What Should I Do if My Best Friend Is a Green Tea? [Transmigrated Into a Book] Chapter 83

Hotel Villa

Zhou Qingyu paced anxiously back and forth.

The living room had a massive floor-to-ceiling window. Though sunset was still hours away, a blizzard raged outside, turning the sky ink-black. The hot spring pool in the courtyard was barely visible through the storm.

Headlights flickered in the distance as the production crew trudged through the snow into the villa.

Zhou Qingyu imdiately rushed forward. She recognized this team—they were the group assigned to follow Yan Xi.

Her eyes darted around, scanning unfamiliar faces, but Yan Xi was nowhere in sight.

"Where’s Yan Xi?" Zhou Qingyu demanded of the PD.

Earlier, in the ski resort’s lounge, she had overheard Director Yu and Assistant Liu discussing an incident involving Yan Xi. With so many people around, surely nothing too serious could have happened—so why had everyone returned except her?

The PD sighed helplessly. "Yan Xi and the others accidentally skied outside the safe zone. We tried to retrieve them, but the blizzard was too severe—we couldn’t risk moving recklessly. The rescue team arrived later and followed the direction we pointed them in, while we were instructed to return first."

Zhou Qingyu’s brows furrowed deeply. "With so many of you around, you let a young girl go missing?"

The PD looked ashad. "President Zhou was with Yan Xi… He should be able to keep her safe..."

But Zhou Qingyu’s frown only darkened. What use was Zhou Yanci, that sly old fox? His ankle surgery wound from tumor removal hadn’t even healed yet—he was practically an invalid himself!

The manager of the Royal Hotel was also present in the villa, along with their specialized search-and-rescue team.

Zhou Qingyu commanded, "Spare no expense, send as many people as needed—find those two, understood?"

In the distance, the ski resort’s mountainside lit up with searchlights. The snowstorm howled, the night growing heavier. The deeper the night, the harder it would be to locate them.

Amid the sea of worried faces, Pei Yubai’s eyes glead with quiet satisfaction.

He had only wanted to teach Yan Xi a lesson—never expected the fool would ski out of bounds on her own, dragging Zhou Yanci down with her. Served her right.

If not for her, he would’ve already won Zhou Qingyu back!

A little freezing was too light a punishnt for her!

But outwardly, Pei Yubai maintained a gentle facade, soothing Zhou Qingyu. "Qingyu, with so many rescuers out there, Yan Xi will be fine. Honestly, she brought this on herself—if she hadn’t recklessly left the safe zone, none of this would’ve happened—"

SLAP!

Zhou Qingyu’s palm struck Pei Yubai’s face with a sharp crack.

The villa’s living room fell into stunned silence, all eyes fixed on the two of them.

Pei Yubai gaped in disbelief.

Zhou Qingyu didn’t hold back. "Pei Yubai, since you’re so free, why don’t you go out and search for them yourself?"

Pei Yubai shuddered. The blizzard outside looked terrifying. "Y-You want to go out in this weather?"

"Unwilling?" Zhou Qingyu’s gaze turned icy. "Two people are missing out there—one is my best friend, the other is my own flesh-and-blood brother. You claim to love , don’t you? Shouldn’t you help find the two most important people in my life?"

Pei Yubai inwardly rolled his eyes.

Most important people? Yan Xi, fine—but since when did Zhou Yanci matter so much to her? Did Zhou Yanci even know they’d reconciled?

Zhou Qingyu arched a brow. "Well? Not up for it? Guess your love isn’t that deep after all."

Pei Yubai’s face paled. He’d co all the way to Queenstown as Zhou Qingyu’s travel consultant to win her back. If he refused now, wouldn’t it prove his love was a lie?

Torn between the deadly storm and the stakes of the Pei family’s shares, he gritted his teeth. "Fine! I’ll go!"

The Royal Hotel dispatched a second rescue team, with Pei Yubai among them.

The mont he stepped outside, the wind stabbed like needles against his skin, as if icy hands were dragging him into a frozen abyss. Within minutes, his limbs stiffened from the cold.

