What Should I Do if My Best Friend Is a Green Tea? [Transmigrated Into a Book] Chapter 46

Under the dim, yellowish light of the garden lamps, a man in a crisp white shirt loosened his dark blue tie. His suit jacket hung casually over his wrist, and in his other hand, he held a phone as he strode confidently toward Yan Xi.

The mont Yan Xi turned around, Zhou Yanci's light-colored pupils reflected her startled expression. He stepped forward and flicked her forehead gently. "Are you dumbfounded?"

Yan Xi covered her forehead. "Mr. Zhou?"

Zhou Yanci raised an eyebrow. "Weren’t you calling 'Zhou Yanci' just fine a mont ago?" Yan Xi shrank into a small ball. "I only did that because you weren’t at the old mansion. I got a little carried away. I won’t do it again, I promise…"

Zhou Yanci chuckled. "I didn’t say anything. Besides, you’re a Xingyao employee, not mine." He suddenly leaned closer to Yan Xi. "But calling that is fine too." His warm breath brushed against her ear, sending a tingling sensation through her skin and making her heart race.

She quickly took a deep breath, trying to shake off the strange thoughts swirling in her mind. "Zhou…" Yan Xi paused. "Weren’t you supposed to be at the apartnt? Why are you back at the old mansion?"

Zhou Yanci stretched his neck, pressing his shoulder. "I haven’t been sleeping well lately. Didn’t soone promise to give a massage to help sleep better?" Yan Xi imdiately cracked her knuckles. "Of course! I learned a whole set of techniques today. I guarantee it’ll work!"

"Let’s give it a try."

Zhou Yanci strode into the hall and sat down on an antique armchair. Yan Xi followed closely, placing her tablet on the side table and flexing her fingers.

The tablet played a massage tutorial video. Zhou Yanci glanced at it indifferently, but his gaze lingered on the title: *How to Help Your Husband Relax His Shoulders and Neck.*

A faint glimr flashed in his eyes, and the corner of his mouth curved into a subtle smile.

Yesterday, Yan Xi had massaged Zhou Yanci’s head, which didn’t require much strength—just the right techniques and rembering a few key points.

But today, massaging his shoulders and neck would require more effort.

Yan Xi, who spent most of her ti in the library, could barely survive an 800-ter run. As a result, what was supposed to be a firm press felt more like a gentle caress to Zhou Yanci. He suddenly realized that Yan Xi’s massage wasn’t relaxing him at all. Instead, he found himself tensing up, unsure where her hands would move next. His chest rose and fell, and his breathing grew heavier.

Unaware of Zhou Yanci’s reaction, Yan Xi continued following the video, her mind busy calculating her "luck points."

Theoretically, if Zhou Yanci didn’t stay up late, he would gain "health points." In other words, the healthier he was, the further he stayed from the brink of sudden death, and the more luck points she could earn!

From this perspective, there were more ways to earn luck points than just urging him to sleep early.

Massage might work.

A balanced diet could help too.

Maybe even a full health checkup to rule out any potential issues?

As she pondered, Yan Xi’s excitent grew. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t notice the charging cable on the floor. As she reached for the tablet on the side table, she lost her balance—

"Ah—!"

Zhou Yanci sprang to his feet just in ti to see Yan Xi fall to the ground. The hem of her nightgown had ridden up, revealing a red scrape on her ankle, with tiny beads of blood seeping through the scratches. Zhou Yanci’s brow furrowed as he scooped her up in his arms.

The sudden weightlessness made Yan Xi gasp, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around Zhou Yanci’s neck, afraid she might fall.

Zhou Yanci placed her gently on the armchair and knelt in front of her, inspecting the wound on her ankle.

The injury wasn’t large, about the size of a coin.

But Yan Xi’s skin was pale, and the bloody mark stood out starkly against its smooth surface.

Zhou Yanci fetched the first-aid kit and sat beside Yan Xi, placing her foot on his lap.

The cold touch of his fingers made Yan Xi shiver.

"Mr. Zhou, it’s just a scratch. It doesn’t hurt. There’s no need to go through all this trouble!" But Zhou Yanci ignored her protests, pulling out cotton swabs and iodine to clean the wound. Yan Xi grew even more nervous and tried to pull her foot back.

"Don’t move," Zhou Yanci said, gripping her ankle firmly.

Yan Xi stamred, "I didn’t an to. I’m just ticklish…"

Zhou Yanci carefully removed the dirt from the wound with a cotton swab. "Then bear with it. I’ll try to be quick."

