Guide to Rising to Power as a Wife in Beijing's Elite Circle

In the Jingjing Lake Villa District on the East Third Ring Road, the afternoon light slanted into the floor-to-ceiling windows of the beauty salon at four o'clock.

Five girls lay on the beauty beds, their faces covered in transparent gel, like porcelain pieces waiting to be displayed. The only sound in the room was the faint hum of the equipment; no one spoke.

Chen Nuo closed her eyes, feeling the cool probe slide across her face. This was their third day staying at the beauty center in the side yard of the villa.

Physical examinations, skin management, and subtle adjustments to one's appearance are treated like jewelry about to be auctioned.

The door opened, and the sound of high heels clicking on the marble floor filled the air.

Zhou Wei walked in, wearing a beige cashmere suit and pearl earrings, looking like a young mistress of some family.

Only the weariness in the corners of his eyes and his overly straight back betrayed the truth.

She was Zhao Mingkai's lover for seven years and also the person in charge of this talent show.

"Three more hours." Zhou Wei's voice was cold. "I've already said everything I needed to say a few days ago. Let me remind you again: Tonight is Young Master Shen's thirtieth birthday banquet. You all know who will be there."

She walked to Chen Nuo's bedside and stopped.

"Don't look at what you shouldn't see, don't listen to what you shouldn't hear, and don't ask what you shouldn't ask. If you're told to laugh, then laugh; if you're told to drink, then take a sip; if you don't want to drink, then say you're allergic to alcohol. Mr. Zhao has already prepared medical records for you."

Someone took a soft breath.

"Feeling wronged?" Zhou Wei glanced around. "You can still leave now. The door is over there."

Nobody moved.

Chen Nuo opened his eyes and, through the transparency of the gel, saw Zhou Wei's lips, painted with nude lipstick, opening and closing: "Once you're in this place, face is a luxury. If you want face, wait until you're qualified."

Cruel, but true.

In this circle, being given away as a gift is already a form of recognition.

It at least proves that you are pretty, clean, and sensible enough, and that your family background is just right—you have some savings, not so poor as to be destitute; but not strong enough, so you're easy to manipulate.

Take Chen Nuo's family, for example. They run a building materials business in Yongzhou and have assets worth several million. They are considered important people in their hometown, but in Jingjing, they wouldn't even make a ripple.

Her father, Chen Jianguo, sent her to the directing department of the film academy, partly to study art and partly to expand her network.

Which family here doesn't think this way?

Actor? Celebrity?

That's the worst option.

Only those who can't reach the highest levels of success resort to becoming celebrities.

After all, no matter how famous a celebrity is, in the eyes of truly powerful people, they are nothing more than gold-plated playthings.

The real top-level resource exchanges take place in more secretive places.

Zhou Wei walked to the window, her back to them: "Mr. Zhao will take you to the Waldorf tonight. Remember, you're just decorations, there to add to the atmosphere. But..."

She turned around, her gaze sweeping over every young face.

"If you're lucky enough to catch the eye of some big shot and get a private chat with him, that's your good fortune. If he has some resources and points you in the right direction, it'll be enough for your family to live off for ten years."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened again.

Zhao Mingkai's secretary, Lisa, entered, followed by four assistants, each pushing a mobile clothes rack filled with evening gowns.

"Sister Vivi," Lisa nodded to Zhou Wei, her tone polite but not humble, "the clothes have arrived and have been altered to fit all the ladies' sizes. The car will arrive promptly at six o'clock."

Zhou Wei hummed in agreement and walked over to examine the clothes rack.

Champagne, hazy blue, pearl white... all are elegant and sophisticated colors, with a conservative yet subtly sophisticated design.

The neckline isn't too low, but the waistline is extremely cinched; the skirt hem is below the knee, but the slit is just enough to reveal slender calves.

"Miss Chen, please wear this." Zhou Wei pulled out a moon-white, modified cheongsam dress and handed it to her assistant. "Take her to try it on."

