What Should I Do if My Best Friend Is a Green Tea? [Transmigrated Into a Book] Chapter 22

【Is that Zhou Qingyu in the photo from her childhood? She was already a beauty back then!】【The divine looks of the entertainnt industry are no exaggeration!】

【The whole family must have won the genetic lottery! Her brother is quite handso too!】

【Wait, does anyone else think Zhou’s dad looks familiar? I feel like I’ve seen him sowhere before.】

【Probably in a financial magazine. I just flipped through one, and this year’s cover features Zhou Hongsheng, the richest man in Hai City.】

【？？？】

When the family photo of Zhou Qingyu spread online, marketing accounts compared it to Zhou Hongsheng’s financial magazine cover. The resemblance was uncanny—sa eyebrows, nose, and lips. No one could deny they were father and daughter!

【Zhou Qingyu’s family is this wealthy?】

【So people were mocking her for marrying into money, but turns out, the “sugar daddy” is her own father!】

【When I saw the private jet and the vineyard, I already guessed Zhou Qingyu’s family was rich, but I didn’t expect them to be this rich...】

【A wealthy heiress venturing into the entertainnt industry! If she fails, she can always go back and inherit the family fortune～】

Several trending topics exploded online, all revolving around Zhou Qingyu’s family background. The PR team of Zhou Group stepped in to keep the discussions under control. Even so, the news that Zhou Qingyu was a wealthy heiress had already spread far and wide. In the wine cellar, the old butler guided the guests through a tasting of different wine varieties. anwhile, the system quietly reported to Yan Xi: (Host! Good thing you had the butler hang the Zhou family portrait in the wine cellar as decoration. Now the rumors about Zhou Qingyu marrying for money have been debunked～)

The rumors about Zhou Qingyu “marrying for money” were just baseless gossip spread by haters, harmless but still sothing Yan Xi wanted to nip in the bud to prevent any negative perceptions from forming among the general public. Hanging a family portrait was an easy solution, so why not? The system added: (Now the only criticisms left are about Zhou Qingyu ruining a fictional character’s image and being called a howrecker. But only haters are saying that. Thanks to the previous giveaways and charity work, the public’s opinion of Zhou Qingyu is quite positive!)

Yan Xi was puzzled. Zhou Qingyu’s acting skills were diocre—there was no denying that. Acting talent is largely innate, but since Ye Luoyi herself had clarified that there was nothing between her and Pei Yubai, why were people still calling Zhou Qingyu a howrecker?

The system explained: (Fans still firmly believe their favorite couple is real. They think Ye Luoyi is just avoiding going public because she’s at a critical point in her career!) (In the novel’s plot, Ye Luoyi and Pei Yubai will announce their relationship later, so it’s not easy for Zhou Qingyu to clear her na as the “other woman.”)

Yan Xi thought about it and realized that only by Zhou Qingyu publicly announcing her engagent to Pei Yubai could they truly shut down the delusional fans. But for Zhou Qingyu to announce the engagent, she would first need to break free from Pei Yubai’s emotional manipulation, which required her luck points to reach at least 60. Since arriving in Li City, the only increase in luck points had been when Zhou Qingyu bought Yan Xi a bag at the mall. Since then, her luck points had remained stagnant at 10, with no progress whatsoever.

The system noticed Yan Xi’s concern and its little glowing orb floated around in her mind: (Host, don’t worry! The reality show’s plot has already diverged significantly from the novel, so the system can’t settle the accounts just yet. I estimate that after the trip to France, Zhou Qingyu will receive a luck points reward.)

Hearing this, Yan Xi finally relaxed, her eyes filled with anticipation. How much would it be? Zhou Qingyu hadn’t been subjected to widespread online hate, and her friendship with Yan Xi hadn’t been used as a contrast. In that case... at least a 2-point reward, right?

The system’s glowing orb nodded vigorously: (It’s definitely coming!) At 6:30 PM, the guests erged from the wine cellar. The sun sets late in France, and the sky was still bright, with large clouds drifting lazily across the azure horizon. Zhou Qingyu hadn’t realized her phone was turned off. She wasn’t the type to be glued to her phone, so she didn’t notice its absence.

