C3 I Have to be Smart!!

Her hair was styled in an unconventional explosion, and her heavy makeup was melting in the heat. Eyeliner and mascara mixed together, darkening her entire eye area, while bright red lipstick made her lips look almost vampiric. She wore a sleeveless gold sequin T-shirt and tight black leather shorts. The whole ensemble, even without the smudged makeup, made her look like a street performer.

Lin Qianqian looked at herself in the mirror, her mouth twitching with disbelief. Before her transformation, she must have been out of her mind to believe Lin Qingqing's advice that someone as cool and reserved as Lu Yuchen would be drawn to such heavy makeup and eccentric outfits.

To avoid blinding herself with her own reflection, she quickly ran to the sink to remove her makeup. After a shower, she changed into a simple white lace dress.

“Ma’am, are you awake? It’s time to eat,” Mrs. Liu called out.

Lin Qianqian slipped on her shoes and opened the door.

“Ma’am...” Mrs. Liu started, but her eyes widened in surprise, leaving her momentarily speechless.

The young woman before her was slender and graceful, wearing a pure white dress. Her skin was fair and delicate, her face fresh and natural. Her eyebrows were elegantly shaped, her eyes clear, her nose dainty, and her lips a soft pink. She looked like one of those girls from TV, the kind young people today would call a goddess, almost unbelievably beautiful.

“Mrs. Liu, what’s wrong? Am I... am I ugly?” Lin Qianqian asked, a bit uneasy.

Perhaps those years of heavy makeup had distorted her sense of beauty, and she worried that people around her might not be used to her natural look.

“No, no, no...” Mrs. Liu quickly shook her head, then smiled and said, “You’re too beautiful! Ma’am, except for the first day I met you, you’ve always worn heavy makeup, even at home... I almost forgot how lovely you naturally are. Why did you always wear such heavy makeup before?”

Lin Qianqian breathed a sigh of relief and, with a slightly awkward smile, replied to Mrs. Liu's question, "Just trying to keep up with trends, but I realize now I was following the wrong ones, so it's time for a change, haha."

Mrs. Liu, not doubting her for a moment, also relaxed and said, "I may not understand the current fashion of young folks, but I think you look much prettier without all that heavy makeup!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Liu. Let's go eat."

"The young master mentioned he's busy with work at the office and will be home later, so you should eat first."

"I know," Lin Qianqian replied instinctively.

"Huh? How did you know, ma'am? He just called to say that."

Startled by her slip, Lin Qianqian looked at Mrs. Liu and tried to remain calm, saying, "I mean, he just got back from overseas and is already busy with meetings. The company must be hectic."

"I see," Mrs. Liu smiled.

In truth, before Lin Qianqian completely provoked Lu Yuchen's disdain, their relationship was at least courteous, largely due to Lu Yuchen's upbringing in a disciplined military family.

However, on this very night in the past, she had done something that completely crossed Lu Yuchen's line...

She shook off the thought and headed to the dining room.

After dinner, she returned to her room. Not long after, her phone buzzed on the table.

Picking it up, she saw an unread message from Lin Qingqing.

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