"I…"

Yan Xi cautiously tucked her head in.

Despite his words, Yan Xi couldn’t help but worry that Zhou Yanci might suddenly tickle her. Zhou Qingyu knew she was ticklish and loved to catch her off guard.

Yan Xi pursed her lips, feeling both anxious and embarrassed but too shy to say anything. She decided to look away, her gaze eventually landing on Zhou Yanci’s face.

The light from the hall cast a soft glow on Zhou Yanci’s profile, highlighting his sharp, handso features.

Yan Xi rarely had the chance to see Zhou Yanci from this angle. He was so tall that she almost never got to look down at him. And now, being this close, she could even see the fine hairs on his skin.

Yan Xi had always prided herself on her immunity to good looks. Being around Zhou Qingyu, a beauty with goddess-like features, had raised her standards. While others might scream "Hubby, you’re so handso!" at Shen Xinghe, Yan Xi could admire his looks while casually scrolling through a few SCI papers. She was that unshakable.

But as she looked at Zhou Yanci, Yan Xi felt her carefully cultivated immunity crumble.

She could hear her own heartbeat.

Zhou Yanci noticed her gaze and suddenly looked up, catching her eyes. In that instant, Yan Xi turned her face away.

By the ti Zhou Yanci finished cleaning the wound, Yan Xi had already fallen asleep.

She had been worrying for days about Zhou Qingyu attending a birthday banquet and hadn’t slept well. Now, with her mind at ease, she drifted off without realizing it. Her breathing was steady and soft, her sleep deep.

A strand of her bangs fell onto her petite nose. Zhou Yanci reached out and gently tucked it behind her ear.

Then, he lifted her in a princess carry and headed toward her room.

The warmth of his embrace was far more comfortable than the hard armchair. Yan Xi unconsciously nestled closer to him, curling up like a little kitten. In her sleep, she mumbled, "Zhou Yanci… don’t die…"

Zhou Yanci paused, a faint smile crossing his face. "I’ll make sure to stay alive."

After tucking Yan Xi into bed, Zhou Yanci left the room.

As soon as he stepped out, he ran into Zhou Qingyu, who was up for a late-night stroll.

Zhou Qingyu was half-asleep, a Minions eye mask hanging on her forehead, her hair a ssy nest.

She walked past Zhou Yanci without a second glance but suddenly stopped after a few steps. She turned back and scrutinized him, then glanced at Yan Xi’s room. "Why are you coming out of Yan Xi’s room? What did you do to her?"

Zhou Yanci frowned. "What’s wrong with your head?"

Zhou Qingyu looked genuinely concerned and tried to rush into Yan Xi’s room. Zhou Yanci blocked her path. "Don’t go in. She’s asleep." After a brief pause, he added, "You should get so rest too."

"Oh!" Zhou Qingyu stopped in her tracks. "Alright, I'll go to sleep then." Sleepiness overpowered the last bit of rationality in Zhou Qingyu, and she quickly returned to her room, lying down on the comfortable bed.

But the mont she closed her eyes, she suddenly jolted awake.

"Wait a minute! Why should I listen to Zhou Yanci just because he told to sleep? Why should I obey him?"

The next morning, at dawn.

As soon as Yan Xi woke up, she saw the system frantically notifying her, displaying the latest update: **[Zhou Yanci’s health index has increased. Zhou Qingyu has gained 0.3 points of luck. Current luck value: 29.9 points.]**

Yan Xi was overwheld with excitent.

"What happened yesterday? How did she suddenly gain 0.3 points of luck?" The system reviewed the previous night's events: **[Not much, really. After you fell asleep, Zhou Yanci carried you back to your room. That's all...]**

Yan Xi scratched her head, still puzzled.

Could letting Zhou Yanci carry her back to her room really increase her luck by so much?

If that's the case, she would definitely let Zhou Yanci carry her back every night from now on!

But still, she was just 0.1 points short of her goal, and tonight was Old Man Pei’s birthday banquet.

Yan Xi quickly got up.

Today, she had to go to Xingyao. The developnt of *The Bottom Line* was going well, with several advertisers sponsoring it. Shen Xinghe was also making progress, and so production teams had noticed his potential, already sending him scripts.

Shen Xinghe was an artist managed by Qiao Yan. However, when it ca to scripts, Qiao Yan always consulted Yan Xi, as she believed Yan Xi had a good eye for drama. Yan Xi sent a ssage to Producer Xu, who said they would give a response regarding the casting of the female supporting role by 6 PM at the latest.

