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

As soon as Yan Xi finished speaking, Lin Zhi stepped forward with a debt contract in hand.

Lin Sibo was utterly bewildered. "You’re actually demanding I pay you back? How much effort has our Lin family poured into you? How many years have we raised you? And you’re throwing away all that history?"

Yan Xi replied calmly, "I’ve already repaid everything you invested in me."

"Bullshit!" Lin Sibo cursed. "A measly ten million is nothing! Fifteen years? Even five years would cost more than ten million! Mom and Dad were just being kind when they agreed to sever ties with you for that amount. How dare you act like you’ve settled your debt to our family?"

"You’re an ungrateful wretch, a wolf that can’t be tamed..."

Lin Sibo was so furious he wanted to hit Yan Xi, but the moment he raised his hand, a strong grip suddenly seized him—followed by a sharp slap across his face!

The blow left him dazed.

He looked up and saw a woman as cold and untouchable as the moon.

Lu Wanning was as sharp as a blade. She showed no mercy to business tycoons, let alone a brat like Lin Sibo.

Standing before him in stiletto heels as sharp as needles, she said, "If the Lin family had treated her well, would she have needed to borrow ten million from the Zhou family to cut ties with you? Use your brain, you idiot!"

Lin Sibo retorted defiantly, "I’ve calculated my own allowance—ten million is nowhere near enough!"

Yan ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‍Xi replied coolly, "That’s just you. Father Lin gave us the same allowance, but Madam Lin handed my share to you."

"When I severed ties with the Lin family, I had an accountant tally all my past expenses. Ten million was more than enough."

For an ordinary family, money might not settle everything—there’s also parental love. But Father Lin was neglectful, and Madam Lin, being a stepmother, had no affection for Yan Xi, leaving her to the care of maids.

So, the Lin family’s so-called "care" for Yan Xi could indeed be measured in cash.

"That—that’s just your side of the story!" Lin Sibo shouted. "It’s definitely not enough!"

Lu Wanning sneered, "If it wasn’t enough, it was your father’s money being wasted. You have no right to speak!"

Lu Wanning had long noticed that Yan Xi lacked even basic social graces expected of a wealthy heiress—like ballroom dancing, which most young elites mastered. That was why Yan Xi hadn’t danced at Zhou Qingyu’s birthday banquet.

Raising a proper heiress required comprehensive training—not just academics, but also physical grace, dance, and the arts.

But Yan Xi had always been frail, with no talent for the arts. Only her academics stood out.

Because education was the only ladder for the poor to climb up.

If a wealthy heiress excelled only in academics and intelligence, could that really be called being "well-raised"?

Lin Sibo still refused to back down, but Lu Wanning had no patience for fools. Before he could utter another word, she effortlessly subdued him.

Yan Xi was stunned.

Lu Wanning moved with such precision that for a moment, it felt like watching an action movie!

Lu Wanning flexed her wrists casually. "I’ve trained in martial arts. This was nothing."

Later, security escorted Lin Sibo out of Xingyao Tower.

Before he left, Yan Xi gave him a final warning: "If you don’t want the Lin family to go bankrupt, don’t come looking for me again."

Having spent fifteen years trampling over Yan Xi, Lin Sibo wasn’t afraid of her—but he feared Lu Wanning, and he feared the Lin family’s ruin. So he slunk away with his tail between his legs.

Back in the lounge, Yan Xi handed Lu Wanning a bottle of water.

"Thank you, President Lu."

Lu Wanning shrugged. "No big deal. If you’re interested in self-defense, I can recommend my coach. It’s good for women to have some protective skills."

Yan Xi pondered for a moment. She’d always neglected her health—Madam Lin hadn’t cared, and later, her studies never required much physical exertion.

But after filming a variety show with Zhou Qingyu, she’d realized how poor her stamina was.

Yan Xi nodded. "I’ll consider it."

