Chapter 52

Zheng Lu and Huang Ying watched Ye Yao’s departing figure; their expressions completely different.

“This girl, though her looks are a bit… off, she does have an interesting personality.”

“You interested in her? I can ask Cheng-ge to make it happen for you.”

Huang Ying was speaking to Zheng Lu, but her eyes were on Li Cheng.

Zheng Lu shook his head like a rattle drum. “You all know I’m part of the ‘Looks First’ club. Personality doesn’t matter—face and figure are what count.”

Huang Ying shot him a look of disdain. Just admit you’re shallow—why dress it up so much?

Zheng Lu turned back and threw an arm around Li Cheng’s shoulders. “That girl didn’t even glance at you the whole time, did she? So your face isn’t always effective after all.”

“Isn’t that a good thing? Cheng-ge wouldn’t be interested in a girl like that anyway.”

Before Li Cheng could say a word, Huang Ying had already answered for him, as if it was obvious.

Zheng Lu smirked. Sure enough, in her eyes, even if Li Cheng farted, it would smell like roses.

“You two have too much time on your hands. If we don’t leave now, we’ll be late.”

Li Cheng reminded them, stepping away from the two in apparent distaste.

—

“Mom, I’m heading out. Take care at home.”

Ye Yao threw out the words and ran before Zhang Qiufeng could chase after her again.

She was just going for a walk in town, not heading into a pit of fire. Yet the old lady had been nagging her for ages.

Sure enough, just as she reached the alley, Zhang Qiufeng rushed out with a basket.

Inside were freshly boiled eggs—she wanted Ye Yao to take them in case she got hungry while out.

—-

For the first time, Ye Yao left the neighborhood and its surroundings, only to realize, to her dismay, that she had no idea where anything was.

She cursed—so, in the past ten-odd years, she had never once explored beyond the area?

She forced herself to calm down, stopped a passerby, and asked for directions.

Half an hour later, she finally reached the bustling main street.

It wasn’t quite as lively as she had imagined, but given that the economy had only started booming in the ’90s, this was probably as good as it got.

She wasn’t in a rush. She wandered the streets, observing the market, trying to figure out what kind of business might suit her.

She visited snack stalls, bookstores, and general stores—wherever she went, people stared.

Then, she stopped in front of a clothing store’s floor-to-ceiling window and clearly saw her reflection in the glass.

She took a deep breath.

This was the first time she had gotten such a complete look at herself.

Elephant legs, thick arms, layers of fat pressed tight under her clothes.

If she hadn’t mentally prepared herself over the past few days, she might have had a breakdown.

Forcing her thoughts back in order, her gaze swept over the clothes in the display window.

It was a long dress for women—purple fabric paired with a white belt, standing out quite a bit. Even more exaggerated were the thick shoulder pads, making Ye Yao’s forehead crease with three black lines.

This style had long since disappeared in her memory, yet here it was, right in front of her.

After a moment, she remembered—this was 1990. Shoulder pads were still in fashion.

“Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing? Be careful! Don’t smudge the glass!”

A young apprentice inside the shop looked up and saw the “plump” figure standing in front of the window. He rushed out and loudly reprimanded her.

Ye Yao raised an eyebrow.

Looks like she had just encountered someone who looked down on others based on their appearance…