The Chili Queen and the Green Tea Genius

“My god… are you really Jian Ye? It’s only been half a semester, did you go to Country H and get a new face?” Li Xiangchi exclaimed, jumping off his bed, his voice still filled with astonishment.

He spoke candidly, blurting out thoughts without much consideration, certainly without any intention to mock.

‘It hasn’t been “half a semester” since we last met, has it?’ Jian Ye thought to himself. ‘This guy probably never even remembered my face to begin with.’

Unable to explain, Jian Ye could only offer, “I dyed my hair.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Mingchang slapped his thigh, remembering, “Ah, right, right! You used to have green hair!”

Li Xiangchi’s memory was jolted awake as well. “Hahahaha, so the chuunibyou kid who only showed up for the final exams last semester was you? Why didn’t you perform Hatsune Miku’s dance at the New Year’s gala with that hairstyle?”

Jian Ye remained silent.

Liu Mingchang turned to glance at the bespectacled boy behind them. “Zheng Yan, you’re incredible. How did you recognize him as Jian Ye at first glance?”

Li Xiangchi was also surprised. “Yeah, with his hair dyed black, it’s like he’s got a new face. I can’t recall him ever looking like this before.”

Zheng Yan, the one who had recognized Jian Ye, replied, “Actually, I didn’t recognize him at first either. His voice sounded familiar, so I made a wild guess. I can’t believe I was actually right.”

Jian Ye listened to their conversation for a while, gradually forming an impression of his three roommates’ personalities.

Clearly, their initial impression of him was still stuck on his chuunibyou phase with green hair.

Moreover, because he rarely spent time in the dorm, they didn’t know much about his true personality. This was actually a good thing.

If he did anything out of character for the original host, it wouldn’t arouse their suspicion. It would make it easier for him to reshape his green tea persona.

Jian Ye had already considered this upon arriving. If there were any ‘campus bullies’ in the dorm, he would continue to play the innocent white flower to earn ‘green tea value’.

But judging by his roommates, they didn’t seem like the type to casually bully others. They should be easy to get along with.

Jian Ye felt confident he could quickly integrate into their group.

The original host, blinded by love, was an orphan with no social connections, which only intensified the general dislike he faced as a cannon fodder character.

When everyone abandoned him, no one stood by him or spoke up for him. Even just one friend would have given the original host some hope.

Jian Ye suspected that the original host’s suicidal moments weren’t for show, but truly born of despair, a desperate wish to vanish from the world.

Jian Ye sighed inwardly. ‘Isn’t it better to live well?’

‘If people look down on you, then pick yourself up and work hard to earn their respect.’

The first thing Jian Ye needed to do, having transmigrated into this role, was to shatter the original host’s inferiority complex. He refused to be an ‘orphan’; he would have friends, many friends.

[System 748: Host, I’m suddenly so inspired by your idea! So much positive energy! I support you making friends!]

[Jian Ye: ?]

[Jian Ye: I’m making friends to easily gain green tea value. What did you think?]

[System 748: …]

[Jian Ye: Only friends can provide more emotional feedback. I’ve summarized the patterns of green tea value acquisition: the closer people are to you and the more goodwill they hold, the higher the green tea value. For strangers, it’s not as much.]

[System 748: You truly are a host who excels at summarizing.]

After all that, the host’s actions were still entirely for the green tea system’s mission. System 748 had never encountered such a clear-headed host.

Many hosts who transmigrated into novel worlds would unconsciously integrate into the setting, developing emotions, sometimes even struggling to distinguish between reality and illusion.

However, Jian Ye seemed to treat this as a progression game from beginning to end, viewing those around him as mere paper characters. His actions were entirely purposeful—to obtain the ‘Green Tea’ title.

System 748 found itself unaccustomed to such a transparent and unproblematic host.

It felt as if… its own presence as a system had suddenly become redundant. Could the host complete this stage’s KPI all by himself?

System 748 felt a pang of sullenness and, with a touch of grievance, posted an update in their system WeChat group.

[748: I suddenly wish the host was a little good-for-nothing with zero ability, sobs.]

Immediately, a flurry of question marks from other dimensional systems piled up below, almost leading them to believe System 748 had been hacked, and prompting them to report it to higher authorities.

Jian Ye was completely unaware of the internal affairs of the system departments. At this moment, he had just entered his specialized course classroom.

This particular class was a practical professional course, requiring all students to change into dance attire printed with the Yunjing Media University logo before entering the dance studio.

Yunjing Media University’s dance department was quite renowned, boasting a strong faculty. Its teachers had led students to win numerous prestigious awards both domestically and internationally.

In the classical dance department, fundamental professional courses were not segregated by gender; only specific advanced courses were.

Today was Jian Ye’s first time entering the classroom dressed in the same dance uniform as everyone else. Upon entering, he distinctly felt several gazes fall upon him.

‘Was it because I hadn’t attended class for so long that my classmates were curious?’

Whispers of discussion, both male and female, subtly rose around him.

“Who is that? I’ve never seen them before. Are they a new transfer student?”

“It can’t be someone from another major trying to audit, can it? This is our department’s specialized course!”

“Perhaps they came specifically for our Teacher Tang? After all, our Little Teacher Tang is the goddess of the dance department.”

“Though I don’t know them, I have to say, that kid’s physique is truly enviable. Their proportions are absolutely perfect…”

“Tsk, he’s so effeminate. He should go with the girls, hahahaha.”

“Keep your voice down, it’d be pretty awkward if they heard you.”

Jian Ye: …

‘I’ve already heard every word. You can speak louder so the entire class can hear. I’m not embarrassed, so why should you be?’

