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

Half an hour earlier—

In the lounge, Pei Hanli idly played with a lighter while his assistant adjusted the proposal on a laptop. Director Yu paced back and forth like an ant on a hot pan.

"Mr. Pei, this is a travel variety show. The whole point is to watch the dynamics between travel partners. Switching partners just isn’t appropriate..."

Pei Hanli lounged leisurely in the director’s chair, lifting his eyelids to glance at Director Yu.

"The CEO of Xigua Video has been eager to collaborate with the Pei Group. If this partnership succeeds, I imagine replacing one variety show wouldn’t be too difficult."

Director Yu: !

He hated dealing with tycoons like this!

A few days ago, Pei Hanli had used the same excuse to join the show, and now he was pulling it again!

Compared to him, Director Yu thought Zhou Qingyu—an investor who never interfered—was practically an angel among angels.

With no choice, Director Yu sighed. "Fine, Mr. Pei. Who do you think should pair up with whom?"

Pei Hanli: "I want to be in a group with Zhou Qingyu. The rest, you can decide."

.

In the living room, when Director Yu announced the partner switch, the cast erupted in shock.

Even the live chat exploded.

[Nooo! I want to see the young miss and Yan Xi together! Director Yu, how dare you break up my ship!]

[Seriously? Partners can just be swapped like that?]

[I’d love to see the young miss paired with her brother. Rumor has it they can’t stand each other, lol.]

[Imagine the young miss with Ye Luoyi, plus travel consultant Pei Yubai—now that’d be spicy~]

Some agreed with the switch, while others vehemently opposed it.

Pei Hanli smiled and asked Director Yu, "Director, how will the new partners be decided?"

With the big shot personally moving things along, Director Yu found it easier to proceed. "Simple. We have four female guests and three male guests. The ladies will draw lots to see who they’re paired with. One of them might end up with Yaozu!"

Zhou Qingyu frowned. "If it’s just about switching partners, why must it be male-female pairs?"

She glanced at Yan Xi and Zhou Yanci. What if Yan Xi drew Zhou Yanci’s name? That old schemer had clearly joined the show for Yan Xi!

Director Yu wiped sweat from his forehead, forcing a laugh. "Well, you know… men and women working together keeps things lively!"

Since it was the show’s official activity, complaints aside, everyone had to comply.

Zhou Qingyu thought it over. With four options, there was only a 1/4 chance Yan Xi would get stuck with Zhou Yanci. Surely her luck wasn’t that bad?

The crew brought out a box for the draw, and the female guests took turns picking folded papers.

Zhou Qingyu went first, unfolding her slip and holding it up to the camera. "My partner is—"

Pei Hanli, looking smug, stepped forward just as she revealed the name.

"—Yaozu."

Pei Hanli stumbled, nearly falling over.

Zhou Qingyu shot him a look. "Pei Hanli, what’s wrong with your leg? Can’t even stand properly?"

Pei Hanli was stunned. He immediately turned to glare at Director Yu, who had already hidden behind his assistant.

Zhou Qingyu crouched down, ruffling Yaozu’s fluffy fur. "So you’re my partner? You’d better behave when we go out later, got it?"

The snow-white dog didn’t understand a word but wagged its tail excitedly at the prospect of an adventure.

"Woof! Woof!"

Next was Su Lingling, who unfolded her slip to reveal "Lu Beiyu."

"Lu Beiyu, I don’t know how to ski. You’ll have to teach me!"

Lu Beiyu, who got along well with her, nodded. "No problem!"

Finally, only Yan Xi and Ye Luoyi remained.

Zhou Qingyu couldn’t help worrying. With just two left, surely Yan Xi wouldn’t be that unlucky?

But as fate would have it, when Yan Xi unfolded her slip, Zhou Yanci’s name was written on it.

Zhou Yanci smiled at her. "Seems we’re fated."

Yan Xi: "..."

Fated my foot. She refused to believe this draw wasn’t rigged.

Zhou Qingyu was furious. She’d rather Yan Xi be paired with Pei Hanli than Zhou Yanci. "Zhou Yanci, I’ll switch with you!"

Zhou Yanci didn’t even look at her. "The rule is male-female pairs. We can’t swap. You’d have to switch with Yan Xi and be stuck with me."

Zhou Qingyu gritted her teeth, as if making a monumental sacrifice. "Fine! I’ll take you!"

