Tea Master vs Green Tea

After pulling a 38-hour shift, I found myself transmigrated into a cheesy romance novelas the doomed sister of the devoted second male lead.

In the novel, my brother not only pines after the popular female lead for years, but he also drains the family fortune for her. In the end, he even sacrifices himself to save the male lead, earning nothing but a few worthless tears from the girl.

The moment my brother dies, the original owner of this body, a pampered heiress, is instantly orphaned. Targeted by the female leads admirers, she ends up destitute on the streets, freezing to death.

What a joke. I spent twenty years utterly alone in the real world. There's no way I'm letting this ridiculously handsome and wealthy brother of mine walk the same tragic path.

I swear on my life, I will protect my golden goose of a brother!

So when the female lead, her eyes red-rimmed, holds my brothers black card and says to him with deep emotion, "Alistair, why did you take so long to get here..."

I dash forward and flash Penelope a sweet smile.

"Don't be sad, Penelope. My brother was late, it's not like he died young!"

"So, does this mean your boyfriend's black card isn't activated for you yet?"

...

Penelope, who had been crying dramatically in my brother's arms, freezes mid-sob. She whips her head around to look at Alistair.

My brother is stunned by my words. He slowly pushes her away, his eyes filled with a new kind of scrutiny and doubt.

"Penelope... are you and Conrad together?"

Penelope clearly didn't see that coming. Her expression flickers for a second before she adopts a look of tragic, romantic indecision. "Alistair, has your sister misunderstood me?"

"It's true that Conrad has been pursuing me," she says, her shoulders trembling with a perfectly pitched, nasal tone. "But I haven't made up my mind. He's not as thoughtful and gentle as you are."

Her whole masterclass in manipulation sets off alarm bells in my head.

Seeing the softened look in my brother's eyes, I can practically hear the sound of money flying away again.

"That's not right, Penelope," I cut in, swiftly derailing her pity party. "Didn't you and Conrad make it official last night?"

As I speak, I snatch her phone with a playfully innocent expression. I quickly find a specific post on her Instagram and shove it in Alistair's face with a naive grin. "Silly brother, look! You missed it! You didn't get to congratulate them!"

It was a post Penelope made last night. The photo showed two hands, fingers intertwined under candlelight. The caption was pure saccharine bait:

[After all this time, I'm so lucky to have finally found you.]

Of course, Alistair could never have seen this post. Penelope had long since put him on a restricted list.

After my performance, I clap a hand over my mouth as if I've just realized my mistake. "Oh! Did I say the wrong thing?"

Alistair's face turns to stone. He stares at the two entwined hands on the screen, his eyes slowly turning red. His voice is hoarse when he finally confronts Penelope.

"Why did you block me from seeing this?"

"What am I to you?"

Penelope shoots me a venomous glare before scrambling to do damage control. "Alistair, I blocked you because I care about you so much! I was afraid it would hurt you to see it..."

"Wow, you're so thoughtful, Penelope!" I say, looking at her with wide-eyed admiration. "Since you're so considerate, you definitely won't be asking my brother for money anymore, right? I mean, what if Conrad found out? He might get the wrong idea and think there's something going on between you two."

My words land like a punch to the gut. Alistair's expression darkens even further. He coldly plucks his credit card from Penelope's hand.

"I'm sorry, Penelope. If you're in trouble, you should ask Conrad. I'm afraid I can't help you."

Penelope bites her lip. She's always maintained an image of a pure, independent woman in front of Conrad, turning down his lavish gifts only because she had my brother as a personal, bottomless ATM. Now that I've shattered that illusion, how can she keep up her "I'm-above-money" act?

She opens her mouth, ready to try again.

I immediately link my arm with Alistair's. "Brother, let's go. You two were just wrapped around each other. What if someone starts a rumor that you're the other man?"

The phrase "the other man" stabs Alistair right where it hurts. He nods, his voice weary. "Penelope, we should probably see less of each other from now on. To avoid any... misunderstandings."

Without another glance at her, he pulls me into his car.

But I know this is just the beginning. A main character like her has the tenacious life force of a cockroach.

Sure enough, late that night, the phone in the Sterling family mansion rings.

Alistair picks up the phone. It's Penelope, her voice a small, whimpering plea for help from the other end. She claims she's being harassed by thugs at a bar, trapped and unable to leave. She begs him to come and save her.

The moment he hears her crying, Alistair's reason goes offline. He hangs up and rushes for the door.

"Vivi, Penelope's in trouble! I have to go check on her. Lock the doors and stay safe!"

Of course, I don't resort to crying or faking a sprained ankle to stop him. For a top-tier manipulator like me, such tactics are amateur hour.

I launch myself at my brother, clinging to him like a koala.

"I'm going too! I have to help Penelope!"

The moment we enter the club, I spot her. Penelope, looking fragile and helpless in a corner booth, her hand being forcefully held by a devilishly handsome man.

