Chapter 16. To See the Beauty Scold

Ji Qiuchi had cut off contact with all her friends, only sending money back home to her family periodically.

The sense of disparity in her heart came from everyone around her seemingly doing well, while she was getting worse and worse.

Carrying a limited edition handbag, driving a luxury car worth tens of millions. Her clothes, shoes, and cosmetics were all top-tier luxury brands. Girls she passed would cast envious glances, admiring her glamorous appearance. Sometimes, she even mistakenly thought she was doing well, forgetting how rotten she was beneath the opulent exterior.

Meeting Jiang Yan when she least wanted to be recognized by acquaintances was like being stripped naked and standing in a public square. The unbearable shame and mortification made her unable to lift her head, daring not to make eye contact with him for another second. She even wanted to flee in disgrace, but everything now was her own choice.

She frantically snatched the examination forms, shoving them haphazardly into her bag. “Have you been transferred back to Haishi? Then maybe we can have dinner sometime... Never mind, it’s better if we don’t meet.”

She put on her sunglasses, covering the dark circles under her eyes.

“You’re busy, I’ll go first.”

“Wait,” Jiang Yan stopped her. “What happened to the injuries on your face?”

“Nothing much, I just slipped and fell while showering.”

His thin lips were pressed tightly together, silent, but the complex emotions in his scrutinizing gaze momentarily rendered Ji Qiuchi speechless. He was from the police academy; how could he not distinguish between a fall injury and a clumsy lie on her face?

“Jiang Yan, don’t ask anymore...”

The actress had fallen from a horse. Not only would the ongoing drama she was filming have to pause, but her pre-arranged variety show appearances and endorsement events were also canceled. She was an artist who had just risen to fame. At this point, without solid works and exposure, no matter how popular she was, it would only be a fleeting success. Yet, an accident had occurred, requiring at least six months of rest, impacting all subsequent arrangements and leading to a host of troubles. Lin Xingzi was also getting a headache.

“Contact the program director before 3 PM to coordinate. Even though she was photographed entering the hospital after her injury last night and everyone knows, we still need to explain the situation to the director and discuss whether we can find a replacement.”

“Also, give me a list of artists with available schedules,” she was speaking, her high heels making bright sounds on the floor, but then she suddenly stopped.

Assistant Chen followed Lin Xingzi’s gaze.

The distance was too great to hear what the man and woman by the flower bed were saying, but he only saw one trying to leave and the other stopping them.

A cleaning lady pushing a cleaning cart passed by, and the smell of disinfectant became even stronger. Lin Xingzi calmly averted her gaze and casually asked, “Do you still remember your first love?”

Assistant Chen paused for a few seconds. “...First love is unforgettable. No matter how much time passes, you never forget.”

“University? High school?”

“High school, first year, my deskmate,” Assistant Chen rubbed his nose, a bit embarrassed. “She was excellent at studying. At that time, it was very pure. I thought she was the most wonderful girl in the world. No need to consider family, money, or houses; liking her was pure liking. I also dated in university and was truly sad after breaking up, but it’s still different from first love.”

Lin Xingzi nodded. “Yes, it’s different.”

“Let’s go to the company.”

Assistant Chen quickly followed, then hesitated and asked, “Not with Mr. Jiang?”

Lin Xingzi didn’t speak. From the side, her delicate features seemed a bit cold.

Assistant Chen once heard General Manager Li say that her smile was too sweet and lacked intimidation, and that she was too young to command respect. After that, she rarely smiled at the company, but he knew that her smile was actually exceptionally beautiful, with dimples, and the beauty mark on her nose was very lively. Female celebrities in the company would look inferior next to her.

But when she didn’t speak and her face was expressionless, she projected a strong sense of distance.

Just like now.

Assistant Chen wisely kept quiet, jogged a few steps ahead, and opened the car door for her.

Upon arriving at the company, Lin Xingzi spent almost the entire day in meetings. Even lunch was boxed meals packed by the staff.

Li Yao had watched Lin Xingzi grow up, treating her like his own daughter, and knew her temper inside out. She was clearly in a bad mood today, speaking with a fierce tone, showing no mercy, even snapping at him.

“Your mom told me Jiang Yan is back in Haishi.”

“...Mm.”

“It’s already so late. You should go back early. I’ll handle the rest. You don’t know the people over there, and you can’t help anyway.”

