Beauty Snake - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: The Vinegar Jar is Smashed… Now What?

The notification sound from her phone dragged Ji Yunfei back from her state of “melancholy.”

Chang Chang Chang: “Fei-zi~ How’s the exchange going? Send some photos for me to see?”

Chang Chang Chang: [Cat_rolling_over.gif]

“Talk about perfect timing…”

Ji Yunfei happened to need a distraction, so she opened her album, selected a bunch of professional jewelry shots and group photos, and sent them all to Chi Chang.

FFF: “Carefully selected. Enjoy.”

She expected Chi Chang to reply with praise, but to her surprise, the other end went silent for a long time.

FFF: “You still alive?”

FFF: “Hello?”

Just as Ji Yunfei was about to joke about calling the police for her, a message finally popped up.

Chang Chang Chang: “…I really hope I’m seeing things wrong.”

Chang Chang Chang: “But the girl standing next to Qin Xiang… looks like Qingqing…”

Chang Chang Chang: [Sent an image]

FFF: ???

The girl in the photo was wearing a simple denim outfit, her face fair and clean, with her hair tied in a neat bun and stray strands falling over her forehead. Her almond eyes were clear and bright like a spring. The slight upward curve of her lips revealed two shallow dimples.

Ji Yunfei looked at the lifestyle photo Chi Chang sent, then at the group photo she had taken. She quickly locked onto the girl standing next to Qin Xiang with a faint smile.

Unlike the girl in the lifestyle photo, the girl in the group photo was wearing a black suit, her eyes carrying the cold indifference of someone in power. Though she was smiling, it felt chilling.

“Qin Qing… Qin Xiang… Wow…”

“If they really are the same person… isn’t this a total ‘Two-Faced Schemer’ script?”

“Exciting…”

Ji Yunfei’s expression shifted rapidly. After a moment of thought, she typed back.

FFF: “There’s a party tonight. Want me to gather some intel for you?”

Chang Chang Chang: “Fei-zi—you are such a good person—!”

Chang Chang Chang: [Cat_flying_kiss.gif]

Seeing that sappy emoji, Ji Yunfei shivered with goosebumps, then turned off her phone to rest her eyes.

“How do I casually test the waters…”

Night fell, and the lights of the city flickered to life. The gala hall was bustling with people.

Ji Yunfei and Xie Yin, both in formal gowns, stepped into the hall together. Almost immediately, people began to swarm toward them.

“CEO Xie!”

“CEO Xie is truly young and promising!”

Watching the CEOs surround them, Ji Yunfei felt uncomfortable and wanted to leave. Just then, her hand was gently squeezed.

“Don’t force it if you’re not used to it. Go wander around, I’ll find you later.”

Xie Yin’s voice sounded in her ear. Ji Yunfei looked up to see Xie Yin arching an eyebrow and tilting her head slightly, signaling that she could escape the encirclement.

Since Xie Yin said so, there was no better time to run. Socializing should be left to the professionals~ She was just there as a design consultant and Xie Yin’s human accessory!

Convincing herself, Ji Yunfei slipped away without a trace of guilt and headed straight for the buffet dessert area.

“Oho… Tiramisu cupcakes~ Here I come~”

Her eyes lit up. If the occasion hadn’t called for it, she would have started devouring them instead of pretending to be refined with small bites.

“Miss Ji?”

In the middle of her happy snacking, Ji Yunfei heard someone call her name. She turned to see Qin Xiang walking toward her, accompanied by the girl who looked suspiciously like Chi Chang’s “Little Qingqing.”

“Miss Qin, hello!” Ji Yunfei quickly set down her cake and nodded a greeting.

“I’ve looked forward to meeting you for a long time. That design was truly wonderful; Lanlan and I both loved it. I look forward to our next collaboration…” Qin Xiang smiled, her tone full of appreciation.

“Not at all. Satisfying the client is the greatest affirmation for me, haha,” Ji Yunfei scratched her head, feeling a bit bashful.

“Miss Ji, hello. I am Qin Qing. My sister showed me your designs.” The girl beside Qin Xiang stepped forward and reached out her hand. “I’m very interested in your work, so I hope you can design a necklace for me… to give to someone I like.”

Mentioning the person she liked, Qin Qing’s face flushed slightly, and her expression softened, making her look like a pure college student again.

