Chapter 026

When the lunch break bell rang, students around the desks began getting up and leaving the classroom.

Shi Huaiming rose along with Old Zhou and He Shuo, but after stepping out of the classroom, he didn’t head home with them. He greeted them briefly and made his way toward the principal’s office.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

After being let in, he approached the principal’s desk and asked, “Principal, you wanted to see me?”

The principal looked up at him. “I have an important task for you.”

Shi Huaiming stood at the desk and listened to the assignment.

When he finished, he nodded and replied, “Understood, Principal.”

Just as he was about to leave, there was another knock on the door.

The principal first turned to the door and said, “Come in.”

The person who had knocked pushed the door open. It was a young woman, probably in her early twenties, wearing a white top and a red skirt.

Seeing her walk in cheerfully, the principal asked, “How did you find your way here?”

She replied with a grin, “Just looking around.”

Since Shi Huaiming had already received his assignment and had nothing more to do, and now someone else had come in, he nodded a farewell to the principal and left.

He hadn’t gone far when he suddenly heard someone calling loudly from behind, “Hey! Hey!”

Though he heard it, Shi Huaiming didn’t turn around.

The young woman, seeing he didn’t respond, quickly jogged up beside him and said, “I’m calling you—why didn’t you answer?”

It took a moment for Shi Huaiming to recognize her as the girl he had just seen in the principal’s office.

They weren’t acquainted. He replied, “Sorry, I don’t answer to ‘hey.’”

She looked at him and asked, “Then what’s your name?”

Shi Huaiming didn’t answer directly. Instead, he asked, “Do you need something?”

The girl was straightforward. “Not really. Can’t I just make a new friend? I’m Jiang Lin. What about you?”

The principal’s surname was also Jiang, so Shi Huaiming had a pretty good guess about her identity.

He gave a brief reply, “Shi Huaiming.”

Jiang Lin smiled. “Wanna go eat at the cafeteria together?”

Shi Huaiming turned and started walking. “No, I’m heading home. My wife is waiting for me.”

Jiang Lin followed along. “You have a wife?”

Shi Huaiming replied with a simple “Mm.” “At my age, it’s pretty normal to have a wife.”

Jiang Lin muttered, “You don’t look like someone who’s married…”

How can you even tell if someone’s married or not just by looking?

Shi Huaiming didn’t respond to that and kept walking.

Jiang Lin didn’t go to the cafeteria either; she continued walking beside him.

Seeing her still tagging along, Shi Huaiming glanced at her. “Aren’t you going to eat at the cafeteria?”

Jiang Lin smiled and said, “I’m going home too. It’s on the way.”

After all, they lived in the same compound.

Shi Huaiming didn’t say anything else and continued heading home.

Jiang Lin casually chatted along the way, and Shi Huaiming responded briefly, just to be polite.

As they neared his home, he stopped and said to her, “I’m home.”

Jiang Lin waved at him. “Bye,” and then headed to her own place.

–

That day, Shi Huaiming came home later than Old Zhou and He Shuo, so Zhenzhen waited a bit longer for him.

It was hot outside, so she didn’t go out to wait. Instead, she kept glancing out the window every so often from inside.

When Shi Huaiming had left that morning, she’d told him she’d wait for him to come home for lunch, so her mood was different today.

On the third time she looked, she finally saw him coming back—only he wasn’t alone. Walking beside him was a young woman in a white top and red skirt.

The girl looked young, and when she smiled, her eyes curved charmingly.

The two of them stopped to exchange a few words, then she waved at Shi Huaiming before they went their separate ways.

Shi Huaiming walked up to the house and quickly reached the door to open it.

Zhenzhen pulled her gaze from the window and looked at the front door. When he entered, she greeted him, “You’re back.”

Shi Huaiming, just like always, hung up his hat and answered her.

They washed their hands and sat down to eat, but the atmosphere at the table felt different from usual.

Still, both of them carried on as if nothing was out of the ordinary, neither mentioning anything about the night before or that morning.

After lunch, just like always, they went to their respective rooms to study.

When it was time for Shi Huaiming to leave for class, Zhenzhen watched him go, then slumped onto her desk with a sigh, resting her chin on her arms. She bit her lip, thinking: What exactly does he mean by all this?

He didn’t reject her affection or seem uncomfortable with it—but he also hadn’t responded directly.

After a while, when she still couldn’t figure it out, she straightened up, cleared her mind, and began her homework.

She finished her assignments, recited poems and readings, and continued reading. By now, she was very familiar with this routine.

