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

【Is the giveaway over? Oh no, I just posted it on my social media to show off!】

【Canceled? It just trended on social media! Isn’t this a case of kicking someone after using them?】

【After all, ten million? Can Ye Luoyi afford that?】

【Yan Xi is clearly extorting her!】

【How is it extortion? The wine for the giveaway and its price were clearly stated on Ye Luoyi’s social media. Yan Xi is just telling the truth.】

【They should’ve said earlier that the wine was only worth one or two thousand euros. Ye Luoyi’s team even deleted my comment. Sure, in high-end restaurants, it might cost eighty to ninety thousand RMB, but they were exaggerating. Yan Xi charging the full price is fair game!】

This was the biggest trap Yan Xi had set for Ye Luoyi. Charging her one million would’ve been too lenient—ten million was enough to make Ye Luoyi feel the pinch!

Even if some fans figured out the real price of the wine, so what? It was Ye Luoyi who had exaggerated in the first place. Yan Xi was merely fulfilling her wish of giving fans a gift worth ten million.

Ye Luoyi’s face turned pale. She could grit her teeth and pay one million, but ten million was another story.

All the guests were staring at Ye Luoyi, and the live camera was focused on her. She felt her throat dry and scratchy.

Should she agree to pay Zhou Qingyu ten million? That wasn’t a small sum, and she couldn’t afford it.

Or should she cancel the giveaway? How humiliating! Her livestream was trending at number one, and the giveaway had even made it to the top of the social media charts. If she canceled now, she’d be mocked for the rest of her life!

Ye Luoyi’s mind was a mess, her thoughts tangled. Yan Xi stood there, smiling at her, but that smile felt like a grim reaper’s grin, leaving Ye Luoyi with no way out.

She swayed slightly, nearly collapsing, but Qin Li quickly steadied her.

Ye Luoyi’s face grew even paler. “I… I’m not feeling well. I need to go to the restroom!”

With that, Ye Luoyi hurriedly left the scene.

【Wow! Is this the legendary “bathroom escape”?】

【Looks like the giveaway’s getting canceled~】

【Nonsense! Ye Luoyi won’t back out! She’s been having stomach issues all day—she’s been running to the restroom since noon!】

【Oh right, the incident at noon when Ye Luoyi… well, you know. Her stomach really isn’t doing well~~ *dog emoji*】

【Help, my image of Ye Luoyi as a fairy has completely shattered… and I’m still eating!】

Zhou Qingyu, holding a bottle of wine, smirked triumphantly. “Going to the restroom at a time like this? Is Ye Luoyi trying to run away because she can’t pay?”

The system chimed in: 【Oh ho, Zhou Qingyu is really giving off those villainess vibes now!】

Zhou Qingyu was never one to play fair, especially when it came to Ye Luoyi. She loved kicking someone when they were down.

Su Lingling stomped her foot in frustration. “That’s not true! Ye Luoyi isn’t like that!”

Yan Xi didn’t mind Zhou Qingyu’s gloating. After all, she was the one who’d pushed Ye Luoyi into this mess in the first place.

She turned to Su Lingling, her tone sincere. “Ms. Su, would you like to pay on Ye Luoyi’s behalf? That’s also an option.”

Su Lingling choked back her retort, glaring at Yan Xi before falling silent.

Zhou Qingyu sneered, “Using my wine for a giveaway and then acting like you can’t pay? Hmph, some people really have no self-awareness!”

Su Lingling didn’t dare respond. She couldn’t afford ten million either—or rather, she could, but she wasn’t willing to spend it on Ye Luoyi.

Zhou Qingyu felt even more satisfied, every cell in her body buzzing with joy. Seeing Su Lingling and Ye Luoyi humiliated made her day.

Yan Xi adjusted the microphone on her collar and tugged at Zhou Qingyu’s sleeve, whispering, “Even though we’re collecting the money, there’s something off about it. We can’t keep it. Qingyu, can I handle this?”

Zhou Qingyu didn’t know what Yan Xi had in mind, but she trusted her not to let her down. Even if Yan Xi wanted the ten million, Zhou Qingyu wouldn’t hesitate to give it to her.

Zhou Qingyu nodded. “No problem.”

Su Lingling’s cheeks puffed out in anger. It had been several minutes, and Ye Luoyi still hadn’t returned. She was the one left facing the camera.

And she was at a disadvantage. Even though Zhou Qingyu's provocative gaze made her furious, she didn't dare to retort.

Qin Li, after a moment of silence, had pieced together the situation. He looked at Zhou Qingyu. “Ms. Zhou, since the winery is yours, you could’ve told us when you arrived. Why wait until after Ye Luoyi started the giveaway? Isn’t this just bullying her?”