At the mont, she called over Yan Xi and Louis, feeling that they had explored the vineyard enough and were ready to move on to the next destination.

Jiang Tao had been silently trailing behind Zhou Qingyu, looking as if he wanted to say sothing but couldn’t find the right mont.

He had been like this since Ye Luoyi and the others left, and even now, he was still hesitating.

Earlier, he had successfully borrowed the vineyard from Ye Luoyi as a filming location for *The Bottom Line*. But now that he knew the vineyard actually belonged to Zhou Qingyu, Ye Luoyi’s promise was aningless. Jiang Tao stamred, feeling that given Zhou Qingyu’s attitude toward him, she would surely refuse his request.

What a sha—the vineyard was such a perfect filming location! If he had to rent it through official channels, it would cost him tens of thousands, and his funding was already tight. He couldn’t afford to splurge like that.

The vineyard gates were wide open, and there was still so distance from the entrance to the castle. Louis contacted the driver to bring the limousine directly into the vineyard. As Louis opened the car door and Zhou Qingyu was about to leave, Jiang Tao finally spoke up and brought up the matter of renting the location.

“Zhou Qingyu, I’ll only need it for three days. I promise I won’t damage your vineyard! It’ll look exactly the sa after three days as it does now—no harm done!”

“Fine, just contact Bruce when the ti cos,” Zhou Qingyu replied indifferently.

Jiang Tao was stunned, thinking he must have misheard. After a brief pause, his eyes lit up like lanterns, and he rushed excitedly toward Zhou Qingyu. “You agreed? Zhou Qingyu, I didn’t expect you to be so generous!”

Zhou Qingyu pushed Jiang Tao away. “Stay back—we’re not that close! A few thousand dollars for the rental fee? That’s pocket change to . Charging you would make look petty.”

“A few thousand dollars isn’t pocket change!” Jiang Tao bead. “Oh, right, you donated a million without batting an eye... Hey, Zhou Qingyu, since you’re so wealthy, would you be interested in investing in my TV series? I promise it’ll be a masterpiece, a guaranteed hit once it airs!”

—Now that he knew about Zhou Qingyu’s financial status, Jiang Tao decided to cut to the chase. He figured he could pitch his project directly to her, given her resources.

Zhou Qingyu glanced at him. “How much are we talking?”

Jiang Tao held up three fingers. “Not much, just 30 million!”

Zhou Qingyu smirked. “Keep dreaming.”

Jiang Tao put his hands on his hips. “Zhou Qingyu, 30 million is nothing to you, right? Don’t be so stingy!”

Thirty million wasn’t a lot for Zhou Qingyu, but her money was reserved for Pei Yubai.

For example, she had invested 30 million in *Let’s Travel Together* just so she could travel with Pei Yubai. Even though it ended up benefiting Ye Luoyi, her original intention was for Pei Yubai.

Zhou Qingyu had also invested in many projects in the past, all to pave the way for Pei Yubai to establish himself in the Pei family.

Zhou Qingyu still had money—she owned properties that generated steady inco—but she wanted to use those funds to help Pei Yubai. Thirty million wasn’t a small sum. If she helped Jiang Tao now, she wouldn’t be able to help Pei Yubai later.

Pei Yubai’s priority in her heart far outweighed Jiang Tao’s.

Jiang Tao persisted. “Zhou Qingyu, you haven’t even read my script yet! Take a look—I’m sure you’ll see its potential. Once it airs, I guarantee you’ll double your investnt...”

Yan Xi recalled from the novel that *The Bottom Line* had a budget of around 20 million. Even with Qin Li joining the cast, Jiang Tao hadn’t managed to secure more funding. The production didn’t rely on big-na stars—aside from Qin Li, most of the cast were newcors. But with the entire budget invested in the production, Jiang Tao had managed to create a hit with just 20 million.

If Jiang Tao had access to sufficient funding and could cast the most suitable actors... *The Bottom Line* could achieve even greater heights.

In the end, Zhou Qingyu didn’t agree to Jiang Tao’s investnt proposal.

Jiang Tao was a bit disheartened, but having been rejected so many tis before, he was used to it. He rubbed his cheeks and stood beside Xiao Yu, who gently patted his back to comfort him.