Because Shi Huaiming was strict with her, her foundation had been built quickly. She was now able to study independently.

She spent the afternoon at home studying.

In the evening, seeing Li Shuang return from work, Zhenzhen ran next door to find her.

She dragged Li Shuang into her room to whisper all the details of what had happened the night before, that morning, and at lunchtime. Her face turned red like a glowing sun as she spoke about what she’d done.

Li Shuang listened carefully, then whispered back, “Don’t rush. In this kind of situation, whoever gets anxious first, loses. Even though we were the ones who made the first move, we can’t lose ground. He has to be the one who can’t hold it in and says something first.”

Zhenzhen held her breath and thought for a moment, then nodded solemnly—twice.

After hearing Li Shuang’s advice, she calmed down and stopped overthinking it.

She and Shi Huaiming carried on with their usual routine—eating, studying, reading, and talking about the books they read.

Now, there was a new topic between them: discussing their impressions and insights after reading.

Every time she finished a piece and talked about it with Shi Huaiming, Zhenzhen felt she gained something more.

She began to admire the authors who wrote those essays and books.

What kind of mind must one have to write things with such depth and thought?

And they could even inspire others to think with them—how remarkable.

In the days that followed, Zhenzhen no longer dwelled on what Shi Huaiming was really thinking.

They continued with their usual interactions, though whenever an opportunity arose, she’d still try to create some closeness.

But the most physical contact she dared to initiate now was brushing his hand, or leaning in close when he was teaching her.

Nothing unusual happened—until Thursday evening, when once again, Zhenzhen saw that same girl in the white top and red skirt walking side by side with Shi Huaiming.

Today, she wore a plaid shirt and a pinafore dress. Her eyes still curved with her smile.

The first time she saw her, Zhenzhen hadn’t paid much attention.

But now, seeing her again, Zhenzhen stood by the window, gazing out in a daze for a while.

Shi Huaiming was walking side by side with the girl, talking. The sight of the two of them walking together looked harmonious and natural.

Just like before, they parted ways near the same spot, and Shi Huaiming headed home.

Hearing the door open, Zhenzhen snapped out of her thoughts and turned toward the front door. She greeted Shi Huaiming, then turned into the kitchen.

Zhenzhen didn’t want Shi Huaiming to feel like she was watching him. Besides, it was perfectly normal for two people to chat while walking, so she didn’t ask about the girl. She spoke with him about their usual study topics, just like always.

Zhenzhen believed she wasn’t bothered by it.

But that night, lying in bed with the lights out, the image of Shi Huaiming walking and talking with that girl kept surfacing in her mind.

She knew there was probably nothing to it, that it was a perfectly ordinary thing—but she couldn’t help the tightness in her chest.

She took a deep breath in the dim night, turned her face into the pillow.

Still feeling suffocated and restless, she shifted to lie on her other side, tossing and turning for quite a while.

–

Sunday.

Shi Huaiming had been assigned a task and was out, not home.

Zhenzhen spent half the day reading. It was too hot to cook, so she took her ration coupons and went to the cafeteria for lunch.

Just as she was heading out, she ran into Li Shuang.

Li Shuang was holding a lunchbox, apparently also on her way to get food.

They greeted each other, and Li Shuang asked, “Where are you headed?”

“I’m going to eat at the cafeteria,” Zhenzhen replied.

Li Shuang thought about the hassle of getting food, and decided to put her lunchbox back.

The two of them set out together, sticking to shaded paths as they walked.

Zhenzhen asked, “Is Brother He and Ziran not home?”

“There’s some stuff going on at his parents’ place, he went over to help,” Li Shuang said. “I didn’t want to go through the trouble, so I stayed.”

Then she asked, “What about your Shi Huaiming?”

“He took on some task, went out to take care of it,” Zhenzhen answered.

They chatted as they reached the cafeteria, got their food, and sat down to eat.

Zhenzhen had only taken a few bites when she suddenly looked up and noticed a familiar figure at the cafeteria window.

She stared for a moment, swallowed her food, and asked Li Shuang, “Sister-in-law, do you know that girl? I’ve never seen her before.”

Li Shuang looked in the direction Zhenzhen indicated and saw the girl getting food.

After a moment, she turned back and said, “I think she’s the principal’s daughter. A college student. She studies out of town and just came back for the holidays—that’s probably why you haven’t seen her before.”

Shi Huaiming and his group were special—not regular students—so they didn’t get holidays. They had to continue with their lessons and training every day.

