At the beauty salon, the staff eagerly handed Xu Yangyang two boxes of face masks.
"Welcome back next time!"
Xu Yangyang accepted the masks with satisfaction. After her beauty treatment, her skin was moist and smooth, perfect for the camera. It was a pity that she had just posted on Weibo, saying she had sprained her right foot during a workout and couldn’t move for a week, forcing her to withdraw from the show *Let’s Travel Together*.
Because of the sprain excuse, Xu Yangyang couldn’t take on any work for the entire week.
Having gone through such a wonderful beauty treatment, Xu Yangyang felt it was a real shame.
What made her even more annoyed was Yan Xi, who had clearly come to make things difficult for her today. If it weren’t for Yan Xi, she would have gotten her hands on that B-brand crocodile skin bag!
But Zhou Qingyu always seemed to side with Yan Xi, always protecting her.
Xu Yangyang knew that she and Zhou Qingyu weren’t really friends. At best, she was just Zhou Qingyu’s lackey. Xu Yangyang wanted to get closer to Zhou Qingyu, but every time Zhou Qingyu looked at her with those cold, piercing eyes, she felt unworthy.
Fortunately, she had managed to secure a spot as a guest on an S-level slow-paced variety show, and there was still the travel guide budget from before. Xu Yangyang thought to herself that she wasn’t really losing out.
However, *Leisurely Life* wouldn’t start filming for another half a month, and Xu Yangyang hoped her appearance would be perfect by then. The effects of today’s beauty treatment wouldn’t last that long.
As she was about to walk out the door, Xu Yangyang’s eyes lit up with an idea. She sent Zhou Qingyu a WeChat message, saying she had something to do in the evening, and then called over the manager.
"I’m a friend of Miss Zhou. She lost her membership card and asked me to get a replacement for her, so it’ll be easier for her to come next time."
At this kind of beauty salon, they either recognized phone numbers or membership cards. As long as she had Zhou Qingyu’s membership card, Xu Yangyang could use it to spend here as many times as she wanted.
Xu Yangyang figured Zhou Qingyu probably wouldn’t come back here again. Even if she did, she wouldn’t care about the card being used up. She’d just assume she forgot to top it up and do it again.
For a wealthy socialite like Zhou Qingyu, a million yuan was nothing. She had already given Pei Yubai and his company resources worth billions. Why would she care about a mere million?
The manager, knowing that Xu Yangyang had just come in with Zhou Qingyu for a spa treatment, assumed she was Zhou Qingyu’s friend and didn’t suspect anything. He had the front desk issue a new membership card and handed it to Xu Yangyang.
Xu Yangyang took the card, her eyes curving into a smile.
Beauty treatments for celebrities were expensive, costing tens of thousands of yuan each time. Zhou Qingyu’s membership card still had over 800,000 yuan left, enough for Xu Yangyang to use more than a dozen times!
As she walked out of the salon, Xu Yangyang felt refreshed and thought the trip was worth it. But when she turned around, she saw Zhou Qingyu and Yan Xi standing right behind her.
Xu Yangyang’s expression froze, and the corner of her mouth twitched. "Qingyu, Yan Xi, you’re still here?"
Zhou Qingyu shrugged. "Yan Xi said she left something in the salon and went back to look for it."
"Oh, I see," Xu Yangyang said nervously, touching the tip of her nose. "Well, you two go ahead and look. I’ll head out first…"
She turned to leave, but Yan Xi deliberately raised her voice. "Oh, by the way, Qingyu, didn’t you say you couldn’t find your membership card? I think this salon is really nice. Why don’t you get a replacement card? It’ll be more convenient next time~"
Zhou Qingyu looked at Yan Xi, confused.
Membership cards were something she lost all the time. Usually, she could just give her name or phone number when she came back. Why go through the trouble of getting a new card?
But when Zhou Qingyu saw the mischievous glint in Yan Xi’s eyes, she knew Yan Xi had something up her sleeve. She didn’t refuse and simply replied, "Okay."