The investnt market favored directors with high emotional intelligence and smooth-talking skills—qualities Jiang Tao clearly lacked. His talent was all in his directing ability, and his skills in securing funding were nonexistent. He was a thoroughbred horse, just waiting for the right jockey.

Later, Pei Yubai recognized his potential and brought him into Tianhui. Jiang Tao went on to produce many hit TV dramas and movies for the company, contributing greatly to Tianhui’s rise as a leading entertainnt agency.

Yan Xi climbed into the limousine.

“Director Jiang’s new script is quite good,” Zhou Qingyu said as she touched up her makeup, initiating the conversation with Yan Xi. “After reviewing it, the platform thinks the subject matter is too niche. Without any backing, the budget is capped at 20 million.”

Yan Xi closed the car door and settled in, holding a glass bowl filled with plump, juicy grapes.

“The platform has already seen Director Jiang’s script?”

"Not just platforms," Zhou Qingyu counted on her fingers, "all major film and television companies have received the first three episodes of 'The Bottom Line,' including Xingyao. Qiao Yan read the script, and she said it's decent for second-tier actors, but that's about it." Becoming a hit is a mystery; no one in the entertainnt industry dares to guarantee that a show will definitely beco a hit. They can only make educated guesses based on the team involved—script, screenwriter, director, lead actors, production company... all these factors are considered.

A good script, if it aligns with mainstream market trends and is paired with a popular director or lead actor, has the potential to beco a hit. As for works that succeed without these conditions, they exist too, but it’s largely a matter of luck.

Zhou Qingyu and Yan Xi chatted briefly about the ins and outs of film and television production in the entertainnt industry. Yan Xi only had a superficial understanding, and Zhou Qingyu sensed her lack of interest, so she didn’t delve deeper.

After leaving the winery, Louis reminded Zhou Qingyu that the Red Cross had just contacted him, saying they hadn’t yet received the transfer from Tianhui.

Now, there were only ten minutes left before Ye Luoyi’s two-hour deadline. "They still haven’t received it?" Zhou Qingyu was surprised. "What, is Ye Luoyi not planning to pay?"

Louis didn’t know either. His phone displayed the Weibo interface, where many netizens were discussing the matter.

[What if Tianhui doesn’t pay? Won’t the donation fall through?] [It’s all Yan Xi’s fault for contacting the Red Cross too early. They could’ve waited until the money was received before announcing the donation. Such a large sum, Tianhui probably needs to pay in installnts!] [If Yan Xi hadn’t contacted the Red Cross, this wouldn’t have happened! Couldn’t she wait two more hours before announcing the donation? She’s really in a hurry to build her image as a rising star from Xingyao!]

[People like her are bound to crash sooner or later! She’s rushing to establish a charity image before even getting things done!]

Zhou Qingyu frowned. This matter shouldn’t be blad on Yan Xi at all; the real culprit was Ye Luoyi. Yet, the internet was flooded with criticism aid at Yan Xi, while Ye Luoyi and Tianhui seed to vanish from the conversation.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Ye Luoyi had hired trolls to deliberately sar Yan Xi. Yan Xi didn’t have a fanbase, so it was easy for the public to be misled. Zhou Qingyu tightened her grip on Yan Xi’s hand. "Since we promised to donate, we’ll definitely donate. If it cos down to it, I’ll cover the money myself."

"Qingyu," Yan Xi looked at Zhou Qingyu with wide eyes, "you’re not mad at for making you spend more money, are you?"

Zhou Qingyu chuckled softly. "How could I bla you? If anyone’s to bla, it’s Ye Luoyi!"

Ye Luoyi was the one being shaless, and Yan Xi had even let Zhou Qingyu see Ye Luoyi’s embarrassnt. Zhou Qingyu couldn’t be happier.

As for the ten million, it wasn’t a big deal for her to pay. Charity donations could be tax-deductible, and the Zhou Group paid far more than ten million in taxes every year. Donating ten million was nothing. "Qingyu, I think Teacher Ye, as the daughter of the Ye family and a big celebrity, definitely wouldn’t refuse to pay!" Yan Xi "sensibly" comforted Zhou Qingyu. Zhou Qingyu crossed her arms and scoffed lightly. "If she hasn’t paid by now, what else could it be but her trying to weasel out of it?"

