Chapter 4: Sinister Intentions

Sigh—

Chu Luoxi bit down on her straw and sighed again, gazing upward at a forty-five-degree angle, her expression half radiant and half sorrowful. Truly, this was the price of youth one had to pay! Even if not systematic, the occasional experiences recounted by the teachers were well worth heeding.

After all, as teachers, they had guided countless students. As theoretical leaders in their field, their connections were naturally broad, and their advice was distilled from much accumulation and reflection. As long as one allocated time wisely and grounded their actions in reality, it would always be better than stumbling blindly on one’s own.

In their profession, health was their capital. Most of the time, it was genuinely a youth-dependent career. If one’s body was ruined, repairing it would be dozens of times harder, and even then, it could never be restored to its former state.

In her previous life, she had dismissed these warnings. But when she finally wanted to cherish herself, it was already too late. Now, given the chance to start anew, she was determined to take good care of herself.

After arriving at their destination by bus, Chu Luoxi looked up, glanced at the building Zhu Xueshuang had mentioned, and, after a moment of stunned silence, asked in an even, unhurried tone, “Is this the bridal photography studio you mentioned?”

Before them stood what was called a photography “building,” but in truth, it was merely two storefronts, and the entire space didn’t exceed a hundred square meters—a “small” shop at best. Although it looked newly opened, it was, frankly, too low-class!

Clearly, Zhu Xueshuang hadn’t expected this either. After sharing in the surprise, she seemed at a loss for how to answer Chu Luoxi’s question, hesitating as she replied without much conviction, “Heh, I suppose it must be.”

Compared to the two’s silent confusion, Liu Yujia was much more direct, widening her eyes in astonishment. “You’re kidding, right, Xiaoxue? Are you sure you weren’t tricked? Isn’t this supposed to be the wealthy young master? Is this really the place his friend owns?” As she spoke, she gestured exaggeratedly at the storefront, at a loss for words to describe her feelings.

Hearing this, Zhu Xueshuang looked awkward, while Chu Luoxi felt a chill of foreboding. Some half-buried memories suddenly cleared, as if clouds had parted.

A wealthy young master? Could it be that same second-generation rich boy who utterly ruined Zhu Xueshuang?

In her previous life, she and Zhu Xueshuang had never been particularly close. What happened later she only heard in bits and pieces from others, enough to sense that something terrible had occurred. Now, hearing this, things began to fall into place. Could something irreversible have happened on this visit to the photography studio?

Thinking back, after that National Day holiday in her previous life, Zhu Xueshuang had indeed become much more withdrawn, even showing signs of a complete change in personality. But Chu Luoxi hadn't paid attention then.

With these thoughts, Chu Luoxi became genuinely alert, finding the little shop before her even more suspicious.

“Whatever the case, since we’re here, let’s at least go inside and take a look,” Zhu Xueshuang said, knitting her brows, a little deflated. With such a plainly low-end shop, what meaning could there be in modeling for them? Besides, it was supposed to be a favor—there was no way to negotiate any payment.

As the three of them grumbled, they had clearly drawn the attention of those inside. Whether intentionally or not, a young man in casual clothes, who seemed rather self-assured, came out. When he saw Zhu Xueshuang, his eyes lit up. “Shuangshuang, you’re here! I thought you’d forgotten…”

Shuangshuang? Chu Luoxi felt a chill run through her, goosebumps rising. Perhaps it was her instinctive wariness, but this man, despite his polished facade, seemed thoroughly sleazy. Especially that gold watch on his wrist, constantly reflecting glaring light, not to mention the flash of gold at his neck—he looked every bit the vulgar upstart.

Liu Yujia’s reaction was even more direct. At first, she’d looked at this so-called “wealthy young master” with some interest, but the moment he spoke, she stuck out her tongue, barely suppressing a gag. Good grief, why bother with fake sophistication? The moment he opened his mouth, his true nature was laid bare—absolutely revolting.

Clearly, neither Chu Luoxi nor Liu Yujia had a good first impression. Both glanced at Zhu Xueshuang, puzzled as to how she could know, let alone trust, such a person.

Zhu Xueshuang herself was baffled—why was he like this? The last time they met, he’d seemed quite impressive!

The poor man had no idea that, with just a few words, he’d been seen through and scorned by all three. Still basking in self-satisfaction, he smiled as if he were the epitome of elegance. “Ladies, why don’t you come inside and sit…” His eyes flashed with a calculating gleam as he looked over Chu Luoxi and Liu Yujia. He hadn’t expected Shuangshuang to bring along two such distinctive beauties. Truly, the Acting Department of the Imperial Film Academy was full of gorgeous women!

Having survived the entertainment industry in her previous life, Chu Luoxi’s body had long since learned to recognize all kinds of gazes. This man’s naked scheming, though he thought it well-concealed, was obvious to her. She pursed her lips, her eyes turning cold. It seemed she might have to play the villain here. Without betraying her intent, she pulled the hesitant Zhu Xueshuang aside. “Xiaoxue, what’s going on? I don’t think we should go in. We only came to take a look, and this place is so shoddy. What kind of modeling would they need? It’s obviously a scam.”

Already wavering, Zhu Xueshuang instantly nodded at this, opening her mouth to agree.

Chu Luoxi’s open disparagement made the self-proclaimed young master’s face darken immediately. Seeing Zhu Xueshuang’s reaction, he sensed things were going wrong and cut in sharply, his tone far less friendly. “What are you saying? Shoddy place? Don’t you see this whole row of stores is newly built? Shuangshuang, I told you, several of these units have been taken by my friends, and there’s a second floor too. Don’t be fooled by how small it is now—it’ll soon be a large-scale, proper bridal photography studio.”

“That’s why I told you to come early. Now is the startup phase, and with my recommendation, you’ll have the modeling job locked in. Once things take off, competition will be fierce.”

Watching this blustering display, Chu Luoxi’s eyes grew even more disdainful. Such grand plans sounded nice, but did he really take everyone for fools?

His story was full of contradictions. If the whole row was newly built, why didn’t he just take over more units now, instead of waiting for future transfers? Did he think people renovated shops just to show off? Even if that was the case, and it would eventually drive up transfer prices, did he think the owner of this photography studio was an idiot with more money than sense?

Such tactics might fool naïve girls looking for a break. But even the earlier, more innocent version of herself wouldn't have fallen for it. “So, you’re saying that graduates from our Imperial Film Academy’s Acting Department are so mediocre, they’ll be certain to lose out to others?” Chu Luoxi said, with a touch of emphasis, mostly for Zhu Xueshuang’s benefit.

Look at how clever Zhu Xueshuang usually is—why would she fall for someone like this? Was there more to this story? The more Chu Luoxi thought about it, the less sense it made.