Chapter 20: Eyes looking me up and down.

"Ah—I heard you're Lin Xi's boyfriend? What do you do for a living?"

A gaze full of ill intent.

"You're the one who pursued Lin Xi, right? I thought so... Lin Xi is famously the 'flower on the high peak.' We all thought she wasn't interested in men."

A tone dripping with mockery and sarcasm.

"You studied economics? Are you planning to join your parents' business too?... What? They don't run a company? Then how will you find a job later?"

A deliberately exaggerated expression of surprise.

"Ah, then you must have a lot of internship experience, right? It's okay, my dad says he also likes employees with no background but who are down-to-earth and hardworking..."

The entrance to the Ritz-Carlton hotel was dazzlingly opulent, the marble floors polished to a high shine, reflecting a blinding glare.

Gao Qinghe followed behind Lin Xi, but her steps were slightly sluggish, each one feeling like she was walking on cotton, out of sync with the sharp tap-tap of her high heels on the floor. She looked down at her toes, at the low-key yet exquisitely expensive lambskin shoes glowing softly under the lights.

Lin Xi walked ahead, wearing tailored suit pants and a sleeveless shirt. Her slender body was held perfectly straight, the fabric hinting at the smooth curve of her waist.

She was wearing light makeup today, but it was a style Gao Qinghe had never seen on her before.

She had spent half an hour on it before leaving, so it was as impeccably applied as always, but her eye makeup was different. She no longer drew the 'aegyo-sal' under her eyes. Instead, she used an ultra-fine eyeliner to create a clean, sharp, upward-flicking line, making her gaze look sharp and aggressive, giving her an air of being somewhat unapproachable.

"Qinghe, are you okay?" Lin Xi turned back to hold the door open for Gao Qinghe, her movements natural and elegant, her eyes filled with concern.

Gao Qinghe snapped out of it. Memories of the past flooded in, making her feel a little scared. She hesitated but still walked in with her slightly dragging steps.

The mirror in the lobby reflected her own image.

The classic Hermès 'H' jacquard cashmere-silk blend knit dress draped lazily and low-key over her figure, the hem swaying gently with movement. The knit fabric clung to her body, forming soft folds at the chest and hips, accentuating her already ample curves even more, yet without appearing tight or tacky.

Against the backdrop of Lin Xi's sharp makeup, Gao Qinghe's attire seemed even softer and more delicate.

It suited her.

But even if her appearance had changed, she still didn't understand Lin Xi's world. The words she spoke could still easily give her away. Even decked head-to-toe in Hermès, would she really be accepted?

"Lin Xi! You finally decided to grace us with your presence!" A loud, flamboyant voice startled Gao Qinghe. She turned to see a man in a tailored emerald green suit jacket walking towards them, holding a wine glass, his arms spread wide in an exaggerated, enthusiastic gesture. His fingers pinched the stem of the glass, the crimson liquid inside gently swirling. "You've missed several gatherings! You can't be putting on airs now that you're with Xiang Bei, can you?"

"Don't even start, Cheng Cheng. I've been in the lab organizing data, it has nothing to do with Xiang Bei," Lin Xi replied. She turned slightly, the fabric of her tailored shirt shimmering like silk under the light, outlining the faint shadow of her shoulder blades. "Come on, let me introduce you. This is Gao Qinghe..."

Gao Qinghe felt a ringing in her ears.

A buzzing sound filled her head.

The man called Cheng Cheng was the main host of this entire mixer. He was also a scion from an extremely wealthy family; this hotel was even an investment of his family's.

Back when she was Gao Jingdong, it was this very person who had bombarded him with a series of questions like "What's your major?" and "Does your family have a company?" that had made him feel so awkward and exposed.

The heel of her high shoe tapped lightly on the floor as Gao Qinghe took a step back, almost wanting to run.

"No way?! Your ex-boyfriend had such a beautiful cousin?" In the blink of an eye, Cheng Cheng was right in front of Gao Qinghe, his eyes gleaming as he looked her over from left to right, his gaze sweeping back and forth between her face and the neckline of her knit dress, his look one of undisguised greed.

"Cheng Cheng, could you show some respect? Don't scare Qinghe." Lin Xi quickly pulled Gao Qinghe behind her. "Qinghe, just stick with me. I'll introduce you to some of my other friends."

"Hey, no, no, that's not what I meant," Cheng Cheng hurriedly waved his hands, trying to dispel Lin Xi's doubts. "It's like this: I have a friend at the art academy who's looking for a model. I just thought she'd be perfect, wanted to ask if she'd be willing to help out or something..."

"A model?" Gao Qinghe's eyes lit up at the word, full of curiosity. She instinctively took a step forward. "Does it pay?"

"Hahaha, seems little sister here is a straightforward one..." Cheng Cheng looked her over, taking in the Hermès from head to toe, his gaze appraising. He thought for a moment, his eyes narrowing into slits. "My friend is always generous. How about ten thousand for one shoot?"

Ten thousand...?!

Gao Qinghe's eyes widened in shock.

Ten thousand, for just one shoot?

"What kind of shoot pays ten thousand for one session?" Lin Xi asked the question for her, crossing her arms, her posture alert. "It's not some indecent shoot, is it?"

"Ah, Lin Xi, you can rest a hundred percent assured!" Cheng Cheng reached out to pat Lin Xi's shoulder, but she sidestepped to avoid it.

He withdrew his hand, giving an awkward laugh, but didn't seem annoyed. "We just want to take some photos with a campus vibe, completely normal, the kind that can be published in magazines. Who knows, maybe we could even help little sister Gao Qinghe debut!"

Debuting by taking photos? Something this good could happen?

...Debuting—

Gao Qinghe couldn't help but start to dream.

Before, she always felt she had no choice but to find a job to earn money, destined to be a workhorse for others every day. Now that she'd become a beautiful girl, of course she could make money with her face.

If she really became a gravure idol in the future... hehe, wouldn't the money just flow into her pocket while she lay around?

"...It still sounds a bit suspicious. Even if she could debut, it doesn't sound like a very proper profession," Lin Xi waved a dismissive hand at Cheng Cheng. Her movements maintained basic politeness but still seemed somewhat impatient. "We'll talk about it later. Qinghe and I are leaving first. Next time."

She took Gao Qinghe by the wrist and headed towards the salon, her grip not heavy but firm and leaving no room for argument.

Gao Qinghe had to quicken her steps to keep up, her high heels making two rapid tap-tap sounds on the floor.

"Hey, no problem, remember to tell me if you change your mind...!" Cheng Cheng's words drifted from far behind, quickly swallowed by the noise of the grand hall.

Gao Qinghe looked back at him, then at Lin Xi, being dragged forward by Lin Xi, yet puzzled on her own.

This was a sure-win, no-lose deal. Why was Lin Xi blocking it for her?