And Old Man Pei’s birthday banquet was set to begin at 6 PM.

By 4 PM, Yan Xi finally finished her work at Xingyao. Unfortunately, she hadn’t gained any luck points throughout the day, so she could only pin her hopes on *Crazy*. After finishing work, Yan Xi called Zhou Qingyu, planning to stick by her side to prevent her from being led astray by Pei Yubai again. On the other end of the line, Zhou Qingyu’s sweet voice greeted her, "Yan Xi, I’m at Yubai’s place right now. Do you want to co over?"

Damn it!

"Wait for ! I’m coming right away!"

Yan Xi rushed out of the Xingyao office building like a gust of wind, bumping into Fang Yue and Qiao Yan, who were returning with milk tea. The two greeted her warmly, but Yan Xi didn’t have ti to chat and quickly left Xingyao.

Fang Yue: "What’s with her? Is she in a hurry to reincarnate?"

Qiao Yan took a big sip of her milk tea. "I feel like she’s rushing to commit murder."

Yan Xi really did feel like killing soone right now.

In the taxi, she urged Producer Xu for the results while making backup plans.

On her tablet, she reviewed the project departnt’s files, trying to identify profitable projects. If Zhou Qingyu didn’t get the role, she needed to quickly secure another lucrative project for Xingyao.

But good projects were hard to co by.

The entertainnt industry rarely produced dark horses.

Yan Xi sighed. She was only 0.1 points short. If it weren’t for the ti pressure, she wouldn’t be in such a rush.

"System, if all else fails, maybe we should just tie Qingyu up and make her miss the banquet!"

**[!!!]**

**[Host! Snap out of it!]**

Pei Yubai’s residence was in a high-end community called Riverside Mansion.

This was one of the most prestigious properties in Hai City, quite different from Zhou Qingyu’s apartnt in the city center.

Zhou Qingyu was changing clothes in the walk-in closet, while Pei Yubai was on a call in the living room. "The *Crazy* project needs to re-audition? Are you kidding ? We’re the investors! Can’t we even decide on a supporting role?" On the other end of the line, Producer Xu tactfully explained, "Young Master Pei, it was Xingyao who requested the change."

Pei Yubai frowned. "Zhou Qingyu is a director at Xingyao. Who can override her decisions?"

"That’s true, but the actual investor is the Zhou Group, and the person in charge assigned by the Zhou Group... is Yan Xi. Zhou Qingyu’s decisions don’t count. Only Yan Xi’s do."

Producer Xu was a sly old fox. If he could shift the bla onto soone else, he would never take responsibility himself.

Besides, it was Yan Xi who wanted to change the casting. He wasn’t wrong. Pei Yubai narrowed his eyes. Yan Xi—her na had been popping up too often lately, and it annoyed him.

The doorbell rang, and the maid led Yan Xi into the living room. Pei Yubai’s frown deepened. This project was crucial. If Ye Luoyi could land the supporting role, it would be easier for her to break into the film industry, and the benefits for Tianhui would be imasurable.

He strode over to Yan Xi. "Was it you who had Interconnect Entertainnt change the casting?" Yan Xi, already frustrated by Producer Xu’s delayed announcent, had no patience for Pei Yubai’s gas.

"Yes, it was . Got a problem with that?"

Pei Yubai’s face turned dark. "You’re an outsider. What do you know? If it’s not Luoyi, who else could it be?"

Yan Xi’s gaze was full of disdain and provocation. "Why would it be anyone else? I recomnded Qingyu!"

She glanced at Pei Yubai’s phone and saw that Producer Xu hadn’t hung up yet. "Oh, so Producer Xu already told you that Ye Luoyi didn’t get the role? Well, her performance wasn’t as good as Qingyu’s, so it’s only natural she didn’t get it!" Pei Yubai found this utterly absurd. How could Zhou Qingyu possibly outperform Ye Luoyi?

"You probably threatened Producer Xu with the investnt! Even if Luoyi didn’t get the role, Zhou Qingyu definitely wouldn’t!"

Yan Xi sneered. "Why wouldn’t Qingyu get it? The role requires soone who can play the cello, and Qingyu can. The character is a proud young lady, and so is Qingyu. What does Ye Luoyi have? Overall, Qingyu is a much better fit! Oh, Young Master Pei, don’t tell you didn’t even know Qingyu can play the cello? How can you be so indifferent to your fiancée? Where exactly is your attention focused?"

