It was early Saturday morning.
Chen Mier, who loved to sleep in every day, woke up earlier than anyone else.
Because she was going shopping downtown today, she woke up before dawn.
No matter how she tried to sleep, she couldn't fall back asleep, disturbing everyone awake.
Xiao Qi woke up and, as usual, started off her day by practicing her calligraphy.
Seeing Su Xiaoqi sitting with her back straight, brush in hand, dissolving ink as the dorm mates woke up, the others admired her, initially awed by how well she could write, especially respecting her since in this day and age most people play with their phones and computers, and it's already impressive if someone can write decently, but Su Xiaoqi's writing looked like it came right out of a model book, simply incredible.
However, after a week, they discovered that Xiao Qi actually persevered in practicing calligraphy every day, morning, afternoon and evening, always finding time to practice. Even when others were browsing their phones or chatting away, and half an hour would fly by, she would have already filled several pages with her large characters.
Only then did they realize that her excellent writing was not innate, but the result of diligent practice. Along with their admiration, their respect for her grew.
There was also reciting vocabulary. Xiao Qi would write out and recite thirty Japanese words every day, also making use of small pockets of time.
Perhaps influenced by Xiao Qi's example, an academic atmosphere pervaded the entire Huashan 606 dormitory. While the other dorms would be boisterously laughing, people in their dorm could often be found quietly studying or reading.
After finishing her calligraphy practice and copying down the vocabulary for recitation today, Xiao Qi glanced at her interface, noticing that she hadn't been spending much money recently, and had accumulated over 230,000 yuan in her account again.
She got up, just as everyone else finished washing up, so she went to wash up as well.
Chen Mier wore denim shorts and a knitted tank top, showing off her exceptionally good figure.
Not skinny like "Ribs Spirit", but nicely filled out and proportional, with round and plump legs and an impressive bust that made one subconsciously want to give her a hug.
Gu Yunshu wore a plain white dress, matching her usual calm personality, with long straight black hair draped over her shoulders, not particularly eye-catching, but appropriate.
Wei Cheng, as usual, wore jeans and a T-shirt, owning only a limited wardrobe that she rotated through.
Xiao Qi also did not have many clothes, favoring comfort by wearing athletic pants and T-shirts most of the time.
Since they were going out, Chen Mier brought out her stash of little bottles and jars of cosmetics, so many items - eyeshadow, eyeliner, lipstick, blush and more, all looking quite new. She sat seriously in front of the window, starting to put on her makeup.
In the whole dorm, only Chen Mier had a full set of cosmetics.
Perhaps because of not examining her closely initially, the small-town girl actually wore makeup daily, eyes darkened.
Although Gu Yunshu used very expensive skincare products, she did not wear makeup, only occasionally putting on some lipstick.
Xiao Qi also owned a tube of lipstick, gifted by Zhou Teacher, prettily brightening.
Wei Cheng did not even have lipstick.
When Chen Mier displayed her full collection of cosmetics, it simply astonished her roommates. Just her lipsticks numbered over twenty colors. There were eye shadows, blush, very professional-looking. There was even a blue mascara that surprised Xiao Qi, who thought mascaras only came in black.
"My cousin does bridal makeup and gave these to me. I actually don't know how to use many of them," confessed Chen Mier about not knowing how to use them when in fact she looked quite adept in applying everything.
Base goes on first to even out complexion before eye makeup.
Xiao Qi curiously watched Chen Mier play with the products.
Chen Mier's skin tone was somewhat dark, closer to black. Yet she managed to whiten herself until paste-pale, contrasting jarringly with her untouched neck.
She had double eyelids, eyes originally quite attractive, liquid black. But after she put on eye shadow, they looked somewhat like she had been punched.
Then mascara, brushing her lashes excessively long where they smudged onto undereye circles whenever she blinked. She kept adding more foundation to cover up the blackness, but grayish undereye circles persisted.