Blinded by the endless white, Pei Yubai trudged with the team, searching for Zhou Yanci and Yan Xi. For a fleeting mont, regret gnawed at him—if only he hadn’t tampered with that walkie-talkie...

---

Back in the villa, Zhou Qingyu continued pacing.

The hotel manager inford her that Yan Xi had requested two GPS beacons earlier that day—one of which had been activated. The rescue team could now track the signal.

It was a sliver of hope.

But even with the beacon, reaching its location would take ti.

Zhou Qingyu’s frustration simred. Yan Xi didn’t even know how to ski—how had she ended up outside the safe zone?

She turned to the PD. "Tell the truth—did Zhou Yanci get carried away skiing and drag her out there? Are you all covering for him?"

The PD hesitated. "Miss Zhou, we have footage. Would you like to see it?"

Though the live broadcast had been disrupted, the recorded footage remained intact.

The PD connected the device to the TV. The screen displayed the pristine beginner’s slope, flanked by scattered dead trees beyond the boundaries. At that point, visibility had still been clear.

In the recording, Yan Xi struggled to ski, wobbling before face-planting into a snowdrift after just a few ters.

Zhou Yanci hauled her out.

Exasperation laced his voice. "Maybe give up? Skiing’s not your thing."

"No!" Yan Xi clenched her fists. "Director Yu said completing the challenge would let switch partners! I’m getting the hang of it—just watch!"

She adjusted her stance and pushed off again—only to crash seconds later. Zhou Yanci had no choice but to pull her out once more.

This cycle repeated endlessly: ski, fall, rescue, repeat.

"Zhou Yanci, one more try! I’m almost there!"

"Once I get this, I can go back to Qingyu!"

"Are you trying to stop from seeing Qingyu? Help up!"

Unnoticed, they had drifted toward the ski area’s edge.

As Zhou Yanci stepped away to ask the PD about the worsening weather, Yan Xi kept practicing—and miraculously, it clicked.

"Zhou Yanci! I did it! Look, I can ski now! I’m going back to Qingyu~!"

She had mastered gliding—but not stopping.

The blizzard swallowed her tiny figure in an instant. Without hesitation, Zhou Yanci lunged after her.

The footage cut to static.

Zhou Qingyu stared at the screen, her legs giving way as she collapsed onto the sofa.

She rembered every word Yan Xi had said—that she would learn to ski so she could return to her. Until the very end, Yan Xi had been happy that she mastered skiing, finally able to end the partner swap.

Zhou Qingyu's eyes burned with unshed tears.

Regret gnawed at her. Why had she argued with Yan Xi? So what if Yan Xi had lied to her? It was just a trivial matter like a breakup—being deceived wouldn’t cost her anything. Yet Yan Xi had worked so hard just to co back to her.

The living room was silent, not a word spoken. Even Yaozu lay obediently at Zhou Qingyu’s feet, gently licking her fingertips.

Ti stretched endlessly. The snow and night blended together outside until the sound of brakes cut through the quiet. The distant beams of a bus’s headlights flashed past the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Zhou Qingyu rose from the sofa. The living room was warm, but she wore only a soft pair of slippers and a C-brand shawl draped over her shoulders. At the sound of the brakes, she rushed outside, barefoot, into the villa’s courtyard.

It was the rescue team’s vehicle.

Under the dim glow of the headlights, snowflakes danced in the air. Zhou Qingyu watched as Yan Xi, bundled in a thick down jacket, stepped out of the rescue vehicle.

At that mont, the tears she had been holding back spilled over, falling one by one.

Zhou Qingyu ran forward and pulled Yan Xi into a tight embrace.

……

The cold outside was biting. Yan Xi herself was freezing, and seeing Zhou Qingyu dressed so lightly, she quickly urged her back into the villa.

Inside, Zhou Qingyu inspected Yan Xi from head to toe. "What happened to your face? How did you get so many cuts? What if you’re scarred? Are you hurt anywhere else? Did you get frostbite?"

