Chapter 1
Chapter 1
——Ether Sound Bar
"How's your decision? Miss Li, how about earning some extra money?"
"500,000, or forget it."
Li Miao walked around the booth and sat down decisively. Her hand holding the wine glass was steady, as was her tone. She ignored the teasing and jokes of the person speaking, and just quietly looked at the wines on the table, silently calculating the bill in her mind.
Just kidding. If it weren't for the fact that he opened these bottles of wine, she wouldn't even bother to refuse him. Her time is precious. Why should she waste her time on this weird toad who doesn't cost her anything?
"Okay, deal."
The man who spoke gritted his teeth and agreed. Looking at Li Miao, who had her eyes downcast, he couldn't figure out what she was thinking. Despite his attentive flattery, giving her gifts, and showing off his family background, this woman pretended not to understand his hints.
500,000 wasn't a lot for him, but he was very unhappy about it. At least until now, he had rarely made a mistake, spending so much money without even getting a chance to touch the object.
Upon hearing this answer, Li Miao glanced at the man in the booth, gently swirling the wine glass in her hand. She was still quite surprised, after all, she hadn't expected to make money from this stingy toad, especially since he had politely declined her offer of 500,000.
Li Miao was very suspicious and wary. She had seen many rich young men who came to this bar. She didn't need to guess what they were thinking; she could tell their schemes and desires just by looking at them.
"Then it's settled. I'll accompany you to this party as your date. Once the party is over, my mission will be complete. I'd appreciate it if you could pay me a deposit of 200,000 yuan first, and we can settle the rest after the party."
Li Miao smiled as she looked at Xu Shao in the booth, intending to explain things to him first. However, she felt it would be pointless to explain. Thinking about all the actions he had taken since she met him, she could only click her tongue in disbelief. It was just too funny.
If he's pursuing her, he doesn't say it outright, but subtly flaunts his wealth, even bringing in a few underlings to vouch for him. If she ignores him, she comes here to set up a table, seemingly to show he's interested. What kind of logic is that?
—A stingy toad using the emperor's bait to catch a peerless mermaid like himself, who is invincible in the universe?
Given her limited life experience, it was best to forget about it. The director and teachers always told her to be well-behaved, polite, and considerate, because only obedient and well-behaved children would find families willing to adopt them. They even used her as an example to discourage her friends from following her example. She didn't understand. As a young child, she grew up taking the food, clothes, and toys that she demanded her friends give her, envying the praise her friends received from adults.
The man sitting to Xu Shao's left saw that Xu Shao hadn't spoken, so he took the initiative to start the conversation.
"Haha, top salesman, you're joking. With your family's wealth and status, how could our young master Xu be short of such a small amount of money? Be on time at the Haoyi Hotel tomorrow night at 7 pm."
"I'll definitely be on time. Respectfully, Mr. Xu."
Looking at the number on the card, Li Miao immediately demonstrated the power of money, smiling as she offered a toast, downing the glass of wine in one gulp. After finishing, her eyes and brows were still filled with a genuine smile. With the terms of the extra income settled, Li Miao greeted everyone and turned away briskly, just as she had come. She still had work to do.
Now that they have the money, they can turn around and think to themselves: What does it matter to her whether they're short of money or not? They're always complaining about this and that, they're all rich, but it's not her money. They're not going to give her a chance if they want to seduce her, but all they do is show her how rich they are. What's the point of not spending money on her? They're all coming up with all sorts of tricks to seduce her.
There are direct types: "How much do you want to sleep with me?", "Bargaining type: I really love you!", "Making empty promises: I'll marry you!", and then there's the stingy toad type: "I'm so rich, come beg me, I'll reward you by making you my girlfriend!" Her principle is simple—show her the pictures, don't give her money, treat her like a beggar, and ignore her.
Here, she can't hide and won't hide, because she earns this money based on her looks. Her main strategy is to take the bait willingly. Now that she's received the deposit, she might as well buy a nice dress. So what if she's just a pretty face? When it comes to doing things for money, Li Miao still has principles.
Besides, one should certainly put 100% effort into what one wants to do, so it's time to add some new people to the job list.
