The makeup artist had Miao Zhu sit at the vanity.
A magnificent phoenix coronet sat on the vanity.
The makeup artist methodically picked up the wooden comb from the table, combed Miao Zhu’s lustrous hair, pinned it into an updo, finished the hair, and then proceeded to alter her facial makeup.
Miao Zhu cooperated throughout. Sheng Xingran’s idea, phoenix coronet and rosy cape—what was Sheng Xingran planning?
Her phone vibrated twice in a row. Miao Zhu paused her thoughts—it was Emma.
Emma sent a 60-second voice message, along with a photo of Angel staring honestly at the lens with its big, dark eyes.
In the voice message, Emma calmly recounted how she had found a doggy daycare for Angel, but on the first day of class, the director had asked them to leave.
“It kept barking and bit eight students in the daycare. I apologized to each one.”
“The director refunded the tuition on the spot and didn’t say Angel was hard to handle, just that they lacked the ability.”
“You probably don’t want to know what it’s like fishing dog poop out of the school’s icy cold swimming pool—the stuff Angel stole, didn’t finish eating, got chased and stopped, and flung in.”
After that sentence, Emma fell silent, remaining silent until the voice message ended.
The silence was deafening.
Miao Zhu gripped her phone; any comfort felt superfluous.
“Spacing out?”
The familiar voice made Miao Zhu turn. The makeup artist had left at some point, and Mu Shanyi walked over.
Mu Shanyi hadn’t changed yet; she wore a coat. A clear breeze seemed to blow through the fog in Miao Zhu’s muddled mind.
Her eyes lit up, her gaze following Mu Shanyi.
“What’s up? Something to say?” Mu Shanyi stopped beside her.
“Sister A-Heng, Emma has a dog too, but it has some bad habits, and she’s really stressed… I remember you said Grace takes classes at the Agricultural University. Do they still take new students?”
“Grace goes to the veterinary college’s elective class as a teaching assistant.”
“…Ah?” One expelled, one a TA—the brutal contrast between dogs caught Miao Zhu off guard.
She paused, not hiding her disappointment: “Okay then.”
But immediately full of admiration: “Grace is so awesome!”
This string of reactions brought a smile to Mu Shanyi’s eyes. She pinched Miao Zhu’s plump earlobe and pointed her in the right direction: “Why not have Emma ask Tang Yuwen? Tang Yuwen has a wide circle and lots of friends.”
Feeling her closeness, Miao Zhu’s voice softened unconsciously: “Would Sister Wen help?”
Mu Shanyi lowered her eyes to meet hers: “Have Emma give it a try.”
Since Mu Shanyi said so, she must have confidence in it. Miao Zhu picked up her phone again, fingers tapping the screen. The engagement ring on her ring finger flashed its diamond with her movements.
She relayed Mu Shanyi’s suggestion to Emma.
[Emma: [I want to die.gif]]
Miao Zhu thought of the last time at the café, when Emma claimed to be close to Tang Yuwen but got called out on the spot, and found it amusing. Suddenly, she heard Mu Shanyi ask: “How did you explain our relationship to your good friend?”
“…Hm?” Miao Zhu didn’t understand why Mu Shanyi suddenly brought it up.
“Emma seems to know everything.” Not just know—if she hadn’t misunderstood, Emma had even “covered” for them on the sea island.
Mu Shanyi had a casual chat attitude, not seeming displeased, so Miao Zhu probed: “Emma does know everything, Sister A-Heng. Do you mind?”
Mu Shanyi smiled and slowly leaned toward the vanity.
Her fingers inadvertently brushed the wooden comb that had groomed Miao Zhu’s long hair. Mu Shanyi lifted her finger, gently strumming the comb teeth: “So, how did you explain it to her?”
“Just… those things.” Mu Shanyi’s fingers were slender and beautiful, nails neatly trimmed. For some inexplicable reason, Miao Zhu started thinking of the weather forecast’s promise of snow tonight, then of that tongue piercing chain. Her face heated up, and she scrambled for a new topic: “Xiao Zhi isn’t here?”
“She’s at boarding school.”
“Th-then Sister Qi?”
“On a business trip. Baby—” Mu Shanyi wanted to say more when a figure flashed at the door.
“Longlong, you ready?” Sheng Xingran sauntered over from the next room, and only then did she clearly see the scene inside.
There was not only Miao Zhu in the room, but also Mu Shanyi.
Sheng Xingran paused.
Their upper bodies maintained an appropriate social distance, but because Miao Zhu was sitting with her legs bent, her knee was very close to Mu Shanyi’s calf, almost touching, yet neither seemed uncomfortable.
She couldn’t hear their words, but visually, they were chatting amiably. The usually reserved Mu Shanyi even had a smile on her lips.
Sheng Xingran had never seen them get along so harmoniously. A hidden twinge of displeasure poked from her heart, but it quickly dissipated.
Miao Zhu was her fiancée, Mu Shanyi her half-sister; their relationship becoming amicable wasn’t exactly what she hoped for?
“Sis, you’re here.” Sheng Xingran’s steps lightened. “Longlong, what were you chatting about with Sis?”
“Dogs. Sister A-Heng helped Emma again.” Miao Zhu shifted her gaze from Mu Shanyi’s face to Sheng Xingran. Sheng Xingran was really planning something—their outfits were identical.
“What happened with Emma?” Sheng Xingran followed up naturally.
“Emma’s dog went to doggy daycare for the first time today and got kicked out by the director.”
Sheng Xingran burst out laughing. She came to Miao Zhu’s side and looked her over: “Still missing the phoenix coronet.”
She picked up the coronet to fix it on Miao Zhu, her technique unskilled; it tilted to one side. Miao Zhu raised her hand to steady it: “It’s a bit heavy.”
Sheng Xingran coaxed: “Just hold on a bit. Let’s go.”
“Where to?” Miao Zhu stood with her.
The answer shouldn’t be revealed yet—Sheng Xingran wanted to surprise Miao Zhu—but in front of Mu Shanyi, she inexplicably spilled it early: “Longlong, I promised you before that I’d make up for the missing part of the engagement ceremony.”
“The prep was a bit rushed,” the smile lines on her lips deepened, “We’re going to sign the wedding book.”
With the makeup as foreshadowing, Miao Zhu wasn’t surprised at all.
Sheng Xingran caught the delight on Miao Zhu’s face. Facing such a Miao Zhu, she felt fulfillment and happiness too. Gripping Miao Zhu’s hand firmly, she reminded Mu Shanyi: “Sis, come along. The ceremony’s in Old Madam’s Spring Language Hall.”