Yan Xi covered her mouth in shock. "So, Teacher Ye still hasn’t paid because she wants to back out? How could she do that? She agreed to it earlier! If she didn’t want to pay, she should’ve said so earlier. We wouldn’t have pressured her!" [Yan Xi is being too polite.]

[Taking ten million from soone and not paying it back? Ye Luoyi is utterly shaless!] [Zhou fans, stop talking nonsense! Those wines were only worth about a million! Yan Xi is extorting her!]

[If Ye Luoyi didn’t want to pay this money, she shouldn’t have agreed in the first place. She wanted to show off by promising her fans a ten-million-yuan reward, but when Yan Xi ntioned donating, she realized she couldn’t quietly return a million to Zhou Qingyu—she’d have to pay ten million instead. That’s why she panicked. Who told her to show off in the first place?]

[If you don’t have the skills, don’t take on the task. She’s reaping what she sowed!] Zhou Qingyu wanted to check the situation online. If Ye Luoyi had hired trolls to attack Yan Xi, she could also have Xingyao fight back. Trolls? Which celebrity in the entertainnt industry didn’t have them?

She casually picked up her phone, only to find it had turned off. "Out of battery?"

Zhou Qingyu grabbed a charging cable from the Lincoln limo and plugged it in. The brand logo lit up on the phone screen, and it booted to the lock screen, showing 62% battery.

Zhou Qingyu let out a puzzled sound.

The phone screen showed it was five minutes to seven. As soon as the signal connected, dozens of missed calls flooded the interface.

Yan Xi’s gaze turned cold. From her angle, she could see that all the missed calls were from Pei Yubai.

"Yubai called !" Zhou Qingyu couldn’t hide her joy. She avoided the cara and whispered to Yan Xi, "I’ll go return the call."

Yan Xi nodded. "Go ahead!"

She didn’t disturb Zhou Qingyu, instead sitting next to Louis and chatting with him to provide material for the live broadcast.

Pei Yubai was going crazy.

Ten million—this wasn’t a small sum. How could Ye Luoyi have caused such a ss for him?

Pei Yubai had initially thought that, given Zhou Qingyu’s feelings for him, a phone call and a few sweet words would be enough to get her to cover the paynt. But Zhou Qingyu had turned off her phone!

At such a critical mont, she had turned off her phone!

Pei Yubai also found Yan Xi’s phone number and asked her to help contact Zhou Qingyu. But as soon as the call connected, he heard a young girl on the other end shouting, "Another scam call! These scamrs are getting bolder!"

Then she turned off her phone too!

Pei Yubai was in a terrible mood. With the deadline approaching, he still hadn’t reached Zhou Qingyu. The internet was full of mocking comnts about Tianhui and Ye Luoyi. Pei Yubai couldn’t stand it and had Tianhui’s PR team redirect the attention to Yan Xi. But that was only a temporary fix.

Finally, just before the deadline, Zhou Qingyu answered the call! The mont the call connected, Pei Yubai unleashed a torrent of angry words. "Zhou Qingyu! Why did you have to donate? Are you deliberately trying to bully Luoyi and make things difficult for ?"

"Didn’t I tell you this is a critical ti for Tianhui? Ten million is such a large amount of cash flow—it’s not easy to co by! Zhou Qingyu, if you want to ruin , just say it outright!"

"Hello—Zhou Qingyu! Hello—"

Pei Yubai ranted for a while, but on the other end of the line, there was only static and noise. Zhou Qingyu’s voice was intermittent and unclear. In the Lincoln limo, Zhou Qingyu was also saying, "Hello? Hello? Hello?" "How strange, is the signal this bad? I can’t hear Yubai at all!"

Yan Xi silently pressed a signal jamr under her seat. The live broadcast was also affected, but it wasn’t a big deal.

