“I…”
Qirong stood rooted to the spot, trapped in an awkward dilemma. Forget about makeup; he didn’t even know where his own room was.
His three family members stared at him, their expressions growing increasingly bewildered and suspicious.
“Xuanqiu, why are you acting so strange today? Did something happen?” Melissa asked directly, her concern evident.
“I think he looks possessed,” Chen Xuanzhu chimed in from beside her.
Hearing his wife and daughter’s words, Father Chen, the patriarch of the family, felt his imposing, sword-like brows furrow into a sharp line, his gaze becoming as keen as a blade.
“I… I twisted my hand playing basketball today. Could I trouble Mom… Mother, to do my makeup for me?” Qirong’s heart hammered against his ribs, his quick thinking pushing the words out of his mouth.
“What?! Playing basketball?”
Chen Xuanzhu scoffed as if she’d heard the joke of the century, casting a look of undisguised disdain. “You? Playing basketball? With girls, maybe?”
Qirong’s face burned crimson. To be mocked so openly by a girl was a blow to his pride. He secretly resolved to do something to regain his dignity, to make the campus belle Chen Xuanzhu see him in a new light.
Father Chen shook his head with a touch of helplessness, the suspicion on his face gradually receding.
“Xuanqiu, is the injury serious? Do you need to see a doctor?” Melissa, his ‘bargain’ mother, immediately grew anxious, pressing him for details.
“Uh… it’s fine. Just apply some ointment, and it should be better in a couple of days,” Qirong quickly replied. What he feared most now was people digging into his affairs.
“Alright then, just remember to buy some yourself. For the next few days, I’ll do your makeup.”
Melissa, his mother, let out a long sigh of relief.
Observing her, Qirong felt an indescribable strangeness within him. He knew the blonde auntie before him was genuinely concerned, yet he wasn’t the true owner of this body. The lack of connection made him feel a profound sense of shame.
“Come with me to the bedroom; I’ll help you with your makeup.”
Melissa called out, then led the way upstairs.
Qirong quickly followed, his eyes meticulously scanning every detail. He understood that only by absorbing enough information could he maintain his perfect disguise.
Ascending the spiral staircase to the second floor, Qirong noted three rooms on either side of the hallway. An exquisitely crafted chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the absence of excessive furnishings made the space feel remarkably spacious.
Melissa pushed open the first room on the right and entered. Qirong followed, a knot of apprehension in his stomach. Inside, the room was fully furnished, a large double bed occupying the center. Above the headboard, a wedding photo of his ‘bargain’ parents hung on the wall.
‘This must be Father Chen and Mother Chen’s bedroom,’ Qirong silently recorded.
“Darling, have a seat.”
Melissa instructed, standing before the dressing table.
Qirong obediently walked over and sat down, his delicate, exotic-looking face appearing in the mirror.
Melissa began to rummage through the array of bottles and jars on the dressing table, her deft movements astonishingly efficient.
Qirong watched without blinking, understanding that this was a prime opportunity to learn. He had to seize every single moment.
Melissa first picked up a small bottle, dropped some liquid into her hand, and then evenly applied it to Qirong’s face.
Qirong glanced at the label on the small bottle, recognizing it as a brand of toner, and committed it firmly to memory.
Next, Melissa picked up another small bottle, squeezed out a few drops of viscous liquid, and once again spread it evenly across Qirong’s face.
‘This is primer,’ Qirong secretly noted, scrutinizing the bottle’s label before committing it to memory.
Following this, Melissa picked up a bottle of wheat-toned foundation and, using a foundation brush, applied it evenly to Qirong’s face. Wherever the brush touched, his fair skin transformed into a healthy, tanned hue, adding a touch of masculine vigor.
Then came the meticulous contouring of his features. His eyebrows were thickened with a makeup pencil, the contours of his face deepened, and his rosy lips were subtly concealed with a light-colored lipstick. The entire process took roughly half an hour.
Qirong gazed at his reflection in the mirror with astonishment. He realized that his appearance had returned to exactly how it was that morning. While he still looked a bit effeminate, he was at least more neutral, making it less likely for him to be immediately mistaken for a girl.
‘It seems makeup isn’t that difficult after all,’ Qirong mused. ‘But mere theory is useless without practice. I need to find an opportunity to try it myself.’
With his makeup complete, Qirong followed his ‘bargain’ mother back to the living room. He noticed that Father Chen was already outside the door, assigning tasks to a dozen burly men in suits, who appeared to be security personnel brought in from his company.
