The Guide to Rising to Power: The Ultimate Schemes of a Green Tea Beauty

The car drove smoothly through the night, and Shen Yao was secretly processing the excitement from her brief political discussion with Fang Yunci and reassessing her own knowledge.

A cell phone ring broke the silence inside the car. It was Xie Yunzhou calling.

Shen Yao glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and saw that Xie Yunzhou, who had been keeping a cold face, had his icy expression melt away a little when he saw the caller ID. A faint, gentle smile even appeared on his lips.

He answered the phone, his voice still deep, but less cold and hard than usual: "What?"

A clear, slightly coquettish female voice came from the other end of the phone, and you could vaguely hear words like "piano," "it's so hard," and "Mom and Dad."

Xie Yunzhou listened quietly, occasionally humming in agreement, before finally saying, "I understand, I'll go back in a few days."

Shen Yao immediately perked up her ears.

She gleaned a crucial piece of information: Xie Yunzhou had a younger sister, and they seemed to have a very good relationship. This seemingly aloof man also had a soft side.

As she listened, the smugness that had just risen in Shen Yao's heart deflated rapidly like a punctured balloon.

piano?

She suddenly realized an extremely serious problem that she had ignored for a long time!

She, Shen Yao, is a woman who is confident in her beauty and ambitious, wanting to climb the social ladder. Singing, dancing, playing the piano, painting... she can't do any of the so-called "socialite" talents required!

For the past six months, she has devoted all her energy to skincare, makeup, fashion, dieting, and cramming, completely forgetting that in truly elite circles, a pretty face and a bit of cleverness are far from enough. True elegance and depth are often manifested and cultivated through these talents.

What if someone asks her to perform something to liven things up in the future? Is she supposed to say, "I'll perform washing dishes" or "I'm good at picking up rich guys"?

Just thinking about that scene made Shen Yao feel a wave of fear and embarrassment. Was her current image somewhat dull and thin in the eyes of someone like Fang Yunci? Like a beautifully packaged gift box, only to find it empty inside.

This realization sent a chill down her spine. She had to catch up! Immediately! Right now!

Her heart was in turmoil, but she maintained a calm demeanor on the surface, even displaying the polite avoidance one would show when talking to someone else's siblings on the phone.

As the car approached Shanghai University, Shen Yao spoke up softly, "Mr. Fang, Mr. Xie, could you please stop at the intersection ahead? I'll walk in without taking up any more of your time."

If this obviously expensive car is left parked downstairs in the dormitory and seen by classmates, who knows how many rumors will spread and cause trouble.

Fang Yunci glanced at her, his eyes filled with understanding, as if he understood her concerns. He smiled slightly and said, "Okay." He then gestured for the driver to stop on the side of the road some distance from the school gate.

After the car came to a stop, Shen Yao was about to thank him and get out when Fang Yunci did something unexpected. He took off his well-made suit jacket and handed it to her.

Shen Yao was taken aback and looked at him with some confusion.

"It's cold outside, you're dressed too lightly," Fang Yunci said gently. "Put this on."

Shen Yao hesitated for a moment, then took the coat, which still carried his body heat and a faint woody scent; it felt delicate and expensive to the touch. She asked softly, "Then, how do I return it to you?"

Fang Yunci looked at her, a meaningful smile playing on his lips: "I'll be going back to the capital in a couple of days. It's just a piece of clothing, don't worry about returning it. If we meet again someday, we'll talk about it then."

Shen Yao understood, and she said softly, "Thank you, Mr. Fang."

To her even greater surprise, Xie Yunzhou, who had been silent all along, spoke up for the first time before she got out of the car. His voice was still cold, but less distant than before: "Thank you for today."

Although it's only four words, it's already rare to hear them from him.

Shen Yao glanced at him, flattered, and quickly said, "Mr. Xie, you're too kind. It's nothing." Then she bowed slightly to the two of them, "Mr. Fang, Mr. Xie, goodbye. Take care on your journey."

She got out of the car and stood in the cold night wind, watching the black sedan silently glide into the traffic and disappear into the night.

Shen Yao wrapped the expensive men's suit jacket tighter around her. The crisp woody scent of the jacket lingered in her nostrils, but it did nothing to dispel the restlessness in her heart.

The walk back to the dormitory wasn't long, but she felt her steps were unusually heavy.

There's so much to do! Talents—piano, dance, painting…which one doesn't require a huge investment of time and money to quickly master and impress others? And you need to find the best teachers and reach a level that can impress people as quickly as possible. That takes money, a lot of money.

Although she received a considerable amount of pocket money and expensive gifts from Xiang Yuchuan, including an apartment and a car, she spent most of it on maintaining her beauty, buying clothes, and daily expenses, leaving her with very little. If she were to systematically learn the art of spending money, her savings would quickly become insufficient.

Money! Money! Why does this world need money, something that people both love and hate?

What bothered her more than the economic pressure was Fang Yunci.

This man is like a fog.

All his actions tonight—the parking invitation, the gentle conversation, the seemingly casual probing, the parting gift of clothes—were done perfectly, demonstrating both good manners and conveying a vague sense of goodwill, yet leaving no clear signal whatsoever.

What exactly does he mean?

Did he see through her ambition, find it amusing, and then tease her a little?

Or does he genuinely admire and have some interest in her?

If it's the latter, why didn't he even ask for her contact information? Did he expect her, a girl, to ask for it herself? Or was he certain she would find a way to reach him?

This feeling of being completely controlled by the other party, yet unable to grasp their true intentions, made Shen Yao, who was used to being able to maneuver with ease and even subtly gain the upper hand in front of Xiang Yuchuan, feel extremely uncomfortable and frustrated.

In front of a man as experienced and insightful as him, my little schemes and tricks would be utterly inadequate. It would be like a toddler awkwardly performing in front of an adult, who would likely just watch with a tolerant or even mocking gaze.

How annoying! She couldn't help but kick a pebble on the side of the road.

This feeling of being led by the nose with an uncertain future is absolutely awful.

After her initial frustration subsided, she began to think subconsciously again.

The more this is the case, the more it proves this man's worth!

If she can even win over a man of Fang Yunci's caliber, then that truly proves Shen Yao's worth!

She stopped, took a deep breath of the cold air, and forced herself to calm down.

Don't rush.

You can't rush things with this kind of man.

He has now returned to the capital, which is geographically far away, but it has given her time to prepare.

The most urgent task is to take advantage of the winter break to improve myself, make money, learn new skills, and catch up on my knowledge.