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

Tianhui Chairman’s Office

Office supplies were scattered across the floor, and several empty liquor bottles lay haphazardly to the side. Pei Yubai sat slumped against the cold desk, disheveled and unkempt.

In his hand was a bottle of whiskey, its amber liquid already half gone.

Voices drifted in from outside—

"Aunt Feng, you’re here to see Young Master Pei?"

"Yes, the old man is worried about him. He specially asked me to bring some cordyceps and pigeon soup."

"Old Man Pei truly cares for Young Master Pei!"

"He is his own grandson, after all! He told me to reassure everyone—it’s just a failed bet. Tianhui still has the Pei family behind it. This amount of money is nothing!"

"Understood!"

Feng Meiyu smiled warmly as she stepped into the office, carrying a thermal container.

The moment the door closed behind her, her smile vanished. She scanned the chaotic office, her brows furrowing in displeasure.

"How did you let a perfectly good company fall into such a state?"

"Mom..."

Pei Yubai struggled weakly to stand, but his legs gave way from the alcohol, sending him crashing back to the floor.

Feng Meiyu hurriedly helped him up and guided him to the nearby sofa.

On the coffee table lay Tianhui’s recent financial reports. Feng Meiyu flipped through them, her expression growing increasingly alarmed.

Over the past two years, Pei Yubai had aggressively expanded Tianhui, investing in numerous projects. While the company had grown rapidly, its cash flow had always been tight. The downside was that if even one project faced delays in payments, the entire operation would grind to a halt.

Previously, Zhou Qingyu had been the safety net, ensuring Tianhui never faltered.

But a few months ago, Zhou Qingyu had broken off her engagement with Pei Yubai, cutting off all support from the Zhou family. The sudden loss of resources left Tianhui with a massive financial gap—one Pei Yubai couldn’t fill.

In a desperate attempt to win Zhou Qingyu back, he had splurged on a yellow diamond at a charity auction and invested heavily in The Immortal’s Quest, securing the female lead role for Ye Luoyi.

By now, Pei Yubai was drowning in billions in debt. Pei’s Father had sold some of his shares in the Pei conglomerate to help, but it was a drop in the bucket compared to the crushing debt.

And now, Tianhui still needed to repay the failed bet with Strawberry Video. Pei Yubai was already bankrupt—there was no way he could cover this.

Feng Meiyu felt her vision darken. She slapped Pei Yubai hard, hoping to shock him into clarity.

"Who told you to make such a reckless bet? And on such harsh terms!"

Without the bet, Dining Together might not have matched SP’s success, but it would have been a decently performing show—profitable, at least.

But Pei Yubai had gambled it all away, turning a winning hand into a disaster.

Pei Yubai grimaced. "Mom, I had no choice! No platform would take my projects unless I agreed to the bet!"

He dropped to his knees before Feng Meiyu. "Mom, please help me! I’m begging you!"

Feng Meiyu sighed. "What can I do?"

"I still have other projects! White Marsh has potential—it just needs the final VFX work. Lend me some money! If I can sell White Marsh, I can still save Tianhui!"

"Mom, we can’t lose Tianhui! How else can we compete with Pei Hanli?"

Feng Meiyu shut her eyes in anguish.

He was right. If Tianhui collapsed, their family would never regain Old Man Pei’s respect. The old man would see Pei Yubai as nothing but a useless failure, unworthy of inheriting the Pei empire.

Tianhui couldn’t fail.

And neither could Pei Yubai.

"I’ll talk to your father," Feng Meiyu said. "Useless as he is—the only son of the family, yet he let his own child take control of the company. At least he still holds some shares. I’ll convince him to sell some to cover your debts."

Pei Yubai nodded frantically. "But the Strawberry Video payment… we can’t wait for that."

Feng Meiyu pulled a bank card from her purse.

Though she was officially just a maid in the Pei household, she had quietly amassed a small fortune over the years.

She handed the card to Pei Yubai. "Don’t disappoint me again. Understood?"

Pei Yubai took the card with trembling hands, nodding repeatedly.

After Feng Meiyu left, Sun Qi entered the office.

"Young Master Pei, Strawberry Video is demanding repayment for the bet. And the White Marsh VFX team won’t proceed without the second installment…"

Pei Yubai clenched the bank card.

"What’s Starry Sky up to?"

"Starry Sky is promoting The Bottom Line. It’s set for primetime on OceanTV, with simultaneous streaming on Watermelon Video."

