Chapter 13

—Bang bang bang, bang bang bang, bang bang bang

"Lin Goubei, open the door!"

Li Miao called out loudly, the knocking fueled by a pent-up resentment. She'd been relegated to the guest room by Guan Shiyun for several days now. Aside from the first and second nights Guan Shiyun slept in the master bedroom, she'd been all alone in the guest room. She wasn't going to give up; every night she'd go and turn the doorknob at the same time, just in case Guan Shiyun forgot to lock the door one day.

What could Lin Bei do when a friend broke into her home to commit robbery? Every time, she would resignedly cover her ears and open the door, ready to invite her 18-year-old best friend in, as if being haunted by a ghost.

The door opened, and Li Miao rushed in, immediately taking off her shoes. This time, she was so anxious she didn't even put on slippers. She went straight to the sofa, flopped down, and got straight to the point. Of course, her urgent knocking was because of what she wanted to say, not because President Guan had closed the door, nor because President Guan always closed doors.

"Starting a business? Opening a shop?"

"???"

Lin Bei was also taken aback by the words, but she put the idea of ​​starting a business aside for now. They still had some accounts to settle. Lin Bei gritted her teeth and glared at Li Miao, who was lying on the sofa. She saw Li Miao grumbling and pouting, her brows furrowed, with a look of resentment she had nowhere to vent. Lin Bei finally understood why the door had suffered today.

"Let's put this on the second agenda item. Tell me, you little liar, why did you lie about your age? Huh? My sister is an incredibly beautiful 18-year-old girl!"

"What's wrong with you, Lin Goubei? I'm asking you, is age really that important? Is it more important than making money? And you dare to put it second? You've gotten too big for your britches."

"Is this about age? Haven't you said you were hiding your age for the past two years?"

"If you say you're too young, there will be a lot of problems. You're 24, but you're not as tall as I was when I was 16."

"You little brat, you've even learned to make personal attacks now." Li Miao was extremely annoyed because she was locked in the guest room due to her age, and she didn't want to talk about the age issue at all; it was too upsetting.

Lin Bei could understand, but she was still a little scared. Back then, she saw that Li Miao didn't know how to do makeup, so she taught her. She still remembered seeing Li Miao after removing her makeup, and she was stunned by how beautiful she looked. As a makeup artist, she knew all too well that with such a natural look, there wasn't much room for her to improvise.

However, there was still room for maneuver later. After the two became familiar with each other and learned where she worked, Lin Bei taught Li Miao two kinds of makeup. One was a very beautiful everyday makeup that suited her personality, and the other was a work makeup that would make her look uglier. Rather than saying it was ugly, it would be more accurate to say that the makeup was used to cover up her stunning beauty.

Actually, it wasn't much different from her own scribbles-like makeup; it was just heavy base makeup with a focus on eye makeup that obscured her naturally beautiful eyes, effectively hiding her best features. Lin Bei felt that being too beautiful or too ugly wasn't good for her job, though she hadn't told Li Miao that, only taught her those two techniques.

However, Li Miao clearly understood her intentions, so she didn't ask why she taught her to draw ugly makeup. Having started working at 16 in a chaotic environment, she felt a bit scared. Now, thinking about it, Li Miao understood her meaning, so that ugly makeup was also intentional? She asked whatever came to mind.

"Did you deliberately create that ugly makeup look at the beginning?"

The cushions on the sofa, carrying images of ugly makeup, age, and resentment from closing the door, flew straight at Lin Bei's face.

"Are you crazy? I just don't know how, and you still have to bring it up."

"You dare say I'm short! Next on the agenda, what's this about starting a business?"

Not content with throwing a pillow, Li Miao also rolled her eyes at Lin Bei.

“Guan Shiyun said that she asked me about my job and whether I had any ideas about opening a studio or a photo studio that does makeup and photography.”

Although Lin Bei said she wanted to latch onto someone's coattails to get ahead, she never really thought this day would come. She was happy as long as her friends were doing well. She was already struggling to avoid becoming the kind of person who would ruin a friendship out of jealousy about the "gap".

The gap – she was afraid of being looked down upon by her former friends, afraid of being jealous and making sarcastic remarks, afraid that because of the difference in their spending levels, she would pretend to be richer than she was, and even more afraid of taking advantage of her poverty without a clear conscience.

Whether it was Li Miaofei's eye roll or the pillow, she could handle the jokes and banter between friends with ease, but this suggestion made people serious, and Lin Bei didn't know how to respond.

