Bottom Line* brought in investors. Though only a second-tier actor, his popularity made him suitable for a suspense production. Platforms were willing to invest because of his fanbase.

From the looks of it, Jiang Tao ultimately couldn’t secure funding and had to compromise. The original male lead was excellent, but Jiang Tao couldn’t withstand the financial pressure.

Yan Xi glanced at Jiang Tao’s phone. The audition clip had the original male lead’s name—Shen Xinghe.

A rather ordinary name. He might be a newcomer or a small-time actor who had struggled for years without a breakthrough.

His closest brush with fame was auditioning for *The Bottom Line*.

But fame is like a fleeting bloom—bright for a moment, then gone. Shen Xinghe never got to star in *The Bottom Line*. For the rest of his life, he remained an obscure, unknown actor.