Is my roommate a caged bird? I'm stealing her away.

Lin Xiao seemed to be slowly and deliberately eating fruit, the clinking of the fork against the glass bowl was very soft.

Zhou Suisui quickly grabbed her phone from the bedside table, unlocked it, and opened the camera. She didn't turn on the flash or the sound. Then she walked to the door and looked out through the crack.

Lin Xiao, with her back to her, was putting the empty fruit box into the sink. Morning light streamed in through the French windows, and her off-white knitted suit shimmered softly in the light.

Right now.

Zhou Suisui held her breath, raised her phone, and aimed the camera at Lin Xiao's back. She carefully adjusted the angle to ensure that she could capture the outline and details of the entire outfit.

She pressed the shutter button three or four times in a row, her fingertips trembling slightly with nervousness.

Lin Xiao seemed completely oblivious. She washed her hands, dried them with a paper towel, then picked up the off-white cashmere cardigan draped over the back of the chair and put it on. Her movements were fluid and natural, without the slightest pause.

Zhou Suisui quickly retreated into the room and gently closed the door. Leaning against the door, she looked down at her phone screen.

The photo is very clear. Although it's just a back view, the texture and cut of the clothes, and even the overall expensive feel, are all captured perfectly.

She zoomed in on the photo, carefully examining the inside of the collar. There was no obvious brand label showing. She then checked the cuffs and hem, but found nothing there either.

It should be the kind of brand that sews its logo in an extremely discreet location; the more understated it is, the more expensive it tends to be.

Zhou Suisui stared at the photo, her mind racing. In college, because of her good looks, she was often asked out shopping by boys, and she also hung out with her "plastic besties" for a while. She was quite familiar with the common affordable luxury brands on the market, and even some of the secondary lines of top brands.

But she had no recollection of this outfit.

It wasn't a brand she was familiar with.

This means that it might belong to another class, a world she had only heard of before but had never actually experienced.

That bittersweet, burning sensation in my chest surged up again.

It wasn't jealousy, but more like... the anxiety of being isolated outside the glass wall.

She could see the prosperity within the walls, but she couldn't touch it or enter it. And Lin Xiao stood inside the walls, wearing clothes whose names she didn't even know, using a face cream whose price she dared not even think about.

She needs an answer.

Zhou Suisui opened WeChat and quickly swiped through her contacts. Finally, her finger stopped on a name: Liu Weiwei.

My college roommate was a prime example of a superficial friendship. She came from a well-off family, loved shopping and showing off, knew all the luxury brands, and her greatest pleasure was crushing other people's taste.

The relationship between Zhou Suisui and her has always been delicate. They look down on each other, but maintain a superficial warmth because they both need each other's help sometimes.

The last time they contacted each other was two months ago, when Liu Weiwei posted a picture of her newly bought bag on her WeChat Moments, and Zhou Suisui casually gave it a like.

Now, she needs someone's help.

Zhou Suisui opened the chat box and hesitated for a second. She couldn't ask directly; that would make her look too timid and give Liu Weiwei something to laugh at.

She needs to try a different approach.

She chose the clearest photo of his back and sent it. Then she typed:

[Weiwei, are you there? Can you help me take a look at this outfit? My distant cousin wore it and insists it's from some niche designer brand. I feel like I've seen it somewhere before, but I can't quite place it. You have a sharp eye, can you help me identify it?]

send.

Every second spent waiting for a reply felt incredibly long. Zhou Suisui stared at her phone screen, her fingertips unconsciously picking at the edge of the phone case.

About five minutes later, the screen lit up.

Liu Weiwei: [Is this your cousin?]

Zhou Suisui: [Hmm, what's wrong?]

Liu Weiwei: [Your cousin is doing pretty well.]

Zhou Suisui's heart skipped a beat. She typed: [What does this mean?]

This time, Liu Weiwei sent a voice message directly. Zhou Suisui opened it and held the phone to her ear.

Liu Weiwei's voice carried her usual condescending surprise: "Zhou Suisui, is your cousin genuinely being low-key or just showing off? This outfit... just this one, not counting accessories, conservatively speaking, starts at 60,000 yuan. And it's most likely not from a domestic boutique; you'd have to be a VIP to get it in advance."

Sixty thousand.

Get started.

Zhou Suisui stopped breathing.

She mechanically put down her phone, her gaze returning to the photo. The off-white knitted suit looked so soft, so harmless, like a glass of warm milk in the morning.

Sixty thousand.

That was the total cost of her four years of university tuition.

