Chapter 3 What could the young lady possibly have done wrong?
Meanwhile, in another corner of the city, at the shooting location of a little-known fashion magazine.
Zhang Ying, wearing a dress provided by the brand, took advantage of the moment when the photographer was adjusting the lights to casually move closer to the best-lit center position.
If you can occupy a slightly larger central position, the final image will be more eye-catching.
However, just as she stood still and before she could even feel smug, a staff member came over to remind her, "Ms. Zhang, could you please move aside? This seat is reserved for Teacher Lily."
Zhang Ying's smile froze. Following the direction indicated by the staff, she saw a third-tier female celebrity, slightly more famous than her, being escorted by a group of people as she walked over.
"Okay, sorry." Zhang Ying gritted her teeth and reluctantly took two steps to the side.
Having finally finished work, Zhang Ying was about to leave when someone casually asked:
"Hey Zhang Ying, I heard you're going to be participating in the variety show 'Best Partners' with that eldest daughter of the Gu family? Is that true?"
A sense of pride and satisfaction welled up inside Zhang Ying: "Yes, Mingyan invited me to go with her."
As soon as she said that, the young celebrities who had just ignored her immediately surrounded her, their tone becoming incredibly warm.
"Wow! You're amazing! You actually managed to get in touch with Miss Gu!"
"The movie 'Aces Go Places' is very popular right now, and I've heard that many celebrities want to be in it."
"Yingying, don't forget us when you become famous!"
Hearing the cacophony of compliments around her, Zhang Ying simply smiled and remained silent.
Gu Mingyan is a stupid, rich, and brainless fool. She only managed to win over this young lady by having a few paparazzi she knew provide her with information about Ye Jinyan's whereabouts a few times, and then casually gave her the opportunity to appear on a variety show together.
As long as she can gain popularity through this variety show, Zhang Ying will never have to worry about resources again.
Thinking of this, Zhang Ying subconsciously glanced at her phone again, feeling a little uneasy.
Why hasn't Gu Mingyan replied to her yet?
There shouldn't be any unexpected changes, right?
Zhang Ying took a deep breath and comforted herself: Gu Mingyan, that kind of spoiled and arrogant young lady, has no friends at all. Apart from someone like her who has ulterior motives, who would be willing to accompany her on variety shows and cause trouble!
Among the followers, Zhang Ying was undoubtedly the most adept at flattery and the most competitive.
Thinking about it this way, she felt a little more at ease.
But to ensure everything went smoothly, Zhang Ying quickly sent a few more messages to urge them on.
After waiting anxiously for a few minutes, my phone finally vibrated.
Gu Mingyan replied with an air of humility: "I know, stop nagging. Just find somewhere to wait for me."
Seeing that Gu Mingyan finally replied to the message, Zhang Ying's heart finally settled down.
She seized the opportunity and suggested, "Mingyan, how about we meet at Fisher Restaurant? I heard it's a quiet place, suitable for discussing business."
After sending the message, Zhang Ying stared nervously at the screen.
Fisher is the city’s top members-only restaurant. She had seen its name countless times in fashion magazines and celebrity gossip, but had never had the chance to set foot inside.
Now is the perfect opportunity to get in and freeload thanks to Gu Mingyan.
Soon, Gu Mingyan replied succinctly: 【Mm.】
Although it was only one word, Zhang Ying was already overjoyed.
She put away her phone and, unable to hide her pride, said to the young artists, "Oh dear, I'm so sorry, Mingyan invited me to Fisher Restaurant to discuss the details of the variety show, so I have to go now."
"Fischer?!" someone exclaimed. "Is that the super expensive French restaurant?"
"Miss Gu is so good to you."
Hearing their envious tone, Zhang Ying's vanity was greatly satisfied: "Yes, then I'll excuse myself."
After saying that, she grabbed her handbag and rushed to Fisher's restaurant.
As a five-star property under the Gujia Group, Fischer Restaurant is located in the most prosperous area of the city. It is said that the main building was designed by a famous French designer, and its exterior is magnificent.
As soon as Zhang Ying reached the door, she was stunned by the gilded gate.
