[Gold Powder GL] True Elegance Comes with Knowledge - Chapter 12

Qingqiu took a cup of coffee and a few snacks from the dining table, intending to find a quiet spot to sit. But just as she turned around, she caught sight of Yan Hui and Xiuzhu stepping hand in hand onto the dance floor. She paused. A sudden wave of inexplicable discomfort rose in her chest, causing her to purse her lips slightly.

Even she found the feeling strange, so she quickly averted her gaze and settled in a quiet corner.

The coffee and cake in her hands, which had moments ago seemed so inviting, now lost all appeal.

Qingqiu stirred her coffee absentmindedly, her eyes drawn irresistibly to the dance floor, seeking out the pair who stood out so easily from the crowd.

When Qingqiu had danced with Yan Hui before, she’d thought nothing of it. After all, they were both women—there was no need for decorum. Wrapping an arm around the waist or resting a hand on the shoulder had all seemed perfectly natural. But now, watching Yan Hui’s hands resting on Xiuzhu’s waist and shoulders, an unfamiliar irritation welled up inside her.

It felt improper. Annoying, even.

And yet, she couldn’t quite explain why.

At that moment, Xiuzhu laughed at something Yan Hui had said. Qingqiu couldn’t deny that she was beautiful—raised in a privileged household, adored and pampered since birth, Xiuzhu exuded a bold confidence that made her magnetic. Even her own family treated her with deference, and her popularity extended far beyond their home. She even had Yanxi under her thumb.

It was the kind of radiant boldness that Qingqiu knew she could never emulate.

In the past, faced with someone like Xiuzhu, Qingqiu would have simply felt inadequate. Though she came from the modern era, she had been raised with outdated values and into a family long since fallen into poverty. Envying someone like Bai Xiuzhu, with her elegance born of privilege, was only natural.

But after meeting Yan Hui, Qingqiu had changed.

She was still poor, yes—but she no longer felt ashamed. Yan Hui had made her believe she could shape her own future.

Now, she could walk confidently into the Jin household and face Yanxi without the nervous self-consciousness she once had. That confidence—earned, not given—was worth more than any fortune.

It was because of this that Qingqiu cherished Yan Hui so deeply. Had she never met her, who knew where life might have taken her? Whatever that path was, it would not have brought her the comfort and contentment she felt now.

Because everything she now had was something she had earned with her own hands.

So even when facing Xiuzhu’s provocations, Qingqiu could smile calmly and let them roll off her back.

Or so she thought.

Watching Xiuzhu laughing and dancing with Yan Hui now, Qingqiu realized she wasn’t as composed as she’d believed.

Her brows furrowed. Her eyes fixated on the dance floor. A sudden urge surged within her—to march over, pull Xiuzhu away, and take her place beside Yan Hui.

That should have been me.

Thankfully, the dance ended quickly, and the dancers parted and began to return.

Qingqiu, flustered, turned her head as if she hadn’t noticed.

Yan Hui took the seat beside her and glanced at the untouched coffee in her hands. “You haven’t had a sip. Don’t like the taste?”

“…Hmm.” Qingqiu replied vaguely, still distracted.

She couldn’t understand what was wrong with her. She and Yan Hui were close friends—very close. But of course, Yan Hui would have other friends. Someone like her surely had many. And Qingqiu herself had other friends too. So why did seeing Yan Hui smile and joke with someone else bother her so much?

The feeling—jealousy? —startled even her.

Why am I acting like a sulky child, just because my friend is talking to someone else? she wondered.

Before she could work through it, Yan Hui gently took the cup from her.

The coffee had already cooled. After a sip, Yan Hui frowned slightly—this Western-style brew lacked the richness of what she was used to—but still drank the whole thing. Returning the cup with a smile, she teased, “If you don’t like it, go try something else. No need to sulk.”

Though Qingqiu was still upset, Yan Hui’s casual manner and unbothered sip made her laugh despite herself.

She realized that, really, she was more annoyed at herself than at Yan Hui. She had no right to direct her petty feelings at her friend.

But sometimes emotions didn’t listen to reason. And so, when she opened her mouth, her tone came out laced with a bitterness she couldn’t quite conceal. “I thought I’d try something new, but it turns out these Western treats, no matter how pretty they look, aren’t really to our taste after all.”

“Trying new things isn’t bad.” Yan Hui encouraged. “Western cuisine has its own merits—things you won’t find in our traditional food.”

“Of course.” Qingqiu said dryly. “They say the West is civilized, much more advanced than us. Otherwise, why would we imitate everything they do?”

Her eyes flicked subtly to where Xiuzhu was sitting not far away.

When it came to Western polish and refinement, she couldn’t compare.

The subtext of her words was too vague for Yan Hui to catch. She wanted to explain how complicated such topics really were, but this wasn’t the time or place. So, she smiled and steered the conversation in a new direction. “Do you want to dance again?”

Qingqiu couldn’t stop herself from blurting out, “Miss Bai dances so well—why didn’t you invite her again?”

“Oh my, someone sounds sour,” Yan Hui teased, wrinkling her nose. “Who’s this jealous little thing?”

Caught off guard by the accusation, Qingqiu’s face flushed crimson. “W-What nonsense are you saying?!”

Seeing her so flustered, Yan Hui reached out and slung an arm around her shoulder, drawing closer with a gentle smile. “Don’t worry, I was just helping Master Jin for a bit. You’ll always be my best friend—I’d never let anyone take your place.”

She went on to explain how she’d stepped in to help smooth things over with Yanxi and the two women who’d been involved with him.

Qingqiu had moved on from her former feelings for Yanxi, but hearing about his entanglements still stirred something complex inside her. Still, it helped distract her from the sting of jealousy.
But that sting, faint as it now was, still lingered in her heart.

Since Yanxi’s birthday banquet, Qingqiu found herself content with the quieter days—studying, writing, and practicing calligraphy with Yan Hui. There was a calmness in their routine, and more importantly, no one between them.

She barely had time for social outings anyway. School had resumed, and on top of her coursework, she and Yan Hui were studying three foreign languages. She also had to keep up with her writing. Her days were full.

They thought the drama of the Jin family was behind them—until one day, Qingqiu received an unexpected letter.

Even the delivery was peculiar. Wang Zhaoxia had passed it to Yan Hui, who then handed it to Qingqiu.

The sender was Bai Xiuzhu.

Yan Hui raised an eyebrow, but deep down, wasn’t entirely surprised. She opened the letter and saw that, after some courteous greetings, Xiuzhu had written to ask when Qingqiu intended to follow through on an earlier promise to invite her to her home.

Though Qingqiu had only made that offer out of politeness, now that the other party had called her on it, she had no choice but to extend the invitation—even if she’d rather not.

She found Xiuzhu’s constant fixation on her exhausting—especially the unspoken competition over Yan Hui’s attention—but she still discussed it with her friend.

Yan Hui agreed they should go ahead with it.

She didn’t want Qingqiu getting entangled with the Jin family any more than necessary, but declining would seem like retreating—and that wasn’t acceptable.

“Think of it as making another friend and broadening your world,” Yan Hui said. “But instead of inviting her alone, let’s make it a group gathering. That’ll keep things light.”

So, they decided to invite several of the Jin family’s young ladies, including Wang Zhaoxia. And out of a small measure of strategy, Qingqiu also sent an invitation to Qiu Xizhen—the young woman she’d met before—hoping to shift Xiuzhu’s focus elsewhere.

After all, having a more obvious rival in the room might give Xiuzhu someone else to compete with.