Chapter 92

### Chapter 92: The Enigmatic Lipstick! Got to Run! Su Qi felt utterly indulged; shrimp that didn't need peeling and delicacies that found their way to her mouth without reminders. If there was one downside, it was the occasional stares from people around them. Especially grating were the sweet, cloying calls of "hubby" from Wang Zijin and An Ning, which not only made others stop and stare but also made Su Qi feel slightly overwhelmed. Unlike at first, where she kept her head down, Su Qi was now gradually getting used to the attention. And, honestly, she was genuinely hungry. An Ning ordered a wide variety of dishes, although each was in a small portion. Su Qi was astonished. She had never imagined that abalone could be eaten in a hotpot. But what surprised her the most was that An Ning ordered two servings of pig brains. Su Qi had no liking for pig brains, lamb brains, or any brains for that matter. As a child, her father once brought home a lamb head, cut it in half, and put it into a rice cooker to stew. When Su Qi came home from school and saw the scene, it left such an indelible mark on her memory that she couldn't eat meat for two days. Fortunately, when she shared this with her mother, her mother found it equally revolting and gave her father a good scolding, which finally allowed Su Qi to breathe a sigh of relief. Seeing the two girls devour the brains heartily made Su Qi's worldview almost collapse. Aren't beautiful women supposed to like cocoa and sweets? When they asked if she wanted some, Su Qi politely declined with a shake of her head. Their expressions, suggesting she didn’t know what she was missing, left her momentarily bewildered. Choosing a large chunk of beef tripe, Su Qi decided to ignore them and enjoy her meal. The meal ended with a bill of 400 yuan. An Ning dug out a small pouch from her magical bag, fished out a card, and handed it over to the server. "Very well, Miss An. The bill has been added to your account. See you next time!" The server's respect was even more noticeable than before. As they exited the restaurant, a content Su Qi rubbed her little belly. Compared to cold dishes, these hot and hearty meals made her stomach far more comfortable. Especially that initial bowl of beef cubes with a tomato broth—absolutely delicious. Su Qi quietly vowed to always order tomato broth whenever she had hotpot in the future. A bowl of rice and lots of beef cubes would be ideal, and it wouldn't be too expensive either. The two women were unaware of Su Qi's little scheme. If they knew her thoughts, they'd probably laugh. They took the elevator to the first floor. Most stores looked quite luxurious here, selling high-priced items like jewelry, watches, high-end electronics, and women's cosmetics. Wang Zijin and An Ning brought Su Qi to a flashy flagship store named something like "IL...". Upon entering, they saw many young women trying on makeup at various counters. Su Qi instinctively resisted stores filled with women's products. At the entrance, she subconsciously let go of their hands and said, "I'll just wait outside; this store is for girls. Not really my kind of place." Wang Zijin and An Ning exchanged knowing glances and saw a faint smile in each other's eyes. Had this little lass forgotten how she begged for mercy earlier? She still dared to call herself a man? Quite gutsy! Alright, tonight we'll remind you again who you really are! Unaware she'd once again provoked them, Su Qi was looking for a place to sit near the store when they dragged her inside. A man and a woman immediately approached them. The woman wore a professional OL outfit with a manager badge hanging on her chest, her makeup immaculate under the jewel-like lights. The man, in contrast, was more casual with a denim outfit and men's boots, quite tall and with bright red lipstick. It had to be said, lipstick really does make anyone look more spirited. But Su Qi was puzzled. Why was he making delicate hand gestures while speaking, like orchid fingers? It made her uncomfortable, and the strong fragrance from him almost overshadowed the scents from An Ning and Wang Zijin. "Miss An, what brings you here today?" The manager greeted An Ning warmly. An Ning released Su Qi's arm and exchanged pleasantries. As Su Qi listened, her eyes grew wide. So this store was also part of An Ning's family business? The more she listened, the more impressed she became. It sounded like An Ning was now managing it. "Is this young lady here for the first time?" The makeup artist slowly approached Su Qi. He had noticed the adorable and soft-looking girl from the beginning. In the beauty business, seeing beautiful women or creating beauty was commonplace—and thrilling. But even so, he was taken aback. Su Qi's pale face showed no trace of makeup yet was flawless. Her nose was dainty, her lips were subtly parted, and her innocent, clear eyes shimmered with purity. Completely bare-faced and absolutely stunning. The sweet, naive aura around her only made her even more endearing. The makeup artist eagerly imagined how much more beautiful she could become with some makeup! He took a step closer, driven by urgency. But Wang Zijin stepped in front, puffing up her chest. "What do you want?" After explaining his intentions, Su Qi was taken aback. Was it common for people to want to put makeup on pretty faces they saw? Su Qi shook her head and declined. She was here to accompany Wang Zijin and An Ning. She had just noticed a lipstick that cost over 200 yuan and thought, if she had that much money, she might as well put it towards a better drawing tablet. Just then, new customers arrived. The makeup artist regretfully went to attend to them, but not without glancing back at Su Qi several times, as if hoping she'd change her mind. While An Ning chatted with the manager, Wang Zijin pulled Su Qi to browse around the store. Su Qi was astonished! One product caught her eye—a line of skincare items from SK-II. The bottles weren't even as large as a 10-yuan shampoo bottle but cost 2,200 yuan. Wang Zijin explained a bunch of jargon: little light bulb, fairy water, and so on. It left Su Qi feeling these products must be extraordinary. Suddenly, the system spoke urgently: "Host, you don't need to spend money on these things. With this system, you won't have to worry about them! Invest your money in... I mean, tasks!" Ah, this avaricious system. Su Qi almost laughed at its sudden outburst. Su Qi thought if she really bought one, the system might just fight her over it! "What's up?" An Ning asked. Su Qi pointed playfully at an exaggerated-looking lipstick. "This lipstick looks like a dagger; it might scratch your lips when applying." Wang Zijin didn't say a word, picked up the lipstick, and twisted it open. "Don't move, or you'll be bed-bound tonight," she whispered. Su Qi felt a loss of face. Shouldn't she be the one saying that? How did Wang Zijin snatch her line? More crucially, Wang Zijin's threat actually intimidated her. She felt something brush across her lips. Wang Zijin then smiled and said, "Not bad. Look in the mirror and press your lips together." Following her advice, Su Qi saw in the mirror that her lips, now painted red, made her whole face look brighter and more vibrant. No wonder girls loved their lipsticks. Su Qi recalled how Wang Dongxu would reconcile with his wife by buying lipstick after a quarrel! This peculiar packaging must mean it’s from some small, affordable company! Instinctively, she glanced at the price. So auspicious! 888 yuan. Got to run!