Chapter 21: In my opinion, she’s just jealous of you

Soon, Lin Xi was chatting easily with the people around her. Holding a wine glass, she seemed perfectly at ease among the carefully made-up faces and well-tailored suits, without any hint of incongruity. She only occasionally glanced at Gao Qinghe, her gaze carrying a soft tenderness, but she quickly looked away, as if merely confirming that Qinghe was safe.

But this time, Gao Qinghe wasn't left out.

Whether it was her own face or this Hermès outfit that did the trick, she soon found herself surrounded by the crowd, enveloped in countless curious and envious glances.

"Oh my god, your hair! It's so pretty! Is this color natural? Are you mixed?"

"Are you an actress? I feel like I've seen you in some drama..."

"Wow, you don't even wear makeup? From afar, I thought you had at least a light base on, but now I see you don't even have lipstick on..."

No one asked what she studied, what she wanted to do in the future, or what plans she had. The kind of scrutiny that once made her feel like she was sitting on pins and needles was gone, replaced by gentle compliments and curiosity.

Girls who had never even glanced at her before now gathered around, chatting casually with her, the topics inevitably revolving around skincare, makeup, or beauty routines.

Whenever she said, "I really don't do anything special," it would draw envious exclamations, and people would tease her, asking if she was being "Versailles."

...Hah. So these people didn't only talk about academic stuff. Chatting about shallow topics like fashion and beauty was pretty fun too, wasn't it?

Gao Qinghe nodded along, her voice soft and sweet, but there was a thorn stuck in her heart.

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

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

It didn't matter anyway.

There was a long line of people who wanted to talk to her; she wasn't being ignored. In fact, the stream of people coming to chat was almost overwhelming, and she was fitting in quite well.

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

'Why did she stop me from taking that modeling gig?'

'That Cheng Cheng even said it was a legitimate shoot—professional and paid. Why did Lin Xi turn it down without a second thought? She could have at least asked what it was about, right?'

'Lin Xi has probably encountered this kind of thing many times and doesn't care about one job or another. But for me, Gao Qinghe, this was a first.'

'...No, 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 get a good job and turn my life around?'

'What does she mean by "debut doesn't sound like a proper job"? How can debuting not be proper?'

Gao Qinghe remembered how Lin Xi used to go on and on about "future careers" and how a profession was different from a job. 'Is she going to spout that same old crap again—that even if I debut, I'd still just be working for someone else, and that it's not a career where you can keep learning and growing?'

'Aren't career and job both about making money?'

'What, is Lin Xi pulling some kind of career discrimination on me?'

The more Gao Qinghe thought about it, the angrier she got. Flames of rage burned in her chest.

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

"Oh, are you okay..."

A familiar voice came from above her head. Gao Qinghe had barely squeezed out of the crowd when she almost bumped into someone.

She looked up. Well, wouldn't you know it—it was Cheng Cheng. Thankfully, he had a firm grip on his wine glass, so he didn't spill it on her.

Gao Qinghe was about to apologize and move on, 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 said, his expression delighted. "I saw you chatting with everyone, so I was relieved. This is your first time—"

"I have something to do. I need to find Lin Xi first..." Gao Qinghe said, stepping back and trying to continue toward Lin Xi.

"Hold on, let's chat a little." 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?" Gao Qinghe frowned, crossing her arms. The anger in her eyes was almost overflowing. "What do you mean I'm not the same type as her? So I'm worse than her, right?"

In her fury, she didn't care about anything else. Barbed words slipped out.

"...What? No, why would you think that?" Cheng Cheng was clearly taken aback by her sharp question. His eyes widened. He looked genuinely surprised by her reaction, pausing for a moment as if searching for the right words. "I think you're obviously much more feminine than Lin Xi... She's too flashy. If you really ask me, I think you're better than her."

Gao Qinghe still frowned, scrutinizing Cheng Cheng's expression for a long time.

He didn't seem to be lying.

"...Then, about the modeling job, why didn't you ask Lin Xi?"

"Lin Xi's vibe clearly doesn't fit. The shoot is for a campus-themed project. Lin Xi's golden hair would be way too out of place." Cheng Cheng frowned as well, still seeming puzzled about why Gao Qinghe would ask him that. He looked around, then leaned down and whispered in her ear:

"And..." He paused, covering the side of his mouth with one hand. His voice dropped low, hot breath brushing against Gao Qinghe's ear as he said, almost in a whisper, "Your figure is way better than Lin Xi's. They don't want someone like Lin Xi."

'My figure is better than Lin Xi's...?'

A strange feeling rose in Gao Qinghe's heart—somewhere between sweetness and satisfaction—making her cheeks flush slightly. She instinctively looked down at her own chest. The generous  swelled faintly under her knit dress, the fabric's pattern glinting softly in the light.

"Shouldn't Lin Xi's vibe be pretty suitable for modeling? Has no one ever asked her?" Gao Qinghe suppressed a smile as she asked.

"I don't know, but with her temper, I doubt anyone would dare to ask." Cheng Cheng leaned in even closer, whispering softly into Gao Qinghe's ear. "If you ask me, maybe Lin Xi turned it down for you because she's jealous that only you were invited!" He straightened up and laughed. "Just kidding—"

But Gao Qinghe didn't hear what he said after that.

That strange feeling grew stronger, almost swallowing her whole.