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

Yan Xi blinked her eyes.

...Zhou Yanci's lips were so soft.

But the thought only flashed through her mind for a second before her eyes slowly widened in realization. Yesterday at the Zhou residence, there had been no one around, but today they were in the middle of Weibo Night's main venue!

Yan Xi immediately turned her head to look at Zhou Qingyu.

On stage, the host struck the gavel with a "Two million, going once, going twice—sold!" Zhou Qingyu nearly jumped out of her seat in excitement, throwing her arms around Yan Xi. "Hahaha, I won the bid! Zhou Yanci, you tried to compete with me, but you lost!"

Yan Xi let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness.

Then, suddenly, she turned to glance at the row behind them.

Assistant Sun and Lin Zhi silently raised the auction catalogues to cover their faces.

Yan Xi: "..."

Was it too late to dig a hole and disappear right now?

Zhou Qingyu, completely oblivious, continued to gloat about her newly acquired brooch, taunting Zhou Yanci with unbridled glee.

Sandwiched between the two, Yan Xi’s face burned red.

For the rest of the auction, Yan Xi barely paid attention. Charity auctions like this never featured items with exorbitant price tags, let alone ones that sold for dozens of times their actual value.

Finally, it was time for Zhou Qingyu’s donated item to go up for bidding.

Her contribution, the grand finale of the auction, had been a last-minute addition and wasn’t listed in the official catalogue.

Even Zhou Qingyu wasn’t sure how much it would fetch, but she was eager to find out. She turned to Pei Yubai and declared, "The next item is mine—and I love it. You have to win it for me!"

Pei Yubai, CEO of Tianhui, was also attending Weibo Night. He knew this was his chance to win back Zhou Qingyu’s favor. After upsetting her on set last time, he couldn’t afford to make her angry again now that he finally had the opportunity to see her.

Pei Yubai nodded repeatedly but couldn’t help asking nervously, "What exactly did you donate?"

"Oh, just a little something~" Zhou Qingyu replied breezily. "Don’t worry, it’s not expensive. If it were really valuable, I wouldn’t have given it away!"

Pei Yubai figured she had a point. The most expensive item so far had been a landscape painting donated by an award-winning actor, which sold for just over four million. Yan Xi’s brooch had only gone for a little over a hundred thousand. Surely Zhou Qingyu and her team had considered the auction’s overall tone and wouldn’t donate anything too outrageous.

Then, Zhou Qingyu’s item was unveiled.

As the host lifted the velvet drape covering the jewelry box, a dazzling yellow diamond came into view, its brilliance amplified under the stage lights.

A collective gasp swept through the crowd.

A yellow diamond that large—just how much was it worth?!

Pei Yubai nearly choked on his own breath when he saw it.

This was her idea of a "little something"?

This was "not expensive"?

That diamond had to be worth at least ten million!

But Zhou Qingyu only blinked up at him with an innocent pout. "Yellow diamonds are the least valuable of all colored diamonds! I just bought it for fun ages ago. What, you don’t want to bid anymore?"

"Of course I do!" Pei Yubai hurriedly assured her.

True, yellow diamonds were expensive, but the starting bid wouldn’t exceed eight million. At that price, few would dare to compete, so he could probably secure it for around ten.

Comforted by this thought, Pei Yubai relaxed slightly.

When the bidding began, he was the first to raise his paddle. "Eight million one hundred thousand."

The room fell silent. The diamond’s price was already steep, and no one else made a move.

Pei Yubai smirked inwardly, keeping his expression neutral as he waited for the host to finalize the sale.

Then, a clear voice rang out from behind him. "Nine million."

Pei Yubai whipped his head around in shock to see Pei Hanli lounging casually a few rows back, auction paddle in hand.

The Pei family’s businesses had little to do with the entertainment industry, and Pei Hanli himself rarely mingled in these circles. Since the Zhou family was sponsoring Weibo Night, Pei Hanli technically had no reason to be here.

But upon closer inspection, Pei Yubai realized Pei Hanli was seated with the cast and crew of The Madness—he had come as one of the film’s investors.

Pei Yubai’s face twisted in fury.

Was Pei Hanli deliberately sabotaging him? First on set, and now here—was he determined to ruin Pei Yubai’s chances with Zhou Qingyu?

