"Okay."
Zhao Yaqian turned around, her long legs moving gracefully to lead the way.
A fresh and sweet fragrance greeted him, the full thighs overlapping front and back, the buttocks enclosed in thin silk trousers gently swaying.
At this moment, Zhao Yaqian exuded an indescribable charm and sensuality.
Walking behind her, Tang Song took a deep breath; his heartbeat quickened, finding it impossible to look away.
He couldn't help thinking that his beautician friend was stunning.
"Brother, this row contains all the products you can choose from. They are priced with tags; just make sure they don't add up to more than 998," Zhao Yaqian stopped in front of a shelf, her tone warm, "Do you need me to recommend some for you?"
Without changing his expression, Tang Song diverted his gaze and said, "You can just pick for me; I trust you."
Zhao Yaqian was slightly taken aback before a happy smile spread across her face, "Then I'll get you a box of hair clay, a set of hair care products, and a facial cleansing device, all stuff that you'll need."
"Great, thank you."
After choosing the complimentary gifts, Zhao Yaqian took him to the beauty area on the west side.
Though not large, it was well-equipped, each area clean and tidy.
A beauty bed, small cart, wall-mounted mirror, ingredient rack, tool bag, lighting equipment, disinfectant cabinet…
Several qualification certificates adorned the wall near the entrance.
It was a mini beauty salon.
Noticing Tang Song's scanning gaze, Zhao Yaqian explained with an awkward expression: "It used to be three beauticians here, but they left due to some special reasons; now it's mainly me in charge, so you don't have the option of choosing your beautician."
"I didn't expect you to be the beauty manager of the store, impressive!" Seeing her discomfort, Tang Song cracked a joke to lighten the mood.
Zhao Yaqian burst out laughing, and the look she gave Tang Song became much less formal.
She had faced an endless stream of troubles recently, to the point where she had lost the appetite even for her favorite fried skewer shop.
The trust and tolerance displayed by Tang Song allowed her tense and weary mind to relax a little.
...
A damp cotton cloth cleansed his face; he squeezed the cleansing milk and gently worked up a lather in his palm.
She started from his chin, moving to the corners of his mouth, across his cheeks, over the bridge of his nose, circling outward from the eye sockets to soothe the eyes, and finally, massaging his forehead with her palms…
"This step provides a deep cleanse, mainly to remove the dirt and oils deep within the pores; you don't need to go through this much trouble when washing your face daily."
"This is for exfoliating dead skin and blackheads, making the skin smoother and brighter."
Zhao Yaqian's movements were gentle and skilled, her delicate and slender hands felt wonderful.
Tang Song laid back on the soft beauty bed, covered with a white blanket, his head and shoulders wrapped in towels.
Zhao Yaqian's sweet voice occasionally reached his ears.
It was so comfortable that he was on the verge of falling asleep.
After an unknown period, accompanied by a round of gentle facial massage,
Zhao Yaqian whispered, "Brother, the VIP facial treatment I gave you has now concluded."
Tang Song slowly opened his eyes; the first thing he saw was Zhao Yaqian's large work badge with its attractive curve.
He glanced at the LED digital clock on the wall.
Unknowingly, an hour had passed; it felt like he had taken a nap.
The most profound sensation was the feeling of his pores being cleared, his skin seemed to breathe, his face filled with moisture.
Sitting up, he looked at himself in the makeup mirror.
His face was much cleaner, with significantly fewer blackheads and blemishes.
The surface of his skin seemed layered with something new; it felt no longer rough or greasy but tenderly soft.
"Thank you, you did an amazing job!" Tang Song sincerely expressed his gratitude.
He could feel that the facial treatment Zhao Yaqian provided was done wholeheartedly, with no hint of negligence.
"As long as you are satisfied!" Zhao Yaqian's face lit up with a big smile, pleased with the customer's approval, "You can come once a week or every two weeks. You should also take care of your skin at home. Stick to it for two or three months, and I guarantee your skin will be visibly delicate, clear, and luminous."