They chatted a while longer, finalized the contract, and then Yan Xi saw Lu Wanning off.

She still hadn’t figured out how to bring up the DNA test again, but for now, maintaining their current relationship didn’t seem bad.

They parted ways—Lu Wanning left Xingyao Tower, while Yan Xi returned to her office.

In an unnoticed corner, someone picked up the discarded water bottle.

...

Lu Wanning rested her eyes in the car.

Minutes later, the door opened, and her assistant climbed in, sitting beside her.

In her hands were two water bottles—the ones Lu Wanning and Yan Xi had just drunk from.

"President Lu, I’ve obtained Yan Xi’s DNA. These two bottles—one was yours, the other was hers."

Lu Wanning stared at the bottles.

"Send them for testing."

No matter what, she had to try one more time.

...

Yan Xi returned to her office.

Today had been eventful at Xingyao—Lu Wanning’s visit, Lin Sibo’s outburst, and now, Lin Ranran had arrived to apologize.

Lin Ranran was truly terrified of Zhou Yanci.

She was even more afraid that Lin Sibo’s actions would be blamed on her. With the Lin and Chu families as precedents, she didn’t dare take risks.

In the meeting room, before Yan Xi could even sit, Lin Ranran stood up anxiously. "Yan Xi, I know Lin Sibo came to see you, but I swear I had nothing to do with—"

Yan Xi waved her off. "You’ve already said that. I’m not blaming you."

Lin Ranran exhaled in relief.

But then her worry deepened—if Yan Xi wasn’t blaming her, did that mean Lin Sibo was the target?

Would Zhou Yanci move against the Lin family again?

The Lin family… had her share too!

"Lin Ranran, since you’re here, there’s something you should know."

Yan Xi snapped her fingers, and Lin Zhi brought over a document. Yan Xi slid it across the table.

"What is this?" Lin Ranran flipped it open.

"Proof that Lin Sibo altered his age."

"Altered his age?" Lin Ranran was confused. Lin Sibo was only 18—why would he need to change that?

Wait—why would Yan Xi bother telling her about something so trivial?

Yan Xi clarified, "His ID says he’s 18, but in reality, he’s 20—a month older than us."

Lin Ranran’s face went blank. Two seconds later, realization struck.

How could Lin Sibo be older than her and Yan Xi? Madam Lin was Father Lin’s second wife!

If Lin Sibo was older than them, that meant Father Lin had been involved with Madam Lin before their mother had even passed away.

Lin Ranran’s hands trembled as she clutched the document.

Even though she’d never met her late mother, her heart ached for her.

Seeing Lin Ranran’s shock, Yan Xi knew she understood the implications of the age discrepancy.

"I’ve known about this for a long time," Yan Xi said. "A boy suddenly appeared in the family, two years younger than me but without any infancy—just my size. I’m not stupid. How could I not notice something was off?"

"But Father Lin and Madam Lin assumed I was too young to remember."

Growing up in the elite circles, Yan Xi had been exposed to all sorts of messy family dynamics. She quickly realized that her father had been involved with Madam Lin early on, and to hide the fact that Lin Sibo was an illegitimate child, they had altered his age.

Lin Sibo, spoiled by his parents, took every opportunity to bully Yan Xi.

He stole her allowance, forced her to do his homework, and made her cover for him whenever he skipped class to go out and play.

Yan Xi complied with everything.

Madam Lin subtly encouraged Yan Xi to become a vapid socialite, so Yan Xi played along—letting Lin Sibo grow into a useless playboy in return.

From childhood, all of Lin Sibo’s homework was done by Yan Xi. Every time he skipped school to game, smoke, drink, or cause trouble, she covered for him.

Father Lin and Madam Lin even believed their son was exceptional.

Slowly but surely, Lin Sibo became good for nothing but fooling around.

