The Mischevious System and a Butler’s Advice

[Ding—Green tea element detected! Green Tea Value +5.]

Jian Ye: ?

‘Green Tea Value? The system mentioned it before!’

[System 748: Host, you just used ‘tea’ words to gain favorability from the surrounding characters. The system will automatically reward you with Green Tea Value.]

[Jian Ye: You said before that accumulating Green Tea Value to a certain extent would grant different titles and prestige. What’s the use of achieving these accomplishments?]

[System 748: For each accomplishment achieved, Host can freely use Green Tea Value to exchange for Green Tea Coins, which can be used to shop in the System Mall.]

[Jian Ye: I see. So, what’s in the System Mall?]

[System 748: Host has not yet achieved any accomplishments, so the System Mall is temporarily closed to you.]

[Jian Ye: How much Green Tea Value do I need to reach the first accomplishment at this initial stage?]

[System 748: Guess?]

Jian Ye: …

After only a short time together, he had already discovered that this system was quite mischievous.

It enjoyed digging pitfalls for him and loved to tease him.

‘Make me guess? I refuse!’

‘Speak if you want, or don’t! I don’t care!’

He knew there would be a system notification sound when he leveled up anyway.

“Young Master? Young Master!”

Butler Zhang’s concerned voice pulled Jian Ye back to reality.

His recent conversation with the system had appeared no different from daydreaming to outsiders.

Butler Zhang, assuming Jian Ye was melancholic about the political marriage, couldn’t help but offer comfort. “Young Master, though entering a wealthy family is said to be like entering a deep sea, I believe this marriage alliance with the Yi family might not be a bad thing for you.”

Jian Ye: “…”

‘You have no idea how miserable this political marriage will make me in the future! Readers would want to tear Jian Ye apart!’

‘Moreover, marrying the male lead? A nobody like me isn’t worthy at all!’

Butler Zhang continued, “The Yi Corporation is a top-tier wealthy family, renowned throughout the country, with extremely abundant assets and capital. From what I understand, although the Jian family is also considered wealthy, it’s less than a tenth of the Yi family’s worth.”

‘No matter how rich they are, that wealth belongs to the male lead and the female lead! What does it have to do with a cannon fodder like me?’

“The Jian family has always been a difficult place for you. If you can break free from the Jian family and firmly capture the heart of the Third Young Master of the Yi family, I believe you will live a much better life than you do now! You can start by doing this… then this…”

“…”

‘Why does my butler sound like a wicked old governess from an ancient palace drama, offering terrible advice to help their master climb the social ladder?’

‘Wishing for their master to latch onto a powerful figure, rise to prominence overnight, and bask in imperial favor—based on my years of reading novels, such things usually…’

‘Never end well.’

Jian Ye felt as though Butler Zhang was trying to train him into a seductive little vixen capable of charming the male lead in a very short time.

However, selling his looks wasn’t the path he wanted to take. ‘What do I have now?’

‘A Green Tea Development System! It’s practically a cheat code!’

‘I will conquer with my tea arts, not this flashy, superficial facade!’

‘Although this facade of mine is indeed one in a million…’

[Jian Ye: Right, System?]

[System 748: …]

[Jian Ye: I’m still very respectful of the persona you’ve given me. Can you hear my inner roar?]

[System 748: Perform well and don’t break character. Although you praise me as a cheat code, there will be penalties if you fail the mission.]

[Jian Ye: Isn’t it just following the plot, helping the male lead get together with his first love, and then I make a graceful exit?]

[System 748: Evil_smile.jpg]

Jian Ye: ??

‘Woc! This system can send emojis into my brain?’

‘Why are there so many socially anxious people in this world? Isn’t it because people can’t send emojis when communicating face-to-face?’

‘Damn it! The system just showed off!’

Seeing the other party’s evil smile, Jian Ye had an ominous premonition.

However, he didn’t dwell on it and soon forgot the matter, beginning to ponder a series of small survival plans for after his political marriage with the male lead.

After dinner, Jian Ye put everything aside and enjoyed a peaceful sleep.

He slept straight through until the next morning.

The original owner had, just yesterday, attempted a hunger strike, taken sleeping pills, and staged a bathtub suicide.

It would have been strange if Jian Ye hadn’t been exhausted, having transmigrated into this body at that very moment.

Awakening now, he felt refreshed and revitalized, his energy fully restored.

Yesterday, his mind had still been somewhat influenced by the original owner, leaving it quite muddled. Today, however, he had the clarity to deal with certain messes.

The immediate priority was to dye this ‘green seaweed’ hair back to its original color, followed by that wardrobe full of flamboyant clothes…

Jian Ye had already told Butler Zhang to list all these clothes on a second-hand website to sell.

It would be a pity to throw them away; some were brand new, all from luxury brands, with each piece costing four or five figures or more.

Jian Ye was not like the original owner, who was so extravagant. He didn’t know if he would have money to spend after entering the Yi family, so saving some private funds in advance was always a good idea.

The young man lay on the bed playing with his phone, the quilt rumpled into a ball, revealing a slender calf.

Sunlight spilled onto his face, turning his long, curled eyelashes into golden, translucent wings.

When Butler Zhang knocked and entered, he saw his young master in this lazy yet beautiful state, like a vividly colored illustration.

Previously, he had regarded Jian Ye as a good-for-nothing, never truly showing respect to his master, his heart filled with slander and disdain.

Now having resolved to work for Jian Ye, Butler Zhang found himself liking the young man more and more with each glance.

His young master was exceptionally handsome, with a face like jade, and would not lose face when paired with that Yi family member.

If the young master could control that person after moving there, he, too, would naturally enjoy a good life alongside him.

“Young Master, breakfast is ready. I’ve called Aunt Liu over.”