"Don't just stand there! Do you know any photographers? What are you thinking? Beibei, I think your makeup skills are absolutely top-notch. You'll definitely make a fortune if you open a business here."

Lin Bei tried her best to appear normal, controlling her expression, word choice, and tone, not wanting her inner monologue to disrupt their interaction. She clenched her fist and coughed as usual to show respect for the topic.

"Who hasn't thought about the wonderful thing of opening a shop and being a boss? It's just that I don't have money. Besides, with my personality and abilities, even if I had money, I wouldn't open a shop. I always feel like I would fail. I might as well save up the money and invest it in the real estate market instead. Paying off a loan is about the same as paying rent, and at least I don't have to move."

"Don't worry about the money, Guan Shiyun will cover it. You just need to figure out what to do. I've also been assigned a task, which is to open a shop and work with you."

What if we fail and lose money?

"So what if we lose? It's okay. Guan Shiyun has money anyway. You're already thinking about losing before we've even started. Let me tell you, it's absolutely impossible to fail. Your makeup skills are amazing. We'll definitely succeed. Beibei, I believe in you. Don't worry. Even if the two of us fail, we still have Guan Shiyun."

'And what about Guan Shiyun?' Lin Bei looked at the certainty in Li Miaona's eyes and heard her dependent tone. She still wouldn't admit it.

Then she smiled bitterly, realizing that she could never believe in herself like Li Miao did. She didn't have that sense of 'worthiness' that made her feel she deserved everything. She was always trembling with fear and couldn't accept other people's kindness with a clear conscience.

Li Miao turned over and looked at Lin Bei, who was now laughing in a way that was more like crying than laughing.

"It's settled then. Let's meet up for a meal sometime. I'll text you."

"..."

The wry smile quickly faded, as it was broken by that one sentence. Lin Bei hadn't even decided whether to do it or what to do after agreeing, when Li Miao made the final decision. She tried to decline but was interrupted again.

"Stop talking to me. I dare to open a shop with my makeup skills, what are you afraid of? Even if you don't believe in yourself, you have to believe in me. I think you're really awesome. Stop thinking about it, just open it first."

"Wonderful, thank you."

"You're crazy, I'm leaving, I still have my dance class."

Li Miao rolled her eyes at Lin Bei again, then got up from the sofa. Lin Bei pretended to be relaxed and stood up as well, seeing her off to the door. Watching the people coming and going in a hurry, she thought about the matter of opening the store.

People who come and go in a hurry are naturally like that, but the reason they don't even have time to change their shoes is because they've been very busy lately. They need to go shopping, learn dance, and find a small place for themselves. Of course, they're just finding a small place; moving out is out of the question.

She only has a week of vacation, and she can't waste it. She's about to be thrown back to work by that nasty woman Guan Shiyun. How awful!

Li Miao felt hopeless when she thought about the pile of documents Guan Shiyun had thrown at her that day. The thick stack of documents, with pictures and text, made her head spin just looking at them. But that wicked woman said she wouldn't look at this pile but that pile, and would look at it after the holiday.

That pile was even thicker and didn't even have any pictures. She said she didn't want to look at any of them. That nasty woman actually told her to hurry up and choose a house, and that the guest bedroom also needed to be renovated.

Isn't this a threat? A blatant threat!

Li Miaohao was furious. She had made up her mind to show off her achievements tonight. Her dance teacher praised her, saying she was extremely talented. Of course, she, the Great Queen Li, could do anything well. She had no foundation, yet she had learned a complete dance in just a few days. She would make up for the foundation later. Now she would show some of those stinky women her learning results.

Moreover, her dance teacher said that she was a natural dancer. Not only did she learn quickly and dance well, but most importantly, she danced with great feeling. She loved dancing because she couldn't explain her feelings. She wanted to give a good performance to that bad woman, to seduce her, and then have her take her back to the master bedroom.

She insisted on breaking in tonight, saying she'd tear the door down if necessary. Such a sturdy door should be given to Lin Goubei, who's always nagging about the door breaking—a perfect match!

When the time came, Li Miao tiptoed to turn the doorknob again, only to find that the door was not locked. Had she forgotten to lock it today?

The situation was good; she didn't need to dismantle the door anymore. However, Li Miao didn't come in immediately; she just came to turn the doorknob. Guan Shiyun, who was inside, found it strange. She had deliberately left the door open, but the kitten hadn't sneaked in.