Yan Xi had orchestrated all this for her own benefit. Father Lin wasn’t biased against daughters, and she was confident that once Lin Sibo entered the family business, his incompetence would be exposed. Even if Madam Lin objected, the Lin empire would eventually fall into Yan Xi’s hands.

But Yan Xi hadn’t anticipated Madam Lin’s countermove.

Realizing Lin Sibo couldn’t outshine Yan Xi, Madam Lin brought back the Lin family’s true heiress.

Contrary to rumors that a resentful nanny had swapped the babies, it was actually Madam Lin who orchestrated the switch.

She had always known the real Lin heiress was in an orphanage. She never intended for Lin Ranran to return, but Yan Xi was too capable—she would inevitably take everything from Lin Sibo.

Left with no choice, Madam Lin summoned Lin Ranran back.

Hearing Yan Xi’s revelations, Lin Ranran was speechless.

She had naively believed the nanny was behind the switch, but it was Madam Lin all along!

Her entire miserable life had been engineered by Madam Lin!

"Why are you telling me this?" Lin Ranran asked, her voice trembling.

"In the matter of the switched heiresses, we’re both victims," Yan Xi replied calmly. "I’ve already left the Lin family, so their affairs no longer concern me. But since you warned me today, I thought you deserved the truth."

"I know you don’t like me, and I’m not particularly fond of you either. But if someone has to take control of the Lin empire, I’d rather it be you."

Lin Ranran staggered out of Xingyao in a daze.

She needed time to process everything—her father’s betrayal, her stepmother’s schemes, her useless brother…

Lost and overwhelmed, she realized that emulating Yan Xi’s patience might be her best shot at reclaiming the Lin fortune and exacting revenge.

…

From the high-rise window of Xingyao, Yan Xi watched Lin Ranran leave.

Her system popped up: [Host, I didn’t expect you to tell Lin Ranran the truth!]

"Let them tear each other apart," Yan Xi shrugged. "Besides, I meant what I said. If anyone’s going to control the Lin empire, I’d prefer it to be Lin Ranran."

Lin Ranran was annoying and loved stirring trouble, but the worst she’d done was try to expose the switched heiress scandal.

Compared to Father Lin’s infidelity and Madam Lin’s baby-swapping, those two were far more despicable.

If Lin Ranran succeeded in outmaneuvering them, so be it.

[The Lin family really is pathetic—they wouldn’t last three episodes in a palace drama!]

The system clicked its tongue. [But Host, have you considered that you might’ve been played too?]

Yan Xi paused, confused.

[I just saw Lu Wanning’s assistant secretly take the water bottle you drank from! Her visit wasn’t just about sponsorship—she’s after your DNA!]

[Seems their real goal is to get a sample from you!]

Yan Xi frowned. "Why would Lu Wanning suddenly want my DNA?" Then it hit her. "Does she know I switched the blood samples?"

[No idea!] The system was equally baffled. [I just noticed her assistant digging through the trash for your water bottle. It seemed suspicious, so I checked.]

As a background-character system, it could only access public surveillance feeds—not past events.

Without hesitation, Yan Xi called Aunt Zhang.

On the other end, Aunt Zhang was practicing tai chi with Zhou’s Father. The sound of flowing water and serene music filled the background.

"Xiao Xi! Oh yes, I went to the hospital yesterday—the same one where we had our checkups. They said my results were abnormal and asked me to retest."

"Did they make you do anything specific?" Yan Xi pressed.

"Just drew some blood. Why?"

"Nothing. Thanks, Aunt Zhang."

Hanging up, Yan Xi knew the truth: the Lu family had identified Aunt Zhang’s blood sample.

[Host, this was bound to happen. They’d have figured it out eventually.]

[The plot probably noticed your loophole. Once they retest, they’ll realize the sample wasn’t a match—the first result was a mistake.]

Yan Xi had expected this. She’d only switched the samples to avoid being forced into the Lu family’s drama and a scripted fate. She never thought the ruse would last forever.

