Chapter 16: Protective

In the dressing room, Fang Chuning sat in front of the mirror. The makeup artist stood beside her, applying makeup to her face. The smell of cosmetics made her a bit uncomfortable. “Cara, don’t apply it so thick, my face feels stiff.”

Cara was a female makeup artist who strived for perfection in both herself and her “work”. She held the girl’s chin with two fingers, preventing her from moving. “It’s not thick at all. You have good skin, I just need to enhance your features a bit more.”

Fang Chuning felt like a lump of clay being molded.

She sat stiffly, only able to move her eyes. Beside her, Gao Qiong was leaning on the mirror, doing her own makeup. She wasn’t satisfied with someone else doing it for her and insisted on doing it herself.

Fang Chuning rolled her eyes to glance at her in the mirror. She had to admit, it looked quite professional. “When did you learn to do makeup? I didn’t know you had this skill.”

Gao Qiong was concentrating intensely and didn’t respond. She glanced at the photo of a male witch on her phone screen, then steadily used the eyeliner pen on her face like she was painting, applying makeup as skillfully as a man would.

Fang Chuning couldn’t help but exclaim, “Awesome!”

The door of the dressing room opened, and a girl walked in. “President, someone is looking for you outside.”

Fang Chuning looked at her through the mirror, “Who?”

“He said he’s your brother, President.”

Cara pressed down on the girl’s restless head, slightly displeased. “It’s not done yet, can’t you stay still?”

Fang Chuning froze again as the powder brush lightly swept across her face. She wanted to raise her hand to scratch but was stopped. After about ten minutes, it was finally done. She looked left and right in the mirror. Apart from her features becoming more defined, her skin whiter, and her lips redder, there wasn’t much change.

The fruit-flavored lipstick on her lips made her want to lick them. Then, feeling the color was a bit light, she applied more lipstick herself.

She couldn’t help but admire herself in the mirror, sighing, “You really don’t know until you try it, I didn’t realize I was so beautiful.”

Gao Qiong beside her snorted with laughter: “Have you suddenly realized you were born in the wrong body?”

Fang Chuning ignored her, thinking that since she’d be going out soon, she might as well change into her costume now to save time going back and forth.

Outside the dressing room, Fang Tianli had become a bit impatient waiting. “I don’t know if that girl told her or not. It’s been so long and she still hasn’t come out!”

Su Qi, holding his arm, comforted him: “She’s probably not ready yet, let’s wait a bit longer.”

Just as he finished speaking, he saw the dressing room door open. The girl had her hair in a high ponytail and was wearing a white and red princess dress. Both the color combination and quality of the dress were excellent, luxurious yet elegant. She was still adjusting the gold buttons at the collar, her face expressionless. With her tall and alluring figure, she looked noble and unapproachable.

Su Qi felt his heart pounding rapidly in his left chest. He bit his lip, staring at the girl with wide eyes, unconsciously tightening his grip.

“Ouch, that hurts!” Fang Tianli forcefully pried open his hand, rubbing the sore spot and glaring at him. “Su Qi, what are you doing?! You’re hurting me!”

Su Qi snapped back to reality and quickly apologized timidly, “I’m sorry, Lili, I didn’t mean to…”

“If you didn’t mean to, why did you grip so hard!” Fang Tianli’s cheeks puffed up in displeasure.

“I…” The small boy looked utterly helpless, his teary expression making others feel sorry for him.

Fang Tianli became even more displeased. He was the one who got hurt, so why did it look like the other was about to cry? He had been with him for so long, why was he still so timid!

Fang Tianli was unhappy in his heart and didn’t want to give in, so he simply turned his face away sulkily, ignoring him.

Fang Chuning had just come out to see this scene of seemingly broken plastic brotherhood. “What’s wrong with you two?”

Su Qi’s eyes were filled with tears, his lips pursed as if he wanted to speak but didn’t dare.

Fang Chuning looked at her younger brother. Fang Tianli’s cheeks had deflated a bit, but he still wasn’t acknowledging the other.

Su Qi gently touched the red spot he had pinched, his weak voice constantly apologizing, “I’m sorry, Lili, I’m sorry…”

Fang Tianli glanced at him, his anger gradually dissipating, but he still maintained his posture of not wanting to acknowledge him. Fang Chuning, knowing her brother’s little thoughts all too well, patted his head and helped Su Qi out of the situation, “Are you guys hungry? Do you want me to take you to get something to eat?”

Su Qi’s eyes turned to her again, his lips pursed as he waited for Fang Tianli to decide.

Fang Tianli was in no mood to eat now. He glanced at the person beside him and lifted his small chin haughtily, “Don’t ask me, ask him.”

Fang Chuning shifted her gaze to the shy little boy. Su Qi’s ears were flushed red, his watery eyes timidly looking at her, “If Lili eats, I’ll have a bit too.”

That meant they wanted to eat. Fang Chuning took them to the school cafeteria, which was quite crowded with many parents accompanying their children for meals.

As soon as they entered the cafeteria, Fang Tianli showed disgust on his face, “Why do we have to eat in the cafeteria? There are so many people, I don’t like it.”

When he was at school, his lunch was delivered by servants every day. He had a special place to eat, quiet and comfortable. At worst, he could go to a restaurant outside and get a private room to eat alone. Why should he have to squeeze in here with so many people?

Fang Chuning glanced at the time, not intending to indulge him, “Then you can watch us eat.”

Su Qi gently linked arms with the boy, pointing to a relatively less crowded corner, “Lili, let’s sit over there. There are fewer people there.”

The three sat down where he pointed. Fang Chuning placed her phone on the table for them to watch, while she went to get food.

Su Qi took the opportunity to say, “Sister Ning, I’ll go with you. You can’t carry three portions by yourself.”

Fang Chuning had no objection, but she quickly regretted changing into her costume early. In the cafeteria, others were either wearing school uniforms or casual clothes, making her stand out conspicuously in her outfit.

Feeling the gazes falling on her, Fang Chuning’s ears grew hot. The key was that she was tall, making her almost immediately noticeable upon entering the cafeteria.

She coughed awkwardly, then noticed the junior student in front of her turning around. Seeing her dressed like this, he seemed a bit surprised, then his eyes brightened, “President Fang?”

Fang Chuning wasn’t surprised to be recognized, after all, her headshot was often posted on the school forum, supposedly for its imposing and deterrent effect. In reality, she felt it was no different from posting a door god image.

***

She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!” (Female-dominant)

Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.

After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.

She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.

But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…

Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!

――

This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!

The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.

That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”

Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”

The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”

That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”

Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”

The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.

Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.

“She was originally a ‘she’!”

At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.

The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”