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

Lin Xiao sat in the salon's soft leather chair, watching herself being trimmed layer by layer in the mirror.

The hairstylist's fingers were very light, the snips of the scissors were fine and rhythmic, and the newly cut layers made her face look smaller.

"Ms. Lin, this length is perfect," the hairstylist said gently, "It really suits your temperament."

Lin Xiao's eyelashes trembled slightly. She looked at her pale face in the mirror. Chen Boxu had said the same thing the last time he touched her.

"Thank you," she heard herself say softly.

The mirror reflected the light from the overhead light, and she suddenly remembered last night. Chen Boxu was sitting on her sofa when Zhou Suisui pushed open the door and her amber eyes instantly lit up—how ​​vivid and lively they were.

But Chen Boxu didn't even glance at her.

This feels so good.

What's the use of being beautiful?

cheap.

Lin Xiao's fingertips tapped unconsciously. She remembered that morning when Zhou Suisui stood in the living room, looking at her in that off-white knit sweater, and the almost burning jealousy in her eyes.

That's something she could only earn by working herself to the bone for half a year, without eating or drinking.

This thought gave her a chilling sense of pleasure.

It was the right thing to let her move in. Watching Zhou Suisui carefully conceal her envy and clumsily imitate her manners in front of him every day was a pleasure in itself.

It's like watching a one-woman show performed just for her.

In Lin Xiao's eyes, Zhou Suisui's perfectly timed exclamations and envious glances were the most valuable tickets to this performance.

What price did she pay for this?

It was just that jar of face cream in the bathroom, which Zhou Suisui had secretly used most of, and which was insignificant to her. Lin Xiao deliberately placed it in the most conspicuous place, watching the guilty yet eager expression on Zhou Suisui's face as she casually unscrewed the cap and scooped out a small spoonful after each shower.

Consider it a dog appreciation activity.

After all, they put in such a great deal of effort in their performance.

"Alright, Ms. Lin," the hairstylist said.

Lin Xiao opened her eyes. The person in the mirror was more delicate, more fragile, and more like a piece of carefully polished porcelain.

She stood up, and Eva handed her her cashmere cardigan and bag. As Lin Xiao took them, her fingertips gently traced the soft fleece of the cardigan.

"Mr. Chen just called," Eva said calmly, "asking if you've finished cutting your hair."

Lin Xiao put on her cardigan.

"Okay," she said softly, "tell him that's fine."

---

coffee shop.

When Zhou Suisui pushed open the coffee shop door, Liu Weiwei was already waiting there, with an iced Americano in front of her.

"Sister Weiwei." Zhou Suisui sat down, her voice a little hoarse.

Liu Weiwei looked up at her, her brows furrowing slightly: "What's wrong...?"

"I know you're knowledgeable," Zhou Suisui said, lowering her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting together. "That's why I came to find you."

She looked up, her eyes just the right amount of red.

"Sister Weiwei, I often think back to college." Her voice softened, tinged with a sob. "Back then, there were four of us in the dorm. We argued and bickered, but when one of us bought new clothes, we were genuinely happy for the other. Unlike now..."

She paused, as if she was trying to hold back something.

"My current roommate is usually... quite polite to me, but the way she looks at me... really hurt me... About that dress last time, I'm sorry, I lied to you, it wasn't my cousin, it was her."

Liu Weiwei raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"I'm going to a cocktail party on Friday..." Zhou Suisui's voice lowered even further. "I don't know what to wear, what to use, how to speak, or how to smile... Sister Weiwei, you're the most knowledgeable person I know. My parents are just ordinary workers, and what they taught me... isn't enough in this place."

"I don't want to live like this forever." She raised her head, her amber eyes shining with tears. "Sister Weiwei, please teach me, okay? If... if one day I can make something of myself, I will never forget you."

A tear slid down her cheek at just the right moment, and she didn't wipe it away.

She spoke slowly, each word seemingly squeezed out with difficulty from her throat, carrying the awkwardness and sincerity of someone just entering society.

Liu Weiwei looked at her silently.

The light from the café shone from the side, illuminating Zhou Suisui's young and beautiful face. Her eyes were filled with tears, her expression a mixture of resentment, shame, and longing…

Liu Weiwei looked at her once proud roommate bowing her head to her, and she couldn't describe how she felt, except for the joy of winning.

"Alright, stop crying." She pulled out a tissue and pushed it over, her tone softening. "You'll look even worse if your makeup is ruined."

Zhou Suisui took the tissue and whispered, "Thank you, Sister Weiwei."

"First," Liu Weiwei said awkwardly, "show me a picture of the outfit you're planning to wear to the party."

Zhou Suisui quickly pulled up the photo of the red dress.

Liu Weiwei glanced at it, then frowned again: "It's too deliberate. Do you know what truly good products are most afraid of?"

"What?"

"You're afraid people won't know how beautiful you are." Liu Weiwei handed the phone back to her. "Your face is already your trump card, but dressed like this, it's practically written all over your face that you're looking for a sugar daddy."

Zhou Suisui's face turned pale.

"Keep the colors understated, and keep the style simple. Don't have too many accessories, just one is enough, but it has to be genuine." Liu Weiwei opened her shopping cart. "See these pearl earrings? They're small, but the luster is different. No matter how well a fake one imitates it, the luster is lifeless."

Zhou Suisui leaned over to look at the price, and her heart skipped a beat again.

"Also," Liu Weiwei looked at her, "don't initiate conversations at parties. Especially not with men. Just sit quietly, eat and drink as you please. If someone tries to strike up a conversation, just smile and keep quiet. If you talk too much, you'll reveal your hand."

"What if...no one comes?"

"That means you're not my type, so give up now," Liu Weiwei said bluntly. "But with your face, it shouldn't be that bad."

Zhou Suisui bit her lower lip and nodded.

"One last thing," Liu Weiwei stared into her eyes, "don't wear your ambition on your sleeve. Men like beautiful women, but they don't like overly intelligent beautiful women. Especially... the kind of woman who can read their mind at a glance."

Zhou Suisui's fingers tightened under the table.

She thought of Lin Xiao. Lin Xiao never showed any emotion on her face. She was like an exquisite doll, quiet, obedient, always waiting for her master's next command.

Would a woman like that make a man feel safe?

Still find it... boring?

"I understand," she said softly.

Liu Weiwei gave a few more details, and finally said, "That's all I can teach you. The rest is up to your own destiny."

"Thank you, Sister Weiwei," Zhou Suisui said earnestly. "Really."

After leaving the coffee shop, Zhou Suisui did not go home immediately.

She wandered around the mall and finally entered a boutique specializing in accessible luxury jewelry. The lights in the glass display cases were bright, making every item sparkle.

She took a fancy to a pair of small pearl earrings. The price was half a month's salary for her. If she actually bought them, she couldn't even imagine how she would live afterward.

The sales assistant took out the earrings for her to try on. The moment the cool metal touched her earlobe, Zhou Suisui looked at herself in the mirror. It was still the same face, but something was different.

That tiny glimmer of light was like a silent declaration.

She thought of Lin Xiao's face.

Thinking of her indifferent gaze.

We cannot lose.

She gritted her teeth and swiped her card.

The sales assistant placed the earrings into a small, dark blue velvet pouch, and then put them into an elegant brand-name paper bag. Zhou Suisui's fingers trembled slightly as she took them.

It wasn't for these earrings.

It was for the first step she was about to take.