Goddess Strategy GL - Chapter 19

“You’re not a human trafficker, are you?” Ye Ruoqing’s expression was full of distrust.

“Would a human trafficker love serious literature?” The man rummaged in the car and then handed her a stack of October and Harvest literary journals. “You can choose not to believe me, but you must believe in literature.”

Time instantly flashed back to the 1980s. Sweeping through the streets and alleys along with jeans and disco were Gu Cheng, Bei Dao, and Shu Ting. Everyone knew that life was a net, and young men and women of marriageable age would melancholically recite a few lines like, “Rather than exhibiting for a thousand years on a cliff, better to weep bitterly on a lover’s shoulder.”

In that era, the proliferation of literary youth was comparable to the prevalence of V-shaped faces in the entertainment industry today.

“I’m a post-90s kid.”

“I study engineering.”

“Goodbye.”

Ye Ruoqing unhesitatingly poured a bucket of cold water on the artsy man in the Lamborghini, turning around and walking away. The artsy man did not give up. Ye Ruoqing walked on the road shoulder, and he drove slowly, following behind her.

“Then let’s not talk about literature, let’s talk about fashion…”

“For instance, the Givenchy you are wearing—ah, maybe you don’t know Givenchy, but you definitely know Audrey Hepburn. Even today, the little black dress and the Hepburn hairstyle are still the inspiration for countless artists. She is the undisputed I. Without Hepburn’s existence, the fashion industry’s inspiration would be depleted by at least one-third… Literature is like fashion, it also needs a Muse, and you, you are my…”

“I’m begging you, will you just let me go? In what way do I look like your Muse?” Ye Ruoqing was practically about to kneel. Which corner of the 1980s did this artsy man cross over from? She didn’t have enough goosebumps to shed.

“So, do you believe me now?”

“What do you think?”

Ye Ruoqing opened the car door, got in, and covered her ears while the artsy man sold her his ideas all the way. The destructive power of his words was too strong; if the PR manager from the evening had half his skill, she would probably have confessed long ago.

It was also because of the artsy man’s poetic talk throughout the journey that Ye Ruoqing didn’t take the deserted road outside as the obligatory route for murder and body disposal. The car went onto the highway, then off the highway, seemed to circle the mountain twice, and finally stopped in front of a villa.

“We’re here.”

Ye Ruoqing looked up at the towering gate and asked, “How do I get in?”

The artsy man bent down, his hand rustling under the seat, looking for something.

“You can’t get in.”

“Then why did you drive me here?”

“Didn’t you want to come?”

“Are you f***ing playing with me!!!!”

“Wait, I didn’t say I couldn’t get in.”

Ye Ruoqing took a deep breath and decided to wait. The artsy man frowned, rummaging under the seat, then his brow smoothed out as he pulled out a book.

“No way, you’re going to use this to get in?”

Ye Ruoqing took the brick-like book, sneezing several times from the dust on the cover.

The artsy man’s expression became very serious. He reached out, flipped open the cover, and pointed to a line of small text on the first page, telling Ye Ruoqing, “This is my signed poetry collection…”

Ye Ruoqing turned and opened the car door, getting out.

The artsy man was in no hurry. He leaned sideways on the seat, hands pillowing his head, and his feet propped up on the passenger seat, spinning around as Ye Ruoqing observed the area up and down: “Relax, you can’t get in. It’s a club opened by the richest man’s son in B City, how could they just let you in?”

Ye Ruoqing walked over to the side wall, rolled up her sleeves, and prepared to climb the wall.

The artsy man was initially watching from the sidelines, but seeing that his Muse was genuinely preparing to climb the wall, he quickly sat up and leaped out of the car: “You’re actually going to climb?”

“My friend is inside, I have to get in.”

“You’re such a stubborn girl. I’m very easy to talk to, look…”

Ye Ruoqing rolled her eyes at him: “I appreciate your good intentions, but forget about the Muse Goddess thing. Are you intentionally trying to gross me out?”

“Alright, I’ll be a good person all the way through.”

“A good person, continue.”

“After you get in, say that Zhou Qi introduced you. As for the rest, it’s just one word: ‘show off’ (Xuàn).”

“Show off wealth?”

“Only a moron shows off wealth. We need to show off skillfully, down-to-earth. You must show off your license plate, you must show off your sugar daddy, and don’t even let your dog slip by, you must show off. Show off a bit, drink a lot, call a few guys ‘bro,’ and I guarantee you’ll get in easily next time.”

The artsy man couldn’t grasp the true essence, he only gave a multi-faceted interpretation of the word ‘show off.’

“Stop chattering, open the door quickly.”

“Sigh, truly a post-90s kid, no patience at all.”

“You time-traveling jerk, can you be any faster?”

The artsy man led Ye Ruoqing to the gate, pulled a card from somewhere and swiped it, then touched a spot on the iron door. After a voice prompt, the door slowly opened.

“Can I have your phone number? For the next time I create…”

Ye Ruoqing dashed into the gate like lightning. The door quickly shut, leaving the artsy man with a face full of dust.

“Burning the bridge after crossing the river, I see.”

He shook his head, about to swipe the card to enter again, when suddenly, dozens of small bills flew out from inside the gate—green ones, purple ones, and five-dime and one-yuan steel coins clattering all over the ground.

“Thanks! That’s the fare!”

