A Glance Across the Red Carpet

If you have ever witnessed a tsunami with your own eyes, then you would know how violently I love you.

Endless and untiring.

Beneath the massive LED screen in the center of Jingzhou City, this line of dialogue was scrolling by, accompanied by the corresponding scene.

A tall girl drenched in rain gazed at the retreating male and female leads with disappointment and pain.

Behind her, the sea surged with towering waves, mirroring the emotions churning in her eyes.

In the distance, the boy held up his jacket to form a small shelter from the rain, the girl curled in his arms as the two ran off laughing together.

The tall girl’s cheeks were wet, whether from rain or from tears, no one could tell.

The scene carried a strong sense of bittersweet Korean-drama tragedy.

Though it was only a short Valentine’s Day romance clip, its production team had won numerous awards.

The visuals were as refined as those of a theatrical release.

The leads were selected from Jingzhou University, handsome men and beautiful women alike.

Their acting was youthful and slightly raw, yet perfectly captured the many flavors of first love.

“Tsk.”

Leaning against the white Porsche’s passenger seat, Qin Huairen let out a scoff after listening to Xu Jianing read aloud “endless and untiring” in a deeply emotional tone.

“Did I wake you?” Xu Jianing asked with a smile as she glanced back at her.

Qin Huairen shook her head.

“I wasn’t asleep.”

She pressed the window button down.

Cold wind rushed in, instantly waking her up.

“Don’t catch a chill.”

Xu Jianing rolled the window back up a little, then reached into the back seat for an insulated bag.

“There’s warm milk and some snacks inside.

Have something to tide you over.”

Qin Huairen bit down on the straw and drank the milk, staring blankly at the long red line of traffic ahead.

After a while, she let out a long breath, as if sighing.

Xu Jianing understood immediately.

“This is the only route to Ruili and Jingzhou University.

There’s no alternative.

We came out early, so traffic won’t be a problem.”

Qin Huairen hummed in response and yawned again.

This was the price of staying up night after night.

She was exhausted, yet couldn’t sleep.

Now she was yawning so hard her eyes watered, as if she were crying.

Xu Jianing felt both distressed and helpless.

“I remember someone once swore she’d never attend any school-organized events before she even graduated.

So why did you agree this time?”

Indeed, Qin Huairen hadn’t planned to come.

The university had sent her three invitation emails in a row, and she hadn’t opened a single one.

Later, however, Old Principal Chen somehow got hold of her new number and called her personally.

In a gruff voice, he asked, “Are you planning to wait until I die before coming.

So we’ll meet at my funeral for the last time?”

She laughed helplessly and apologized at once.

She then cautiously asked about the guest list for the anniversary celebration.

The old principal pierced right through her intentions with a few words.

“You’ve been graduated for so many years.

You two still don’t get along, do you.

Are you really that afraid of seeing her?”

The two of them were like fire and water, constantly at odds.

Everyone at Jingzhou University knew it.

The most outrageous incident was when they got into a fight in the restroom.

There was blood.

Both an ambulance and police cars were called, and even the principal was alarmed.

Now that Old Chen said she was afraid, it was like stabbing her in the lungs.

Qin Huairen smiled gently, her tone light but serious beneath the surface.

“Her.

Which ‘her’ is Old Chen talking about.

I’m someone who dares to sleep in cemeteries.

I’m not afraid of ghosts.

Who could possibly be so impressive as to scare me?”

Old Chen only laughed.

“Then come if you have time.

She might not make it.

I heard she’s attending some roundtable or forum again.”

“The Jinchuan International Economic Roundtable?”

Old Chen responded with a meaningful hum.

“You know quite a lot.”

She immediately realized she’d fallen into his trap, but calmly explained without missing a beat.

“It’s on TV and online every day.

Even stray cats and dogs on the street probably know about it.”

Some people really didn’t behave like proper entrepreneurs.

Their public appearances rivaled celebrities, constantly trending on hot searches.

Qin Huairen hadn’t been back in Jingzhou long.

