The next day, seven o'clock.
Liangxia groggily climbed out of her bed.
Knock, knock, knock.
The door was being knocked on intermittently.
She had been woken up by the noise.
Throwing off the covers, Liangxia padded over to open the door in her slippers.
Two people outside.
Aunt Chen and a strange woman.
The woman was under thirty, carrying a small case over her left shoulder. Chu Liangxia gave her a cursory glance and immediately understood.
With her arms crossed, she leaned lazily against the doorframe and asked indifferently, "What's up?"
"Miss, this is the makeup artist Madam has hired for you," Aunt Chen said. "Your clothes are ready too. They'll be brought over in a moment."
Meanwhile, the woman nodded and smiled softly at her.
After a pause, Chu Liangxia swept a glance over the room then stood up straight and said lightly, "Come in."
With that, she walked back inside.
The makeup artist hesitated briefly, assessed the bedroom, and then followed.
Seeing this, Aunt Chen silently heaved a sigh of relief.
According to Miss's temperament, she loved to be contrary to the master and madam; when things were about to be settled, she always had to provoke someone with her stubbornness.
Luckily.
Luckily, this time, no fuss was made.
After leaving the makeup artist in the room, Chu Liangxia went to freshen up, only to reappear later.
"I heard Miss Chu works at Beijing TV Station?"
Standing by the vanity, the makeup artist set down her makeup case and asked meaningfully as she saw Chu Liangxia emerge.
"That's no secret."
Responding coolly, Chu Liangxia walked straight towards the vanity.
"It must not be easy in your line of work, is it?" The makeup artist smiled faintly and continued to inquire.
"Mutual."
Chu Liangxia gave a nonchalant smile.
And took a seat at the vanity.
Slowly taking out a few makeup items, the makeup artist lowered her gaze slightly and said in a strange tone, "Controlling the future of a star is quite simple."
Upon hearing the words, Chu Liangxia's eyes narrowed sharply.
She gave the makeup artist a cold glance.
Yet, the makeup artist kept her head down, picking up makeup products as if she hadn't said anything, her expression utterly indifferent.
"That I cannot do."
Chu Liangxia spoke offhandedly.
After a brief pause, the makeup artist looked at her with laughing eyes, "I was just saying. Don't mind me."
Chu Liangxia withdrew her gaze.
How could she not mind the implied hint?
But—
She had been an intern for half a year, employed for four months, with a good work attitude and adherence to professional rules, believing she had never intentionally maligned or targeted anyone.
It seemed like she had offended someone?
"What's your name?"
Lifting her eyelids slightly, Chu Liangxia asked as if casually.
"Jiang Shan," the makeup artist pronounced each syllable distinctly.
Chu Liangxia fiddled with a comb, and said in a nonchalant tone, "Miss Jiang, it's safer to talk less while on the job."
The makeup artist's eyebrows lifted.
Just at that moment, a servant brought in several dresses, all one-piece, and Chu Liangxia chose a single-shouldered one-piece, in light blue, with a simple and elegant design that made her look fresh and charming.
Only after changing her dress did she begin to put on makeup.
Jiang Shan didn't pursue the conversation any further.
Being professional, her expertise was immediately obvious.
With delicate brows and phoenix eyes, exquisite features, lightly applied makeup made her face appear even more petite, her features more refined, and her hair, styled into wavy curls, cascaded down her back, adding a touch of tranquil elegance.
At the same time, any trace of sleepiness and gauntness was swept away.
"That's it."
The makeup artist was quite satisfied with her styling.
Chu Liangxia took a look in the mirror, put on a set of jewelry, and then she was all done.
After about two hours of this process, the makeup artist accompanied Chu Liangxia to meet Chu Yunxiao and Lou Ruhui. Only after receiving their approval did Aunt Chen see her off.
After sending off the makeup artist, Aunt Chen turned around and headed back inside the villa. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of an apple being tossed in the air, which startled her.
Turning her head, she saw Chu Liangxia holding the apple, tilting her head slightly, seemingly glancing outside with an almost non-existent look, gazing at the departing figure from afar.
"You must be hungry. I'll go get you something to eat," Aunt Chen said, regaining her composure.
"No need," leaning against the door, Chu Liangxia took a bite of the apple and asked, "Did Chu Madam bring her in?"
"Yes," Aunt Chen nodded.
"What's her background?" Eyebrows raised, Chu Liangxia seemed genuinely interested.
It was obvious that the visit was for probing and reconnaissance, to see if she was worth wooing.
So, the visitor's background was very important.
"I'm not sure about that," Aunt Chen said with some helplessness. "Seems like she's a personal stylist for some big star. Madam went through some trouble to get her here. I don't know who exactly."
Aunt Chen had been working for the Chu Family for over twenty years, and the master and madam both trusted her a lot. They didn't avoid her when talking, and since she had always favored Chu Liangxia, she'd occasionally hear a thing or two on topics regarding her.
"Do you know which company she's with?" Chu Liangxia took another bite of the apple.
"Which company…" Aunt Chen furrowed her brows, thought carefully for a moment, and then looked apologetically at Chu Liangxia and shook her head.
She really didn't know much about the entertainment industry.
"Oh, it's alright."
Chu Liangxia nodded her head.
If there had been an initial probing, the principal would surely come knocking sooner or later.
There was no need to be anxious.
*
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Nine o'clock.
Lou Ruhui and Chu Yunxiao took Chu Liangxia to the car.
The driver and Chu Yunxiao sat in the front, while Chu Liangxia and Lou Ruhui took the back seats.