Ye Ruoqing’s voice came from inside the gate. The artsy man found the scene extremely amusing, and inspiration surged like a great river flowing east, unstoppable.

“No problem, girl. Did you write your phone number on the cash?”

The Muse gave him a wooden peach, so the artsy man naturally had to return a beautiful jade. The brick-like poetry collection traced a perfect arc in the air and landed on the villa’s lawn.

Then, the artsy man started picking up the small bills.

Zhao Xin arrived at the night gathering after midnight. This private club was a gathering place for many celebrities in B City, employing a strict membership system with excellent secrecy. Zhao Xin had been there twice with Susan, both times to discuss work, and left after a brief stay. She was not a member of this club; she was using the temporary card Ren Xi had left for her.

Smoke, alcohol, and nightlife held no attraction for her. If it weren’t for Ren Xi, she would rather be lying in her soft bed right now than driving an hour to this place far away from the city center.

She wasn’t naive enough to think that Ren Xi had asked her to come because she genuinely wanted to understand their past and rekindle their relationship. So tonight, she had deliberately gone back to change her clothes: jeans, a small suit jacket, flat shoes, and the simple, light makeup she wore daily.

“Zhao Xin, should I say you’re ignorant or should I say you’re stupid? Do you think you’re going out to buy groceries? Coming to an appointment dressed like this?”

As expected, Ren Xi ridiculed her greatly upon seeing Zhao Xin. Ren Xi had also changed her clothes; the red gown was replaced by a fitted short dress, revealing her fair and slender legs. The high heels on her feet were still fiery and sharp, her makeup was changed to a bright color palette, and her matching jewelry was all dazzling diamonds.

“Sorry, I sprained my ankle earlier. The doctor said I need to rest for two days and not wear high heels these few days.”

“Is that so?” Ren Xi smiled. “I thought you were purely trying to fob me off. It doesn’t matter to me, as I’ve seen you at your ugliest before, but my friends might not be the same. Are you sure you want to ruin your image in the eyes of your fans?”

Ren Xi was obsessed with beauty, ensuring she was flawless from head to toe even when sleeping. Flat shoes and jeans were absolute non-starters in her life. Every day, she would match different clothing and jewelry according to different scenarios. She was a senior member of this club and had her own room with plenty of clothes inside. Seeing Zhao Xin dressed so ordinarily made her feel rather displeased.

“We’re not that different in height. Let’s go to my room and change your clothes. You might not care about face, but I do. I’m supposed to introduce a dazzling big star to my friends, not a housewife.”

Zhao Xin flatly refused: “Ren Xi, you should be clear about my purpose for coming. I have no interest in your circle of friends.”

Ren Xi’s expression soured: “Zhao Xin, is this your sincerity?”

Zhao Xin softened her tone: “Ren Xi, I only want to see you. You should know why I came.”

“Go to the viewing deck first, we’ll talk about the rest later.”

Ren Xi turned around, ignoring the person behind her. Her high heels clattered loudly. Zhao Xin’s foot hurt, and she called out to Ren Xi to slow down, but Ren Xi didn’t look back and walked straight on.

The viewing deck was on the top floor of the villa. There was a semi-open-air bar there, and it was slightly noisy because of the large number of guests today. A group of young men and women in their twenties and thirties were gathered by the terrace playing Truth or Dare. Various empty liquor bottles were scattered on the ground, and a continuous stream of drinks was being delivered from the bar.

As soon as Zhao Xin stepped out of the elevator, she instinctively decided to avoid that area.

“Miss Zhao?” The waiter’s ability to recognize people was excellent. Before Zhao Xin could decide where to sit, he greeted her and led her towards the table of men and women.

“Miss Ren is playing with her friends here today and specifically saved a seat for you.”

“Oh my god, look who it is, it’s Zhao Xin!”

“Holy sh*t, XX, your goddess is here, go welcome her.”

“She’s everyone’s goddess!”

“XXX was just talking about her last night.”

“Quick, move a seat over.”

…

The young people at the table instantly erupted upon seeing Zhao Xin’s arrival. To be precise, everyone on the entire terrace erupted. Many who came here were second-generation wealthy/officials and young celebrities, so they were worldly and not surprised by the appearance of famous people. But Zhao Xin was different; everyone knew it was extremely difficult to manufacture a chance encounter with Zhao Xin.

A man with narrow eyes was the first to walk over. He extended his hand, looking well-mannered: “Miss Zhao, would you honor me by sitting next to me?”

Zhao Xin recognized him as the son of a major real estate developer in B City. She didn’t remember his name but remembered his eagerness. A few months ago, at the launch ceremony for that film, nineteen luxury cars carrying full loads of white roses were ostentatiously delivered to the set as Zhao Xin’s opening gift, causing a sensation in the city.

The people around them started cheering her on. In this situation, Zhao Xin couldn’t very well snub him, so she placed her hand in his, letting him lead her to the table.

The people surrounding them all surged over, playfully shoving the man and joking about her. Zhao Xin subtly withdrew her hand and sat down in the spot in front of her. Ren Xi had already arrived. She was sitting at the table with a glass of wine, her brightly painted fingernails flicking through the cards in her palm. She raised her eyes high in a seemingly lazy manner and glanced at Zhao Xin.

“Truth or Dare, Zhao Xin, do you dare to play?”