By the time she finished everything including the lipstick, her whole face appeared to have gained a size, with an indescribable dirty look.
"How is it?" she asked while examining herself in the mirror then looking expectantly at her roommates.
Gu Yunshu smiled. "It's good. Just a bit... complex."
The honest Wei Cheng said hesitantly at a loss for words, "I feel like you looked prettier before."
Xiao Qi really could not bear to see any more...flaking with every word...dark eye circles growing heavier by the blink...
"Go take that off. Let me do your makeup instead," she offered.
Examining her fully transformed self in the mirror - huge eyes, long lashes, red lips - Chen Mier felt a little odd since it differed so much from her usual look. But this was how her cousin did makeup, and she had deliberately learned for a period, so the outcome seemed about right.
Still, she recognized her deskmate's superior taste and went to remove it all: "I'll go take this off. You guys can use the makeup too if you want."
While Chen Mier washed off, Xiao Qi sat before the sizable pile of cosmetics and studied each piece.
Despite never having worn makeup herself, as she picked up each item, they handled smoothly, as if colors on a painter's palette. A bare face presented blank canvas.
It would be a bit before Chen Mier finished removing everything, so Xiao Qi looked over at Wei Cheng and asked, "How about I give you light makeup?"
Timid Wei Cheng felt quite curious and would not reject others either. Blushing, she sat down.
Among the dorm mates, Wei Cheng was tallest with a relatively rugged build. She did not usually care for her skin much and often helped out with farm work under the sun. Thus her face had many freckles and a square shape unlike traditionally favored oval or melon-seed faces. She also had single eyelids. But she did have decently long lashes albeit a bit sparse. Simple-hearted with a warm personality, her eyes were very bright. Still, single eyelids made her eyes appear small while her lips were somewhat thin and wide.
Sitting facing the mirror, Wei Cheng kept glancing at herself then at Xiao Qi's reflection, feeling extremely ugly in comparison. It made her even more self-conscious.
Noticing her discomfort at looking in the mirror, Xiao Qi covered it and assured, "Don't worry, just very light makeup. Barely noticeable."
The variety of cosmetics proved complex, yet after learning top influencer Kaka's makeup techniques, Xiao Qi found them intuitive like painting colors.
Though freckled, Wei Cheng's skin remained delicate and fair with nearly invisible pores, not oily either. Just washed, her bare face clean, Xiao Qi applied some nourishing lotion first then a layer of makeup primer.
Using her hand for the primer and a sponge for the foundation, Xiao Qi applied very thinly without fully concealing freckles yet brightening Wei Cheng's complexion, carefully extending to her neckline for evenness. Wei Cheng freckled easily because of paler undertones. Darker skin hid freckles better.
Wei Cheng had slender almond-shaped eyes but coarse, messy eyebrows. Xiao Qi trimmed them, movements steady without shaking though not extremely practiced. Altogether she radiated composure.
Initially disinterested in makeup, Gu Yunshu browsing her phone now watched curiously.
Having removed her full makeup, Chen Mier stuck on a sheet mask for her bare face.
With groomed eyebrows, Wei Cheng's face immediately appeared softer, eyes even larger.
Xiao Qi did not use eyelid glue or tapes to create a temporary crease, keeping Wei Cheng's natural single eyelids while simply lining her eyes.
Eye lining proved slightly tricky with blinking motions, but Xiao Qi's strokes flowed smoothly. After several flicks, Wei Cheng opened her eyes looking unchanged yet gaze markedly brighter. For mascara, considering Wei Cheng's already adequate lashes, Xiao Qi chose a volumizing rather than lengthening formula without overdoing it.
Square faced with a flattened bridge, Wei Cheng's features were disproportionate. Xiao Qi stroked blush along the cheekbones and touched highlighter onto the bridge, softly diffusing outwards with a fluffy brush.
Despite thinly wide set, Wei Cheng's lip shape remained attractive. Xiao Qi defined the lip line in a cool-toned pinkish purple rose.
