56. Makeup

In the evening, Wu Xueqian returned to the Qin household just as they were having dinner. Liu Xin was out on business, so she unceremoniously took his seat and helped herself to a bowl and chopsticks. Xiao Xie hurried to serve her a bowl of rice.

"How can taking a statement take so long?" Qin Baike asked her.

"It didn’t. I just gave that guy a bit of a beating, so Officer Liu spent a long time lecturing me. He saw how good I am with my fists and said they’re recruiting auxiliary police. Someone like me would be perfect for catching pickpockets on the street."

"And what did you say?"

"I told him I’d have to discuss it with my parents first."

Er Tong asked, "Do you really want to go? Auxiliary police are only temporary hires, and it’s dangerous."

"I don’t want to go. It was just an excuse."

Qin Baike asked, "Have you looked for a job since you graduated?"

"I don’t want a job for now. I want to open my own taekwondo studio. I came here today because I found a suitable classroom—a dance school’s space on the main road. I’ve already talked to them. I’ll use it on Saturday and Sunday mornings, two hours each time. Next, I need to start recruiting students—teaching kids."

Er Tong shook his head. "Just two classes a week? Can you make a living from that?"

"That’s why, once the studio opens, I’ll still need to find a job for Monday through Friday. Auxiliary police work hours aren’t fixed, so I can’t guarantee I’ll have weekends free."

"Why not work part-time at your uncle’s gym?"

"My uncle won’t have it. He says his duty of raising me is done, and from now on, I have to rely on myself. Until I earn my own money, he’s granted me the special privilege of eating at home without paying for food."

Er Tong laughed. "Your uncle’s got guts, treating his own niece so strictly."

"Baige," Wu Xueqian looked at Qin Baike and said, "Will you marry me?"

"Pfft!" Er Tong and Xiao Xie nearly spat out their food.

Qin Baike stared, stunned for a moment, then said, "You can eat here without paying for meals, too."

"Baige, I’m serious. I’ve never had a boyfriend. You’re the kind of man I want. I still remember vividly when you carried me out of that burning building all those years ago. I don’t think any other man could make me feel so safe."

Er Tong snickered. "You, needing a man to make you feel safe?"

"Shut up!" Qin Baike and Wu Xueqian snapped at him in unison, and Er Tong immediately lowered his head, shoveling food into his mouth.

"Xueqian, when you get married in the future, Baige will prepare a dowry for you. How about that?"

"I don’t care, Baige. My heart is set on you. Even if you can’t love me now, you can’t stop me from loving you."

Under the table, Er Tong kicked Xueqian and shot her a look, signaling her to stop.

Qin Baike’s expression had turned stern. Er Tong said, "She’s the kind who knows just what kind of person she wants. Don’t listen to her, Baige—she’ll probably change her mind in a while." With that, he gave Xueqian another nudge under the table.

Xueqian grunted helplessly.

After dinner, Er Tong pulled Xueqian aside and whispered, "You don’t know Baige at all. How are you going to win him over? The more you push, the more he’ll pull away. Since your uncle did me a big favor, I’ll help you for free as your strategist. From now on, act normal. Don’t talk about marrying or loving him anymore."

"Oh, Brother Zhan, I’ll listen to you."

When Wu Xueqian was about to leave, she asked Qin Baike, "Can I really come here for meals without paying?"

"Yes."

"Great! See you, Baige." Wu Xueqian bounced away, her long ponytail swinging as she went.

Qin Baike called Er Tong over. "I don’t care how you do it—just get her to drop this idea."

"You really don’t like her at all?"

"She’s like a sister to me. Could I ever think of my own sister that way? When you talk her out of it, don’t hurt her feelings. She mustn’t cry."

"Baige, you really don’t understand women," Er Tong sighed.

"I don’t care. You have to help me."

"I’ll try," Er Tong said, nearly in tears. "Why did I ever get involved in this?"

Meanwhile, Wen Tao’s moxibustion treatment was finished, and the three of them headed to the hotpot restaurant. The prison officer on duty couldn’t come, but Xuan Zhi brought his wife along. Xiaoxiao arrived just as the food was ready.

They sat down and chatted about singing. After half a month of practice, their harmonies had finally settled. Xiaoxiao, listening to them rehearse, made a few tweaks to the songs, and now all that remained was to keep practicing.