“No problem! Since Miss Qin trusts my ability, I won’t let you down!” Ji Yunfei shook her hand and immediately opened her WeChat QR code. “If you don’t mind, you can add me first and tell me your requirements. We can go through the company process once we’ve finalized the details.”

Beep— [QC requested to add you as a friend]

Ji Yunfei looked at Qin Qing’s profile picture—a cute long-haired calico cat with watery blue eyes that could melt anyone’s heart. It was quite a contrast to the girl’s cold aura.

“Wait… why does this calico look so familiar?”

The more she looked, the more familiar it felt. Two years ago, Chi Chang had picked up a stray calico… but it vanished shortly after. She couldn’t find it no matter how hard she looked and spent quite a bit of time crying over it. Ji Yunfei had only seen it a few times, so she didn’t want to jump to conclusions yet.

“Miss Ji?”

“Ah… yes, I’m listening…” Ji Yunfei realized she had drifted off.

“My sister and I have some socializing to do, so we’ll head over first. We’ll talk on WeChat. Also…” Qin Qing winked at her. “Xie Yin said this design doesn’t need to go through the company. She gave you permission to take it as a private commission.”

Leaving those words behind, Qin Qing pulled Qin Xiang into the crowd, leaving Ji Yunfei to process the news.

“A private commission…”

“So you two already talked to Xie Yin about this??”

Whatever. Being able to prove her skills and make extra money was a win-win.

Ding—Chang Chang Chang: “Fei-zi… how is it going?”

FFF: “Forget that for a second…”

FFF: “Did you pick up a long-haired calico cat two years ago?”

Chang Chang Chang: “You mean Mimi… sigh… I don’t want to talk about sad things. I still remember its deep blue eyes under the streetlamp… it looked at me so piteously…”

FFF: [Sent an image]

FFF: “Look, is this it?”

Chang Chang Chang: …

Chang Chang Chang: “THAT IS MY MIMI!!!”

Chang Chang Chang: “Where did you get that photo!”

FFF: “It’s Qin Qing’s WeChat profile picture…”

FFF: “My friend, you have walked right into a trap.”

Ji Yunfei locked her phone. She could only pray for Chi Chang’s soul.

After dealing with Chi Chang, Ji Yunfei looked around for Xie Yin, but the conspicuous woman was nowhere to be found. Bored, she left the hall to wander the back garden. As she approached a hedge maze, a familiar voice made her stop in her tracks.

“Why did you pull me over here?” The voice was calm, devoid of emotion. “Xie, I have something to tell you…”

Hearing the familiar nickname, Ji Yunfei quickly hid behind a hedge, peeking out with only her eyes. The blonde woman, Rika, had flushed cheeks and eyes full of nervousness and shyness. She clenched her hands in front of her, bowed slightly, and spoke solemnly:

“I like you! Please give me a chance!” She then reached out a hand toward Xie Yin, waiting for a response.

Xie Yin’s back was to Ji Yunfei, so she couldn’t see her expression. Ji Yunfei’s heart skipped a beat at Rika’s gesture, followed by a wave of bitterness.

Right… someone as outstanding as Xie Yin had plenty of people who liked her and tried to flatter her. How could someone like herself be worthy of her affection? That time she said she liked her must have just been feverish nonsense. She was just a “talented employee,” a “little puppy” to be teased while she repaid her debt.

Despite these thoughts, a spark of hope remained, and she kept her eyes glued to Xie Yin.

Xie Yin moved. She stepped forward, took Rika’s hand, and pulled her up. Then she leaned down—it looked like she kissed that hand.

Ji Yunfei’s eyes widened in disbelief. Her breath became shallow and fast. She couldn’t—didn’t want to—see anymore. Covering her mouth, she turned and ran back into the hall.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our dance is about to begin. Please find your partners as soon as possible~” The announcement rang out, and the crowd began to move in search of partners.

“Ji Yun… fei…?”

“Why are your eyes red? Did someone bully you?”

Xie Yin’s consistently clear voice sounded in her ear. Her face was cupped by warm hands, and she saw the concern in Xie Yin’s gaze.

“Nothing… don’t worry about me. CEO Xie should hurry and find a partner. After all, there are so many people waiting for you to choose them…” Ji Yunfei coldly brushed Xie Yin’s hands away.

To her surprise, Xie Yin let out a light laugh. She bowed slightly and reached out her hand to Ji Yunfei. Her ink-black eyes were brimming with a smile that seemed to hold space for no one but Ji Yunfei.

“Well… then can I ask you to dance? Miss Ji?”

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