2 – The Little Troublemaker
“Luoluo, are you okay?” Lin Yue asked, a little worried when she saw the three of them ride up in the same elevator.
Qin Zhiluo withdrew her gaze and said calmly, “I’m fine, just a little disgusted.”
“Poor you. Alison the little vixen, Zhang Xuanyu the dog of a scumbag—hope his dick rots off sooner or later.”
After cursing, Lin Yue handed her the sandwich and milk.
“Have something to eat first, then we’ll go find Sister Qiao.”
Qin Zhiluo took the food and ate contentedly.
Lin Yue reminded her patiently, “You snuck out early at dinner last night. I told Sister Qiao you weren’t feeling well, so don’t let it slip.”
Qin Zhiluo made an “OK” gesture.
When they walked into the office, Qiao Yun was just about to call them over.
“Here’s a promotion for a budget skincare brand. I negotiated it for you.”
Qin Zhiluo sat on the sofa, glanced at the brand name, and pushed it back with a frown.
“This kind of MLM no-name product doesn’t fit my image.”
Qiao Yun looked like she’d just heard something hilarious.
“What the hell kind of image do you have? A beggar complaining the food is stale?”
She shot up from her chair, hands on her hips, pointing at Qin Zhiluo and scolding.
“Look at your recent state—resources you’d secured mysteriously slipping away, offending clients, fighting with haters… If it weren’t for your face still selling to fans, plus me begging the company on your behalf, you’d have been kicked out long ago!”
And she’d have to pay a hefty breach-of-contract penalty on top of that!
She couldn’t afford it even if she sold herself.
Qin Zhiluo’s attitude remained indifferent: “I have my own style and positioning.”
Qiao Yun: “What positioning? A salted fish? Is lying flat your default state?”
Qin Zhiluo: “Then I’m still not taking this kind.”
Qiao Yun looked like she wanted to hit her but held back in the end.
She took a deep breath and said earnestly, “Right now, they’re the ones choosing you. Your level isn’t high enough to pick and choose clients. You’d better face reality!”
Seeing that the two were about to start another shouting match, Lin Yue stood to the side, thinking, here we go again.
Every time they disagreed on work, they’d argue, and neither would back down.
In the end, it was always Qin Zhiluo who suffered the consequences.
Should she remind her that after paying out so much for offending that client, they were almost broke now?
Lin Yue hesitated and walked over, just as Qin Zhiluo theatrically blinked and squeezed out two crocodile tears.
“It’s not like I wanted this.”
“The resource was snatched maliciously. I offended that client because he tried to touch my leg. The fight started because a hater threatened to dig up my ancestors’ graves… Otherwise, I wouldn’t be this miserable… boo hoo hoo~”
Qiao Yun froze. Here we go again?
The little drama queen was crying pitifully, her long lashes holding back pitiful tears, giving her a fragile, heartbreaking quality.
She didn’t know where Qin Zhiluo had learned this fake sweet-talk, but paired with today’s makeup and styling, she truly looked pitiful and adorable.
A fairy shedding tears—extreme fragility, extreme beauty!
Never mind men—even as a woman, it sent shivers down her spine.
But Qin Zhiluo just kept whimpering on and on.
Qiao Yun ground her molars and turned her head away. “Enough, don’t pull that act on me.”
After a pause, her tone softened considerably: “Fine, don’t take it if you don’t want to. But you can’t keep lying flat like this.”
She looked like she had no way to deal with her.
“Mhm mhm!” Qin Zhiluo knew when to stop. She leaned closer to Qiao Yun, grabbed the hem of her clothes, and shook it. “Then does sister have any better business deals on hand?”
Her lively fox eyes blinked and blinked.
Very coquettish, very sly.
Written all over her face was undisguised greed.
Her expression changed at lightning speed.
Qiao Yun took a moment to adjust before looking at her again.
She let out a silent sigh.
“Such a drama queen!”
Even as she said that, her hands were honest enough to pull out the Fuli proposal.