The next day, Li Miao diligently went to the mall to pick out clothes. The luxurious and expensive dress section was on the top floor, with soft light filtering in from the floor-to-ceiling dome, and the fragrance mingling with the subtle scent of the fabrics. The sales assistants were also very dedicated, watching her with smiles. After looking around at the prices, Li Miao decided to choose from this section. She then sat down on the sofa, took out her phone, and looked at the location of the person moving around.
Message Log
[Li Miao] "Beibei, come quickly and help me pick out a dress. It's a big deal to make money, come fast!"
[Li Miao] "You have the best taste. I'll treat you to a big meal after we finish shopping."
Li Miao took a big gulp of her milk tea, and her strategist arrived shortly.
Over here, Li Miao, who was choosing a dress, was waiting for the strategist.
Over there, the employer who extended the invitation was listening to the flattery of his henchman.
"As expected, there's no woman Xu Shao can't win over. But what's the point of spending money to bring her to this kind of party?" The man who spoke clearly knew the art of flattery, and the smug employer began to explain and instruct.
"Does she think I don't know she's playing hard to get and keeping me hanging? I've seen plenty of gold diggers like her, all with their pretentious attitudes and extravagant lifestyles. Plus, with the Xu family's influence in the city, I don't believe she won't take the bait. Who among her acquaintances can compare to the Xu family?"
A mocking smile crept onto the man's lips. Clearly, this tactic had been used before, and its success rate gave him such confidence.
"When the time comes, I'll give her a title at the party, won't she be grateful and accept it? Why would I need to chase after her? She'll be begging me not to dump her."
--shopping mall
"Please, sister, stop trying them on, just take the red one."
Lin Bei patted her legs in frustration. Although she hadn't walked many steps, she was still tired. She had to stand up and sit down repeatedly, and walk a few steps with the people trying on clothes. They asked her to help them choose clothes, but she didn't listen to any of Lin Bei's opinions. However, Lin Bei wasn't there to offer opinions; she was there for the big meal.
"You mean the red one? I'll try it again."
Li Miao turned around and went back inside to change, leaving Lin Bei outside to continue patting her legs in misery.
"Does it matter what you change to? If I had your figure and face, I'd wear a burlap sack and go for a unique and unconventional look."
Lin Bei grumbled at Li Miao as she went into the fitting room, then turned to look at herself in the mirror. Thinking about the sculpting monster that had gone in, she could only think: Nuwa, were you in a hurry to leave work when you sculpted me?
"Are you done yet? When are we having a big meal? You're not kidding me, are you?"
Li Miao put on the red dress again and twirled in front of Lin Bei. She still trusted Lin Bei's aesthetic sense. Lin Bei was an excellent makeup artist and was definitely better at makeup, styling, and clothing than she was, a complete novice. After twirling, she looked serious and waited for Lin Bei's reply.
"Take another look at it carefully. Are you sure the red one looks the best?"
"Actually, they all look good, but red suits your temperament the best."
This was heartfelt, devoid of any joking tone. Lin Bei spoke earnestly, her gaze calm and focused on the person in red before her—bright, vibrant, and flamboyant. That was exactly the impression Li Miao gave off. Although her modeling freak friend always had a sour face, she was quick to change her expression. A beautiful smile from her was truly captivating—
"Hey, hey, don't pull me, don't pull me, I can get up myself."
"???"
What is he gesturing about now? Lin Bei was full of questions.
"By the way, didn't you hate that Xu □□? You're being so serious, it doesn't seem like you. Gou Miao, are you really going to that party with him?"
"Yes, I've already gone and received the money, so I'll take this one."
Li Miao noticed Lin Bei's confusion, but how could she tell her? She was going to make money by fishing to add new people to the job list. It wasn't that she couldn't say it, but Bei Bei didn't want to hear it. As for why, she didn't know, but she could sense it.
Beibei was very good to her, but Beibei didn't like her saying such things, yet she wouldn't say that what she did was wrong. She didn't really understand Beibei's words, actions, thoughts, or intentions. Sometimes, seeing Beibei hesitate and think for a long time before saying a word, Li Miao was really speechless and puzzled.
What were you gesturing about just now?
"Xu is about the same height as you. Let me see how it looks and how high heels I need to wear to make him look more like the nickname I gave him."
"Pfft, couldn't you have worn something shorter? You're here to uphold the image, not to cause trouble."
