RITM - 56

Chapter 56: The Eighteen-sided Mirrors – Drifting (2)  

And so, Xie Mao died of a cerebral thrombosis, his eyes wide open in anger and regret, until his wife reached out to close them. At his funeral, no one mourned more bitterly than Zhou Jinru. Everyone remarked that she was a foolishly kind woman—a devoted wife whose husband had been unfaithful, yet she remained loyal to him alone. Naturally, she inherited all of his assets and, under seemingly passive circumstances, sidelined both her daughter and illegitimate son to become the majority shareholder of the Xie family’s empire. For Xie Xinqi and Xie Xiuchen, their father’s death was too much to bear, and they showed little interest in disputing the inheritance. When Xie Xiuchen once questioned the will, he was met with a scornful glare from his stepmother: “How dare a concubine’s son contest property rights?” 

The household was shrouded in mourning for months, the tolling of black bells echoing endlessly, until the first snowfall of the new year heralded the release of a film titled The Swan’s Lie, which stirred up the stagnant waters of their lives. 

Xie Xinqi paid little attention to celebrity gossip, watching movies merely as a form of casual entertainment. She barely remembered the names of popular stars. Her initial interest in the movie stemmed from a forwarded WeChat article sent by Xie Xiuchen. The headline read: “Compared to ‘Bossy’ Fake Men, Men Prefer Gentle Real Girls.” Written by a famously acerbic blogger, the article analyzed the romantic dynamics in The Swan’s Lie. Why did the wealthy male lead abandon Zhang Huizhen—the glamorous, strong-willed supporting actress played by an award-winning star—and choose the Cinderella-like protagonist instead? The author argued that the film was realistic, stating that if it were him, he’d pick the genuine, soft-spoken heroine. One line stood out: “Men prioritize cost-effectiveness when choosing women. Most men don’t want to marry the highest-quality, hardest-to-please option—they prefer someone affordable, gentle, and warm-hearted. Just like in this movie, even though Zhang Huizhen endorses luxury brand Cici, she still fails to win the heart of the rich and handsome hero. Did he love her? Of course, but no amount of love can withstand her self-destructive tendencies. In the end, he spun a fairy tale—but she wasn’t the princess.” Accompanying the text was a still from the film showing the male lead placing a necklace around the heroine’s neck as tears streamed down her face.

Xie Xinqi knew next to nothing about commercial marketing, and by the end of the article, she still hadn’t realized it was a cleverly disguised soft advertisement. Instead, she angrily tossed her phone onto the sofa: “I’ve said it before—don’t hire these vulgar celebrities for brand endorsements! What’s wrong with ballerinas? Now look, because Zhang Huizhen took on such inappropriate roles, Cici’s reputation has been dragged down too!” 

“This was deliberate,” Xie Xiuchen interjected, pointing at the necklace in the movie still. 

It was a small golden lock adorned with sapphires and diamond chips. From afar, it resembled a double-knot symbol but carried an air of modern luxury. Xie Xiuchen handed her a magazine featuring an identical pose, though the models were replaced by Su Jiannian and a Swedish supermodel. He pointed to the 3D rendering of the lock in the bottom-right corner: “This is the Lover’s Lock, the first flagship product from Mélanie Green jewelry.” 

Xie Xinqi was utterly stunned. 

The blogger who wrote the long post naturally faced backlash from feminists, accused of perpetuating patriarchal stereotypes. However, the film itself had always been controversial, and under relentless critique from him and numerous reviewers, it gained immense popularity. Single urban women rallied behind the strong-willed supporting actress played by the big-name star, while those in relationships or married leaned toward the gentle protagonist. As box office numbers soared into ten digits, the iconic scene of the male lead presenting the necklace and inviting the heroine to dance became ubiquitous online, in print media, and across advertisements. Zhang Huizhen’s campaign for Cici lost its persuasiveness, whereas the Lover’s Lock featured in the movie captured the hearts of many young women. With Valentine’s Day approaching, one phrase swept through Weibo, WeChat, and other social platforms, shared endlessly by single women: 

“I don’t want Valentine’s Day; I want a Lover’s Lock.” 