Sun Qi hesitated before adding, "Young Master Pei, our priority should be Strawberry Video and White Marsh. We can’t afford to worry about Starry Sky right now…"

Survival was hard enough—how could they spare energy for competitors?

Sun Qi didn’t know the exact nature of Feng Meiyu’s relationship with Pei Yubai, but he assumed she represented the Pei family. Her visit surely meant good news—after all, to the Peis, Tianhui’s financial troubles were insignificant.

Pei Yubai rubbed the bank card between his fingers. It held just tens of millions.

Enough to cover Strawberry Video’s debt and White Marsh’s second payment, with a little left over.

But after the humiliation Starry Sky had dealt him, how could he let them launch The Bottom Line without a fight?

Not a chance.

"Our PR team keeps those troll accounts on payroll, right?" Pei Yubai asked Sun Qi. "Have them spread negative buzz about The Bottom Line. Make sure its release isn’t smooth!"

Sun Qi’s heart sank. "But baseless rumors won’t stick."

They could trash the show’s quality, but Sun Qi doubted that would work. He’d read the first three episodes of The Bottom Line—if Director Jiang Tao executed it well, the show might be niche, but it wouldn’t be bad.

Besides, OceanTV had chosen The Bottom Line over White Marsh. That spoke volumes about its quality.

Attacking it now would be a waste of money—pointless self-deception.

Pei Yubai considered this. He wanted revenge on Starry Sky and Yan Xi, but he wasn’t stupid.

"Then don’t criticize it. Praise it. Have the trolls hype it as the year’s best drama—guaranteed to be a hit, guaranteed to win awards. Go all out!"

Sometimes, excessive praise was more dangerous than criticism.

Hype a show to impossible heights, and when it failed to meet expectations, the audience would feel cheated.

Well-received dramas come out every year, but breakout hits are rare. The entire film and television industry is lucky to produce one phenomenon-level hit per year.

That’s why the tactic of overhyping to sabotage works so well.

When Wu Liao noticed the online trolls, he immediately guessed Tianhui’s intentions and reported it to Yan Xi.

"I’ve already notified platforms like Weibo, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu to delete these comments, but removing hot searches costs more than buying them. Conservatively, Tianhui spent at least a million to overhype us, and we’ll have to spend even more to clean up this marketing mess!"

Damn it, Wu Liao cursed inwardly. How could Pei Yubai be so ruthless?

The promotional budget originally allocated for The Bottom Line would now have to be partially diverted to control the backlash. Their funds were already stretched thin!

Yan Xi leaned back in her chair, casually scrolling through the exaggerated praise flooding the internet—

"Insider scoop! The Bottom Line is amazing! Shen Xinghe’s acting rivals that of an award-winning actor!"

"Bold prediction: The Bottom Line will be this year’s drama king—guaranteed to blow up!"

"I’ll be heartbroken if anyone misses The Bottom Line. This is hands down the best show of the year!"

"Compared to this, every other drama this year looks weak. The Bottom Line deserves a clean sweep at the awards!"

Tonight was The Bottom Line’s premiere, and thanks to Pei Yubai’s overhyping, the show was already trending across all major platforms. Expectations were sky-high.

Yan Xi set down her tablet. "Don’t delete anything. Let it stay."

Wu Liao was stunned. "Just leave it? If the show doesn’t meet expectations, this hype will backfire!"

"Have faith in Director Jiang," Yan Xi said. "Besides, I genuinely believe The Bottom Line is that good."

In the original novel, The Bottom Line had also been praised like this. Early on, fans were cautious, afraid of backlash, so they tempered their enthusiasm. But once the show was picked up by a major network, the floodgates of acclaim opened.

Pei Yubai’s strategy might have worked on an ordinary hit drama. But The Bottom Line was destined to be this year’s breakout king in the novel.

And with Shen Xinghe starring, this version of The Bottom Line—Director Jiang Tao’s vision—was even better than the one in the book.

At 8 PM, The Bottom Line aired.

Thanks to the day’s hype, the show had already trended twice. The moment it premiered, viewers flooded in.

"No matter how many times I see him, Shen Xinghe is just so ridiculously handsome!"

"How is someone this good-looking not a superstar yet? Unfair!"

"Xiang Fei actually lost his memory?! Oh no, I’m so worried about what happens next!"

"A cop turned drug dealer? Now that’s intense!"

"I was planning to watch this while eating, but I got so tense I forgot about my food! Please don’t let Xiang Fei cross the line!"