Zhou Yanci replied coldly, "But I don’t want you."

Zhou Qingyu froze. "You’re rejecting me?"

Zhou Yanci said matter-of-factly, "Isn’t it obvious?"

The others held their breaths. On this show, only Zhou Yanci would dare openly admit to disliking Zhou Qingyu. But then he added, "Don’t you dislike me too?"

Zhou Qingyu was so angry she could explode. His second remark, though, was undeniably true—they’d be a disaster as partners.

But letting Zhou Yanci pair with Yan Xi… that would be like handing her precious cabbage to a wild boar!

"No way. Yan Xi, you should just team up with Pei Hanli instead—"

Zhou Yanci cut her off. "Zhou Qingyu, aren’t you supposed to be mad at Yan Xi? Why do you care so much? Have you forgiven her?"

Yan Xi’s eyes instantly lit up, gazing hopefully at Zhou Qingyu.

Zhou Qingyu stiffened. "N-No way!"

She turned to Yan Xi. "I haven’t forgiven you! Stop looking at me like that!"

Yan Xi pouted. "Oh…"

Zhou Yanci drove the knife deeper. "If you haven’t forgiven her, then stop meddling."

Zhou Qingyu was left seething. As Yan Xi’s former best friend, she’d had every right to shoo Zhou Yanci away. But now that they were fighting, she had no standing to interfere.

Damn Zhou Yanci!

He was taking advantage of their rift!

Pei Yubai chimed in, "Qingyu, maybe we should just follow the show’s rules. It’s live-streamed anyway—Zhou Yanci can’t do anything shady."

Though he said this, inwardly he was thrilled.

With Yan Xi and Pei Hanli out of the picture, Zhou Qingyu’s group only had a dog. This was his golden chance to win her back! Surely, as a handsome man by her side, he could outshine a mutt?

After sulking a while longer, Zhou Qingyu finally relented, and the pairings were finalized.

After lunch, the guests rested briefly before heading to the ski resort.

There was no time limit for the partner switch. The new teams had to learn to ski and complete the show’s designated course. The slowest pair would have to post embarrassing photos on Weibo.

.

At the ski resort, Yan Xi suited up in her gear.

She opted for skis instead of a snowboard. Though she’d memorized the techniques from tutorial videos, she barely took two steps before face-planting into the snow.

Zhou Yanci pulled her up. "You’re this bad at skiing?"

Yan Xi grumbled, "It’s the skis! They won’t listen to me!"

Zhou Yanci chuckled, gently brushing snowflakes off her cheeks.

The barrage comments were initially discussing the partner swap, but upon seeing this scene, they got excited again—

【So sweet! I'm shipping them~】

【Handsome guy and beautiful girl—how could they not be sweet together?】

【Back at Blue Studio, I already thought the guy was super handsome! And he has great chemistry with Yan Xi too~】

【The young miss is probably fuming seeing this!】

【But isn’t it great if your best friend becomes your sister-in-law? Double the closeness, hehe~】

Yan Xi couldn’t see the barrage. Just then, Zhou Yanci leaned closer to her, and she immediately turned off both their microphones. “Tell me the truth—did you orchestrate this partner swap?”

Yan Xi didn’t believe in coincidences. There weren’t that many in this world.

“Pei Hanli proposed the partner swap,” Zhou Yanci said calmly. “I just modified the new pairing arrangements.”

Although Pei Hanli could threaten Director Yu with Watermelon Video, Starlight Entertainment was the biggest investor in Journey. In other words, Zhou Yanci was Director Yu’s real boss.

Yan Xi understood now. “So you paired Qingyu with Yaozu? Why not Lu Beiyu?”

Zhou Qingyu still had Pei Yubai around. Yaozu was just a goofy Samoyed—what could he do? They should’ve put Lu Beiyu there instead—that guy was bright enough to be a proper third wheel!

That scheming Pei Yubai was alone with Zhou Qingyu now. Who knew what he might pull?

“No, I need to check on Qingyu!”

Yan Xi was worried. Even if Zhou Qingyu had broken free from the plot’s control, it was better to be safe than sorry. Last time, Pei Yubai had tried to drive a wedge between them by exposing Yan Xi’s lie about a breakup. Who knew what he’d do this time?

Zhou Yanci sighed. “She’s an adult—”

“Zhou Yanci, stop dawdling and come on!”

Zhou Yanci: “…”

.

