Chapter 62

Chapter 62: Private Invitation

Madam Ji didn’t linger. She gave Qiao Qing Yan a composed, thoughtful look—then offered a way out that didn’t bruise anyone’s pride further.

“The day after tomorrow,” she said, “I’m holding a private banquet at the Ji Mansion. If Miss Qiao is interested, you can come and join the fun.”

Madam Ji’s tone remained polite, her words generous without sounding forced. “I heard that a few days ago, Miss Qiao won Best Actress again. Congratulations. I happen to know a few good directors. When the time comes, I can introduce you.”

Qiao Qing Yan understood exactly what Madam Ji was doing.

She wasn’t someone who failed to recognize kindness. Since Madam Ji extended a hand, she took it.

“All right,” Qiao Qing Yan said.

Madam Ji turned to leave. Su Luo Yu followed behind her, steps stiff with unwillingness.

As she passed Qiao Qing Yan, she couldn’t help it. She shot her a glare, raw with humiliation and hate.

Qiao Qing Yan leaned in just slightly, lips curving as if she were amused by something only she could see.

“Do you think your existence matters?” she murmured.

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it wasn’t soft either. Su Luo Yu heard every syllable. So did Xu Shu Jing, standing close enough to catch the words like a slap.

“In other people’s eyes,” Qiao Qing Yan continued, “you’re nothing but a joke.”

Su Luo Yu’s face burned. Fury churned in her gut, but she didn’t dare to let it show—not with Madam Ji so close, not with so many eyes nearby.

Xu Shu Jing, on the other hand, went pale as she looked around.

The gazes sweeping toward them felt different now. Not admiration. Not curiosity.

Mockery. Amusement. A quiet, cutting kind of laughter.

The farce ended with Madam Ji’s private invitation, and the curtain fell.

From beginning to end, that breathtaking beauty had seemed to control the field with effortless ease, untouched by the chaos around her. It was as if the moment she’d stood there, the ending had already been decided.

She would win.

After tonight, no one present dared to look down on Qiao Qing Yan again—and no one with sense would be stupid enough to provoke her.

Even the socialite young ladies who disliked her kept their distance. Su Luo Yu’s humiliation came first, Madam Ji’s clear favoritism came after. Qiao Qing Yan had snapped the Ji family’s Black-Gold Business Card right in front of Madam Ji—and the Ji family still hadn’t dared to make it ugly.

Who would dare invite trouble from someone like that?

—

A man in a suit arrived late, walking with an elegant stride that parted the crowd without effort.

“Miss Qiao,” he asked, voice calm and smooth, “what happened? Are you all right?”

The moment Xu Shu Jing saw him, her eyes turned red. Tears welled so quickly they made her look fragile enough to break.

“P-President Xu…” she breathed.

Xu Zhong Qin didn’t look at her.

His gaze stayed on Qiao Qing Yan, steady and intent.

He had sent gowns for her. Several sets, rushed in from overseas by air, chosen because he’d thought she would like them—because they carried echoes of the battle dress she’d worn at the awards ceremony.

She hadn’t accepted any of them.

Tonight, she wore a plain cheongsam with subtle dark patterns, her long hair pinned up. She stood like proud plum blossoms in winter—cold, upright, impossible to bend. When people drew close, it almost felt like they could smell a faint, icy fragrance.

The small red mole beneath her eyelid lent a dangerous allure to a face already too stunning.

She looked like she didn’t belong to this world—and worse, like this world couldn’t hold her.

Sometimes, Xu Zhong Qin had the unsettling feeling that no matter how close he stood, he still couldn’t touch her.

His subordinate unconsciously took a step toward Qiao Qing Yan.

Qiao Qing Yan took a small step back.

Her expression didn’t change.

“Nothing,” she said. “President Xu probably gave me a fake invitation, and it caused a misunderstanding.”

A sharp intake of breath rippled through the crowd.

In Cloud City, there was no one in the upper circles who didn’t know Xu Zhong Qin. From the Capital Xu family. The man truly in control of Ju Hui.

Xu Zhong Qin’s expression tightened, just for a moment. He hadn’t expected her to be so direct—so bold—as to say it out loud, in front of everyone.