"Xiang Fei has to stay strong! I’m rooting for him!"

"No wonder people called this the drama of the year. It’s incredible!"

"The OST is amazing too! Is that Han Shu singing? Her voice is heavenly!"

"I thought it was just hype, but The Bottom Line is legitimately high-quality. It’s been ages since I’ve seen a drama this good!"

"Jiang Tao and Xiao Yu are back in top form! Can’t wait for the next episode!"

"Why only one episode a day? This is torture!"

The Bottom Line was a smash hit.

In the novel, the show had gained traction slowly through word of mouth. But this time, with simultaneous online and TV broadcasts—plus the pre-release hype—the premiere’s viewership numbers were stellar from the start.

Yan Xi had never believed in excuses like "Just push through the first three episodes, it gets better!" or "It really picks up by episode five!" Those were just cop-outs from production teams and fans trying to save face.

A truly great show didn’t make you endure boring stretches. It hooked you from the first episode.

Tang Yi from Watermelon Video was ecstatic. Initially, he’d licensed The Journey from Starlight Entertainment as a favor to Director Yu, who had a track record of hit variety shows. Then came The SP and now The Bottom Line.

Honestly, every successful show and drama on Watermelon Video this year had been under his supervision—all thanks to Starlight. They were his lucky charm!

Haiyang TV was equally thrilled. Early ad sales for The Bottom Line had been decent but unremarkable. After the premiere, however, sponsors were scrambling for ad slots. With the show’s soaring popularity, ad rates skyrocketed—and still sold out!

Choosing The Bottom Line over White Marsh had been the right call.

From the production team to the broadcasters to the audience, everyone was celebrating The Bottom Line’s success.

Everyone except Pei Yubai.

When he heard about the show’s explosive reception, his face turned ashen.

"Did none of the viewers feel The Bottom Line was overhyped? That it wasn’t as good as the marketing claimed? That it was a scam?"

Sun Qi answered carefully, "Many netizens genuinely believe it’s award-worthy… They even think our… promotional posts were… accurate."

"A-accurate? Are they blind?!"

Pei Yubai felt like he’d been punched in the gut. He tried to breathe, but his chest tightened. His vision blurred, and before he knew it, he was crashing to the floor—

"Boss Pei! Boss Pei!"

Over at Tianhui, Pei Yubai had fainted, hitting his head hard enough to leave a bruise. Sun Qi frantically rushed him to the hospital.

Meanwhile, at Starlight, Yan Xi was reviewing last month’s financial reports when the system pinged:

Ding! The Bottom Line is a hit. Zhou Qingyu gains +2 Luck Points. Current Luck Points: 96.

Starlight’s recent projects had all been gaining momentum, and Yan Xi had been receiving frequent Luck Point notifications. Now, she was just 4 points away from 100.

[Host, we still have Han Shu’s album release, The Bottom Line ’s awards season, the SP finals, and Madness premiering at year-end!]

[Even if you do nothing else, we’ll hit 100 Luck Points easily!]

Zhou Qingyu’s turning point in the novel was after the New Year—just like Zhou Yanci’s sudden death in the story. There was still plenty of time.

Who would’ve thought? Just months ago, Yan Xi had been scraping for fractions of Luck Points, clinging to every 0.1 she could get. Now, she was on the verge of surpassing 100.

The little glowing orb sniffled. [After all this struggle… we’re finally here!]

Yan Xi smiled. She’d once thought altering the plot was the key to earning Luck Points. But now she realized success in her career mattered just as much. Maybe the underlying message was this: True strength was the best weapon against fate.

"Once ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‍we reach 100 Luck Points, Qingyu will break free from the novel’s predetermined ending, right? She’ll be completely untethered from the plot?"

【That's right!】The system confirmed cheerfully. 【With 100 points of luck, the plot can no longer affect her!】

"Are you sure there won't be any other issues?" Yan Xi asked again, just to be safe. She didn’t want any last-minute surprises after reaching 100 luck points.

The system shrank back nervously at her question.

As a mere "background character" system, its usual pastime was gossiping with its host. A background character rising to prominence was unprecedented, so the system had no idea what would happen once the luck points hit 100.

The little glowing orb guiltily flipped through its Background Character System Manual.

【Let me check…】

【The manual states that any character who exceeds 100 luck points can break free from the plot, becoming completely independent of it.】

【However, reaching 100 luck points disrupts the novel world’s balance, leading to some uncontrollable side effects…】

Yan Xi: ???