Su Lingling’s eyes lit up. Right! If the winery was Zhou Qingyu’s, why hadn’t she said so earlier?

Su Lingling pointed at Zhou Qingyu. “Zhou Qingyu, you did this on purpose! You just wanted to make us look bad! How can you be so malicious?”

“On purpose?”

Yan Xi stepped in front of Zhou Qingyu. “I don’t understand where this accusation is coming from. Did we force you to come to the winery at gunpoint? Did we force you to start the giveaway?”

“Everything was your own decision. How is it our fault? Besides, whether the winery is Zhou Qingyu’s or Ye Luoyi’s friend’s, isn’t the giveaway supposed to be a gift for the fans? Are you saying that just because the winery belongs to Zhou Qingyu, you’re unwilling to give your fans a gift?”

“If you don’t want to, just cancel the giveaway on social media. We’re not forcing you to pay! But if you’re going to give a gift, isn’t it fair for us to charge you? You can’t just use Zhou Qingyu’s money to benefit your own fans, can you?”

Qin Li was speechless. He knew Ye Luoyi was in the wrong here. Even if Zhou Qingyu hadn’t immediately clarified that she owned the winery, at most, it was just a bit underhanded.

Su Lingling, however, wasn’t ready to back down. “Enough with the excuses! Zhou Qingyu, can you honestly say you didn’t plan this to humiliate Ye Luoyi? You’re just jealous because Mr. Pei treats her better! You’re nothing but a shameless homewrecker. Even if you win this round, Mr. Pei will never look at you—”

Before she could finish, a sharp slap echoed through the room.

The environment fell silent, as if even the livestream comments had frozen for a moment.

Su Lingling covered her cheek, staring at Zhou Qingyu in disbelief.

“Zhou Qingyu, how dare you hit me?!”

.

After entering the restroom, Ye Luoyi quickly checked each stall to make sure no one was inside. She locked the door and dialed Pei Yubai’s number.

She had no one else to turn to. If Pei Yubai hadn’t lied about owning the winery, things wouldn’t have escalated this far.

A few seconds later, Pei Yubai answered the call.

“Pei Yubai, what’s your relationship with Zhou Qingyu?” Ye Luoyi demanded. “Why did she say the winery belongs to her?”

Pei Yubai was stunned. Things had taken the worst possible turn. He had hoped Zhou Qingyu wouldn’t find out.

“Ye Luoyi, let me explain. It’s complicated, related to the relationship between the Pei and Zhou families… but you were just there to have fun. It shouldn’t be a big deal!”

Ye Luoyi took a deep breath. Now wasn’t the time to interrogate Pei Yubai. She needed to resolve the giveaway and the ten million issue first. She had taken the offensive to secure the moral high ground.

Her tone remained firm, but there was a hint of grievance in her voice. “But do you realize that your lie about owning the winery has put me in a terrible position? I just wanted to give some wine to my fans as a gift, and now Zhou Qingyu is demanding ten million in compensation!”

“Ten million?!”

Pei Yubai was shocked. Ten million wasn’t a small amount—it was enough to fund a low-budget web series in the entertainment industry.

He quickly opened his phone to check social media. There were several missed calls from Sun Qi, likely about Ye Luoyi’s situation on the show, but Pei Yubai had been too busy with family matters to notice.

After skimming through the updates, Pei Yubai understood the situation.

Ye Luoyi was his responsibility. Even if she had started the giveaway to show off, as her boss, he had to cover for her. He couldn’t let her be criticized on the show.

“The giveaway must continue,” Pei Yubai said firmly. “As for the ten million, I’ll pay it.”

Though it was labeled as ten million, the wine was only worth one million. Pei Yubai believed that, given Zhou Qingyu’s feelings for him, a phone call or two would convince her to let it slide.

Ye Luoyi was overjoyed, feeling both proud that the matter had been resolved and a little sour and uneasy about the relationship between Pei Yubai and Zhou Qingyu.

She and Pei Yubai were only in a vague, ambiguous relationship, with Pei Yubai pursuing her.

But Pei Yubai and Zhou Qingyu seemed closer than just Zhou Qingyu’s one-sided pursuit.

“Pei Yubai, I’ve told you before, I only want a clean and pure relationship. If you and Zhou Qingyu have anything else going on… then stay away from me. I won’t be the other woman!”

“Of course not!” Pei Yubai quickly explained, “Yiyi, believe me, Zhou Qingyu and I have nothing going on. You’re the only one I like! You’re the only one I’ll marry! I’ll handle Zhou Qingyu, and I won’t let her affect you!”

