Chapter 694: Chapter 694: Everyone has a choice, choosing a shortcut is one of them
Rong Yan suddenly found herself on the receiving end of a stare, her indifference flickering as she glanced back, pretending not to have seen.
She probably understood why Estelle had felt compelled to express such an outburst about a blank piece of paper, likely having heard about Xia Xue’s situation.
All the contestants in this batch of the AQ platform competition had been handpicked by Estelle. Estelle probably hadn’t expected Xia Xue to choose the shortcut so soon.
That’s just the way this circle is, with two paths clearly laid out in front of everyone. The first is a winding road; those who take it must rely on their own strength to advance step by step, with the destination being fame and success. The other is a straight road; you can see the broad and smooth path opposite to you from the start, with success seemingly within reach. But you must wade through a puddle of mud to get there, and the mud clinging to your feet can never be fully washed away. For the rest of your life, those stains will follow you. Even if you do succeed, standing at the pinnacle of this circle, with countless people envying you, admiring you, following you, when night falls and all is quiet, you’ll always see the mud smeared on your feet when you look down.
When she first returned to her country, she too considered taking the second path, but abandoned the thought almost as soon as it occurred to her.
It wasn’t that she looked down on those who chose the second path—everyone has their choices to make! It’s just that she had Little Baby now, and she needed to be responsible for Little Baby.
Therefore, she wasn’t as disconcerted as Estelle about Xia Xue’s choice to take the shortcut.
She took only one glance before shifting her gaze away, continuing her search for Qi Yue.
She had told Qi Yue to find a corner and wait before she arrived; Qi Yue should have received her text by now…
Rong Yan, phone in hand, walked towards a corner. She didn’t notice that from the moment she entered, quite a few investors’ eyes had been drawn to her. Some couldn’t restrain their curiosity and had asked the staff about her identity. On hearing about the background of the Li Group supporting Rong Yan, they all backed off, ditching the fanciful ideas in their minds.
Joking aside, these were all significant figures, but compared to the Li Group, their own resources didn’t dare to compete.
However, this didn’t prevent most of the men from casting their eyes on Rong Yan.
Under the box room’s lighting, Rong Yan’s profile shone with the clarity and fairness of porcelain, exquisitely carved. Adorned in a light blue velvet knee-length Hepburn dress, she revealed only a sliver of her snowy white shoulders, seemingly aloof to the bustling surroundings, exuding an effortless, breathtaking beauty. It wasn’t the gaudy kind of glamour common among female stars in the entertainment circle. Her glamour was in the definiteness of her features, where every stroke seemed like a bold landscape painting done with a free hand, the ink splashed with vigor.
Even the high-ranking investor who was known to favor pure, girl-next-door types could not help but give Rong Yan a few extra appreciative glances.
He had hinted to the people at AQ beforehand, asking them to find an opportunity for Rong Yan to toast to him.
The folks at AQ flatly rejected his request and informed him not-so-subtly that this proud rose was already taken.
He may have felt regret, but he left it at that.
However, a little regret didn’t stop him from appreciating beauty.
Who doesn’t love beautiful things? Since he couldn’t have her, admiring from a distance wasn’t against the rules…
“Mr. Lu~” Xia Xue, who was nestled bonelessly in his embrace, noticed his unabashed admiration for Rong Yan and bit her lip in dissatisfaction, calling out in a soul-stirring voice.