Though they were at the same ski resort, Director Yu had assigned the four pairs to different zones—another one of Pei Hanli’s initial demands, as he didn’t want anyone interrupting his time with Zhou Qingyu.

So when Zhou Qingyu arrived at her designated area, she realized she couldn’t see Yan Xi at all.

She stomped her foot in frustration. “Ugh, of all the luck—Yan Xi got paired with that old schemer!”

Yaozu, completely oblivious, wagged his tail excitedly.

Pei Yubai had previously tried to expose Yan Xi’s lie about Zhou Qingyu’s “heartbreak,” only to fail spectacularly. But after arriving in Country X, he noticed that while Zhou Qingyu claimed not to mind being deceived, her relationship with Yan Xi had noticeably cooled. Clearly, she was still upset.

His efforts hadn’t been entirely in vain.

So Pei Yubai added fuel to the fire. “Qingyu, Yan Xi might’ve lied for your sake, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t interested in Zhou Yanci. Those are two separate things.”

“Right now, she’s probably thrilled to be paired with him.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qingyu grew even more annoyed.

“Didn’t that bald Director Yu say that as long as both partners in a pair learn to ski, they complete the challenge?”

“Yeah,” Pei Yubai replied. “You don’t know how to ski, right? I can teach you!”

That was exactly what he wanted—Zhou Qingyu being a beginner would give him a chance to shine.

Zhou Qingyu scoffed. Gripping her ski poles, she effortlessly glided forward. What Yan Xi struggled with—controlling the skis—was child’s play to Zhou Qingyu.

She sped over a snowdrift, the momentum launching her into the air. With a graceful spin, she landed in a swift descent, spraying a wave of snow straight at Pei Yubai!

“Ack—!”

Pei Yubai barely had time to react before the icy snow smacked him in the face.

【AHHHH THE YOUNG MISS IS SO COOL!!】

【SHE’S AMAZING! She was incredible at sailing too, and now skiing?!】

【SO FREAKING HOT! Who said girls can’t ski?!】

【LMAO, meanwhile Yan Xi face-planted next door. The young miss’s skills are next level!】

Pei Yubai awkwardly wiped the snow off his face, reluctantly admitting that even he had been mesmerized watching Zhou Qingyu ski.

But if she was this good, where did that leave him?

Winning her back just got even harder.

Then, Zhou Qingyu called out to him. “Pei Yubai, come here!”

Pei Yubai’s heart leapt. He eagerly hurried over. “Qingyu~ I knew you couldn’t bear to leave me~”

Zhou Qingyu raised a ski pole, pressing it against his chest to keep him at bay.

“Who said I couldn’t bear it? Don’t flatter yourself!” She pointed at Yaozu. “The show requires both partners in a pair to learn to ski. So your job is to teach him. Got it?”

Pei Yubai’s eyes widened. “You want me to teach a dog?!”

Zhou Qingyu arched a brow. “Not up for it? Fine. American Express already lined up a new travel consultant for me. If you’re not interested—”

“I’ll do it!” Pei Yubai blurted.

If he passed up this chance, he’d have to return to China—losing any opportunity to stay by Zhou Qingyu’s side. This time, she’d allowed him to be her travel consultant, giving them plenty of time together. He couldn’t waste it!

Grudgingly, Pei Yubai trudged over to Yaozu.

The crew had prepared a special ski board for Yaozu, allowing him to sit on it while secured by a safety harness. Another person could then pull him along, simulating skiing.

Zhou Qingyu couldn’t be bothered to drag him, so the task fell to Pei Yubai.

“Pei Yubai, work harder! Just pull Yaozu through the designated course, then I can go find Yan Xi!”

Pei Yubai had no choice but to coax Yaozu onto the ski board and start tugging the harness.

But Yaozu was bored. What self-respecting dog wanted to sit still on a ski board? Rolling around freely in the snow was way more fun! Besides, without Lu Beiyu around, Pei Yubai had no control over him. Within minutes, Yaozu had wriggled out of the harness and was frolicking in the snow.

“Yaozu! Yaozu!”

Pei Yubai chased after him, forcing him back onto the board.

The dog glared at him indignantly.

Pei Yubai wasn’t pleased either. Last time, at least Zhou Qingyu had him massage her calves. Now he was reduced to serving an animal—what next?

He didn’t even dare check the livestream, knowing the comments were probably roasting him.

