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

In the dining room, lunch was already prepared.

As everyone took their seats, Qu Yan proactively stood up, holding a ladle to serve Zhou‘s Father some soup.

"Uncle Chen's bone broth is as rich and fragrant as ever! Brother-in-law, let me serve you a bowl!"

Zhou‘s Father didn’t refuse. In the old mansion, even if Qu Yan didn’t serve him, the attendants would. He didn’t find it odd or out of place.

Qu Yan placed the bowl of bone broth in front of Zhou‘s Father, then served Zhou Qingyu another. "Sweetheart, you’ve lost weight from filming lately! Drink more soup to nourish yourself!"

Finally, she ladled another bowl and handed it to Zhou Yanci.

"Yanci, I only just found out you were hospitalized. You should have told me earlier—I didn’t even get to visit you..."

Zhou Yanci didn’t even lift his gaze, deliberately avoiding Qu Yan.

With a loud clatter, the soup bowl smashed onto the floor, shattering instantly as the hot broth splashed everywhere.

The people in the dining room startled, instinctively turning toward the noise.

Qu Yan clutched her hand, her fair skin reddened from the scalding liquid. "Yanci, I was just trying to help... Was it really necessary to treat me like this?"

Zhou Qingyu shot to her feet, her temper flaring at the sight of Qu Yan’s reddened hand.

After learning that Zhou Yanci and her father visited her mother’s grave every year, she had decided to stop antagonizing him. Yet here he was, still looking down on her—and her family.

"Zhou Yanci, what’s your problem? My aunt was just trying to be nice!"

Zhou Yanci glanced coldly at Zhou Qingyu and Qu Yan.

He hadn’t done anything—he’d merely avoided Qu Yan. It was her own clumsiness that caused the bowl to slip.

But from Zhou Qingyu’s angle, she couldn’t see that. All she saw was the shattered bowl and assumed he’d knocked it over on purpose.

Zhou‘s Father likely thought the same, his voice low with disapproval. "Yanci, this time you’ve gone too far. Qu Yan was just showing concern!"

There were no surveillance cameras in the dining room, and the moment couldn’t be explained. Zhou Yanci simply maneuvered his electric wheelchair away from the table.

"I have work to attend to. I’m leaving."

Without another word, he exited the dining room.

"Zhou Yanci!" Zhou Qingyu called after him, unwilling to let it go. "You haven’t even apologized to my aunt!"

But the electric wheelchair moved swiftly, and within seconds, Zhou Yanci had vanished from her sight.

Qu Yan looked aggrieved, clutching Zhou Qingyu’s hand. "Yanci must have misunderstood. He probably thinks I’m only staying here for your father’s sake. But I just wanted to keep you company!"

How could she not know about the gossip Butler Yu and Aunt Zhang had been spreading?

Zhou‘s Father was aware of the rumors among the staff too. He sighed. "Let it go. Don’t mind him."

At first, he’d shared the servants’ suspicions—that Qu Yan lingered in the Zhou household to become the next Madam Zhou. But over time, he realized that apart from her revealing outfits, she never made any advances toward him.

Having married twice, Zhou‘s Father knew when a woman had designs on him.

Yet Zhou Yanci had always despised Qu Yan. Because of this, Zhou Qingyu frequently clashed with him, leaving Zhou‘s Father helpless.

Zhou Qingyu rolled her eyes. She knew Zhou Yanci looked down on the Qu family, accusing them of leeching off the Zhous. What a joke—had he forgotten how the Mengs exploited him? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

"If he doesn’t want to eat, fine!" Zhou Qingyu huffed. "Let him starve!"

Uncle Chen sighed regretfully. "The young master just got discharged today. I made so many of his favorite dishes... What a waste..."

Yan Xi tugged at Zhou Qingyu’s sleeve. "President Zhou is still recovering. Don’t be too hard on him."

Zhou Qingyu gritted her teeth. "If he weren’t a patient, I wouldn’t let him off so easily. Tch!"

Yan Xi glanced toward the direction Zhou Yanci had left.

How interesting. The Zhou household staff all believed Qu Yan had feelings for Zhou‘s Father—even the system thought so. Yet Zhou‘s Father and Zhou Qingyu were convinced otherwise. Where had the misunderstanding come from?