Qirong walked to the doorway, observing them curiously. Each security guard possessed a broad back and a powerful build, their collective presence quite intimidating.
“Let me reiterate,” Father Chen stated sternly. “From this moment forward, the nine of you are responsible for Miss’s security. You will work in three-person teams, in three shifts, picking her up from school every day, guarding the school during the day, and the villa at night. You must ensure twenty-four-hour coverage and she must not leave your sight for even half a step. Understand?”
“Understood!”
The nine burly men replied in unison, their arms crossed, their rough voices booming with authority.
Beside them, Chen Xuanzhu subtly furrowed her delicate brows. She understood that this arrangement meant she would have no freedom whatsoever, and her private space would be severely encroached upon. Naturally, she felt uneasy.
“Let me be clear,” Father Chen warned again, still uneasy. “If you need to take leave for any reason, you must report it in advance. If anyone dares to abandon their post, they can pack their bags and leave.”
“Specific duties will be arranged by Captain Bao. If you have any questions, you can ask him.”
Father Chen directed his gaze towards a slightly older middle-aged man among the security personnel.
“Don’t worry, Chairman Chen, I’ll ensure everything is properly arranged,” the middle-aged man, known as Captain Bao, replied respectfully.
Subsequently, Captain Bao led by example, driving Chen Xuanzhu to school with two of his subordinates. The remaining security personnel stood ready, preparing for their three shifts.
Qirong had assumed he could hitch a ride, but to his surprise, they completely ignored him. A wave of irritation washed over him; he was still the ‘young master,’ wasn’t he? How dare they discriminate.
“Xuanqiu, you should go by yourself,” Melissa explained, understanding his unspoken thoughts. “Your sister is being targeted by bad people right now, and it might not be a good idea for you to be with her.”
“Ah, right,” Qirong slapped his forehead. The blonde auntie was correct. It would be utterly foolish to risk his life just for a ride.
Having understood this, Qirong took his student ID, access card, and other items, then headed to school by himself. Naturally, these items were all things he had found earlier in his drawer, bearing the name ‘Chen Xuanqiu.’
Qirong exited the residential complex and followed the route he remembered to the roadside to wait for a bus.
Standing under the scorching sun for a long while, Qirong gradually felt a sense of exasperation. The route was the same, and the buses were the same, yet more than half of them had become ‘female-only.’ The words “Female Only, Men Prohibited” were clearly emblazoned on the bus doors, leaving him to merely watch as empty buses passed him by.
“This is truly exaggerated.”
Qirong exclaimed in disbelief. According to news reports, the gender ratio in this country had reached an astonishing five men to one woman. Yet, this small town still allocated more than half of its bus resources to serve women. It was clear that the status of women in this world must be incredibly high.
‘If I didn’t wear makeup, I should be able to get on a female-only bus, right?’ Qirong thought, growing impatient as this strange idea suddenly occurred to him.
‘No way! I’m a grown man. How could I sacrifice my dignity just for a bus ride?’ Qirong immediately shook his head vigorously, dismissing the thought.
Finally, a bus arrived, and Qirong, relieved, quickly boarded and dropped his fare into the coin box.
Since the world had changed, the banknotes naturally looked different from before.
Qirong had no idea about the purchasing power in this world, and it felt awkward to ask. He simply inserted three yuan, following his old habits. Only when the driver remained silent did he let out a sigh of relief.
He had boarded the bus, but then he realized his situation had become even more uncomfortable. The gazes from the surrounding burly men were overtly aggressive; some even leaned in towards him, seemingly unintentionally.
‘It’s all because of this damned face,’ Qirong thought, feeling like crying. Even riding a bus attracted unwanted attention. It seemed he would have to be more cautious in the future. If absolutely necessary, he could take a taxi; his current family’s financial situation should be able to support it.
“This is far too dangerous!”
Finally reaching his stop, Qirong fled the bus as if escaping a predator, gasping for breath, his heart still thumping with lingering fear.
‘With this little money, can I really take a taxi every day?’
Qirong instinctively rummaged through the pockets of his school uniform. He discovered that Chen Xuanqiu only had about two hundred yuan in total. If the purchasing power in this world was similar to his previous one, then his luxurious dream of taking a taxi daily was clearly shattered.
‘What am I going to do?’ Qirong walked into the school, a headache beginning to throb. He knew that a pampered rich kid like Chen Xuanqiu must have some hidden stash of money, but since he didn’t know where it was, what difference did it make if it existed or not?