(The female lead is money-hungry and loves wealth. She has her flaws; she wants to save face but also wants the money—she is a walking contradiction. I originally wanted to write a perfectly kind and beautiful female lead, but I realized I’m just not that kind of person.)
First, there is no "third party" drama; the male lead does not have a girlfriend or a wife.
Second, Lin Xiao subjected Zhou Suisui to soft bullying for over three months, so the female lead has been influenced by her environment. My stories don't feature hatred without a cause.
Third, the male lead is the one who actively seeks out the female lead, not the other way around. At the beginning, she had no intention of getting close to him.
---
The bathroom mirror was clouded with steam. Zhou Suisui wiped it clear with her palm.
In the reflection, her damp hair clung to the side of her neck, and droplets of water slid down her collarbone into the opening of her bathrobe. She stared at her face for ten seconds—her eyebrows needed shaping, but that could wait until tomorrow. Then, she unscrewed the jar of face cream Lin Xiao had left on the vanity.
It was a milky white paste. She scooped out a tiny dollop and rubbed it warm in her palms. The scent was unique; it smelled expensive. She had looked it up—this single jar cost as much as three months of her salary as an intern.
Using her fingertips, she pressed the cream evenly into her skin. The texture was delicate and silky. Suisui closed her eyes, feeling the expensive barrier slowly seep into her pores. This was a small habit she had picked up during her third month of living here: whenever Lin Xiao went out or fell asleep, she would use a little bit.
It wasn't exactly stealing. She only took a tiny amount each time, and Lin Xiao never seemed to notice. The jar always sat in the same spot, and the level of the cream dropped at a rate so slow it was almost imperceptible.
After finishing her skincare, she studied herself in the mirror a bit longer. Her skin did look more radiant. It was worth it.
Walking out of the bathroom, she found the main lights in the living room off. Only a floor lamp by the sofa cast a warm, yellow glow. Lin Xiao was curled up in a corner of the sofa, a cream-colored cashmere blanket draped over her legs, looking down at an art book. Her black hair fell forward, obscuring half of her face. She was beautiful.
Hearing the movement, Lin Xiao looked up. Her light brown eyes appeared exceptionally pale in the dim light.
"Finished?" Her voice was so soft it was barely audible.
"Yeah." Suisui dried her hair as she walked to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. "You didn't go out today?"
Lin Xiao shook her head, her gaze returning to the book. "Mr. Chen is on a business trip."
Four words, stated with total nonchalance.
Suisui’s hand paused as she twisted the bottle cap. "Mr. Chen" again. For the past six months, that name had been like an invisible third person in the apartment.
He never showed his face, yet his presence was everywhere: the occasional pair of men’s slippers in the entryway, the bottle of cologne in the bathroom cabinet that Suisui had never seen Lin Xiao use, and the expensive imported fruit that appeared in the fridge—fruit Lin Xiao certainly wouldn't buy for herself.
Then there were the things Lin Xiao had gradually accumulated: her plain cotton pajamas had been replaced by silk; her skincare had shifted from student-friendly brands to the heavenly cream Suisui was currently pilfering; and there was that handbag usually tossed carelessly on the entryway table. The first time Suisui saw it, she had been curious enough to check the price online, and her heart had skipped a beat.
"Oh." Suisui took a sip of water, the icy liquid sliding down her throat. "Where did he go?"
"Shenzhen, I think." Lin Xiao flipped a page, the paper making a soft rustling sound. "I didn't ask for details."
Suisui sat down on the small sofa opposite her, the rhythm of her towel-drying slowing down.
She watched Lin Xiao—so pale, so thin, wearing a simple white T-shirt and gray lounge pants with her hair loosely tied up, revealing the slender curve of her neck.
Was she beautiful? Yes. But it was a cold, detached beauty, like a piece of porcelain behind a glass display in a museum.
Suisui suddenly remembered a time last month when Lin Xiao had actually put on makeup and worn a pearl-white slip dress to go out.
She had returned very late that night. Suisui had gotten up in the middle of the night for water and saw her sitting in the dark living room. One strap of her dress had slipped off her shoulder, and there was a faint red mark on her neck.
Lin Xiao had just sat there, motionless, like a broken doll.
Suisui hadn't made a sound then, quietly retreating to her room. By the next morning, Lin Xiao was back to normal, as if everything from the night before had been a hallucination.
