[Gold Powder GL] True Elegance Comes with Knowledge - Chapter 2

For Leng Qingqiu, accepting that she had somehow traveled to the era of the Republic of China was already difficult enough. But what truly shocked her was discovering that this wasn’t just the Republic of China—it was the world of a novel.

“The Golden Age.”

Although she had once been infatuated with Chen Kun to the point of obsession, able to hum lines from When the Petals Leave the Flower by heart, Yan Hui now realized that her affection might have been entirely superficial. If a fictional man was to stand in front of her in real life, she’d likely keep her distance.

Besides, Jin Yanxi didn’t have Brother Kun’s face.

But reality can be cruel. After a few indirect confirmations, Yan Hui was sure: this Jin Yanxi wasn’t a coincidence, nor just someone with the same name. He was the Jin Yanxi.

And if this Jin Yanxi didn’t have the face from the TV adaptation… did that mean she had entered the original novel instead of the drama version?

Was there anything worse than waking up inside a novel?

Yes. There was.

For example, falling into a story world but having forgotten most of the plot. Sure, the drama adaptation was etched into her childhood memories, but the novel? She had skimmed it back in high school—years ago—and could now barely recall the details.

She only remembered the beginning vividly. After all, she had cursed Jin Yanxi’s scumbag behavior countless times.

And now, speaking of the beginning…

Yan Hui finally realized where she was.

The Wang family estate. A family banquet. The introduction of the in-law’s son, Jin Yanxi. Wasn’t this precisely the moment when Jin Yanxi and Leng Qingqiu first fell in love?

She remembered this part well. At the banquet, the two slipped into a small garden, chatted quietly for a long while, and agreed to go hiking the next day. During that outing, Jin Yanxi proposed with a ring, and Qingqiu accepted.

But even back when Yan Hui was just a teenager, she had thought the proposal too rushed, too impulsive. And considering how unfaithful Jin Yanxi was in the book, there was no way that marriage could have ended well. In hindsight, their union was doomed from the start.

At the time, Yan Hui had resented Leng Qingqiu for being so naïve. If only she’d read more romance novels, she had thought angrily. If I met Leng Qingqiu, I’d send her straight to school!

Even after all these years, Yan Hui still firmly believed that many women’s tragedies stemmed from a lack of education, limited exposure to the world, and being trapped in societal expectations that taught them their only proper path in life was to obey men and raise children.

She never imagined that her once half-joking youthful fantasy would become reality.

As Jin Yanxi prepared to leave the hall, Yan Hui snapped out of her daze and quickly stood up.

Her movement was loud enough to draw attention. Several people turned to look, and Yan Hui, slightly embarrassed, leaned toward Wang Zhaoxia and whispered that she was feeling unwell.

Zhaoxia understood and called a maid to escort her downstairs, while she herself stayed behind to continue entertaining the guests.

The timing was perfect. As soon as Yan Hui descended the stairs, she spotted Jin Yanxi. A woman stood with her back to Yan Hui, facing Yanxi. She wore an elegant white robe with white socks and shoes, a string of pearls around her neck. Just from her silhouette, one could tell she was stunning.

It had to be Leng Qingqiu.

Yan Hui’s curiosity was piqued. This was the Master Piaoyin—so beautiful that even a playboy like Jin Yanxi had fallen at first sight (or perhaps been seduced by her looks). How could she not want to see such a legendary beauty with her own eyes?

So, she strode over quickly, pretending to be in a hurry, and “accidentally” bumped into Leng Qingqiu’s shoulder.

Qingqiu had been talking to Jin Yanxi. He had just asked a waiter to fetch her, saying there was a call from home. By this time, Qingqiu had already made up her mind about Jin Yanxi—they had even exchanged letters. So, during this meeting, her mind was understandably preoccupied.

Caught off guard by the bump, she stumbled forward and nearly fell into Yanxi’s arms.

Startled, Yanxi instinctively reached out to catch her. But just before he could, another hand gently steadied her from behind.

“I’m so sorry!” Yan Hui quickly helped her stand and apologized, “It was my fault. I was walking too fast. Are you alright?”

As she spoke, she finally looked at Qingqiu’s face.

