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

【What? She bought the homestay? What happened?】【After returning from Zhou Qingyu's livestream, at the wine estate, Zhou Qingyu suggested staying at the estate, which would be more comfortable than the homestay. Director Yu disagreed, but Yan Xi proposed renovating the homestay. Director Yu thought the homestay owner wouldn’t agree, so he reluctantly accepted. Little did they know, Zhou Qingyu outright bought the homestay, and now no one could object…【Our Queen Zhou, rich and decisive!】

【Zhou Qingyu’s journey has been so smooth! Even when the production team tries to trip her up, she uses her "money power" to ensure she stays in comfort!】【I’m so jealous of Yan Xi, I wish I could travel with Zhou Qingyu too!】Ye Luoyi clenched her sleeves tightly, watching as everyone else’s rooms improved while her own toilet remained constantly clogged.

Beside her, Su Lingling let out an excited gasp, “Wow, you’re switching to G-brand mattresses? Their mattresses are super comfortable, I have one at home too!” The leader smiled, “Miss Zhou said room comfort is a priority. We ordered eight mattresses, but since Miss Ye said she doesn’t need one, we’ll return the extra two.”

Su Lingling ran her hands over the mattress, feeling as if her body could sink right into it.

Ye Luoyi tugged at her, pulling her back into their room.

As the door closed, Su Lingling vented her frustration, “Why did you have to be so stubborn with Zhou Qingyu? I want to sleep on a soft mattress too, and I want a clean toilet! Everyone else has it, except us!”

Ye Luoyi finally snapped, the cracks in her usually gentle and composed demeanor showing.

The heavy curtains of night fell, and the city’s noise gradually quieted. In the Royal Hotel, the warm, soft lighting contrasted sharply with the deep darkness outside. Through the half-open window, the city lights flickered like scattered stars.

On the mahogany desk, documents and a laptop were neatly arranged, the screen’s glow illuminating Zhou Yanci’s focused expression.

Zhou Yanci had been working tirelessly all day, and his tasks were far from over. A soft knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.”

Assistant Sun entered the suite, holding a sleek silver tablet. “President Zhou, Miss Zhou is trending again.”

Zhou Yanci rubbed his temples in exasperation. Ever since Zhou Qingyu entered the entertainment industry, she had been trending every other day. But while most celebrities trend for positive reasons, Zhou Qingyu’s trends were always filled with scandals.

The Zhou Corporation had never stepped in to remove her from the hot searches. Zhou Yanci’s father wanted Zhou Qingyu to see the harsh realities of the entertainment industry and return home to live as the wealthy heiress she was. But Zhou Qingyu refused to back down, enduring endless online criticism without leaving the industry.

“What’s she being criticized for this time?” Zhou Yanci asked.

Assistant Sun hesitated, his expression slightly odd. “Actually, this time she’s being praised.”

“Praised?”

Zhou Yanci found this hard to believe. He knew his sister all too well—spoiled and headstrong. Such a personality was hardly suited for the cutthroat entertainment industry. How could she possibly be praised?

Without saying more, Assistant Sun showed the tablet to Zhou Yanci.

#Zhou Qingyu’s toes are so cute!#

#Zhou Qingyu’s elf ears are stunning!#

#Every strand of Miss Zhou’s hair exudes charm and beauty#

#Miss Zhou is beautiful inside and out, who wouldn’t love her?#

Zhou Yanci removed his gold-rimmed glasses and rubbed his eyes.

He recognized every word, but when put together, they made no sense to him.

He looked at Assistant Sun in confusion. “Is it trendy to buy these kinds of hashtags in the entertainment industry now?”

If Zhou Yanci believed these were organic trends, he’d feel like his intelligence was being insulted.

Assistant Sun: “…”

“President Zhou, these aren’t bought. They’re organic trends.” Zhou Yanci: ?

Zhou Yanci was silent for a moment. He clicked on the trending topics, and according to the data, they seemed to be genuine. The comments were filled with fans gushing over Zhou Qingyu. While it was hard to tell how sincere they were, at least they didn’t seem fake.

This time, Zhou Qingyu’s reputation had genuinely improved.