"By the way," Lin Xiao said suddenly, interrupting her thoughts. "Mr. Chen will be paying the rent directly for the next quarter. Your share... are you still going to transfer it to me?"
Suisui stopped drying her hair entirely.
The air went still for a few seconds.
"He’s paying?" she asked, her voice sounding strained as she tried to remain calm. "The whole thing?"
"Yes." Lin Xiao closed the art book and looked up. Her light brown eyes remained devoid of emotion under the lamp. "He said it’s easier that way."
Easier.
Suisui gripped her towel tight, her nails sinking into the soft terry cloth. She thought about how, on the first of every month, she religiously transferred 3,600 yuan to Lin Xiao.
She remembered the subtle sting she felt with every transfer. That was half her salary—countless cups of milk tea, new clothes, and moments where she could have treated herself better.
And now, Lin Xiao was telling her in such a casual tone that someone was willing to wipe away an expense that was significant to her, simply because it was "easier."
"Then..." Suisui licked her suddenly dry lips. "I don't need to pay my share anymore?"
Lin Xiao tilted her head slightly, as if she didn't understand why Suisui was even asking. "Yes. Mr. Chen paid for everything."
"So... I’m basically living here for free?" Suisui regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. It sounded too eager, too unseemly.
But Lin Xiao didn't seem to care. She simply nodded and reopened her book. "Don't overthink it. Mr. Chen doesn't care about things like this."
Suisui sat there, still holding the damp towel. The steam from the bathroom seemed to have drifted into the living room, making it hard to breathe.
She didn't have to pay rent anymore.
She had an extra 3,600 yuan in disposable income every month.
This should have been something to celebrate. So why did her chest feel heavy, as if it were stuffed with cotton?
Her gaze landed on Lin Xiao—the simple-looking but high-quality loungewear, the astronomical price of her face cream, the bag tossed carelessly on the cabinet.
And now, as Lin Xiao shifted slightly, a thin silver chain slipped from her loose collar. A tiny diamond pendant at the end caught the light, flashing with a cold brilliance.
All of this was provided by Mr. Chen.
And what did Lin Xiao provide in return? Suisui didn't know the specifics, but she could guess. The exhaustion of coming home late at night, the occasional marks on her neck, and the growing sense of isolated silence that surrounded her.
The price.
The word popped into Suisui’s mind. Then, she realized she was coldly weighing the options: if that was the price, were these things worth it?
"Lin Xiao," she said suddenly.
"Hmm?" Lin Xiao didn't look up.
"Mr. Chen... what kind of person is he?"
The finger about to flip the page stopped.
Lin Xiao raised her eyes to look at her. For the first time, there was a ripple of emotion in those light brown eyes—faint, like a gust of wind disturbing the surface of a still lake.
"Why do you ask?" Her voice was still soft, but Suisui detected a hint of wariness.
“Just... curious.” Zhou Suisui shrugged, trying to appear casual. “I always hear you mention him, but I’ve never seen him. Plus, he’s so generous.”
Lin Xiao fell silent for a few seconds. Her gaze lingered on Zhou Suisui’s face for a moment, as if she were evaluating something. Then she looked back down at the art book.
“A very busy man,” she finally said, her voice returning to that airy, flat tone. “He’s prompt with the money and doesn't ask for much. That’s it.”
Doesn't ask for much.
Zhou Suisui chewed on those words. What kind of demands would someone like Lin Xiao define as "not much"?
She wanted to ask more, but Lin Xiao had already closed the book and stood up. “I’m tired, I’m going to sleep. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Zhou Suisui watched Lin Xiao walk into the guest bedroom and close the door. She was left alone in the living room, bathed in the overly warm glow cast by the floor lamp.
She walked slowly to the entryway, her eyes falling on the bag sitting on the cabinet. It was black, the leather soft, the metal clasp sleek and minimalist. She reached out, her fingertips lightly brushing against the bag; it was incredibly smooth.
Then she turned and walked into the bathroom, standing before the mirror that had finally cleared of steam.
The person in the mirror had almond-shaped eyes that tilted up slightly at the corners, with amber pupils that looked like honey under the light. Her skin glowed with a dewy radiance, thanks to the jar of exorbitantly expensive face cream she had just applied. Her lips were a natural rose-red, full and well-defined.
She leaned closer to the mirror, scrutinizing her face. Brows, eyes, nose, mouth. Every feature was flawless. Since she was a child, people had always told her she was beautiful.