Every time she saw those three characters, she felt annoyed.

In the end, she buried herself in work, staying up late and pulling all-nighters.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Who would have thought she still couldn’t avoid it.

What if that person attended the anniversary.

She wasn’t afraid of certainty, only of possibility.

She couldn’t afford to be overshadowed.

So she decided to attend the celebration.

She deliberately got off work on time that day and went shopping for clothes.

On the way, she ran into Xu Jianing and was dragged to Ruili.

Ruili was a darling of the fashion world, especially famous for wedding gown design.

It was said that all of Ruili’s fabric materials came from the company’s own plantations.

Their high-end gowns were entirely handcrafted.

The prices were naturally steep, but they were beloved by elite clients.

The director of Ruili even adjusted her schedule to personally take Qin Huairen’s measurements.

The admiration in her eyes was undisguised.

“You have a perfect nine-head-body proportion.

With a figure like this, you could be a model or enter the entertainment industry, whatever you want.

Why hide yourself away in a museum?”

Qin Huairen assumed it was just polite talk, since she was Xu Jianing’s friend.

But when she came to pick up the evening gown today, the director handed her a business card.

It gleamed gold, clearly expensive.

The director lowered her voice.

“This is a big shot in the entertainment industry.”

“Give it back to her for me and say thank you.”

Qin Huairen whispered to Xu Jianing.

Xu Jianing called her silly.

“These are connections and resources.”

Qin Huairen sighed helplessly.

“Do I look like a resource to you?”

Hearing that she was unhappy, Xu Jianing tucked the card into her own pocket.

“Alright, I’ll keep it for you.”

“I’ll hold onto it.”

“……”

Qin Huairen went into the fitting room.

The evening gown was beautiful.

The only problem was that it was hard to manage alone.

She reached behind her back, still just short of the zipper.

She muttered, “I really can’t stand these zip-up designs.

Don’t designers ever think about this.

You can’t even zip it yourself.

Does that mean one person isn’t qualified to wear a gown?”

She twisted her arm until it nearly cramped before finally pulling the zipper up.

She accidentally caught a few strands of hair, cried out in pain, and Xu Jianing hurriedly asked what happened.

“It’s nothing.”

Qin Huairen let out a long breath, drew back the curtain, and stepped out.

Xu Jianing froze on the spot.

Qin Huairen lowered her head to examine herself and walked toward the mirror.

Puzzled, she asked, “What kind of look is that?”

The Qin Huairen in the mirror was breathtakingly beautiful.

Even the director was entranced.

“This gown has your name written all over it.

You completely live up to its splendor and nobility.”

She wore a bright white spaghetti-strap evening gown.

Her shoulders were smooth and luminous like snow.

The half-open neckline accentuated her full curves.

The clever mid-waist tailoring highlighted her slim waist and tall figure.

The dress was adorned with bright circular sequins arranged vertically down to a fishtail hem.

With every step she took, the gown shimmered.

She seemed to glow, drawing every eye.

“It’s gorgeous.

Let me take a photo.”

One of Xu Jianing’s greatest pleasures was taking pictures of Qin Huairen.

Qin Huairen had resisted at first, and still hadn’t quite gotten used to it.

She turned slightly to the side and reminded her, “Just one shot.”

When they left Ruili, Xu Jianing worried about her walking in high heels and gestured for her to link arms.

Qin Huairen lifted her chin and flicked her hair back.

She smoothed the strands blown loose by the wind and smiled with unrestrained confidence.

“This height is nothing.”

After several years, wearing high heels again felt somewhat unfamiliar.

But her competitive nature carried her forward with a swaying, confident elegance.

Near the car, an uneven manhole cover made her ankle wobble.

She twisted it slightly.

Xu Jianing jumped in fright and rushed over.

Qin Huairen waved her off, got into the car, and rubbed her ankle.

Gritting her teeth, she muttered, “Who do you think you are, daring to trip my foot.”

Xu Jianing climbed in after her.

After checking that she was fine, she drove toward Jingzhou University.

