""Ah, spare me, I didn’t do it on purpose, he only messaged me last night, I swear I’ve had absolutely no contact with him these years...." Shen Luokui hurriedly begged for mercy.
"Truer than a pearl."
"What did Mai Zheng tell you? A friend in need is a friend indeed, hurry up and share with us." A crowd of sisters jostled to speak first.
"He wants me to livestream and go to the scene tomorrow, he even saved a spot for me." Shen Luokui said.
"Oh my God, isn’t this just like a scene out of an idol drama? Xiao Kui, you’re so lucky, Mai Zheng must like you."
Shen Luokui’s cheeks reddened: "You’re overthinking it, Yun Ya and Yun Miao will also be there, I’m not the most special one."
"Is that the First Lady of Media Reports?" Gao Shanshan asked.
Gao Shanshan suddenly looked her up and down, clicking her tongue and shaking her head: "Look at you, no breasts, no butt, truly flat as a board. With her being the First Lady, she must have exceptional looks, figure, and grace. You’ll be turned to dust in seconds. Don’t say I didn’t warn you."
Shen Luokui pursed her lips: "Yun Ya has always been outstanding since childhood, so I’ve mentally prepared myself. A green leaf has its own beauty."
Gao Shanshan tapped her on the head: "You really have a big heart." Saying this, she hooked her arm around Shen Luokui’s shoulder and walked away in the opposite direction of the cafeteria.
"Where are you taking me?" Shen Luokui asked.
"Let’s ask Coach Shen for a half-day off this afternoon, I’ll take you for a beauty SPA, a good pampering, and then buy some beautiful clothes. Otherwise, with such a big event tomorrow and so many media watching, do you really want to show up looking all gray and dusty? You’d lose face for our women’s gymnastics team. You’re still a flower in our gymnastics world; you need to show up looking beautiful. Although you can’t outshine that so-called First Lady, you have to be the most beautiful green leaf, right?"
Shen Luokui nodded earnestly: "You’re right."
On the eve of the finals, Kang Jinxian stayed at Lin Li’s place until very late before returning home, making sure to present her best self at tomorrow’s finals.
On the taxi ride home, she felt like something was missing.
Finally, she remembered that she had been busy recently and hadn’t contacted He An, and he, surprisingly, hadn’t reached out to her either.
This He An, all sweet talk usually, just goes to show it’s all an act; he’s definitely in some woman’s bed right now.
Though it didn’t really concern her, she was still a bit annoyed.
All men are no good, Yun Shen is fickle and heartless, He An is a promiscuous wanderer. Why is her fate so bitter, never encountering a man who cares about her a little more?
Men are unreliable; one can only depend on oneself. When she reaches the top, she’ll make sure all these people regret their actions from the bottom of their hearts.
Midway, she received a call from Gu Cheng.
"Kang Le, the investors of the show want to meet you. This is related to your ranking in tomorrow’s competition, whether you come or not is up to you."
This message was loaded with implications, and Kang Jinxian understood it instantly.
The unspoken rules of the entertainment industry are well known: it boils down to sleeping with someone. If she made the leader happy, she could get a good ranking tomorrow. If she refused, she might be eliminated in the first round.
This is how the world works, and Kang Jinxian was not angry but accepted it very calmly.
"Send me the address."
Gu Cheng seemed quite pleased with her understanding and said with a laugh: "I’ll text you the details. Kang Le, you’re a smart girl. The opportunity is in your hands, make the most of it."
Looking at the text message on her phone, Kang Jinxian gripped it tightly and told the driver: "Go to the State Guest Hotel."
In the hotel’s private room, when she walked in, there were four or five men in suits, looking dignified. But in reality, they were all sensualists with a unified company of plastic-surgery-enhanced women next to them, with provocative makeup and revealing clothes.
Kang Jinxian frowned subtly without a word, as the man in the chief seat raised an eyebrow at her.
This man appeared to be in his thirties, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, with a gentle and refined demeanor that seemed out of place in this lavish atmosphere.
It seemed this was the investor’s leader. She had expected a fat old man, but he was surprisingly dignified, which made Kang Jinxian a bit relieved; the repulsion was not as strong.
She smiled gently, not bothering to introduce herself, as it wouldn’t be seemly with so many people around.
The man beckoned her: "Come sit here." He had an empty seat reserved beside him.
Kang Jinxian walked calmly over, sitting down amidst the jealous looks from the women and the lustful eyes of the men.
Throughout the meeting, the man’s demeanor was extremely cordial, causing Kang Jinxian’s guard to gradually relax. Later, when his hand landed on her waist, she felt little resistance and, instead, leaned into his embrace submissively.