That afternoon, the three of them happily headed to the photo studio again. When they arrived, the owner didn't even recognize Ding Lixiu.
It wasn't until she saw the photos that she was too shocked to speak.
"Is this you?" the proprietress said, holding two photos and comparing them back and forth, "My goodness, your transformation is too drastic! How did you get so fair?"
"I told you last time, it's the facial treatment my roommate did for me. You didn't believe it, now do you?"
The proprietress was turning forty this year, hailing from the Northwest where sandstorms were common and UV rays intense, making her skin look much older than her peers.
She had been tempted before, but fearing it was a scam, she had eventually let it be.
Seeing the change in Ding Lixiu, the proprietress couldn't stay put anymore.