Pei Yubai was furious. Since becoming the CEO of Tianhui, no one had dared to speak to him like this. Even Pei Hanli showed him so respect during company etings.

Yan Xi, a poor student, had repeatedly challenged him before, and now she was ruining his plans!

Thinking about the million he had lost earlier, Pei Yubai felt a pang of regret.

He raised his hand, almost slapping Yan Xi. But years of aristocratic upbringing stopped him just in ti.

At that mont, the door to the walk-in closet opened, and Zhou Qingyu walked into the living room. Pei Yubai took a deep breath. What did Yan Xi matter? Zhou Qingyu was the Zhou family’s young lady. As long as he could control Zhou Qingyu, there was still a chance to secure the role! "Qingyu..."

Pei Yubai walked toward Zhou Qingyu.

Behind him, Yan Xi let out a cry, "Ouch—"

She fell to the ground, clutching her face pitifully. "Young Master Pei, I was just helping Qingyu get a role. Why did you hit ?" Pei Yubai: ?

"Ah—"

She let out another cry of pain, pulling up the hem of her white wide-leg pants to reveal a wound on her ankle. "It hurts so much..."

Pei Yubai: ????????

Pei Yubai looked at his hand, then at Yan Xi.

What the hell? He hadn’t even touched her!

Zhou Qingyu, dressed in a haute couture gown from Brand A, hurried over to Yan Xi, holding up her skirt. When she saw the shocking wound on Yan Xi's ankle, her heart ached. In the taxi earlier, Yan Xi had torn off the dical tape and washed away the iodine stain with mineral water. The wound, which hadn't yet scabbed over, now looked even more alarming, truly pitiful to see.

"Brother Yubai! How could you, a grown man, bully Yan Xi like this?" Pei Yubai looked utterly confused. "? Bully her?" Who was bullying whom here?!

Zhou Qingyu helped Yan Xi up and guided her to the couch.

Yan Xi's eyes were filled with tears. "Qingyu, don't bla Second Young Master. I fell on my own. He... he didn't do anything."

Pei Yubai imdiately nodded in agreent. "Exactly what she said!"

Zhou Qingyu was exasperated. "Brother Yubai, you're so irresponsible! If it wasn't you, then how did Yan Xi get hurt?" Pei Yubai was at his wit's end. He wanted to know how Yan Xi got hurt and why she suddenly fell too!

Pei Yubai pointed at Yan Xi. "Zhou Qingyu, she's lying to you. That wound is fake. Are you really going to believe her over ?"

Zhou Qingyu hesitated for a mont, a flicker of doubt in her eyes.

In that instant, Yan Xi's heart clenched.

She didn't know how far the plot's forced progression would go. Was this trick she used on Ye Luoyi barely working, but perhaps not on Pei Yubai? Zhou Qingyu looked at Yan Xi. The red mark on her face wasn't very noticeable, but the wound on her foot seed to still be bleeding.

Most likely, she had fallen while trying to avoid Pei Yubai's slap, injuring her foot in the process!

Thinking this, Zhou Qingyu grew even angrier. "Brother Yubai, this wound is real! You're going too far! Not only did you hurt Xi Xi, but now you're slandering her too! What kind of man are you?"

Pei Yubai: ???

Pei Yubai had never felt so wronged before.

The whole apartnt was practically drowning in the scent of green tea!

Pei Yubai was so furious he didn't know what to say. Just then, his phone rang—it was a call from his father.

"The birthday banquet is about to start. Why aren't you here yet?"

Pei Yubai felt a lump of frustration stuck in his chest, neither rising nor falling.

"I'm on my way."

He hung up the phone and returned to Zhou Qingyu's side.

As his gaze swept past Yan Xi, he shot her a fierce glare. Zhou Qingyu noticed this and frowned.

Pei Yubai said, "Zhou Qingyu, this has nothing to do with ! Believe it or not, it's up to you! I have to go to the banquet. Tonight's event is important. Once you deal with Yan Xi's situation, hurry over too!"

Zhou Qingyu was in a bad mood, but she knew the banquet was crucial. She replied sullenly, "Got it."

Pei Yubai threw on a suit jacket and quickly left the apartnt.

Zhou Qingyu helped Yan Xi up. "I'll take you to the hospital!"

Zhou Qingyu's private car was parked outside the complex.

Little ng was idly playing on her phone in the car when she saw Zhou Qingyu helping Yan Xi over. She quickly got out to open the door.

"What happened to Yan Xi? Is she hurt?"

"Help her in first."

