Chapter 5: Unhappy

The founder of Global Entertainment was quite a legendary figure.

He had a gentle face, spoke softly, and exuded an aura of refined elegance. Starting from nothing, he built Global Entertainment into the leading force in the entertainment industry—a feat that could only be described as remarkable, if not terrifying.

His son, Song Zhi, however, was the complete opposite of his father’s carefully crafted public image.

Rumors had it that the young master, Song Zhi, was short-tempered, easily angered, and inherited all the cunning and ruthlessness his father kept hidden. He was surrounded by questionable friends, cared little for power, and preferred romance over ambition.

Xiang Ge thought that, aside from the last point being highly debatable, the rumors about him were mostly accurate.

From the day Song Zhi took over the modeling division of Global Entertainment, their relationship had been strained.

At the time, Xiang Ge was a senior in college, still studying but already working part-time as a print model for two years. With her strikingly beautiful face and excellent camera presence, she had gained a small amount of recognition in the industry.

Song Zhi suddenly descended upon the studio like a storm, leaning against the side and watching for a while before calling for a halt.

The hand in his pocket came out, index finger raised, pointing directly at Xiang Ge in front of the lens. He turned to his assistant: “Is she also one of ours?”

The assistant, holding a pile of things, nodded repeatedly, about to explain, but was cut off by Song Zhi’s impatient wave of the hand.

He took two steps forward, his gaze locking onto Xiang Ge, his dissatisfaction obvious: “Her movements are stiff, her expressions lifeless, and her eyes devoid of emotion. How did someone like this get in? How much did HR take?”

Xiang Ge stood still, narrowing her eyes slightly.

She had just started finding her rhythm when she was interrupted, which had already irked her. Add to that his nitpicking criticism, and her irritation flared. Tilting her chin slightly, her long lashes fluttering, she drawled lazily: “Why don’t you give it a try?”

At the time, Xiang Ge didn’t know who he was.

Later, she found out—but by then, it was too late.

Still, she later reflected that if given another chance, knowing who he was, she probably would have said the same thing.

Perhaps with a sweeter expression.

The shoot for the outdated Gothic theme from ten years ago continued, while Xiang Ge and Song Zhi stood at the studio entrance. The woman lowered her eyes and respectfully called out, “Mr. Song.”

Song Zhi looked at her seemingly obedient demeanor and raised an eyebrow: “Does Miss Xiang have any more opinions?”

Qiao Xin, standing nearby, was nearly scared to death. She stepped back and tugged silently at Xiang Ge’s sleeve as a warning.

Xiang Ge soothingly grabbed the young girl’s soft fingers, gave them a light squeeze, then turned her head, carefully examining the model in front of the lens. With a serious tone, she said: “The props feel a bit tacky. Maybe we can switch to something more innovative.”

Song Zhi sneered, his face dark, and slapped a stack of papers into her arms.

Xiang Ge instinctively raised her hands to catch them, holding them as she stared at him without moving.

Song Zhi frowned: “Open it. Look.”

Xiang Ge flipped through it briefly, her brows slowly rising, her gaze sharpening.

After skimming through, she lifted her head, her eyes filled with surprise.

Seeing her finally show a different expression, Song Zhi seemed satisfied. He tapped the edge of the paper with his hand: “If there’s any issue with the cover of SINGO ‘s new issue, you’re fired.”

Xiang Ge: “….”

If walking the runway at Z House’s Spring/Summer show a little over a week ago was a stroke of luck for someone at her level, then landing the cover of SINGO ‘s new issue felt like a golden-drenched pile of luck falling from the sky and landing squarely on her head.

SINGO , now in its sixth year, had become one of the most influential magazines in the fashion industry due to its high-quality visual content and unique perspective. Counting back through its past issues, the cover stars were either top models who endorsed major brands or popular actors and actresses. Never before had they featured an up-and-coming model.

It wasn’t surprising that Global Entertainment secured such a resource—what was shocking was that it was given to her.

After quietly working as a print model for years, Xiang Ge had only graced the covers of a few small magazines. The idea that she might one day land a cover of a prestigious fashion magazine—a clear sign that she was either already a big name or about to become one—had never crossed her mind.