In university, she had no shortage of suitors, but she had always remained aloof. It wasn't that she was pretentious; it was just that, subconsciously, she felt the "price" those men offered didn't match her beauty.
Beauty was capital. She had always known that. She just hadn't figured out how to exchange that capital, or what to exchange it for.
Now, looking at herself in the mirror, she thought of Lin Xiao again.
Was Lin Xiao beautiful? Yes. But her beauty was too cold, too distant. Unlike her own—her beauty was vivid, warm, and seductive.
If someone like Lin Xiao could get bags, face creams, and her rent paid by a Mr. Chen...
Then what about Zhou Suisui?
How much should she be worth?
The thought was like a seed, falling into the soil of her heart—soil that had been dampened by tonight’s news—and it quietly began to take root.
She left the bathroom, returned to her room, and shut the door. The room still smelled of the cheap scented candle she had bought when she moved in; it was sweet, almost cloying.
She picked up her phone and opened her WeChat chat history with Lin Xiao. The last message was from this afternoon, Lin Xiao asking if she wanted to grab dinner. Scrolling up, she saw the transfer records from the first of every month.
Three thousand six hundred yuan. Three thousand six hundred yuan. Three thousand six hundred yuan.
Six consecutive entries.
Zhou Suisui stared at those numbers for a long time. Then she exited the chat, opened her contacts, and found a name: Senior Wang.
He was a senior from her university club, two years older than her, and now worked in HR at a decent company. He had helped her with an internal referral before she graduated, and he was the one who had pulled the strings to help her find her current job.
Senior Wang had always looked out for her. He would occasionally ask her out for a meal, and she understood the look in his eyes, though she never acknowledged it.
Her finger hovered over the screen for a few seconds before she pressed down.
The phone rang three times before it was answered.
“Hello? Suisui?” Senior Wang’s voice sounded surprised. “It’s so late, is something wrong?”
“Senior.” Zhou Suisui kept her voice light, tinged with just the right amount of apology. “I’m sorry to bother you so late. I just... wanted to ask about that business cocktail party next week. You mentioned before that you could bring a friend. Is there still a spot?”
There was a pause on the other end, followed by a laugh. “What’s this? Our Suisui has finally had a change of heart and is willing to come out and see the world?”
“Mhm.” Zhou Suisui smiled, her fingers unconsciously twirling a strand of hair. “I just graduated, I want to network more.”
“Sure, no problem. Next Friday night. I’ll send you the address. Dress formally.”
“Okay, thanks, Senior.”
After hanging up, Zhou Suisui tossed her phone onto the bed. She walked to the wardrobe and pulled it open.
Most of the clothes hanging inside were things she had bought in university—youthful styles at affordable prices. Only at the very edge hung two decent cocktail dresses: one a black slip dress, the other a champagne-colored strapless number. Both had been splurged on during sales, reserved for interviews or important occasions.
She took down the black slip dress and held it up against herself in the mirror. The cut was simple, but it made her skin look whiter and showcased her collarbones and shoulder lines perfectly. She turned to look at her reflection from the back; the waist was snatched just right, and the hem hit the knee, revealing a length of calf.
It was okay.
But it wasn't enough.
She thought of Lin Xiao’s pearl-white slip dress, that sense of exquisite quality that looked simple but was anything but.
Zhou Suisui hung the dress back up and closed the wardrobe. She walked back to the bed, picked up her phone, and opened a shopping app. She typed "niche designer formal dress" into the search bar.
Price filter: High to Low.
The page refreshed, displaying a dazzling array of items. she scrolled down slowly, her eyes scanning those four-digit price tags, her heart rate quickening bit by bit.
Finally, her finger stopped on a wine-red velvet dress. Square neck, long sleeves, cinched waist, and ankle-length. The model looked like a vintage beauty from an old movie.
Price: Three thousand two hundred yuan.
Exactly what she would have paid for a month’s rent.
Zhou Suisui stared at the dress, her thumb hovering over the "Buy Now" button.
The scent of that face cream in the bathroom seemed to linger at the tip of her nose. Lin Xiao’s words, “Mr. Chen paid for everything,” echoed in her ears.
She looked at her own face in the mirror and the question that was becoming clearer in her heart:
“What am I worth?”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Then she pressed down.
Order generated. Payment successful.
Zhou Suisui put down her phone and walked to the window, pulling back the curtains. The city lights in the night were brilliant, like an inverted galaxy.
She pressed her hand against the cold glass, looking at her reflection.
From now on, she would set her own price.
