RITM - 32

Chapter 32: The Eleventh Mirror - Reflection (1)

After leaving the hall, Luo Wei felt like Cinderella, who hadn’t even been given a chance to dance with the prince before being reduced back to her original self. Xie Xinqi’s speech on stage had been brilliant, and the artistic chemistry she shared with Anna—like kindred spirits meeting too late—was something that Luo Wei, as a novice, couldn’t fully grasp. Fortunately, like all the other contestants who didn’t make it, this failure wouldn’t attract much attention. Her work had even received praise, so as long as she worked harder, even if she couldn’t become someone like Xie Xinqi, she could still achieve something. She silently encouraged herself, trying to force herself to forget the news about He Yingze.

However, while heading backstage to retrieve her work, she passed by a half-open door, where all her hopes were shattered into pieces.

“Mr. Su, I’ve already spoken up for Miss Luo Wei as you requested. Now bringing up these additional conditions—isn’t that going a bit too far?” Hearing her name, Luo Wei walked closer and saw Anna crossing her arms, standing defensively against someone.

“Before, we agreed that at the very least, Luo Wei would receive an encouragement award. You’re the one who didn’t keep your word.”

It was Su Jiannian’s voice. Luo Wei cautiously peeked inside, only able to see his back, while Anna’s face was already filled with impatience. “I’m always straightforward when I speak, so I won’t beat around the bush with you anymore. If it were another designer, I’d agree to your request. You should know the reason better than I do—I can’t lie with my eyes wide open.” There was silence in the room for six or seven seconds. Su Jiannian didn’t respond, and Anna continued bluntly: “Luo Wei’s design is quite ordinary, and she herself isn’t well-known. Ordinary things are just too common.”

Hearing this, Luo Wei felt despair pierce her spine. Her body turned cold, accompanied by a sharp pain. If these words had been said directly to her face, she might have already lost the courage to stay. But Su Jiannian didn’t give up, attempting to defend her: “Anna, no one is born with ability.”

“I can’t believe those words came out of a pianist of your caliber. You’ve been playing the piano since you were young, and you’ve even won international piano competitions. You should know how you defeated your competitors. Was it just because you were hardworking and diligent?”

“I believe that diligence can make up for lack of talent.”

“That statement isn’t wrong, but this ‘diligence’ also depends on timing. Take Xie Xinqi, for example. Her personality is flashy, and there are plenty of people who dislike her, right? But who can deny her artistic talent? Even though she hasn’t done jewelry design before, and what she studied has nothing to do with jewelry, she’s received top-tier education worldwide, has had a deep understanding of art since she was young, and her oil painting skills have already reached master level. She learns jewelry design quickly. She’s wealthy, unafraid of failure, and willing to spend time and money on her creations. She’s famous— even if she didn’t have such immense talent, just the name ‘Xie Xinqi’ alone could make countless girls who admire her buy our products. And besides, she truly is a genius. Mr. Su, all fields of art are interconnected. Even if you were to design jewelry, you’d be better than this girl named Luo Wei. Even though she majored in gemstone appraisal in university and works ten times harder than you.”

“Luo Wei has her own strengths; you just haven’t noticed them.”

“That’s true as well. I’m sure she has areas where she excels, like being good at handling interpersonal relationships or having excellent communication skills—otherwise, you wouldn’t be defending her so passionately. But her design talent? Hmph, to be blunt, her necklace might sell online for 29 yuan after some Photoshop editing. You might as well advise her to go down that route. E-commerce is on the rise, isn’t it?”

From the moment she began engaging with high-end jewelry design, Luo Wei knew that succeeding in this industry required more than just hard work. Both foundational skills and strong backing were indispensable. How many girls had entered the field with passionate dreams, only to leave heartbroken and bruised? But she never imagined that she would become one of them. Thinking back to the months when she stubbornly refused to settle for less and remained unemployed, thinking about the job Su Jiannian found for her, recalling the repeated encouragement from those around her, and considering Xie Xinqi’s intricately crafted colored gemstone necklace, she carefully reflected on Anna’s words… She felt like a complete joke.

There’s no such thing as an unbearable setback in the world, but tonight, the blows came too fast and too hard. Silently, she returned to the hall and once again saw Xie Xinqi surrounded by a crowd. Suddenly, she realized that the trope of a group of outstanding women ganging up on an ordinary woman only exists in idol dramas. In reality, it’s the mediocre women who gather together to gossip about exceptional ones. The contestants who attacked Xie Xinqi did so not because she was an incompetent heiress, but because their instincts sensed the threat she posed. Xie Xinqi’s talent was as sharp as a blade, and they wished to dull its edge. But Xie Xinqi never paid them any mind, so much so that she didn’t even bother leaving them a victorious smile. Luo Wei still felt the same way: seeing Xie Xinqi was like seeing her own reflection in a mirror. Only this mirror was enchanted, casting an illusion too noble for her to reach.

She suddenly had a tragic thought: if only she were Xie Xinqi, perhaps she could win He Yingze’s heart.