Zhou Yanci paused for two seconds. “Did Star Glory change their PR team?” Star Glory was a subsidiary of Zhou Corporation, with Zhou Qingyu holding the majority of shares. Under her management, Star Glory had been losing money year after year, and the current PR team was only there to clean up her messes.

Zhou Yanci had always thought Star Glory’s PR team was mediocre, but considering his father’s determination to push Zhou Qingyu out of the entertainment industry, he hadn’t bothered to reform the PR department.

Now, it seemed the new PR team had worked wonders. They had organized a second-hand luxury goods giveaway and used the profits from the wine estate for charity. While it seemed like Zhou Qingyu was spending a fortune, the second-hand items were just gathering dust in storage, and the million yuan exchanged with Ye Luoyi had only cost a hundred thousand in capital.

In other words, the PR team had spent a mere hundred thousand to turn Zhou Qingyu’s image around, significantly improving her public perception. The family photo in the wine cellar was also a stroke of genius. Zhou Yanci clearly remembered that the photo should have been hanging in the master bedroom of the castle. Who would hang a family portrait in a wine cellar as decoration?

“President Zhou, Star Glory’s PR team hasn’t changed,” Assistant Sun said respectfully. “I reviewed their work today. They did coordinate with Miss Zhou and guided the public opinion, but the giveaway and charity were entirely Miss Zhou’s own actions.”

Zhou Yanci was puzzled. “Has Zhou Qingyu become smarter?”

“Uh…”

Assistant Sun internally sighed: You’re her brother, even if you’re half-siblings, you’re still family! Do you have to be so harsh on your own sister? But thinking about how Zhou Qingyu had once used Star Glory’s resources to benefit Tianhui and Pei Yubai, President Zhou wasn’t wrong—Miss Zhou wasn’t the brightest, and she was hopelessly in love!

Seeing that Assistant Sun couldn’t provide a clear answer, Zhou Yanci felt as though Zhou Qingyu had simply gotten lucky and somehow ended up trending positively.

He pulled up all the livestreams of Zhou Qingyu’s variety show and quickly skimmed through them. Although only two days had passed since the show started, the amount of footage was substantial due to the live format. Zhou Yanci cross-referenced the data peaks of Zhou Qingyu’s trending topics and soon noticed a pattern.

Yan Xi.

This “best friend” who had been almost invisible in the show had played a crucial role in several key moments for Zhou Qingyu.

When Zhou Qingyu was forced to apologize, Yan Xi pretended to twist her ankle and cried out in pain, stopping Zhou Qingyu’s apology and subtly revealing the truth, turning the tables on Ye Luoyi and forcing her to apologize instead. When their flight tickets weren’t booked, Yan Xi acted “clueless” and convinced Zhou Qingyu to use her private jet.

Zhou Yanci was certain Yan Xi was acting. Yan Xi was set to join Zhou Corporation in the future, and Zhou Yanci had kept tabs on her academic performance. Yan Xi attended Hai City University and had accompanied her professors to international academic forums multiple times. Would someone like her really be foolish enough to buy a useless map? With an IELTS score of 7, did she really need a translator? Her lies were too obvious, but Yan Xi’s innocent appearance and soft-spoken demeanor made everyone believe her.

Zhou Yanci fast-forwarded to the luxury goods giveaway. While everyone’s attention was on Zhou Qingyu and the items, it was Yan Xi who had suggested the giveaway.

Later, when Ye Luoyi invited everyone to the wine estate, Zhou Qingyu didn’t want to go, but Yan Xi expressed interest.

The “extortion” of a million yuan from Ye Luoyi would undoubtedly draw criticism in the future, but Yan Xi ensured Zhou Qingyu didn’t keep the money, instead donating it to charity.

This series of actions, while seemingly led by Zhou Qingyu, was subtly orchestrated by Yan Xi.

Zhou Yanci leaned back in his office chair, the computer screen displaying Yan Xi’s pure and innocent face. She stood beside Zhou Qingyu, smiling gently, never stealing the spotlight. If Zhou Yanci hadn’t analyzed the data, even he would have missed her subtle maneuvers.

