YJDNY - 60

Xiang Ge kept her word. For a long time afterward, she was very mindful of her health issues—taking her medication when she should and cutting back on things like ice cream. She completely controlled her cravings.

Late September was one of the busiest times of the year for models. After resting at home for three days, her new agent called to discuss Paris Fashion Week with her.

The four major fashion weeks each year essentially determined the fashion trends for that year and the next. The process of turning designs into products took at least half a year, so fashion shows were always held about six months in advance.

Xiang Ge had signed two endorsement deals with Z House for the new year. When Fu Rongsen proposed her name to the European headquarters, it unsurprisingly faced opposition.

The reason was simple: Xiang Ge was too short.

At 173 cm, she was like Allen Iverson in the NBA—far below the passing line. The standard threshold was 175 cm, which was one of the main reasons she had previously considered transitioning to the entertainment industry.

Even though she had a highly distinctive Eastern face and was almost flawlessly beautiful, her height remained a hard-to-overcome issue. In the end, she could only be a backup model.

When she received this news, Xiang Ge didn’t feel particularly upset. She was well aware of her height disadvantage and knew that succeeding in this field wouldn’t be easy. The resources and opportunities she had received this year already far exceeded her expectations.

Besides, she intended to be the Allen Iverson of the modeling world.

That afternoon, she went to Huanqiu and ran into Qiao Xin. They hadn’t seen each other in nearly four months, and the girl seemed to have grown a bit taller. As soon as she saw Xiang Ge, she pulled her over, inspecting her from all angles, eyes wide. “Xiang Ge, are you not entering the entertainment industry anymore?”

Xiang Ge smiled casually. “I don’t know. Probably not.”

Qiao Xin looked both regretful and relieved, sighing in a contradictory manner. “Actually, it’s probably better this way. The entertainment industry is terrifying,” she shuddered. “I used to think landing a movie role was such a happy thing, but after what happened last time, I started to realize it’s not good at all.”

Xiang Ge patted her head. “Didn’t we get past that last time?”

Qiao Xin tugged her hand closer, lowering her voice. “Xiang Ge, Xu Yiqi’s TV drama seems—” She didn’t finish, instead making a gesture with her hands, closing them together and then flipping them outward.

Xiang Ge paused, seemingly surprised. After a few seconds, she reacted. “How did it just—” She mimicked Qiao Xin’s gesture, bringing her hands together and spreading them out.

Qiao Xin shook her head. “I don’t know, but several people who were close to her now ignore her.” Qiao Xin shrank back slightly. “Adult friendships are truly terrifying.”

After saying this, Xiang Ge stopped, opening her mouth but not speaking.

She wasn’t curious about age and had never asked Qiao Xin how old she was.

But after hearing her words, Xiang Ge squinted carefully at the girl in front of her. She indeed looked young.

Previously, she thought Qiao Xin might just naturally look youthful since she had a younger brother still in school, so she couldn’t be too young. But the day she dropped her off, her brother appeared to be only a middle schooler.

Xiang Ge hissed, unable to resist asking, “Little Qiao Xin, aren’t you underage yet?”

Qiao Xin blinked. “No, I’m already eighteen.”

“...”

Eighteen is still very young!

Xiang Ge couldn’t help but pat her head again, fishing out a chocolate milk candy from her bag and placing it in her palm, speaking in a tone meant to soothe a child. “Good girl, Qiao Xin.”

Qiao Xin: “...”

Qiao Xin had an outdoor shoot in the afternoon and left shortly after a few words. Xiang Ge finished discussing Fashion Week matters and returned to the dressing room. Upon pushing the door open, she saw Xu Yiqi sitting inside.

The vast dressing room was empty except for her. She looked much thinner, her cheeks slightly sunken. Under heavy makeup, her complexion was indiscernible, but her expression revealed a faint weariness that even makeup couldn’t conceal.

Even when Xiang Ge entered, she didn’t lift her head.

Xiang Ge tilted her head, thinking for a moment, closed the door behind her, and walked up to her.

Xu Yiqi finally raised her head.

She sat while Xiang Ge stood. The bright light of the mirror cast sharp shadows on their profiles.

Xu Yiqi lifted her head, her expression instantly adjusted, revealing a smile almost identical to her usual one. “Come to settle accounts with me?”

Xiang Ge raised an eyebrow, saying nothing.

Xu Yiqi tapped her fingers lightly on the edge of the table. “What evidence do you have? Based solely on speculation, you can’t say it was me, right?”

Xiang Ge laughed softly, her long lashes covering her gaze, then lifted them. “Long time no see.”

Xu Yiqi was startled.

Xiang Ge licked her lips, smiling slowly. “I just came to say hello. What do you mean by what you’re talking about?”

Xu Yiqi’s expression stiffened.

Xiang Ge scanned the room. “Where are those good friends of yours who usually stick by your side? It’s rare to see you alone. What happened to your little followers? Not playing with you anymore?” She tilted her chin slightly, looking down at her with an almost disdainful gaze. “You’ve been in this industry longer than me. If anything, I should call you a senior. Senior, after all these years, don’t you know that if you want to strike a snake, you hit its vital spot? Whatever little stunt you pulled, it won’t affect me—it’s just a minor annoyance.”