Initially nervous, Wei Cheng gradually relaxed under Xiao Qi's steady ministrations, curiously anticipating the final look. Strange or not, she could always wash it off like Chen Mier if necessary.
In the dormitory, Chen Mier was the youngest. Gu Yunshu and Wei Cheng were both eighteen years old. Xiao Qi was seventeen years old, and Chen Mier was a few months younger than Xiao Qi with the most developed figure.
Girls of seventeen or eighteen years old were naturally curious about such things.
When Xiao Qi said she had finished putting on makeup, she told Wei Cheng to take a look at herself, and the dormitory became very quiet.
Because at this moment, Wei Cheng was completely different from her usual self.
Gu Yunshu's eyes were wide open, and the music from the same video clip on her Douyin app played over and over again. Chen Mier removed her facial mask and immediately asked Xiao Qi to put makeup on her too.
Wei Cheng originally had a square face, small eyes, collapsed nose bridge, and many freckles. She was just a somewhat rough, ordinary girl. But after Xiao Qi put makeup on her, she inexplicably looked very high-class. Although she didn't have very heavy makeup on, even the freckles on her face were not concealed but revealed. Looking at these freckles now, they seemed cute and playful. Wei Cheng's eyes were especially attractive—they were originally very dark and pure. With the makeup on, as she looked at herself in the mirror, she felt very beautiful, not with the traditional goose egg or melon seed face, but she just felt good-looking and comfortable. She had never thought of herself as so pretty before.
The girl in the mirror was her yet not her. As she looked left and right, there was some aloofness yet purity. She smiled shyly at herself in the mirror, and the beautiful girl suddenly bloomed like a pure white camellia.
At this moment, Wei Cheng's hunched shoulders suddenly opened up. It turned out she could be so good-looking, so beautiful. It turned out she was not ugly or unattractive at all.
She could hardly bear to leave the mirror, wanting to look at her beautiful self a moment longer, and then another.
It was early Saturday morning.
Chen Mier, who loved to sleep in every day, woke up earlier than anyone else.
Because she was going shopping downtown today, she woke up before dawn.
No matter how she tried to sleep, she couldn't fall back asleep, disturbing everyone awake.
Xiao Qi woke up and, as usual, started off her day by practicing her calligraphy.
Seeing Su Xiaoqi sitting with her back straight, brush in hand, dissolving ink as the dorm mates woke up, the others admired her, initially awed by how well she could write, especially respecting her since in this day and age most people play with their phones and computers, and it's already impressive if someone can write decently, but Su Xiaoqi's writing looked like it came right out of a model book, simply incredible.
However, after a week, they discovered that Xiao Qi actually persevered in practicing calligraphy every day, morning, afternoon and evening, always finding time to practice. Even when others were browsing their phones or chatting away, and half an hour would fly by, she would have already filled several pages with her large characters.
Only then did they realize that her excellent writing was not innate, but the result of diligent practice. Along with their admiration, their respect for her grew.
There was also reciting vocabulary. Xiao Qi would write out and recite thirty Japanese words every day, also making use of small pockets of time.
Perhaps influenced by Xiao Qi's example, an academic atmosphere pervaded the entire Huashan 606 dormitory. While the other dorms would be boisterously laughing, people in their dorm could often be found quietly studying or reading.
After finishing her calligraphy practice and copying down the vocabulary for recitation today, Xiao Qi glanced at her interface, noticing that she hadn't been spending much money recently, and had accumulated over 230,000 yuan in her account again.
She got up, just as everyone else finished washing up, so she went to wash up as well.
Chen Mier wore denim shorts and a knitted tank top, showing off her exceptionally good figure.
Not skinny like "Ribs Spirit", but nicely filled out and proportional, with round and plump legs and an impressive bust that made one subconsciously want to give her a hug.
Gu Yunshu wore a plain white dress, matching her usual calm personality, with long straight black hair draped over her shoulders, not particularly eye-catching, but appropriate.