The little cat was obviously up to no good. Upon discovering that the door was unlocked, Li Miao immediately went back to prepare. She brought her own mobile phone player, put on her specially prepared performance costume, picked up her high heels, walked to the door, put them on, and then pushed the door open to go in.

Her long, jet-black hair cascaded smoothly over her shoulders, parted slightly to the side, and tucked behind her right ear with a hair clip. Her black halter-neck top barely covered her chest, with the straps crossing behind her neck, leaving her back completely bare except for her hair. Her skirt was a single piece of fabric draped diagonally at her waist, with a high slit that reached her thighs.

When Li Miao walked over, she casually tossed her hair, handed over her phone, pointed to the screen, and Guan Shiyun followed her instructions and turned on the music. Li Miao looked very sexy today, but Guan Shiyun felt that something was off about her outfit.

"Showcasing the results, this song."

As the music began, Li Miao started dancing.

Guan Shiyun finally understood the purpose of these pieces of fabric and why she had felt something was off earlier. The small top that looked like a bellyband and the skirt that she couldn't understand, combined with the dance moves, perfectly highlighted her fair legs and smooth waistline, as well as her smooth back that was partially covered by her hair, creating a veiled effect.

It is both concealed and revealed, sometimes hidden and sometimes exposed, making people want to see the hidden scenery.

She didn't understand dance, but seeing Li Miao dance to the music, the way she stretched her body to express herself, and the look in her eyes and expressions as she moved, she understood why Li Miao liked dancing. It was a way for the kitten to express herself, or rather, an accurate way to express herself.

She also received the message from this dance: Am I sexy? Are you captivated by me?

Guan Shiyun thought that this was more than just having desires; her heart was always moved before her desires were expressed, to the point that she overlooked the fact that she actually had desires. Just like now, she was so captivated that she forgot why she had let the kitten in tonight.

As the music changed and the dance ended, Li Miao approached step by step, seemingly still immersed in the dance. She tried hard to capture Guan Shiyun's expression, but Guan Shiyun's years of experience in the business world had honed her expression management skills to perfection.

"How was the result? Did I dance well?" — Did I captivate you?

"This song is a good choice for your coming-of-age ceremony; it's perfect for an 18-year-old." — Yes, it evokes strong desires.

'Bang!'—Li Miao slammed the door and left, furious!

Guan Shiyun took a deep breath, slowly calming her agitated nerves, and prepared herself to go out and comfort the kitten.

It seems this time the kitten has been provoked. The kitten, trying to show off its charm, was told: "You're still drinking milk."

They weren't even angry anymore; they just ran away.

[Li Miao] This woman is crazy! She's infuriating!

[Lin Bei] Be patient, wait until your sister becomes successful first.

[Li Miao] You're sick in the head! You're making me so angry!

——Ding ding ding

"Li Miao, I'm coming in."

Li Miao, who was venting her frustrations, didn't notice that the woman she was complaining about had entered the guest room. Hearing the sound, Li Miao put her phone away and ignored Guan Shiyun who had come in.

She unconsciously pouted in a huff, her chest heaving violently. She felt a tightness in her chest, not even knowing what she was angry about. She didn't even know what to say to vent her anger, but it was definitely related to that wicked woman, Guan Shiyun, because just seeing her made her angry.

"Will you sleep with me tonight?"

Hearing this, Li Miao's anger subsided, and she stopped being sarcastic. Her chest heaved not because she was angry but because she was happy. She wanted to jump into Guan Shiyun's arms and go to the master bedroom with her, but then she thought: "Raise the price!"

"Sleep together, three times."

"goodbye."

It didn't matter if the price increase failed; Li Miao decided to quit while she was ahead. The whole point of the dance performance was to get into the master bedroom, so she decided to put aside her frustration for now.

Li Miao jumped off the bed, picked up Guan Shiyun, and rushed into the master bedroom. Guan Shiyun was startled when she was picked up, but she quickly followed her heart and hugged her kitten.

"You danced really well, you looked hot and captivating."

"I knew I'd be captivated by you." Li Miao said with a smug look on her face as Guan Shiyun praised her earnestly.

"Everyone will be captivated by you. You are so charming, so outstanding, and so wonderful, Li Miao."

Li Miao suddenly felt that not only dance had magic, but language did too. The incomprehension she felt dissipated with Guan Shiyun's words. Guan Shiyun was really amazing.

—After turning off the lights

"Sister, please come a few times."

"Take your little paws away and go to sleep."

"I'm so charming, don't you want to sleep with me?"

“…”

"Sister, sister, sister..."