It was another hour’s journey from the rented apartment to Orange Success. When Gu Ting arrived at the dance studio, apart from the dance instructor, there were two other girls inside. They had different faces and different styles, but shared the same youthful beauty.
The moment Gu Ting saw the two beauties, she felt as though the entire studio had brightened up, and her mood instantly became wonderful.
Seeing Gu Ting, the dance instructor actively came forward to greet her. “This is Gu Ting. Tingting, you weren’t here yesterday. These are the new artists our company just signed. This is Miss Min Qingluo, and this is Miss Lin Mengmeng. I’ll be teaching you dance during this period, so feel free to ask me if you have any questions.”
Gu Ting smiled and raised her hand in greeting. Lin Mengmeng smiled back, but Min Qingluo averted her gaze and merely urged, “Instructor, I still have to discuss an endorsement deal with Qianyan Company later. Please, let’s start the class quickly.”
Gu Ting and Lin Mengmeng looked at Min Qingluo at the same time. Signed with the company yesterday and already discussing an endorsement today? Is she some kind of rising superstar dropped from heaven?
Out of the corner of her eye, Min Qingluo caught their reactions, and a trace of smugness appeared on her face.
Twenty minutes later, Min Qingluo could no longer stay smug. Watching Gu Ting and Lin Mengmeng dance with decent form, getting better and better, her own hands and feet refused to cooperate. She kept making wrong moves, and her body was extremely stiff. She danced like a beautiful zombie that had been dead for centuries.
Gu Ting and the others tried their best to suppress their laughter.
Finally, after a turning move, Min Qingluo felt dizzy and almost toppled sideways. It wasn’t until she stepped heavily on Gu Ting’s foot that she stabilized herself and avoided a fall. She was fine, but the one who suffered was Gu Ting.
Gu Ting lifted her foot, only to see the sole of her shoe hanging by a thread, teetering on the edge of falling off.
A long, magical honk of laughter escaped Lin Mengmeng’s mouth: “Honk honk honk honk honk honk…”
Facing Min Qingluo’s beautiful face, Gu Ting couldn’t bring herself to scold her. Her expression simply read: Well, beauty, you figure out what to do.
Both ashamed and furious, Min Qingluo’s face flushed crimson and her eyes grew red as she snapped fiercely, “It’s just a pair of B30s, isn’t it? I’ll compensate you with a new pair!”
With that, she slammed the door and stormed out with a stern face.
The dance instructor let them rest for ten minutes and found a pair of shoes to lend to Gu Ting.
In front of the water dispenser, Gu Ting filled a cup of water. Turning around, she saw Lin Mengmeng was there too, so she handed the water to her and went to get another cup for herself.
“Thank you.” Lin Mengmeng had two shallow dimples when she smiled, looking incredibly sweet and lovely. Taking a sip of water, she chatted casually, “If Min Qingluo compensates you at the original price, will you accept it?”
Gu Ting waved her hand dismissively. “It’s just a pair of shoes. We are all colleagues, no need to make things too ugly. By the way, what is a B30?”
Lin Mengmeng replied, “Oh, it’s the Dior B30. They cost over five thousand yuan a pair.”
Gu Ting set her water cup down, her pupils dilated in absolute shock. “What? Over five thousand!” No wonder the fake Gu Ting is 5 million in debt. What a spendthrift woman!
Her tone shifted instantly. “It’s just a pair of shoes, but even between colleagues, we still need to keep accounts clear, right? She definitely has to compensate me for what’s due!”
Lin Mengmeng almost choked on her water, nearly spraying it out of her nose.
Ten minutes passed, and Min Qingluo returned to the dance studio. She didn’t say another word from beginning to end. By the time class ended, Gu Ting received a transfer of 5,800 yuan from Luo Yuan on her phone, with a note: Min Qingluo’s compensation for Gu Ting’s B30 expenses.
Immediately after, Luo Yuan himself sent a weak message: “Tingting, your sister-in-law wants to buy a bag and is short five thousand yuan. Brother Luo is a bit tight on cash lately. Do you think you could lend me five thousand to get through this? I’ll pay you back next month.”
Receiving the five thousand from Luo Yuan felt genuinely disgusting to Gu Ting. Without another word, she immediately transferred five thousand back to Luo Yuan, with the note: Gu Ting repays Luo Yuan five thousand, account cleared.
On the other end, Luo Yuan accepted the money instantly, though his face looked utterly miserable. For some reason, the person who was supposed to return his money yesterday mysteriously stopped answering calls, causing his funds to suddenly become tight.
