The next day, Gu Qingyue woke up early.After washing up, she stood in front of the full-length mirror, holding up outfits one by one and comparing them against herself. A sweet, happy smile bloomed across her delicate face.
Once dressed, she checked herself in the mirror from every angle. After confirming that nothing was amiss, she opened the door and stepped out.As soon as she did, she ran into Shang Yuze, who was coming out of the bedroom next door.
Gu Qingyue spun around in front of him. The hem of her skirt fluttered lightly like a butterfly in motion. Her sweet smile carried a hint of bashfulness. “Does it look good?”
A trace of amazement surfaced in Shang Yuze’s eyes.
The young girl wore a wine-red velvet long dress. The stand collar accentuated the graceful curve of her neck, while the fitted cut perfectly outlined her slender waist. A circle of pearls and crushed diamonds adorned the waist.
Against the red velvet, her originally fair and flawless skin looked even more jade-like and delicate.Her jet-black hair was fixed at the back with a bow hair clip, the rest cascading casually over her shoulders.Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, enough to overturn all beings.
Her features were as exquisite as a painting. Brows like distant mountains tinged with ink, lips naturally red without rouge. Beneath long, thick lashes were narrow, alluring fox eyes, the corners slightly upturned and full of charm. Yet the glassy hue of her pupils was too clean and pure, making her look both innocent and seductive at the same time.
Shang Yuze stood stunned for a full ten seconds before coming back to his senses. He praised sincerely, “It looks beautiful.”Still, the thought of her wearing this dress to school made him feel a faint sourness in his heart.
Hearing his praise, Gu Qingyue felt secretly delighted.
After breakfast, Shang Yuze drove her to school. The classroom was heated, so Gu Qingyue took off her coat, revealing the red velvet long dress underneath.
When Song Ranran saw her outfit, her eyes lit up. She clung to Gu Qingyue’s arm and refused to let go. “This is the first time I’ve seen you dressed so beautifully.”
“Is it the dress that’s pretty? It’s the person.” Xu Youning looked at the dress and said with a grin. “Yueyue is naturally beautiful.” Still, she felt that this dress looked very much like a newly released piece from an international top luxury brand.
Gu Qingyue pressed her lips together and smiled softly, feeling a little shy from their praise.
One by one, the classmates all turned their gazes toward Gu Qingyue’s seat. Gu Qingyue already had goddess-level looks. Even plain clothes could not conceal her stunning beauty. Now that she was dressed up slightly, she was breathtakingly beautiful, a true enchantress among mortals.
Some students secretly took photos of her and posted them on the confession wall. Gossip-loving college students flooded the comments, and the post was quickly pushed to the top.
Oh my god! School beauty Gu looks stunning in this outfit!
Absolutely breathtaking. With this face, it’s such a waste not to go into acting.
What’s the waste? Is the entertainment industry such a great place? Gu Qingyue was the top scorer in the national exam back then, first place in both majors. She might end up in a national research institute. Studying acting would be the real waste.
Beauty and talent combined. Who says God is fair? God’s bias is way off the charts.
After fermenting for an entire morning, the post remained extremely popular, with many people asking for her contact information.
In the performing arts dormitory, Gu Jiaxin scrolled through the post. Seeing the comments filled entirely with praise for Gu Qingyue, jealousy filled her eyes.
An orphan abandoned by her parents, so what if she was pretty? She was the eldest young lady of the Gu family. Her status and position were something Gu Qingyue could never catch up to in her lifetime.
When she noticed the dress Gu Qingyue was wearing in the photo, her gaze suddenly froze. She enlarged the picture in disbelief, staring hard at the logo.
How could Gu Qingyue possibly afford such an expensive dress?She liked this dress very much as well. Now the dress she had been longing for was on Gu Qingyue’s body, and intense unwillingness surged in her heart.
Suddenly, she thought of the incident where she had drugged Gu Qingyue. The drug was extremely potent. How had Gu Qingyue managed to get away?
Her roommate Chen Qian walked past her. Gu Jiaxin spoke as if unintentionally, “This Gu Qingyue only has a pretty face. Her private life is actually very messy.”
Chen Qian stopped in her tracks and turned back to look at Gu Jiaxin. “What did you say? What’s wrong with Gu Qingyue?”
The Chen family was also a second-tier family in Beijing, only slightly stronger than the Gu family.
Since entering school, Chen Qian had never gotten along with Gu Qingyue, believing that Gu Qingyue had stolen her title as school beauty.
But Gu Qingyue had been the top science scorer nationwide in the college entrance exam and was a key student cultivated by the teachers. No matter how resentful Chen Qian was, she did not dare do anything to her.
If Gu Qingyue now had a stain on her reputation, the school would definitely stop valuing her.
Someone like Chen Qian, who had long wanted to trample Gu Qingyue underfoot, would certainly not miss such a perfect opportunity to ruin her reputation.
“N-no… nothing.” Gu Jiaxin shook her head in panic, looking guilty as if she had misspoken.
Chen Qian pretended to be angry. “Are we friends or not? If we are, then tell me everything.”
Gu Jiaxin bit her lip, looking conflicted. “Then you absolutely can’t tell anyone else.”As she spoke, she glanced around. Only after making sure no one was nearby did she lower her voice.
“A few days ago, I personally saw her going in and out of a hotel with an older man. Look at the dress she’s wearing. This is a new release from an international top luxury brand. There’s only one in the world, and it costs at least seven figures.”
“Think about what she used to wear, then look at what she’s wearing now.”
Gu Jiaxin even enlarged the photo on her phone so Chen Qian could clearly see the logo.
Normally, Gu Qingyue wore the most ordinary jeans and casual shoes. Everything she wore combined was not even worth a single pearl on that dress.
Chen Qian naturally recognized the luxury brand and sneered with disdain. “I really didn’t expect her to be this kind of person in private.”Acting aloof all day long. Who knew what she was pretending for?
Three days later, a temple.The majestic, towering temple rose from the ground, morning mist swirling around it. Half-hidden among clouds and fog, it looked like a fairyland.
From the foot of the mountain to the summit were 1,080 steps.
As the most famous temple in Huaguo, countless people came here drawn by its reputation. During holidays, the crowds could stretch from the mountaintop all the way down to the foot of the mountain.
On a late autumn morning, the chill was biting. A black Bentley stopped at the foot of the mountain.
The driver’s door opened. The man’s long legs stepped onto the ground. He lifted his head to look at the endless steps, then raised his leg and began to climb.
Shang Yuze moved quickly, as if walking on level ground. In just over ten minutes, he reached the halfway point.
Thin sunlight filtered through the clouds, casting strands of light over the man and gradually tracing the sharp lines of his cold, handsome features.
His dark eyes were deep and chilly. His facial contours were sharp and striking. His expression was indifferent, betraying no emotion.
For someone who trained year-round like him, these 1,080 steps were not difficult at all. In less than half an hour, he reached the summit.