—After all, her actions always seemed natural, and Yan Xi had established herself as the “naive college student” from the start, making it easy for people to overlook her.

Assistant Sun asked, “President Zhou, the Chairman doesn’t want Miss Zhou in the entertainment industry. Is Yan Xi’s involvement a bad thing?”

Zhou Yanci removed his gold-rimmed glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It's Yan Xi's ability to help Zhou Qingyu make a comeback in the entertainment industry." Although the Zhou family wouldn't assist Zhou Qingyu, they also wouldn't kick her while she was down. Assistant Sun sighed, "Perhaps the young lady might rise to fame, and then she could compete with you, Mr. Zhou, for the family inheritance... Mr. Zhou, Yan Xi received support from Zhou Corporation five years ago, and she was groomed for a high-level management position. With her help, the young lady might not lose to you."

Zhou Yanci chuckled softly but didn't respond.

He flipped through Yan Xi's profile, which listed her first-year graduate grades. Whether it was her raw scores or the additional credits from her thesis, she lived up to expectations and ranked first in her class.

"I remember Hai City University has an exchange program. Did Yan Xi sign up for it?" "Yes, Yan Xi's grades are more than sufficient. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, she will go to the U.S. as an exchange student in her second year of graduate school for a year, earning another degree. When Yan Xi joins Zhou Corporation in the future, she will be a Hai City University graduate with dual degrees and overseas experience, making her eligible to join your secretary's office directly."

Zhou Yanci tapped his fingers lightly on the mahogany desk. The U.S. exchange program was set to begin next week, and aside from the trip to France, the show *Let's Travel Together* still had two more locations to film, which would take at least another month.

"She probably won't get that degree after all."

Yan Xi was completely unaware that she had already caught someone's attention. When she returned to the homestay, the renovation was complete. The white bedsheets were neatly spread out, and the soft down comforter was piled up luxuriously.

All the furniture in the room was brand new. The wooden wardrobe emitted a faint pine scent, and the handles on the doors were meticulously polished, smooth and tactile. The adjacent dressing table was simple yet practical, with a clear mirror that reflected every corner of the room vividly.

A fresh bouquet of flowers sat on the glass table in the corner, adding a touch of elegance to the room.

Zhou Qingyu sprawled comfortably on the bed, her entire body sinking into the soft mattress.

"Now this is what I call traveling! That bed yesterday was so hard it hurt my back!" In truth, Director Yu had chosen a decent homestay, mid-range for Li City. But the young lady had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth and had never experienced hardship in her life. Whenever she was unhappy, she would throw a tantrum. In the novel, this was exactly how she behaved. She had given Xu Yangyang a million yuan, but Xu pocketed most of it and spent only fifty thousand on a budget travel route, leaving Zhou Qingyu dissatisfied with both the food and the activities. She vented all her frustration on Xu Yangyang, earning criticism from fans who called their friendship fake.

In reality, if Xu Yangyang had spent even half the money on the trip, Zhou Qingyu would have been comfortable and well taken care of, and her temper would naturally have improved.

Unfortunately, most people are short-sighted.

After resting for a while, Zhou Qingyu went to take a shower.

Yan Xi opened her laptop to check her final grades.

After starting graduate school, most courses no longer had exams. Aside from general education classes like ethics, all specialized courses required thesis submissions. Thus, Yan Xi already knew many of her grades. This time, her average score ranked first in her class, and with the additional thesis credits, she was eligible to apply for the national scholarship.

Her phone rang—it was a call from her roommate.

"Xi Xi, have you seen the notice in the class group chat?"

"I just turned on my computer. What's up?"

"I saw you on the show! I figured you wouldn't have seen the notice while filming!" her roommate chattered. "The exchange program is about to start. Our applications have been approved. The U.S. program doesn't officially start until September, but the professor wants exchange students to arrive during the summer. We only have a week left!"