Louis saw it too, but he didn’t expose Yan Xi. Instead, he helped the PD adjust the poor signal for the live broadcast, pretending to say, "Your program’s equipnt isn’t up to par. I know a company that specializes in caras—I’ll recomnd them to you!" Yan Xi comforted Zhou Qingyu. "It must be Second Young Master Pei’s signal that’s bad, so he can’t hear you. He might be in so remote location on set!" Zhou Qingyu thought so too, since she was in Licheng, an international tropolis. It couldn’t be her signal, right?

Yan Xi: "Don’t worry. If Second Young Master has sothing urgent, he’ll contact you later."

Zhou Qingyu: "You’re right!"

System & Louis: [Impressive.]

One minute before seven p.m., Tianhui transferred ten million to the Red Cross account. If Pei Yubai had reached Zhou Qingyu, he could’ve easily convinced her to pay the money.

But in the end, he failed.

Tianhui’s account didn’t have that much cash on hand, so Pei Yubai had to dip into his personal funds. The thought of it made his heart ache.

As a illegitimate son, he didn’t have much control over the Pei Group’s finances—those were in the hands of his older brother, Pei Hanli. Aside from running Tianhui, he didn’t have much money to his na.

After the ten million was transferred to the Red Cross, they imdiately posted a lengthy Weibo post, thanking Zhou Qingyu for her charitable act, which had helped countless people in need. This donation was also one of the largest private donations in the entertainnt industry. The post, over a thousand words long, didn’t ntion Tianhui once. Tianhui seed like nothing more than a tool, spending ten million only to hand the spotlight to Zhou Qingyu.

In the guesthouse, Ye Luoyi’s face turned pale as she saw the internet flooded with praise for Zhou Qingyu.

So of it ca from genuine netizens, but there were also Xingyao’s trolls at work.

Many industry insiders knew that Zhou Qingyu had only spent a million but achieved such a sensational effect. It was a masterclass in entertainnt industry marketing.

As the biggest loser in this situation, Ye Luoyi couldn’t help but notice that every ntion of her na was accompanied by mockery.

In all her life, she had never been so humiliated!

On the internet, aside from praises for Zhou Qingyu's beauty and kindness in donating, many netizens also posted records of winning luxury items. Although the prizes hadn't been delivered yet, they couldn't wait to share their excitent.

Ye Luoyi was furious. She had also participated in the lottery and spent ten million on it! Yet, her fans felt embarrassed and didn't post anything to celebrate. The few who did post weren't even her fans but random passersby. Moreover, they weren't thanking Ye Luoyi but rather criticizing the wine, saying it wasn't worth a hundred thousand and that twenty thousand was already pushing it. Was twenty thousand really that little? Did they have to nitpick even that?

Seeing these comnts, Ye Luoyi trembled with anger.

The sound of flushing ca from the bathroom, mixed with Su Lingling's curses, "What kind of junk is this? It won't even flush properly!"

As she spoke, Su Lingling kicked the toilet, but wearing plastic slippers, her toes hit the ceramic surface, causing a sharp pain. Clutching her foot, she grimaced and limped out of the bathroom.

Seeing Ye Luoyi, Su Lingling's face darkened. She sat on her bed in a huff, ignoring her friend. Her foot still hurt, and she rubbed it gently. anwhile, Ye Luoyi was too preoccupied with the mocking comnts online to care about her friend.

[Did Su Lingling hurt her foot? She looks pitiful.]

[Yi Yi, go check on Lingling! She's falling apart!]

[Yi Yi seems really upset.]

[Co on, who wouldn't be upset after being scamd out of ten million?]

Su Lingling finally couldn't hold back. She wasn't the type to keep her thoughts to herself. The room had caras, but the bathroom didn't.

As Ye Luoyi once again buried herself under the covers to check the online comnts about her, Su Lingling got up and dragged her into the bathroom. "Lingling, stop pulling ! You're choking ! It hurts!" Su Lingling slamd the bathroom door shut and confronted Ye Luoyi bluntly, "Ye Luoyi, what's your problem? Why did you deny it in front of the caras today? Do you know how much you embarrassed ? I was defending you, and you go and tell you have nothing to do with Pei Yubai?"

Ye Luoyi adjusted her clothes uncomfortably.

