Chapter 8

The Three-Sided Mirror, The Trap (1)

Xie Xinqi had no idea that someone had taken the fall for her. She was furious after being locked in her house for an entire night. No matter how she explained, her brother insisted that King wouldn’t show up for the appointment. Either she had been deceived, or she was lying. She called Vice President Zhen Ji of Wangcheng, but the call wasn’t answered, which only confirmed her brother’s suspicion. The next morning, Xie Xiuchen knocked on her door, intending to let her out, but she sneered and said, “If you don’t let me out, I won’t say a word to you.”

So, the person outside really didn’t insist. The sound of footsteps gradually faded away — he had left her locked up at home. She rushed to the window and watched her brother and the secretary get into the car and drive away. Now it was a disaster; with the house arrest order in place, the butler and bodyguards would never let her leave. She felt hopeless and lay back on the bed, intending to sleep. Suddenly, she received a phone call from her best friend. The friend, in a high-pitched voice, exclaimed, “Report, Your Majesty, big news, big news!”

“Call me Queen.”

“Alright, Your Majesty, today there’s a super special party! It’s the birthday party of a famous musician! Lots of people will be there…”

“I can’t go, I’m locked in my house by my brother, and no one will let me out. Unless I jump off the building, I have no choice…” She had been lying lifelessly on the bed, but as she said this, her eyes suddenly lit up, “I’ve got an idea, come pick me up, hurry!”

Half an hour later, the sound of roaring filled the air above the residential area. A helicopter slowly descended and landed at the entrance of Xie Xinqi’s room. She had already changed into shorts and a T-shirt, grabbed her cosmetics, and jumped into the helicopter. As the helicopter flew higher, she stretched her long legs onto the footrest, pushed her sunglasses up, briefly revealed a surprised look, then let them fall back onto the bridge of her nose, and waved down at the anxious butler below. “Make sure to say hello to my brother!”

Just like that, Xie Xinqi went to a brand store to get herself a brand new dress and shoes, then headed to the “Poseidon VI” — a Greek-style building constructed by the British, where themed parties for art, music, wine, fashion, and more were regularly held. It faced Zhen Ji Wangcheng to the west, and to the south, it was across from the highest-priced properties of the Xie family’s estate on South Island. It had long been a famous venue in the northern island of Gongzhou, a place of power and status. However, after standing in the queue for the party for only a short while, she overheard a conversation ahead that was truly bizarre:

“What?! You slept with King?!”

“Shh, it wasn’t King, it was his right-hand man.”

“King’s right-hand man? Could it be that you hooked up with Gongzhou’s top stud? Oh my god, did the public relations goddess really say that? You’ve always claimed you only pay for men and don’t let men pay for you!”

“Why do you think that?”

“Is he... really impressive?”

“Almost died from it.” The so-called “public relations goddess” hunched her shoulders, looking like she had been drugged and was in an ecstasy-like daze.

“My god, you’re completely insane! Even if he’s not all that, at the end of the day, he’s someone close to King. This is going to change your life!”

Xie Xinqi looked up at the two girls ahead and realized that their outfits easily totaled six figures. As expected, any woman who came near King always lowered her value.

“Actually, I saw King.” After her friend screamed, the “public relations goddess” continued, clutching her chest, “King is so handsome, tall and charming, he’s just... sigh, I can’t. Just thinking about him makes my heart ache.”

“Wait, isn’t your lover that stud guy? Isn’t he supposed to be really impressive?”

“Shh... keep it down. I’m really upset. If I had known King was this handsome, sigh…”

“Well, you could still go for the stud guy. Do you think you have a shot with him?”

“It’s difficult. He’s too much of a flirt. I feel that with a man like him, you definitely can’t be too proactive—too many things to deal with—so I didn’t ask too many questions. However, before leaving, I took the opportunity to use the restroom and wrote something on the mirror with my lipstick: ‘It was very sexy just now’...”

Any man wouldn’t mind joking around with a not-ugly woman or even becoming intimate with her. However, when it comes to a goddess, to true love, their first reaction is fear. This girl doesn’t seem to understand that. It seems she didn’t even get to sleep with that stud, yet she was sent away and still felt proud... But, different values, no need to be harsh. Xie Xinqi shook her head speechlessly and followed the crowd into the banquet hall.