Hai City University had exchange programs with many foreign universities, allowing students to choose their desired institutions. Yan Xi and her roommate had applied to the same school. In the novel, Yan Xi couldn't see her own perspective, only the events of the story. But it could be inferred that the novel's version of her must have received the same notice at this time and chosen to study abroad. She was likely too busy with her preparations to watch Zhou Qingyu's variety show livestream and was unaware of what happened to Zhou Qingyu during the filming. Zhou Qingyu must have felt very helpless then, but Yan Xi was too preoccupied with her studies to notice.

Yan Xi: "Zhao Zhao, are you still on campus? I’ll write a withdrawal application for the exchange program. Could you please hand it in to the professor for me?"

Her roommate was shocked. "You're not going? It's such a great opportunity!" Yan Xi replied, "I have other matters to attend to. I can't spare the time."

Her roommate thought of the livestream. "Xi Xi, are you planning to enter the entertainment industry? I watched your livestream—you look amazing on camera! You'd do great as a celebrity!"

Yan Xi laughed. "No, it's really something else." After hanging up with her roommate, Yan Xi sent a WeChat message to Zhou Yanci. Five years ago, Zhou Yanci was 22 and working as an assistant to Zhou Qingyu's father. When Zhou Qingyu couldn't come up with ten million yuan to ask her father for help, Zhou Yanci handled the matter on behalf of the busy chairman of Zhou Corporation. It was then that Yan Xi added Zhou Yanci on WeChat.

There was a hiccup in the future talent development plan, and Yan Xi felt it necessary to inform Zhou Yanci via WeChat.

In the presidential suite of the Royal Hotel, Zhou Yanci glanced at the WeChat message. Time was money, so he didn't bother replying via text. Instead, he called her directly.

"Mr. Zhou," Yan Xi's voice on the other end was humble and polite. Zhou Yanci adjusted the gold-framed glasses on his nose and got straight to the point. "You should know that the original plan was for you to join Zhou Corporation immediately after graduation. With your overseas experience, you were supposed to be placed in the secretary's office to handle the European and American markets. But now, without that experience, your position will need to be reconsidered."

Yan Xi cautiously asked, "What do you mean by reconsidered?" Zhou Yanci replied, "For example, originally you were supposed to work for Zhou Corporation for ten years, with half your annual salary going toward repaying your debt. But now, with your lack of qualifications, your term of service might need to be extended."

Yan Xi...

Damn capitalism!

Yan Xi took a deep breath and calmly said, "Alright."

Zhou Yanci paused. He had expected Yan Xi to agree, but hearing her consent still felt strange.

"Why?" Zhou Yanci asked.

Yan Xi was taken aback. "What do you mean why?"

Zhou Yanci: "Why are you helping Zhou Qingyu?"

Others might not notice, thinking Yan Xi's actions were aimed at entering the entertainment industry. But Zhou Yanci saw through it—everything she was doing now was to improve Zhou Qingyu's reputation in the industry.

Yan Xi knew she couldn't reveal the novel's plot to Zhou Yanci, so she offered a different explanation. "Mr. Zhou, given my relationship with Qingqing, isn't it natural for me to help her?" Her life was long, and she could always apply to study abroad later. As for the debt to Zhou Corporation, she still had over thirty years until retirement. Working for someone was just that—working. A few extra years wouldn't hurt.

But Zhou Qingyu only had one life.

If they couldn't gather enough "luck points," Zhou Corporation would go bankrupt, Zhou Qingyu would end up digging sweet potatoes, and Yan Xi herself would become a vegetable.

However—

"Mr. Zhou, I remember that in the contract we signed, it only stated that I needed to obtain a master's degree from Hai City University and then work for Zhou Corporation for ten years. There weren't any other stipulations, right?"

"Wasn't the overseas study requirement something you added to place me in the secretary's office? Even if I don't go on the exchange program, as long as I get my master's degree, I haven't violated the contract, have I?"

Zhou Yanci...

He had underestimated her. The little girl was sharp, remembering every detail of a contract from five years ago.

There was a knock on the door of the suite. Assistant Sun informed Zhou Yanci that an international meeting would start in ten minutes.

"I have other matters to attend to," Zhou Yanci said, unfazed even after being exposed by Yan Xi. "I'll hang up now."

The call ended, leaving only the dial tone in Yan Xi's ear.