People often beco close due to certain circumstances—shared interests, favorite foods, or like-minded friends. For Ye Luoyi and Su Lingling, their bond began with their mutual opposition to Zhou Qingyu. Ye Luoyi hadn't shown it openly, but ever since netizens started mocking Zhou Qingyu as a howrecker because of her, Su Lingling had taken notice. Su Lingling had attended the sa middle school as Zhou Qingyu and had always held a grudge against her for stealing her position as the lead cellist.

She thought Ye Luoyi was the wronged party and gradually grew closer to her.

But today, Ye Luoyi had told her that she had nothing to do with Pei Yubai? "Lingling, it's not what you think," Ye Luoyi said, not wanting to lose Su Lingling as a friend, especially since the Su and Ye families had business ties. "Yubai and I do like each other, but in high society, is mutual affection enough?"

Su Lingling was also aware of the complexities of elite families. The Pei and Zhou families were the top-tier elites in Hai City, while the Su and Ye families were a notch below, though Su Lingling refused to admit it.

She insisted stubbornly, "If Pei Yubai really likes you, he should take the initiative to win over the Pei family elders!"

Ye Luoyi smiled bitterly, "That takes ti, and we're both working on it! Once Tianhui gets back on track and Yubai's abilities are recognized, we can go public. It's just not the right ti yet!"

"Lingling, I didn't an to embarrass you today. I just couldn't help it. If I could, I'd announce it too! Who wants to keep their relationship a secret?" Su Lingling sighed. High society was all about interests, and Yi Yi and Pei Yubai already had it tough. As her best friend, she should be more understanding. "You should've told earlier," Su Lingling complained. Ye Luoyi linked arms with her, "I'm sorry, okay? Don't be mad!" Su Lingling was easy to placate, and with just a few soothing words from Ye Luoyi, her resentnt faded.

The two walked out of the bathroom arm in arm, though Su Lingling's foot still hurt, causing her to stumble slightly.

She glanced back at the "culprit" toilet, "This guesthouse is so bad! Is the production team that broke? Couldn't they have picked a better place?" Ye Luoyi teased, "It's no match for Miss Su's mansion, but just bear with it. We'll finish the first leg of filming in four days!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The sound of construction ca from outside. Ye Luoyi and Su Lingling exchanged looks before opening the door to see a dozen burly n carrying furniture out. The n were shirtless, their muscular arms bulging as they moved heavy items.

Ye Luoyi scread, "What are you doing?"

The leader, a middle-aged man around forty, dressed in plain work clothes and wearing a helt, approached her. He had the classic features of a Frenchman, with deep-set, handso eyes. He explained in fluent English, "Hello, we're the renovation team hired by Louis. Miss Zhou found the guesthouse conditions unsatisfactory and asked us to make so improvents."

"Renovate the guesthouse?" Su Lingling peeked out, "Can you finish in such a short ti?"

The leader smiled, "We specialize in this. A few hours will be enough."

One of the workers asked in French, "How many rooms need renovating?" The leader put down his tools, checked his phone, and said, "Not sure yet." He then turned to Ye Luoyi, "Miss Ye, Miss Zhou asked if your room needs any upgrades?"

Ye Luoyi's mouth twitched. Even though she wasn't comfortable in the guesthouse, she didn't want to accept Zhou Qingyu's help.

She politely declined, "No, thank you. I think the room is fine as it is."

"Alright," the leader inford the worker in French, "Aside from Miss Ye's room, the other three rooms will be renovated."

Su Lingling, using her phone to translate, asked, "Did Director Jiang and Teacher Qin agree to the renovations?"

The leader nodded, "Of course. Who wouldn't want to live more comfortably? Our upgrades won't be too complicated, but they'll definitely improve the living conditions."

Ye Luoyi frowned. She wasn't surprised that Jiang Tao agreed, but why did Qin Li go along with it?

The workers continued their comings and goings, already starting the renovations. Ye Luoyi watched as the bathroom fixtures in the neighboring room were replaced, the floors covered with carpets, the furniture swapped for more comfortable pieces, and an air conditioner installed. She couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. "This is soone else's property. Don't you need the owner's permission to make such changes?"

The leader turned to her, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth, "Don't worry. Miss Zhou has already bought the guesthouse. The renovations are perfectly fine!"