Since ancient times, social compatibility has been a crucial factor in happy marriages. The girlfriend He Yingze found so quickly was rumored online to be a wealthy socialite, and his future spouse would undoubtedly be someone equally matched with him. Luo Wei knew the logical approach would be to work hard to improve herself, climb to his level, and then he would surely look back at her. But deep down, she still harbored a naive wish—that he would love the original Luo Wei, not the version of herself she forced into change. At this thought, the photo of He Yingze skiing in Switzerland flashed in her mind again. Unwilling to sink further into despair, she shook her head, wanting nothing more than to rush home and forget this terrible day. But after taking a few steps, she unexpectedly ran into two people who looked at her in surprise: “You are...?”

The speaker was about fifty years old, approximately 1.8 meters tall, though his height seemed diminished as he leaned on someone for support. He wore a double-breasted suit, his hair perfectly groomed, his beard cleanly shaved. Time had taken away his youth and health, but it couldn’t erase the elegance in his demeanor. It didn’t take her long to recognize him as Xie Mao, the real estate tycoon who frequently appeared in financial magazines. She also quickly understood why he was surprised. She nodded respectfully to him: “Hello, Mr. Xie. My name is Luo Wei.”

“Miss Luo, have you met my daughter? You look so much alike.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her. Many people say that.”

“Look, there she is.” He shifted slightly, pointing to Xie Xinqi in the distance. Xie Xinqi was still busy talking to others, but her mother, Madam Zhou Jinru, noticed Luo Wei. Zhou Jinru’s mouth dropped open in astonishment, her eyes revealing shock no less profound than Xie Mao’s. She instinctively covered her mouth with her hand, then pushed through the crowd and hurried toward them. Zhou Jinru was shorter than Luo Wei, and she gazed up at her helplessly, tears threatening to spill. Then she grabbed Luo Wei’s hands: “It’s you, it must be you… Are you Xin Qiao?”

Xin Qiao? Not Xinqi? Could this aunt really mix up her own daughter’s name? Luo Wei shook her head: “No, I’m Luo Wei.”

A flicker of panic crossed Zhou Jinru’s eyes, so fleeting it might have been a trick of the light. Then she slumped her shoulders, helplessly clutching her husband’s sleeve: “I’m so foolish. Even if Xin Qiao were still alive, she wouldn’t know her own name…” Once again, she looked pleadingly at Luo Wei: “Miss, what I’m about to ask may sound offensive, but could you come with us to the hospital?”

No one could have predicted that their reason for asking her to go to the hospital was for a paternity test—to confirm whether she was their deceased twin daughter, Xie Xin Qiao. The idea of suddenly determining that she might be a dead person was chilling, and Luo Wei wanted no part of it. However, seeing Madam Xie’s shattered, fragile state reminded her of her own mother, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time. Even though she knew it was impossible, she agreed to go with them for the test. Xie Xinqi initially opposed the idea entirely, firmly believing that Luo Wei couldn’t possibly be her sister. But after looking at Luo Wei a few more times, she wavered slightly, though she stubbornly said, “Do whatever you want.” In truth, Luo Wei had briefly doubted herself: her parents had warned her not to return to Gongzhou—was there really a one percent chance that she was somehow connected to them? After the paternity test, they all waited quietly for the results.

Ever since Xiao Lajiao started her semi-delivery, semi-study lifestyle, Luo Wei rarely saw her at home. But the next day, she came rushing back like a whirlwind, grabbed Luo Wei by the shoulders, and shook her, saying, “I can’t believe He Yingze actually got a girlfriend! I always thought he liked you!” This was undoubtedly another salty, scalding liquid cheese poured onto Luo Wei’s open wound. After finally managing to send her off to class, Luo Wei adjusted her mood in front of the mirror, got herself ready for work, and just as she stepped out, she saw her brother’s car.

The first thing Su Jiannian said after getting out of the car was: “What on earth is He Yingze doing? That day when he took you away so resolutely, didn’t you two get together?” Su Jiannian had always been humble and polite, so this kind of direct questioning seemed to be a first.

Luo Wei shrugged nonchalantly: “I got dumped.”

“I’ll go talk to him.”

Just as he was about to turn back to his car, she stopped him: “Brother Jiannian, don’t be so impulsive. It’s my fault—I misunderstood him.”

“Misunderstood what? Misunderstood that he wouldn’t toy with you?”

“I liked him so much, yet he got into a relationship with another girl so quickly. What does that say?” Seeing his furrowed brow and confused expression, she laughed: “He didn’t even want to play with me.”

“Luo Wei...”

“Don’t comfort me. I prefer to stay clear-headed. I don’t like being consoled.”

Indeed, she wasn’t someone who lacked clarity. But being hurt while fully aware was far more painful than being hurt in ignorance, as there was no emotional anesthetic to lull her into unconsciousness. She clearly understood that she had been rejected by He Yingze, that her sincere feelings had been dismissed. But she also knew that there was no wound in this world that couldn’t heal, no person who couldn’t be replaced—not even childhood memories or the first person she ever liked. As long as she endured this period of pain, she would eventually feel better.

“Alright, I won’t comfort you. But I want you to know that no matter what happens, I won’t leave.” Su Jiannian gently touched the hair on her forehead and leaned closer: “Because, for as long as you’ve liked him, I’ve liked you.”