Xiang Ge even began to suspect that Song Zhi, after receiving long-term treatment abroad for an eye condition, had fully recovered, discovered her beauty, and wanted to seduce her.

Aside from Qiao Xin, who was present at the time, no one else knew about Xiang Ge securing the SINGO cover. Later, the young girl, her face flushed with excitement, tugged at Xiang Ge’s hand: “Xiang Ge, sister!”

Xiang Ge sat cross-legged in the dressing room, playing with her phone, and lazily responded.

“SINGO ‘s cover!” Qiao Xin’s eyes sparkled. “You’re going to blow up!”

Xiang Ge shifted her gaze from her phone screen to look at her, amused, and pinched the young girl’s sharp chin: “How are you so cute?”

Qiao Xin let her pinch, beaming: “Now, even if Xu Yiqi gets two more resources, one SINGO cover makes up for everything.”

Xiang Ge smiled faintly but said nothing.

Any place where women gather is a battlefield shrouded in smoke, especially in the modeling world, where beautiful women abound.

Add to that the competitive nature of the industry, and it’s impossible for everyone to coexist peacefully. Cliques, exclusion, and behind-the-scenes scheming were rampant.

Among those in Xiang Ge’s group at Global Entertainment, the most outstanding talents besides her were Xu Yiqi. Due to certain special reasons, Xu Yiqi often secured relatively better resources and hadn’t hesitated to trip her up behind her back.

Xiang Ge had little ambition to win. As long as the sabotage wasn’t too blatant or excessive, she generally ignored the gossip about her.

Qiao Xin was both frustrated and impressed by her attitude.

The young girl pulled her chair closer, leaning forward slightly: “Xiang Ge, why don’t you look excited or happy at all?”

Xiang Ge tossed her phone onto the makeup table, resting her chin on the edge of the desk, looking listless: “I am happy.”

“You don’t look it at all—” Qiao Xin puffed her cheeks, but before she could finish, the sound of high heels approached from outside.

Reacting quickly, she immediately shut her mouth.

Xu Yiqi pushed the door open, her gaze sweeping across the dressing room before settling on Xiang Ge. Her eyes traveled from head to toe, finally resting on Xiang Ge’s exposed, pale ankle. Her voice was soft and pleasant: “Is your foot better?”

Xiang Ge propped her head up with one hand, tilting her head to look at her, lazily smiling: “It’s fine.”

Xu Yiqi smiled as well, closing the door behind her and walking to her own table. Removing her earrings, she said: “I remember seeing you stumble on stage. It was really scary, but luckily Mr. Fu didn’t pursue it further. But you shouldn’t take it too hard. It was your first time participating in such a large-scale show for a major brand like Z House. Everyone gets nervous—it’s normal. You’ll get used to it.” She paused, smiling at her reflection in the mirror:

“If you ever get another chance.”

Xiang Ge raised her eyelids and glanced at her, saying nothing.

Xu Yiqi had been present at that show. Xiang Ge had been a last-minute substitute, while Xu Yiqi had been confirmed much earlier.

Xiang Ge rolled her tongue slightly, her gaze drifting away, settling vaguely on the edge of the table. In a casual tone, she said: “That day, I was on my period and feeling unwell. I brought a pack of painkillers with me and left them on the dressing table, but they disappeared.”

Xu Yiqi raised an eyebrow.

Xiang Ge looked at her from the corner of her eye: “Tell me, how do you think they disappeared?”

Xu Yiqi’s expression tightened for a moment, but she quickly resumed her gentle smile, bending down to remove her high heels: “That’s strange. Maybe you left them somewhere else. Think about it again.”

Xiang Ge chuckled softly, lowering her crossed legs and supporting herself with her fingertips on the edge of the table as she stood up.

At 173 cm tall, she was wearing high heels, making her slightly taller than Xu Yiqi when she stood straight. Her gaze lowered slightly, carrying an indescribable sense of pressure.

Her voice was soft and languid, yet slow and clear: “My memory isn’t great. There are some things I don’t want to recall because it’s troublesome.” She paused briefly, tilting her head. “So, don’t push me to remember.”