Zhou Qingyu had Little ng assist Yan Xi while she picked up her skirt and rummaged through the car's storage compartnt for a pair of scissors. With a swift "rip," she cut the floor-length gown into a knee-length dress.

Yan Xi and Little ng gasped in shock.

Little ng might not have known, but Yan Xi was well aware—this white halter haute couture gown from Brand A cost 1.3 million RMB.

Zhou Qingyu, however, didn't seem to care. She casually tossed the cut-off skirt into the backseat. "This is more convenient. Let's go to the hospital!"

Little ng drove toward the nearest public hospital to Shuian Linde. On the way, she asked Zhou Qingyu, "Qingyu, weren't you supposed to attend Old Man Pei's birthday banquet tonight?"

Zhou Qingyu didn't deny it. "I'll go after taking Yan Xi to get her wound treated. Being a little late won't matter."

Yan Xi was worried. It seed Zhou Qingyu still intended to go to the banquet. Without enough "luck points," she couldn't resist the plot's forced progression.

The nearest hospital, Hai City Hospital, was about half an hour away. Just then, Producer Xu sent Yan Xi a ssage saying that, after careful consideration, he and Director Wei were most satisfied with Zhou Qingyu's performance. The legal team was finalizing the contract, and the electronic version would be sent to Qiao Yan within the hour.

In other words, Yan Xi needed to stall for another half hour.

anwhile, Pei Yubai called Zhou Qingyu, urging her to hurry to the banquet. Seizing the opportunity, Yan Xi patted Little ng's shoulder and whispered, "Drive slower!" Little ng asked quietly, "But aren't you hurt? Isn't this inappropriate?" "Every minute we delay is a minute less that Qingyu has to suffer under Pei Yubai's tyranny. It's better if they spend less ti together!" Little ng agreed wholeheartedly. She had never had a good impression of Pei Yubai. As a result, what should have been a 30-minute drive turned into nearly an hour.

By the ti Zhou Qingyu helped Yan Xi into the hospital, the banquet was about to start. But Yan Xi, determined to stall for as long as possible, walked extrely slowly, muttering, "Oh, it hurts so much... Qingyu, don't walk so fast..."

Little ng played along. "Qingyu, Yan Xi looks like she's in a lot of pain! Let's go slower!"

Finally, Zhou Qingyu got a wheelchair and pushed Yan Xi into the examination room. Yan Xi continued to moan in pain, while Zhou Qingyu anxiously pulled the doctor over.

"Doctor, please check her quickly!"

The young doctor, also looking nervous, put on a mask and carefully examined Yan Xi's leg.

Then, he frowned. "You really should have co sooner." Zhou Qingyu's heart skipped a beat. "Is it that serious?" The doctor put away his tools and said gravely, "Yes. Any later, and her wound would have healed on its own."

Zhou Qingyu: ???

Yan Xi and Little ng looked guilty.

Zhou Qingyu was stunned for a mont before glaring at the doctor. "What kind of quack are you? Do you even know how to diagnose properly?"

The doctor pursed his lips in annoyance.

Was he wrong? It was just a scrape that needed so iodine! If it weren't for Zhou Qingyu's beauty, he would have lost his temper. Suppressing his irritation, the doctor took out iodine and cotton swabs to treat Yan Xi's wound. As he worked, he noticed that the wound wasn't fresh. He glanced at Yan Xi, who avoided his gaze, but he didn't say anything more.

While the doctor was treating Yan Xi, the system suddenly popped up: [Host! Producer Xu has sent the contract to Qiao Yan! Qiao Yan has already signed electronically, and the contract is now in effect!]

At the sa ti, the system issued a formal notification: [Ding! Zhou Qingyu has obtained the role of Li Hua, the third female lead in "Crazy Sumr and Winter," earning 2 luck points. Current luck points: 31.9.]

[Luck points have exceeded 30. Unlocking a milestone achievent: Zhou Qingyu can resist plot control for 24 hours.]

Yan Xi's heart raced with excitent. She turned to Zhou Qingyu. Thinking she was in pain, Zhou Qingyu held her hand and asked, "What's wrong?" Yan Xi swallowed hard, trying to contain her excitent, and said slowly, "Qingyu, don't go to the banquet, okay?"

The examination room fell silent, the sound of the clock ticking loudly. Yan Xi stared intently at Zhou Qingyu, not daring to breathe.

Zhou Qingyu looked at her and, as usual, furrowed his brows slightly—

“Isn’t that obvious? You’re hurt like this, of course I’m going to stay with you!”