Chapter 23: Your Circle Is the Noblest, Huh

"Qinghe, are you okay?"  

On the way home in the car, Lin Xi spoke, asking with concern to Gao Qinghe sitting beside her. Her voice was low, with a hint of weary tenderness.

The neon lights of the city flickered, casting on the faces of the two sitting in the back seat; flowing light and shadow surged like a tide, then quickly receded.

Gao Qinghe hadn't yet reacted to what had happened.  

One second she was immersed in the sweet feeling of being praised, the next she was inexplicably pulled into the car and brought home.  

She had never encountered such a good opportunity in her life! When she was still Gao Jingdong, she worked part-time at a milk tea shop for a month, exhausting herself and earning only a thousand yuan in total. After buying herself a set of equipment and treating Lin Xi to a good meal, there was nothing left.  

Now, what lay before her was twenty thousand yuan! How could a good modeling opportunity just disappear? This is twenty thousand! Twenty thousand yuan!  

Think about it, twenty thousand per session, ten sessions is two hundred thousand. He would have to work at the milk tea shop for sixteen years to earn two hundred thousand. Their family's annual salary was only two hundred thousand. The set of clothes Xiangbei bought for himself was only a little over two hundred thousand...

"Uh, Li Nan didn't have bad intentions, right? I saw the photos, they are indeed legitimate photography..."  

Gao Qinghe finally spoke, her fingertips unconsciously gripping her knees, nails embedding into the fabric of her skirt.

"What legitimate photography?"  

Lin Xi frowned, leaning against the seat and turning sideways to look at her, her upward-tapering eyeliner appearing even sharper under the fleeting car lights.  

"Qinghe, I've seen many people like Li Nan in my circle. They have no good intentions; they specifically trick innocent, cute, and inexperienced girls like you."

"But he also has a professional photography studio. Maybe I can even debut in the future..."

"He's just a playboy! How could his vulgar photography allow you to debut? You don't understand, Qinghe. You still need to learn to protect yourself..."  

Lin Xi interrupted Gao Qinghe's defense, waved her hand in annoyance, and turned away to stop looking at her.

Gao Qinghe instantly felt her hands and feet turn cold, blood rushing to her head.  

'Why does she get to make decisions for me again?'  

'What does she mean by "learn to protect yourself"? She still thinks I'm not capable, right?'  

'Why, after becoming a woman, do I still have to be at her mercy and controlled by her?'

The three words "You don't understand" stabbed straight into her heart like a knife.  

'What don't I understand? Men?'  

'Could it be that she thinks these photos won't become popular?'  

'Impossible. Lin Xi's so-called "vulgar photography," she could tell from her past experience as Gao Jingdong that these are things men like. They will definitely become popular.'  

'Actually, when she looked, she felt quite familiar with a few photos; they were probably images that had been wildly shared in the group before.'  

'Widespread dissemination is almost a given. With dissemination, over time there will be fame. Once she becomes famous, Gao Qinghe can debut, and once she debuts, can't she do whatever she wants? Don't many Japanese film actors start out by shooting photo books?'  

'Film actors are a legitimate profession, right?'  

'Then how is modeling not a legitimate profession? Besides, the money earned isn't less than what Lin Xi earns after struggling through college.'  

'If that's the case, then Lin Xi's "you don't understand" must mean that Gao Qinghe doesn't understand the circle, doesn't understand their rules, she's not worthy to enter——'

Thinking of this, Gao Qinghe's eyes reddened with anger again.  

'After finally, finally becoming a woman and being qualified to stand on the same stage as you, in the end you, Lin Xi, still look down on me, still think I'm inferior to you.'

Gao Qinghe couldn't say a word. She tightly pursed her lips, trying not to let Lin Xi notice the trembling of her lips. She clenched her fists, nails digging into her flesh, a small sting climbing up her arm to her heart, but it was quickly swallowed by the dull pain in her chest.

*

The apartment door clicked shut behind them. Gao Qinghe took off her leather shoes, stepped on the floor with bare feet, fumbled for her slippers with her feet a few times before putting them on. She dragged her feet to the sofa and plopped down.

"Qinghe, I don't mean to lecture you..."  

Lin Xi spoke, as if wanting to apologize to Gao Qinghe. Gao Qinghe's mood was clearly off. She paused, her tone suddenly softening. Her palm stroked the back of the sofa, fingertips gently pressing on the fabric, the movement carrying a hint of hesitant tenderness.

"Sister Lin Xi, I just think this opportunity is quite rare."  

Seeing Lin Xi's attitude soften, Gao Qinghe also spoke. Her fingers fiddled with the mother-of-pearl buttons on her clothes, but her tone was somewhat bitter.  

"You also know that my family background isn't as good as yours. The money earned from modeling would be enough for my whole family to live on for quite a while."

"...I can understand. But if it were legitimate fashion modeling, that would be one thing. This kind of borderline modeling really isn't necessary, and it won't do any good for your future development."  

Lin Xi paused.  

"I just hope that you, Qinghe, can find a career you're truly interested in and strive for it. Earning this kind of quick money in the long run..."

'It's these same arguments again!'  

Gao Qinghe furrowed her beautiful brows, feeling a headache.  

'When she was still Gao Jingdong, she was forced to listen to these speeches until she wanted to vomit. They had also argued many times because of this, with Lin Xi always saying that she wasn't ambitious or hardworking enough. Heaven knows that back then, if she had such an opportunity to earn money, she would have done it even if it meant breaking her head! Now this pie falling from the sky, why is Lin Xi instead trying to obstruct it?'  

She unconsciously bit her lower lip, the full lip lightly indented by her teeth, turning a bit red.

"If in the long run, I want to be a model?"  

Gao Qinghe interrupted Lin Xi and retorted.  

"Sister Lin Xi, you can't say that being a model, an actress, or entering the entertainment industry is not a legitimate profession, right? Is your research more noble than this?"

"...No!"  

Lin Xi's voice grew more urgent.  

"Being an actress is indeed a legitimate profession. If you really want to do it, I won't object. I just hope that you do it on the basis of understanding that its power balance is even more unequal, that it requires you to sell more of your female value, and that you may even need to exchange sex for resources..."

'Blah blah blah, more big words! Power balance, value or no value—she, Gao Qinghe, is not a weak woman!'  

'Besides, what's wrong with fair exchange? She's just selling a bit of her looks. Getting resources and money so easily—isn't this a deal where you definitely don't lose?'  

'To take a step back——'  

'If she really can't stand it, didn't the system say she still has two chances to turn back into a man? Then she can spend this money as Gao Jingdong. This is a treatment that ordinary people don't have!'

"Sister Lin Xi, I really don't think there's anything wrong with this, okay?"  

Gao Qinghe suddenly became firmer. She stood up from the sofa, her movements swift and stubborn. She stared straight at Lin Xi, her almond eyes wide open.  

"Or is it that you just can't earn this money, so you want to stop others from getting this opportunity?"

"...You...!"  

Lin Xi's face was shocked, her cat eyes suddenly widening.  

She clearly hadn't expected Gao Qinghe to say such words.  

Her mouth hung open, unable to say a word for a long time.  

After a long while, she seemed to give up on something and spoke.  

"Qinghe... if you really want to go down the modeling path, I can contact the place where I used to do fashion modeling and see if they can give you a chance."

Her words were like a heavy hammer, hitting Gao Qinghe's chest until it felt stuffy.