Chapter 31: The “High Society” Battle Royale (Part 1)

Yu Zhimei finally understood where He Jie’s masks came from. This room was full of them—each one a standard template, every person wearing a face that didn’t match their heart.

After inquiring with Dou Yu about the entry-level requirements for the advertising industry, Yu Zhimei learned that even though Shi Rui had majored in English Education, she could still make 4,500 yuan as a copywriter—a livable wage. Yu invited Shi Rui upstairs to polish her résumé and meticulously submitted applications on job websites for media and advertising roles. Shi Rui’s onboarding went relatively smoothly. However, as an entry-level copywriter, most of her tasks involved gathering data and performing menial chores. It seemed Shi Rui lacked emotional intelligence; during a meeting, she complained that her work was too basic, drawing sharp criticism from a senior colleague who then deliberately made things harder for her by assigning her a luxury property project in Overseas Chinese Town without giving her time to familiarize herself with it. Just as Yu Zhimei was wondering how to help Shi Rui, who hadn’t visited such high-end properties, He Jie sent over a message. Yu quickly gathered her things: “Shi Rui, come here. Put on some lipstick—I’ll take you on a field trip. Isn’t this supposed to be about writing for luxury homes? Here’s your chance.”

Hearing it was Gao Yuan’s birthday party, Yu Zhimei and Shi Rui brought fruit and pastry gift boxes. As they stepped out of the elevator directly into the apartment, Yu felt their gifts were a bit underwhelming. The next moment, a child collided into her arms. Instead of the sleek Italian design or opulent carvings they expected to see facing the entrance, there was a massive Buddhist shrine. Moreover, the entire house was filled with new Chinese-style redwood furniture, modern technology buried beneath layers of traditional decor. The thin-legged sofas and tables looked like frail horses, their twisted columns resembling two emaciated steeds, topped with talismans to ward off bad luck. Startled, Yu Zhimei instinctively took a step back—this wasn’t just a house; it was a… temple?

The room buzzed with elegantly dressed socialites in matching outfits and elderly men with graying hair still laughing and chatting. Ou Jinghe, who should have been the hostess, wore a peculiar red dress, holding up her familiar mask as she greeted guests. Gone was the confidence and charm she displayed at the dessert shop. When she spotted Yu Zhimei from afar, she rushed over like seeing a savior, whispering urgently into her ear: “Please, keep an eye out and make sure my mother-in-law doesn’t enter the north-side walk-in closet. I don’t know what she’s thinking, insisting on hosting a birthday party here—it’s purely to humiliate me.”

With that, Ou Jinghe turned and walked away. Yu Zhimei surveyed the exaggerated crowd; everything in this house seemed to have been transplanted from some old elevator building into Bi Hu Tiandi. It was hard to imagine this as an upper-class luxury apartment. Occasionally, she spotted young people in matching outfits adorned with flashy designer logos, but more often than not, the room was filled with modestly dressed locals speaking in thick dialects. The pile of gifts was equally eclectic: large boxes of folic acid, Hong Kong-exclusive herbal supplements, duty-free bags with broken handles, and fruit baskets stacked atop one another—all looking perfectly acceptable. Shi Rui, fascinated by the spectacle, stared at the afternoon tea spread for a long while before quietly asking Yu Zhimei: “How much do you think this place costs? Several tens of thousands per square meter, right?”

“It’s about the same price as the Overseas Chinese Town apartments you’re writing about. What do you think of true luxury flats now?”

“If I can find a boyfriend here, maybe I can live in a place like this too.”

Her logic was refreshingly unconventional.

“What about that cake over there—is it edible? I’m so hungry.” Shi Rui, distracted by the buffet, had lost all interest in drafting copy for the property listing. After carefully selecting a few pieces of cake and some salmon slices, Gao Yuan approached specifically to greet her: “Nice to see you here.”

“Happy Birthday.”

“Thank you. Feel free to enjoy yourselves. Everyone here is a friend of our family—I’m glad Jinghe invited you.”

“You flatter us. We’ll go say hello to the elders later.”

“My parents couldn’t make it today since they live farther away, and we wanted to keep this gathering small among friends.”

Yu Zhimei understood the implication perfectly. Neither set of parents had been invited, so her presence—and Shi Rui’s—should evoke a sense of awkwardness. Smiling, she replied: “Of course. It’s opened my eyes. This is my first time visiting Bi Hu Tiandi. It’s a shame one of our entrepreneurial friends couldn’t join us—he might have found investors here.”

“And you are… Mrs. He’s husband?” Shi Rui’s plate was piled high with cake, as if afraid someone would snatch it away.

“Yes, I’m her husband. And you are…?”

“I’m a regular customer at her dessert shop. Do you know…?”

The living room suddenly fell silent. As Yu Zhimei wiped sweat from her brow, she noticed Gao Yuan’s parents waving him over from the other side of the room. Gao Yuan excused himself and strode across the spacious living room with an air of confidence. Shi Rui, still chewing on smoked salmon rolls, reassured her: “I didn’t say anything, don’t worry.”

Yu Zhimei wished she could find an excuse to leave with Shi Rui immediately.

Gao Yuan’s mother grabbed the microphone, flanked by four ostentatious speakers: “Today is my son’s 36th birthday. He has grown up entirely under my guidance, attending private high school, earning a spot at a 211 university, studying abroad on scholarships, and now investing and trading stocks. He is accomplished and refined, exactly the son I envisioned. You could say his success today is entirely due to my meticulous nurturing. The only variable was Jinghe. My son, always so proud, never found anyone worthy—until he suddenly introduced Jinghe as his first love. Everyone knows Xiao Yuan had an unhappy marriage before. Now, to reunite with his first love is unexpected, but I must give my blessings. In a family like ours, staying true to love is a blessing we’ve created for our son. Six or seven years have passed, and as everyone around us starts having children, we, being entrepreneurs, feel it’s time they stop indulging in their sweet two-person world. We’re getting older, and we no longer want to deal with paperwork. Don’t you all agree?”