As he tightened the harness, Pei Yubai yanked too hard, hurting Yaozu. The dog yelped and immediately broke free again!

“Damn mutt! Stop running!”

Furious, Pei Yubai lunged after him.

But Yaozu was quicker. He scampered to the edge of a slope and, just as Pei Yubai reached him, lifted his hind leg—

A golden arc of liquid shot through the air, landing squarely on Pei Yubai’s head.

【!!!】

【HOLY—THIS IS WILD!!】

【LMAOOOO I CAN’T BREATHE! Pei Yubai and dog pee, name a more iconic duo!】

【I saw it! Pei Yubai pinched Yaozu’s thigh earlier—that’s why the dog retaliated!】

【Pei Yubai, how could you! Yaozu is just a dog—what does it know!】

【Serves him right! A little pee is the least Pei Yubai deserves!】

Pei Yubai trembled with rage.

This was the second time!

Counting the pee pad Su Lingling had thrown at him last time, this was the second humiliation!

He wanted to kill that damn dog!

Yaozu seemed to realize it had messed up and quickly hid behind Zhou Qingyu, tail tucked between its legs, not daring to make a sound.

Zhou Qingyu shielded the dog. "Pei Yubai, why are you picking on a dog?"

Pei Yubai’s eyes burned red with fury. "Zhou Qingyu, move. I’m teaching this mutt a lesson today!"

"You really want to trend for animal abuse?" Zhou Qingyu sneered.

Pei Yubai froze, the sharp retort cutting through his rage.

The live cameras were still rolling. If he laid a hand on Yaozu, not only would Lu Wanning come after him, but the audience wouldn’t let it slide either.

He’d lost his temper too far.

Even if he didn’t rely on public opinion, Tianhui did. He couldn’t afford to cross the line.

Swallowing his fury, Pei Yubai gritted out, "I’m going to shower."

Before leaving, he shot Yaozu one last murderous glare.

Nearby on the spectator stands, Yan Xi and Zhou Yanci watched the scene unfold. Yan Xi nearly doubled over laughing.

"Hahaha! Yaozu is absolutely killing it!"

Good thing she’d brought the dog some treats this time—what a clever pup!

Zhou Yanci hadn’t expected this turn of events and was at a loss for words.

Zhou Qingyu was an expert skier, so Director Yu had assigned her to the advanced slope, complete with moguls, cliffs, and ravines. Otherwise, a dog wouldn’t have had the chance to pee on someone’s head.

But the real shocker? Zhou Qingyu hadn’t even scolded Yaozu for humiliating Pei Yubai.

"Qingyu… she’s changed," Zhou Yanci murmured suddenly.

Yan Xi hesitated, unsure how to respond.

To her, Zhou Qingyu’s sudden lack of blind devotion to Pei Yubai was obvious. Yet no one else seemed to notice—except Zhou Yanci.

Zhou Qingyu had plenty of romantic experience. With her stunning looks, men fell at her feet effortlessly. She played the field, enjoying the thrill but rarely getting attached.

Pei Yubai was the first exception.

Zhou Yanci had never understood the appeal. Sure, Pei Yubai was handsome and wealthy, but was that enough to make Zhou Qingyu lose her mind?

Yet for over two years, she’d been obsessed. Even their father’s pleas fell on deaf ears, and Zhou Yanci’s attempts to reason with her went nowhere—their relationship had always been strained.

But in the last two weeks, Zhou Yanci finally felt like the Zhou Qingyu he knew had returned.

"Good," he said simply. This version of her was infinitely better.

Yan Xi exhaled in relief. Zhou Qingyu had clearly broken free from the plot. Even alone with Pei Yubai, he couldn’t sway her anymore.

"Let’s get back to practice!" Yan Xi stood up.

Zhou Yanci’s eyes lit up. "Done watching?"

She clenched her fists. "Yep! The sooner I learn to ski, the sooner I can complete the challenge and replace you!"

Zhou Yanci: "…"

That was her motivation? Suddenly, he wasn’t so keen on teaching her.

Elsewhere—

Pei Hanli and Ye Luoyi were also on the advanced slope, not far from Zhou Qingyu’s group.

Pei Hanli could ski, but Ye Luoyi couldn’t. As her partner, he was supposed to instruct her.

Except Pei Hanli had zero patience. Leaning lazily against a beech tree, he popped a mint lozenge into his mouth.

"Miss Ye, hurry up," he drawled. "If you don’t learn, we’re stuck together."

