It was obvious—Ming Yao had been set up by Jian Ning again.

The words “Hello, gege” kept echoing in her ears. Embarrassment hit her so hard that her mind went completely blank, leaving only a persistent buzzing in her ears. She instinctively opened her mouth but quickly gave up on the idea of explaining. At this point, she couldn’t even bring herself to care—she just wanted to rush back to the 27th floor and chop off Jian Ning’s troublemaking hand.

Whether this “gege” was doing well or not, Ming Yao had no idea. All she knew was that she felt utterly miserable, and if she didn’t leave right now, she would suffocate.

After calling out “gege,” Ming Yao turned around and bolted, like a heartbreaker running from responsibility.

Qi Xu leaned against the doorframe, watching the brief shift in her expressions over the last two minutes, and now, her slightly flustered figure disappearing in the distance. She was fast—gone in the blink of an eye. Qi Xu paused, then chuckled unconsciously. Just as he was about to close the door, he noticed a glimmering light on the carpet beneath his feet.

Ming Yao stormed back up to the 27th floor, fully intent on confronting her best friend. But before she could do anything, Jian Ning’s brother greeted her with such politeness and warmth that she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Feeling guilty, she bottled up her frustration and half-heartedly spent time with the siblings.

At 3 PM, Ming Yao got up, saying she needed to head back to school. But Jian Ning grabbed her.

“Don’t go yet, stay with me a little longer,” she whined. As they chatted, Jian Ning suddenly pointed at Ming Yao’s ear. “Wait… where’s your earring on this side?”

Ming Yao paused, instinctively touching her earlobe. That’s when she realized—somewhere along the way, she had lost one of her earrings.

The two of them searched all over her brother’s room, then checked Jian Ning’s room on the 19th floor, but there was no sign of the missing earring. “Forget it, it’s gone,” Ming Yao shrugged and took off the other one. “It wasn’t worth much anyway.”

But Jian Ning felt bad—Ming Yao had only lost her earring because she came to see her. So, she quickly came up with an idea.

“My brother just told me there’s a jewelry exhibition at the hotel tonight on the third floor. Let’s go check it out! Who knows? We might find something pretty, and I’ll buy you a pair to make up for it!”

Ming Yao didn’t care about the lost earring at all. What really haunted her was the embarrassment of calling the wrong person “gege.” She couldn’t even bring herself to recall the man’s expression. But the more she tried to push it out of her mind, the more vividly it replayed.

The way he had looked at her back then… it was as if he were staring at an absolute idiot.

Ming Yao slumped on the sofa, eyes closed, trying her best to erase the entire thing from her memory. After all, he was just a stranger—once she left the hotel, they’d never see each other again. No big deal.

In life, everyone had experienced a few embarrassing moments.

Shaking it off, Ming Yao straightened up, her energy restored, and asked, “What time’s the jewelry exhibition show?”

Ming Yao wasn’t particularly interested in jewelry exhibitions, but she decided to stay for two reasons—first, because Jian Ning had asked her to come. Second, because of something far more interesting.

In When I Love You, the drama she had auditioned for, there was a scene where Lin Yunyun accompanied the male lead, Gu Yuan, to a jewelry exhibition. In the script, Gu Yuan, hoping to win Lin Yunyun over after their first meeting, bought her an extravagant set of jewelry on the spot.

This was the reason why Ming Yao agreed to stay—she might as well take this chance to familiarize herself with the atmosphere of a jewelry exhibition. It was a form of life experience, and when filming officially began, she’d be able to carry herself with more ease.

Time quickly passed, and soon it was seven in the evening.

Ming Yao and Jian Ning arrived on the third floor, signed in at the entrance, and stepped into the exhibition hall.

Tonight, the jewelry exhibition at Zhouyi Hotel featured pieces from the renowned luxury brand D. The target audience consisted mostly of young heiresses like Jian Ning or wealthy celebrity wives—people who could spend lavishly without a second thought. But Ming Yao wasn’t part of that world. Yet once upon a time, she too had been a beloved, pampered heiress.

That all changed when her father died unexpectedly. Her mother, a rising star in the industry, was heartbroken and left the entertainment world behind. From then on, Ming Yao’s life was never the same.

Ming Yao was now retracing the path her mother once walked in the entertainment industry. While she genuinely enjoyed acting, her deeper motivation was to fulfill the dream her mother never had the chance to complete.

The third-floor exhibition hall was lavishly decorated. A live orchestra played soothing melodies, and fresh flowers had been flown in just for the occasion. Every little detail exuded class and refinement.

Jian Ning excitedly admired the jewelry on display, while Ming Yao focused on scanning the room, carefully observing the expressions and gestures of the guests, memorizing every subtle detail.

The two of them reached a transparent glass display case, and Jian Ning’s eyes lit up. “These earrings are nice. Yaoyao, do you like them?”

