The Vanishing Beauty - Chapter 6 - 1

Chapter 6 - 1

Yu Rui found a job on her own without troubling Liang Cai.

Working as a chairman's assistant, the pay was quite good. She discovered that sometimes relying on others was not as good as relying on oneself; things found by other people might not be to one's liking, but stumbling into a stroke of luck on her own could unexpectedly yield shady willow trees where you least expected them. Moreover, because of Yu Meng, she needed to make a clean break with Liang Cai. If Liang Cai made a phone call to arrange a job for her, there was no guarantee that Yu Meng wouldn't find out.

It would be messy to handle. If she wanted to cut ties, she had to do it completely and cleanly.

Yu Rui gave Liang Cai a heads-up. Liang Cai didn't say much. Yu Rui proactively deleted his contact information, changed into a suit, and started fresh.

Yu Shuang brought back an eldest niece to raise. Yu Rui moved out of her place and rented a small apartment not far from the company. She began making a living once more, taking the pursuit of love along the way.

After entering the company, Yu Rui found three things very interesting. First, regarding her position. She wasn't actually a proper assistant, but rather an assistant's assistant. She couldn't get to see the chairman's face at all.

She only knew his name was Han Guang. How he made his fortune was not quite clear, and he seemed to have "mothers-in-law" standing above him, though not many. The group was involved in multiple fields such as medical health, cultural entertainment, and financial securities. Her direct supervisor was named Ye Cha, male, only a few years older than her, and was Han Guang's assistant—parenthesis, one of them. It was rumored that there were other assistants in other offices. Ye Cha's primary task was to help Chairman Han draft texts and documents, ranging from large documents and contracts down to public relations posts for WeChat Moments; he was responsible for all of it. Ye Cha was often so busy he was running around in a frantic blur. After familiarizing herself with the environment for several days, Yu Rui didn't know Ye Cha's educational background, past experiences, or emotional status. And she didn't ask. These were the rules. Her name was now Alice. Once inside the company, everyone had an English name.

Secondly, she discovered that Bai Yuankai happened to be in the same building as her. Every day, they used the same elevator and went to one of the few restaurants in the building to eat lunch. Just two days after starting work, she had run into him once in the lobby on the first floor. She greeted him confidently. He smiled in return and asked about her situation. She answered truthfully.

For some reason, having found the job herself, even though her position wasn't high, Yu Rui felt an unprecedented sense of justification and confidence. The fact that she could work in the same building as him meant she had taken a step forward.

Very good. Take it slow.

The little spark of fire in Yu Rui's heart burned up again. There was a chance, she told herself. Yes, she was saying goodbye to the past; she was Alice.

The third interesting thing was related to her work content. She often needed to go borrow clothes, evening gowns, and suits. She discovered that it was precisely because of this task that Ye Cha had persuaded the boss to hire her—Ye Cha didn't understand women's attire, and it was said that every time he borrowed clothes, the person wearing them was dissatisfied. What surprised Yu Rui even more was that the person wearing the clothes was named Weng Yue, whom everyone called Sister Weng. Could this actually be that close friend often mentioned by Sister Meng? It's a small world! Weng Yue didn't bring it up, Yu Rui didn't ask, and she didn't seek verification from Yu Meng either; everything was strictly business. Needless to say, Weng Yue and Han Guang had an unspeakable relationship. The depth was certainly there, but perhaps it wasn't unfathomable.

They were not husband and wife, nor could they be considered friends; they used to be partners, and now belonged to separate companies, both serving as directors and both achieving great success. Although Weng Yue and Han Guang were not in the same league, for a woman to climb to this position could already be considered elite.

Yu Rui also discovered that wealthy people like Weng Yue actually wore rather plain clothes of their own. It wasn't that they weren't expensive, but that their sense of fashion was problematic and hadn't kept pace with the times. However, their demands for borrowed clothes were very high. Fortunately, Yu Rui was an actress by training and had her own unique insights into beauty. She wasn't just an assistant who borrowed clothes; she was also Weng's image consultant. In a stunning turn of events, Weng was actually willing to listen to Alice's opinions.

Under the fine-sounding pretext of "absorbing some new things."

Sometimes Alice suggested that Sister Weng follow Faye Wong's route—not overwhelmingly gorgeous, but possessing an aura; at other times, she suggested she follow Na Ying's route, projecting a strong female personality by grounding her presence with a matching suit; on still other occasions, she suggested that Director Weng take Carina Lau as a reference—showing off her figure wherever appropriate. Lately, Sister Weng had an exceptionally large number of social engagements and events. Her outfits could not be repeated. And so Yu Rui—oh no, Alice—helped her borrow them like a magician.

