Do I Still Want to Be a Makeup Artist?
Yu Fei was at a loss for words when faced with this question, so she didn't answer Xu Gui's question immediately.
"I...I don't know," she answered after several seconds, "That's all from when I was little, I've long forgotten it."
Her hands were intertwined, her fingers fidgeting, and she added, "Anyway, my mom definitely won't let me be a makeup artist. She says it's a service to others, and I'll be the one being served in the future."
—Xu Gui had said she was asking for her own opinion, but in the end, she still brought up her mother's attitude.
Xu Gui: "You also think that being a makeup artist is a service industry?"
Yu Fei still said, "I don't know..." —The three words she said most today were "I don't know."
Lu Baiyi had finished his phone call sometime earlier and was standing aside listening to Xu Gui and the others' conversation. At this moment, he spoke up, "The police are already at the door, I'll take you out."
Hearing this, Yu Fei's chaotic thoughts were no longer chaotic at all, because only shock remained.
"You really called the police?" She stared at Lu Baiyi.
"Why would I need to lie?" Lu Baiyi retorted, then glanced at the time and said, "It's getting late. The sooner you go down the mountain with the police, the sooner your aunt can get you released from the police station. Maybe you can even get some sleep before dawn."
Yu Fei pointed at him: "You, you, you—"
Lu Baiyi looked at her calmly and said, "You listened to your aunt and came to my house without my permission. I only called the police and didn't accuse you of attempted murder, which is already out of consideration for our family relationship."
Yu Fei's eyes widened again: "Intended murder? How could I possibly murder you?" Lu
Baiyi said, "Who can be sure?"
Yu Fei: "..."
In the end, Yu Fei still went with the police. There was nothing she could do; the police were already waiting at the door. No matter how unwilling or scared she was, she didn't dare to confront the police officers. But as she left, she glared fiercely at Lu Baiyi, looking very unhappy.
After seeing Yu Fei off, Lu Baiyi seemed relieved. He then called the villa's housekeeping service and had the cleaning staff throw away his bed and all its bedding. He also had two rooms on the third floor cleaned up for Xu Gui and the others to stay in.
"I'm really sorry for today, I made you all laugh..." While the cleaning staff were cleaning, Lu Baiyi sat downstairs chatting with Xu Gui and the others, and casually slipped Xu Gui a jar of butter cookies.
—The butter cookies were shaped like cat paws, plump and chubby, looking very chewy and crunchy, and they actually tasted very fragrant and crunchy.
Xu Gui: Chew, chew, chew.
She also passed the cookie jar to Yuan Lu, so now there were two people eating cookies.
While they were eating cookies, Lu Baiyi was talking. He sighed, "I never thought Yu Fei would listen to my second aunt's nonsense." His tone was very helpless.
He was talking to Xu Gui and the others about Yu Fei's aunt, his second aunt.
Lu Baiyi's second aunt was a typical "Cinderella" who married into a wealthy family. The Yu family was quite ordinary; their ancestors had all worked the land. Otherwise, Lu Baiyi's second aunt wouldn't have dropped out of junior high school to work.
Her encounter with Lu Baiyi's second uncle stemmed from a heroic rescue. At the time, Lu Baiyi's second aunt worked at a bar, and Lu Baiyi's second uncle was a regular there. One time, he happened to see his second aunt being harassed by a drunk customer and helped her out. That's how their fate was sealed.
Afterward, they quickly fell in love and got married within two years. Their marriage was incredibly smooth, and it was considered a beautiful story by outsiders.
As for why Lu Baiyi's second uncle liked his second aunt...
Lu Baiyi looked at Xu Gui and the others and asked, "Do you think Yu Fei is pretty?"
Xu Gui and Yuan Lu both nodded directly, "Pretty."
Lu Baiyi nodded slightly and said, "And my second aunt is even prettier than Yu Fei."
It's strange, really. The other members of the Yu family can only be described as ordinary-looking, not ugly, but Lu Baiyi's second aunt and Yu Fei are both extremely beautiful, their looks are no less than those of female celebrities in the entertainment industry. They are simply two beautiful flowers blooming in the mud.
So, it has to be said that genetic inheritance is really a lottery. They are clearly from the same family, but their looks are worlds apart.
After Lu Baiyi's second aunt successfully married into the wealthy family, the Yu family's net worth also rose accordingly, and their lives were many times better than before. However, it was precisely because of this that the Yu family's values developed a certain distorted perception.
"...My second aunt only graduated from junior high school, but just because of her looks, she married my second uncle and brought a good life to the entire Yu family. Perhaps because of this, they think that a beautiful face is more important than an excellent education."