"Side effects? What kind of side effects?"

The system wiped away imaginary sweat and hurriedly checked. 【Some characters may awaken due to the shift in world balance, becoming aware that their world is a novel…】

Yan Xi understood. "Like me?"

【Exactly!】the system replied. 【Newly awakened individuals will know of my existence and can access system message logs, just like you.】

Yan Xi considered this. It meant everything she had done so far would be visible to these "newly awakened" people.

The biggest concerns were Pei Yubai and Ye Luoyi, since they were on the opposing side. But with Tianhui in shambles, Pei Yubai’s chances of a comeback were slim.

As for Ye Luoyi, knowing the plot wouldn’t help her—she’d have to abandon Pei Yubai and start from scratch as an extra if she wanted to climb back up.

If Zhou Qingyu learned the truth, it wouldn’t matter—she was already on Yan Xi’s side.

Yan Xi relaxed. "Seems like no big deal!"

The system perked up, bouncing excitedly. 【Host, have you decided on your next move?】

Her luck points were at 96 now, and while waiting would eventually max them out, the system knew Yan Xi wasn’t the patient type.

Yan Xi blinked. "Pei Yubai gave The Bottom Line such a generous 'gift'—how could I not return the favor? I’ve been preparing for this for a long time! He’ll be the one to push my luck points to 100!"

---

November brought cooler weather.

With SP and The Bottom Line recently released, the staff at Starlight Entertainment had been swamped. As the company’s top executive (and the young mistress herself), Yan Xi had approved bonuses for all employees.

She even treated them to a lavish dinner—out of her own pocket.

The venue was Furei Hotel, a high-end five-star establishment in Haicheng known for its business elegance and exquisite dining. Their buffet was notoriously expensive.

The Starlight employees were thrilled—free gourmet food on a Friday night, with no weekend plans ruined? An absolute steal!

Zhou Qingyu joined the celebration.

Thanks to Starlight’s success, she had gained considerable face in front of her father, even accompanying him to golf outings where elders showered her with praise.

Zhou Qingyu was practically floating with pride.

Everyone said she spoiled Yan Xi with gifts—bags, jewelry, even a multi-million-dollar yacht—but Yan Xi had earned her hundreds of millions in return!

(And that didn’t even include the profits from acquiring M Brand!)

Clearly, investing in a best friend was far more lucrative than investing in a man.

So when she heard about Yan Xi’s dinner plans, Zhou Qingyu insisted on footing the bill.

Arm in arm, the two entered Furei Hotel.

Yan Xi had reserved the entire buffet floor for Starlight’s nearly hundred employees.

But upon arrival, she spotted two unexpected guests—Pei Hanli and Song Zhile.

Zhou Qingyu frowned. "What are you two doing here?"

Pei Hanli replied calmly, "I happened to be nearby for business."

Song Zhile, not to be outdone, added, "Same! I was passing by and heard you were here!"

Yan Xi stifled a laugh.

"Passing by"? Song Zhile was dressed impeccably, his hair perfectly styled—clearly trying not to lose face next to Pei Hanli. The jealousy was practically oozing from him.

Meanwhile, Pei Hanli, in his pristine three-piece suit, remained unshaken, not even bothered by Song Zhile’s presence. Yan Xi was impressed.

Zhou Qingyu huffed. "This is a company event. You two don’t belong here."

"I know," Pei Hanli said. "I won’t intrude. Enjoy yourself—I’ll cover the expenses."

Song Zhile jumped in. "I can pay too!"

Damn it! Why does Pei Hanli always get the upper hand?!

---

True to his word, Pei Hanli didn’t cause trouble. He didn’t even try to sit next to Zhou Qingyu—he knew that spot belonged to Yan Xi.

Song Zhile, however, made a failed attempt, earning a glare from Zhou Qingyu.

Song Zhile: T^T

What followed was a battle between the "dad-like" protector and the loyal guard dog.

When Zhou Qingyu craved ice cream, Song Zhile fretted, "It’s too cold! Doesn’t it make your cramps worse?"

Pei Hanli, meanwhile, ordered her a cup of brown sugar water to "warm her womb."

When Zhou Qingyu reached for a cocktail, Song Zhile nagged, "Even low-alcohol drinks can give you a hangover!"

Pei Hanli simply had someone fetch hangover pills.

Yan Xi nibbled on crab leg sashimi, chatting with her system.

"Song Zhile is losing. Badly."

