RITM - 53

Chapter 53: The Seventeen-Sided Mirror - Ideals (2)

Xie Xiuchen was what Su Jianian referred to as a “normal person.” He didn’t engage in art and refused to trust emotional evidence. But he still had intuition—and that intuition frightened Xie Xinqi. Pale-faced, she gazed anxiously at the dark, wet world outside: “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re too tired today—get some rest.” With that, she dashed upstairs, locked herself in her bedroom, and buried her face in the blankets, sobbing uncontrollably.

This was the most heartbroken she had ever cried in her life. The feeling of her heart shattering into pieces was something she had read about in countless books—but now, for the first time, she truly understood it.

Xie Xiuchen didn’t come to comfort her. From that day on, the distance between them grew even wider. It wasn’t just her deliberately keeping her distance—he also stopped initiating conversations with her. After several days of absence, he returned home briefly before moving out completely, citing work as the reason.

If Xie Xinqi was restless, Xiao Lajiao was explosive. During the week, she was busy with school, and on weekends, she juggled her part-time job delivering packages, leaving her utterly exhausted. Yet she still had to deal with the most troublesome, childish client—Lu Xiren. Lu Xiren had an overwhelming number of deliveries, sometimes forcing her to make three or four trips to his place in a single day. She requested a transfer to a different neighborhood, refusing to see the number 4948 ever again. To think—”death upon death”—who else but Lu Xiren would choose such an unlucky apartment number? But just one day after being reassigned, she was forcibly sent back, citing customer complaints. The pressure came from a partner company—naturally, one bearing the “He Cheng” title. Xiao Lajiao was furious. Regardless of whether she might lose her job, every time she delivered to Lu Xiren’s place, she simply threw the package at his door. In short, she didn’t want to see him.

One day, as she entered the elevator on the first floor, she heard a woman’s voice: “Lu Xiren, don’t walk away! Come back and explain yourself!” Then, two figures whirled into the elevator like a storm. Xiao Lajiao looked up, catching Lu Xiren’s gaze. He had initially appeared weary, but upon seeing Xiao Lajiao, his expression shifted to surprise. The woman in the red dress behind him grabbed his arm: “Explain yourself! What do you mean by ‘busy recently’? You’ve disappeared for so long—I only found out you were still here because I saw you on TV! Are you avoiding me? Trying to dump me? Have you found someone new?”

Lu Xiren had initially found the situation boring, wanting nothing more than to shake off the woman. But encountering Xiao Lajiao worsened his mood. Ever since meeting this delivery girl, he had been distracted, unable to enjoy his usual indulgences. The last time he had mustered the courage to pursue her, even saying the word “love” to a woman other than his mother, he ended up humiliated—flowers in hand, kicked where it hurt most. Thinking about it now, his pride was deeply wounded. He had dealt with difficult women before, and with his good temper, he always managed to patiently chase them. Even if unsuccessful, he could retreat gracefully. This time was different. Rejected just once, he felt utterly deflated, wanting to avoid her. In his childishness, he even filed a complaint against her with Shun Tong Delivery, insisting she be punished. He despised his own actions but felt powerless to stop himself. Unable to control his gaze, he met Xiao Lajiao’s indifferent stare, which only heightened his anxiety. In frustration, he turned around, stroking the woman’s hair: “Oh, Christine, you possess Jane’s beauty and Elizabeth’s wisdom—how could I possibly not want to see you?”

Xiao Lajiao stuck out her tongue, looking as though she was about to vomit. Christine pouted, appearing deeply aggrieved: “Then tell me, why have you been avoiding me?”

“It’s because you’re Christine, and I’m merely a fractured soul hiding behind a mask in the shadows. You’re too beautiful, too dazzling—it’s I who doesn’t deserve you. Go find your destined lover; your happiness is my greatest belief.” He pulled her closer, kissed her passionately on the lips until she was dizzy and flushed, then gently pushed her away, speaking in a French accent with lingering affection: “Christine, that’s all I ask of you.”

Realizing he intended to push Christine out of the elevator, Xiao Lajiao didn’t hesitate to press the door-close button. But as she glanced up, she caught his displeased glare. She returned it with an equally disdainful look. For the rest of the elevator ride upward, he was busy trying to soothe Christine, who was crying incessantly.

Xiao Lajiao didn’t want to spare them another glance, feeling nothing but bad luck for having stumbled upon such a fickle man. This guy hadn’t changed at all—no principles whatsoever. Last time, he had made a grand confession at the school gate, and now here he was, all lovey-dovey with another woman. Why didn’t he just catch some venereal disease and die already?

Still, she couldn’t deny that the intimate atmosphere beside her only deepened her gloom. The truth was, this was her own problem. There were boys at school earnestly pursuing her, but she paid them no mind, yet she couldn’t help noticing this ostentatious scumbag. And because of Luo Wei’s few words, she had spent ages overthinking things—how foolish. The more she thought about it, the worse her mood became, and before she knew it, sadness had replaced her anger. She took Lu Xiren’s package and pen from her bag, handed them to him, and pressed the button for another recipient’s floor after he signed. Unlike before, when he used to fuss over her, this time he simply handed the signed slip back without saying a word. She adjusted her backpack, stepped forward, practically pressing herself against the elevator doors, ready to bolt out as soon as they opened. In the dim yellow reflection of the elevator doors, she saw him gazing at her intently before quickly averting his eyes. Her heart sank further, and she buried her head even lower.