“I think making money is more interesting,” she said seriously. “Making money makes me happy; getting involved in relationships only slows down my sword.”

Li Yao chuckled wryly. “If you stay any longer, I’m afraid you’ll pick one of them out and sacrifice them to the heavens.”

Lin Xingzi: “...”

After being ‘kicked out’ of the conference room, Lin Xingzi didn’t want to go home. Lin Sang was also on a business trip and not in Haishi. The rest were just fair-weather friends.

Assistant Chen and a few colleagues came out of the lobby, laughing and talking. One of them, celebrating his bachelor party before his wedding, noticed Lin Xingzi hadn’t left and tentatively asked if she wanted to join them.

Lin Xingzi needed a boisterous, chaotic celebration to banish the demons that had been arguing in her mind all day.

“Brother Lei, someone’s looking for the beautiful Miss Lin over there.”

“Looking for Miss Lin? Who?”

“The guy in the white shirt standing to the left of the bar. Looks like a police officer. Two years ago, someone was caught doing ice here by him.”

The club had been closed for three months because of that incident, making it hard to forget. Brother Lei squinted, assessing the man by the bar, a look of disdain on his face. “Tsk, a poor cop, huh?”

Jiang Yan only knew Lin Xingzi was here, but not which private room. A slick, roguish man walked over, smiling, “Officer Jiang, right? Heard a lot about you. What a rare visitor. Do police officers frequent bars too? Or did something happen here? Monkey, go turn off the music. Let Officer Jiang investigate properly.”

The colleague who was about to get married, now drunk, began reminiscing about a previous relationship, even calling his ex-girlfriend amidst cheers, seemingly completely forgetting his fiancée. Lin Xingzi found it increasingly boring.

She went downstairs and found the music in the lobby had stopped, with a crowd gathered around the bar, watching the commotion.

“Coming here and not drinking? You must be joking,” Brother Lei put his hand on Jiang Yan’s shoulder. “I know police officers don’t make much; it’s just a few thousand a month. Your job isn’t easy; you get that fixed salary day and night. It’s okay, we have cheap...”

He deliberately raised his voice, intending to embarrass Jiang Yan.

The bartender opened a bottle and poured a glass. He picked it up and offered it to Jiang Yan, intentionally tilting the glass, spilling the brown liquid all over Jiang Yan’s white T-shirt.

“Oops, my bad, my hand slipped... What the?!”

Ice-cold liquid suddenly poured over his head, and the man’s face instantly changed.

A languid voice sounded, “My bad, my hand slipped.”

Lin Xingzi pulled out a tissue, her eyes slightly lowered, carefully wiping each finger.

She was born to be noticed.

The man suppressed his anger, glaring at her through gritted teeth. “Miss Lin, what is the meaning of this?”

“I was too idle, so as your patron, I’ll reluctantly teach you how to be a person,” Lin Xingzi, wearing high heels, was about the same height as the man. She lightly raised her eyes. “What’s wrong with being a police officer? How dare you speak ill of police officers?”

The man realized that this young lady’s father was the Chief of the Public Security Bureau. He opened his mouth, wanting to explain that he didn’t mean to offend, but only wanted to teach that annoying cop a lesson.

Lin Xingzi didn’t give him a chance to speak.

“While you, a worthless bum living off others, are reveling in a crowd of women, this very drug-infested city hasn’t rotted away precisely because countless anti-drug police officers like him are fighting on the front lines. Poor? The drugs he has confiscated, if converted into money, could fill your mourning hall and pave your path to the underworld with plenty to spare.”

“Control your mouth, hide your mother, otherwise she’ll die repeatedly in my presence. Your ignorance and stupidity are all her fault. If only you had read more books, you wouldn’t just be barking like an animal outside, embarrassing her.”

She stood in the center of the crowd, a spotlight hitting her, her silhouette as noble as a white swan.

“If you ever learn how to speak and then remember how humiliating it was to be publicly scolded by me today, and you want to scold me back, then come to Angel Street, No. 24. Tell the security guard you’re looking for the most beautiful fairy inside. If I have time, I might even listen to you scold me a bit. But you should also be prepared to be humiliated by me, because an ordinary person’s scolding ability can’t highlight my level, and a pathetic person like you, drained by women, probably has no talent in that regard.”