The villa was warm, and Yan Xi gradually thawed.

"I’m fine~"

Zhou Qingyu exhaled in relief before turning to glare at Zhou Yanci. "Zhou Yanci, how could you let her get hurt like this?"

Zhou Yanci stiffened. Years of bickering made him instinctively want to retort, but seeing the cuts on Yan Xi’s face, his heart softened. "I didn’t protect her well enough."

His subdued tone left Zhou Qingyu with no room to scold him further. She could only call for a doctor to treat them both.

With Zhou Qingyu’s support, Yan Xi returned to her room. Aside from a few cuts on her face and so bruises from falls, she had no serious injuries and was in good health.

The doctor applied bandages to Yan Xi’s wounds, prescribed ointnts for bruises and frostbite, then left.

Zhou Qingyu sat across from Yan Xi, pressing a warm hand warr into her palms. "You really… Director Yu told us to wrap up within an hour. Why did you push yourself so hard?"

Yan Xi smiled. "I wanted to learn skiing quickly so I could co back to you!"

Then she paused. "What do you an, one hour?"

"Didn’t Director Yu tell you? The ski resort called in the afternoon, warning of an incoming snowstorm. Director Yu notified every filming crew to evacuate within an hour! After we got the ssage, we skied for another half hour before heading back to the lodge. It was only during the headcount that we realized you were missing."

Yan Xi froze. "We never got any notification!"

Zhou Qingyu was equally stunned. After confirming with Yan Xi that their group had indeed missed the ssage, the two hurried to the staff villa to confront Director Yu.

Director Yu was already berating Assistant Liu.

"I told you to wrap up within an hour! Not only did you ignore the deadline, but you also let the guests ski outside the safe zone! Thank goodness nothing serious happened, or neither of us could’ve handled the fallout!"

Assistant Liu looked utterly bewildered. "Director Yu, I swear I never got that ssage!"

Zhou Qingyu cut in. "Yu Jizhong, did you forget to notify them in your busy schedule?"

Director Yu paled. "Miss Zhou, how could I be careless about this? I definitely inford every group!" A snowstorm was life-threatening—he wouldn’t take such risks lightly.

Assistant Liu was even more lost, clutching his walkie-talkie helplessly. He had hoped this show would be his ticket to becoming a full-fledged PD, but now his year-end bonus was gone.

Yet he never let his walkie-talkie leave his side. Even if he was occupied, he’d have soone cover for him. How could he have missed such an important ssage?

Yan Xi spoke up. "Did you leave it unattended at any point?"

"I always had it on . The only ti I put it down was when I went to the restroom…"

Carrying equipnt into the restroom was inconvenient, so Assistant Liu had left it on the sink counter.

His voice dropped guiltily. "It was just for a minute. How was I supposed to know I’d miss sothing so critical…?"

Director Yu sighed. "Must’ve been when you were in the restroom. Be more careful next ti!"

Assistant Liu nodded vigorously. "Understood! It won’t happen again!"

After so back-and-forth, the bla fell on Assistant Liu’s negligence. Director Yu docked his year-end bonus, and Assistant Liu accepted the punishnt without complaint.

But Yan Xi couldn’t shake the feeling that sothing was off, though she couldn’t pinpoint what.

After his reprimand, Assistant Liu grabbed his jacket, ready to return to his room and edit footage.

Suddenly, Yan Xi’s eyes lit up. She tugged at his sleeve. "You weren’t wearing this jacket this morning, were you?"

Assistant Liu blinked. "Oh, right. During the afternoon livestream, I spilled hot soup on myself and had to change in the restroom. Why?"

The restroom…

Pei Yubai had also gone there after being drenched by the dog.

Yan Xi pressed further. "Did you run into Pei Yubai in the restroom?"

"Yeah, he was kind enough to watch my stuff for . Ugh, no ti to chat—I’ve got to make up for losing my bonus!"

Scratching his head, Assistant Liu trudged off to work.