The membership fee for the clothing rental company was two hundred thousand. Yu Rui was filled with awe. What a treasure trove indeed! Compared to this place, Sister Meng's collection of luxury items paled into insignificance. Taking advantage of this convenience, she wished she could borrow every single piece and try them all on her own body.

Givenchy and Celine went without saying; she liked Celine for its minimalist design and individualistic fashion attitude, and Sister Weng was also suited for Celine, as classic styles never went wrong. Of course, there were also fairy-like gowns from Elie Saab and dresses from Stéphane Roland, while major events were bolstered by Givenchy, occasionally throwing in something a bit different. For instance, during a certain outing, Alice had chosen a fringed chiffon sheer cover-up by Jurgi Persoons for Sister Weng, paired with a leopard-print skirt.

Yu Rui also discovered another detail: Ye Cha had actually started out as Sister Weng's assistant before later assisting Han Guang.

He might very well be a little spy. But Alice didn't care about these things. She went about her work with high spirits and enthusiasm.

As a result, Sister Weng was "brought back to life," shining brilliantly in high society. In the words of other wives, she possessed "simply a star's aura." Mrs. Xin also noticed Weng Yue's change and asked, "What's going on, are you talking to a designer?" Weng Yue feigned profound mystery and replied, "A full belly of poetry and books gives one natural elegance."

Total nonsense!

Yu Meng held this exact view as well. Add one word: absolute nonsense!

She believed that Weng Yue's makeover was due to, first, micro-plastic surgery playing a major role; second, a willingness to spend heavily—Weng Yue had also invited her to that clothing rental center. But Yu Meng felt she didn't have that many social events and didn't need to shell out twenty thousand every year; third, she must have hired a master. Faces could be altered, but a sense of fashion could not be cultivated overnight. When had that Weng Yue ever been able to compete with her, Yu Meng, in terms of fashion sense?

There were plenty of other things Yu Meng was dissatisfied with, too!

Liang Cai was playing missing-in-action. Although he had a valid reason—the imminent leadership transition requiring the coordination of numerous connections—he hadn't brought her along to a single one of those drinking parties and banquets. Nor did he have the time to accompany her.

Fine, the leadership transition was of paramount importance, and Yu Meng understood that, but phone calls and messages should at least exist. Yu Meng felt something was wrong. It didn't look good.

In the past, she was the one who controlled Liang Cai, leaving him unable to resist, but now the scale seemed to be tilting slightly, and he was slipping away from her grasp. Was it that he didn't love her anymore? Probably not. They used to love each other so passionately and lingeringly, a match made in heaven.

Then she would wait.

The beauty salon's business wasn't as booming as it had been right after opening; middle-aged women didn't really take to the American floatation pods. Cryotherapy, in particular, suffered the coldest reception. What on earth were they thinking? These women were already feeling empty and lonely, and yet they wanted to subject them to cryotherapy? People wanted to bask in something warm! Fortunately, old Zhao's wife was holding the fort, so they weren't operating at a loss. Yu Meng suddenly realized that having money alone wasn't enough; one also had to have fame.

Weng Yue's aggressive move this time particularly stimulated her.

Old Weng had actually managed to become the vice chairperson of a district youth organization! Good grief! Yu Meng sighed inwardly—by what virtue or ability did she achieve that? Besides, could she even be considered a youth? You weren't a youth just because you went to Japan for plastic surgery! Upon deeper research, she discovered that Weng Yue was truly striking out in all directions. It wasn't just youth organizations, women's organizations, and business organizations; this organization or that organization—as long as there was a tiny opening, she would squeeze right in, poking holes and drilling through to infiltrate every sphere.

Following closely behind was a growing network of connections. With more avenues and more social scenes, she naturally needed clothes to prop up her facade. She had to put effort into her attire. Thus, her recent improvement in fashion sense was completely logical—it fell under the category of work requirements.

She finally managed to catch a glimpse of Liang Cai. Yu Meng brought up the issue.

Liang Cai neither said yes nor no. Yu Meng knew him well; he never made promises without absolute certainty. But as long as he didn't speak, he would definitely do his utmost.

"Even she can become a vice chairperson," Yu Meng said with indignation. "Why can't I even be a chairperson?"

"It's not as simple as you think."

"There's someone behind her, needless to say."

Liang Cai said, "Do you know how much the person behind her supports the federation with every year?" Yu Meng hurriedly asked how much. Liang Cai held out a hand and gestured a number. Yu Meng blurted out, "Units, tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands?" Liang Cai smiled without answering. Yu Meng gasped in amazement, "Oh my goodness, once people get money they want fame, too. They really want their names to go down in history."