Yet even as rage burned inside him, Pei Yubai had no choice but to swallow it.

Zhou Qingyu, noticing Pei Hanli, only fanned the flames further. "Oh? Pei Hanli’s here too? Pei Yubai, you’d better step up your game. I’d hate for my treasure to end up in someone else’s hands~"

And so, a new bidding war began.

Compared to the astronomical figures being thrown around now, Zhou Qingyu’s earlier squabble with Zhou Yanci seemed trivial. The yellow diamond’s base price was already staggering, and while Pei Yubai raised his bids cautiously, Pei Hanli countered every time, rounding up the numbers until the price reached an absurd height.

Forty million.

In just a few minutes, the diamond’s price had skyrocketed to forty million.

Yan Xi couldn’t help murmuring, "At this rate, you could buy five diamonds just like this one."

Zhou Yanci scoffed. "They’re using it to curry favor with the Zhou heiress. Forty million is a small price to pay."

What Zhou Qingyu could offer Pei Yubai was worth far more than forty million. The money she had already spent on him over the years far exceeded that sum—without her financial backing, would Tianhui even be where it was today?

Forty million was just bait. What Pei Yubai truly wanted was the limitless resources behind Zhou Qingyu.

But Zhou Yanci’s gaze lingered on Pei Hanli.

If Pei Yubai was after the Zhou family’s influence, what was Pei Hanli’s angle? As the CEO of Pei Corporation, his capabilities were on par with Zhou Yanci’s. He wouldn’t bid on a diamond just for the sake of it—there had to be something else.

Probably the girl herself.

Zhou Yanci grimaced. Why did these Pei men keep circling his sister like vultures? Pei Yubai was bad enough, but Pei Hanli was no better!

He could only hope Zhou Qingyu’s hopeless romantic streak wouldn’t lead her from one pitfall straight into another.

With a resigned sigh, Zhou Yanci rubbed his temples.

Meanwhile, Yan Xi watched the bidding unfold. Pei Yubai was clearly struggling now, his bids coming slower and more hesitantly, while Pei Hanli remained effortlessly composed.

Then, her system suddenly piped up: Pei Hanli has been secretly acquiring Pei Corporation shares.

Yan Xi raised an eyebrow. "How did you find that out?"

While tracking the young miss’s recent purchases of Meng Corporation stock, I happened to notice. The novel mentioned this too, but since the majority of Pei shares are held by Old Master Pei and Pei Yubai’s father, Pei Hanli couldn’t gather enough to win against Pei Yubai in the end.

However—Pei Yubai’s father has been quietly selling off his shares!

Yan Xi’s eyes widened. "Why? Pei Corporation is doing well, isn’t it?"

The company is fine, but Pei Yubai is strapped for cash~

In the novel, Tianhui's business was thriving, and even without money, there was always the wealthy heiress Zhou Qingyu to rely on. But now that you've cut off Pei Yubai's financial lifeline, and with Tianhui embroiled in so many troubles—whether it's the shortage of project funds or the need for PR and marketing—everything requires money!

Pei Yubai and his father are on the same side, but Pei Senior isn’t particularly capable either. All he can do is sell off shares to Pei Yubai. However, those shares were all bought up by Pei Hanli!

Otherwise, where would the tens of millions for auctioning the yellow diamond come from? Pei Yubai is already broke!

Oh ho, Yan Xi finally understood.

While she was helping Zhou Qingyu avoid being swindled by Pei Yubai, Pei Hanli had been quietly undermining them from behind the scenes.

So, in a way, they were on the same side?

No, no, no… Yan Xi shook her head. In the novel, Zhou Qingyu was at most a spoiled cannon-fodder supporting character, someone who could only be repeatedly humiliated by Ye Luoyi and never posed a real threat. But Pei Hanli? He was the real deal—a full-fledged villain who could bring crises upon the male and female leads, nearly causing their downfall! They weren’t even in the same league. Better to keep her distance.

While discussing this with the system, the bidding for the yellow diamond reached 50 million—the absolute limit of what Pei Yubai could afford.

Pei Hanli, having anticipated this, stopped bidding after 50 million.

His narrow eyes curved like the slyest fox in the forest. "It seems my dear brother is quite fond of this yellow diamond. A gentleman doesn’t take what another treasures—I’ll yield it to you!"