Ye Luoyi breathed a sigh of relief. She guessed that Pei Yubai and Zhou Qingyu might have grown up together or known each other for years, and that this was all just Zhou Qingyu’s unrequited love.

If the two of them had a deeper relationship, like being lovers or having an engagement, Zhou Qingyu would have surely come forward to expose her by now. Why would she be willing to be called the other woman? The fact that she hadn’t made a move yet suggested that she and Pei Yubai probably had nothing going on.

Ye Luoyi touched up her makeup in the restroom, making herself look even more delicate and charming.

Then she walked out of the restroom.

By then, the guests had already left the underground wine cellar and returned to the lawn.

As soon as Ye Luoyi stepped out, she saw Zhou Qingyu slap Su Lingling hard across the face!

Su Lingling covered her cheek in disbelief, “Zhou Qingyu, how dare you hit me?!”

Ye Luoyi hurried over to comfort Su Lingling, “Lingling, are you okay?” Then she turned to Zhou Qingyu, “Zhou Qingyu, how could you hit someone? It’s just ten million, it’s not like we said we wouldn’t pay!”

Zhou Qingyu snorted coldly, “Who cares about that ten million? I hit her because her mouth was filthy!”

Su Lingling gritted her teeth, “Zhou Qingyu! Did I say anything wrong? You’re clearly meddling in Yiyi and Second Young Master Pei’s relationship. You’re shameless! How do you even have the face to come on this show? How do you have the nerve to—”

“Miss Ye!” Yan Xi suddenly raised her voice, cutting Su Lingling off, “Are you and Second Young Master Pei together?”

Yan Xi’s sudden question caught Ye Luoyi off guard.

All the production crew instantly sensed a juicy story and immediately turned their cameras toward Ye Luoyi.

The other guests also looked at Ye Luoyi with curiosity.

Only Qin Li’s expression was dim, his bangs falling over his eyes, obscuring his emotions.

A flicker of panic flashed in Ye Luoyi’s eyes.

She couldn’t admit to her relationship with Pei Yubai. Not only were they not officially together, but there was also a gap between the Ye and Pei families. She hadn’t yet gained the approval of Pei Yubai’s elders, and the Pei family was one that valued propriety. Admitting their relationship publicly without permission would displease both Pei Yubai and his family.

Moreover, Pei Yubai had mentioned early on that they could play up their chemistry for publicity, but they couldn’t publicly confirm their relationship, likely due to family reasons.

Ye Luoyi looked at Yan Xi and smiled gracefully, delivering the most diplomatic answer, “We have a very good relationship. Yubai is both my close friend and my boss.”

“So you’re not a couple, then!” Yan Xi concluded, then turned to Su Lingling, “In that case, Miss Su, where does this ‘other woman’ accusation come from?”

“You have no right to slander Qingyu as the other woman. The slap she gave you was already light. What do you have to complain about?”

Su Lingling was stunned and grabbed Ye Luoyi’s arm, “Yiyi! Didn’t you say Second Young Master Pei was pursuing you? Why won’t you admit it? Is it because of the cameras? You two are practically a couple already!”

Yan Xi repeated, “Miss Su, let’s get this straight. Pursuing someone doesn’t mean being in a relationship. Since they’re not a couple, what’s wrong with Qingyu pursuing Second Young Master Pei? Does liking someone make you the other woman?”

[What is Yan Xi going on about? Xiao Yizi knows Yiyi and Second Young Master are already together, they just can’t admit it because of the cameras!]

[Second Young Master Pei said in an interview that he likes girls like Ye Luoyi; during the variety show, he’s always been protective of her; and there are tons of paparazzi photos of them on dates. How is that not a couple?]

[So what? Your idol won’t admit it herself!]

[Wait until the idols officially announce it before mocking Zhou Qingyu. Right now, they’re not even together, and you’re already calling her the other woman? Zhou Qingyu is so unlucky!]

Zhou Qingyu stared blankly at Yan Xi.

Ever since she fell for Pei Yubai, her father had tried to persuade her, saying that Pei Yubai was the second son and couldn’t inherit the Pei family fortune, making him unworthy of her. Her aunt also kept urging Zhou Qingyu, saying that the eldest Pei brother was much better than the second.

Online, there were many comments calling her the other woman. Since Ye Luoyi and Pei Yubai hadn’t officially announced their relationship, the CP fans didn’t dare to openly insult her, but there were still plenty of subtle digs.