"But if the Lu family pinpointed Aunt Zhang, they must’ve also tracked down the doctor I bribed. They know I’m the one who switched the samples."

[Exactly! They’ve definitely found out!]

"If the Lu family knows I tampered with the test, why not confront me directly? Why secretly collect my DNA?"

That was what puzzled Yan Xi.

Getting her DNA might be for a retest. She’d told Lu Beiyu she didn’t want to search for her birth family to avoid disappointment. The Lu family could be trying to confirm her identity covertly.

But why the secrecy? If they knew she’d deceived them, why play along?

The Lu family wasn’t known for being forgiving.

Something about this felt… off.

The system felt its brain was about to short-circuit. [Could it be that the Lu family only knew the blood sample was Aunt Zhang’s but didn’t realize you switched it?]

Yan Xi immediately contacted the doctor she had bribed to help her swap the blood samples back then.

The doctor replied: [The Lu family never found out about this, nor have they come looking for me.]

[Miss Yan, is something wrong?]

Yan Xi: !!!

The Lu family actually didn’t know about this!

Did they still think the blood sample mix-up was just an accident?

Her mind was a chaotic mess. Yan Xi felt like there was a missing thread—one that could connect everything together.

Soon, it dawned on her.

“The Lu family didn’t discover the blood sample switch on their own. Someone told them.”

“And that person most likely asked the Lu family to secretly collect my DNA. That way, even if the test proved I wasn’t related to them, I wouldn’t know and wouldn’t be hurt.”

The system’s jaw dropped. [Huh? There’s a third party involved? But aside from the Lu family, who else would know about this?]

Yan Xi’s eyes burned with certainty as she stared at the system.

“It’s Zhou Yanci.”

The system: !!!

It averted its gaze, refusing to meet Yan Xi’s eyes. [Host, what are you talking about? I don’t understand…]

“At Qingqing’s birthday party, you mentioned something about DNA. Zhou Yanci was standing next to me—he probably overheard.”

“So, Zhou Yanci has been self-aware for a while now, hasn’t he?”

---

Zhou Residence

As the year drew to a close, Zhou Corporation was busy with a major project, keeping Zhou Yanci’s schedule packed. He often worked late, sometimes until eight or nine at night.

Still, compared to the days when he had to juggle both Zhou Corporation and the Meng family’s affairs, this was already much lighter.

In early winter, the skies over Hai City darkened quickly.

By the time Zhou Yanci returned to the Zhou residence, night had already fallen.

The old man kept a regular routine—by this hour, he had likely finished dinner and retreated to his room to soak his feet.

Yan Xi would usually wait for him in the hall, reviewing documents while keeping him company.

But tonight, when Zhou Yanci stepped inside, Yan Xi was nowhere to be seen. Only the little glowing orb that always followed her was sprawled on the coffee table, dozing off.

Zhou Yanci walked over and tapped the system lightly on the forehead.

“Where’s Xi Xi?”

Since he wasn’t the system’s bound host, he couldn’t communicate with it telepathically. He had to speak aloud for it to hear him.

The system stirred groggily, its eyes widening when it saw Zhou Yanci.

It deliberately ignored him, burying its tiny head into the table and muttering under its breath: [Can’t see me, can’t see me, can’t see me…]

Zhou Yanci found the little orb amusing. Despite being a higher-dimensional being, its intelligence didn’t seem particularly high.

Just as he was about to tap it again, a soft voice spoke up behind him.

“So you really are self-aware.”

Zhou Yanci turned and saw Yan Xi standing there.

The system nearly jumped out of its nonexistent skin—it hated awkward confrontations like this. With a terrified squeak, it vanished into thin air.

Zhou Yanci’s brows furrowed, his voice lowering.

“Xi Xi.”

The late November night was chilly, the air thick with silence.

The lights in the hall were bright, but they couldn’t penetrate the inky darkness outside.