Yan Xi glanced at the time on her phone. The livestream had long since ended, and it was already 11 p.m.

Zhou Yanci was still working at this hour?

Yesterday, he had worked late into the night on the plane, and even after arriving in Li City, he continued working overtime. With that kind of workload, who else would drop dead from overwork if not him?

"I’ve decided to be a good person one more time!" Yan Xi resolved. The system: ?

[What are you planning?]

An hour later, Zhou Yanci finished his international meeting. His phone lit up with a series of messages from Yan Xi.

Zhou Yanci opened WeChat and saw a string of motivational posts Yan Xi had sent him—*The Top 10 Dangers of Overworking!*

"27-Year-Old Man Suspected of Overworking and Dying Suddenly in the Office!" "The Entire Process of a Young Man's Sudden Death"

"I'm Bald, But I'm Not Stronger, Because I'm Dead"

Zhou Yanci, who was working overtime: ?

After the motivational posts, Yan Xi also sent a WeChat message: [Mr. Zhou, you're not young anymore. Go to bed early. Don't kick the bucket before I even start working at Zhou Corporation!]

Zhou Yanci: ?????????

Yan Xi was just being honest. After all, in the novel, Zhou Yanci didn't survive long enough for her to join Zhou Corporation.

Assistant Sun glanced at the WeChat content and smirked teasingly, "Oh ho! After the poisoned milk incident last time, the young miss and Yan Xi realized they can't win against you, so they've resorted to mystical methods! Mr. Zhou, Yan Xi is clearly cursing you!"

Zhou Yanci: ?

Is that how it's supposed to be understood?

In the homestay, Yan Xi looked at the screen full of motivational posts about sudden death and closed her phone with satisfaction.

With so many warnings, Zhou Yanci probably won't stay up late anymore, right? Although Yan Xi wasn't close to Zhou Yanci and had already sensed his intention to exploit her as a capitalist in the future, Yan Xi was a good person. She still hoped Zhou Yanci would live a long life.

The bathroom was filled with steam, and the frosted glass revealed Zhou Qingyu's graceful figure. She was almost done washing up, and it would be Yan Xi's turn soon.

Just then, Zhou Qingyu's phone rang.

The caller ID showed "Pei Yubai."

Ugh! Disgusting!

Yan Xi cursed silently in her heart. Hearing the ringtone, Zhou Qingyu called out from the bathroom, "Xi Xi, is it Yubai? Can you answer it for me? Tell him I'll be out soon~"

Yan Xi picked up the phone, "Second Young Master Pei, this is Yan Xi. Qingyu is in the shower and will be out soon."

"Okay, got it," Pei Yubai's voice sounded slightly hoarse, as if he was suppressing anger.

Having wasted ten million, Pei Yubai was surely in a bad mood. Calling Zhou Qingyu at this time was likely to scold her.

Yan Xi's eyes gleamed. Seeing that Zhou Qingyu was about to come out, she deliberately put the call on speaker and chatted with Pei Yubai, "Second Young Master, you must be calling Qingyu because you saw the Red Cross's tweet thanking her, right?" Pei Yubai was caught off guard, not expecting Yan Xi to chat with him, and replied tiredly, "Yes."

Yan Xi's voice was cheerful, "Then you must be calling to praise her! Ah, I'm so envious of you, having such a beautiful and kind fiancée! I wonder how many lifetimes of good karma you must have accumulated to be so lucky!"

Pei Yubai: "..."

Zhou Qingyu came out wrapped in a towel, "Is it Yubai?" Her eyes couldn't hide her joy.

"Yes!" Yan Xi handed the phone to Zhou Qingyu, "Second Young Master knows about your donation and thinks you're really kind! He specifically called to praise you!"

"Really?" Zhou Qingyu happily took the phone, "Yubai, I just finished showering~"

Pei Yubai was stunned.

Praise? What praise? He was so angry he could die, and now he had to praise Zhou Qingyu? To make matters worse, Zhou Qingyu had the call on speaker, with the cunning Yan Xi right beside her. Pei Yubai forced himself to suppress his anger, swallowing all the scolding words he wanted to say, "Qingyu... you did well today."