Liang Cai was amused by Yu Meng.

Yu Meng complained again about how rarely they met. Liang Cai said gently, "Understand, bear with it, okay? It's a critical period." If he failed to get elected this time, Liang Cai would have to retire within two years. This was by no means good news.

Liren was heading west to take up his new post, and Yu Meng hosted a table to see him off. She had always felt she owed Sister Jia. Moreover, with everyone present, it would also serve as a deterrent to Liren—Yu Jia had such a massive and steadfast backing, so Di Liren had better weigh things carefully.

The sisters hadn't gathered together in a long time, either. Yu Rui came alone. Meng and Jia asked her about her new job. Yu Rui gave a brief account without mentioning Weng Yue.

Shuang and Kanglong arrived bringing Chun'er along. Seeing an extra child, everyone asked what was going on. When they learned she was Yu Qing's eldest daughter, a wave of deep pity washed over them. Poor little thing.

Yu Meng offered encouragement to Yu Shuang, "This is good, becoming a mother ahead of schedule to get some practical internship." Then she patted Kanglong on the shoulder, "Keep it up!" Kanglong looked awkward. Shuang gave a playful reproof. In reality, Chun'er and Kanglong were like friends, while Shuang acted like the mother to both of them. Chun'er's school had just settled down, and Yu Shuang could already feel how exhausting it was to have a child in the family. Chun'er said she didn't need to be picked up and that taking the bus by herself was no problem. Yet Yu Shuang couldn't rest easy; while she was at work, her mind constantly worried that something might go wrong. In the end, she went to pick her up anyway.

Dropping her off early and picking her up late, a phone call at noon, plus worrying about all aspects of daily life and studies—she felt her life was being chopped up into tiny, isolated pieces by the child. Like the crisscross marks in the character for Shuang in her name. She wasn't happy, but for the time being, she could only grit her teeth and persist.

The meal started. A parting atmosphere was already in the air. Yu Jia wore a blank expression, and no emotions could be read from her. Liren, on the other hand, was in high spirits.

Yuankai arrived midway through and was penalized with three cups of wine. Raising his glass, he offered Di Liren a line of poetry: "I urge you to drink one more cup of wine, westward out of Yangguan there are no old friends."

Liren returned the toast, "If the flying generals of Dragon City are here, never will the barbarian horses cross Yin Mountain!"

Yu Meng chimed in, "I wish you a smooth journey on your scripture-seeking path, safe passage through all eighty-one trials, and an early return!" Her words carried a hidden meaning that only Liren and Yu Jia understood.

The gathering broke up. Yu Rui and Yuankai took the same car since both were returning to the company. Yu Shuang and Kanglong took the child home first. Facing a table of leftover food and dregs, Yu Jia felt desolate inside. Liren was leaving tomorrow, and once parted, she didn't know when they would meet again.

In the prep kitchen, Di Liren and Yu Meng stood talking.

Yu Meng was packing up some tea leaves she had brought; since they weren't finished, she intended to let Yu Jia take them back.

Liren advised her, "That position in the federation—you'd better not go fight for it."

Yu Meng looked at him in astonishment; how did he know about that? A man about to head west had even found out about this; it truly was a small circle. She remained silent. Liren said, "You're my benefactor, which is why I'm telling you this. That seat has already been eyed by someone else, someone with great representation and formidable strength. Don't hit a rock with an egg."

Yu Meng rolled her eyes. "I have representation, too."

"It's not the same."

"Who told you I was going to fight for it?"

"Anyway, I've given you the warning."

"Who said it?" she asked aggressively.

Liren looked troubled. Yu Meng grew impatient, "As a man about to leave, your words are..." She couldn't think of how to describe it, "...your words carry weight. Tell me."

"Old Luan's news," Liren said.

This... damn it all!

Yu Meng burst into loud laughter. "Fine, I know now." Luan Chengyun, oh Luan Chengyun, the phoenix wants to fly high, can a mere pheasant like you stop it? You don't want me to be the chairperson? I'm going to be it all the more!

In an instant, Yu Meng was filled with fighting spirit.

Liren turned and walked out of the prep kitchen. He saw Yu Jia standing there. The husband and wife exchanged a glance. Finally, he still turned his head and walked out the door.

She was left behind by him. Last night, Di Liren had already taken away his luggage, leaving behind a divorce agreement on the table. He said he would keep his word and leave with nothing. Yet Yu Jia had made up her mind not to sign it.