Yan Xi watched his retreating figure silently.

Assistant Liu assud Pei Yubai had his back, so he couldn’t have missed the walkie-talkie ssage.

But wasn’t that exactly one hour before the snowstorm hit? If Pei Yubai had heard the warning, would he have really passed it on?

……

Back at the hotel villa, Yu Xiao called Zhou Qingyu about an M-brand matter, pulling her away for work.

Before leaving, Yan Xi had arranged everything at Xingyao Entertainnt. With Lin Zhi handling things, she had no worries. Her phone buzzed with ssages—news of the snowstorm during the Journey show had trended, and friends flooded her with concern. Yan Xi replied to each one.

With ti to spare, she went to check on Zhou Yanci afterward.

Originally, Zhou Yanci had shared a room with Pei Hanli, but both had confidential work to handle, so they’d split up.

In his room, Zhou Yanci looked at Yan Xi, his brow furrowed slightly, yet a flicker of warmth glimred in his eyes.

"I thought you weren’t coming tonight."

"Of course I was. I went to ask Director Yu about sothing."

Yan Xi wasn’t ready to tell anyone about the walkie-talkie incident—whether Pei Yubai was behind it was still unclear.

She sat by Zhou Yanci’s bedside, noticing the fresh bandages on his right ankle and the assortnt of other wounds scattered across his body.

"How are your injuries?" she asked softly.

She had nearly crashed into a boulder but walked away unscathed. The only reason she hadn’t been hurt was because soone had taken the blow for her.

Zhou Yanci shrugged it off. "It’s nothing. Just looks worse than it is."

But that couldn’t be true. In his rush to save her, he’d lost a glove, leaving his skin exposed to the freezing cold. His fingers were frostbitten, though they were hidden under the blankets now, out of Yan Xi’s sight.

Her head dipped slightly.

This could have been avoided. If the blizzard warning had reached Assistant Liu properly, neither of them would have been hurt.

A simring anger coiled in her chest, making her wish she could tear Pei Yubai to shreds.

Zhou Yanci reached out with his uninjured hand and pinched her cheek. "Feeling guilty?"

Her ears flushed pink, and she huffed. "Obviously!"

Zhou Yanci paused, then suddenly laughed, warmth flooding his chest as if sothing had filled it to the brim.

If Yan Xi’s usual attention toward him was at fifty percent, when he was sick, it skyrocketed to a hundred.

His throat bobbed as he gently cupped the back of her head, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead.

Yan Xi froze, but she didn’t push him away.

And that was precisely when Zhou Qingyu barged into the room—

"Xi Xi! Are you in here? Don’t tell you’re visiting that old green tea, Zhou Yanci—"

Before she even appeared, her voice rang out. Yan Xi reacted instantly, shoving Zhou Yanci away the second the door swung open.

Zhou Yanci: "..."

Zhou Qingyu blinked, her eyes zeroing in on Zhou Yanci’s hand, still hovering where Yan Xi’s head had been.

"Old green tea!" She yanked Yan Xi behind her. "Taking advantage of your injuries to cop a feel? Have you no sha?"

Zhou Yanci rolled his eyes. "Weren’t you two in a cold war? Why do you care?"

Zhou Qingyu lifted her chin. "We made up ages ago! Don’t even think about swooping in—not a chance!"

Zhou Yanci sighed inwardly. The fights between won ended far too quickly. Why couldn’t they drag it out a little longer? Preferably forever.

It had only recently dawned on him that the biggest obstacle in his love life was his own little sister.

Yan Xi swiftly abandoned him, siding with Zhou Qingyu and pretending they were barely acquaintances. "Zhou Yanci saved , so I’m just returning the favor. Basic courtesy!"

Look at that—even his title had been downgraded to "Zhou Yanci."

But Zhou Qingyu seed to buy it, scoffing. "Nothing worth seeing here. He’s tough as nails, he won’t die. Co on, we didn’t get to have fun today. Let’s go soak in the hot springs!"

"Sure!"