Inside the banquet hall, the sounds of clinking glasses and heavenly music filled the air. At the center of the crowd, there was a transparent crystal triangle piano. Every time the player hit a note, the movement of the hammers and strings inside the piano could be seen. The people around the piano blocked the performer’s face, but faintly, a pair of hands swept across the black-and-white keys. Several main themes and accompaniments echoed from the piano, striking the most vulnerable parts of the heart. At times soaring, at times sorrowful, the fingertips seemed to spill out the fourteen-line poems written by the life of the performer. Xie Xinqi subconsciously took a step forward and finally saw the person playing the piano. It was a man with his head lowered, playing. He wore a white tailcoat, his hair slightly curled, covering one of his eyes. He breathed life and blood into the music, pausing slightly to take a breath at every rest. But no matter where his fingers went, a childlike smile always remained on his face. It was like a meteor turning into a silver rainbow or fireworks miraculously blooming in the mist. The piano sound was pure and transparent, causing the people around to almost forget how to breathe...

As the piece ended, the hall erupted into thunderous applause. Xie Xinqi joined in, clapping excitedly. When he lifted his head, she finally recognized his face—he was Su Jianian. She really liked his music but hadn’t expected him to be so young. At the same time, she noticed another woman surrounded by a crowd. The woman appeared to be in her fifties or sixties, tall and slender, with sharp, thin cheeks, and her white curly hair was elegantly styled. A string of golden pearls hung around her neck, making it hard to look away. It was almost identical to the necklace Xie Xinqi was wearing, but a keen eye could tell that it was more luxurious, with more intricate details. Under the lights, the added diamonds dazzled brightly.

Xie Xinqi’s necklace had been bought that afternoon at Edward Conno. The salesperson had said it was the only limited edition in Gongzhou. Xie Xinqi really liked Edward Conno’s designs, so she immediately recognized that the white-haired woman’s necklace wasn’t a knockoff, but a new, unpublished design by the designer himself. By comparison, Xie Xinqi’s necklace now seemed like a replica. Just then, the woman turned her head and glanced at Xie Xinqi’s necklace with disdain before lifting her chin arrogantly and turning back to speak to someone nearby. For Xie Xinqi, this was a great humiliation. She turned away, placed her wine glass back on the table, and took off her necklace. She looked at her reflection in the glass: her neck was bare, her hair was still up, and her golden dress now seemed simpler. Since that was the case, she might as well be low-key all the way. She took off her earrings and put them in her bag. As she reached for the red wine, a voice came from beside her: “Are you in charge of wine?”

She casually glanced to the side and was surprised to find that the person was speaking to her. It was a man in his early sixties, a Westerner. His hair was graying, and he was wearing a bowtie, looking at her kindly. Her English was excellent, but she almost didn’t understand this sentence—was he really speaking to her? She looked down at her dress and bag, then at the red wine table behind her, which was filled with tall wine glasses. She moved aside slightly and awkwardly blurted out, “Do you know who I am?”

“Sorry, no,” the man smiled politely.

“Do you still want to live in this city?”

Noticing the atmosphere had become strange, the man looked around and then turned back to her, confused. Just as she was about to say something even more shocking to scare him, another voice spoke up: “Mr. Statham is an American composer. He doesn’t live here.”

The person walking over was the white-haired lady. She nodded to Xie Xinqi and said, “Now if you excuse me,” pulling the Westerner to one side.

Although he had already left, Xie Xinqi still felt uncomfortable—he had mistaken her for a waitress! How could he? She was Xie Xinqi! Was this old man blind? Soon after, the woman returned and said coldly to Xie Xinqi, “Americans don’t have the concept of ‘rich young ladies can’t be waitresses,’ and they don’t have the concept of ‘my dad is so-and-so.’ You don’t need to hold it against him.”

Xie Xinqi’s anger hadn’t fully subsided, and she crossed her arms, saying, “I’ve been to America before, and Americans have class distinctions too.”

“No need to be so blunt. Doesn’t this just prove that you have no charm in their eyes? By the way, why did you take off your necklace?” The woman touched a stray lock of hair by Xie Xinqi’s ear, smiling, “Look, this empty space doesn’t look nice at all.”

Xie Xinqi avoided her hand, but the woman didn’t care, still wearing an indifferent smile. “Actually, a woman’s presence isn’t built on expensive jewelry. Miss Xie, you know deep down that once you’re without these things, you’re just a poor, helpless girl with nothing but youth left. Without your father, you wouldn’t even have the right to serve drinks here.”