It was already noon when they left the dance studio. Gu Ting rushed toward the elevator at a speed others couldn’t fathom. When she stepped into the elevator, there was a crowd inside. Apart from Min Qingluo, there was another familiar face.
“It’s you?” That person recognized Gu Ting first.
This person was none other than the wealthy lady whose car had collided with the taxi Gu Ting was riding in yesterday morning. At this moment, she was surrounded by the crowd, standing as the undisputed center of attention.
With a smile in her eyes, she looked Gu Ting up and down and said gently, “Did you go to the hospital for a checkup? You look in good spirits today.”
Gu Ting fanned herself with her hand to cool down her flushed face. Hearing this, she tossed her ponytail and replied crisply, “I’m doing great. Wealthy Sister, you can rest completely assured.”
The smile on the wealthy lady’s face deepened. Her eyes never left Gu Ting’s face, though her gaze wasn’t annoying.
The man on the wealthy lady’s left let his eyes wander between the two of them. Seeing that the wealthy lady wasn’t angry, he said with a chuckle, “So President Cheng and our company’s Gu Ting know each other? That really is fate.”
Beside the man, Min Qingluo secretly pouted.
Gu Ting looked over properly. The man was about fifty years old, with his sparse hair combed slick and shiny. His suit hung somewhat loosely on his frame. What made Gu Ting feel most uncomfortable was his pair of eyes, which leaked a sense of calculation and gloom; he was clearly a deeply scheming individual.
Gu Ting guessed that he was President Wan, the person the fake Gu Ting feared the most—a minor expert in the art of emotional manipulation and PUA.
By then, the elevator had reached the restaurant floor. Gu Ting couldn’t wait to rush out, waving her hand casually. “I’m going to eat. Bye-bye!”
President Wan: “…” Never have I seen such an socially inept person. The boss hasn’t even spoken, and she’s already vanished! Whatever I wanted to say, is it not even worth a single dish to her?
President Cheng stared at Gu Ting’s carefree, departing silhouette for a long time, mentally sighing, This Miss Gu’s aura is truly versatile. It was vastly different from her cold and stubborn appearance when she got out of the taxi yesterday.
Gu Ting had no idea someone was gossiping about her, and the wealthy sister had long been thrown to the back of her mind. At this very moment, only one thing occupied her heart: eating! The braised pork, shrimp in tomato sauce, sweet and sour pork tenderloin, and pineapple pork in her phone’s photo album… Here she came!
Soon, the first piece of braised pork entered her mouth, and she instantly gagged!
Before her gagging sound could fade, another gag echoed from behind her. The two turned around, only to realize they were both classmates from the dance class.
Gu Ting said pitifully, “The braised pork tastes so bad…”
Lin Mengmeng’s eyes welled with tears. “I don’t believe there is anything in this world worse than the braised fish chunks in my bowl!”
Gu Ting gave a wicked smile. “Woman, today I will broaden your horizons!”
With a tacit understanding, the two sat down together and shared their dishes. A moment later, another wave of earth-shattering gagging sounds erupted.
Gu Ting’s face turned pale. “They are neck and neck.”
Lin Mengmeng spoke with difficulty, “An even match.”
For a moment, the two felt a deep sense of mutual sympathy, as if they regretted not meeting sooner.
Gu Ting finally understood. The fake Gu Ting hadn’t taken photos of the food to keep memories; she did it to avoid landmines! And she hadn’t made it clear, causing her to run so eagerly for this meal.
Over the course of a single lunch, the relationship between Gu Ting and Lin Mengmeng experienced a qualitative leap. When they returned to the dance studio to dance in the afternoon, the two talked and laughed, making Min Qingluo look somewhat out of place. However, Min Qingluo probably didn’t care; she kept her spine perfectly straight throughout, looking just like a proud and beautiful peacock.
During the break, President Wan’s assistant found Min Qingluo, and the two went out to talk. Not long after, Luo Yuan actually arrived as well. The moment he entered the dance studio, he called out loudly in a joyful but exaggerated tone, “Tingting, wonderful news! Qianyan wants to sign you as their spokesperson!”
Gu Ting, who was chatting warmly with Lin Mengmeng, was full of question marks. “What?”