As the saying goes, “Train soldiers for a thousand days, use them for one.” Luo Wei had long devised a plan and decided to go all-in, keeping a low profile until now. 

On Valentine’s Day, within the first hour of Mélanie Green’s launch of the Lover’s Lock, both sales volume and revenue surpassed that of Xie Xinqi’s pigeon-blood-red necklace design. Whether at flagship stores, shopping malls, afternoon tea shops, cinemas—anywhere young women gathered—the Lover’s Lock could be seen adorning necks. 

In the days leading up to the release, Luo Wei’s dark circles had nearly reached her jawline. On the day of the launch, overwhelmed with emotion upon hearing reports of success from distributors, she paced back and forth in her studio. The designer, shocked by the overwhelming sales figures, repeatedly adjusted his glasses three times: “My goodness, I never dreamed my work would gain this level of exposure…” 

“Yes, Miss Luo, you truly have a knack for spotting market trends. You’re a genius at planning,” another designer exclaimed. 

“Not at all. Without your brilliant designs, no amount of effort on my part would matter. It’s everyone’s hard work,” Luo Wei replied humbly, smiling so wide her eyes disappeared. 

At that moment, recalling He Yingze’s words: “Everyone has talent—you just haven’t found your niche yet,” she felt a profound sense of validation. 

Indeed, when one path leads to a dead end, there’s no need to trap oneself further. Step back and examine the crossroads; a broad avenue often awaits nearby. Sometimes, when you’re ready to give up, success might be just around the corner. 

She pulled out her phone, preparing to text him the good news, only to see an incoming call notification from him. Taking a deep breath, she feigned calmness as she answered with a simple “Hello.” 

“Have you seen the news about Xie Xinqi?” he cut straight to the point. 

She opened the computer beside her and searched for keywords. The headline “Xie Xinqi Fired by Cici” leapt out at her. Stunned, she asked, “She got fired? How did this happen?” 

“She lost too badly—it was inevitable. But don’t concern yourself with her or the Xie family. Trust me, you’ll regret it if you do.” 

“Why should I care about her or the Xie family?” 

“Just listen to what I’m saying. Don’t ask so many questions.” And with that, he rudely hung up again. 

The news turned out to be true. Following the sharp decline in sales of Xie Xinqi’s necklace, not only was she overwhelmed with stress, but Cici’s global headquarters also called to inform her that she no longer needed to report to work. For Xie Xinqi, this was the most absurd joke in the world. What did they think she was? She was the illustrious Xie Xinqi! Even without her father, her fame and talent spoke for themselves. How dare they fire her? She cried countless times at home, eventually pinpointing the root cause of everything—Su Jiannian. 

If he hadn’t endorsed Luo Wei’s products, none of this attention would have arisen, and the Lover’s Lock wouldn’t have outsold her designs! She already resented him for using underhanded tactics to pressure her, but now her hatred burned even fiercer. Why had he helped Luo Wei? Though Luo Wei and he were old acquaintances with deep ties, wasn’t she his girlfriend now? Unless… 

Could their relationship have progressed beyond mere flirtation? Had they held hands, embraced, kissed—or worse? A chill ran down her spine. She knew confronting him directly wouldn’t work; he’d deny any connection with Luo Wei. She needed evidence to drive him away once and for all. 

Claiming she was upset over being fired, she convinced Su Jiannian to accompany her to an American rock singer’s concert. Midway through, she snapped countless photos until her phone’s storage filled up, then borrowed his phone to continue taking pictures and videos. After the concert, seated in the passenger seat, she transferred the photos from his phone to hers. Noticing her incessantly tapping away on his device, he grew distracted but dared only glance at her occasionally, too timid to ask for his phone back. When they stopped at a gas station, she complained of thirst and sent him into the convenience store for drinks. Seeing her editing selfies on his phone—smoothing skin and enlarging eyes—he hurriedly exited the car. Once he was far enough, she opened his WeChat, scrolling through chat records until she uncovered something she didn’t want to see. 