Aunt Liu was the kitchen maid who had previously taken care of Jian Ye’s three meals a day. She had worked there since Jian Ye’s parents were alive, but after Butler Zhang was dispatched from the Jian family’s main residence, Aunt Liu was dismissed.

The Jian family did not want Jian Ye to have any close companions, so they sent people who were tasked with monitoring the young man.

Butler Zhang, now deeply trusted by the Jian family’s main residence, had some authority to replace the servants in the villa without arousing suspicion.

Jian Ye didn’t know what kind of character Aunt Liu was; even if the book had mentioned her, he hadn’t paid close attention.

He went downstairs directly to meet her.

Aunt Liu, upon seeing Jian Ye, burst into tearful concern, which left Jian Ye feeling a little bewildered and at a loss.

“Young Master, you’ve lost so much weight! How did those inhuman people from the Jian family take care of you? When I left, you still had a bit of baby fat, and now you have a melon seed face.”

Butler Zhang: “…” ‘I feel like she’s scolding me, but I have no proof.’

Jian Ye: “…” ‘I feel like she’s implying I used to be fat, but I can’t refute it.’

What truly surprised Jian Ye was that in this world where cannon fodder was destined to die, there was actually someone who genuinely cared for the original owner.

This touched him deeply. Aunt Liu’s eyes and expression did not seem fake; she was probably the person who cared most about the original owner, apart from his parents, and could be trusted.

“Aunt Liu, I’m doing great. I’m so happy to be able to eat your delicious cooking again! Welcome home!”

The young man smiled brightly, and that single phrase, “Welcome home,” warmed the middle-aged woman’s heart so much that tears streamed down her face, her soul filled with comfort.

“Good, good… From now on, Aunt Liu will make all your favorite dishes every day, Young Master!”

“Young Master can cook now too! He’s really good. I tasted it yesterday, and it’s no worse than yours, Aunt Liu.”

Butler Zhang, savoring the memory of yesterday’s meal, praised him spontaneously.

However, these words took on a different meaning in Aunt Liu’s ears.

Aunt Liu felt even more heartbroken for Jian Ye. Her young master would never have entered the kitchen before, living a life where everything was handed to him.

Now that he had learned to cook, he must have suffered greatly at the hands of the Jian family.

‘Those wolf cubs of the Jian family, weren’t they just taking advantage of the fact that Mr. and Madam were gone, bullying my young master, who is a soft persimmon, at will?’

Aunt Liu had already learned that Butler Zhang would henceforth only regard Jian Ye as his true master.

That he could come to his senses and stop working for the Jian family’s main residence surprised and relieved Aunt Liu.

If even the person taking care of the young master was full of schemes, how pathetic would the young master be?

This breakfast was a lavish affair for Jian Ye.

Aunt Liu seemed intent on making up for all the love he had missed before.

After he came downstairs, she went back into the kitchen and prepared many more dishes.

Jian Ye felt a little overwhelmed by the unexpected kindness.

‘Could a universally despised cannon fodder really receive such good treatment? I feel this is the calm before the storm.’

The young man ate breakfast while checking the contents of the original owner’s phone.

Opening WeChat, the contact pinned at the very top was not anyone from the Jian family, but the scumbag who had deceived the original owner’s feelings.

The scumbag was named Yu Wei, and the original owner had him saved as [My Dearest Brother Fish].

Yue—

Jian Ye nearly spat out his breakfast.

‘You’re a love-struck fool, fine, but can your taste not be so low?’ Jian Ye ranted internally.

He clicked open their chat, casually scrolling through the messages, which were so nauseatingly sweet they made him nearly drop his phone.

The messages ended with the scumbag breaking up and the original owner frantically begging for reconciliation with idol-drama-like words.

Jian Ye was too lazy to read more and simply deleted the contact.

‘Why keep a lecherous, irresponsible scumbag? So I can wish him a happy New Year?’

‘Brother Fish, my foot. More like a clownfish, perhaps?’

Aside from the scumbag, WeChat also contained messages from Jian family relatives, routinely asking him to return to the main residence each week.

These Jian family relatives were truly annoying. They treated Jian Ye as useless, yet they worried he might one day compete with them for family property.

‘Are they afraid I might suddenly awaken, cease my extravagant and decadent ways, and transform into a peerless genius, the hope of the entire village?’

For the original owner, they had no need for such worries.

But now that he had transmigrated, it was hard to say.

Although Jian Ye disdained those family assets, he still had to be responsible for this body. He felt he ought to reclaim what was due from those who had bullied the original owner.

In other words: ‘Why should I tolerate your insolence now that I’m here?’

‘Even if I feel truly wronged, any show of weakness will be an act for your benefit.’

Jian Ye’s green tea persona suddenly found its purpose. ‘If I used it on every member of the Jian family, I should earn a lot of Green Tea Value, right?’

Eating breakfast while harboring these little schemes, Jian Ye asked Butler Zhang, “Where’s the nearest hair salon?”

“Young Master wants a haircut? There’s no need to go to a salon, is there? Don’t you have your exclusive Tony stylist? Your current hairstyle was done by Tony, you know.”

Jian Ye’s eyes widened like brass bells.

‘Exclusive Tony stylist?’

‘Is this how young masters of wealthy families live?’

‘My horizons were too narrow.’

Afraid Butler Zhang would grow suspicious, Jian Ye quickly cleared his throat. “Of course I know I have Tony. I just wanted to try a different stylist.”

Butler Zhang replied, “Oh, I see… Then I’ll contact another stylist for you. The Jian family has a partnership with Yun Jing’s largest hair salon, so their stylists are available for us to use freely.”

‘Is that so? This little cannon fodder’s initial setup isn’t bad at all!’

‘Awesome.’