Zhou Qingyu sometimes wondered, was she wrong for simply liking someone?

Only Yan Xi never said she was wrong, nor did she say that her feelings for Pei Yubai were inappropriate. She always stood by her side.

Of course, if Zhou Qingyu could hear Yan Xi’s inner thoughts, she’d know her best friend wasn’t entirely supportive—

“Damn Pei Yubai! What kind of male lead material is he?”

“Ye Luoyi actually agreed to the giveaway? There’s no way Pei Yubai would be so generous! He’s definitely trying to trick Qingyu out of the money! Damn scoundrel!”

System: [...Host, isn’t the main issue that Zhou Qingyu is too love-struck? Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been fooled by Pei Yubai!]

Yan Xi: “Qingyu wouldn’t have been fooled if it weren’t for this damn plot forcing her! If she weren’t controlled by the plot, would she even look at a scoundrel like Pei Yubai? Ugh, I’m so mad!”

“What did Qingyu do wrong? It’s all their fault!”

Yan Xi’s mind was in turmoil, but her expression remained calm and sweet.

Her pitiful, weak, heartbroken, naive, and pure persona couldn’t be ruined!

Ye Luoyi swallowed hard. The matter with Pei Yubai couldn’t be dug into further. Right now, they were just playing up their chemistry for publicity. She had no legitimate claim, and while fans occasionally threw shade at Zhou Qingyu, bringing this issue into the open would only hurt her.

She silently glared at Su Lingling.

If it weren’t for her blurting things out so bluntly, she wouldn’t have had to clarify things. Now the CP fans would definitely be disappointed, and some might even stop supporting her!

Honestly, as partners, why could Yan Xi, a broke college student, help Zhou Qingyu so much, even shutting them down with her innocent act, while Su Lingling, a wealthy heiress, could only cause trouble?

Ye Luoyi looked at Su Lingling with growing frustration.

But there were more important matters at hand. Ye Luoyi deliberately changed the subject, “Qingyu, the giveaway is a gift for my fans, and it won’t be canceled. Please have the wine packaged, and once my assistant collects the addresses of the winning fans, we’ll send them out together.”

“Don’t worry, Tianhui will pay, every cent of it.”

Zhou Qingyu didn’t care about the ten million, but she was surprised that Ye Luoyi had managed to secure such a large sum of cash in such a short time.

Yan Xi thought for a moment, “Miss Ye, have you discussed this with your manager? Are you sure about the giveaway?”

“Of course,” Ye Luoyi answered without hesitation. She guessed that Pei Yubai would contact Zhou Qingyu later, possibly offering her a million or nothing at all, but certainly not the full ten million.

But no matter the outcome, they needed time to discuss things.

Ye Luoyi added, “Ten million isn’t a small amount. Tianhui might take a little longer to transfer the funds, but it won’t take more than two hours.”

—The show allowed guests to carry their phones, and Ye Luoyi figured two hours would be enough for Pei Yubai and Zhou Qingyu to settle things.

Yan Xi: “Miss Ye, I’m sure your fans will be happy. As for the ten million, Qingyu won’t take it. We’ll contact the Red Cross and donate it in her name.”

Louis walked over to Yan Xi, “Miss Yan, I’ve just contacted the Chinese Red Cross. They’ve posted on Weibo, thanking Miss Zhou for the donation and promising to disclose the account details to ensure every cent is used properly.”

Yan Xi checked her phone and saw the Red Cross’s post thanking Zhou Qingyu. The related hashtag had already shot to the top of the trending list.

Yan Xi praised, “You work fast!”

Louis puffed out his chest, “Of course.”

Ye Luoyi’s face turned pale.

Originally, thanks to Pei Yubai's connections, the matter could have been settled for less than a million. But now, with the added complication of a donation and the fact that it had become public knowledge among netizens, it seemed that the ten million yuan was unavoidable.

Tianhui had to pay this ten million in charitable donations!

Ye Luoyi's legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed.

What she had thought would be an easy ten million to handle had turned into an unavoidable burden after Yan Xi's phone call. Ye Luoyi couldn't afford this sum… But Pei Yubai had said he would take care of it. Could he really make Zhou Qingyu pay?

Ye Luoyi didn't know, but this was no longer something she could resolve.

Soon, it was almost five o'clock, the time for Zhou Qingyu and Yan Xi to host the giveaway. Yan Xi had asked Louis to procure a signal jammer, and then, arm in arm with Zhou Qingyu, they went to conduct the giveaway for their fans.

The earlier wine giveaway mishap hadn't dampened the audience's enthusiasm. Now, Zhou Qingyu's livestream was back at the top of the charts, with even more viewers flooding in.

