The show manager scurried back, her face etched with a trepidation not seen just moments before. She held out a cosmetics gift bag with both hands, containing a full set of the season's new arrivals.
"I am truly sorry, Mrs. Gu. I was unaware of the situation; please accept this as a small token of my apology."
Lin Qian weighed the bag in her hand; it felt heavy enough to rival half of Sisi's weight. In the world of fashion show conflict mediation, where the standard practice was to penalize both sides equally, this was highly unusual. Especially since Lin Qian had specifically pointed out the issue with the eyebrow pencil earlier, and the manager hadn't even bothered to pay it any mind.
It was clear that her attitude was meant to smooth things over. Moreover, while the show manager claimed to be with the brand, she was likely just a scapegoat plucked from the staff. Offering a gift of this value might mean half of it would be deducted from her own salary.
Lin Qian glanced back at the sixth row, but Kevin was nowhere to be seen. If the conflict had escalated to this point, it was surely Lu Yuanzheng’s doing. To put it kindly, he was fiercely protective of his own; to put it bluntly, he was petty and vengeful. Lin Qian had already planned to release news upon her return to establish a persona of workplace reform, but now, with Kevin’s fate so dire, it made her look like she was simply bullying others with her influence.
Lin Qian handed the gift back. "Don’t worry. My agency team is very reasonable. We won’t bring this matter up with your brand."
"No, no! It was my own ignorance. Please, you must accept it, or I won’t even be able to keep my job."
How had it gotten so serious? Lin Qian couldn't stand seeing such a pathetic display, so she reached out and took the bag.
"There is one more thing I must trouble you with. We just received a notification that Mr. Gu is unable to attend today due to unforeseen circumstances. Would it be convenient for you to..."
Su Yurou, sitting in the row ahead, turned around at the perfect moment. "I received a message from Mr. Gu. He has authorized me to attend in his stead on behalf of Deep Space Matrix."
Gu Chenxi’s seat was in the front row, the most coveted spot in the house, flanked by top international supermodels and trending celebrities. The resources accessible from that position were naturally far better than what Su Yurou currently possessed.
"Please show me the way. The show is about to start, and we need to be quick."
"I am sorry, Miss Su, but that seat... you cannot sit there for the time being."
"Of course I know that." Su Yurou tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her expression unwavering. "But this is Mr. Gu's wish. Or are you saying you have an issue with the internal arrangements of Deep Space Matrix?"
Seeing Su Yurou’s certainty, the show manager began to lose confidence. "Pardon me for asking, but was this a message you just received, Miss Su?"
"Just three minutes ago." Su Yurou stood up. "Please move aside; I am heading to the front row."
"Wait just a moment... I suddenly remembered I have other matters to attend to." The show manager turned and trotted away.
"You’re guaranteed a chance to take a photo with the designer, Virginie Viard, from that seat," a minor celebrity nearby said with a sour tone. "Your boss is really good to you."
They had been friends since college; how could Lin Qian not understand her? The distance between the rows was minimal, and she reached out to tap Su Yurou on the shoulder, but the other woman clearly had no intention of acknowledging her.
"Yurou, shouldn't we wait for the manager to come back first?" Lin Qian called out.
Continuing to pretend they were strangers was no longer an option. Su Yurou squeezed out an exaggerated smile. "Qianqian? Where were you sitting? The venue is so large, I didn't even see you."
Lin Qian felt a bit helpless. "I was just diagonally behind you. If I recall correctly, we even made eye contact."
"Impossible. I’ve heard that a woman’s eyesight declines after giving birth. You must have misseen."
"Perhaps... I just heard the manager say that Chenxi couldn't make it due to some business."
"Didn't he message you himself?" Su Yurou wore an expression of exaggerated surprise. "He sent me a message specifically to tell me, and he even asked me to watch the show in his place."
"Are you sure?" Lin Qian stared into her eyes.
"Of course." Su Yurou immediately looked away. "The show is about to start. Shall we chat after it ends?"
"Let's do it now. Check your phone."
"I’ve already given my bag to my assistant; my phone is inside."
"Why don't you have her bring it to you? It’s only a few steps away."
"Can't we talk about this after it's over?"
"No."
"And if I refuse?"
Su Yurou lifted her chin and turned to leave. Her sharp heels clicked against the creaking wooden floor as she headed toward the center of the spotlighted vanity fair, stepping with such force it seemed she intended to punch a hole right through the ground. Unfortunately, before she could even reach the exit to the second row, she was blocked by the hurriedly returning manager.
***
"Is this your doing?"
Back in her seat, Su Yurou took out her phone and sent these four words.
Lin Qian remembered her final calculus exam in college. She wasn't good at math, so she had prepared a cheat sheet in advance. To her misfortune, she ran into the strictest, foulest-tempered proctor. Su Yurou, sitting in the row behind her, not only helped her cheat but, after they were caught by the teacher, ran to him and claimed the cheat sheet was her own, and that she had planted it to frame Lin Qian. Because of how righteously she had presented her case, the college issued the highest level of punishment—probation. Lin Qian couldn't bear it and, behind Su Yurou's back, went to the counselor and told the truth.
That night, after the lights went out in the dorm, the screen of the phone by Lin Qian’s pillow lit up. It bore those same four words:
"Is this your doing?"
Lin Qian stared blankly at the backs of the people in the front row and on both sides, who were laughing and mingling once again.
"Mrs. Gu?" The show manager’s respectful grin was stretched nearly to her ears. "I’ve just confirmed it; your new seat is in the very center of the first row. Could I trouble you to move?"
"Understood. Thank you."
Lin Qian stood up and placed the gift bag next to Yang Yan. "Consider it a usage fee."
The grand show began in earnest—the same types of models, the same houndstooth patterns, the same runway walks; the only difference was the exorbitant price tag. Lin Qian felt sleepy, her mind wandering to whether it was time for Sisi to have her afternoon nap.
"I’m certainly having a lucky day today."
A low voice, a familiar face. Lin Qian quickly recalled the contents of the file she had studied. Single eyelids, curly hair, bronze skin, a pair of fangs, and, beneath the open collar of his linen shirt, the faint outline of muscles. He held his jacket casually in his hand, and he carried a scent of wormwood mixed with mint, with a faint undertone of chocolate if one sniffed closely.
"President Pei from Guangqi Live?"
Having successfully retrieved the memory, Lin Qian extended a hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
Guangqi Live was Deep Space Matrix's biggest competitor in the domestic market, yet the personalities of the two company presidents were diametrically opposed. Gu Chenxi was cold, low-key, ruthless in his methods, and bound by strict rules. Pei Yanzhou, on the other hand, was the complete antithesis of Gu Chenxi; his photo spent six days a week on the entertainment news pages. And whenever he made the news, his female companions were never the same, and even his intimate gestures with them varied each time.
"It took you so long to remember; it seems I really do have a face that looks like everyone else's," Pei Yanzhou sighed.
Is he seriously trying to humble-brag here? Guangqi had caused no shortage of trouble for Deep Space Matrix in business over the past two years. Lin Qian didn't want to play along, so she nodded with extreme seriousness. "Indeed, it is a bit excessively ordinary."
"I know. You really do think I’m ugly."
Pei Yanzhou rested his chin on his hand, staring intently at Lin Qian, his blinking eyes suggesting a hint of sadness. Realizing she might have gone too far, Lin Qian tried to backtrack. "But looking closer, you are quite likable in person."
"Then do you like me?"