Suddenly, the elevator jolted to a stop, and the lights went out. Christine screamed, startling Xiao Lajiao so much that she banged her head against the elevator door. Just as fearfully raising her head, someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her tightly into their arms.

“Yufei, are you alright? Are you hurt?” Lu Xiren used one hand to brush aside her hair and check her forehead.

But before she could respond, the lights came back on, and the elevator resumed its rapid ascent. All three of them froze for two seconds before the elevator stopped at her designated floor, and the doors opened. Xiao Lajiao blinked rapidly, mechanically shaking her head: “I… I just bumped my head. It’s nothing…” Then she quickly exited the elevator.

Just as the doors were closing, she turned back for one last glance inside. Lu Xiren’s eyes held a trace of reluctance, but he only sighed dejectedly and didn’t follow. As for Christine, she looked utterly stunned, as if someone had punched her in the face.

Her racing heartbeat hadn’t yet calmed when Xiao Lajiao turned around and let out a long sigh. What an unfortunate and disheartening day.

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However, whether it was Xiao Lajiao’s misfortune or Xie Xinqi’s troubles, for Luo Wei, it was all a stroke of good luck.

In Luo Wei’s view, Xiao Lajiao being in a bad mood meant she would naturally sing Luo Wei’s praises to Su Jianian. And Xie Xinqi’s foul mood gave Luo Wei’s promotional plans smooth sailing. Seizing the opportunity, she had Xiao Lajiao post a photo of herself and Su Jianian from their wedding on social media. That picture infuriated Xie Xinqi. According to Xiao Lajiao, Su Jianian was publicly humiliated by Xie Xinqi at every turn because of this, always appearing with a sour expression whenever they met. With one phone call, Luo Wei finally secured Su Jianian’s endorsement. From there, everything proceeded far more smoothly than she had imagined. After the news of Su Jianian endorsing Mélanie Green broke, reports of Xie Xinqi breaking up with him over the matter soon followed. Xie Xinqi was like a bomb waiting to explode—just hearing the name “Luo Wei” set her off. Most shocking of all, despite opposition from everyone, she abandoned the already exorbitant emerald jewelry line and switched to a ruby-and-diamond necklace. The new piece was 382mm long, adorned with 42 natural Thai pigeon-blood rubies totaling 37.85 carats, paired with diamonds and platinum. When Luo Wei saw its advertisement in a magazine, she nearly burst out laughing.

The young lady’s natural advantages were excessive, but so was her naivety. Ever since the Cici design competition, Luo Wei had noticed Xie Xinqi’s severe princess complex—she seemed desperate to highlight the gap between herself and others, sparing no expense in throwing the finest gemstones and high-end artistry into her designs. Such works naturally stood out in competitions, but that was art, not commerce. How could a product ignore its customers? How many clients could afford such a ruby necklace? It could easily be auctioned off. This necklace could only serve as a limited-edition item to elevate the brand’s prestige. Using it as the main product would be unsustainable, even for a high-end brand like Cici. Inviting such a diva must have left Cici’s executives regretting their decision until their faces turned green. Still, at least this time the product’s spokesperson wasn’t a ballerina but Zhang Huizhen, a top-tier actress active in the film industry. To maintain her sense of style, Xie Xinqi had made significant compromises—significant for her, at least.

After checking Zhang Huizhen’s recent filming schedule, Luo Wei learned she would play a stunning villainous second lead in an upcoming movie. In the film, she would compete with the Cinderella-like heroine for the wealthy and handsome male lead, culminating in a scene where the hero avoids her invitation at a banquet to dance with the heroine instead. The movie targeted a young female audience, and its release timing was perfect. An idea formed in Luo Wei’s mind, and she decided to seek approval from her superiors. To avoid meeting He Yingze directly, she asked Lu Xiren to relay the message—but she still couldn’t escape her fate. He summoned her to meet at Zhenji Wangcheng that evening.

He Yingze had always had a unique working style: If something could be resolved over the phone, he wouldn’t meet in person; if a meeting wasn’t necessary, he wouldn’t hold one. After 7 PM, unless it was a gathering he himself arranged, anyone wanting to discuss business with him had to go through his secretary. Luo Wei couldn’t understand why this proposal, which was trivial to him—he only needed to think it over and nod or shake his head—required a face-to-face meeting. Especially since he must have been quite busy recently.

As autumn and winter set in, the lights at Zhenji Wangcheng grew colder than usual. The white staircases, ceilings, and the interweaving Doric and Corinthian stone columns inside were bathed in lilac and pink lighting, resembling a magical Disneyland. Beneath a Christmas tree carved from amethyst, tourists posed for photos in various stances. Upon finding the private casino room where He Yingze was, she saw him seated with two young men and several of his subordinates. Surrounding them were women dressed like dancers from the Moulin Rouge. However, even though He Yingze was by far the most striking and highest-ranking individual present, none of these women dared approach him directly, instead sending coy glances his way.

When Luo Wei entered, He Yingze waved her over. Despite appearing relaxed and carefree, she could tell he had lost weight—enough that even an average straight man could notice. His already slender frame now seemed excessively thin. His jawline was sharp enough to slice scallions, and his face was so small it could be covered entirely with one palm. What was going on? How long had it been since they last met? Was he ill? Yet, he didn’t appear sickly at all; his back remained as straight as ever.