Wei Cheng, as usual, wore jeans and a T-shirt, owning only a limited wardrobe that she rotated through.
Xiao Qi also did not have many clothes, favoring comfort by wearing athletic pants and T-shirts most of the time.
Since they were going out, Chen Mier brought out her stash of little bottles and jars of cosmetics, so many items - eyeshadow, eyeliner, lipstick, blush and more, all looking quite new. She sat seriously in front of the window, starting to put on her makeup.
In the whole dorm, only Chen Mier had a full set of cosmetics.
Perhaps because of not examining her closely initially, the small-town girl actually wore makeup daily, eyes darkened.
Although Gu Yunshu used very expensive skincare products, she did not wear makeup, only occasionally putting on some lipstick.
Xiao Qi also owned a tube of lipstick, gifted by Zhou Teacher, prettily brightening.
Wei Cheng did not even have lipstick.
When Chen Mier displayed her full collection of cosmetics, it simply astonished her roommates. Just her lipsticks numbered over twenty colors. There were eye shadows, blush, very professional-looking. There was even a blue mascara that surprised Xiao Qi, who thought mascaras only came in black.
"My cousin does bridal makeup and gave these to me. I actually don't know how to use many of them," confessed Chen Mier about not knowing how to use them when in fact she looked quite adept in applying everything.
Base goes on first to even out complexion before eye makeup.
Xiao Qi curiously watched Chen Mier play with the products.
Chen Mier's skin tone was somewhat dark, closer to black. Yet she managed to whiten herself until paste-pale, contrasting jarringly with her untouched neck.
She had double eyelids, eyes originally quite attractive, liquid black. But after she put on eye shadow, they looked somewhat like she had been punched.
Then mascara, brushing her lashes excessively long where they smudged onto undereye circles whenever she blinked. She kept adding more foundation to cover up the blackness, but grayish undereye circles persisted.
By the time she finished everything including the lipstick, her whole face appeared to have gained a size, with an indescribable dirty look.
"How is it?" she asked while examining herself in the mirror then looking expectantly at her roommates.
Gu Yunshu smiled. "It's good. Just a bit... complex."
The honest Wei Cheng said hesitantly at a loss for words, "I feel like you looked prettier before."
Xiao Qi really could not bear to see any more...flaking with every word...dark eye circles growing heavier by the blink...
"Go take that off. Let me do your makeup instead," she offered.
Examining her fully transformed self in the mirror - huge eyes, long lashes, red lips - Chen Mier felt a little odd since it differed so much from her usual look. But this was how her cousin did makeup, and she had deliberately learned for a period, so the outcome seemed about right.
Still, she recognized her deskmate's superior taste and went to remove it all: "I'll go take this off. You guys can use the makeup too if you want."
While Chen Mier washed off, Xiao Qi sat before the sizable pile of cosmetics and studied each piece.
Despite never having worn makeup herself, as she picked up each item, they handled smoothly, as if colors on a painter's palette. A bare face presented blank canvas.
It would be a bit before Chen Mier finished removing everything, so Xiao Qi looked over at Wei Cheng and asked, "How about I give you light makeup?"
Timid Wei Cheng felt quite curious and would not reject others either. Blushing, she sat down.
Among the dorm mates, Wei Cheng was tallest with a relatively rugged build. She did not usually care for her skin much and often helped out with farm work under the sun. Thus her face had many freckles and a square shape unlike traditionally favored oval or melon-seed faces. She also had single eyelids. But she did have decently long lashes albeit a bit sparse. Simple-hearted with a warm personality, her eyes were very bright. Still, single eyelids made her eyes appear small while her lips were somewhat thin and wide.
Sitting facing the mirror, Wei Cheng kept glancing at herself then at Xiao Qi's reflection, feeling extremely ugly in comparison. It made her even more self-conscious.