Ming Yao glanced at the earrings.

The top was designed with delicate butterfly-shaped filigree, while the bottom featured flowing diamond tassels. The design was intricate, elegant, and had a distinct artistic flair.

They were definitely gorgeous.

But when she looked at the price tag again, her eyes widened—18,000 RMB.

Sure, she was about to debut, and sometimes investing in luxury items was necessary, but nearly 20,000 for a single pair of earrings? That was way too much for a newcomer like her.

At that moment, the staff seized the opportunity to enthusiastically introduce the piece. “This is one of the most unique earrings in tonight’s collection! It’s designed exclusively by the trendy Chinese-American designer Alex. You won’t find another pair like this anywhere.”

Ming Yao smiled politely, just about to turn down the offer when suddenly a woman’s teasing voice came from behind. “If you like it, just buy it. Our Ming Yao isn’t short on cash.”

Ming Yao and Jian Ning turned around.

What a coincidence—it was Chen Rong.

Ming Yao and Chen Rong had always been compared in the acting department, but whether in talent or looks, Ming Yao always had the upper hand.

For four years, Chen Rong had been in her shadow, unwilling to accept defeat, and the two had never gotten along.

Now that they were both competing for the role of Lin Yunyun, every encounter was charged with silent hostility.

Chen Rong’s voice dripped with sarcasm, and Ming Yao wasn’t about to back down. “These dangling earrings are great for framing the face—especially if someone’s got, you know… a lot of it.”

She paused, her smile turning sly. “So, really, you should take them.”

Jian Ning couldn’t hold back her laughter and added her own jab.

“Wait a second, doesn’t this event have some kind of standard? If I’d known they were letting anyone in, Ming Yao and I wouldn’t have bothered showing up.”

Chen Rong sneered, glancing at Ming Yao’s empty hands.

“Exactly. Anyone can come, as long as they’re freeloading and not spending a dime.”

With that, she shoved past Jian Ning and Ming Yao, chin raised high as she walked away.

Jian Ning was fuming. “She’s not even famous yet, and she’s already acting like she’s an A-lister. What’s next? Trying to fly to the moon? She’s just showing off because Mr. Chen is paying for her. If you hadn’t turned him down first, she wouldn’t even be here.”

Ming Yao shrugged, unbothered. “Let it go. She’s not worth the energy.”

Jian Ning had a real problem with people flaunting their wealth in front of her—especially when they used it to take jabs at her best friend.

No matter what, she was going to buy these earrings for Ming Yao today.

Jian Ning waved her hand, ready to call someone over, but just then, a staff member in white gloves walked up, unlocked the glass case, and took the earrings.

Jian Ning blinked in surprise. “Hey, what are you doing?”

The staff member replied, “Sorry, ma’am. Another customer just reserved this pair of earrings.”

???

Are you f**king kidding me?

Jian Ning was speechless. “Who bought them? I’ll pay double to get them back.”

Ming Yao’s eyes widened, and she tugged at Jian Ning’s sleeve. “Are you crazy?”

Jian Ning ignored her and stubbornly said to the staff member, “Can you ask the customer if they’ll let me buy them instead?”

The staff looked hesitant. “Alright, please wait a moment.”

A few minutes later, the staff returned. “Sorry, miss. The customer said they won’t sell them, no matter how much you offer.”

Jian Ning: “…”

Ming Yao exhaled in relief and couldn’t help but laugh. “Why do you look like that?”

Jian Ning puffed up like an angry pufferfish. After holding it in for a long time, she finally grumbled, “There are just too many show-offs tonight. I need a bathroom break to cool off.”  

Ming Yao burst into laughter. “Go ahead, go ahead.”  

After Jian Ning left, Ming Yao wandered around alone. When she stopped near the orchestra to enjoy the performance, she overheard two women whispering nearby.  

“You ask him, I’m too embarrassed.”  

“I don’t dare either… What if he turns me down?”  

“But he’s so handsome, and his body is amazing. Ahhh!”  

Ming Yao understood right away—two girls were debating whether to hit on a guy they had their eyes on.  

She clicked her tongue in disbelief. A handsome man? Seriously? She’d been observing the room since she arrived, and there wasn’t a single guy who caught her attention.  

Curiosity got the better of Ming Yao, so she followed their line of sight, wondering just how insanely good-looking this so-called god-tier man really was.  

The moment her eyes met his across the room, Ming Yao’s mind went blank.  

Are you kidding me? This hotel is huge—why the hell do I keep running into him?!  

Maybe it was instinct, but Qi Xu seemed to sense the eyes on him. He subtly shifted his stance and, sure enough, his gaze met Ming Yao’s from across the room.  

Ming Yao had finally convinced herself that she would never run into him again—out of sight, out of mind. But now, the second she saw him, her brain short-circuited, replaying that embarrassing moment of calling him “Gege” over and over again. The humiliation she thought she’d buried resurfaced like a wave.  

