These words inexplicably comforted Xingkong. She slept particularly soundly that night, the first night since her rebirth that she didn't have any nightmares.
The next day, Huo Mingzhu brought a team over. Yes, a team. Including a stylist, a hair stylist, a makeup artist, and even a skin beautician. Shen Xinai sat on the side, her jealous eyes red.
"Mingzhu, what are you doing?" She couldn't help but speak up when she saw Huo Mingzhu directing everyone around.
"Of course, I'm just trying to make Shen Xingkong look a little prettier and not embarrass my fourth brother," Huo Mingzhu said, picking out a beige pearl dress.
"But I think no matter how she dresses up, she won't be as beautiful as you," Shen Xinai said.
Huo Mingzhu frowned and remembered Shen Xingkong's words about Shen Xinai using her as a pawn. Shen Xinai continued, "Mingzhu, I don't think Xingkong is suitable for this banquet."
"Why?"
"It's just that I think she will definitely steal your limelight. Originally, you should be the focus of this kind of occasion. What's she doing here?"
Huo Mingzhu seemed to be thinking about something and gave Shen Xinai a complicated look, asking, "Which one do you think I should wear?"
Shen Xinai's eyes lit up and she immediately walked over to the rack full of luxury dresses, pointing to a sapphire blue one. "This one, it will make your skin look whiter."
The stylist standing next to her looked at Huo Mingzhu with mixed feelings.
Huo Mingzhu shook her head at Shen Xinai, signaling her not to speak. The stylist had to swallow her words. "Pick one for yourself," she said instead.
Shen Xinai's eyes lit up. "Are you taking me with you?" she asked eagerly.
Huo Mingzhu's eye twitched. "You pick first," she said.
"Okay!" Shen Xinai was thrilled. She knew that as long as she praised Huo Mingzhu a few times, she could get anything she wanted from the brainless young miss.
The row of dresses before Shen Xinai made her eyes sparkle. They were all custom-made and worth millions. She couldn't help feeling jealous of Huo Mingzhu. Why did she get to have all of these while she couldn't? Who was she, anyway? She was just the sixth miss of the Huo family, an illegitimate child with no name or status!
"I think this one suits me best," Shen Xinai said, picking out a thin blue chiffon dress with a pattern from C House. It was perfect for a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, cute yet slightly sexy.
Huo Mingzhu's face turned cold. "Throw this dress away," she said to the stylist.
The stylist had seen all kinds of tricks from celebrities and socialites and immediately saw through Shen Xinai's behavior. Although Huo Mingzhu was fair-skinned, she was only eighteen years old and couldn't handle such a saturated color like jewel blue. Especially for someone like Huo Mingzhu, who always went for the fairy-like style, wearing this dress would only make her a laughingstock.
But Shen Xinai had chosen a completely different style for herself. She looked ethereal and noble, and with the right makeup, she would definitely be the center of attention.
"Why throw it away? What's the reason?" Shen Xinai didn't understand why Huo Mingzhu would do such a thing.
"Because you're stupid," said Shen Xingkong, walking over and sneering. "Your scheming is written all over your face."
"What are you talking about?" Shen Xinai reflexively took two steps back when she saw Shen Xing approaching. After realizing it was inappropriate, she straightened up and took two steps forward, but still lacked confidence. She growled, "Don't try to drive a wedge between me and Mingzhu."
"Miss Liu, I'm not lying to you, am I?" Shen Xingkong couldn't be bothered to deal with Shen Xinai, who was just jumping around.
Huo Mingzhu naturally knew what Shen Xingkong meant. She glared at Shen Xinai in dissatisfaction and said to the stylist, "Throw it away. I don't want to see this dress again!"
"What a pity," said the stylist. "This is C's spring and autumn collection for next year. It hasn't even been shown on the runway yet, and it was just sent to Miss Huo. C is definitely going to cry. They wanted to use Miss Huo's identity to generate some buzz, but who would have thought she would just throw it away?"
"You guys, fix her up. I don't want her to look bad, even if she can't outshine me," said Huo Mingzhu.
The stylist had a sharp eye and could tell that Shen Xingkong wanted to outshine everyone, even without trying. Even if she didn't outshine them now, she would eventually.
Shen Xinai was humiliated and naturally unwilling, but she had no choice. She couldn't afford to offend Huo Mingzhu right now. Her mother was right. She was in the eye of the storm and needed to be low-key. If she didn't want to go to the charity banquet, she wouldn't go. With her identity as the only granddaughter of President Liang, she wouldn't have trouble finding another event to attend.
Huo Mingzhu's team was very efficient and had Shen Xingkong ready in less than two hours.
"Miss Shen Xingkong has good foundation, so you don't need to put on too much foundation. Just deepen the eye sockets and do some simple eyebrow shaping. After all, like Miss Liu, you are young and don't need heavy makeup," the makeup artist said.
"Miss Shen Xingkong has a beautiful collarbone and neck line, so we can curl up your hair and make a fluffy bun to show off your collarbone and neck," the hairstylist said.
The stylist had already decided what to wear Xingkong when she came downstairs . She chose a black velvet pearl suspender long dress for Xingkong, simple and classic in black and white.
"Miss Xingkong, I hope you don't mind me being blunt. Your facial features and figure are very good, but... there's something missing. So, if you wear dresses that are too ethereal or too grand, you won't be able to carry it. With your current state, wearing this simple style will make you stand out," the stylist said.
Shen Xingkong looked at herself in the mirror. She was very beautiful. But the stylist was right, there was something missing.
Over the years, Dong Ru zhu had been suppressing her, causing malnutrition, cowardice, and timidity. These were things she had to change now. Fortunately, she was no longer the old Shen Xingkong. She would gradually regain her confidence and her own brilliance.
What the stylist said, Huo Mingzhu also understood. She glared at Shen Xinai and stood in front of Shen Xingkong, saying with some disdain, "Shen Xingkong, you should hang out with me from now on. I promise to fatten you up, otherwise you won't be able to match my fourth brother." Xingkong smiled, "Okay, then I'll trouble Miss Liu from now on."
"How shameless you are."
"Isn't it because I was too timid before that I was bullied like this?" Huo Mingzhu thought about it and found it very reasonable. "My fourth brother will definitely be surrounded by a group of people tonight, asking him all sorts of questions. You just stay by my side. As long as I'm here, no one will dare to bully you." When Huo Mingzhu said this, she also warned Shen Xinai with her eyes.
Shen Xinai didn't want to go, but she couldn't stop her maids from going. What if she needed to give them remote guidance?
"Does Miss Liu mind bringing another person?"
"Who is it?"