Coincidentally, Yu Fei, just like her aunt, had a face as radiant as a summer flower and as beautiful as a peach blossom.
Lu Baiyi suspected that the Yu family looked at Yu Fei as if she were a second "second aunt," and hoped that Yu Fei could marry into a wealthy family like her aunt.
"My second aunt...is a bit sensible," Lu Baiyi sighed, trying to be tactful, as he, as a junior, felt awkward commenting on his elders.
He said, "Someone might have whispered something in her ear that caused her to have such strange thoughts, and even do something so foolish. But I called the police this time, so they shouldn't dare to do it again next time."
His second aunt's personality, to put it nicely, is naive and easily influenced; to put it bluntly, she lacks her own opinions and her thoughts are easily swayed. Therefore, Lu Baiyi had to be ruthless in handling this matter, otherwise his second aunt would dare to do it again.
After hearing the whole story, Xu Gui sighed, "...It seems that life in your wealthy family isn't without its troubles."
Lu Baiyi smiled and said, "People always have troubles in life."
Having money has its troubles, not having money has its troubles; in short, things are never perfect.
*
After the cleaning staff from the villa area finished cleaning the room, Lu Baiyi led Xu Gui into the room they would be staying in that night.
After entering the house, he went straight to the huge floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, pulled back the curtains, and said, "If you want to watch the sunrise this morning, this is probably the best angle. It faces the direction of the sunrise directly."
Xu Gui walked over.
The floor-to-ceiling window was large, and looking out, you could clearly see the vast ocean stretching to the horizon—the people at the barbecue restaurant were right, the view from this mountain was truly amazing.
However, at this time, the sea was pitch black, and you couldn't see anything.
After Lu Baiyi finished speaking, he left, leaving Xu Gui and Yuan Lu to do as they pleased. After he left, Yuan Lu finally let out a country bumpkin's exclamation: "Wow!"
She looked around inside and out, then poked her head out of the room and said to Xu Gui, "Teacher Xu, this room is so big and luxurious! It's even better than a five-star hotel."
This place, though called a bedroom, is more like a suite, divided into a sleeping area and a small living room outside. Every detail is exquisite and meticulously crafted, spotless, exuding an understated luxury.
Xu Gui curiously took a look around, but it was already quite late. Since they needed to get up early to watch the sunrise the next morning, the two didn't look around too closely. After a quick wash, they went straight to bed. Xu Gui hadn't been particularly interested in watching the sunrise before, but after Lu Baiyi mentioned it a few times, she had become genuinely interested.
So, she needed to go to bed early so she could get up early to watch the sunrise.
Oh, and there was a little incident in between. While Xu Gui and the others were getting ready for bed, they suddenly received a call from Kuang Ming.
"Why aren't you two in your room? Where are you at this hour?" Kuang Ming asked immediately.
Xu Gui said, "Oh, we're at the 'Golden Summit'."
The Golden Summit?
The Golden Summit?!
Kuang Ming took a breath and asked softly, "It's not the Golden Summit I know, is it?"
Xu Gui said, "If there isn't another Golden Summit here, then it should be the one you know."
Kuang Ming was shocked and confused. "How did you get there? No, how did you even get there?" As far as he knew, not just anyone could go up to the Golden Summit; most people would be stopped halfway up.
But according to Xu Gui, she and Yuan Lu were going to spend the night there, so they must be at the summit. But how did they get up there? And most importantly, why didn't they tell him?
Kuang Ming suddenly felt a headache coming on. He thought vaguely: Is this what it feels like to have an uncontrollable artist?
"I just ran into someone I know…" Xu Gui answered his question. "He has a villa on the mountain, so he brought us up and even provided us with accommodation. He's such a kind person."
Kuang Ming, however, was wary: "Who is he? Male or female? Are you very familiar with him?"
"Male," Xu Gui said, pondering, "I guess we're pretty familiar, right?"—They had met several times, so familiarity was one thing, especially since she was so close to Old Man Lu.
"But I've decided today that I'm going to be very, very good friends with him!" Xu Gui said firmly.
Kuang Ming took a breath and whispered, "You're not thinking of pursuing him, are you?"
Xu Gui: ?
Kuang Ming paced anxiously around the room. He said, "Xu Gui, listen to me. You're still young. If you want, you'll have plenty of time to date in the future. But right now is not the right time for you to date."
"You're new to this industry, so you might not understand. You've just become a star. If a relationship were to be revealed now, it would be fatal to your career!"
Kuang Ming was incredibly worried, trying to persuade Xu Gui. Just as he was trying to convince her, Xu Gui suddenly exclaimed, "...Oh, right, actually I could date him!"