Pei Yubai gritted his teeth. As if Pei Hanli was "yielding" it to him—he had fought for it himself!

Zhou Qingyu, meanwhile, was delighted. The item she donated had fetched a sky-high price of 50 million! Soon, the media would shower her with praise. How could she not be happy?

"Pei Yubai~ You’re the best!"

Her smile was sweet, the kind that could topple cities. For a fleeting moment, Pei Yubai felt his throat go dry. Zhou Qingyu seemed like the sweetest fruit in the world—worth not just 50 million, but even his entire fortune, the whole world.

The thought vanished as quickly as it came, buried under his lingering feelings for Ye Luoyi.

Seizing the moment, Pei Yubai pressed on. "Qingyu, you’re leaving tomorrow to film the variety show. Why not come back to the Pei family with me tonight? I’ll have this yellow diamond made into a ring—a gift for our engagement."

—Even infatuation couldn’t make Pei Yubai forget his priorities. Restoring his engagement with Zhou Qingyu was urgent.

Zhou Qingyu patted his cheek. "But it’s so late, and I’m exhausted. You really want to drag me all the way to the Pei family now? Pei Yubai, how could you be so cruel?"

Pei Yubai stiffened, his expression darkening instantly.

.

After the charity auction ended, Pei Yubai headed to the restroom. He needed to call his father for money—Tianhui’s current state meant he couldn’t cover the 50 million himself.

At the restroom entrance, he bumped into Ye Luoyi, who had just stepped out. Her eyes were red—she’d clearly been crying.

"Luoyi!"

Pei Yubai grabbed her hand and pulled her into a stairwell. Ye Luoyi struggled, but his grip was too strong.

Inside, Pei Yubai’s heart ached at the sight of her. "You… saw everything?"

Ye ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍Luoyi nodded.

The Pei brothers’ fierce bidding war over Zhou Qingyu’s yellow diamond, the staggering 50 million price—it was impossible to miss.

All eyes had been on Zhou Qingyu, but Ye Luoyi knew many recognized her too. Their scrutinizing gazes felt like the sharpest blades, piercing her from all sides.

It was almost laughable. That very morning, this man had held her close, whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Yet by nightfall, he was splurging on another woman!

Pei Yubai gazed at her tear-streaked face, desperate. "Luoyi, I had no choice! You’re the only one I love—you have to believe me!"

Ye Luoyi took a deep breath.

This was the third time. The third time Pei Yubai had abandoned her for Zhou Qingyu. Three strikes—no matter how deep her feelings, it was time to let go.

She looked up at him, her tearful eyes softening. "Yubai, I know. You and Zhou Qingyu are just putting on an act."

Pei Yubai froze, stunned.

Ye Luoyi reached out, gently caressing his face. "I know how hard it’s been for you. You love me so much—how could you ever betray me?"

Tears welled in Pei Yubai’s eyes. These days, he’d been crushed by Pei Hanli’s schemes, scorned by the Pei patriarch, and berated by his father. Only Ye Luoyi understood his pain!

Overcome, he pulled her into a crushing embrace. "Luoyi, you’re all I have left…"

Ye Luoyi patted his back.

"I know you’re struggling," she sighed. "But I’m being called a homewrecker, and the lead role I worked so hard for is being recast. I can’t even earn money for Tianhui anymore…"

Pei Yubai’s heart clenched. Wasn’t Ye Luoyi being slandered because of him?

That fantasy drama lead—she’d earned it fair and square!

"They’re recasting? With who?"

Ye Luoyi smiled bitterly. "Assistant Sun mentioned some investor injected 30 million to replace me with his girlfriend. Maybe the role just wasn’t meant to be…"

Pei Yubai considered it. That role was golden—if Ye Luoyi landed it, she’d skyrocket back to fame.

30 million? A small price to pay.

"Don’t worry," he murmured, stroking her hair. "I’ll handle it."

They didn’t linger in the stairwell—if caught, salvaging things with Zhou Qingyu would be impossible.

Pei Yubai still needed to call his father, so he sent Ye Luoyi away first.

Her eyes brimmed with reluctant tears as she left, but the moment she stepped out, her tender expression vanished, replaced by icy detachment.