However, unlike the previous bravado of Ye Luoyi's fans, they were now silent.

—Even though the wine giveaway had been legitimate, Ye Luoyi was still in the wrong.

The family butler had selected suitable gifts for the giveaway, including bags, hats, scarves, belts, dresses, shirts, and more. A total of one hundred items were packaged as mystery boxes for the draw.

The butler thoughtfully prepared a PowerPoint presentation, which Zhou Qingyu projected onto a screen set up on the lawn, allowing the audience to clearly see the prizes.

【A D-brand snake skin bag! That's a discontinued item! Ahhh, I want it so badly!】

【Wasn't that dress the one Zhou Qingyu wore on the red carpet? She actually bought it instead of borrowing it? And now she's giving it away?】

【The accessories are nice too! That leather belt is from E-brand, right? I saw one for three thousand yuan last time I went shopping.】

【Help! That silk shirt is so pretty too, and the tag is still on it! Is she really not going to wear it? I feel like it's so versatile!】

【Every prize is so beautiful! Please pick me! Pick me, pick me!】

Zhou Qingyu was fiddling with the PowerPoint, showcasing each prize one by one to the audience.

As each item flashed by, Zhou Qingyu would stroke her chin and muse, "I actually bought this?"

"Would anyone even want such an ugly bag?"

"My taste last year was so bad, no wonder all these things ended up in storage…"

"This year's new collection is much better!"

【Zhou Qingyu is so beautiful, how could she carry last year's styles? This year's collection suits her better!】

【I can help Zhou Qingyu deal with last year's unwanted clothes! I don't mind!】

【Does Zhou Qingyu need a trash can? One specifically for clothes she doesn't wear anymore? I volunteer!】

Zhou Qingyu couldn't see the requests from the audience in the comments. She was still lamenting how poor her taste had been the previous year.

Her phone, placed on the long table covered with a white cloth, kept ringing. Yan Xi glanced over and saw that the caller was Pei Yubai.

It seemed that Pei Yubai had already found out about Zhou Qingyu's donation and was panicking.

Yan Xi quietly walked over to the table and turned off Zhou Qingyu's phone.

The Red Cross account details had already been sent to Ye Luoyi, so transferring the money was Ye Luoyi's responsibility. If the funds weren't transferred within two hours, it would be Ye Luoyi trying to evade payment. What did that have to do with Zhou Qingyu?

The giveaway ended, and a hundred lucky fans received their prizes. The top prize was a bag worth a hundred thousand yuan, while the lowest was a scarf worth over three thousand.

Ye Luoyi and Su Lingling left, and Qin Li, worried that Ye Luoyi might be upset, left the winery with Kang Boye. Only Zhou Qingyu and Jiang Tao's groups remained.

Afterward, the old butler took the remaining four guests on a tour of the winery, and they even participated in the wine-making process.

Back at the winery's castle, the butler led the guests to a new wine cellar and gifted Jiang Tao and Xiao Yu two bottles of this year's vintage.

In the center of the cellar hung a group photo of the Zhou family.

"This is a photo of the young lady's first visit to the winery," the butler reminisced. "It's been over ten years now."

In the photo were Zhou Qingyu's father, Zhou Yanci, Zhou Qingyu herself, and her late mother.

Zhou Qingyu in the photo was very young, probably around ten years old, with her hair tied up in a high ponytail. She had bright eyes and a radiant smile, happily holding onto Zhou Yanci's arm. Beside her stood her mother, and next to Zhou Yanci was their father.

Zhou Yanci, around fourteen at the time, still had the youthful innocence on his face, but his expression carried a coldness that belied his age.

The family looked harmonious.

Zhou Qingyu and Zhou Yanci seemed close, like a typical brother and sister, with none of the tension that now existed between them.

Yan Xi looked at Zhou Qingyu curiously.

When she first met Zhou Qingyu, the relationship between Zhou Qingyu and Zhou Yanci was already strained. If it weren't for this photo, she wouldn't have known that they had ever been close.

In fact, Yan Xi had always thought Zhou Qingyu disliked Zhou Yanci. But in a dream, after Zhou Yanci's sudden death, Zhou Qingyu had cried bitterly.

Just before the incident, the two had been locked in a fierce battle over the family shares. Yet, at Zhou Yanci's funeral, Zhou Qingyu was genuinely heartbroken. She even called Yan Xi and said, "If I had known my brother would die, I wouldn't have fought with him…"

It was the first time Yan Xi had ever heard Zhou Qingyu refer to Zhou Yanci as "brother."