Kuang Ming was stunned. What? You weren't trying to pursue him?
Xu Gui: "No, I just want to be friends with him." Her "friends" was only in the literal sense.
"...But you're right," Xu Gui said thoughtfully, "If I dated him and became his girlfriend, I'd definitely be his top priority!" Even higher than his best friend.
Then, if he cooked something delicious, she'd be the first person he thought of.
Xu Gui: "Kuang Ming, you're a genius!"
Kuang Ming: ?
Kuang Ming: ???
For Kuang Ming, Xu Gui's words were like a bolt from the blue.
So, Xu Gui originally had no intention of dating, but because of his words, she suddenly had this idea.
Kuang Ming: "..."
On the other side, Yuan Lu looked at Xu Gui who had just hung up the phone and couldn't help but gasp, then asked softly, "Teacher Xu, do you really want to pursue Mr. Lu?"
Xu Gui: "No..."
"Then what did you just say to Brother Kuang?" Yuan Lu asked, puzzled.
Xu Gui said, "Oh, I just said it casually." She was just talking nonsense to go along with Kuang Ming's words.
Yuan Lu: ...I feel sorry for Brother Kuang for two seconds. He probably feels like the sky has fallen right now.
*
After talking to Kuang Ming on the phone last night, Xu Gui went straight to sleep and slept soundly without any dreams. She was woken up by Yuan Lu when it was still dawn the next day.
She sat up yawning, still half-asleep, and asked, "Has the sun risen yet?"
"Not yet, but it should be soon. I see the horizon is already white!" Yuan Lu replied energetically, urging Xu Gui, "Teacher Xu, get up quickly, or the sun will be fully up soon."
Xu Gui struggled to open her eyes, still groggy, as Yuan Lu led her to the small living room outside.
The living room was carpeted, so the two sat down directly facing the floor-to-ceiling window. Xu Gui sat for about five minutes before finally waking up. She opened her eyes and watched as a small orange hue appeared on the horizon, gradually spreading outwards across the sky.
It was like a painter broadly applying color to the horizon, extremely beautiful.
It must be said, this room was truly the best spot to watch the sunrise; the angle was directly east, allowing her to see the entire sunrise process.
Xu Gui sat on the ground, hugging her knees, watching as the sun suddenly leaped out of the sea at a certain moment. A fiery red orb, starting as a small glimpse, gradually unfolded before everyone's eyes.
Sunlight spilled onto the sea, its rays reflecting on the shimmering water, blurring the line between sky and sea, making it almost impossible to distinguish directions.
"Wow!" Yuan Lu exclaimed, "So beautiful!"
The wait felt long, but the sunrise itself seemed incredibly short, almost instantaneous, before the sun was fully out, leaving only a patch of orange on the horizon.
Xu Gui's eyes reflected the sunrise; she squinted, feeling quite pleased.
It had to be said, the sunrise was truly magnificent. No wonder everyone was so eager to see it. The wonder of nature as the sun slowly rose from below the horizon was truly awe-inspiring.
No wonder humans always say nature is amazing; it really is.
...
After watching the sunrise, Xu Gui and Yuan Lu washed up and went downstairs.
When they arrived last night, the villa was empty except for Yu Fei, who had sneaked in. Now, however, several maids in uniform had appeared.
Seeing Xu Gui and her companion come down, the maids approached and politely inquired, "Miss Xu, Miss Yuan, we're making breakfast. Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
Xu Gui replied, "Anything is fine with me."
The maid nodded, "Anything is fine with you."
Xu Gui thought for a moment, her earnest expression making the maid wonder if Miss Xu was about to give them some difficult task. But the next second, she heard Xu Gui say,
"Would pumpkin porridge be alright?"
"I'd also like wontons…and if possible, three soup dumplings."
She looked at the other woman, her eyes full of expectation: "Is it alright?"
The aunt who spoke: ...Ha!
This is quite a commotion. She thought Miss Xu wanted to eat dragon liver and phoenix marrow, but it turns out she just wanted wontons and soup dumplings.
The aunt breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, whether it's pumpkin porridge or soup dumplings, we have them all."
"And Miss Yuan?" she asked Yuan Lu.
Yuan Lu quickly said, "I'll have the same as Teacher Xu."
The aunt nodded: "Okay."
Xu Gui and Yuan Lu went to sit in the living room, where they saw Lu Baiyi.
Lu Baiyi was wearing a shirt and simple trousers. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a small portion of his honey-colored chest. He had a kind of unruly feeling that was unfamiliar to Xu Gui—she had seen him recently always dressed in a suit and tie, looking very proper.
Now he was so relaxed and comfortable, which felt a bit strange.