“This client is very picky about their partners. However, as a luxury fashion brand, Fuli’s main focus is on their young jewelry line, which fits your vibe perfectly.”
Her temperament suited it too.
If she could land this, it would be Qin Zhiluo’s first luxury brand, and future negotiations for collaborations at the same level would become much easier.
The commission fee was also mouth-watering.
Three years without a deal, but one deal could feed you for three years—no problem at all.
Qin Zhiluo’s eyes lit up.
“Being picky is a good thing! It shows they have standards and won’t just work with anyone.”
“Having ambition is good, but… forget it.” Qiao Yun hesitated, then warned her: “There’s a banquet on Fuli’s side tomorrow night, and Alison will be there too. Whether you can ultimately secure this depends on the client’s choice. You know Alison’s network and resources have always been better than yours.”
Qin Zhiluo nodded: “Thank you, sister. Sister is amazing, so awesome—sending you virtual hugs~”
“Tsk…” Qiao Yun dodged her with a look of disgust: “Talk to me after you actually win it.”
Yet the corner of her mouth curled up almost imperceptibly.
Just as she reached the door, Qiao Yun called her back.
“If you’re feeling unwell, make sure to rest. Lin Yue, keep an eye on her—less staying up late, less junk food.”
“Got it, Sister Qiao.”
The two walked quite a distance away, Lin Yue linking her arm through hers.
“Sister Qiao still has high hopes for you. Otherwise, a top-tier agent like her wouldn’t have taken you on personally. It’s just that with so many people in the company, and Alison having such strong backing, she can’t be too obvious about it.”
Qin Zhiluo nodded: “I know. No need to explain.”
The three of them had known each other since their school days.
After graduation, Qiao Yun had personally signed her, and their private relationship was close.
“Oh, right~” Lin Yue seemed to notice something, staring at her fair, slender neck.
She’d felt something was off just a moment ago.
“Where’s your precious necklace? Don’t you usually wear it all the time?”
Aside from when she bathed, she rarely took it off.
Qin Zhiluo raised her hand, her fingertips gliding over the hollow spot between her collarbones.
Hearing Lin Yue’s words, she said calmly: “I lost it by accident.”
It really was an “accident.”
“Lost it?” Lin Yue was shocked: “That was the adult gift your aunt gave you—custom-made, one of a kind!”
“Don’t worry. Something that precious—I’ll get it back.” Qin Zhiluo curled her lips meaningfully. She definitely would.
She needed to get the necklace back, but she also couldn’t let Zhuang Hezhi think she’d done it on purpose.
It had to be just right.
She couldn’t rush it.
However, Qin Zhiluo hadn’t expected her next meeting with Zhuang Hezhi to come so soon.
The next day.
At the Fuli Jewelry banquet.
Qin Zhiluo wore a stunning, alluring wine-red sleeveless gown, paired with a pair of round, creamy white pearl earrings. She was radiant and striking—simple yet eye-catching, like a wild rose in full bloom, adorned with two crystal-clear dewdrops.
The earrings were a classic Fuli design, which she’d bought with her own money.
A small five-figure price tag—it hurt her heart.
Her already not-so-wealthy family had just gotten even poorer.
“What are you doing here?” Alison walked over arrogantly, looking her up and down with contempt.
Here?
Qin Zhiluo found it amusing and said, “Am I a lapdog? Did I come sniffing out the scent?”
Alison’s mind took a moment to process before she realized Qin Zhiluo was calling her shit.
She huffed indignantly, “Do you even know what kind of occasion this is? Dressed so shabbily and still daring to show up! Now that you’ve left Xuanyu, can’t you even afford a decent dress?”
“And those cheap accessories you’re wearing—how embarrassing. If I’m not mistaken, everything on you is from street stalls, isn’t it? This gown I’m wearing is a haute couture piece from L’s house, and the sapphire necklace I have on is the signature treasure of Fuli, worth fifty million! The earrings and brooch are from the same collection as well.”