Chen Nuo stood up, and the gel was gently peeled off.

In the mirror, her face glowed with a radiant sheen from days of skincare.

There was no trace of makeup, but the eyebrows, eyelashes, and lip color were all just right.

There are so many beautiful women at the film academy. Even when they walk down the street without makeup, passersby will turn around and take a second look.

But that was just a small card.

The real big trucks are something ordinary people never see.

They live in specific circles and only appear in specific situations. Beauty, to a certain degree, becomes a silent power.

It's a grand gift for those in power.

That kind of beauty is incomparable to that of internet celebrities.

Even the prettiest girls from other places always have a bit of an online vibe, or their features are too deliberately sculpted.

The girls in these art schools in Jingjing are different. Their beauty has a natural quality, which is the result of three or more generations of eugenics, plus the temperament cultivated from art since childhood.

When Chen Nuo came out after changing into her cheongsam, Zhou Wei's eyes lit up.

"Turn around once."

She did as instructed. The cheongsam clung to every curve of her body, with a slit three centimeters above her knees, revealing glimpses as she moved. The moon-white color made her skin look like the finest mutton-fat jade, and her hair was loosely tied up, with a few wisps falling around her neck.

"Okay." Zhou Wei rarely showed a smile. "Remember, talk less. Men hate noisy women the most."

The other girls also changed their clothes one after another.

The five girls stood in a row, like dolls waiting to be sold in a shop window.

Beautiful, quiet, and gentle.

In this game, physical health is the most basic asset, and cleanliness is the minimum requirement.

As for dignity?

That's something only rich people can talk about.

At 6:00 AM sharp, six black Bentleys drove into the front yard of the villa.

The girls boarded the bus one by one, each in their own bus.

This is the rule, to prevent them from conspiring on the road. Chen Nuo got into the second car. The driver was a silent middle-aged man. The partition was raised, and the back seat became a closed space.

She gazed at the night view of the East Third Ring Road flashing past the window, her fingers unconsciously stroking the pearl bracelet on her wrist. It was a gift from her mother, not worth much money, but it always made her feel at ease whenever she wore it.

My father's phone rang again last night: "Nono, Fang Jingxiu, the only son of the Fang family, is 29 years old and the youngest deputy director in the Jingjing Development and Reform Commission. He wears a pinky ring and is a staunch bachelor. This kind of man is the most difficult to deal with, but also the most stable. He doesn't fall in love easily, but once he does, he won't let go easily."

"What should I do?"

"Don't do anything," Chen Jianguo said calmly. "Let him choose you. But you have to give him a reason to choose you."

We have arrived at our destination.

The moment her high heels touched the ground, Chen Nuo looked up, a gentle and graceful smile already on her face.

Not a bit more, not a bit less, just the right size for an ornament.

Zhao Mingkai and others waited at the door. When they saw them get out of the car, he nodded in satisfaction.

"Follow me, don't wander off," he whispered, turning and entering the banquet hall.

Music, laughter, and the glow of the champagne tower. Chen Nuo followed at the back, his gaze lowered, looking only at the ground three meters ahead.

But she could feel countless eyes on them.

Examined, savored, and valued.

This is the real Jingjing.

Do you want to get to know the wealthy people here by using your social class?

impossible.

Blacksmith need its own hardware.

But hardness alone is not enough.

You need someone to open this door for you.

They were led to a small lounge on one side of the banquet hall for temporary accommodation. The door was ajar, and they could hear noises coming from the main hall outside.

"Young Master Shen is certainly making a grand entrance today."

"I heard that the Fang family member is here too?"

"Fang Jingxiu? Isn't he the one who hates these kinds of occasions the most?"

"Let's give Shen Rongchuan face, they're childhood friends."

Chen Nuo's ears perked up.

Fang Jingxiu.

The name rolled on her tongue three times.