Hearing footsteps, Lu Baiyi looked up. Seeing Xu Gui and the others, he smiled, his smile instantly softening his usual aloofness and arrogance, revealing a gentler side.
"How was the sunrise?" he asked.
Xu Gui walked over and nodded, "Very nice… The room you arranged for us has a perfect angle for watching the sunrise. Nature is truly amazing; sunrise and sunset are two completely different scenes."
Even though it's both the sun…
Lu Baiyi was drinking coffee and asked Xu Gui and the others, "Would you like some coffee?"
Xu Gui sniffed, catching the aroma of coffee in the air, and thought she could try some.
Lu Baiyi got up and went to the bar, pouring each of them a cup.
The coffee wasn't instant; it was made from high-quality coffee beans, with a particularly rich and pleasant aroma.
"These are sugar cubes. If you find it too bitter, you can add more," Lu Baiyi said.
Xu Gui nodded, took a sip of the hot coffee, and then her face scrunched up at the bitterness.
However, although the coffee was very bitter, it was really fragrant and tasted exceptionally good, so Xu Gui didn't give up and added three sugar cubes.
After the sugar cubes dissolved, the coffee wasn't so bitter anymore; the sweetness of the sugar cubes slightly neutralized the bitterness.
Although Xu Gui didn't like bitter foods, she found the bitterness somewhat acceptable because it was so fragrant.
"What are you planning to do after breakfast?" Lu Baiyi asked. "I have work today, so I might not be able to properly entertain you."
Xu Gui asked, "Can we wander around the Golden Summit?" Lu Baiyi
: "Of course..."
...
After Xu Gui and the others finished breakfast, Lu Baiyi handed them two cards, saying, "These are access cards. Use these cards when you're out, and the security guards on the mountain won't kick you out." The
"Golden Summit" was a so-called wealthy area, and the paths up and down the mountain were blocked. Without access cards, going up and down the mountain would be problematic, and if caught by the security guards, one would be taken to the police station.
This demonstrates the high level of security at the "Golden Summit."
Lu Baiyi finished breakfast and went to work, telling Xu Gui and the others to make themselves at home and not to be shy, displaying an extremely generous attitude.
After he left, Xu Gui took Yuan Lu for a stroll on the mountain.
This mountain is the most iconic structure on the island, backed by the sea, and lush with greenery, making it relatively cool.
Xu Gui and Yuan Lu strolled around casually, encountering security guards along the way, but the guards, seeing their access cards, didn't question them.
So, they easily reached the large platform at the summit of the Golden Summit.
The platform offered an extremely wide view, encompassing almost the entire landscape of this small island
in N Province. The platform was surrounded by railings, waist-high, and looking down, the terrain appeared extremely steep and dangerous.
A single pebble falling from there would likely roll a considerable distance.
After circling the large platform, Xu Gui returned to her original spot and asked Yuan Lu, "Do you think someone could survive falling from here?"
Yuan Lu looked down and gasped, "Probably not."
Xu Gui nodded thoughtfully and said, "Logically speaking, that's true..."
Her tone shifted abruptly, "I'm planning to go down and take a look!"
Yuan Lu: ?
"Go where?" She widened her eyes and pointed downwards, "Teacher Xu, you don't mean to go down there, do you?"
Xu Gui nodded, her expression matter-of-fact, not finding anything wrong with her idea.
She looked around, already searching for a way down.
"What are you doing here?" Suddenly, a voice came from behind.
Xu Gui and the others turned around and saw a girl in a black dress, her face still showing signs of childhood, looking about twelve or thirteen years old.
She looked at Xu Gui and the others with a puzzled expression.
Xu Gui glanced at her and said, "I'm planning to go down there and take a look."
"Why?" the girl blurted out. After speaking, she seemed to realize her reaction was a bit excessive, pursed her lips, and continued, "I mean, it's so steep down there, and there are so many trees. What if you fall?"
Yuan Lu couldn't help but nod, "Yes, Teacher Xu, it's too dangerous. I see the slope down there is very steep. What if you accidentally get hurt?"
Xu Gui, however, was very determined, stating, "Don't worry, my balance is very good, so none of the dangers or accidents you mentioned will happen."
"By the way," she looked at the girl standing there, clutching her skirt, and asked, "Do you know where to go down?"
The girl's gaze shifted for a moment before returning, and she whispered, "I don't know."
Xu Gui gave her a deep look and said, "Okay… it seems I'll have to figure it out myself."
Yuan Lu was genuinely worried about Xu Gui, but Xu Gui's tone was resolute, as if she was determined to go down to the platform, as if something was waiting for her to find there.
Wait! Yuan Lu suddenly realized something was wrong.