Xie Xinqi raised an eyebrow in mockery and said, “And you? You’re just a middle-aged woman who knows a few more people and comes here to mooch off the party. You’re so poor you don’t even have youth anymore.”

It seemed like she had heard the funniest joke in the world, and the woman laughed loudly, “Tonight is my birthday. Do you think I have the right to speak like the host?”

Xie Xinqi froze. “…You’re the musician celebrating your birthday tonight?”

The woman simply shook her head with a smile, picked up a glass of wine, and returned to the center of the crowd in the banquet hall. At this point, Xie Xinqi felt like she was about to burst with frustration. She looked at her reflection in the glass. Her tacky hairstyle was really hard to face. Determined to continue, she unpinned her hair, shook her head, and messed it up so it fell naturally. At that moment, her phone vibrated with a call from “Brother.” She answered, and a youthful, pleasant voice came from the other end, but the tone was less than polite: “Xie Xinqi, I told you to stay at home. Why didn’t you listen?”

Already annoyed, hearing this kind of reprimand made her even more upset. “What’s wrong with me going out to have fun?”

“I’ve already had people check. King was at Zhenji Wangcheng last night. You lied to me, and now you’re asking what’s wrong?”

“Anyway, in your eyes, I’m just willful, reckless, and full of lies, right?”

Xie Xiucheng was silent for a moment, then patiently replied, “Do you think I’m trying to harm you? Didn’t you learn enough from that incident with that guy and the newspapers? How many times have I told you, whenever you meet a guy, I need to approve of him first?”

“You’re being way too controlling. Have I interfered when you change girlfriends?”

“I’m a man, and I’m your brother.”

“You’re a ‘straight man cancer,’ or maybe a ‘straight woman cancer’ brother. Sorry, I’m not listening.”

She hung up the phone, feeling more down than ever. That woman was right—without the Xie family, she was nothing. She was already an adult, but still locked up like a canary in a cage, having to listen to her parents, her brother, and not even being allowed to make her own decisions about love. She looked again at her reflection in the glass. The girl in the reflection had a hot body, big, charming eyes full of spirit, but she was also filled with resentment and sadness.

No, she didn’t believe it. She didn’t believe she couldn’t control her own fate.

In a corner of the banquet hall, Su Jiannian and Adonis were talking while holding glasses of wine. Realizing someone was approaching, Su Jiannian glanced over and their eyes met. He was surprised at how much the person resembled Luo Wei, but his bowtie was suddenly tugged. Startled, he lowered his voice and asked, “What’s—”

She had leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Su Jiannian’s eyes widened, his heart stopped for a moment. However, she pried his mouth open, entangled her tongue with his, and a storm of kisses swept over him. A pink hue spread across his cheeks, and his eyelashes fluttered as if he was under a spell. He didn’t dare respond too strongly, only gently reciprocating, holding her in his arms...

What Su Jiannian didn’t know was that Luo Wei had never had the chance to attend this event. Edward had received a call from an old client, who specifically wanted the modified version of the limited edition necklace that Xie Xinqi had bought. This was a tricky job, but fortunately, Edward had previously made an identical necklace, and it only needed new, expensive decorations to be added.

Working with Edward, Luo Wei had learned many things. Every time she watched him create magical designs, she would automatically simulate the market launch, advertising ideas, and slogans in her mind... He was truly a master, someone who could sell anything. This was the kind of job many people would covet, yet it had fallen into her lap. Ultimately, it was because of a powerful childhood friend. But even with that thought, her overwhelming anxiety didn’t subside much. Whenever she recalled the terrifying memories of being kidnapped, she would involuntarily shudder.

Indeed, as the masked K001 had said, she had endured a very long night: she had been tortured with for the entire night. But as long as she behaved weak and soft, she was doused with cold water to wake her up, and when she woke, she would feel weak again. This cycle continued through the entire night. When the effects of the drugs wore off as dawn approached, he finally allowed her to sleep. Later, she struggled to sit up on the bed, feeling sore and aching all over, with a headache that felt like it was splitting her skull. Her body felt like it had been disassembled and reassembled. K001 had long since disappeared without a trace, not even a single strand of hair left behind. She had considered calling the police, but when she thought of how the 46th floor was a place Xiao Ying often visited, she worried that involving the police might inadvertently harm him. The people who had wanted to kidnap her were after Xie Xinqi, and they probably wouldn’t bother her again... She decided to wait and do nothing until she found Xiao Ying.