The room erupted in laughter. Yu Zhimei counted how many times the word “I” appeared in that speech, observing He Jie’s strained smile and the polite applause from Gao Yuan nearby. She finally understood where He Jie’s masks came from—this room was filled with them, each one a standard template of hypocrisy. The formal dinner buffet began, with the chef’s afternoon tea replaced by buffet stations serving Chinese dishes. A tower of champagne glasses was set up, finally giving the event a semblance of a hotel happy hour. As conversations buzzed, Yu Zhimei and Shi Rui were dragged into endless rounds of small talk, finding no rest until they retreated to a corner. Just as they sat down, they overheard two pairs of mothers and daughters chatting: “The feng shui setup in this house makes it feel like a temple.”

It seemed they weren’t the only ones who thought so. One of the mothers remarked sharply: “What else can you expect? The couple does their own thing—they’re both troublemakers. Gao Yuan is still overshadowed by his mother, lacking ambition. Then he marries someone just like her. If they have a son, the mother-in-law dynamic will be explosive.”

“My life is much better. Marriage is just an exchange. Mom, I saw Chanel released a new pair of Mary Janes, and Gucci has a limited-edition Dionysus bag not available in China. I’m flying to France next week.”

Clearing her throat, Yu Zhimei moved to another seat. Shi Rui had vanished somewhere. Bored, she sent a photo to Jian Zhaowen and prepared to leave when a young woman suddenly sat beside her, seemingly eager to pass the time. Yu chatted politely with her for a while, finding her to be a normal second-generation rich kid from Bi Hu Tiandi who knew He Jie liked drifting and had a passing interest in cars. Before leaving, Yu amiably suggested exchanging WeChat contacts. The girl pulled out a second phone from her waist pouch, explaining casually that this account was used more frequently. Friends in Xintiandi were higher-end after all—even her boyfriend walking the dog carried a QR code.

Out of boredom, Yu Zhimei opened her Moments feed shortly after adding the contact. Ten minutes earlier, the girl had posted several grids of photos with captions paired with different emojis: “Dior Spring/Summer 2018 collection, exclusive high-end custom version, handmade—not comparable to market goods. Genuine leather, inspection available.” “Hot item! Prada Spring/Summer 2018 Velcro sneakers, perfect for power-walking, height-boosting, and styling—wear them to become a fashionista!” “Authentic Birkin bag, fully hand-stitched, no pressure entering boutiques! While others wait in line for allocations, you can wear mine instantly—you’re just one Birkin away from high society…”

No wonder her boyfriend carried a QR code while walking the dog in Xintiandi. Any young man walking a large pet dog there was either a quality client or a potential buyer. Yu Zhimei’s headache worsened until Shi Rui returned and sat beside her: “Meimei, I’ve mingled around and added so many men on WeChat.”

Jian Zhaowen’s reply came swiftly: “Is this Bi Hu Tiandi where He Jie lives?”

“Yes, and Shi Rui’s still here looking for a husband.” Yu Zhimei was standing guard near the dressing room door, ignoring Dou Yu’s relentless barrage of messages and replying only to Jian Zhaowen.

When the formal dinner finally began, Yu Zhimei ran into He Jie’s in-laws. “Uncle and Aunt, nice to meet you. I’m a friend of Ou Jinghe and a regular customer of her dessert shop.”

The aunt glanced at Yu Zhimei and walked away. The uncle, craving a cigarette, stood smoking on the balcony. Thinking she wouldn’t see him again, Yu politely approached and said: “Uncle, smoking indoors is harmful to women—it increases the risk of infertility.” Seeing the old man’s displeased expression and unwillingness to extinguish his cigarette, it seemed he was trying to drive her away. Fifteen minutes later, Yu still hadn’t left. He Jie had warned her that if they let these two roam freely, they’d likely continue rummaging through the rooms—what could possibly be worth such vigilance?

As Shi Rui headed to the restroom, Ou Jinghe gave Yu Zhimei a meaningful look: “I’ll thank you properly later.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Why didn’t Jian Zhaowen come? Though it may sound harsh, among our group, he’s the one who’d best hold his own in high society.”

“He’s working on his app at home—always elusive.”

“You should break up with Dou Yu soon. Keeping Jian Zhaowen as your neighbor while he raises funds and becomes a CEO means you’ll lose your chance.”

“You should focus on yourself first.” Yu Zhimei couldn’t help but sigh. “Why are there so many kids here?”

“My peers attending gatherings wouldn’t dream of coming without their children. My in-laws even bought them gifts. Damn, I really need a cigarette. Once they leave, I’m changing the locks on every room. These two old folks keep barging in and out—I have no privacy left.”

By the time the raffle segment arrived, birthday boy Gao Yuan began handing out gifts to the children one by one. With kids came double the noise, and Yu Zhimei felt her head pounding, ready to leave early. Meanwhile, Shi Rui kept alternating trips to the restroom with He Jie’s mother-in-law, seemingly unwell. At that moment, a shadow flickered by the Buddhist shrine near the entrance, its expression eerie in the candlelight and incense smoke. Yu Zhimei stared intently for a few seconds—it looked oddly familiar. Wasn’t this the biracial boy who had once followed her to track down He Jie back when they lived at the Miao Lin dessert shop?