[Gold Powder GL] True Elegance Comes with Knowledge - Chapter 36

“Congratulations.” Bai Xiuzhu handed the gift box to Yan Hui and Qingqiu, who stood side by side at the doorway. Her expression was somewhat complicated.

The two hosts across from her didn’t seem to notice the subtle shift in her mood. Smiling warmly, they replied, “Thank you. Come inside and have a seat. There are quite a few guests today—we may not be the best hosts, so please forgive us if we fall short.”

Xiuzhu gave a slight nod and took a few steps inside, but then turned back to glance at them.

New guests had arrived, and the pair moved forward to greet them, unaware of her gaze.

Perhaps because today’s celebration was rather special, neither of the two wore dresses. Instead, both were dressed in well-tailored men’s suits—sharp, polished, and full of spirit.

Bai Xiuzhu had always considered herself a cultivated woman. In terms of family background, beauty, intellect, and temperament, she ranked among the very best in all of Beijing. As such, she rarely found others worth her full attention. While she acknowledged the talents of Leng Qingqiu and Yan Hui, she never thought herself any lesser than them.

Yet today, for some unknown reason, seeing them together stirred within her a vague and inexplicable envy.

Today’s banquet was a double celebration for Jin Yan Hui and Leng Qingqiu.

The first joy was that both had successfully been admitted to Peking University and would be starting school soon. In any household, such an achievement warranted a grand celebration.

To be honest, the news came as a surprise to many.

Families like theirs nowadays often preferred sending their children abroad—it seemed more prestigious. But what those students actually learned abroad was something only they themselves knew. These two,

however, had chosen to stay in China, and not just anywhere, but at Peking University, a hub of elite scholarship. It seemed their focus was truly on academic pursuit.

And scholarly pursuits, after all, were not typically favored by the wealthy and prominent. Compared to that, entering the political arena seemed the more appropriate, promising path.

Yet Xiuzhu envied them.

The second joy was, naturally, their new home.

Yan Hui’s previous residence in Beijing had been purchased by her older brother to facilitate her studies. But now that university was approaching, its location near the high school was inconvenient. As for Qingqiu, her place in Luohua Alley was rented, far from campus—also impractical.

So, they decided to move in together.

Their joint business venture had recently gained momentum, and Qingqiu’s writing continued to bring in steady income. Buying a home was a bit of a stretch financially, but pooling their resources made it just manageable.

Both harbored a quiet desire to live together. While it would mean staying under Madam Leng’s watchful eye, with inevitable inconveniences, it also made the place feel more like a true home.

Madam Leng, for her part, was more than supportive. She felt that with Yan Hui alone in the capital and no family around, it would be good for her to stay nearby so she, as an elder, could look after her. Deep down, she also knew the Leng family’s recent good fortune owed much to Yan Hui. There was no way to repay such kindness except in these subtle ways.

And so, after receiving their university admission letters, they secured this Western-style townhouse.

In truth, Madam Leng would have preferred a traditional courtyard home. But Yan hui had her reasons: the three-story house meant the servants would live on the first floor, Madam Leng on the second, and she and Qingqiu on the third. With their own space, it reduced the risk of being unexpectedly interrupted.

Yan Hui stood firm on the decision. Her stated reason—that the townhouse would be more suitable for hosting classmates and gatherings—easily convinced Madam Leng.

After renovations and moving in, today marked their official housewarming.

To celebrate the double happiness, they invited their friends and family.

Neither Yan Hui nor Qingqiu had many relatives in Beijing, but they invited everyone they could. Naturally, Xiuzhu was among them.

She stood there watching for a while, until the two women welcomed the new guests and began heading her way. Then she quickly turned and slipped into the house, avoiding their gaze.

The living room was already bustling. Some guests were passing around the university admission letters, others were discussing the house itself. It was lively and full of cheer.

Under normal circumstances, this would have been Xiuzhu’s element—she thrived in such social settings and could effortlessly join any conversation. But today, driven by an emotion even she couldn’t quite identify, she didn’t step forward. Instead, she quietly took a cup of coffee and stood in a corner, listening to the noise and chatter around her.

Soon, all the guests had arrived, and the two hosts returned from the entrance, surrounded by a crowd of well-wishers.

It was a position Xiuzhu was well accustomed to—but today, it somehow felt unfamiliar.

Perhaps because she was surrounded by such familiarity, she could now clearly see the difference between herself and those two. Outwardly, they all seemed equally adept at navigating social circles, each capable of commanding attention. But Yan Hui and Qingqiu relied on their own efforts—while Xiuzhu…

Until today, Xiuzhu had been proud of her standing, believing it the result of her own excellence. But now, she realized—she was missing something essential.

She had wealth, family, and beauty. But these were not truly hers. None of it had come from her own work.

Maybe it’s time I did something, Xiuzhu thought.

She wasn’t going to apply to university just because they had. That was their path, not hers. But still… she had to do something—make a choice of her own. Only then could her life feel less hollow.

That’s how it is for everyone.

In such a lively setting, a single person’s silence often goes unnoticed. The tiny shift in Xiuzhu’s mindset passed quietly for now, known to no one. Perhaps it would take years before anyone looked back and realized that the coming storm had been set in motion by a single butterfly beating its wings.

As the party came to a close, Yan Hui and Qingqiu were still by the door, seeing guests off.

Perhaps because she had been observing them all night, Xiuzhu felt a strange sensation at that moment—as if the two of them had already stepped into a world she couldn’t quite enter, their bond self-contained, marked by an unspoken intimacy and understanding.

Xiuzhu had dated both men and women, but none of her relationships had ever reached that level of closeness. Even with her best female friends, there was always some element of rivalry, jealousy—always a need to compete. Nothing ever felt quite so pure.

Which was fine, of course. It was just that…

She couldn’t help but feel envious.

But Leng Qingqiu had her life, and Bai Xiuzhu had hers. She had never intended to be like anyone else.