Seeing that there were people in the dance studio, Luo Yuan’s tone became even more excited and high-pitched. “It’s true! Assistant Zhang just disclosed the news to me. Qianyan said that although you aren’t the most beautiful, you are the most suitable candidate. Tingting, you are the chosen one, you are better than all of them! This is great. With the signing fee, the pressure of your debt can ease up a bit… I’m truly happy for you.”
Gu Ting didn’t care at all that Luo Yuan’s words revealed her debt. Instead, she was overjoyed. “Wow, am I destined to be a radiant, wildly popular existence?”
Nodding, she looked full of approval. “Wealthy Sister really has an eye for talent. She didn’t let down my appreciation for her.”
Beside her, Lin Mengmeng’s eyes turned into stars. “Tingting, if you strike it rich, don’t forget me!”
The dance instructor also congratulated Gu Ting.
Only Luo Yuan’s face was filled with ellipses, looking as though he was cursing silently in his mind.
Before the conversation could finish, Min Qingluo walked in. Her eyes were red, looking exactly like an anxious little rabbit. She walked straight up to Gu Ting and questioned her with a grievance, “Qianyan was originally here to discuss a partnership with me. Why did they suddenly reject me and choose you? What tricks did you use? If you have the guts, say it openly, don’t pull petty moves behind my back!”
Seeing her fierce yet beautiful angry appearance, Gu Ting really couldn’t bring herself to be mad. She could only reply testily, “Can this be blamed on me? If you want to blame someone, blame yourself!”
Min Qingluo’s beautiful eyes widened significantly, and the atmosphere suddenly grew tense.
Luo Yuan used his eyes to encourage Gu Ting to continue, while Lin Mengmeng secretly tugged at Gu Ting’s clothes.
Gu Ting spoke with perfect righteousness, “Blame yourself for being too beautiful. What they wanted was someone who looks like me. Someone too pretty isn’t suitable. What can I do?”
Lin Mengmeng: “!!!” Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!
Luo Yuan: “!!!” Is that what I fucking said?
After a brief silence, Min Qingluo sniffled. “Since… it’s like that… then… forget it.”
Min Qingluo had no choice but to accept the fact that she was rejected by Qianyan because she was too beautiful.
Everyone was satisfied with this outcome, and only Luo Yuan’s world ended up hurt. After a series of fierce maneuvers, he looked back only to find himself a joke, having passively turned into a matchmaker. Just look at how Min Qingluo’s lips couldn’t suppress a smile after being coaxed by Gu Ting’s few words.
It was hilarious; he didn’t even dare look in the mirror today, fearing a clown would appear in the reflection!
The remaining half of the dance class was incredibly harmonious. Even the dance instructor looked at Gu Ting with eyes full of maternal affection. Gu Ting really couldn’t imagine what it would look like for such an “affectionate” dance instructor to perform a suggestive dance—would she twist her waist and shake her hips while saying, “Babies, it’s getting cold, remember to wear more clothes”?
Happy times always fly by. Soon, the dance class ended. Hearing that Gu Ting wanted to find a rented place nearby, Lin Mengmeng immediately responded, “I rented a place nearby, and I happen to be looking for a roommate. Why don’t you move in with me, and we can split the rent?”
Gu Ting couldn’t wait to move out of her current rental apartment today. How could she disagree? She nodded on the spot and went to look at the apartment with Lin Mengmeng. Min Qingluo said she wanted to go out for a walk, so she followed along as well.
The apartment Lin Mengmeng rented wasn’t far from Orange Success Entertainment. It took about twenty minutes by taxi, and the three of them arrived after chatting for a while.
From the moment she entered the residential community, Gu Ting began to evaluate it. The community gate was intact—satisfied; there were many streetlights—satisfied; there were plenty of living people in the community—satisfied; the building had an elevator—satisfied; the voice-activated light outside the door was new—satisfied; the building hadn’t collapsed—satisfied; she told Lin Mengmeng that she would be livestreaming later, and Lin Mengmeng said she was a night owl—satisfied; plus, the rent was 1,000 yuan a month, which matched her impoverished status perfectly.
Given all this, what else could she be dissatisfied with?
Gu Ting decided to co-rent with Lin Mengmeng on the spot, and Lin Mengmeng appeared even happier than Gu Ting. Gu Ting thought to herself that life must not be easy for Lin Mengmeng either. Look how happy the kid was just because someone was sharing the rent with her?
Once the lease agreement was signed, Gu Ting also received an electronic contract from Qianyan. It stated a signing fee of 1 million yuan for a three-year endorsement period. The other party asked Gu Ting to review the contract and reach out if there were any issues.