This year marked Jingzhou University’s centennial celebration.

The scale was unprecedented, and the grandeur unmatched.

The invited guests were said to be heavyweight figures, elites from all walks of life.

A red carpet stretched from the road entrance all the way to the campus gate.

Mainstream media invited by the school stood on the inside.

Other media who came chasing hot topics waited fairly obediently by the roadside.

On the outermost layer, onlookers stood on tiptoe, watching the Porsche that had just stopped at the intersection.

Qin Huairen declined Xu Jianing’s help.

She pushed the car door open and stepped out.

Cameras gradually turned toward her.

Under the warm winter sun, she stood against the wind.

Her long gown fluttered.

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

Back then, Wen Yuzhi and she had been co-ranked as treasure-level campus beauties.

Wen Yuzhi’s temperament was cool and aloof, crowned the number one cold and abstinent goddess.

Qin Huairen, on the other hand, was a fiery, domineering queen no one dared provoke.

Of course, Wen Yuzhi was the exception.

She opposed Qin Huairen at every turn.

Just thinking of her made Qin Huairen’s teeth itch.

“Here.

Over here.”

The photographers on the outskirts shouted nonstop, afraid the beauty would pass them by too quickly.

They just wanted her to pause for a few more seconds.

The red carpet had been cleared early.

At this moment, she stood alone at its center.

She waved politely and gracefully.

Flashes went off in rapid succession.

Before she even entered the venue, stunning photos had already been posted online and shot up the trending list.

Qin Huairen had been on trending lists many times before.

Back in school, she competed in various contests and won trophies until her hands were full.

But the most sensational moment came the year she graduated.

She disappeared for a year, then reappeared on CCTV’s “Dialogue” interview program.

With her own efforts, she restored a national-treasure bronze Buddha statue that had been shattered into fifty-seven pieces.

The restoration was so precise that even machines couldn’t detect the repair marks.

That year, the entire country learned the name Qin Huairen.

She became associated with cultural relics and was called a “doctor of relics.”

After that, she vanished again.

Media outlets eager to interview her kept calling, but no one ever answered.

Several years later, she reappeared as a heavyweight guest at Jingzhou University’s anniversary celebration.

Compared to her refined and understated look during the CCTV interview, she was like a completely different person now.

Watching through the car window, Xu Jianing felt dazed.

It was as if the fiery, flamboyant Qin Huairen from their campus days had returned.

Yet something was different.

Now she wore an evening gown, dignified and elegant, charming and exquisite, impossible to look away from.

In the parking area to the right, many luxury cars were parked.

Among them was a globally limited-edition Rolls-Royce sports car.

Its window slowly rolled down, revealing the beautiful profile of the woman in the passenger seat.

She had been slightly tilting her head for a while now, unmoving, gazing toward the red carpet.

Secretary Yan Qing glanced at her watch several times and reminded her softly.

“President Wen, it’s time.

We should go.”

Wind poured in through the window, dispersing the warmth inside the car.

Wen Yuzhi’s expression was cool and detached.

When the wind rose, the strands by her temples fluttered.

When it settled, they fell against her slender shoulders.

She looked like a scene from a film.

On the red carpet in the distance, the beauty was photographed again and again.

Qin Huairen seemed in a good mood.

She cooperated with the photographers’ pose requests as much as she could.

As for questions, she answered whatever she was able to answer.

The distance was too far.

Inside the car, they could only catch fragments.

“She seems to have mellowed a bit.”

Wen Yuzhi’s voice drifted over lightly.

Yan Qing thought she was talking to herself and didn’t respond.

The next second, Wen Yuzhi turned her gaze back, her eyes sharp and cold.

Yan Qing’s survival instinct spiked.

She quickly said, “Well, she’s under the cameras after all.

She’s always been clear-headed and rational.

She rarely loses her temper, unless…”

“Unless what?”

As Wen Yuzhi asked, an uproar suddenly erupted on the red carpet.

It sounded like an argument.

