Chapter 20: Unreasonable EntanglementOver the past month, Selena had changed her eyebrow makeup. Though the alteration in her styling was subtle, it brought about a striking transformation—her originally aloof and cold demeanor had softened into an elegant and even more captivating charm.It was said that Selena had gained several new clients, one of whom even came from the Third Ring.That client was a friend of the boss. He would come to the Fourth Ring once or twice a month to drink, play cards, and enjoy games, but he had never entered any of the girls' rooms. Everyone said this client had high standards and looked down on people from the Fourth Ring. Yet, just two days ago, he had stayed overnight in Selena's room.When Ellie heard this news, she felt a pang of jealousy. So, when it came to going to the Third Ring to find an assistant, Ellie had both personal motives and a deliberate intention to cause Selena some discomfort.Ellie had some impression of Shan Xiaoxi. That day, when she and Julio had argued and then reconciled with a kiss in the small garden, they had been encountered by a young girl. Later, Ellie learned that the girl was the assistant Selena had invited.Ellie did not like Shan Xiaoxi. Because Shan Xiaoxi was still just a girl.That innocent, harmless look of surprise made it clear at a glance that Shan Xiaoxi had not yet experienced the trials of romantic affairs.Ellie despised purity.Because purity represented ignorance, and ignorance, in turn, represented innocence. In this world, there should be no innocent people.Not only did Ellie dislike Shan Xiaoxi herself, but she also believed she had no value within the team.Shan Xiaoxi claimed to know makeup and had proven her skills with facts, but Selena had already learned how to do her eyebrows, hadn't she? So what was the point of keeping her around?Selena said Shan Xiaoxi knew many other makeup techniques. But what did it matter if she knew more? Could she turn Selena into a celestial beauty? Ellie simply couldn't imagine how Selena could become any more beautiful.For club girls like them, beauty was important but not the most crucial thing. What clients needed was not a beautiful vase but someone who could satisfy their hidden desires and be under their control.The club was not an art gallery. Beautiful artworks could be sold in galleries, but the club sold their bodies.For example, the street prostitute Ellie had brought from the West District—that was the kind of merchandise that belonged in the club.Thinking of this, Ellie gave Shan Xiaoxi a malicious once-over, then shook her head and sighed: "This girl's looks are utterly ordinary, not even delicately pretty. We must never let the clients see her, or they'll think all of us at Night Rose are of this caliber. They'll start looking down on us."Ellie's words were excessively harsh.Shan Xiaoxi was actually quite good-looking, but she was often somewhat unkempt and frequently wore sportswear, making it easy for people to overlook her appearance.It could only be said that Shan Xiaoxi's facial features were very standard, with no particularly striking aspects that might make her somewhat forgettable, but her eyes were large and bright.When she looked at you intently, you felt as if her eyes were speaking.Of course, when compared to top-tier girls like Selena and Ellie, Shan Xiaoxi did give off a rather plain and unadorned impression.Shan Xiaoxi could definitely be considered delicately pretty, though she lacked a certain charm. To be fair, Shan Xiaoxi resembled a modest young lady who was on the verge of being charming but not quite there yet.Shan Xiaoxi chuckled lightly and said, "My job is to help Miss Selena with her makeup and styling. As for whether I'm good-looking or not, it doesn't matter—as long as Miss Selena looks beautiful, that's enough. I won't appear in front of the guests, so Miss Ellie, you don't have to worry about me scaring away your clients."Shan Xiaoxi could tell that Selena wouldn't back down to Ellie, so she didn’t need to be too polite to Ellie either. She would stand united with Selena, facing the outside world together, even if the person they had to deal with was Ellie.Surprisingly, Ellie didn’t get angry at Shan Xiaoxi’s words. She merely pouted to express her dissatisfaction."I really don’t see what use you are. We’re not going to the Third Ring for fun. What’s the point of you tagging along? You’re not even part of our circle."After targeting Shan Xiaoxi, Ellie turned her attention to Selena. "Sister Na, this girl is a complete amateur, right? Aren’t you afraid something might scare her if you bring her into our world?"Selena narrowed her eyes, took a leisurely sip of coffee, and said, "She’s my assistant, and I’m not you. I don’t know what’s so scary about this ‘world’ of yours you keep talking about."After Selena finished speaking, the other girls who were listening nearby let out soft chuckles.The top courtesans of Night Rose each had their own unique traits and areas of expertise. There were many ways to attract clients, and Ellie was the only one among them who frequently got injured.There were no secrets in the club’s rooms. How Ellie interacted with her clients and how they toyed with her behind closed doors were things everyone knew but never spoke of openly.Among the top courtesans on the third floor, Ellie had the least seniority but had risen the fastest. Yet, she was also the one the others looked down on the most.The courtesans were human too. And as humans, they all wanted to live with dignity. But Ellie and her clients destroyed that dignity for each other.Everyone despised the methods Ellie used to climb the ranks.Selena’s words had made clear the differences between them and Ellie. Her attitude made it obvious that she looked down on Ellie.Ellie’s expression twisted slightly. As fellow courtesans in the club, she hated Selena’s air of superiority the most.Ellie snorted. "Has Sister Na ever been to a club in the Third Ring before? It’s not like here. Over there, we won’t be top courtesans anymore—we’ll have to compete from the bottom with everyone else. Are you sure that high-and-mighty attitude of yours will work there too?"Her words hit too close to home, and even Selena stiffened for a moment."Are you so sure you won’t run into clients who like to play games? Or are you planning to use this girl to help you—training her to be a courtesan too?"Ellie covered her mouth in exaggerated surprise, as if she had just discovered something groundbreaking, her eyes darting between Shan Xiaoxi and Selena.Was she switching from persuasion to sowing discord now?"No need to stir things up, Ellie. I’m definitely taking her to the Third Ring. That spot was promised to me by the boss, and I won’t give it to you. If you insist on bringing an extra person, you should go beg the boss instead of wasting your breath on me."Selena downed the rest of her coffee in one gulp and slammed the cup onto the table, making it clear she had no intention of continuing this pointless argument with Ellie."The boss won’t interfere with assistant matters. He just wants the two of us to work it out. Selena, I’m not going to the Third Ring for a few days of fun—I’m staying there for good. And to make that happen, I’ll do whatever it takes.""Are you threatening me? You're insane, I'm going to tell the boss. He can't bring a lunatic to the Third Ring."Watching Selena and Ellie argue with flushed faces, Shan Xiaoxi felt uneasy. If this kept up, would anyone even get to go to the Third Ring?Shan Xiaoxi was overthinking it. These prostitutes were all shrewd—they wouldn’t let a quarrel interfere with business.Several other women who had been watching the drama stepped in at just the right moment to cut off the argument."Ahem, you two, stop fighting. The boss sent word—he won’t be coming to the Fourth Ring these next few days. He’ll be waiting for you at the Third Ring."

The Fashion Rookie and The Mysterious Gentleman