Yan Xi knew that if Qu Yan truly aimed to become Madam Zhou, Zhou Qingyu would be the first to oppose it. The fact that she still defended Qu Yan meant she genuinely believed her aunt had no such intentions.

[Host, those involved can’t see the truth as clearly as bystanders!]

[I can’t be wrong! Qu Yan definitely has feelings for Zhou‘s Father!]

"Is it because of the way she looks at him?"

[Exactly! That’s the gaze of someone in love—so obvious it’s practically indecent!]

Yan Xi pondered. "But earlier at the cemetery, Zhou‘s Father wasn’t the only one in Qu Yan’s line of sight."

The system paused. [Then who else?]

"Zhou Yanci."

Yan Xi wasn’t entirely sure of her deduction. But if Qu Yan’s gaze had been fixed on Zhou Yanci, his personality would never allow him to clarify things to Zhou‘s Father or Zhou Qingyu. That would explain the current misunderstanding.

"Uncle Chen, why don’t you pack up the food? I’ll deliver it to President Zhou."

Uncle Chen brightened at Yan Xi’s offer but glanced at Zhou Qingyu for approval.

Zhou Qingyu scoffed. "Why do you even care about him?"

Yan Xi smiled. "If you don’t want me to go, I won’t. It’s not like President Zhou just had a tumor removed or spent a week in the hospital or is still recovering or anything..."

"Alright, alright!" Zhou Qingyu frowned. "Just this once. And only because I don’t want Uncle Chen’s efforts to go to waste!"

Uncle Chen worked efficiently. Having watched Zhou Yanci grow up, he couldn’t bear to see him slighted. The staff all sided with Zhou Yanci—none of them liked Qu Yan.

Yan Xi carried the thermal lunchbox toward the mansion’s entrance.

Zhou Yanci had already left a while ago. Worried she might miss him, she sent him a text.

At that moment, Zhou Yanci had just reached the gate, where Assistant Sun stood waiting beside the Rolls-Royce.

Seeing the message, Zhou Yanci paused.

A faint smirk curled his lips as he turned his wheelchair around and headed back inside.

Assistant Sun: ?

What was this about? Weren’t they heading to the company? Why was he going back?

The Zhou residence was a traditional Jiangnan-style garden, with winding corridors and uneven steps. But during Zhou Yanci’s illness, Zhou‘s Father had renovations done to ensure wheelchair accessibility, so Zhou Yanci could move freely.

The garden’s scenery was exquisite, with lush, layered greenery.

Halfway along the corridor, Yan Xi spotted Zhou Yanci and handed him the lunchbox.

"You really don’t like Aunt Qu Yan, huh?" she asked casually.

The faint smile on Zhou Yanci’s lips vanished instantly at the mention of that name, his expression turning icy.

"No."

"Understandable," Yan Xi said, watching his reaction. "I wouldn’t want a stepmother either."

Zhou Yanci showed no response to the word "stepmother," but his distaste for "Qu Yan" only deepened.

[Host, I think you’re right.]

The system chimed in, [If Brother hates his stepmother, then he must also dislike Qu Ying. But from what I know, Brother and Qu Ying actually had a decent relationship.]

At the very least, he visited Qu Ying’s grave with Zhou’s Father every year, which proved he didn’t resent her as a stepmother.

Besides, who cared who the stepmother was? That was Zhou’s Father’s problem, not Zhou Yanci’s.

But Qu Yan’s ambitions clearly went beyond that.

Who would want to be with a man twenty years her senior? She wasn’t much older than Zhou Qingyu—wouldn’t a younger man, seven years her junior, be a far better choice?

Confirming her suspicions, Yan Xi let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Zhou Yanci might not be in a position to expose this to Zhou Qingyu, but that didn’t mean Yan Xi couldn’t. She’d find a way to drop hints. Once Zhou Qingyu learned the truth, she’d probably be even angrier than Zhou Yanci.

While Yan Xi was lost in thought, the corridor fell into a brief silence.

Zhou Yanci was the first to break it.

He pointed at the insulated lunchbox. “Thanks.”

“Oh,” Yan Xi’s eyes darted around mischievously, “Qingyu asked me to bring it to you! Don’t mind how mad she seemed earlier—she’s actually really soft-hearted!”

Zhou Yanci paused for a couple of seconds before replying, resigned, “Got it.”

[Brother doesn’t seem too happy.]