For a moment, Zhou Yanci felt a rare flicker of panic. As the CEO of Zhou Corporation, he had faced countless high-stakes situations—yet now, standing before Yan Xi, he was nervous.

Yan Xi looked at him, puzzled. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She had kept her secrets from him—partly because of the plot, but also because she carried guilt. She felt that their relationship had been built on deception from the start.

But Zhou Yanci wasn’t like that. His feelings for her had always been genuine. So why had he hidden his self-awareness from her?

Zhou Yanci lowered his head, letting out a self-deprecating chuckle.

Yan Xi would never know that when he first became self-aware and realized everything she had done, his heart wasn’t filled with anger over her lies—but terror.

Because it meant she had never truly cared for him.

Not even a little.

Now that the plot was over, and Zhou Qingyu had broken free from its control, Yan Xi no longer needed to accumulate luck points. She no longer needed him.

Zhou Yanci was afraid. Afraid that if he laid everything bare, the last thread tying her to him would snap—and then, he would mean nothing to her.

Rather than risk that, he chose to pretend ignorance.

Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance things wouldn’t change between them even after the truth came out.

But Zhou Yanci refused to gamble on that hope.

Just as he had been her first love, years could pass, and she might forget him entirely.

So why take the risk? Staying as they were wasn’t so bad.

“Just… assume I did it on purpose,” he murmured, his voice barely audible.

Yan Xi stared at him, still confused. Maybe because this was her first relationship, some things still eluded her.

She stepped forward, gently taking his hand. “Zhou Yanci, are you mad at me? Don’t be angry, okay? I didn’t mean to hide things from you before… I promise I won’t keep secrets from you again!”

“I wanted to tell you the other day, but I thought you weren’t self-aware yet.”

Zhou Yanci froze.

Of all the ways this confrontation could have gone, this was the outcome he had hoped for most—yet also the one he feared would never come true.

Yan Xi hadn’t grasped the root of his worries, but in the end, she had still said the words he longed to hear.

In that instant, his heart swelled, the shadows in his eyes dissipating. He pulled her into a tight embrace.

---

Outside, the night in Hai City erupted into a storm.

Though summer had long since passed, the rain poured down in torrents, washing over the glittering city—just like the day Zhou Yanci first met Yan Xi.

The heavens seemed to have opened their floodgates, the downpour cleansing away all the past regrets and sorrows.

Zhou Yanci had known for a long time that life was a series of gains and losses. He had experienced the departure of loved ones and the drifting apart of friends.

But he didn’t want Yan Xi to leave.

She was the only splash of color in his monochrome world, the one thing that made his dull existence feel worthwhile. Even after learning that her affection had been a lie, he still craved her presence.

In the later stages of the novel, Zhou Yanci had died from overwork. The doctors had used defibrillators, desperately trying to shock his heart back to life.

His consciousness had hovered above, watching as a thin thread stretched from his body, reaching for him.

Had he held on just a little longer, he might have grasped it.

But he hadn’t.

Life had always bored him. Most people around him were tedious, and he had already experienced everything others could only dream of.

Zhou Yanci’s life hadn’t been one of regret, but neither had it been one of deep attachment.

He understood his past self—and his present self.

Back then, even as he faced death, his consciousness had remained indifferent. Yet when a recent medical checkup revealed early-stage cancer, he had felt fear for the first time.

It was as if… he had finally found something in this world worth holding onto.

Outside, the storm raged on, the rain lashing against the windows, turning the glass into a cascading curtain of water.

Zhou Yanci held Yan Xi tighter, his movements growing more fervent.

Their fingers intertwined tightly as Yan Xi let out a soft whimper, biting down on Zhou Yanci's lean shoulder.

Her sharp teeth left distinct marks, but it only fueled his excitement, making him feel more alive than ever.

He savored her lips, teasing her earlobe with his tongue, over and over…

In his past life, he had failed to hold onto that thread.

This time, he was determined to grasp it even tighter.