"Okay." Tang Song nodded, clenched his fist with vigor, and took the initiative to say, "Now that we're acquainted, there's no need for formalities. Let me properly introduce myself; my name is Tang Song."
Zhao Yaqian looked at him and smiled, "Alright, then I'll listen to you... your wishes. My name is Zhao Yaqian."
Tang Song exhaled and pulled out a small, deep blue box from his pocket.
He placed it directly in front of her, "I'm definitely going to consult you frequently about skin issues, and since I'm a bit shy, you should accept this little gift. Then, I can ask you questions on WeChat without feeling guilty."
"This..." Zhao Yaqian quickly began to refuse, "That's not necessary. You are a member of our shop; maintaining customer relationships is part of my job. Feel free to contact me anytime, and I assure you, I'll spare no detail in my answers!"
Tang Song looked at her pretty face and smiled, "Skin issues have troubled me for a long time, and I've really wanted to have a beautician friend like you. This earring isn't expensive; just consider it as a friendly gesture. Don't refuse it."
Upon hearing the word "friend," Zhao Yaqian was startled and her face flushed slightly.
She'd been working for over half a year and encountered numerous people.
From Tang Song's previous looks and actions, she could sense some subtle intonations.
However, she didn't find this man disagreeable at all. At the very least, he hadn't been blatantly forward, seemed polite, and showed her quite a bit of respect.
Especially since a series of recent events had put her in an awful mood.
This sudden gift, in a sense, represented a rare stroke of luck and surprise, a bright spot in her otherwise gloomy life, cherished and valuable.
After hesitating for a moment, Zhao Yaqian stuck out her tender tongue and whispered, "Then, thank you for the gift, Brother Song. You can come to me with any skin problems."
"It's a promise!" Tang Song pointed to the gift box, "Open it and see if you like it. I saw these earrings during my walk at noon; they seemed to suit you."
Zhao Yaqian pursed her lips and gently opened the small box.
The first thing she saw was a familiar logo: Swarovski.
Below were two delicate earrings.
Platinum and rose gold in color, surrounded by a ring of shiny crystals.
They were bling-bling and looked very beautiful.
Zhao Yaqian, delighted, picked them up and held them next to her earlobes, comparing them in the makeup mirror.
With a broad smile, she said, "Thank you, Brother Song, I really, really like them!"
The earrings were a popular item online and priced at around 700 yuan, which was quite expensive for her.
But that's just how she was. Once she accepted something, she saw no reason to be coy or pretend modesty.
After all, Brother Song had said they were friends!
A gift between friends shouldn't be something to feel ashamed about, right?
Worst comes to worst, once her next two months' salary was in, she could just give him a gift of the same value in return.
Suddenly, Tang Song perked up!
A crisp system prompt rang in his ear.
"Ding! [VAM Agreement] Condition 2 has been met! Current VAM Money has increased to 150,000.00 yuan."
150,000! That's 150,000 yuan!
Enough to buy a compact family car, a 20% down payment for a house in his hometown, or more than a year's salary...
Tang Song took a deep breath as many thoughts flashed through his mind.
Next, he would use the topic of skin care to get closer to Zhao Yaqian while working hard to lose weight and transform himself.
From their interactions over the past two days, he could tell that Zhao Yaqian wasn't complicated.
As long as he showed enough excellence and gentleness, it wouldn't be hard to win her favor.
...
It wasn't long after returning to Fresh Home that there was a knock at the door; the five classic works he had ordered from JD.com had arrived.
The books were perfectly shrink-wrapped, the printing was clear, and they carried a faint scent of ink.
It was just after three in the afternoon, the weather was clear, and the temperature was just over 20 degrees—a most comfortable climate.
Tang Song moved his ergonomic chair onto the balcony, switched on the relax mode, and reclined against the backrest.
The "rustling" sound of the wind in the locust tree leaves accompanied by the occasional clear chirping of birds filled his ears.
With high-rises and blue skies with white clouds as his backdrop, he began reading "The Crowd."