Zhou Qingyu called over the salon manager. "I can’t find my membership card. Can you issue me a new one?"
The manager looked surprised. "Miss Zhou, we’ve already issued a replacement card to you!"
Zhou Qingyu was stunned. "I didn’t receive it."
Xu Yangyang hadn’t gone far, and the manager immediately pointed at her. "There! Your friend just said you needed a replacement card, so we issued one and gave it to her!"
All eyes instantly turned to Xu Yangyang.
Xu Yangyang felt as if needles were pricking her back, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
Why did Yan Xi have to lose something now, of all times? Why did she have to bring up the card now?
Xu Yangyang wished she could just disappear into the ground!
She forced herself to turn around and walked back to Zhou Qingyu, handing her the membership card. "Qingyu, I was worried you’d forget, so I got a replacement card for you. I thought you’d already left and was planning to give it to you at the company later!"
Zhou Qingyu looked at Xu Yangyang with a playful expression. "I see. Thanks for the trouble."
She deliberately emphasized the word "trouble."
Xu Yangyang felt even more humiliated. Zhou Qingyu’s words felt like an invisible slap across her face, leaving her utterly ashamed.
"Yan Xi and I are going out for dinner later. Want to join us?" Zhou Qingyu asked Xu Yangyang.
"No, no!" Xu Yangyang quickly declined. "I have something to do tonight. I’ll head out first."
With that, Xu Yangyang fled in embarrassment.
Behind her, Zhou Qingyu chuckled lightly and handed the membership card to Yan Xi. "I don’t like carrying cards. They’re easy to lose. You hold onto it."
Then, Zhou Qingyu pinched Yan Xi’s cheek. "Look at you! If I hadn’t brought you here today, your skin would’ve been so dry! Stop obsessing over your thesis and take better care of yourself, okay?"
Yan Xi looked at Zhou Qingyu with wide eyes. "Got it!"
.
Dinner time arrived, and Zhou Qingyu took Yan Xi to a private Chinese restaurant.
The restaurant, called Yanshan Residence, was an investment by Zhou Corporation. There was no menu; the chef designed the dishes based on the day’s ingredients and the number of guests.
Yan Xi had never been to this kind of restaurant before. For one, it was expensive, and for another, it was really expensive. She knew Zhou Qingyu didn’t usually eat at these kinds of places either, as she had many dietary restrictions and didn’t like surprises.
Sure enough, when they arrived at Yanshan Residence, Zhou Qingyu didn’t let the chef design the dishes like ordinary customers. Instead, she called the chef over and started ordering directly.
This kind of behavior was clearly inappropriate and not allowed at a no-menu private restaurant, but Zhou Qingyu was rich, and she was the boss.
The chef, knowing that Miss Zhou was coming, was extremely nervous.
Yanshan Residence was located halfway up Jinshan Mountain in Haicheng, targeting the city’s elite. It had just opened recently and was still in its trial phase. Zhou Yanci and Zhou’s Father hadn’t visited yet, but Zhou Qingyu had been there a few times, and each time she had fired a chef.
There was no helping it—the young miss was just too picky.
She was spoiled, domineering, and had high standards. Yanshan Residence aimed to cater to Haicheng’s elite, but it couldn’t even satisfy one young miss.
The current chef had lasted a week, but the moment Zhou Qingyu appeared, he knew his time at Yanshan Residence was over.
Zhou Qingyu ordered a few dishes, and the chef listened nervously, sweat dripping from his forehead. He didn’t dare wipe it off.
Yan Xi looked around. It was her first time coming to Yanshan Residence with Zhou Qingyu, and aside from the chef, everyone else seemed to be on edge around Zhou Qingyu.
Yan Xi knew Zhou Qingyu could be a bit spoiled, but was she really that intimidating?