“I’ll say it one more time.

If you’re curious about Wen Yuzhi, go ask her yourself.”

Qin Huairen was still smiling, but anyone could see the gleaming blade hidden in that smile.

The reporter holding the microphone was trembling slightly.

Qin Huairen pressed down on his camera again and again, enunciating each word.

“Whoever asks anything related to Wen Yuzhi again, I will lose my temper.”

Before long, a young male reporter shouted recklessly from the back.

“I heard you’ve known each other for a long time.

Back in high school, you stole Wen Yuzhi’s first-love boyfriend, and that’s how you fell out.”

Almost everyone present heard it.

Qin Huairen kept smiling and beckoned to the reporter.

The reporter, blocked by security, broke free and excitedly pushed forward, shouting for people to move aside.

The crowd watched him.

Yan Qing muttered, “He’s doomed.”

At this moment, Qin Huairen leaned forward slightly.

Her jet-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall.

Her pale fingers looked slender and bony, yet were full of strength.

She grabbed the reporter’s camera tightly.

Dazzled by her smile, he became even bolder.

“I also heard you’re actually homosexual.

You liked Wen Yuzhi, so you stole her boyfriend.”

“First, I don’t like Wen Yuzhi.

Second, I’m not homosexual.”

Her order of rejection was rather unique.

Yan Qing pressed her lips together.

Sure enough, drawing a clear line with President Wen mattered more than clarifying sexual orientation.

“But you are homosexual, I have…”

“I said I’m not.

If you keep spreading rumors, I won’t be polite.”

“Actually, liking Wen Yuzhi is…”

The next second, the reporter cried out.

His camera was nearly torn from his hands.

Qin Huairen’s eyes were razor-sharp.

“Say that again.”

The reporter clutched his equipment to his chest.

Surrounded by onlookers, he lost face and argued back, red-faced and thick-necked.

“So what if I say it.

You’re a homosexual.

You like Wen Yuzhi but can’t get her, so…”

The camera was yanked away and smashed hard onto the ground.

Not only were the spectators stunned, the reporter himself hadn’t expected Qin Huairen to be so strong.

Before he could even react, other photographers had already pinned him down.

Security took him away.

At the same time, the university announced new arrangements.

All uninvited media were to leave immediately and were forbidden from approaching the red carpet again.

Complaints were inevitable.

One person said, “Who is that idiot.

We weren’t invited to begin with.

The school not driving us away earlier was already generous.”

Another said, “He must be sick.

This is Jingzhou University’s first time opening its anniversary to the public.

Such great traffic, and he smashed our rice bowl.”

Someone else looked back regretfully and sighed.

“After so many years, Qin Huairen has changed so much.

I photographed her before.

Now she’s even more captivating.

By the way… do you think she really is that?”

In the end, the conversation drifted to gossip.

After all, the person being questioned was Wen Yuzhi.

She was the executive president of Huaxin Group.

Huaxin Group itself, with its absurdly generous compensation, was already a hot topic.

Rumors also claimed Wen Yuzhi was a second-generation rich from the Jingzhou elite circle.

A future heir to a conglomerate.

That was the real reason no one dared provoke her.

Hot searches updated quickly as well.

Qin Huairen acting like a diva.

Bad temper.

Poor character.

Smashing equipment.

Suggestions that the museum fire her.

The comments were all over the place.

Inside the car, Wen Yuzhi scrolled through her phone and suddenly asked, “What did you mean earlier by ‘unless’?”

Yan Qing muttered softly, “Unless… it’s related to you, President Wen.”

Yan Qing had witnessed their feud from beginning to end.

She had known both Wen Yuzhi and Qin Huairen since childhood.

She accompanied Wen Yuzhi to school and back every day.

In university, she was Wen Yuzhi’s roommate.

After graduation, she became her secretary directly.

Everyone in the company knew that only Secretary Yan dared speak loudly to President Wen.

Even if President Wen was displeased, Yan Qing would still say what needed to be said.

Of course, Wen Yuzhi also had forbidden zones.