Yan Xi was puzzled too. “What’s there to be unhappy about? Qingyu still cares enough to send you food even when she’s angry! Does he expect her to personally deliver it or something?”

[Hmph, the young mistress letting you bring him food is already an act of mercy!]

[Brother’s actually getting greedy now!]

[Men! Always wanting more!]

Yan Xi nodded inwardly. “Exactly! Men! Always wanting more!”

Her stomach growled—she still hadn’t eaten. Waving at Zhou Yanci, she turned to leave for lunch.

But she hadn’t taken more than a few steps when something small, yellow, and furry darted past her feet!

“AHHH! A BUG!”

Instinctively, Yan Xi leaped up, clinging to the nearest thing she could find.

She trembled, too scared to look down.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yanci, now with Yan Xi in his arms, froze for a long moment before the corners of his lips curled up slightly.

Behind ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍a red pillar in the corridor, a sleek yellow weasel stood frozen, a gray mouse dangling from its mouth. Startled by Yan Xi’s scream, it didn’t dare move, its beady black eyes wide with shock.

—The Zhou estate had lush greenery and thriving wildlife. To keep pests at bay, the staff left these small creatures alone. Stray cats even wandered the grounds occasionally.

Zhou Yanci glanced at the weasel, then chuckled softly, asking Yan Xi, “You’re scared of bugs?”

“It jumped onto my foot!”

Yan Xi hadn’t even seen what had scurried over her—she’d just felt an itch on her instep.

Bugs on the ground were fine, but if they crawled on her? Absolutely terrifying!

Taking a deep breath, she cautiously peeked over her shoulder.

The weasel, startled again, ducked and vanished into the bushes. Yan Xi saw nothing.

“Did it run away?” she asked.

Zhou Yanci lied without hesitation. “No, it’s crawling back.”

Yan Xi: !!!

She immediately tightened her grip on him, lifting her legs off the ground.

“Where? I don’t see it! Can’t you just step on it?!”

Zhou Yanci’s smile deepened. “I don’t think I can reach it right now.”

“Use your wheelchair to crush it!”

“I’ll try.”

He pretended to maneuver his wheelchair forward, rolling it over an imaginary spot.

“Is it dead?” Yan Xi peeked out.

“Not yet.”

Her eyes widened as she scanned the smooth, clean stone tiles of the corridor—nothing was there.

“I think it’s gone!”

Relieved, her voice brightened.

But when she turned back, she suddenly met Zhou Yanci’s deep, amber-like gaze.

He stared at her intently, his breath slightly uneven, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

Damn.

Yan Xi’s mind short-circuited. Despite his sickly pallor, Zhou Yanci looked unbearably attractive right now—especially that throat of his, moving with each swallow, tempting her to reach out and touch it.

She almost did.

Then her phone rang—Zhou Qingyu’s call. Flustered, Yan Xi scrambled off Zhou Yanci and answered.

“Weren’t you just delivering lunch? Why aren’t you back yet?”

Her face burned. “I’m coming now!”

She glanced back at Zhou Yanci, who remained perfectly composed. “You were right. The bug’s gone.”

Yan Xi lowered her eyes. His black dress shirt was crumpled from her grip, and a faint scratch marred his neck—her doing.

Against his fair skin, the mark stood out starkly, adding an inexplicable allure to his disheveled appearance.

Too embarrassed to look longer, Yan Xi blurted, “I’m leaving!”

She spun around and fled.

Zhou Yanci watched her go, amusement glinting in his eyes.

The system, the sole witness, floated beside Yan Xi.

It had seen everything—that was a weasel, not a bug.

But… should it tell her?

After some thought, it decided to stay quiet.

Why should the host always have the upper hand? It needed to keep some secrets to prove its worth as an AI!

After lunch, Yan Xi headed to the study to work—mainly overseeing Chu Tingbai’s Seven Percent remotely. Though a low-budget project, it was one she believed in.

The stage design had been entrusted to Cheng Xun. Back in H Country, he’d volunteered enthusiastically, and Yan Xi, already planning to invest in Chu Tingbai’s show, had agreed.

Now, Cheng Xun’s company handled all the stage setups, and according to Chu Tingbai, progress was smooth.

Meanwhile, Qu Yan looped her arm through Zhou Qingyu’s as they returned to her room.

Zhou Qingyu, having woken early for Chi Wei’s afternoon concert, wanted a nap.