Pei Yubai, oblivious, remained lost in the joy of her understanding. He dialed his father and demanded 100 million.

Pei Senior balked. "You’re just trying to win Zhou Qingyu back—why so much?"

Pei Yubai feigned helplessness. "Dad, with Zhou Qingyu’s spoiled temper, do you think she’ll come back without some grand gesture? Once we secure her, we’ll have Pei Group’s shares and the Zhou family’s resources. What’s 100 million compared to that?"

With no other options, Pei Senior reluctantly agreed.

After finishing his phone call, Pei Yubai stepped out of the stairwell.

The auction had ended some time ago, and the awards ceremony was now underway. Since it had little to do with him, his presence made no real difference.

On his way, he ran into Director Yu, who had just exited the restroom.

"Well, if it isn’t Young Master Pei! What a coincidence!"

Director Yu knew Pei Yubai well. Back when Zhou Qingyu invested in The Journey, she had wanted to participate with Pei Yubai, and Director Yu had even taken promotional photos of the two.

Pei Yubai responded absentmindedly.

Then, as if struck by a thought, he stopped Director Yu. "Wasn’t Xu Yangyang originally supposed to be Zhou Qingyu’s partner for the show? Why was it changed to Yan Xi?"

Ever since Yan Xi appeared by Zhou Qingyu’s side, Pei Yubai had faced one setback after another. If Yan Xi hadn’t joined Zhou Qingyu on that variety show, she wouldn’t have become the VP of Tianhui, nor would she have blocked his financial opportunities!

Director Yu thought for a moment. "It was supposed to be Xu Yangyang, but the young miss said Yan Xi had just gone through a breakup and wanted to take her best friend on a trip to cheer her up!"

"A breakup?" Pei Yubai scoffed. "With the way Yan Xi struts around, does she look heartbroken to you?"

"It’s true!" Director Yu insisted. "I heard she fell for her roommate’s boyfriend? The details are fuzzy, but back in Han City, didn’t the young miss even set up a blind date for Yan Xi? No mistake there! Oh, Young Master Pei, my award’s coming up—gotta go!"

Director Yu scurried off.

Pei Yubai racked his memory. He hadn’t watched The Journey, but he remembered the night before filming began, when Yan Xi accompanied Zhou Qingyu to meet him. Her demeanor back then had shown no trace of heartbreak.

His eyes narrowed. He immediately contacted a paparazzo he knew. "Dig up everything on Yan Xi."

"What exactly are you looking for, Young Master Pei?"

"Her love life. Yan Xi, her roommates, and whether she’s involved with any of their men."

Pei Yubai didn’t expect quick results—investigations took time. Yet, less than two hours later, the paparazzo called back.

"Young Master Pei, we haven’t found much on Yan Xi’s romantic history yet, but her roommates’ situations were easy to uncover."

"What did you find?"

"Yan Xi has three roommates, all single."

Pei Yubai’s breathing hitched. "You’re sure?"

"Absolutely. These research types are always filling out surveys for social studies. I mimicked one with a relationship status field—all three marked ‘single.’ Of course, if you want deeper details, I can dig further, but this seems pretty solid."

Pei Yubai’s pulse raced with excitement.

Yan Xi’s roommates were all single! That meant the whole story about her falling for a roommate’s boyfriend—and subsequently ‘heartbreak’—was a lie!

From a distance, he watched Yan Xi in the awards hall. Zhou Qingyu sat to her right, Zhou Yanci to her left.

Pei Yubai’s eyes narrowed.

If it wasn’t a breakup, then why had Yan Xi lied to Zhou Qingyu?

.

After the Weibo Night awards wrapped up, the celebrities began dispersing.

Yan Xi naturally walked alongside Zhou Qingyu. She’d dismissed Master Zhao earlier and now planned to hitch a ride back in Zhou Qingyu’s van.

In the parking lot, Pei Yubai suddenly approached Zhou Qingyu. In his hand was the yellow diamond, glittering brilliantly under the bright streetlights.

Zhou Qingyu eagerly took it. "Pei Yubai, you’re finally learning some manners~"

She’d worried he might hold the diamond hostage or force her back to the Pei family, but thankfully, he hadn’t stooped to such disappointing tactics.

