金玉其表 Gold and jade on the outside
Explanation
比喻外表华丽，内里空虚；也比喻外表美好，内在虚伪。
A metaphor for a beautiful exterior and an empty interior; also a metaphor for a beautiful exterior and a hypocritical interior.
Origin Story
从前，有个富商，名叫李员外，他家财万贯，府邸奢华，门前车水马龙，热闹非凡。然而，李员外为人吝啬，家中仆役待遇极差，甚至常常克扣他们的工钱。一次，一位远方来的客人到李员外家做客，看到李员外府邸的富丽堂皇，不禁赞叹不已。李员外得意洋洋地向客人炫耀他的家财，客人却注意到仆人们衣衫褴褛，神情疲惫，便暗自摇了摇头。后来，这位客人无意中得知李员外克扣工钱的事实，不禁感慨万千：李员外家金玉其表，实则内里腐败不堪。
Once upon a time, there was a wealthy merchant named Mr. Li. His house was magnificent, and there was always bustling activity in front of his house. But Mr. Li was stingy, and he treated his servants badly, often underpaying them. Once, a visitor from afar came to visit, and he admired the magnificent house. Mr. Li boasted about his wealth, but the visitor noticed that the servants were dressed in rags and looked tired, so he secretly shook his head. Later, the visitor accidentally learned that Mr. Li had cheated his servants' wages, and he sighed: Mr. Li's house was magnificent on the outside, but completely rotten inside.
Usage
用作宾语、定语；比喻外表华丽，内在空虚。
Used as an object and attributive; metaphor for a beautiful exterior and an empty interior.
Examples
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他表面上很谦虚，实际上却很骄傲，真是金玉其表，败絮其中！
tā biǎomiànshang hěn qiānxū, shíjìshàng què hěn jiāo'ào, zhēnshi jīnyù qí biǎo, bàixù qí zhōng!
He is humble on the surface, but actually very proud. It's really a case of gold and jade on the outside, but rotten cotton inside!
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这个项目金玉其表，实际运作却漏洞百出。
zhège xiàngmù jīnyù qí biǎo, shíjì yùnzùo què lòudòng bǎichū
This project looks great, but its actual operation is full of loopholes.