“I’ll head back first then. Liang Sheng, make sure you get a good sleep—that way you’ll have plenty of energy!” Ni Sihan said it like she was only thinking of others.
What the hell was this girl up to, day in and day out? She’d grabbed Liang Sheng’s hand and spouted that completely useless line.
Liang Sheng slammed the door shut with zero patience, her sleepiness evaporating.
She walked into the bathroom and stared at her reflection in the mirror.
“…”
“This face looks like a total ghost,” Liang Sheng muttered, rolling her eyes at the mirror.
“Hahaha~~” Akino Kazuko launched a mockery attack on her own host. “Maybe that’s why Ni Sihan didn’t come in just now—she got spooked by your hot mess of a look~”
“Hah~” While washing her face, Liang Sheng shot back at her Favorability System. “Even if I, your father, skip washing my face or brushing my hair for three days straight, I’d still be so gorgeous people would lose their minds.”
“Blech,” Akino Kazuko made a retching gesture. “Now that’s just exaggeration—and kinda gross!”
After washing up, Liang Sheng’s face lit up with renewed vigor. She struck a scissor-hand pose at the mirror and pulled off a bunch of cute expressions.
Finally, she reached her conclusion:
“I, your father, am still as adorable as ever today.”
Akino Kazuko watched her host in the mirror and thought of something. “Hey, Liang Sheng, did you notice? Ni Sihan was wearing makeup. Looked pretty cute on her. You know how to do that?”
Liang Sheng scoffed. “Of course… not! I’m just a seventeen-year-old high school kid! As if I’d bother with that stuff! Hmph~”
Today, Miss Liang Sheng—whose soul was already over thirty—continued to play the innocent teen.
Akino Kazuko couldn’t help but chuckle. “Ni Sihan’s the same age as you, and she can pull it off. Look at you, all sloppy!”
“I’ve got natural beauty, okay?” Liang Sheng tossed her long hair and blew a flirtatious wink at the mirror, totally satisfied. “No makeup needed—I’m the hottest one on this block!”
But since she was meeting a beautiful girl today, she figured she should dress to impress.
Liang Sheng flung open her closet, revealing a dazzling array of clothes.
“Oh, these are everyday wear.” She shut it and yanked open another. “This one’s… uh, JK uniform? Nah, not it.”
Liang Sheng scratched her head. “Which one’s the Lolita section again? How’d I forget?”
She randomly pulled open another closet, uncovering stacks of hanfu and piles of Republic of China-style outfits.
Though she was annoyed at not finding what she wanted, a punchably smug smile soon crept across Liang Sheng’s face.
She whipped around to her system, covering her mouth as she giggled. “Hee hee hee.”
Damn! Akino Kazuko, lost in a daze, jolted and floated straight up into the air.
What the—? Had she been possessed?
Smack! A loud slap landed squarely on Liang Sheng’s cheek.
Liang Sheng clutched her face, staring incredulously at the Favorability System hovering in midair.
Akino Kazuko stared at her own hand, equally stunned.
Oops. It’d been a knee-jerk reaction… Yeah, it was all Liang Sheng’s fault for that creepy grin. She’d just been trying to help exorcise whatever demon was in her, out of the goodness of her heart!
“W-what’d you hit me for?” Liang Sheng was totally dumbfounded.
Akino Kazuko guiltily lowered her head and mumbled, “I-I thought your smile was super scary, so…”
“You goddamn—!” Liang Sheng bristled like an angry cat, leaping up to grab Akino Kazuko’s ankle and slam her down toward the floor.
At that moment, Akino Kazuko—who should’ve crashed hard—phased right through the floorboards.
Right, she’d forgotten: the Favorability System known as Akino Kazuko was basically a gaseous, non-corporeal being.
“So what was with that grin of yours?”
Liang Sheng jabbed a finger at the mountain of clothes in her closet, her smug expression returning full force.
“See? That’s how it is when you’re rich—takes forever to pick an outfit~”
Akino Kazuko rolled her eyes like a dead fish, speechless at her host.
MMP. So it was just flexing her wealth.
Get outta here.
In the end, after about twenty minutes of deliberation, Miss Liang Sheng settled on a satisfactory deep-red Lolita dress.
Akino Kazuko glanced at the Lolita dress, then at her host’s hair. Back to the dress, then the hair.
She went back and forth like that six or seven times before speaking.
“Red with green? Total clash—like a dog’s dinner…”
“Shut it!” Liang Sheng had seen that punchline coming. She clapped a hand over her system’s mouth, physically sealing Akino Kazuko’s words.
Where’s the hat? Liang Sheng picked out a light red beret.
“Red with green? A ra—”
“You done yet?!” Liang Sheng shot Akino Kazuko a fierce glare.
Seeing that, Akino Kazuko obediently shut her trap.
“All set~ Looking gorgeous~” Liang Sheng spun in place, convinced she was perfection incarnate. “Oh man, I gotta snap some selfies.”
“Truly stunning~~”
Her host’s narcissism was hitting terminal levels.
Once fully dressed, Liang Sheng scarfed down a simple breakfast and saw it was already half past eight.
Huh? Wasn’t Ni Sihan in such a rush earlier? Why hadn’t she come knocking to drag her out?
Liang Sheng plopped onto the sofa and flipped on a variety show.
Ten minutes later, Ni Sihan finally rapped on Liang Sheng’s door.
“Liang Sheng~ Time to get up~” She knocked gently while calling out in that sweet voice.
Liang Sheng opened the door, and Ni Sihan froze.
A few seconds ticked by before Ni Sihan gave an awkward laugh. “Oh, Liang Sheng, you didn’t go back to sleep?”
“Nope,” Liang Sheng replied. She’d clocked the scheme right away and planted her hands on her hips. “Thanks a ton, Sihan. You woke me up just in time—gave me all this prep time to get dolled up.”
“N-no need to thank me.” Ni Sihan clenched her fists. No matter how she heard it, that sounded like a total diss.
What a pretty face she has, Ni Sihan thought, sneaking a peek at Liang Sheng. Sourness filled her mouth, and she had no clue how to hide her jealous stare.
“Watch your facial expression,” Akino Hoshiko warned inside Ni Sihan’s mind.
Ni Sihan snapped to attention and yanked her gaze away.
This girl was seriously scheming.
Liang Sheng sauntered back to the sofa and plunked down.
Letting her sleep in longer on purpose, not wanting her to get all prettied up, hoping she’d embarrass herself.
Liang Sheng sneered inwardly.
Bottom line: Ni Sihan just wanted to hog all the spotlight. Pairing a sloppy Liang Sheng with her own polished look to highlight her beauty and neatness.
Liang Sheng had peeled back every layer of Ni Sihan’s little plot—it was laid bare, practically hung out to dry.
Neither girl spoke, leaving the air thick with tension.
Finally, with ten minutes to nine, Liang Sheng stood and headed for the door. “Let’s go. Sister Bai Zhen should be arriving early.”
Ni Sihan gathered her skirt and hurried after her.
As they stepped out, there was Bai Zhen in a sharp men’s outfit, radiating cool handsomeness.