Before I can even assess the situation, my brainless brother charges forward and shoves the man.

"Let her go!"

The man explodes in anger, jabbing a finger in Alistair's face. "Who the hell are you?"

Alistair, his sense of justice at an all-time high, puffs out his chest. "I'm Penelope's friend! You're harassing a woman in public! You want me to call the cops on you?"

"Harassing?" The man scoffs, a humorless laugh escaping his lips. "Me, harassing her?"

Penelope flinches, her teary eyes meeting Alistair's. "Alistair, I want to go. I want to go home."

Alistair puts a protective arm around her, glaring at the other man. "Don't be afraid, Penelope. Let's go!"

The man, now furious, blocks their path. "Penelope, did I say you could leave?"

Alistair's temper flares, and he looks ready to throw a punch. "You scum! And you say you're not harassing her!"

Seriously, bro? You think you're Bruce Lee? Why are you always ready to fight?

I throw myself onto Alistair's arm, internally screaming. Alistair Sterling! You traded ten lifetimes of common sense for one lifetime of god-tier looks! Is that it? Were you reborn as a beautiful, brainless Ragdoll cat?

I quickly bat my eyelashes, turning an innocent gaze on the man. "Excuse me, sir. You know Penelope, right?"

The enraged man is momentarily thrown off by my question. "Of course I know her! She's the one who asked me to meet her here tonight. Now she wants to leave after less than half an hour?"

Penelope's sobs stop abruptly. She looks at me with pure terror in her eyes.

Alistair is also frozen. "Penelope, you know him?"

She starts to panic, trying to explain. "Alistair, it's... I..."

I don't give her the chance. I keep pressing. "Sir, I just figured since you knew her name, you must be friends. See how worried my brother is? He thought you were some kind of creep!"

Now it's my brother and the other man's turn to be stunned. The man's eyes narrow as he seems to finally understand. He glares at Penelope.

"Penelope, so you've been telling people I'm harassing you? That I'm a creep?"

My brother, completely lost, mutters to himself, "So... you weren't being harassed? You know him?"

Penelope is cornered. Facing two men she can no longer fool, she starts spouting nonsense. "No! Marco, listen to me!"

"Alistair, you've misunderstood! Actually..."

Just then, a commotion erupts at the edge of the crowd.

"What's all this noise?"

"Nobody move! Police!"

A group of uniformed officers storms in, quickly taking control of the scene.

I hide behind Alistair, a barely perceptible smile playing on my lips.

Sorry, everyone. I wasn't just standing around. I took the liberty of making a quick call. The reason? A report of a public disturbance involving illegal activities and women being forced to drink with clients at a certain club.

With my future-vision, I had to get my brother and the Sterling family out of this mess. After all, if my brother made an enemy of a mob boss's son this early in the game, the Sterling family would be in danger.

And my Porsche, my Herms bags, my gold chains and fancy watches, would all be in danger.

The police took all of us down to the station for questioning.

The officer in charge of my statement slams his hand on the table. "Who called this in? Who reported a public disturbance and illegal activities?"

I raise my hand timidly, my voice barely a whisper. "Officer, it was me."

The cop gives me a skeptical look, his brow furrowed. "Do you have any idea what the penalty is for filing a false report, young lady? This looks like a simple lover's quarrel."

I blink, my face a perfect mask of innocence and fear. "No, officer, it's not! I heard Penelope on the phone with my brother... she said they wouldn't let her leave unless she drank with them..."

I lower my head, twisting my fingers together as fat tears begin to fall. "I was so scared. I was scared for Penelope. And I was even more scared for my brother."

The officer's expression softens slightly. "Alright, alright. Even though it was a misunderstanding, you've given us a reason to keep a closer eye on this place." He then turns to lecture Penelope, telling her to sort out her romantic entanglements and not cause public disturbances by two-timing men.

His words make Penelope's face flush with a mixture of shame and anger.

In the end, it's Conrad who comes to pick her up.

I don't know what lies Penelope sobbed to him, but after he helps her into his car, he pulls up right in front of us. He rolls down the window, his gaze cold and menacing as it lands on me.

"Vivienne Sterling, is it?" he says, his voice dripping with venom. "I'll remember what happened tonight."

With that, his Maybach roars away.

Alistair just stands there, watching them go, looking completely lost.

I internally flip him the bird. So this is the novel's famous tyrant CEO? The one who's supposed to be so intimidating? He's nothing compared to my brother.

I turn and tug fearfully on Alistair's sleeve. "Brother... should I not have called the police?"

That snaps him out of it. He reaches out and ruffles my hair fondly. "It's okay, Vivi. None of this is your fault."

He sighs, pulling me into a hug. "It's for the best. Now I see things more clearly. Penelope... she has someone else to protect her now."

I thought the drama was over for the night.

But at three in the morning, Penelope posts to her private Instagram story, visible only to Alistair.

A photo of her wrist, with beads of blood welling up. The caption is pure melodrama:

[This world is so cold. Only pain makes me feel alive. If no one cares about me, maybe I should just disappear.]