Not sure why Zhenzhen was asking about Jiang Lin, she asked, “Why do you want to know?”

Zhenzhen shook her head, smiled faintly, and said, “No reason.”

Of course, Li Shuang could tell something was up, but she didn’t press further. She just glanced back at the girl again.

After finishing their meal, the two of them walked back the way they came.

Back at home, Li Shuang didn’t return to her place. Seeing that Zhenzhen was alone, she went with her to her house to read and chat.

Compared to when she had just arrived in the city, Zhenzhen had made incredible progress.

After chatting a bit more deeply about the book they were reading, Li Shuang couldn’t help but smile and say, “Your Shi Huaiming really is something. He actually managed to teach you all this, step by step.”

Zhenzhen replied, “He’s always been like that. Once he sets his mind on something, he has to do it well.”

Li Shuang sighed again, “He’s really not like the average guy. Most men are more like Old Zhou.”

Just as they were talking, there was a knock at the door.

Li Shuang looked puzzled. “Who could it be? Wu Dafeng maybe?” She thought perhaps it was because they had just mentioned Old Zhou.

Zhenzhen stood up and said, “Probably not. Sister Dafeng doesn’t knock like that.”

She walked over to the door, and the moment she opened it, she froze.

Standing outside was the very same girl she and Li Shuang had seen in the cafeteria at noon.

Before Zhenzhen could say anything, Jiang Lin smiled and asked, “Is this the home of Regiment Commander Shi Huaiming?”

Zhenzhen nodded and replied, “Yes, but he’s not home right now.”

Still smiling, Jiang Lin held out a book. “Then I’ll give this to you. You must be his wife, right? He was looking for this book, and I happened to have it at home, so I brought it over for him.”

Shi Huaiming borrowed a book from her? They’ve been discussing books?

Zhenzhen reached out and took the book. “I’ll give it to him when he gets back.”

Jiang Lin didn’t say much else, just added politely, “Alright, then I won’t disturb you.”

With that, she turned and left, jogging a few steps into the sunlight.

Zhenzhen looked down at the book in her hands, stood still for a moment, then closed the door and went back inside.

Li Shuang, who had peeked out and seen the situation, now understood why Zhenzhen had asked about the girl in the cafeteria—it had something to do with Shi Huaiming.

As Zhenzhen sat back down, Li Shuang asked, “She knows Shi Huaiming?”

Zhenzhen placed the book on the writing desk and shook her head. “I’m not sure. I saw them come back together twice. They’re probably just friends.”

Li Shuang gave a short laugh. “Already married and still making new female friends?”

Zhenzhen gently restrained her breath and said, “She’s a college student. She probably has a lot to talk about with Third Brother.”

From Zhenzhen’s expression and tone, Li Shuang could tell there were feelings hidden beneath the surface.

So she said, “What’s so great about being a college student? Don’t think they’re so high and mighty. If you keep studying seriously for a few more years, you’ll be no less than them. Don’t underestimate yourself.”

Zhenzhen knew that Li Shuang was saying all that just to make her feel better.

She gave Li Shuang a small smile and nodded. “Mm.”

Li Shuang glanced at the book on the desk and said bluntly, “When Shi Huaiming gets back tonight, you should smack this book on his head and ask what exactly he’s trying to do. We’re not being feudal here—sure, men and women can be friends—but he’s a married man with a family. He needs to be mindful of these things.”

Zhenzhen looked at Li Shuang, smiled faintly, and said, “I wouldn’t dare.”

Li Shuang stared at her. “Why not? You’re his wife. Be strong!”

–

Li Shuang stayed at Zhenzhen’s place until He Shuo came home, then went back to her own house.

Zhenzhen read for a while on her own, then went to the cafeteria when it was time to eat.

After dinner, she came back and sat down to continue reading.

Around 8 p.m., Shi Huaiming returned from his errands.

Seeing him walk through the door, Zhenzhen greeted him, “Have you eaten?”

Shi Huaiming nodded. “Yes.”

Since he had eaten, there was no need to cook.

He went to the kitchen for a glass of water, then came into the room and sat down.

As he sat by the desk, his gaze landed on the book. He turned to Zhenzhen and asked, “Where did this book come from?”

Zhenzhen replied, “Your friend dropped it off.”

Shi Huaiming looked puzzled. “Which friend? He Shuo?”

Zhenzhen looked at him. “A woman. A university student. The principal’s daughter.”

Jiang Lin?

Shi Huaiming paused for a moment.