The system popped up to explain to Yan Xi: *When Yanshan Residence first opened, Zhou Qingyu brought Pei Yubai here, but Pei Yubai left halfway through to chase after Ye Luoyi. Zhou Qingyu took out her anger on Yanshan Residence!*
*She blamed the restaurant for not being good enough, which made Pei Yubai leave!*
Yan Xi sneered inwardly. "In the end, Pei Yubai was just using Qingyu. He said his relationship with Ye Luoyi was just for publicity, but his feelings for Qingyu were nothing but an act!"
*It’s a romance novel, after all. The main couple’s feelings are what matter most!* the system teased. *Even Zhou Qingyu and Pei Yubai’s engagement is just a plot device to create obstacles for the main couple!*
As for the fact that the engagement had led to Zhou Qingyu being labeled as the other woman, no one cared. After all, Zhou Qingyu was just the villainess.
While waiting for the food, Yan Xi played with her phone. The trending topic about Zhou Qingyu slapping Ye Luoyi and her being the "other woman" who came between Ye Luoyi and Pei Yubai was still hot.
Zhou Qingyu had asked Starlight Entertainment’s PR team to remove the trending topic, but netizens were rebellious. The more they tried to delete the trending topic, the more alternative keywords they would find to keep the discussion alive.
Yan Xi finally couldn’t hold back and asked Zhou Qingyu about the online rumors.
The moment Pei Yubai and Ye Luoyi were mentioned, Zhou Qingyu’s expression changed, becoming something Yan Xi didn’t recognize. "Don’t believe what’s online. Yubai and Ye Luoyi are just promoting their CP! He doesn’t like Ye Luoyi at all! The only person he loves is me!"
Yan Xi frowned, "If he really liked you, how could he bear to see you being criticized online? Is promoting a celebrity only possible through creating a fake romance? If that's the case, then Ye Luoyi doesn't seem to have much value to cultivate either!"
Zhou Qingyu was momentarily speechless.
The words were clear enough, but Zhou Qingyu seemed to not understand them at all. The advice went in one ear and out the other, as her mind was entirely occupied with thoughts of Pei Yubai.
Yan Xi became even more acutely aware of the coercive force of the plot, which could turn a normal woman into a fool.
The system chimed in: **[Host, Zhou Qingyu won’t reveal the engagement. Given the current situation, unless Zhou Qingyu's luck points reach 60, she won’t be able to break free from Pei Yubai's manipulation.]**
Yan Xi's eyes flickered, "So, if I can help Qingyu reach 60 luck points, she’ll be willing to announce the engagement?"
The system replied: **[Bingo!]**
Yan Xi asked, "Can’t I just hire a paparazzi to expose it directly?"
The system explained: **[The core conflict between the main and supporting characters isn’t the engagement—it’s luck. Even if you expose the engagement now, the main characters have higher luck points, so things will still develop in their favor.]**
**[Reaching 60 luck points will allow Zhou Qingyu to break free from Pei Yubai's manipulation, which is a milestone. Only when Zhou Qingyu's luck reaches 100 points will things start to develop in a normal direction.]**
Yan Xi understood. Competing for luck wasn’t just about reclaiming Zhou Qingyu’s reputation—it was also about seizing a fair chance to face fate.
The meal felt tasteless to Yan Xi, as her thoughts were entirely focused on Zhou Qingyu and Pei Yubai.
Zhou Qingyu, out of habit, wanted to nitpick the chef's work, but seeing Yan Xi suddenly lose interest, she assumed it was another bout of post-breakup melancholy. She decided not to criticize the chef and instead took Yan Xi away from Yanshan Residence.
The chef breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had narrowly saved his job.
As soon as they stepped out of Yanshan Residence, Zhou Qingyu offered to take Yan Xi home. Suddenly, her phone rang—the caller ID showed Pei Yubai.
Yan Xi’s radar instantly went up, her eyes intently fixed on Zhou Qingyu.
Under the night sky, even the elegantly decorated Yanshan Residence paled in comparison to the brightness in Zhou Qingyu’s eyes.
With joy, she answered the call, "Yubai, you want to see me now? No, I’m not busy at all! It’ll only take a few minutes. I’ll come to you right away!"