Los Angeles at 4:30 AM might not have seen it, but my dear brother certainly did.

Once again, he starts pacing anxiously in the living room in the middle of the night.

I hear him and quickly emerge from my bedroom. "Brother," I call out softly. "Are you worried about Penelope?"

While he's still processing, I rush over and wrap my arms around his waist. "I was so scared today, brother," I whisper, my voice thick with fake tears.

"Conrad's eyes were so fierce. Does he think I was bullying Penelope?"

"Brother, did I cause trouble for our family?"

"But I was just so scared something would happen to you. You're the only family I have left."

"Mom and Dad are gone. If something happens to you too, how am I supposed to go on...?"

The more I "cry," the more genuine my sadness becomes. The loneliness from my past life bubbles to the surface. I thought I had just found a golden ticket, a meal plan for life. But after these past few days, I've realized how gentle, handsome, and kind he truly is. He shouldn't be a mere sacrifice for the main characters' grand love story.

Why should he have to be a supporting character in someone else's life?

Alistair feels the small, trembling body in his arms. After a long moment, he gently hugs me back.

"Vivi was so scared today," he murmurs, his voice filled with self-reproach.

"I promise you," he says, his tone firm. "Brother will never, ever let an outsider scare my Vivi again."

I knew it. That main character plot armor was a relentless beast.

I don't know what new manipulative trick Penelope pulled, but in the following weeks, her relationship with the tyrant CEO, Conrad, progressed at lightning speed. Their public displays of affection became headline news.

And my brother? My big, beautiful Ragdoll cat was, of course, utterly heartbroken.

But Penelope, the master manipulator, wasn't done. While busy making headlines with her new beau, she would send late-night texts to my brother.

[If only he understood me the way you do. But there are no 'if onlys' in love.]

[Maybe when I've finally lost all hope, I'll realize how precious the one who was always by my side truly is.]

And so, my kind, foolish brother, despite having cold water thrown in his face time and time again, still held onto a sliver of hope for her.

Meanwhile, Conrad continued to target our family. Fueled by Penelope's constant lies and crocodile tears, he was convinced that my brother was relentlessly stalking his girlfriend, and that I, the bratty little sister, was intentionally slandering the love of his life.

To get revenge for Penelope, the unhinged CEO used his influence to freeze the Sterling Group's liquid assets. He even sent a message to Alistair: the funds would only be released when Penelope was happy.

After two days with no response, Conrad had the audacity to show up at our house, Penelope in tow.

He sat on our sofa, looking down his nose at my brother. After a long silence, he sneered.

"Alistair Sterling, you need to know your place. Do you really think you're worthy of Penelope?"

"And as for your sister..." He tapped a lazy rhythm on the armrest. "So young, yet so vicious. Spreading malicious rumors and ruining Penelope's reputation."

"Now, have your sister get on her knees and kowtow to Penelope a hundred times. Do that, and the thirty million will be in your account immediately."

Veins bulged on Alistair's forehead. He shot to his feet, roaring, "Conrad! Don't you dare go too far! This is business! Come after me! Why are you dragging my sister into this?"

Penelope gently tugged on Conrad's arm, her eyes full of pity as she looked at Alistair. "Alistair, don't blame him. Vivienne was out of line this time."

"As long as Vivi admits she called the police on purpose to hurt me that night at the club, Conrad will stop making things difficult for the Sterling family. After all," she added, her voice dripping with false concern, "hundreds of Sterling employees are waiting for their paychecks. We can't let them all starve just to save one person's pride, can we?"

I stood on the stairs, watching my brother's trembling back, and thought to myself: Brother, sometimes you have to break to rebuild. You need to take this bitter medicine today.

I descended the stairs, one step at a time, and walked directly to Penelope. A flash of triumph crossed her face. She straightened her back, waiting for me to kneel.

I let out a soft laugh, my eyes suddenly sharp and cold.

"Apologize?"

"The Sterlings do not bend the knee!"

Before anyone could react, I snatched a fruit knife from the coffee table. With a swift, unhesitating motion, I plunged it into my own chest.

Blood sprayed instantly, splattering across Penelope's face and dress.

She screamed, collapsing into Conrad's arms.

As I fell into a pool of my own "blood," I looked at Alistair's face, twisted in horror. I gasped for air, my voice weak. "An apology is impossible, Conrad. So take my life instead. You can have it in exchange for the money..."

"After all, Penelope's dress is dirty now. Only my blood... is enough to pay for it."

Alistair lost his mind.

He shoved the still-screaming Penelope aside and scrambled to my side, pressing his hands desperately against my wound. "Vivi! Vivi, don't you scare me! Somebody call an ambulance! Call an ambulance, now!"

The last thing I saw before I closed my eyes was the faint smile on my own lips.

Silly brother. The blood packet I rigged looks pretty realistic, right?

The show is just getting started.