During dinner, Xu Bin kept looking after Xiaoxiao, while Xuan Zhi’s wife seemed especially gentle and affectionate, pouring wine for Xuan Zhi as he picked out food for her. Their hands stayed clasped under the table, showering everyone with saccharine displays of affection.

Perhaps emboldened by their sweetness, Wen Tao said to Tang Yiyi, "With my shoulder hurting like this, I really need to marry a doctor."

Tang Yiyi smiled awkwardly. "You’re my senior’s friend. You’ll always get the best treatment at our clinic. There’s no need to marry a doctor for that."

Wen Tao wasn’t fazed by her response. He smiled good-naturedly and picked out food for her, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear in the process.

Tang Yiyi felt waves of embarrassment throughout the meal, cursing herself for forgetting his intentions. How foolish of her. She thought, If I acted this way toward Qin Baike, he’d be just as uncomfortable.

In fact, Xu Bin had once advised her to consider Wen Tao. Judging by his background, Wen Tao was a good match: a civil servant at the tax bureau, both parents still working at the telecommunications company, a home and a car, and good looks to top it off. True, he smoked and drank, but never to excess. He didn’t gamble, and his main hobby was beatboxing—an expensive but healthy interest.

At the time, before the stormy night with the takeout delivery, she didn’t say yes or no. She felt that marrying for such reasons might be acceptable, maybe even practical.

But when it came to love, her heart simply wouldn’t comply. Only you know whether you love someone—the way your heart races uncontrollably, the way your face flushes and your eyes light up.

Feeling awkward under Wen Tao’s gentle attention, Tang Yiyi sought help from Xiaoxiao. Xiaoxiao gave her a helpless smile. "Yiyi, that acupressure point you taught me really works. I sleep more easily now—no more waking up in the night. I sleep straight through till morning."

"See? I told you it would help. Your lips look much rosier today, too."

"Do you have any other wellness tips? Tell me more."

"Of course! The human body has five viscera and six organs, twelve meridians and twenty-four channels. Wherever you want to strengthen, I can show you the key acupoints—you’ll be in perfect health, guaranteed."

"My place is nearby. Come over and share some tips with my mom, too. She’s worried about her belly growing and can’t lose weight no matter how little she eats."

"Sure, I’ll take a look. I once helped a lady lose weight with acupuncture—the results were fantastic."

After dinner, Xu Bin suggested helping Xiaoxiao’s mother lose weight another day and proposed karaoke instead. Xiao Bai had already performed at two events that day and didn’t feel like singing, so everyone went their separate ways.

Xiaoxiao took Tang Yiyi home, and Xu Bin saw them to the building.

Xiaoxiao lived in a residential complex once allocated to her father’s work unit. Her father was a leader at the Housing Authority, her mother an ordinary bank clerk—a standard middle-class family, with a harmonious marriage and a beloved only daughter.

When Tang Yiyi entered, Xiaoxiao’s mother was sweating on a yoga mat, doing sit-ups. She stood up at once and invited Tang Yiyi to sit.

Xiaoxiao’s mother had delicate, smooth skin and was impeccably maintained; she exuded refinement and quality, looking nothing like a woman in her fifties. Xiaoxiao’s father had gone out for a walk to aid digestion.

Hearing that Tang Yiyi could help with weight loss through acupuncture, Xiaoxiao’s mother beamed. "Oh, you’re a real godsend! Ever since menopause, my stomach just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Look at this—how awful!" She patted her belly for Tang Yiyi to see.

Tang Yiyi noticed her stomach wasn’t as bad as she claimed—just a slight curve—so she laughed. "Auntie, it’s probably just menopause. This happens to lots of women. Why don’t you come to my master’s clinic for some herbal treatments? I’ll do acupuncture as well. I promise your belly will flatten in no time."

"Really? You can flatten it?"

"Really. I helped a sister lose weight with acupuncture—the results were excellent."

"That’s wonderful! I’ll come first thing tomorrow." She turned to Xiaoxiao, "There’s some snow fungus soup simmering in the kitchen. Have a bowl with Yiyi."

Xiaoxiao replied, "We just ate. We’ll chat in my room. You keep exercising." With that, she took Tang Yiyi by the hand and led her inside.

"Your mother looks so young," Tang Yiyi remarked.

"You should tell her that to her face. She’d love it."

"Should I? I’ll remember to say it when we go out. She must work out a lot to keep so young—most people can’t handle that kind of effort."

Xiaoxiao shook her head. "An Aries always has a Saint Seiya inside. When she sets her mind to something, nothing can stop her."