While she changed, Qu Yan deliberately brought up her dismissal by Zhou Yanci.

Feigning grievance, she shifted all blame to Yan Xi and Zhou Yanci. “All I did was invite a few celebrities for drinks—was that really grounds for firing me? Now that I’m gone, Yan Xi’s taken over the company. And she’s an outsider…”

"What do you mean Yan Xi is an outsider?" Zhou Qingyu changed into comfortable pajamas, hugging a plush cat toy as she lay comfortably on the bed. "She's mine. Handing Xingyao to her is the same as keeping it in my hands. Don’t worry, nothing will go wrong."

Qu Yan was so furious she could practically cough up blood.

She didn’t actually care about Yan Xi becoming VP—what she couldn’t bear was losing the CEO position!

After all, the CEO of Xingyao earned an annual salary in the millions!

Zhou Qingyu trusted Yan Xi way too much. They weren’t even related by blood, yet Qu Yan could tell that Zhou Qingyu’s trust in Yan Xi was no less than her trust in herself.

Qu Yan changed her approach. "That’s not what I meant! I know you and Yan Xi are close, but I never expected she’d be so nice to Zhou Yanci too!"

"Earlier, when you two had that argument, she even volunteered to bring him lunch! Don’t you think… Yan Xi might have feelings for him?"

Handsome, beautiful, young, and full of passion.

Besides, Zhou Yanci had it all—wealth, looks, and a clean reputation with no scandals to his name. It’d be perfectly normal for Yan Xi to fall for him!

Zhou Qingyu froze, her expression shifting slightly.

Seeing this, Qu Yan pressed her advantage. "I just heard from Uncle Chen and the others that when Zhou Yanci was hospitalized, he didn’t tell anyone except Yan Xi! And she visited him every day, even bringing him breakfast…"

She had spelled it out so clearly—there was no way Zhou Qingyu wouldn’t get it.

Zhou Qingyu’s brows furrowed deeply.

Right… how had she not noticed?

She clenched the plush toy in her hands, squeezing the cat’s head out of shape.

"That bastard!"

Qu Yan was delighted. "Exactly! She’s such a snake, getting close to you just to—"

"Zhou Yanci, that bastard!" Zhou Qingyu’s face turned green with rage. "He actually dared to seduce Yan Xi behind my back!"

Qu Yan: ???

"Ughhh! And Yan Xi just got out of a breakup! That old man Zhou Yanci, playing the victim to take advantage of her! How could he?!"

Qu Yan swallowed hard. "Is it possible… you’ve got it backwards?"

"Backwards?" Zhou Qingyu shot back. "You mean Yan Xi seduced Zhou Yanci?"

Qu Yan: "I think there might be signs of that."

"Impossible!" Zhou Qingyu scoffed. "Yan Xi liking Zhou Yanci? What would she see in him? His old age? His obsession with helping his uncle? Or his limp and wheelchair act? Yan Xi isn’t blind!"

"No, the problem is definitely Zhou Yanci! Shameless old man!"

Qu Yan fell silent. Whether Yan Xi was blind or not, she couldn’t say, but her love-struck niece? Now that was a case of selective vision!

---

That afternoon, Zhou Qingyu and Yan Xi attended Chi Wei’s concert together.

On the way, Zhou Qingyu couldn’t help but bring up what Qu Yan had told her earlier. "Some men, no matter how good-looking they are, are way too old to be chasing after younger girls! You’ve got to be careful!"

Yan Xi thought about it—didn’t that description fit Pei Hanli?

Yan Xi asked, "Are these the kind of men who wear suits every day, act gentle and polite in public, but are ruthless behind the scenes?"

Zhou Qingyu paused, then nodded vigorously.

—When Zhou Yanci was securing his position as CEO, hadn’t he dealt with the board members without a shred of mercy, ignoring their past ties with his father? If that wasn’t ruthless, what was?

Zhou Qingyu deliberately avoided mentioning Zhou Yanci by name. After all, curiosity was the first step to attraction. If Yan Xi had no interest in Zhou Yanci now, hearing too much about him might spark curiosity—or worse, feelings!

A little warning would suffice.

To her relief, Yan Xi already seemed aware.

Zhou Qingyu: "Old men’s kindness is all an act—they’re playing the long game! Oh, and they love pretending to be weak. Total green-tea behavior!"