A surge of intense jealousy welled up within her—
He worked tirelessly filming non-stop for half a month, and the money he earned probably wouldn't even be enough for a carefree meal here. Gu Mingyan, on the other hand, didn't have to do anything; she was born with all of this.
She took a deep breath, straightened her back, and walked inside.
As soon as I stepped through the door, I was stopped by a waiter in a smart uniform: "Hello, ma'am, do you have an appointment?"
Zhang Ying had anticipated this, and she calmly took out her phone to show her chat history with Gu Mingyan: "I made an appointment with Miss Gu."
Upon hearing Gu Mingyan's name, the waiter's attitude immediately underwent a 180-degree change.
He quickly bowed slightly to make way: "So you are Miss Gu's guest. Please come in."
At this moment, Zhang Ying truly experienced the thrill of "borrowing the tiger's power".
She was led to a booth with a great view and a private setting. After sitting down, Zhang Ying thought to herself, "Since Gu Mingyan will definitely be paying in the end anyway, why not take advantage of her now?"
She picked up the menu without prices and smiled at the waiter, saying, "I'll order some things first, and then we'll see what Mingyan wants when she arrives."
Then, she started ordering like crazy, from signature appetizers and soups to top-grade Wagyu beef flown in from the air, a bottle of red wine costing tens of thousands of dollars to accompany the meal... Finally, she didn't forget to order a few desserts that looked exquisite just from the pictures.
With each dish ordered, the bitterness in Zhang Ying's heart caused by the class gap would be diluted by a bit of the vengeful pleasure.
After ordering, Zhang Ying took a flurry of selfies and carefully selected a few to post on her WeChat Moments:
[A relaxing moment after a busy day. Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Gu! [heart emoji] Fisher Restaurant truly lives up to its reputation!]
The moment the post was published on WeChat Moments, people were surprised and immediately showed their support:
"Wow, it really is Fischer! Zhang Ying, you're so lucky!"
"Is Miss Gu treating us? I'm so envious!"
"Please take me with you! Could you take me with you next time to broaden my horizons?"
"This is my ultimate dream life!"
Zhang Ying slowly replied to the comments on her WeChat Moments, a smug smile on her lips.
At this moment, Yun Qingqing was a little troubled.
After leaving the fashion show, Gu Mingyan seemed to be engrossed in playing a real-life version of Miracle Nikki, and was eager to take her to the next store to buy her high heels to match her dress.
Yun Qingqing tried her best to persuade her to stop.
It wasn't that she had a change of heart; it was mainly that she couldn't keep up physically and simply couldn't walk any further.
Gu Mingyan could only reluctantly stop: "Alright. Now come with me for a late-night snack, and I'll take you to try the food at Fisher's Restaurant."
Yun Qingqing had no concept of high-end restaurants in this world, only that the name Fisher sounded somewhat familiar. Seeing that the other party was finally willing to stop and rest, she hurriedly agreed: "Okay, let's have a late-night snack."
So the two of them went to Fisher's restaurant under the escort of bodyguards.
The waiter respectfully led them to the booth where Zhang Ying was: "Miss, your friend is already waiting inside."
Zhang Ying spotted Gu Mingyan and Yun Qingqing beside her at a glance.
As Gu Mingyan's sidekicks, the two knew each other. However, Zhang Ying felt that her status was at least higher than that of Yun Qingqing, an internet celebrity who filmed low-budget web dramas, so she didn't pay much attention to her.
She ignored Yun Qingqing and waved to Gu Mingyan with a smile: "Mingyan, you've finally arrived!"
Gu Mingyan didn't even bother to lift her eyelids, as if she hadn't heard her greeting, and pulled Yun Qingqing straight to sit in the seat opposite her.
Zhang Ying's smile froze on her face when she was ignored.
Feeling embarrassed, she vented her anger on the waiter next to her: "What's going on? I've been waiting for so long, and the food still hasn't come? Is your restaurant really this slow?"
The waiter maintained a professional smile: "Excuse me, ma'am, our restaurant requires you to swipe your card first, then we serve your food."
Zhang Ying then naturally looked at Gu Mingyan.
In her opinion, it was only natural for Gu Mingyan to pay for the meal.