The woman sending messages like “Jiannian darling, I miss you! When will you come see me?” wasn’t Luo Wei but a seductive beauty named Adeline, partially baring her shoulders. Scrolling upward, she discovered his replies to Adeline were brief yet gut-wrenchingly sweet: “Baby, I’m coming.” “Don’t cry—I’m here.” “Okay, okay, whatever you say.” Weren’t these the exact phrases he used to coax her? Except she rarely gave him a warm response, let alone the cutesy tone Adeline employed. Listening to voice messages made her nauseous—Adeline’s coquettishness was unbearable, and even his drawn-out “Alright” carried an inflection reserved solely for intimate conversations.

Her heart pounding violently, Xie Xinqi took screenshots of the chat records with her phone, then closed WeChat. When Su Jiannian returned to the car, she handed his phone back to him. He meticulously unscrewed the cap of her drink, handing it to her along with a tissue. Sitting beside her, he watched as she finished the beverage before starting the car. But before they even pulled out, he noticed her expression was different from usual: “Baby, are you feeling unwell?” 

Hearing that word—”baby”—she felt sickened. Summoning her composure, she said, “I was just thinking… maybe I should give myself an English name.” 

“Don’t you already have one?” he asked with a reassuring smile. 

“No, I think ‘Adeline’ sounds nice.” 

His body stiffened momentarily, but he waved it off nonchalantly: “That name is too outdated for you.” 

“Then who does it suit?” She sent him several screenshots on her phone. “Other babies, perhaps?” 

At last, panic began to creep into his face, his ears and cheeks flushing a deep, liverish red. “Xin… Xinqi… It’s not what you think…” 

“All the evidence has been sent to you. Now get out of my car. Get out this instant—don’t stay a second longer!” After forcing him out, she sped off like a rocket. 

On the way back, she kept replaying the content of his lengthy message in her mind. Tim Statham? Racking her brain, she couldn’t recall anything about him. Pulling over to the side of the road, she searched for the name online. A photo of a handsome older man with silver hair appeared, his profile describing him as an “American composer.” She finally recognized the face—it was the same man who had mistaken her for a waiter at Mrs. Su’s birthday party. Connecting this with Su Jiannian’s text, she pieced together the entire story. No wonder he had constantly brought up marriage from the start. It wasn’t because she resembled Luo Wei—it was because he needed money. 

For Xie Xinqi, this day felt like the end of the world. But little did she know, worse was yet to come. That evening, she received a call from Su Jiannian. Drunk and slurring his words, he said, “Xinqi, you want to dump me, don’t you? Have you ever thought about how unfair this relationship has been for me? You never truly loved me. Yes, I cheated, but have you ever wondered why I did it? You’ve never respected me. Other girls act sweet and clingy when they’re dating, but you treat me like some kind of housewife!” 

“Please,” she scoffed. “You were always effeminate—it’s not something new since we got together. What kind of man lets his girlfriend pick restaurants every time you go out to eat? And now you have the nerve to criticize me?” 

“It’s because I didn’t dare choose! Don’t you remember that time we went to a buffet, and I didn’t finish all the food? You gave me such a look of disdain. After that, I decided everything would be up to you.” 

Xie Xinqi thought for a moment—it had happened. “I find you hilarious. Ordering so much food and not finishing it—isn’t that a sign of poor manners?” 

“It’s not just that. Remember when we went to Bali? You insisted I buy you an expensive sun hat. When I tried bargaining with the shopkeeper, you sulked for half an hour. Or when we checked into the hotel, and I let the bellboy carry our luggage without tipping him—you looked at me with such disdain. Six months ago, when you fell ill in California, the hospital sent us a bill for $3,400. I thought it was extortion and ignored it temporarily. Later, when you found out the bill hadn’t been paid, you didn’t even ask me what I planned to do—you just scolded me for being low-class and untrustworthy, then transferred the money right in front of me, saying we shouldn’t be short on cash… There’s so much more I don’t even want to bring up. Do you know how exhausting it is to be with you? Every day, I have to try my hardest to appear less shabby because whenever you look down on me, I can’t help but wonder who you’re comparing me to. The more I think about it, the more terrified I am of seeing you. Can you understand? When I take other girls out for dinner, they’re incredibly grateful and send me countless messages thanking me. But with you, I’m nothing but a loser!”