"Really?" Zhou Qingyu's face turned as red as a ripe apple, "I think so too!"

Pei Yubai: "..."

He gritted his teeth, "Is Yan Xi still with you? I have something I want to say to you privately."

Yan Xi looked at Zhou Qingyu pitifully, "Ah? Second Young Master, are you kicking me out? It's so hot in the hallway, and there's no air conditioning. I might die from the heat." Pei Yubai's mouth twitched. Li City had a temperate maritime climate, with mild summers and winters. How hot could it be at night? Pei Yubai suggested, "You could visit another guest's room." Yan Xi snapped her fingers, "Good idea! I can go to Teacher Ye's room and tell her you're having a sweet phone call with Qingyu, so I need to step out for a bit! She'll definitely agree!"

"No, no, no!"

Pei Yubai was startled. If word got out about his relationship with Zhou Qingyu, how could he continue pursuing Ye Luoyi? He had only told Ye Luoyi that Zhou Qingyu liked him and was pursuing him, but never mentioned their engagement! Zhou Qingyu thought for a moment, "I'll go out instead."

She got up, put on her slippers, and was about to leave.

"Qingyu, are you going out? There are mosquitoes outside! Your skin gets red rashes so easily!" Yan Xi leaned closer to the phone and said loudly to Pei Yubai, "Second Young Master, you're the most doting fiancé in the world. You wouldn't want Qingyu to suffer, right?"

Pei Yubai: "..."

So, making a phone call in the hallway was considered suffering? But Pei Yubai had always maintained a good man image in front of the Zhou family and Yan Xi. He still needed Zhou Qingyu and didn't want Yan Xi to ruin her impression of him.

Forget it, the ten million was already spent. He could always ask Zhou Qingyu for other resources as compensation when she returned.

"Qingyu, it's nothing important. You don't need to go out. Auntie Feng said she missed you and asked me to call you."

There was some noise on the other end of the line, and soon, a middle-aged woman's voice came through, "Qingyu, are you having fun abroad?"

"Auntie Feng?" Zhou Qingyu smiled, "I'm having a great time! You should come visit sometime with Yubai!"

"No, no, as long as you young people are happy! I was just worried about Yubai. He wanted to call you but was afraid it was too late. You know how much he likes you, he's just not good at expressing it. He's been holding his phone, wanting to hear your voice but worried about disturbing you!" Zhou Qingyu's face turned red, and she shyly fiddled with the nightstand, "Yubai cares about me that much?"

Auntie Feng said gently, "Of course! I raised him, so I know how much he cares about you. He's just not good with words, doesn't know how to sweet-talk. But Qingyu, you must believe that Yubai loves you deeply. He's working so hard now so he can marry you in style someday!" Zhou Qingyu's eyes turned red, and she nodded vigorously, "Yes, I know. Everything Yubai is doing now is for our future!"

The two chatted for a while longer, and Zhou Qingyu was thoroughly cheered up by Auntie Feng. She laughed and said goodnight to both before reluctantly hanging up. Lying in bed, Zhou Qingyu's face was filled with joy.

Yan Xi asked curiously, "Who's Auntie Feng?"

"Auntie Feng is the Pei family's nanny," Zhou Qingyu said, thinking a nanny wasn't important enough to mention to Yan Xi. "Madam Pei favors Pei Hanli and never cares about Yubai. Auntie Feng raised him, so even though she's just a nanny, Yubai treats her like family."

"I see..."

Yan Xi also lay in bed, deep in thought.

It made sense that Madam Pei only cared about Pei Hanli and not Pei Yubai. After all, Pei Yubai wasn't her biological son. In the novel, when Pei Yubai returned to the Pei family, his mother also returned as the nanny. That must be Auntie Feng.

The room's lights were turned off, and moonlight streamed in through the window. Zhou Qingyu happily drifted off to sleep.

In the quiet room, Yan Xi suddenly let out a soft scoff. No wonder Pei Yubai treated Zhou Qingyu so poorly, yet she remained devoted to him. Behind Pei Yubai, there was a true master of manipulation pulling the strings!