Without so much as a backward glance at Zhou Yanci, Yan Xi linked arms with Zhou Qingyu, and the two skipped out of the room.

Zhou Yanci: "..."

.

Royal Hotel Private Hot Springs

Yan Xi and Zhou Qingyu lounged in the steaming water, Zhou Qingyu’s face adorned with a lace sheet mask.

After a day trudging through snow and ice, the warmth was pure bliss.

Thinking back to what had happened in Zhou Yanci’s room, Yan Xi leaned closer.

"Hey… why do you dislike your brother so much?"

She’d assud Zhou Qingyu would have softened toward him by now, especially with Qu Yan out of the picture. There was no reason for them to still be at each other’s throats.

Zhou Qingyu reclined, patting her mask gently. "Isn’t it obvious? Aside from the whole sibling rivalry thing, he’s never been nice to either! He’s been roasting nonstop this whole trip."

Zhou Yanci was the only one left on the show who dared to clash with her.

Then Zhou Qingyu paused, tearing off her mask to stare at Yan Xi. "Wait—why are you bringing him up? Do you… like him?"

Yan Xi didn’t answer. Instead, she hiccuped.

Zhou Qingyu: "..."

She cursed internally. Zhou Yanci was undeniably attractive, wealthy, and dubbed the "golden bachelor" of their social circle. But more than that, today, in that life-or-death mont, he hadn’t hesitated to rush out and save Yan Xi.

Even Zhou Qingyu had been moved, though she’d never admit it. And she knew Yan Xi—sharp as a tack—must have noticed too.

Zhou Qingyu frowned. "You know he’s pursuing you, right?"

Another hiccup.

Yan Xi didn’t dare say he’d already succeeded. She just nodded.

Zhou Qingyu groaned, launching into a lecture. "Sure, Zhou Yanci’s got the looks and the money, but he’s so boring! All he does is work or read. What’s fun about dating soone like that?"

"And don’t even get started on his family drama. ng Yingrong’s bad enough, but there’s also ng Xuanyu—he’s in prison, but not for life! You need to think this through!"

Yan Xi blinked, then laughed. "You think I’d marry Zhou Yanci? No way!"

Zhou Qingyu gaped. "You… don’t want to?"

Yan Xi waved a hand. "Of course not. Crushes and marriage are two different things! And honestly, I don’t think Zhou Yanci’s feelings run that deep either."

She knew his affection stemd from her attention—attention he’d lacked growing up.

But that wasn’t love. It was just filling a void. And her initial kindness hadn’t even been for him—it was all for Zhou Qingyu.

So this entire relationship was built on a lie. At best, it was a fleeting infatuation.

Once Zhou Qingyu’s luck points hit 100, Yan Xi would stop caring about Zhou Yanci, and the fragile thread between them would snap.

Eventually, he’d et soone he truly loved—soone he’d want by his side even if she never gave him a second glance.

But Yan Xi couldn’t deny her own selfishness.

She ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‍knew his feelings were based on deception, yet human nature was greedy. Who wouldn’t want to bask in affection, even if it was temporary?

So that night, she’d kissed him.

"I’ve never thought about marriage. And I don’t think Zhou Yanci’s feelings are that serious either."

Yan Xi answered honestly, "But didn’t you say it yourself? I’m still young—there’s nothing wrong with dating a few more tis!"

Zhou Qingyu was utterly confused.

She felt Yan Xi was wrong.

How could Zhou Yanci’s feelings for her be just a passing fancy? If it were rely that, would he have let her take down the ng family? Would he have risked his life to save her? Would he have ended up battered and bruised while Yan Xi remained almost unscathed?

Impossible!

Zhou Yanci was an extre person—either he didn’t care at all, or if he did, he gave everything.

But Zhou Qingyu wouldn’t tell Yan Xi that.

Whether Zhou Yanci’s personality was boring or not aside, the ng family’s ss was still unresolved. There was no way she’d let that big idiot Zhou Yanci swoop in and claim their precious little cabbage!