"Auntie’s an Aries?"

"Yes, and so am I."

Yiyi shook her head. "You and your mother don’t seem much alike in personality."

Xiaoxiao asked, "What’s my personality, then?"

"Cool, aloof, stylish—your mother is warm, open, and her smile is almost innocent."

Xiaoxiao was taken aback and managed a weak laugh. "Really?"

"You’re not upset?"

"Not at all. So, how do you take care of the uterus?"

"Do you have menstrual pain?"

"Yes, not too bad, but it does hurt. A colleague said cold in the womb causes pain and makes it hard to conceive. She’s been married for years with no luck—she’s desperate."

"There are many reasons for infertility, but it’s true—if the womb is cold, it’s hard to get pregnant, and even if you do, it’s easy to miscarry."

"So what should I do? How do I take care of myself?"

"Buy a moxibustion box and use it at home—it’s easy and convenient. Soak your feet in hot water each night, avoid cold foods, and massage Sanyinjiao—it's the best acupoint for women’s health."

"Great, I’ll buy a moxibustion box tomorrow."

"No need—ask Xu Bin to get you one from the clinic."

"No, I wanted to ask you for a favor." Xiaoxiao fixed her eyes on Yiyi.

"A favor?"

"Please don’t tell Xu Bin I’m doing this for my uterus."

"Why not?"

"I just don’t want him to know. It’s a woman’s matter."

"Oh… all right."

Xiaoxiao’s room was the epitome of a girl’s room, all in pinks and pastels. Tang Yiyi was amazed by the array of bottles and jars on the vanity. "How do you use all these?"

Xiaoxiao grinned and asked, "Xu Bin said you don’t use any skincare products. Not even day cream?"

"…No."

"I’ll teach you to do makeup. I guarantee I can make your monolids look striking."

Tang Yiyi touched her face. "Is that really necessary?"

"Absolutely. Sit here, I’ll clean your face. Hold this little mirror and watch every step—I’ll do it slowly. Even if you don’t wear makeup daily, you must take care of your skin. Look how good my mom’s skin is at fifty-two."

"It’s great."

"Envious?"

"Very."

"She’s kept it up every day."

"Oh, I once heard a beauty expert say, ‘Taking care of your skin keeps you looking the same; not taking care of it makes you look your age.’"

Xiaoxiao glanced at Yiyi and burst out laughing. "That person must have been in the beauty industry, right?"

"…Yes."

"It’s a cliché, but it’s true. Now, watch closely—I’m starting."

Xiaoxiao explained each step as she went: cleansing, toner, serum, eye cream, face cream, then primer and foundation, picking up and putting down various jars and brushes of different sizes as she worked.

Yiyi said, "Can’t you simplify it? I can’t remember so many steps."

"This is the bare minimum—no less. There, all done."

Tang Yiyi looked in the mirror. Her eyes did look more spirited than usual. "Wow, how did you do that?"

"Look carefully—I used eyeliner and mascara, and I made your brows lighter than your hair. Doesn’t it make your pupils look darker and bigger?"

"It really does!" Tang Yiyi touched her brows. They looked so neat and well-behaved now. "Xiaoxiao, you’re amazing."

"This was the full routine. For work, you can skip the complicated eye shadow and just use a light brown shade. Lip gloss can be the color closest to your lips."

"Okay, I’ll try to remember every day."

"I don’t care if you wear makeup or not, but there are three things you must do."

"What three things?"

"One: Skincare. Don’t skip a single step. Promise!"

"Okay!"

"Two: Sunscreen. Use it every day before you go out!"

"Even if I just stay indoors?"

"Come on, you run outside every day—that’s a lot of sun. Too much sun ages you. Think of middle-aged women in the countryside."

"Okay, sunscreen."

"Three: Always have a lipstick with you. If your Prince Charming suddenly appears, a swipe of lipstick will make you instantly radiant."

"Hehehe."

"Don’t giggle. I’m serious."

Yiyi pointed at Xiaoxiao’s face. "You’re lecturing me, but you don’t wear makeup every day either, do you?"

"I’m often not in the mood—just lazy. Don’t follow my example."

"You look good without it too."

"Thank you. Here," Xiaoxiao took a large box from her drawer, "my mom just got me these skincare products. They’re unopened. Take them. This lipstick I’ve only used once, don’t mind. Buy the rest yourself. If you don’t know what to get, call me and I’ll help you choose."

"Alright."