However, Gu Mingyan inexplicably retorted, "Why are you looking at me? You're the one who wanted to eat at Fischer, and you ordered the food yourself. Do you expect me to pay for it?"
Gu Mingyan is indeed not short of money, but she is not entirely a sucker.
When she's in a good mood, she might casually give her followers small favors and ask them to run errands for her, but that doesn't mean she'll unconditionally accept such blatant extortion.
Zhang Ying's attitude of ordering a lot of food on her own initiative and taking it for granted that she should pay for it made her very unhappy.
Zhang Ying was speechless and extremely embarrassed by these words.
The waiter promptly handed her the POS machine and waited with a smile.
Zhang Ying was caught in a dilemma, so she forced herself to save face and made an excuse: "I'm not really that hungry, so I won't order any other dishes. I'll just have a salad first."
Salads, being a basic dish, shouldn't be too expensive, no matter how much they cost.
Unexpectedly, the waiter bowed to her and said, "Okay, ma'am. A Mediterranean organic vegetable salad, priced at 2898 yuan, please swipe your card here."
"How much?!" Zhang Ying almost bit her tongue off.
The waiter repeated without changing his expression: "2898 yuan."
No wonder it's a top-tier restaurant; a salad can cost such an exorbitant price.
Zhang Ying felt her heart was bleeding, but under the watchful eyes of everyone, she couldn't bring herself to say no, so she had no choice but to grit her teeth and swipe her card.
When Yun, who was sitting opposite, heard this number, her eyes widened.
A salad costs almost 3,000? That's highway robbery!
She touched her empty wallet and suddenly realized that all talk of face was worthless in the face of poverty!
Yun Qingqing quickly tugged at Gu Mingyan's sleeve and said, "The food here is too expensive. How about we go to another restaurant?"
Gu Mingyan glanced at her: "I brought you here, what are you afraid of if I pay?" She picked up the menu and casually asked, "Any dietary restrictions?"
Yun Qingqing: "Uh, no?"
“Okay,” Gu Mingyan closed the menu and snapped her fingers at the waiter waiting beside her, “Give her one of everything on the menu.”
"Huh?" Yun Qingqing exclaimed in surprise, "I can't possibly finish all this food."
Gu Mingyan said nonchalantly, "If you can't finish it, just try a bite of everything, and have someone pack up the rest and send it to your apartment."
Hearing this made Zhang Ying, who was standing next to her, feel very uncomfortable.
On what grounds?
Zhang Ying was clearly the one who knew how to make Gu Mingyan happy and was the most capable follower. How come Yun Qingqing and Gu Mingyan have become so close after only one day apart?
A strong sense of crisis made her restless.
She quickly changed the subject, trying to regain Gu Mingyan's attention: "Mingyan, shouldn't we talk about the official announcement of the variety show 'Best Partners'?"
Yun sensed Zhang Ying's subtle rejection, but didn't take it to heart.
She didn't listen to what the two were saying at all; her mind was completely focused on the food the restaurant had delivered.
With each bite, Yun Qingqing felt like she had gotten a great deal.
She cut a small lamb chop.
This bite should be worth 50 yuan.
She scooped up another half spoonful of cream soup.
This spoonful should be worth 60 yuan.
Duck confit, braised beef tongue in red wine, foie gras... Yun was immersed in the joy of getting a great deal and ate with great relish.
Zhang Ying noticed that Gu Mingyan was staring at Yun Qingqing, and hurriedly urged, "Mingyan?"
Gu Mingyan snapped out of her daze and looked at Zhang Ying's greedy and calculating expression, feeling a surge of annoyance.
She originally didn't care who she brought, but now she's changed her mind.
"Let's make it official, no rush," Gu Mingyan said. "I'll find someone else to go on this variety show with me."
"Change partners?!" Zhang Ying raised her voice, forcing a smile. "Even if you want to change partners at the last minute, there's no one more suitable than me..."
"Who said there isn't?" Gu Mingyan tilted her chin to the side, pointing precisely at Yun Qingqing, who was engrossed in eating. "Look, it's her."
Yun Qingqing, who was suddenly called out, was speechless.
A note from the author:
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