Chapter 2: The Green Tea’s Gambit

As time ticked by, Lin Ziyao anxiously observed the arriving guests. To her dismay, every single one who entered next was male, despite her priority of seeking out other girls.

At last, a girl with twin pigtails appeared. Lin Ziyao eagerly approached her, attempting to strike up a friendly conversation. “Sister, you’re truly beautiful,” she began, a hint of warmth in her voice.

Before Lin Ziyao could finish her compliment, the pigtail-haired girl cut her off. “You don’t need to say anything more,” she declared. “I can already tell from your face what your next line will be.”

“Are you perhaps wondering what makeup I use, unlike someone who only ever shows up barefaced?” The girl finished, casting a disdainful gaze upon Lin Ziyao. Then, she patted Lin Ziyao’s shoulder. “Your amateur act is far too obvious. You still need more practice.”

‘Damn it! I only wanted to get closer to you,’ Lin Ziyao fumed internally. ‘I just wanted to ask if you’d be interested in a lap pillow service!’

Lin Ziyao pursed her lips, making a concerted effort to prevent the cameras from catching her tightly clenched teeth. Yet, to those observing, her expression perfectly conveyed a pitiable vulnerability, as though she had been genuinely wounded by the pigtail girl’s blunt words.

From the side, Director Chen, watching the small monitor, couldn’t help but give a resounding thumbs-up. ‘Excellent, truly excellent!’ he thought.

The audience, of course, would remain oblivious to such subtle machinations. They would simply perceive what the director intended for them to see. This single interaction was enough to spark considerable discussion for the program. With a bit of clever editing, a compelling conflict would spontaneously arise, leaving viewers eager to discover what further antics Lin Ziyao, in her ‘green tea’ persona, would orchestrate.

When the second female guest arrived, Lin Ziyao, still smarting from the previous encounter, chose not to approach her immediately. She waited until the newcomer had settled into a seat before offering an introduction. However, perceiving the other woman’s clear disinterest, Lin Ziyao wisely refrained from pressing the issue further and embarrassing herself.

Director Chen, witnessing this unfolding scene, found a question forming in his mind.

‘Has Lin Ziyao truly never acted before?’ he wondered. ‘How is it that she manages to embody the ‘green tea’ persona with such flawless precision?’

Lin Ziyao, consumed by her urgent task, paid no mind to Director Chen’s thoughts. Her mind was singularly focused on one objective: swiftly devising a strategy to complete this accursed mission, lest she forfeit her reward!

With precious little time remaining for the mission, the current guests had largely eliminated the possibility of a lap pillow. Lin Ziyao’s eyes darted anxiously from side to side, desperately seeking a suitable candidate. The mere thought of a man resting his head on her lap sent shivers down her spine, raising goosebumps across her skin.

‘No, wait,’ she suddenly realized. ‘Someone hasn’t arrived yet!’

Lin Ziyao distinctly remembered the Production Assistant handing her profiles for seven guests. Even counting herself, only six were currently present. Meticulously, she matched each arriving guest to their respective profile, until she pinpointed the name of the one still absent.

The name was Qin Yu, a newly debuted idol. While beautiful, her talent was what truly captivated audiences. Her debut song had instantly soared to the top of the new song charts, maintaining its reign for a full month—an undeniably impressive feat.

“My apologies, I’m late!”

Just as Lin Ziyao thought of her, Qin Yu materialized on the filming set. Her long, waterfall-like hair cascaded over her shoulders, faintly glimmering with light. Her eyebrows curved delicately like willow leaves, and her eyes held a captivating, tranquil depth.

If Lin Ziyao embodied the vibrant, flamboyant peony, then Qin Yu was akin to a serene, cool, and elegant lotus bud, poised to unfurl.

Seizing this final opportunity, Lin Ziyao resolutely walked up to Qin Yu. Qin Yu’s height meant Lin Ziyao’s gaze only reached her jawline. Looking up, she introduced herself, “Hello, my name is Lin Ziyao!”

Having introduced herself, she extended a hand, awaiting Qin Yu’s response.