Noticing her discomfort at looking in the mirror, Xiao Qi covered it and assured, "Don't worry, just very light makeup. Barely noticeable."
The variety of cosmetics proved complex, yet after learning top influencer Kaka's makeup techniques, Xiao Qi found them intuitive like painting colors.
Though freckled, Wei Cheng's skin remained delicate and fair with nearly invisible pores, not oily either. Just washed, her bare face clean, Xiao Qi applied some nourishing lotion first then a layer of makeup primer.
Using her hand for the primer and a sponge for the foundation, Xiao Qi applied very thinly without fully concealing freckles yet brightening Wei Cheng's complexion, carefully extending to her neckline for evenness. Wei Cheng freckled easily because of paler undertones. Darker skin hid freckles better.
Wei Cheng had slender almond-shaped eyes but coarse, messy eyebrows. Xiao Qi trimmed them, movements steady without shaking though not extremely practiced. Altogether she radiated composure.
Initially disinterested in makeup, Gu Yunshu browsing her phone now watched curiously.
Having removed her full makeup, Chen Mier stuck on a sheet mask for her bare face.
With groomed eyebrows, Wei Cheng's face immediately appeared softer, eyes even larger.
Xiao Qi did not use eyelid glue or tapes to create a temporary crease, keeping Wei Cheng's natural single eyelids while simply lining her eyes.
Eye lining proved slightly tricky with blinking motions, but Xiao Qi's strokes flowed smoothly. After several flicks, Wei Cheng opened her eyes looking unchanged yet gaze markedly brighter. For mascara, considering Wei Cheng's already adequate lashes, Xiao Qi chose a volumizing rather than lengthening formula without overdoing it.
Square faced with a flattened bridge, Wei Cheng's features were disproportionate. Xiao Qi stroked blush along the cheekbones and touched highlighter onto the bridge, softly diffusing outwards with a fluffy brush.
Despite thinly wide set, Wei Cheng's lip shape remained attractive. Xiao Qi defined the lip line in a cool-toned pinkish purple rose.
Initially nervous, Wei Cheng gradually relaxed under Xiao Qi's steady ministrations, curiously anticipating the final look. Strange or not, she could always wash it off like Chen Mier if necessary.
In the dormitory, Chen Mier was the youngest. Gu Yunshu and Wei Cheng were both eighteen years old. Xiao Qi was seventeen years old, and Chen Mier was a few months younger than Xiao Qi with the most developed figure.
Girls of seventeen or eighteen years old were naturally curious about such things.
When Xiao Qi said she had finished putting on makeup, she told Wei Cheng to take a look at herself, and the dormitory became very quiet.
Because at this moment, Wei Cheng was completely different from her usual self.
Gu Yunshu's eyes were wide open, and the music from the same video clip on her Douyin app played over and over again. Chen Mier removed her facial mask and immediately asked Xiao Qi to put makeup on her too.
Wei Cheng originally had a square face, small eyes, collapsed nose bridge, and many freckles. She was just a somewhat rough, ordinary girl. But after Xiao Qi put makeup on her, she inexplicably looked very high-class. Although she didn't have very heavy makeup on, even the freckles on her face were not concealed but revealed. Looking at these freckles now, they seemed cute and playful. Wei Cheng's eyes were especially attractive—they were originally very dark and pure. With the makeup on, as she looked at herself in the mirror, she felt very beautiful, not with the traditional goose egg or melon seed face, but she just felt good-looking and comfortable. She had never thought of herself as so pretty before.
The girl in the mirror was her yet not her. As she looked left and right, there was some aloofness yet purity. She smiled shyly at herself in the mirror, and the beautiful girl suddenly bloomed like a pure white camellia.
At this moment, Wei Cheng's hunched shoulders suddenly opened up. It turned out she could be so good-looking, so beautiful. It turned out she was not ugly or unattractive at all.
She could hardly bear to leave the mirror, wanting to look at her beautiful self a moment longer, and then another.
