Chapter 512: Interchangeable Temperaments
What a joke. How could Lady Zhao possibly be afraid of real-life, regular dogs?
No dog would be able to withstand her staff.
Those so-called “evil dogs” from the gaming world were nothing like their real-life counterparts!
With that thought, she chose to leave. She had no intention of committing animal abuse in public…
A few days later, Zhao Youyue received Su Li’s invitation to go to her house to play. After all, it was already late August. Her University would start on September.
Su Li’s house was in Jiangnan Province. To be precise, it was in a village in a sleepier, slower part of Jiangnan Province. It was not even accessible by highspeed rail. Therefore, Zhao Youyue and Su Li first had to get there by bus. Then, they had to switch to car where paddy fields greeted them from both sides before finally arriving at the village.
Su Li was most apologetic, mainly because she had not yet learned how to drive. She had often disregarded the necessity of the skill. Modern public transportation was so well-developed that public buses should be able to take people just about anywhere, in big cities at least…
Su Li had miscalculated. She did not expect going back to her house to be such a complicated matter, mainly because she seldom had to return home since being independent. Her parents were simply too annoying, constantly urging her to leave behind her peaceful bachelorette life. Fortunately, she had become extremely famous within the manga and ill.u.s.tration world. She had an extremely high income which also meant her being financially independent, and was the pillar among her family. Therefore, her elders could not make decisions for her. Ordinary men would feel inadequate. After all, money was the modern age’s lingua franca. She could do anything she wanted with it.
Su Li found it highly embarra.s.sing to go back home via Lady Zhao’s car. Even if Zhao Youyue had insisted, she would have been too embarra.s.sed to accept the offer. Fortunately, Lady Zhao had been as empathetic as always. She smiled and said, “I’m not some sheltered, pampered lady. It’s just a few hours of sitting in a bus. With my phone in hand, time would always fly…”
Su Li was most touched, seeing how Lady Zhao was willing to put herself through great inconvenience for her sake. Su Li made up her mind to pick up driving and chauffer Lady Zhao herself in the future. It was her only way of making amends.
The two of them hopped up a big bus. Once again, long-haired Zhao Youyue started drawing in stares like moth to flame. Was that really the case? More than her pretty face, more than her long hair, it was her freaking gem-encrusted walking cane – or as she called it – her staff. Ordinary people might dismiss such a staff as fake. The gemstone had to be fake. With the advancement of technology, synthetic products sometimes even surpa.s.sed their originators…
Well, they had it right. That huge, giant gemstone at the top of Zhao Youyue’s staff was indeed a fake. But anything fake in Zhao Youyue’s hands had to be the real thing!
Take a look at Su Li. Lady Zhao’s sudden interest in staffs was a mystery to her. Nevertheless, all she needed was to look upon the gorgeous staff, and immediately a.s.sumed that it had to be extremely valuable. This was just like how players had reacted in “Tale of Wuxia 3”. Not once was Jane Doe Su’s “Flying Sword of Myriad Colors” taken as what it was.
That sword had been nothing but a beautiful ornament. Someone like Jane Doe Su could wield gra.s.s and ma.s.sacre a town if she wanted to, what of a sword?
If she could turn a blade of gra.s.s into a sword, why not wave a cane about!
Su Li attempted a subtle hint, “My Lady, people from where I came from are country b.u.mpkins. Are you sure you should be bringing along something so valuable?”
Zhao Youyue smiled. “I don’t see anything valuable. With this, however, everything would be alright.” She held no staff in her hands; it was a sharp, deadly sword.
Su Li entered the bus with Zhao Youyue and almost immediately started scanning the bus for big, beefy men. She could not help thinking that they might be the legendary bodyguards in plain clothes, protecting Lady Zhao and her valuable staff at all times…
Zhao Youyue was all alone on this day. She was now highly confident in her capabilities of defending herself. Thanks to “Xu Jing card’s” highly reliable learning ability, she could perform a complete series of sword dances, even without her “Jane Doe Su card.” Switching on the card would only elevate her abilities into something else entirely. The only problem was the consequential sequel t.i.tled, “Her empty, drained body.”
If Su Li ever learned that Zhao Youyue was without her guards, she would have freaked out. In her mind, Lady Zhao was the perfect rich Lady. Perfect rich ladies got themselves kidnapped all the time. Even her bodyguards had to be as perfect as she was, capable of keeping up with cars on foot. Of course, Lady Zhao would be completely safe at all times.
Su Li’s imagination was really something…
“My Lady, I thought you would be difficult to please, with extremely high standards. You are so grand that the world s.h.i.+es away from your glory. I’ve never expected such a day to come, sitting together with you on a bus.” Su Li choked out emotionally. Within her mind, Zhao Youyue was forever elegant and poised. Her standards of living had to be nothing short of perfect.
“I think you’ve been deceived, Sister Li. I”m only pretending to be like a Lady. It’s a trend these days – adding a character setting to yourself. Only a good actor could get the paparazzi and the spotlight. If not, n.o.body would spare you a second glance,” Zhao Youyue tinkled through another one of her dazzling smiles.
“My Lady, you’re just saying that to make me feel good again. I understand. You don’t want to get me lost in guilt. Once we get there, I’ll definitely treat you nicely. My sisters are extremely cute, you’ll see!” said Su Li firmly.
Zhao Youyue sighed helplessly. She was actually telling the truth. She had a pa.s.serby side that Su Li could never fathom. She was a Lady in name, but to others, she was just an ordinary girl —— She was just too una.s.suming to be anything more.
That all changed when she started imitating the “Lady characters” within novels and mangas, fulfilling stereotypes to the left and right. Meeting up with business a.s.sociates such as writers and creators in her limo did not help either. It gave them inspiration and real-life references. “As expected of a Lady. That’s a real-life Lady, larger than life there…”
Su Li had no doubts about it. Now that Lady Zhao was walking about with a gemstone staff, all she lacked was a crown on her head!
All of this was a hoax. The real Zhao Youyue had none of these traits.
The only genuine part about her was her desire for something.
If she desired for people to view her as a lady, she could make it happen. If she desired for people to view her as impoverished, she could make it happen. Those character cards that had become a part of her blurred the line between an act and reality.
As she had predicted, the journey quickly came to pa.s.s as she chatted happily with Su Li, while keeping her fingers busy on the screen of her phone.