Others didn’t know, but Yan Qing did.

There were things she couldn’t touch lightly.

For example, that person’s name.

Qin Huairen.

No one was allowed to mention it.

Including Wen Yuzhi herself.

Upon hearing that Qin Huairen would attend the anniversary today, President Wen, who had planned not to attend at all, sped over from her own venue.

Yan Qing didn’t know why.

After smashing the camera, Qin Huairen’s red carpet moment ended early.

She followed the greeters into the campus.

After sending a message, Wen Yuzhi tossed her phone aside and said lightly, “Let’s go.”

The Rolls-Royce sports car shot out of the parking area and headed toward the city.

Xu Jianing waited at a red light.

The moment it turned green, a luxury car sped past.

For a fleeting second, she thought she saw a familiar face.

Wen Yuzhi?

She messaged Qin Huairen to ask about the situation inside.

She wanted to ask about the camera-smashing incident, but didn’t dare.

Don’t be fooled by Qin Huairen’s usual cheerful demeanor.

When she turned cold, she spared no one’s face.

Qin Huairen replied.

“It’s fine inside.”

Xu Jianing had just thought she seemed in a good mood.

Less than three seconds later, another message came.

“That b*tch didn’t come.

At least she knows better.”

Looks like her mood wasn’t great after all.

Being accused of being homosexual was already infuriating for someone straight as an arrow.

And having the supposed object of affection be her nemesis Wen Yuzhi.

That wasn’t just adding fuel to the fire.

It was dropping a nuclear bomb straight into it.

Even Xu Jianing felt angry hearing it.

In truth, Qin Huairen was doing fine.

That little incident didn’t affect her at all.

Professors and alumni weren’t looking at hot searches.

They chatted with her warmly.

At least on the surface, everything was cordial.

Soon it was time to enter the venue.

She was especially favored.

Her seat was beside Old Chen.

The seat on her left was empty.

She didn’t even need to look to know it had probably been reserved for Wen Yuzhi.

Old Chen began speaking.

Then the professors.

Then the student representatives.

Unlike other universities’ anniversary celebrations, which leaned toward entertainment, Jingzhou University’s celebrations always presented new academic discoveries.

This centennial celebration even announced major medical research results.

That was why so many media outlets were eager to attend.

She was one of the student representatives speaking today.

She had been chosen because of her unique method of restoring cultural relics.

At this moment, Qin Huairen sat in the audience.

Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the seat labeled “Wen Yuzhi” beside her.

The last time they’d been arranged like this was at graduation.

They had been seated beside Old Chen as outstanding graduates for photos.

Being photographed beside the academic giant Old Chen was itself an honor.

Qin Huairen had fought with all her strength for that spot.

That time, Wen Yuzhi hadn’t shown up.

Looking back, during their school years, they represented the university together in competitions.

But at award ceremonies, it was always Qin Huairen alone.

Wen Yuzhi’s seat was always empty.

Some said Wen Yuzhi didn’t cherish the opportunity.

Others said she was disrespectful.

Qin Huairen only felt that it was better this way.

Seeing Wen Yuzhi annoyed her.

Soon, it was her turn to go on stage.

She spoke without notes and avoided official jargon.

She tried to explain cultural relic restoration in simple, accessible language.

To her, relics were full of life.

The restoration process was a dialogue with history.

So restoration was destined to be more than fixing damage.

It was about preserving the marks of time.

She concluded.

“If anyone has questions, you may ask them now.

But let me say it once more.

Questions related to Wen Yuzhi, please ask her in person.”

The venue fell into sudden silence.

Clearly, most of the students had already seen the trending news.

Her act of smashing the camera was stylish, but fierce.

For a moment, no one dared raise a hand.

As Qin Huairen was about to step down, a female student raised her hand.

She said, “There’s still a story circulating at school about you and Senior Wen joining forces to win the global mathematics competition gold medal for China.

Some say academic excellence depends on talent.

Others say hard work can make up for it.