Meeting Zhenzhen’s gaze, realizing something, he quickly said, “I didn’t ask her to lend it to me.”

Zhenzhen softly responded, “Oh,” and didn’t continue the conversation.

Shi Huaiming looked at her a while, then added, “She’s not really a friend. We’re not close. Just bumped into her a couple times on the way home, exchanged a few words. I don’t know how she found out I was looking for that book. I’ll return it to her tomorrow.”

Zhenzhen nodded. “Well, since you have it, you might as well read it.”

Shi Huaiming kept his eyes on her. “You don’t mind?”

Zhenzhen pressed her lips together, looked into his eyes briefly, then lowered her gaze.

She wanted to say she didn’t mind—but couldn’t get the words out. After a moment, she murmured, “I do…”

Shi Huaiming hadn’t even asked to borrow the book—she brought it over herself. What was that supposed to mean?

Shi Huaiming didn’t say anything else and put the book away.

Zhenzhen also said nothing more, turning her focus back to her reading.

After she finished, she washed up and went to bed.

Lying in the dark, Zhenzhen blinked and couldn’t help but wonder: the kind of woman Shi Huaiming truly idealized—wasn’t it someone like Jiang Lin? If she hadn’t been there, maybe Shi Huaiming would’ve married someone like that.

No matter how hard she tried, she could never become that kind of woman.

She wasn’t his love. She was his burden.

–

Shi Huaiming didn’t keep the book Jiang Lin brought. He returned it the next day through someone else.

Jiang Lin was furious. She fumed all morning after receiving the book, then in the afternoon, marched over to confront him.

During a short break from training, Jiang Lin pulled Shi Huaiming aside, clearly upset. “Weren’t you looking for this book? Why didn’t you keep it? Is there poison on it?”

Shi Huaiming didn’t beat around the bush. “I’m a married man with a family. It’s best we don’t have unnecessary contact.”

Especially when there was no real reason—just casual, private exchanges.

Jiang Lin frowned. “What era are you living in? Just because you’re married, you can’t have female friends? Can’t read a book lent by a woman? I thought you were a progressive young man—modern thinking, free spirit, unique personality—but turns out you’re just an old-fashioned conservative!”

She didn’t give him a chance to respond, turned on her heel, and walked off, clutching the book.

Shi Huaiming watched her leave, then went straight back to the training field.

Back on the field, He Shuo asked, “What happened? She looked like she was really mad.”

It wasn’t something that could be explained in a few words, so Shi Huaiming simply replied, “Nothing serious.”

He Shuo wanted to ask more, but their break was over, so he stayed quiet.

Later, as they walked back in the evening, He Shuo couldn’t hold back his curiosity. “Come on, tell me—what did you do to make her so mad?”

Since He Shuo was persistent, Shi Huaiming told him about Jiang Lin sending the book and how he returned it.

He Shuo burst out laughing. “Honestly, that does sound kind of old-fashioned.”

Shi Huaiming turned to him. “What? Aside from Li Shuang, you have other close female friends?”

He Shuo’s smile vanished, and his face turned serious. “Absolutely not. Don’t joke like that!”

Alright, no more joking.

Still, He Shuo pressed on, “Seriously though, have you ever thought—if you hadn’t married Xiaomianhua, how different things might be? Who you would’ve married, what kind of life you’d be living?”

Shi Huaiming answered without hesitation, “I never waste time thinking about meaningless things.”

He Shuo gave him a big thumbs up.

Then, still curious, he asked, “So you and your wife—what stage are you guys at now? Do you see her as a student? A little sister? Or your actual wife?”

Shi Huaiming had been thinking about that lately too—what exactly did he feel toward Zhenzhen now?

Was it just physical desire, or had something deeper developed?

He hadn’t reached a clear conclusion yet.

And without an answer, he couldn’t respond to He Shuo’s question either.

Just then, Old Zhou caught up with them, and the conversation ended.

Old Zhou said to them, “Heard the day after tomorrow we’re all heading out for field training. Five days in the wild.”

When he heard that, He Shuo glanced west at the setting sun and said, “These five days are going to be rough.”

But for them, it wasn’t really a big deal—they were already used to this kind of thing.

Since Old Zhou had only heard the news second-hand, neither Shi Huaiming nor He Shuo said anything about it when they got home.

But once they received official orders the next day, they returned home and gave a simple explanation.

Old Zhou’s instructions to Wu Dafeng were: “Stay out of trouble, don’t meddle in other people’s business, and just stay home quietly.”