Ye Luoyi was trying, but she lost her balance and face-planted into the snow.

The powdery snow was soft where she sank in, but the packed layers beneath were icy and slick. Struggling to get up, she lifted her tearful eyes to Pei Hanli.

"President Pei… could you help me?" Her voice quivered pitifully.

Men loved fragile, delicate women—it triggered their protective instincts. Pei Yubai fell for it. So did Qin Li. Ye Luoyi knew this act never failed.

Pei Hanli seemed to bite. He crouched beside her, gently brushing away her tears.

"Did it hurt?"

"A little… Ah!"

His touch turned vicious—he pinched her cheek hard, leaving a red mark. Ye Luoyi yelped, tears spilling for real this time.

"President Pei!" She scrambled back.

Pei Hanli chuckled, scooping up snow to scrub his fingers clean like she was dirt.

"Miss Ye, is this how you seduced my brother? Well, he’s into that."

Ye Luoyi’s eyes widened.

Pei Hanli hadn’t muted his mic. The comment blasted live to the audience.

Chat exploded—

【HOLY CRAP! Pei Hanli just dropped the bomb himself!】

【So Ye Luoyi DID homewreck Zhou Qingyu and Pei Yubai? Not just a showmance? Damn!】

【Knew it! These three were messy!】

【Ye stans still claiming it’s all scripted? Big bro ain’t lying!】

"President Pei, that’s slander!" Ye Luoyi protested. "Pei Yubai and I are purely professional!"

Pei Hanli’s gaze dropped to her neck. He smirked. "Hickey’s still showing, but ‘nothing happened’?"

Ye Luoyi slapped a hand over her neck—then froze.

The old marks had faded. There was nothing there.

But her reaction said everything.

【HICKEYS?! Pei Hanli’s spilling ALL the tea!】

【So they banged? Recently too, if the marks are fresh!】

【Came for the skiing, stayed for the drama!】

【Pei Hanli, KEEP TALKING! WE STAN A PETTY KING!】

Ye Luoyi’s face paled.

No wonder Pei Hanli had secured the CEO seat so young. No wonder Pei Yubai had to prove himself through Tianhui to compete. This man was ruthless.

She steadied herself. "President Pei, those were mosquito bites. I know you and Pei Yubai are fighting over the family business, but I’m just his artist. Don’t drag me into your feud."

Pei Hanli's eyes narrowed. Clever. By framing this as sibling rivalry, she'd cast doubt on his exposé.

The barrage of comments seemed to take Pei Hanli's words to heart, casting doubt on them as well.

At that moment, the two heard a furious roar in the distance.

Pei Hanli realized the sound came from Zhou Qingyu's area, but the roar belonged to a man.

He asked the PD, "Did something happen to the young miss over there?"

The PD relayed the situation from Zhou Qingyu's side after hearing it over the walkie-talkie. "It seems Yaozu accidentally... peed on Pei Yubai's head."

Pei ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‍Hanli froze, barely suppressing a laugh.

Ye Luoyi was also stunned. Dog pee on his head? What an embarrassing situation—Pei Yubai was truly unlucky.

Unable to contain the amusement in his eyes, Pei Hanli suddenly muted his mic and turned to Ye Luoyi. "Miss Ye, I'd like to join Zhou Qingyu's group. Do me a favor."

"How could I possibly manage that?"

"Oh, but you can."

Just as Ye Luoyi was about to refuse again, Pei Hanli continued, "I heard your entry into the entertainment industry was tied to the Ye family's business dealings? Two years ago, the Ye Group's cash flow broke, nearly bankrupting the company. It was only thanks to your earnings in the industry that the financial gap was filled."

Ye Luoyi snapped her gaze toward him.

She had never told anyone about this.

The Ye family had faced severe financial troubles back then—if not for that, why would a young heiress like her enter the entertainment world without any backing?

But very few knew the details.

Clenching her teeth, Ye Luoyi turned off her mic.

"How do you know about this?"

Pei Hanli replied calmly, "For someone like me, uncovering such information isn’t difficult. The Ye family barely survived that crisis thanks to your efforts. I assume you wouldn’t want them to fall back into that state, would you?"

Though his tone was gentle and his eyes carried a smile, his words were nothing short of a threat.

Ye Luoyi’s shoulders trembled. "What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing too demanding," Pei Hanli said with a light chuckle. "Just a small favor."