Chapter 22: In My Opinion, She’s Just Jealous of You

Chapter: In My Opinion, She's Just Jealous of You
Soon, Lin Xi had blended into conversation with the people around her. Wine glass in hand, she seemed perfectly at ease among the carefully made-up faces and well-tailored suits, not out of place at all. She only occasionally glanced at Gao Qinghe, a hint of soft concern in her eyes, but quickly looked away, as if just confirming she was safe.

This time, though, Gao Qinghe wasn't left on the sidelines.

Whether it was her face or the Hermès outfit that did the trick, she quickly found herself surrounded by a crowd, wrapped in countless curious and envious stares.

“Oh my god, your hair! It’s really beautiful! Is that color natural? Are you mixed?”

“Are you an actress? I feel like I’ve seen you in some drama before…”

“Wow, you don’t even need makeup? From a distance I thought you were at least wearing light makeup, but now that I look closely, you’re not even wearing lipstick…”

No one asked what she studied, what she wanted to do in the future, or what her plans were anymore. The scrutiny that used to make her feel like she was sitting on pins and needles was gone, replaced by shallow compliments and curiosity.

Girls who never even gave her a second glance before were now huddling around, chatting casually with her, the topics nothing more than skincare, beauty, or makeup.

All she had to say was “I actually don’t do anything special,” and it would trigger envious gasps, along with teasing remarks about whether she was Versailles-style bragging.

‘...Ha, so these people don’t just talk about academic topics all the time. Chatting about shallow stuff like clothes and makeup—they seem pretty happy doing that, don’t they?’

Gao Qinghe went along with the conversation, her voice soft and sweet, but there was always a thorn stuck in her heart.

She turned to look at Lin Xi. She was standing in the middle of a group, her expression serious and focused—clearly the topic they were discussing wasn’t as light and casual as the one around Gao Qinghe.

Lin Xi had introduced her to that group at first. They chatted pleasantly enough for a while, but soon ran out of things to say, and one by one, they apologized and politely left.

Didn’t matter anyway.

After all, there was a line of people wanting to talk to her; she wasn’t being ignored. The stream of people coming to chat was so steady it was almost overwhelming. She fit in perfectly well.

But she still didn’t know what Lin Xi was thinking.

Why wouldn’t she let her take that modeling job?

Didn’t that Cheng Cheng say it was a legitimate shoot, not only proper but also paid? Why did Lin Xi turn it down without even asking? At least she could have asked what it was about, right?

Lin Xi probably ran into this kind of thing all the time and didn’t care about one gig or another—but for Gao Qinghe, it was a first.

‘...No, seriously, what’s she being so high and mighty about?

Could it be... she thinks I’m not good enough?

What, just because I come from a poor family, I can’t land a good job and turn my life around?

What does she mean by “debut doesn’t sound like a real profession”? If you can debut, how is that not legitimate?’

Gao Qinghe remembered how Lin Xi used to go on about “what you’ll do in the future,” how a career and a job were different, and all that stuff. Was she going to recycle that old talk again—that even if you debut, you’re still just working for someone else, and it’s not a profession where you can keep learning and developing?

‘—Don’t both a career and a job come down to making money?

What, is Lin Xi pulling some kind of job discrimination thing?’

The more Gao Qinghe thought, the angrier she got. Rage blazed in her chest.

Without excusing herself, she walked straight away from the conversation, determined to find Lin Xi and hash things out.

“Oh, are you okay...?” A familiar voice came from above. Gao Qinghe had barely pushed her way out of the crowd when she nearly ran into someone.

She looked up. Well, well, if it wasn’t Cheng Cheng. Luckily, he held his wine glass steady, so none spilled on her.

Gao Qinghe was about to apologize and leave, but Cheng Cheng’s gaze locked onto her. A wide grin spread across his face.

“Hey, Gao Qinghe, I was just looking for you.” He spoke, looking pleasantly surprised. “I saw you chatting with everyone and having a good time, so I felt relieved. This is your first time here—”

“I have something to do. I need to find Lin Xi.” Gao Qinghe stepped back, ready to continue toward Lin Xi.

“Wait, let’s talk for a bit.” Cheng Cheng blocked her path. “Seriously, I really want to get to know you. I feel like you and Lin Xi are completely different types. I’m curious how you two became friends…”

“...What do you mean by that?” Gao Qinghe frowned, crossing her arms. The anger in her eyes was almost spilling over. “What do you mean we’re not the same type?! That I’m inferior to her?”

On the verge of losing her temper, she didn’t care anymore and let the barbed words fly.

“...What? No, how could you think that?” Cheng Cheng was clearly taken aback by her questioning; his eyes widened in surprise. He seemed genuinely shocked by her question. He paused, as if searching for the right words. “I think you’re obviously much more feminine than Lin Xi... She’s too flashy. If you insist on asking, I think you’re better than her.”

Gao Qinghe kept frowning, scrutinizing Cheng Cheng’s expression for a long moment.

He didn’t seem to be lying.

“...Then, about the modeling thing, why didn’t you ask Lin Xi?”

“Lin Xi’s vibe clearly doesn’t fit. They’re shooting a campus-themed photoshoot. Lin Xi’s blonde hair is way too mismatched.” Cheng Cheng frowned too, still looking confused as to why Gao Qinghe would ask him that. He glanced around, then leaned down to whisper in her ear.

“And...” He paused, covering the side of his mouth with his hand, lowering his voice. His warm breath brushed against her ear as he spoke in a hushed tone. “Your figure is way better than Lin Xi’s. They didn’t want someone like her.”

‘My figure is better than Lin Xi’s...?’

A strange emotion rose in Gao Qinghe’s heart, half sweet, half vindicated. It made her cheeks flush slightly. She instinctively looked down at her chest—her full curves gently rose and fell under the knit dress, the fabric’s pattern catching the light with a subtle sheen.

“Shouldn’t Lin Xi’s vibe be suited for modeling? Has she never been asked?” Gao Qinghe suppressed a smile and asked.

“I don’t know. But with her temper, I doubt anyone dares to ask her.” Cheng Cheng leaned even closer, whispering in her ear, “Who knows? Maybe Lin Xi turned it down for you because she’s jealous that only you were invited!” He straightened up with a laugh. “Ah, I’m just kidding—”

But Gao Qinghe couldn’t hear the rest of what he said.

That strange emotion grew stronger, almost swallowing her whole.