"Liangxia, why didn't you have breakfast?"
As soon as she sat in the car, Lou Ruhui considerately asked.
Chu Liangxia gave her a sideways glance, "Afraid it would ruin my makeup."
"..."
Lou Ruhui suddenly choked up.
After a long silence, she couldn't squeeze out a word.
The makeup artist had been brought in by her, so such a reply was meant to mock her, wasn't it?
Thus, not bothering to deal with her, Lou Ruhui's expression turned slightly aggrieved as she lowered her head.
All of this was observed by Chu Yunxiao from the front passenger seat.
Just as Chu Liangxia seated herself properly, she felt a chilly aura from the front passenger side. She looked down, a mocking smile appeared on her lips, but she was too lazy to even raise her eyes to look.
Too lazy to bother, Chu Liangxia started to close her eyes and rest.
About half an hour later, Chu Liangxia woke up and took out her fully charged phone from her bag to kill time.
Power on.
She intended to check the news, but as the screen flashed on, the phone began to vibrate intensely with a string of messages from unfamiliar numbers popping up one after another.
Touching her chin, Chu Liangxia opened each message one by one.
With each message she read, her expression darkened.
[24 years old, has house and car, engineer...]
[Beauty, why can't I reach you by phone? Below is my photo, contact me if you're interested.]
[Big sister, I really like you, want to meet up?]
...
All were—
What mess is this?!
After scrolling through nearly ten messages, Chu Liangxia's lips twitched fiercely.
Virus?
Malignant harassment?
Someone messed up the phone number for matchmaking?
Or—
Dd someone intend to set her up?
Considering this, Chu Liangxia became inexplicably irritated. She was about to return a call, but the car had already reached its destination.
"Liangxia, we've arrived."
The car stopped, and Lou Ruhui reminded her from the side.
Knitting her brows, Chu Liangxia paused, promptly deleted all the messages, set her phone to vibrate, and put it back in her bag.
Get out of the car.
What met her eyes was a Chinese-style mansion, an antiquely styled building that didn't lack modern elements, built close to the water, magnificent and splendid, with the surrounding scenery being uniquely attractive.
At the entrance, a maid stood.
"You must be Mister and Missus Chu," the maid said with a proper smile upon seeing them, then gestured for them to follow her inside, "Please, come with me."
Once she finished speaking, she led the way.
The three of them followed.
Chu Liangxia walked slowly, feeling her phone vibrate slightly. She frowned lightly, but didn't reach for it.
The Feng Family's wealth was vast; their residence had all sorts of buildings, including an antique corridor. They passed rockeries and gardens along the way, with the scenery becoming even more charming.
After about five minutes, the maid led them to the outside of a door.
"Third Master and Third Madam are inside."
The maid stood by the door and respectfully spoke to them.
Chu Yunxiao nodded slightly.
The door was open. Chu Yunxiao and Lou Ruhui stepped in first, while Chu Liangxia glanced at her bag, which had just stopped vibrating, and slightly furrowed her brow.
Then she followed them inside.
The interior was a living room, with only two people in addition to servants serving tea.
One was Feng Ziheng's father, Feng Xuanming, and the other was his beloved wife, Mu Yingying.
Feng Xuanming was about the same age as Chu Yunxiao, but being an ex-soldier, his demeanor carried an intimidating authority. Seated on the sofa, his posture showed no sign of relaxation, upright and formal, making one's scalp tingle with seriousness.
In contrast, Mu Yingying was different. She had a gentle demeanor, a light smile on her face, attending with subtle makeup. Dressed in a white cheongsam, she had her own charm, exuding the image of a virtuous wife and good mother.
"Sit."
Upon seeing them, Feng Xuanming's expression was stern as he simply uttered one word.
Mu Yingying, on the other hand, smiled at them amiably.
After Chu Yunxiao and Lou Ruhui were seated, Chu Liangxia hesitated about whether to greet them but as she walked over, she felt Feng Xuanming assessing her.
The sharp gaze cut straight towards her, making Chu Liangxia's spine chill and sweat bead on her forehead.
Instantly, before she could open her mouth, all words were swallowed back.
"Chu Liangxia," Chu Yunxiao eyed Chu Liangxia, each word cold, "don't you know how to greet properly?"
In that moment, it felt like cold knives were slashing at her from Chu Yunxiao's direction.
Chilling to the bone, her hairs stood on end.
Chu Liangxia's brow quirked slightly, then, she exhaled softly.
With four pairs of eyes on her, she stood erect, her spine as if cast from steel, unyielding.
"Good day, Uncle Feng, Aunt Feng." Chu Liangxia greeted obediently.
At the same time, Lou Ruhui and Mu Yingying exchanged glances, communicating silently.
"It's alright, have a seat." Mu Yingying softly said to Chu Liangxia with a warm smile.
"Thank you, Aunt Feng."
After thanking her, Chu Liangxia finally took her seat.
Mu Yingying and Lou Ruhui seemed to have a good relationship as they took the initiative to sit together and exchange pleasantries. Chu Yunxiao appeared to be trying to ingratiate himself with Feng Xuanming, actively engaging in small talk.
Chu Liangxia sat properly, observing everyone's movements.
After a while, Feng Xuanming cleared his throat, which abruptly ended the conversations.
"Let's discuss the formal matter," Feng Xuanming said, immediately elevating the previously relaxed atmosphere to a point of tension. He looked at Chu Liangxia and asked, "The Feng Family intends to call off the engagement. Do you have any objections?"
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