Chapter 2: A Best Friend’s Betrayal (2)

S<span>hen Yiyi used one hand to dial 110. After the police arrived, she cooperated with their questioning. </span><br /><br /><span>In between, she tried calling Le Qi again, but her phone was still off. </span><br /><br /><span>The police eventually took the fat man away on charges of sexual harassment.</span><br /><br /><span>On her way back, Shen Yiyi kept her head down, thinking about what the man had said during questioning:</span><br /><br /><span>“I did meet Le Qi once. I knew she was looking for a job, and she said her family urgently needed money. I thought she was quite pretty, so I wanted her to be my girlfriend.”</span><br /><br /><span>“We originally agreed to meet here today, but she didn’t show up. Instead, this girl came. I saw she was also quite beautiful, so I thought I’d ask her to keep me company…”</span><br /><br /><span>At that moment, the school’s graduation makeup competition was already underway…</span><br /><br /><span>“Yiyi, there are only three more makeup artists left before the showcase ends,” Liu Duoduo sent her a voice message.</span><br /><br /><span>Shen Yiyi checked the time on her phone, there wasn’t enough time…</span><br /><br /><span>“The Outstanding Graduate of 2019 is Le Qi. She, along with the top three contestants, will receive job opportunities directly recommended by the school. Now, let’s welcome our judges to present the awards.”</span><br /><br /><span>The host’s voice echoed throughout the entire studio. </span><br /><br /><span>The judges went on stage one after another to take photos with the award-winning students. </span><br /><br /><span>Le Qi was standing there at the moment, smiling brightly in the group photo.</span><br /><br /><span>Shen Yiyi looked at that dazzling smile, and her heart turned completely cold.</span><br /><br /><span>They had been classmates for a whole year, eating together every day, going shopping together, talking about their dreams and idols. </span><br /><br /><span>When Le Qi had trouble in the dormitory, Shen Yiyi even let her stay at her home.</span><br /><br /><span>And yet at this moment, she felt so distant, so unfamiliar.</span><br /><br /><span>“Yiyi, why are you only coming back now? The competition is already over.”</span><br /><br /><span>Liu Duoduo walked out of the makeup room and immediately saw Shen Yiyi, who looked completely lost and dazed.</span><br /><br /><span>“It’s fine. You go first, I’ll transfer the fee to you tonight,” Shen Yiyi forced a smile.</span><br /><br /><span>“Yiyi… are you really okay?” Liu Duoduo asked worriedly.</span><br /><br /><span>“I’m fine. It’s just a competition. You should head back first.”</span><br /><br /><span>“Alright then, I’ll go now.” Liu Duoduo still looked worried as she left, she had a commercial shoot later that night and had to go.</span><br /><br /><span>“Come on, 1, 2, 3—cheese!” the photographer called out as he took photos of the contestants and mentors on stage.</span><br /><br /><span>After everyone happily finished taking photos and began to leave, Shen Yiyi waited at the exit.</span><br /><br /><span>Le Qi was the last one to come out. Shen Yiyi immediately stepped forward and blocked her path.</span><br /><br /><span>“Yiyi, why are you only here now? The competition is already over,” Le Qi said with a regretful expression.</span><br /><br /><span>Shen Yiyi took out her phone and showed the message still on the screen:</span><br /><br /><span>“Yiyi, I’ve been scammed. Come save me, Xingyue Hotel, 6th floor, room 6001.”</span><br /><br /><span>“Yiyi, I really was in a dangerous situation at that time, but I managed to slip away. I thought you didn’t see the message. I only realized you weren’t at the competition when it started, but by then it was already too late, and phones weren’t allowed during the competition,” Le Qi said anxiously, sounding both worried and wronged.</span><br /><br /><span>Shen Yiyi had never been this speechless in her life.</span><br /><br /><span>If she hadn’t been the victim of the whole incident herself, just looking at that face, she might have almost believed her.</span><br /><br /><span>“I did meet Le Qi once. I knew she was looking for a job, and she said her family urgently needed money. I thought she was quite pretty, so I wanted her to be my girlfriend. We agreed to meet here today, but she didn’t show up. Instead, this girl came. I saw she was also quite beautiful, so I thought I’d ask her to keep me company…”</span><br /><br /><span>Shen Yiyi played the recording.</span><br /><br /><span>She stared straight at Le Qi’s face, trying to catch even a trace of panic or guilt.</span><br /><br /><span>“I didn’t do it. He’s slandering me,” Le Qi said, clutching the trophy tightly in her arms.</span><br /><br /><span>“How can you be so disgusting?” Shen Yiyi snapped in rage. </span><br /><br /><span>It was the first time in her life she had ever said something like that, and she was trembling all over from anger.</span><br /><br /><span>“I’m disgusting? Someone like you, born into a good life and relying on your parents, what gives you the right to say that about me? We’re both human, so why do you get to live in a high-end apartment, a big house, and get thousands in allowance every month? </span><br /><br /><span>On top of that, God even gave you such skillful hands, and Teacher Geng is your father’s classmate. If you had shown up today, the champion would definitely have been you. Why do you get to have all the good things?”</span><br /><br /><span>“And I only had this one chance, to become Zhang Yuanfan’s makeup artist.”</span><br /><br /><span>Le Qi finally poured out all the resentment she had been holding for the past year. </span><br /><br /><span>Why did Shen Yiyi have everything better than her?</span><br /><br /><span>“Heh…” Shen Yiyi looked at that ugly expression and let out a cold laugh.</span><br /><br /><span>“Get out of my house. If anything is missing, I’ll call the police on you,” she said, turning around and walking away.</span><br /><br /><span>Someone with such an ugly heart didn’t deserve to be her friend.</span>