The evening was clear, and the lights outside the theater illuminated Qingqiu’s features with a soft, radiant glow.

Yan Hui was stunned.

She had long forgotten the novel’s description of Leng Qingqiu’s appearance, but it reminded her of Zhang Ailing’s commentary on A Dream of Red Mansions. In that book, Lin Daiyu’s features were never described in detail, yet her beauty came alive in readers’ minds. Sometimes, what isn’t said is more powerful than what is.

The Story of a Noble Family clearly took a page from the same book.

Now seeing her in person, Yan Hui could confirm: Leng Qingqiu’s beauty was like Lin Daiyu’s—subtle, elegant, serene. She was the embodiment of classic Eastern grace, so gentle and refined that one would forget all worldly worries in her presence.

No wonder Jin Yanxi wanted to marry her so quickly. Partly because traditional women of that era were expected to keep their distance until marriage—and partly because a woman like Qingqiu was someone anyone would want to treasure.

The novel even mentioned that Jin Yanxi had once been very close with his ex-girlfriend Bai Xiuzhu—”intimate in every way,” with marriage all but settled. But because he couldn’t cherish what he already had, he grew tired of Bai and moved on to someone new.

Qingqiu, noticing Yan Hui staring, felt slightly uncomfortable. Even though the other was also a girl, she blushed and turned her face slightly. “I’m fine,” she said softly.

Under the light, her cheeks were tinged with a natural blush, making her look even more delicate and lovely. Though this was their first meeting, Yan Hui had already made up her mind: she was going to break up this doomed couple. They didn’t end up happily anyway—why not spare each other the pain early?

Smiling, she said, “My name is Jin Yanhui. May I ask your name? I don’t know why, but you seem so familiar to me, as if we’ve met before.”

“My name is Leng Qingqiu,” she replied, before hesitating slightly. “But I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. If I’d seen someone like you before, I wouldn’t have forgotten.”

“Well, now that we know each other’s names, we can be considered friends, can’t we?” Yan Hui said with a playful smile.

Qingqiu couldn’t help but smile back.

Jin Yanxi, observing the exchange, was both amused and slightly annoyed. He had worked hard to secure a private meeting with Qingqiu today, only for this unexpected guest to appear. But since Yan Hui was charming, he decided not to be petty.

“My name is Jin Yanxi,” he said, stepping forward. Then he chuckled. “Miss Jin, your name sounds almost like it belongs to our Jin family. My generation is named after birds, and yours is too—‘Yan’ meaning wild goose. What a coincidence.”

“I wouldn’t dare claim relation to the esteemed Prime Minister’s family,” Yan Hui replied lightly. “Master Qi has quite the sense of humor.”

“You know my nickname?” Yanxi looked surprised. Only close acquaintances knew he was called “Seventh Master.” It wasn’t a common nickname.

Yan Hui shrugged. “Seventh Master, you forgot this is your relative’s home. I’m a classmate of Miss Wang Zhaoxia and came by her invitation. Upstairs, I overheard people talking about you—saying you’re the most eligible bachelor in all the social circles.”

“Don’t say that,” Yanxi said quickly, glancing at Qingqiu. “Those were just wild days of my youth. Nothing to be proud of.”

Yan Hui smiled but didn’t comment. Instead, she said, “Speaking of which, I believe I heard someone mention a Miss Bai was looking for you. She seemed to head upstairs just now. I wonder if it was something urgent?”

This made Yanxi visibly uneasy. While Qingqiu’s circle didn’t overlap with Bai Xiuzhu’s, this new acquaintance might know something—and might reveal it unintentionally. Though modern society encouraged openness in love, Qingqiu was a traditional girl. If she learned about Xiuzhu, there could be trouble.

He glanced at Qingqiu, unsure what to do.

Noticing his hesitation, Qingqiu spoke up, “If you have urgent business, you should go.”

She was clever. Even though Yan Hui hadn’t said much, Yanxi’s reaction told her enough. Clearly, this Miss Bai was no ordinary friend.

For someone like Jin Yanxi, having past relationships wasn’t surprising. But his affectionate attitude toward her, paired with this new information, left Qingqiu unsure of how to respond.

So perhaps it was best to part ways—for now.