Not about to analyze his expression, Ming Yao spun around quickly.  

—I’m invisible, totally invisible.  

Jian Ning came back from the restroom and immediately noticed Ming Yao acting off. “What’s wrong?”  

Ming Yao hadn’t yet confessed to Jian Ning about calling a stranger “gege” in such a dumb moment, so she kept her composure and shook her head. “It’s nothing.”  

But she grabbed Jian Ning’s arm and pulled her along. “Let’s go look over there.”  

Ming Yao tried to act like she was deeply interested in the jewelry while sneaking glances at Qi Xu. Thankfully, the man didn’t stay long—he left after just a moment.  

Ming Yao sighed in relief, not realizing how tense she’d been.  

As it neared nine o’clock, Ming Yao said her goodbyes to Jian Ning. “I need to head back now. I’ve got a French class tomorrow.”  

Since Lin Yunyun’s character was a French teacher, Ming Yao decided to sign up for a French class to be more fluent and natural while reading her lines.  

After all, most of her senior year was free, so it seemed like a good way to improve herself when she wasn’t filming.  

Jian Ning knew how determined Ming Yao was, so she didn’t try to keep her. She walked Ming Yao to the elevator. She said, “I’ll be heading back to the dorm in a few days to pack. We’ll talk then.”  

Ming Yao replied, “Alright.”  

As several elevators were in operation, Ming Yao noticed the one she had taken earlier stopped on a nearby floor, so she walked over to press the button.  

However, Jian Ning grabbed her arm. “Hey, don’t! That’s the hotel president’s private elevator. You need a key card to use it.”  

Ming Yao froze for a few seconds. “Wait… the president’s private elevator?”  

Jian Ning smirked. “Well, if you married the president, you’d have full access. But as far as I know, the president of Zhouyi is still single, so for now, it’s all his.”  

Jian Ning often shared gossip about the social elite with Ming Yao. Now, with Qi Xu as the topic, she leaned in conspiratorially. “Tons of women are after him. I heard he’s got his own suite at the hotel, and some women even book rooms just to ‘accidentally’ bump into him.”  

Ming Yao’s stomach churned. So that’s why the staff wouldn’t let her use that elevator earlier.  

Meanwhile, an even stronger wave of embarrassment hit her. Did that man think she was one of those women trying to throw herself at him?  

Ming Yao shut her eyes for a moment, then grabbed Jian Ning’s hand. “Alright, just tell me—how do you want to play this?”  

Jian Ning, who had been gossiping excitedly, blinked in confusion. “Huh???”  

Just then, the elevator arrived. Ming Yao glanced at it and quickly stepped in. “Forget it. I’ll let you enjoy a few more days of normal life.”  

Jian Ning: “???”  

Stepping out of the hotel, Ming Yao took out her phone to book a ride. Due to the heavy congestion in the area, there were more than 50 people ahead of her in the queue.  

With no other choice, she waited patiently, glancing at her phone from time to time.  

A few minutes later, a black Bentley glided over.  

At first, Ming Yao didn’t think much of it—after all, there were plenty of cars coming and going at the hotel entrance. But soon, the vehicle pulled up right in front of her, and then—  

The window rolled down.  

Ming Yao looked up, and the moment she saw the person inside, a chill ran down her spine.  

Oh my god, somebody help me!  

Why—why—why is he here again?!  

I swear I didn’t mean to knock on your door! I admit it, okay?!  

Ming Yao’s heart was racing, and her legs felt like they were glued to the ground—completely immobile.  

She was sure he was going to make fun of her for randomly calling him “gege,” but instead, he just said, totally unfazed—  

“Miss Ming, you dropped something.”  

Ming Yao blinked in surprise.  

How does he know my last name?  

Did I even lose something?  

Then it hit her—oh, right. She lost an earring earlier this afternoon. Could it have ended up near him?  

Ming Yao cautiously asked, “Is it my earring?”  

Qi Xu didn’t answer directly—he simply handed over a jewelry box.  

His arm rested outside the window, the crisp cuff of his shirt neatly in place. A flash of stainless steel cufflinks peeked out, exuding quiet elegance.  

Ming Yao hesitated, staring at his hand for a few moments before instinctively taking the box. But before she could even open it, the car window slid up, and the vehicle pulled away, disappearing from sight.  

He just left?  

Ming Yao was momentarily stunned. Lowering her gaze, she opened the box. She thought it was her lost earring.  

But when she opened the box, lying inside was the exact same pair of butterfly diamond tassel earrings that had pissed Jian Ning off so much she had to take a breather in the restroom.  

Under the night sky, the diamonds on the earrings refracted a radiant, luxurious glow.  

Ming Yao was utterly confused: “Huh…?”

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Translator’s Notes:

Updates will be posted once every Thursday. See you next week!