Senior, which do you think is more important, talent or effort?”

Wen Yuzhi was mentioned, but the focus was on effort.

Qin Huairen thought seriously for a few seconds and gave an answer she had contemplated countless times.

Talent is certainly important.

But effort acquired later is also important.

Those with talent need only leap lightly to pass the Dragon Gate.

But small fish who work hard and refuse to give up can also leap with all their might.

If one leap fails, then leap again.

“If you have a clear goal in your heart, and it is something you must achieve, then you can endure pain that ordinary people cannot endure…”

She spoke more today than she had in the past month.

Coupled with days of insomnia, by the time she stepped down and followed Old Chen toward the dining hall, she had no energy left to talk.

The surrounding noise was deafening.

Qin Huairen suddenly realized she had long grown accustomed to solitude.

She preferred being with silent relics.

She was now a little unaccustomed to, or perhaps no longer liked, lively crowds.

“Old Chen, I’m going to the restroom.”

She briefly withdrew from the clamor.

In the stall, she rubbed her temples and exhaled softly, muttering to herself.

“As expected, it’s just noise upon noise.

Next time, I really won’t come even if it kills me.”

When she came out and turned toward the sink, she froze.

In the mirror was that all-too-familiar face.

Yet it was more dazzling and radiant than ever before.

Their gazes collided in the mirror.

Neither looked away.

This had always been their way after years of confrontation.

Neither would yield first.

Qin Huairen’s phone vibrated inside her clutch.

She indifferently withdrew her gaze and walked toward the door.

But Wen Yuzhi stepped in front of her first.

Long overdue, the two stood face to face again.

Qin Huairen was still half a head shorter.

She tilted her chin up slightly, her presence undiminished.

“Move.”

Wen Yuzhi suddenly raised her hand.

Qin Huairen didn’t understand why.

She instinctively knocked the arm away, her tone unfriendly.

“Wen Yuzhi, don’t provoke me.”

Wen Yuzhi only said calmly, “Your earring fell off.”

Qin Huairen touched her ear.

The earring was indeed gone.

Wen Yuzhi opened her palm.

The aqua-blue ocean earring lay quietly in her pink palm.

“I’ll help you put it on.”

Wen Yuzhi raised her hand again.

When her fingertips touched Qin Huairen’s earlobe, Qin Huairen tensed up, her whole body resisting.

Qin Huairen frowned and snatched the earring back, then walked away.

Warmth from the soft palm lingered on her fingertips.

She muttered irritably under her breath.

“Psycho.”

Wen Yuzhi stood rooted in place.

She lowered her head and looked at the lifeline that had been brushed by those slightly cool fingertips.

It was broken yet stretched to her wrist.

She slowly closed her palm and gently clenched it, as if holding onto the warmth that had yet to fade.

Qin Huairen didn’t head straight to the dining hall.

She went out to the balcony to feel the cool breeze.

As the uncomfortable heat dissipated, she also finished reading the information Xu Jianing had sent her.

So that male reporter had once been an intern at Huaxin Group.

Qin Huairen sneered.

Oh.

So it was related to Wen Yuzhi.

No wonder.

They hadn’t seen each other for years.

She’d thought they would never meet again in this lifetime.

Now that they had, Wen Yuzhi still had to make things difficult.

When Qin Huairen returned to her seat, she found that Wen Yuzhi was already seated.

Right beside her.

Many people were chatting with her.

For a moment, Qin Huairen had a headache and wanted to leave.

But the red carpet and restroom incidents still left her displeased.

And Old Chen had noticed her and waved.

“Xiao Qin, over here.”

Everyone looked at her.

Including Wen Yuzhi.

More people were watching the two of them together.

Once the two top academic goddesses of campus.

More importantly, their relationship.

Once at odds like fire and water.

Now seated together again.

It was destined to be an unsettled night.

They stood before each other once more.

Wen Yuzhi took the initiative to extend her hand.

Her tone was as cool as ever, yet with a touch of gentleness.

“A-Ren, long time no see.”