“Qin Yu,” the idol replied, extending a slender hand to firmly grasp Lin Ziyao’s.

At that moment, Lin Ziyao leaned in, her voice barely a whisper meant only for the two of them. “Have you ever considered faking a romantic pairing for the show?”

Lin Ziyao knew that a direct request for a lap pillow would never work with Qin Yu, based on her assessment of the idol’s personality. Thus, she needed a more indirect approach. Her plan was to first feign a romantic pairing with Qin Yu, then subtly introduce the lap pillow idea. Perfect!

As expected, her words piqued Qin Yu’s interest. “With you?” she questioned, a hint of surprise in her tone. “Why me?”

In Qin Yu’s estimation, Lin Ziyao was nothing more than a prop, hired by Director Chen to generate buzz for the other guests.

“You could easily approach Yang Tian, or any of the other male guests,” Qin Yu pointed out.

“I need a substantial amount of money, which means I need to generate buzz,” Lin Ziyao explained. “Moreover, I don’t feel comfortable with men. Since we’re both women, faking a pairing would be much safer!”

While Lin Ziyao’s reasoning seemed plausible, Qin Yu’s guard was not so easily lowered. Realizing this, Lin Ziyao decided to press her advantage, revealing her ultimate trump card.

“I can offer you a song tailored to your exact specifications,” Lin Ziyao stated, “one that I guarantee will satisfy you.”

In Lin Ziyao’s estimation, this was an exceptionally profitable venture. For the mere cost of one song, she could secure Qin Yu’s collaboration for a faked romantic pairing on the show. Should the system issue more guest-related tasks, Qin Yu’s assistance would be invaluable. Furthermore, this presented a perfect opportunity to establish a connection with the rising idol. Lin Ziyao’s mental abacus clicked furiously; this was a foolproof, win-win transaction.

Lin Ziyao’s proposition indeed stirred Qin Yu’s interest. Having successfully established her position in the industry with her debut song, she now urgently required custom-tailored compositions. After all, inspiration was not a constant companion.

“I can agree to your terms,” Qin Yu stated, “but this transaction will only officially commence once I have personally approved the song you provide.”

To ensure her own interests, Qin Yu insisted on first approving the song Lin Ziyao offered before formally agreeing to the transaction.

“That puts me at a significant disadvantage,” Lin Ziyao immediately protested. “If you simply take the song and use it after hearing it, how could a small-time individual like me possibly contend with a popular idol such as yourself?”

“Then state your terms,” Qin Yu replied, a vibrant smile curving her lips, as if stained with rose juice. She was eager to see what this little fox, Lin Ziyao, was truly scheming.

“Here’s my proposal,” Lin Ziyao began. “Later, in front of the cameras, you directly rest your head on my lap. The production team is bound to keep such footage, and that can serve as the deposit for our transaction.”

“Deal!” Qin Yu promptly agreed, accepting Lin Ziyao’s audacious request without hesitation.

Their conversation didn’t delay them for long. Lin Ziyao, almost skipping, led Qin Yu by the hand back to their seats. Qin Yu, in turn, settled gracefully beside her.

“Alright, now that everyone has arrived, I shall proceed to inform you all of the arrangements for this variety show,” Director Chen announced, emerging from backstage with a sheet of paper in hand.

Lin Ziyao subtly signaled Qin Yu with her eyes, urging her to promptly uphold their agreement. She even patted her own shapely thigh, silently inviting Qin Yu to rest her head there without delay.

What Lin Ziyao failed to notice was Qin Yu’s arm subtly coiling around her back. In an instant, before Lin Ziyao could react, Qin Yu’s hand landed on her shoulder, pulling her firmly back into her own seat.

‘???’

Lin Ziyao, her face a mask of confusion, hadn’t yet grasped what had transpired. All she registered was her vision abruptly shifting ninety degrees, and the sight of the pigtail-haired girl across from her, hands clapped over her mouth in surprise.

At that moment, Qin Yu’s clear, cool voice reached only Lin Ziyao’s ears. “Rather than me resting on your lap,” she murmured, “I find it far more logical for you to lean on mine.”