Look—something's strange. Li Miao doesn't understand what Lin Bei is thinking. Although she doesn't understand Bei Bei, she's willing to explain her thoughts to Bei Bei. Bei Bei's comprehension is incredibly impressive.
"If I'm going to be there to make a good impression, the more beautiful I am, the better. Wearing short clothes is like someone who could have gotten full marks but had to make two mistakes to get 90 points."
"Huh? So you don't care about his self-esteem at all? With that height difference, what about his pride?"
"His face is me, so the greater the gap between us, the more face he has, right?"
Li Miao winked at Lin Bei, carefully observing Lin Bei's expression to confirm whether Bei Bei had understood her explanation.
Lin Bei blinked back, looking blank and seemingly understanding something. Wait, is this how a beautiful woman thinks? It seemed to make sense, yet something felt off.
"For a man like him, money is his pride and face. I'm someone he hired. As for his height and appearance, even if it hurts his pride, why should I change myself for his sake? Should I saw off my legs and wear a sack to match this toad?"
After saying that, Li Miao continued to look at Lin Bei, who still looked stunned. Li Miao felt that it was indeed time to have a big meal. Without the help of delicious food, Bei Bei couldn't say the things she wanted to hear.
…
"Delicious! As expected of you, this is the right place to come. It's photogenic and the food is delicious. Thumbs up!"
"Beautiful lady, you're always right. Go for it! You're the best!"
"You are the goddess in the red dress, the goddess looks wonderful at the camera, let's take another one, wuhu~ perfect."
Watching Lin Bei eat with great enthusiasm and listening to her flattery, Li Miao felt her mood lift as well. She took out the bag she had just bought and handed it to the sycophant in front of her.
"Here, take it."
"Waaaaah, you're so beautiful and kind-hearted! What kind of angelic friend are you?! I want to cling to your leg forever and never let go."
"My fairy friend needs your help. Please do my makeup tomorrow."
Li Miao in front of me had that arrogant look on her face again. She was so conceited. Hearing this arrogant person say that she would help with makeup brought back memories. Thinking of the first time we met, such a beautiful person had such ugly makeup. I spat out my food and burst out laughing.
Seeing Lin Bei's unrestrained laughter, Li Miao knew that she had thought of their first meeting again.
"My makeup skills have improved a lot, but isn't this a money-making scheme? You're a professional, I trust you, hmph."
"Yes, that's right, you've made great progress."
Hold back your laughter. You're beholden to those who feed you, and you're obligated to help them. Lin Bei, you're now both obligated to help and obligated to help. Stop laughing, you damn mouth!
Hahahahahahaha…
"I was wrong, hahaha... Don't worry, leave it to me, I'll make sure you look beautiful. Hahaha..."
"I'm not giving it away! Give it back!"
"No, no, no, I was wrong, you are so kind."
The gift was the same one worn by the female lead in the drama she was currently watching. Lin Bei said she really wanted to buy it, but she was a little reluctant to part with it. She was very polite to give a gift and help, but the gift she gave was very thoughtful and considerate. She could clearly feel her friend's care. However, even if Li Miao didn't give her a gift, she would still be willing to help her. Saying such things would sound hypocritical, but keeping them to herself would be pretentious.
The person who was just laughing so hard that she wanted the gift back started acting all smug and continued eating after she praised her a couple more times. Despite her arrogant demeanor, Li Miao was actually easy and pleasant to be around.
Often, she didn't understand Li Miao, but Li Miao might not understand her either—a tacit understanding that was both amusing and frustrating. Li Miao seemed to always sense the unspoken care and concern she felt, warming the heart of someone as sensitive as her.
Some things don't need to be said aloud; after all, sometimes it's good to be a little oblivious. But one thing is certain: she's very happy to be friends with someone.
The person being speculated about didn't have as many inner monologues. They didn't care about gifts or being polite; they just bought things on a whim after making a small fortune. After all, King Li had said he would help Lin Goubei get rich.
It was an accident that I went to the party to earn extra money, but if I had been prepared, wouldn't I have made a fortune if I had an unexpected windfall? Then I could open my own shop and become my own boss, and then go back to the orphanage in style, and show off to that nagging, scolding director, and tell her to look down on me!
As she pondered her idea, she was delighted with her own thoughts. Li Miao quickly picked up some food from the table. Not bad, it smelled even better.
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