Jian Ye was indifferent to these discussions. He had never taken a dance class before, so he could only rely entirely on the original host’s muscle memory, hoping to avoid any blunders in class.

“Are you nervous?”

Jian Ye heard a voice from behind him. He turned his head, and it was none other than his roommate, Li Xiangchi.

So Li Xiangchi was in the same department and class as him. No wonder he had mentioned Jian Ye only showing up for the final exams last semester.

Though not truly nervous, Jian Ye paused slightly before answering. “A little… It’s been too long since I attended class. I’m worried I’ve forgotten everything I learned.”

Li Xiangchi was a warm-hearted person. He clapped the young man’s back heartily. “Oh, what’s there to be afraid of? We’re all starting at the same point. Don’t think those gossips have great fundamentals; we’re all pretty much the same. No one should be laughing at anyone else.”

Jian Ye was slightly taken aback. Was this enthusiastic big boy comforting him?

A warmth spread through his heart, and he offered a smile. “Mm-hmm, thank you. If I don’t understand something later, I’ll be relying on Brother Chi.”

The young man’s smile was beautiful, like cherry blossoms blooming in spring, their falling petals gently tickling one’s heart.

Li Xiangchi was so flattered by the address “Brother Chi” that he felt a little dizzy. He uncharacteristically averted his gaze shyly, scratching his head. “Tha-thanks for what? It’s nothing.”

[Ding—Green tea element detected! Green tea value +10.]

Jian Ye’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly. He looked at the slightly embarrassed boy, a knowing smile slowly curving his lips. ‘The secret to unlocking green tea value is just calling them ‘gege’…’

“Is everyone here? Boys on one side, girls on the other. We’ll start with thirty minutes of floor exercises. I don’t need to explain further, do I?” Tang Ying crisply issued the training task the moment she entered the classroom.

As an exceptionally skilled dance teacher, she never bothered with lesson plans; all knowledge was already deeply integrated within her.

Jian Ye had no idea what floor training was, so he observed and followed everyone else’s movements.

He stole a glance at the ‘Little Teacher Tang’ everyone spoke of. She was indeed a very beautiful female teacher, perhaps in her thirties, with remarkably well-maintained skin.

“Look at you all, like you have no bones! You all slacked off and didn’t train during the winter break, did you?” Tang Ying scoffed.

She showed no regard for the feelings of these eighteen and nineteen-year-old youngsters, continuing her taunts.

“Your legs can’t even straighten. Do you want me to report directly to the dean and have your graduation extended by ten years, hmm?”

Everyone held their breath, their bodies stiff with tension.

“You, why is your neck so low? Too much phone time, or too much junk in your brain weighing it down? Keep it like that if you want a ‘wealth hump’ before graduation!”

The student who was called out immediately lifted their head, naturally elongating their neck.

They were likely terrified by the mention of a “wealth hump.”

Jian Ye: …

‘This female teacher looks so delicate, but her words are so harsh?’

‘This is definitely not the goddess of the dance department; this is an arrogant Chili Queen!’

At this moment, the system inconveniently started cheering and applauding in his mind.

[System 748: Host! Keep it up! You’re a genius!]

[Jian Ye: Even a genius wouldn’t dare to provoke a sharp-tongued little chili flower. This Little Teacher Tang scares me.]

“Alright! Change positions! Sit down and press your front leg.”

“Hey, hey! All of you, don’t hook your feet randomly. It’s not time for hooking yet; keep them all straight! Extend your torso! Press down!”

Jian Ye was startled by the final shout, his body reflexively snapped down, achieving a perfect fold.

Others’ chests were a certain distance from their thighs and knees, as the main purpose of this movement was to stretch flexibility.

However, due to nervousness, Jian Ye’s body folded perfectly, his upper body and legs pressed tightly together without any gap, a flawless fit that seemed unnatural for a human body.

Tang Ying happened to pass by Jian Ye, pausing slightly at the sight. “You…”

Jian Ye: ‘Did I… do it wrong?’

“…You’re not in our class, are you?” Tang Ying seemed not to remember any student in her class with Jian Ye’s level of flexibility.

“Teacher, he’s in our class. He just didn’t come to class much last semester,” Li Xiangchi explained on Jian Ye’s behalf.

“The only one who didn’t come to class much was…” Tang Ying seemed to recall a certain green-haired student who easily passed the professional exam last semester.

“Jian Ye?”

Jian Ye obediently responded, “Mm.”

Tang Ying exhaled, as if digesting Jian Ye’s new appearance, then quickly added, “I know your bones are extraordinary, but this movement doesn’t require you to stick together like a slime. Lift your upper body a bit and extend your arms forward.”

Jian Ye: “Yes…”

Other students couldn’t help but snicker, trying to stifle their laughter.

‘True to form for Little Teacher Tang. Even if the movement is 100% perfect, one cannot escape that beautiful yet vicious mouth.’

“What are you laughing at? You’re worse than slime! They can merge their bodies, while you’re like compasses that can’t close, stiff and devoid of beauty.”

Everyone abruptly fell silent, suddenly realizing that Little Teacher Tang’s mockery of Jian Ye was actually a compliment.

Jian Ye secretly exhaled a breath of relief. Thankfully, he had the original host’s body memory, which was bursting with flexibility.

When it came to basic skills, he could perform them perfectly, exactly as the teacher instructed.

Subsequent movements like pressing the back leg, pressing the side leg, front splits with leg hold, backbends from splits, and leg lifts were all executed smoothly.

It felt effortless, even bringing a sense of physical and mental exhilaration. After his body was stretched, it was as if all his pores had opened. For the first time, Jian Ye experienced the joy of being a naturally gifted performer.

[Jian Ye: So refreshing, so comfortable~ Can I do it again?]

[System 748: …]