【The villain’s composure is just too strong. He’s not even flustered!】

Pei Hanli knew Zhou Qingyu inside out—like how she hated green onions but still wanted them in seafood soup for flavor.

It was clear he’d prepared meticulously to win her back.

Song Zhle wasn’t bad—he cared deeply, but his overprotectiveness backfired.

Zhou Qingyu was like a proud cat—soft persuasion worked better than force.

Yan Xi shook her head. "The 'dad' type just doesn’t cut it."

Her phone buzzed—a message from Zhou Yanci:

【When will you finish? I’ll pick you up.】

She replied happily: 【Soon!】

Zhou Qingyu leaned over for a look and snorted, "Ugh, the stench of love!"

The old man had been putting in a lot of effort lately, personally driving Yan Xi to and from work every day. He’d go out of his way to pick her up from Haicheng University before heading to Xingyao, only then making his way to the corporate office.

This left Driver Zhao with little to do lately, worrying he might lose his job.

Yan Xi teased, "Why pick on me? You’ve got two suitors yourself!"

Zhou Qingyu propped her chin on her hand. "Isn’t it normal for men to compete for my attention? I’m this gorgeous—anyone who doesn’t like me must be blind!"

"Besides, isn’t it exhausting with Zhou Yanci? Since you only have weekly meetings at school now, why not just move back to the Zhou estate with me?"

"It’s too far!"

How could a spoiled young mistress like her understand the struggles of a working girl? Xingyao might not enforce clock-ins, but showing up too late still looked bad! Living on campus meant an extra half-hour of sleep—a luxury for any office drone.

Zhou Qingyu pondered for a moment. "Fine, I’ll just buy you an apartment then!"

"Pfft—"

Yan Xi nearly spat out her sparkling water.

"No, no, no!" She waved her hands frantically.

Haicheng’s real estate was ridiculously expensive, especially in the city center, where prices easily soared into the millions. She didn’t need the extra "luck points" from gifts right now anyway.

But Pei Hanli and Song Zhile immediately caught the scent of an opportunity to curry favor.

Song Zhile: "The luxury complex across from Haicheng University—I designed it. The client gave me a unit. Qingyu, I can give it to you!"

Pei Hanli: "I own a penthouse near Xingyao. I can gift it to Yan Xi."

Yan Xi: "..."

Help. She really didn’t need this!

Pei Hanli’s offer appealed more to Zhou Qingyu since she didn’t need the apartment—Yan Xi did. He even had the floor plan and photos ready, presenting them to Zhou Qingyu on the spot.

"This penthouse is 500 square meters, with a gym, home theater, study, and three bedrooms. You and Yan Xi can share or have separate rooms..."

Yan Xi was shoved aside.

Zhou Qingyu had already decided to gift her an apartment. Whether Yan Xi wanted it or not… didn’t matter.

Song Zhile was also left in the dust.

His luxury complex had lost its charm.

This might’ve been the first time Song Zhile ever felt so defeated. He’d always been top of his class, showered with praise, and landed a prestigious job at a renowned architecture firm at a young age. His family even ran five-star resorts.

He’d never tasted failure before.

Yet against Pei Hanli, he kept hitting walls.

Grumbling to himself, Song Zhile downed a large glass of whiskey and headed to the restroom.

Splashing cold water on his face, he felt a brief clarity.

He didn’t want to give up on Zhou Qingyu. He knew he still liked her. But he also recognized Pei Hanli’s overwhelming competence.

Pei Hanli was thorough, always prepared for everything. Despite being an architect himself, Song Zhile was outmatched—Pei Hanli had even pulled out the penthouse specs faster than he could.

A deep sense of powerlessness settled over him.

He trudged out of the restroom, dejected.

Suddenly, a middle-aged couple brushed past him.

Both wore masks, obscuring their faces.

But Song Zhile had an excellent memory. One glance was all it took to recognize them.

Pei Zhiyuan—Pei Hanli’s father.

The woman was likely the Pei family’s housekeeper, Feng Meiyu.

The Pei residence had been designed by Song Zhile’s mentor. Back then, he’d accompanied his teacher to consult the family on their requirements, so he’d met Pei's Father and Feng Meiyu before.

Coming from elite circles himself, Song Zhile instinctively moved to greet Pei's Father politely.

But Pei Zhiyuan moved quickly, pulling Feng Meiyu into the elevator. Just as the doors closed, Song Zhile caught sight of Pei's Father reaching out—and giving Feng Meiyu’s backside a firm squeeze.