"Qingyu," Pei Yubai said softly, "it’s late. Going back to the Pei residence now would be inconvenient, but there’s something I need to tell you."

Zhou Qingyu admired the diamond. Maybe because it had fetched 50 million at auction, even this not-so-rare colored stone suddenly seemed dazzling.

"Fine, go ahead."

Pei Yubai glanced at Yan Xi. "I’d prefer to speak privately."

Zhou Qingyu frowned. "Can’t you say it here? Yan Xi isn’t some outsider."

Pei Yubai took her hand, his tone intimate. "Some things are better said just between us."

Zhou Qingyu rolled her eyes. "Ugh, so dramatic!" She turned to Yan Xi. "Xi’er, I’ll just be a minute with Pei Yubai. Wait for me, okay?"

Yan Xi studied Pei Yubai, sensing something off about him. But Zhou Qingyu had broken free from the story’s control, and with so many people around, Pei Yubai couldn’t possibly sway her back with mere words.

She nodded. "Sure, I’ll wait in the van."

Zhou Qingyu followed Pei Yubai to a secluded corner of the venue.

Arms crossed, she tapped her foot impatiently. "Spit it out. I need my beauty sleep!"

Pei Yubai presented the evidence the paparazzo had gathered.

"Qingyu, Yan Xi has been deceiving you."

"She shares a grad school dorm with three roommates—all single. So how could she have ‘fallen for a roommate’s boyfriend’ and gotten ‘heartbroken’? She used that story to get close to you for a reason."

Zhou Qingyu froze, staring at the photos. Among the three girls, she instantly recognized Zhaozhao—the one who’d splashed water in Yan Xi’s face at the restaurant. That memory wasn’t something she’d forget.

Pointing at Zhaozhao’s photo, she asked, "This one’s single too?"

"Absolutely. She’s a top student, currently on exchange in the U.S. But according to my sources, she’s never been in a relationship. Oh, and she’s in the school drama club—quite the actress."

Zhou Qingyu’s hands trembled.

Pei Yubai stepped closer. "Don’t you see? Yan Xi was just an ordinary student before. Now? She’s Tianhui’s VP, pulling in millions! Not just that—Zhou Corp barely touches entertainment outside Tianhui, yet Zhou Yanci sponsored Weibo Night!"

"Her goal was always to use you to access Zhou Corp’s resources—to get to Zhou Yanci!"

No other explanation made sense for Yan Xi’s lies.

Zhou Qingyu didn’t want to believe it, but the evidence was undeniable. Pei Yubai had no reason to fabricate this, and she could always hire a PI to verify.

Besides, something had always felt off—Yan Xi never acted like someone nursing a broken heart.

Zhou Qingyu closed her eyes.

Pei Yubai sensed Zhou Qingyu’s wavering resolve and pressed his advantage. "Qingyu, I know how much your bond with Yan Xi means to you, but no matter what, she shouldn’t have lied to you! Even if she had her reasons, she had countless chances to come clean, yet she stayed silent all this time! What kind of friend does that make her? More like a fake sister than a real one!"

"Enough," Zhou Qingyu cut him off.

But Pei Yubai refused to relent. Having finally caught Yan Xi in a lie, how could he let this opportunity slip away?

"Qingyu, I’m only looking out for you. Someone like Yan Xi, who deceives for money—you should really keep your distance from her..."

"So what if Yan Xi lied to me?" Zhou Qingyu fixed her gaze on Pei Yubai. "Pei Yubai, have you never lied to me?"

Pei Yubai stiffened, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "It’s not the same with her!"

"Of course it’s not the same!"

Zhou Qingyu scoffed. "I don’t know why XiXi lied to me, but I only care about the outcome. Look at her now—she’s the VP of Xingyao. And look at me? I went from a scandal-ridden actress to a beloved rising star. I hold shares in M Group, and I’m the chairwoman of Meng Corporation! Xingyao is thriving, leaving your Tianhui far behind!"

"Yes, XiXi deceived me, but I’ve only grown stronger because of it. If being deceived by her makes me better, then I’d gladly let her deceive me for a lifetime!"

"But as for you, Pei Yubai," Zhou Qingyu stepped forward, gripping his tie, "when you lied to me, was it really for my sake—or for yours?"