Wu Dafeng rolled her eyes at him, and in response, he darkened his face even more.

He Shuo told Li Shuang, “Sorry to trouble you for a few days—when I get back, I’ll take good care of you.”

Li Shuang replied, “It’ll be tough training in such hot weather. You should also take care of yourself.”

Compared to theirs, Shi Huaiming’s explanation was much more specific and detailed.

He left Zhenzhen with five days’ worth of assignments. In addition to the basics, he also assigned a novella for her to read and analyze in depth. When he returned, they would discuss her thoughts on it together.

Shi Huaiming went over the instructions point by point, and Zhenzhen carefully took notes in her notebook.

The next day, after Shi Huaiming departed with the team, Zhenzhen began working through the list he’d left for her.

She stayed focused and completed her tasks for the first day. But at night, being home alone felt unfamiliar. She picked up the calendar and flipped through it.

When she flipped to the date five days later—the day Shi Huaiming was supposed to return—she paused, stunned.

That date looked very familiar. It was his birthday.

Staring at the calendar, she thought to herself: He probably hasn’t celebrated his birthday in five years.

After a moment of staring, an idea took shape in her mind.

Yes—she would celebrate Shi Huaiming’s birthday and make him a gift.

Putting down the calendar, Zhenzhen went to bed and turned off the light.

Lying in bed, she didn’t fall asleep right away. Instead, she kept thinking about what kind of gift to give Shi Huaiming.

After a lot of back and forth, she felt that making something by hand would be the most meaningful.

But since it was summer, knitting a sweater or scarf wouldn’t be appropriate. So in the end, she decided to make him a pair of shoes.

Since they’d gotten married, she had never made him shoes.

Once she made up her mind, Zhenzhen closed her eyes and peacefully drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, after washing up, she went to find Li Shuang and asked if she had any old, worn-out clothes she didn’t need.

Li Shuang was curious. “What do you need rags for?”

Zhenzhen smiled and said, “The day their training ends is Third Brother’s birthday. I want to spend these few days making him a pair of shoes by hand—as a birthday gift.”

What a warm, thoughtful little wife.

Li Shuang smiled at her. “Alright, I’ll find some for you.”

Since Li Shuang didn’t have much usable scrap cloth at home, she asked around and collected some from others.

Once she had enough, she gave it all to Zhenzhen, and while doing so, she offered her some advice:

“Xiaomianhua, why don’t you take this opportunity to really surprise Shi Huaiming? Maybe it’ll bring you two closer all at once.”

Zhenzhen was intrigued. “What kind of surprise?”

Li Shuang hadn’t worked out the details yet, so she just laughed and said, “Let me talk it over with Awen. We’ll tell you once we’ve figured it out.”

Zhenzhen nodded. “Okay.”

Not knowing what Li Shuang might come up with, Zhenzhen focused on her own plans first.

She took the cloth Li Shuang had given her home, boiled some starch paste, and used it to glue the fabric layer by layer. After it dried, she used the stiffened cloth to make soles and cut out the uppers. She then covered the surface with new cloth, using Shi Huaiming’s shoe size as a reference.

Sewing the soles took a lot of time—it had to be stitched carefully, one stitch at a time.

To make sure the shoes were finished before Shi Huaiming returned, Zhenzhen stayed up late working for several nights.

By the afternoon of the fifth day, the shoes were finally done.

Zhenzhen looked at the shoes she had made and felt very satisfied—every stitch and thread carried her feelings.

Time was tight, so she carefully put the shoes away and went into the kitchen to start cooking.

Today was Shi Huaiming’s birthday, so of course she planned to make a big meal, including a bowl of long-life noodles.

She was still busy in the kitchen, finishing the dishes and hand-pulling the noodles when it was already close to evening.

According to the plan she had discussed with Li Shuang, after she finished cooking, she untied her apron, washed up quickly, and rushed over to Li Shuang’s house.

At the door, Zhenzhen raised her hand and gently knocked.

Awen answered and didn’t waste time with greetings—she just reached out and pulled Zhenzhen inside.

She dragged Zhenzhen straight into Li Shuang’s bedroom and raised her hand dramatically. “Look, all this stuff—we got it just for you.”

Zhenzhen looked at the strange and unfamiliar items on the table but couldn’t name a single one.

Li Shuang and Awen had already planned out the surprise.

All those mysterious items had been gathered over the past few days. They were borrowed and would be returned afterward.

Knowing Zhenzhen wouldn’t recognize them, they didn’t waste time explaining.

