Chapter 58

Chapter 58: All of It Was Forged

“Could you please show your invitation so we can verify it?”

The hotel manager repeated himself, the pressure thickening with every second.

As Cloud City’s only eight-star hotel, the Zhou Ji didn’t dare let its reputation be stained, especially not on a night like this. If anything went wrong, it wouldn’t just be a scandal.

It could destroy the hotel’s future.

“Senior Qiao, you…” Su Luo Yu stared at her in feigned shock, as if Qiao Qing Yan had come here specifically to cause trouble.

But Qiao Qing Yan’s expression didn’t change.

Not when the manager demanded proof.

Not when suspicion and mockery gathered around her like smoke.

She stood there like an outsider, coolly watching everyone else scramble.

“Miss,” the hotel manager said again, still polite, still insistent, “I’m sorry to trouble you, but please show your invitation so we can verify it.”

Qiao Qing Yan set her wine glass down. She lifted her bag and drew the zipper open.

“Sure.”

Then she tilted her head slightly, voice gentle. “But I’m curious. Since I was able to enter here, doesn’t that already mean I have an invitation?”

The words were warm, like an April breeze.

Yet the hotel manager felt a chill skate down his spine.

Especially when the gold invitation slid into view.

His hand trembled. For a moment, he didn’t even know how to take it.

Regret hit him hard.

He’d been so afraid of something going wrong that he hadn’t bothered to come to the entrance and verify earlier.

Of course, if the woman who’d reported this hadn’t been personally brought in by the Su family’s young lady, he wouldn’t have rushed over so blindly.

His gaze shifted to Su Luo Yu, doubt flickering for the first time.

Su Luo Yu covered her mouth, eyes wide, staring at the invitation as if she’d never expected it.

Then, as if it slipped out unintentionally, she said, “That’s not right. I remember Uncle didn’t invite anyone from the entertainment industry.”

She tilted her head, voice still mild. “When I asked to bring a few people from the circle, Uncle said it would be only this once—and never again.”

Everyone in Cloud City’s upper circle knew Su Luo Yu’s status. Naturally, they knew who the “Uncle” in her mouth referred to.

“Senior Qiao,” Su Luo Yu continued softly, gaze fixed on the invitation in Qiao Qing Yan’s hand, “this invitation… could it be someone scammed you?”

Su Luo Yu knew very well that Qiao Qing Yan had an invitation. But whether it was real or fake depended on what people believed.

And Su Luo Yu was certain Qiao Qing Yan hadn’t been invited.

Under the brilliant lights, the hall glittered without being harsh. Faces turned, eyes cutting in every direction.

The woman in the qipao was undeniably beautiful. The dress was plain, yet on her it looked unforgettable, swaying with every breath she took.

Those stares held curiosity—and malice.

Those who knew Qiao Qing Yan felt, deep down, that she didn’t deserve to stand here. She stained the place simply by existing inside it.

“She can’t survive in entertainment anymore, so she came here to hook a rich husband?”

“Didn’t she already cling to a wealthy family in the Capital? Why would she look at our young masters?”

“Aren’t you afraid people will find out you’re juggling two men and end up with nothing?”

Each sentence slapped another label onto her.

People who had felt even a trace of goodwill toward her beauty suddenly looked away.

What did the wealthy circle hate most?

Actors who were vain, hungry for shortcuts, and lacking real ability.