That's her salary for half a year if she doesn't eat or drink.

It's almost twenty times the price of that 3,200 yuan velvet dress she gritted her teeth and bought yesterday.

No, that's not right. Liu Weiwei said "starting at 60,000." If accessories are included, and if they are purchased from overseas boutiques or VIP channels, the price could be even higher.

A cold, sharp chill shot up from the soles of my feet and instantly swept over my entire body.

She had initially thought that Chen Boxu's offer to Lin Xiao would be a bag, face cream, or the rent paid in full. That was enough to shock her and ignite her ambition.

But now she realizes that those may only be the tip of the iceberg.

The real price tag is for everyday clothes that she doesn't even recognize the brands of, yet cost her more than half a year's salary. It's for having someone pick her up and take care of her hair just by casually saying "It's time for a haircut."

It's about having the power to deliver the latest seasonal styles with just one phone call, and to ensure the colors "suit you."

As for Zhou Suisui, yesterday she was still agonizing over a dress that cost 3,200 yuan, still planning how to make an appearance at a business cocktail party, and still secretly comparing herself and Lin Xiao to see who was prettier and more worthy.

How ridiculous.

It's like someone holding toy chips who has mistakenly entered a real casino, still basking in the glory of their plastic chips.

A slight noise came from the living room. Zhou Suisui snapped out of her daze and heard Lin Xiao walking around, followed by the sound of the door being opened and then gently closed.

Lin Xiao went out.

The apartment fell completely silent.

Zhou Suisui slowly walked back to the bedside and sat down. Her phone screen was still lit; Liu Weiwei had sent two more messages:

[But your cousin has a great figure; she looks quite elegant in this outfit.]

[What, you want to buy it too? I advise you to forget it; this brand is beyond our budget. Just look at it and move on.]

Zhou Suisui stared at the two lines of text, her fingers slowly tightening until her knuckles turned white.

Just take a look.

Liu Weiwei is right. With her current spending power, she doesn't even have the luxury of looking at it. She can only find out what it is by secretly taking pictures and asking others.

She needs money.

No, what she needs isn't money, but someone who can easily offer that price.

He is a person like Chen Boxu.

The man's cold, scrutinizing gaze from last night was now vividly clear in my mind.

His light amber eyes, like precision instruments, could instantly calculate the value of an item.

In his eyes, she last night, like this 60,000 yuan knitwear, probably had a clear price tag.

However, her price tag was too low, so low that he didn't even have the interest to take a second look.

Zhou Suisui stood up, walked to the wardrobe, and opened the door. The burgundy velvet dress hadn't arrived yet, but her gaze had already passed over it, looking further into the distance.

The 3,200 yuan dress was just a stepping stone.

She wasn't going to enter a typical business cocktail party.

What she wanted to enter was the world behind that glass wall. A world that could make someone like Liu Weiwei exclaim in amazement. A world that could make Lin Xiao, wearing a 60,000 yuan outfit, go out for a haircut with a blank expression.

My phone vibrated again.

It was a message from senior Wang: [Sui Sui, I've sent you the address of the party. It's Friday night at 7 PM, don't be late. Remember to dress nicely, there are some important people tonight.]

Zhou Suisui clicked on the message and looked at the name and address of the five-star hotel.

Then, she logged out, opened her chat window with Liu Weiwei, and typed:

[Thanks, Vivi. By the way, could you give me the WeChat ID for that boutique you mentioned you frequent? I'd like to see if they have any accessories that would suit me.]

send.

She needs information, she needs channels, she needs everything that can make her look more valuable.

Even if it only appears that way.

A knock came at the door; it was the deliveryman.

Zhou Suisui took a deep breath and went to open the door. Outside, the deliveryman handed her a beautifully packaged cardboard box.

She took it, closed the door, and opened it.

Wine-red velvet fabric spilled out of the box, soft and heavy to the touch, shimmering subtly in the indoor light. She took it out, unfolded it, and held it up against the dressing mirror.

The girl in the mirror had a beautiful face and a slender figure. The red dress made her skin look as white as snow, and the ambition in her eyes, set against the velvet, also revealed a touch of incongruous allure.

Very beautiful.

But not enough.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Zhou Suisui slowly raised her hand, her fingertips tracing the delicate velvet surface.

What she needs is not a dress.

It was an opportunity, a chance for her to stand before Chen Bo or a man of his level and have them reassess her.

Friday's cocktail party was her first testing ground.

She wanted to make this 3,200 yuan dress look like it cost 60,000 yuan.

Then, let the people of that world see her.