Pei Ge did not have lunch at the company's cafeteria as per her lunchtime routine. Instead, armed with her handbag, she flagged down a cab and went to the nearest shopping mall.
After alighting from the taxi, Pei Ge had a quick lunch and went straight to a cosmetics shop.
"Welcome to Famous Beauty! How may I help you today, Miss?" the salesperson asked Pei Ge with a smile.
One look at the rows upon rows of makeup products in display at the shop made Pei Ge dizzy.
"Can you help me do my makeup?" Pei Ge asked upfront.
"Yes, Miss. As long as you purchase any of our products, we can do your makeup free of charge. Would you like to buy anything, Miss?" The salesperson was still all smiles as she said this.
"If I don't buy a product, I can't get my makeup done here?" Pei Ge asked with a frown.
The salesperson shook her head and answered with a smile, "We can still do your makeup even if you don't purchase any of our products, but it won't be free of charge."
"I'll pay the service fee, then. I just want to get my makeup done." Pei Ge heaved a sigh of relief at her words.
She actually still had unfinished makeup back home, and since she hardly dolled herself up, it was not worth it to buy another makeup set.
"Alright, Miss. Please follow me to look at the price list." The salesperson guided Pei Ge to a dressing table and passed her the price list for the different types of cosmetics application.
Pei Ge's eyes widened in shock when she saw the price list.
Damn it! It's so expensive to get my makeup done! The cheapest, most basic package is still priced at 50 yuan! The most expensive exquisite, nude makeup actually costs a few hundred yuan!
"Miss, which package would you like avail?" The ever-smiling salesperson asked politely.
"This one; the cheapest one," Pei Ge said with a shrug as she pointed at the 50-yuan package.
"This package, Miss? Actually, I would not recommend this package. If you would like to look better—" Before the salesperson could finish promoting the services of her shop, Pei Ge interrupted her.
"I do not want to look good; you just need to do the worst possible makeup to me! The best is for the makeup to change my features to the point of me being unrecognizable!"
The salesperson was stunned by Pei Ge's instruction. Do her makeup as ugly as possible? Is this customer crazy?
She had never met someone who would spend money to make themselves look ugly.
"What's wrong? Do you not have the skills?" Pei Ge asked suspiciously when she saw the confused look on the salesperson's face.
Seeing Pei Ge's look that seemed to threaten a change in shop, the salesperson took a deep breath and silently chanted to herself, The customers are gods; whatever they ask for, we deliver.
"Of course not, Miss. Whatever you ask for, we can deliver." The salesperson put on her most professional smile as she kindly gave this reply.
Pei Ge felt delighted upon hearing this and said with a smile, "Well, then. Draw your worst. If I am satisfied, I'll visit your shop often."
"…" The salesperson continued to smile, even as she thought to herself, This customer must really be crazy!
Pei Ge repeated her request to the makeup artist and once again received a look of disbelief.
Very quickly, the makeup artist began to work on her face. Since Pei Ge chose the cheapest package and her request was to do an ugly job, the makeup artist was done in no time at all.
In less than half an hour, Pei Ge's new look was completed.
"Miss, take a look. Is this style to your liking?" The makeup artist could not bear to look straight at Pei Ge's face; she herself was unable to admit that this was done by her.
Since the makeup artist was blocking her view of the mirror, Pei Ge was unable to see how the makeup was.
Once the makeup artist left and no longer blocked her view of the mirror….
Pei Ge took a good look at her reflection in the mirror.
"Ah!" Pei Ge widened her eyes and let out a cry of shock when she saw herself in the mirror.
"…" The makeup artist and salesperson looked at Pei Ge with apprehension. She must be feeling shocked by the ugly look and regretting it now!
"My god! Your makeup skills are amazing!" Pei Ge exclaimed as her eyes lit up in elation.
"…" The makeup artist thought to herself, Why is it that I do not feel any sense of accomplishment despite this costumer's compliment? I'm about to cry at this ugly sight!
"…" The salesperson concluded to herself, This woman is indeed a lunatic! If not, then she's a woman whose aesthetic taste is totally askew!
Pei Ge was extremely satisfied with what she saw in the mirror.
Thick crayon-like eyebrows, green and red eyeshadows, thick eyeliner, blood red mouth, red plateau blush, and some little brown freckles – this face was so ugly even Pei Ge's mother would not recognize her.
She was really satisfied!
An extremely satisfied Pei Ge followed the salesperson to the payment counter and readily took out the wallet from her handbag to pay.
At this time, two young ladies came through the door.
"I heard this shop's makeup artist is of high standards. Let's go to this shop."
"Sounds good."
The two young ladies chatted happily as they walked over, and just as the salesperson was about to approach them—
"Your shop's makeup skills are really exceptional! I'm so satisfied! I'll definitely return here to do my makeup!" Pei Ge exclaimed as she handed over the 50 yuan that she had taken from her wallet.
Hearing that, the two young ladies looked over to Pei Ge curiously.
However, with that look, their eyes widened in shock.
"I think we better try another shop."
"I – I think so, too."
Thus, the two young ladies left the shop in a hurry as though they had seen a ghost.
…" The salesperson looked at Pei Ge in the midst of the hustle and bustle. Seeing her ugly and frightening face, she quickly returned the money into Pei Ge's hand. "We won't take your money; just please don't ever return here to have your makeup done! If you want to, you can try the shop next door. Their skills are better than ours and even cheaper!"
"Eh? But I think you guys did a good job." Pei Ge pushed the money to the salesperson that was earnestly looking at her.
She was not one to take advantage of someone else!
"There really is no need to pay. Just go to the makeup shop next door next time! Really! They are way better than us!" Seeing another customer come in, the salesperson hurriedly pushed the money into Pei Ge's hand and forced her out of the door.
"Don't ever return, please!"
Bang! The door slammed shut after the salesperson finished speaking.
Pei Ge stared wordlessly at the closed door and the hundred-dollar bill in her hand. Fine. I'll just treat it as me saving 50 yuan.
Thus, in a good mood, Pei Ge left for the bus stop; her journey back to the office was filled with shocked exclamations.
Alighting from the bus, Pei Ge hurried to the lobby and was just about to swipe her office pass when she was stopped by the security guard.
"Hold on. You're not an employee of this company, right?" The security guard asked Pei Ge, frowning at her shockingly ugly makeup.
Pei Ge was delighted to hear the security guard's words. Ha ha! Indeed, she was unrecognizable!
"I am an employee of this company. Look at my office pass!"
Seeing the office pass that Pei Ge held out, the security guard looked back and forth at her ID photo and at Pei Ge. He eventually shook his head and asked in a voice filled with suspicion, "You really are an employee here?"
The actual person was in stark contrast to the one in the photograph!
"Really! If you don't believe me, I'll call my department colleagues down and even make a phone call to my director for confirmation," Pei Ge replied cheerfully.
The security guard deemed that Pei Ge was not lying, so he nodded his head and let Pei Ge pass through.
At her successful entrance, Pei Ge whistled happily as she stood waiting for the elevator.
Ding! Soon, the elevator arrived and its double doors opened.
When Pei Ge saw the person inside, she stopped whistling and her eyes widened.
The person inside also widened his eyes and retreated backward in an instant.