—Zhou Qingyu had checked with the doctor. Zhou Yanci’s recovery was going fine, so why was he still in a wheelchair? Pure acting! Old and fake—a vintage green-tea schemer!

Yan Xi: "They also strike when you’re vulnerable! Right after a breakup!"

—Pei Hanli had deliberately gotten close to Zhou Qingyu when Pei Yubai tried to reconcile. Wasn’t that textbook opportunism? No wonder he was the novel’s main villain!

Zhou Qingyu: "And their family situations are always a mess! Can’t even sort out their own drama before chasing girls—what, they want their girlfriends to suffer after marriage?"

Yan Xi nodded like a woodpecker. "Exactly!"

—A brother who’s a rival, a father who’s a scumbag, and a mistress posing as a maid? Could family drama get any messier?

Zhou Qingyu: "In short—"

Yan Xi: "Stay far away from men like that!"

---

Relieved that Yan Xi shared her views, Zhou Qingyu finally relaxed. She’d been worried Yan Xi, fresh out of a breakup, might fall for Zhou Yanci’s tricks. Thankfully, Yan Xi was sharp enough to see through such men.

Yan Xi, too, sighed in relief. Even if the system labeled them both as "villains," how could they compare to Pei Hanli? He was the novel’s designated antagonist—best to keep their distance.

With mutual reassurance, the two happily headed to the concert.

Chi Wei was a renowned figure in the industry, and her Gu Fan Orchestra was among the nation’s best. The venue was packed.

At the security check, they spotted Su Lingling.

Like Zhou Qingyu, Su Lingling had trained in cello since childhood and rarely missed a concert in Hai City.

The moment she saw Zhou Qingyu and Yan Xi, Su Lingling’s brows knitted.

—When rivals met, exchanging barbs was inevitable.

"Zhou Qingyu, you’re in the entertainment industry now. I thought you’d given up the cello!"

Zhou Qingyu suddenly remembered Yan Xi’s tearful account from last month—how Su Lingling had mocked her for "not being able to play anymore" and even tried to make Yan Xi her lackey?

As if!

Zhou Qingyu smirked. "Seems like someone forgot about losing to me in Han City while working odd jobs. What, didn’t watch the show’s reruns? Didn’t see how well I played?"

"Maybe you should’ve made more silly faces—might’ve helped you remember you’ll always be my loser!"

"You—!"

Su Lingling’s delicate brows shot up in fury.

Zhou Qingyu grinned triumphantly. "What? Mad? Too bad there’s nothing you can do about it. You couldn’t beat me then, and you can’t now!"

Su Lingling gritted her teeth. Zhou Qingyu was as infuriating as ever—no, even worse now!

How could so many people online actually like her? Were they blind?

Suddenly, Su Lingling noticed the concert tickets in Zhou Qingyu’s hand.

After a pause, she let out a mocking laugh. "Zhou Qingyu, what’s the point of being better than me? In the end, you’re still just part of the audience! Didn’t someone once dream of being a musician?"

Zhou Qingyu's eyes darkened slightly. "Those were just childish words. Su Lingling, didn’t you say you wanted to marry some prince when you were little? You’re not a princess now, are you?"

The two of them went back and forth, bickering relentlessly.

Yan Xi felt a vein throbbing in her temple, as if ten thousand sparrows were chirping in her ears.

This had been their dynamic since middle school—every meeting turned into a battle of words. During the variety show, they had fewer clashes since they weren’t paired together, but back in their shared professional circles in the country, the arguments multiplied.

Yan Xi tugged at Zhou Qingyu’s sleeve twice, trying to get her to ease up, but to no avail. The young miss was determined not to lose an argument, and Su Lingling was just as stubborn. Giving up, Yan Xi decided to leave them to it and went to greet Chi Wei.

Before a concert usually began, Chi Wei would be in the lobby mingling with the audience and sponsors of the Gu Fan Orchestra. But today, she stayed backstage the entire time.

A musician lay on a rest bed, his face pale. The doctor had hooked him up to an IV, but it did little to help.

"Acute appendicitis," the doctor said. "Surgery is the best option."

"Doctor," the musician clutched the doctor’s sleeve, "can’t you just give me some painkillers? I have to go on stage soon!"

The doctor sighed. "Your inflammation has already turned into pus, and you still want to perform? Pack up—you’re going to the hospital."