“I’ll tell you what the vital spot is.” She leaned on the table with one hand, bending her upper body forward slightly, her voice lowering to a soft, warm whisper. “I recently went to the hospital and saw two people—a man and a woman. They looked familiar.”

Xu Yiqi jolted her head up.

Xiang Ge tilted her head slightly, looking at her curiously. “But I’m not really sure what the script was. I can only guess. Did you think that if you got pregnant, if you had a child, you could tie him down? That he’d marry you? That you’d marry into wealth and become a phoenix? But now, where’s the child? Did he leave you?”

The carefully maintained, calm smile on Xu Yiqi’s face had long disappeared. She looked up at Xiang Ge, her eyes red but still glaring.

As if Xiang Ge had offended her.

Xiang Ge had initially only guessed, but Xu Yiqi’s reaction confirmed her suspicions. She had probably guessed correctly.

But seeing her expression, Xiang Ge suddenly felt pity for her.

No matter what, the child was innocent.

Regardless, it was a small, naive life that hadn’t even had the chance to grow.

Neither spoke for a moment. Xiang Ge straightened herself.

The person sitting in front of her continued to glare, stubborn and defiant, tears welling in her eyes but refusing to fall.

Xu Yiqi had always been fiercely competitive, excelling in everything she did. She relished being admired by others and always wanted to be the best. Until Xiang Ge came along.

So their rivalry seemed natural.

An overly intense desire to win was a double-edged sword, compounded by a normal amount of jealousy. A slight misstep could lead to a chemical reaction, causing psychological distortion and wrong decisions that led people astray. Even Xiang Ge herself had nearly been consumed by negative emotions once.

There were too many unfair things in this world, and not everyone trapped in such situations could find light.

Xu Yiqi wasn’t stupid. She knew what she wanted and always used her advantages to get it. This situation had developed to this extent...

Xiang Ge didn’t consider herself a saint. She had a typical petty personality—if someone hurt her a little, she would retaliate tenfold. Today, she had come intending to confront her, to settle accounts for all the sneaky, disgusting moves Xu Yiqi had made.

But facing Xu Yiqi like this, she suddenly felt there was nothing more to say.

Xiang Ge began to muse whether giving her a comforting pat on the head might work wonders like in shonen manga, making the rival submit to her boyfriend-like charm and reform.

Thinking better of it, she decided she couldn’t pull off such a move.

She pursed her lips and stepped back. “Don’t worry. I didn’t see anyone, and I won’t tell anyone.”

Xu Yiqi hadn’t expected her to say this and was momentarily stunned. Quickly, she forced a mocking smile. “Suit yourself.”

See, this stubbornly defiant character.

Xiang Ge chuckled softly and said no more, turning around and leaving.

It was about time for Zhou Xingyan to finish work when she left Huanqiu. Xiang Ge had driven herself today. Though she was somewhat directionally challenged, she was very familiar with this frequently traveled route. Timing it perfectly, she parked the car at the entrance without calling him, drumming the steering wheel while waiting and quickly touching up her makeup.

More than ten minutes later, Zhou Xingyan emerged from the hospital’s main entrance.

The evening breeze in September was cool. The man wore a camel-colored thin trench coat, broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted, and long-legged. His features were cold and handsome, the wind lifting the hem of his coat, making Xiang Ge want to whistle.

And indeed, she did. Lowering the car window completely, she rested her elbow on it, sticking her head out and whistling at Zhou Xingyan as he approached. Raising her voice slightly, she called out, “Handsome, are you alone?”

There were quite a few people downstairs at the inpatient building. Her voice carried, drawing many glances.

Xiang Ge stuck out her tongue and ducked back inside.

Zhou Xingyan reached the car window, leaning on the frame and bending down to peer inside. “Why are you here?”

“To practice driving. I haven’t driven in a while and was nervous, almost forgot I had a license. Plus, I came to pick up my boyfriend after work,” Xiang Ge smiled, her eyes crinkling as she looked at him. “Get in?”

Zhou Xingyan straightened up, walked around the front, opened the door, and sat in the passenger seat.

Xiang Ge even heard some girls outside saying, “Damn, he actually got in. This pickup method works?” “Looks matter, huh?”

She curved her lips slightly, turned the steering wheel, and drove off, smoothly merging onto the road while asking Zhou Xingyan what he wanted to eat for dinner.

Zhou Xingyan had never seen her drive before. At this moment, the woman was chewing gum, relaxed and slouching slightly, her slender, fair fingers resting lazily on the steering wheel. She looked completely at ease, chatting idly with him. There was no sign of the nervousness she claimed to feel from not driving for a long time.

Xiang Ge listed off the foods she wanted to eat while shifting gears. Suddenly, her phone rang beside her. She glanced at it—the caller ID read “Mom.”

She happened to be changing lanes, so she quickly swiped to answer and pressed the speaker button.

With the windows closed, the sound in the enclosed space was particularly clear. A mature, deep male voice, speaking slightly broken Chinese, affectionately called her, “Xiang Ge, my darling. I heard you’re returning to France soon. How about I come pick you up?”

Xiang Ge froze, letting out an involuntary “Ah,” instinctively turning her head to look at the person beside her.

Zhou Xingyan had also turned his head, his gaze meeting hers, slowly narrowing his eyes.

Xiang Ge: “...”