After a long day of hard work with Edward, Luo Wei finally finished crafting the necklace. The driver arrived to pick it up and deliver it, just in time for the lady to wear it to her birthday banquet. Afterwards, Luo Wei continued working in her studio for a long time before finally calling it a day. She admired her own perseverance, being able to work so hard after everything she’d been through. As Xiao Jiao put it, it was fucking cool. However, when she got home, Xiao Jiao had even cooler news: “Vivi, you look so pale. Did you stay up too late last night? Well, I have some good news to cheer you up. The guy you were looking for called me. He said he has something to tell you.”

“Oh. You mean the guy I was looking for...” she replied nonchalantly, but her eyes suddenly widened, “The guy I was looking for? You mean Xiao Ying?!”

“He said to meet him at Dongmen Zhizao at eight, and he made a reservation under his name. It’s only half an hour from here. You have an hour left, so you can finish this drink and...”

Before she could finish speaking, Luo Wei had rushed into the bedroom, rummaging through her clothes. She tried on various outfits and was ready to go within fifteen minutes. She frantically pressed the elevator button and rushed inside. During this time, she didn’t hear a word Xiao Jiao said. In the elevator, she repeatedly checked her appearance in the mirror: her hair, usually tied in a ponytail, was now loose on her shoulders. The pale purple dress accentuated her feminine curves, and the white high-heeled boots and white handbag completed the look. Maybe it was a bit too plain? If only her waist was thinner and her legs were slimmer... At that thought, she slapped her head hard—why was she so nervous? Xiao Ying was not just anyone; he was an old friend she hadn’t seen in over ten years.

There were so many questions in her mind. Where had Xiao Ying been all these years? Why didn’t he come to see her directly? Was it because he was addicted to gambling and felt guilty about it? When they met, should she try to persuade him to quit gambling? Without realizing it, she arrived at Dongmen Zhizao. This Chinese restaurant was located west of Gongzhou Bridge, overlooking the harbor, and was also one of He Cheng Group’s properties. She was a little puzzled because Xiao Ying should be short on money now, yet he chose such a luxurious place. Should she insist on paying the bill when they met? Or should they split it? However, all her assumptions were shattered when she spoke to the receptionist.

“Mr. Lin? Let me see... I’m sorry, miss, we don’t have any reservations under the name Lin from five to eight thirty.”

“How can that be? Can you check again? His full name is Lin Yingze.”

The receptionist checked the reservation list again and shook her head. “Still nothing. Perhaps you could give me his phone number and I’ll check again?”

She had to go outside and ask Xiao Jiao to contact Xiao Ying, but Xiao Jiao said he couldn’t reach him. Then she went back to the front desk and asked, “There’s no Mr. Lin before eight? How about checking the later list?”

“There’s nothing later. The place is booked from eight fifteen onwards. All reservations have been canceled.”

“Booked? By who?”

“Mr. He.”

Since the person who booked the place had the surname He, it was probably a rich guy from the He family who had made a reservation. There was nothing she could do about it. She could only stand at the entrance of Dongmen Zhizao and wait. Before long, two tall and elegantly dressed young women walked out of the restaurant and passed by her, whispering softly:

“Look, that’s it, that’s King’s car...! He’s really going to book the whole place tonight!”

“Ahh, should we go over and pretend to meet him by chance? We still have half an hour before they clear out...”

She followed their gaze. There was a long black limousine slowly driving into the back entrance of Dongmen Zhizao. The two girls excitedly held hands, their high heels clicking as they ran towards the car.

[Rose Theater]

Xiao Jiao: “A reader wrote to Zege and said that when she saw the first chapter of Mirror of Roses, she almost dropped the book. She mentally chanted ‘This is Shanshan’s book, Shanshan’s book’ ten thousand times before forcing herself to continue reading. She only relaxed when I appeared. This proves that I’m the most popular female character in Mirror of Roses.”

Xie Xinqi: “I’ll accept being the most popular, but female?”

Xiao Jiao: “Do you have any doubts about my gender?”

Xie Xinqi: “You, and all of you who are reading this, do you have any doubts about my grand entrance as the most glamorous female character in the book?”

Luo Wei: “The most popular male character hasn’t said anything yet, don’t get so worked up.”

Su Jia Nian: “Who is she talking about?”

Xie Xinqi: “Definitely not King, since he hasn’t even shown his face. It has to be my brother. My brother is the most handsome.”

Xie Xiuchen: “I don’t mind, as long as you’re happy.”

King: “Hehe.”