Li Shuang simply pulled her into a chair and, without another word, untied her hair and undid her braid to start styling it.

Zhenzhen was nervous. “What are you doing?”

Awen helped Li Shuang curl her hair and explained as she worked, “This is a curling iron—we’re giving you pretty curls. It’s temporary. The curls will wash out, so don’t worry.”

Zhenzhen was still a bit anxious, unsure how she would look afterward.

Once her hair was curled and styled, and they added some hairpins, they didn’t even let her look in the mirror. Instead, they quickly moved on to makeup.

As they applied it, they explained:

“This is scented powder. Your skin’s already fair, but this adds a nice fragrance.”

“This is lipstick. It’ll make your lips look red and lively.”

“This is eyebrow powder. We’ll use it to shape your brows.”

While her eyebrows were still being drawn, they suddenly heard the sound of the front door opening.

Li Shuang told Awen to continue with Zhenzhen’s makeup, then turned and walked out of the room.

Outside, she saw He Shuo returning, covered in dust and looking exhausted.

Seeing Li Shuang, He Shuo moved to hug her, but she pushed him away with a hand.

“You stink. Go shower right away.”

He Shuo started heading toward the bedroom, but Li Shuang grabbed his arm.

He looked at her in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

“There are people in there—Awen and Xiaomianhua. I’ll grab you some clothes,” Li Shuang replied.

He Shuo had no idea what they were up to inside, but since Li Shuang stopped him, he didn’t push it further.

Once she handed him a clean set of clothes, he headed straight to the bathroom.

As he took the clothes, he asked, “Where’s He Ziran?”

Li Shuang replied casually, “At a classmate’s place. I’ll go pick him up later.”

She returned to the bedroom, where Awen had just finished shaping Zhenzhen’s eyebrows.

With her new hairstyle and makeup, Zhenzhen looked radiant—elegant, striking, and beautiful.

Knowing He Shuo had come back, Zhenzhen grew anxious. “Third Brother should be back too.”

Li Shuang remained calm. “Don’t worry. He’ll need time to clean up. You’ll get home just in time.”

Although still nervous, Zhenzhen didn’t press the issue.

Li Shuang walked over to the wardrobe, opened it, and took out a white embroidered qipao.

She handed it to Zhenzhen and said, “Try this on. I’ve only worn it a few times. I had it tailored to your size. It’ll look amazing on you.”

Zhenzhen took the qipao and lifted it up to examine it, thinking—So this is what a qipao looks like.

She had often read about them in books but never really knew what one looked like in real life.

Seeing her dazed, Li Shuang gave her a light slap on the arm. “What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and change.”

Snapping out of it, Zhenzhen quickly turned to a corner, back facing them, and changed into the qipao.

Once she turned around, she looked a little shy, but Li Shuang and Awen’s eyes lit up.

Awen couldn’t help exclaiming, “Xiaomianhua, your figure is incredible.”

Her whole aura had transformed—completely different from when she first arrived.

Li Shuang was also very pleased and smiled. “Told you I have great taste.”

Awen, for once, didn’t argue. “This time I fully admit it—you really do have excellent taste.”

Everything—from the hairstyle to the accessories to the qipao—suited Zhenzhen perfectly.

It brought out all of her beauty, surpassing even movie stars from the old films.

Not wasting time, Li Shuang handed her a pair of stockings and high heels with a grin.

Following Li Shuang’s instructions, Zhenzhen carefully put them on. Her heart pounded in her chest.

Fully dressed and made up, Li Shuang led her to the mirror, holding her by the shoulders.

As Zhenzhen looked into the mirror, she froze.

The woman staring back at her was stunning—curled hair, red lips, a slender waist, narrow shoulders. She was so beautiful Zhenzhen could hardly believe it was herself.

Her heart raced so fast it felt like it might leap out of her chest.

After a long moment, she snapped out of it and turned to Li Shuang and Awen.

Awen whispered with a grin, “If this doesn’t win him over, I don’t know what will!”

Zhenzhen’s face flushed a bright red.

Li Shuang also smiled in satisfaction. “Go on—time to head back.”

Zhenzhen was a bit hesitant to leave, but luckily it was just a short walk.

The heels weren’t too tall, and though they were a bit big, she could still manage to walk steadily.

She peeked out the door. Seeing no one around, she tiptoed quickly back home.

As soon as she got in, she closed the door and let out a sigh of relief.

But just as she turned to take a few steps inside, she looked up—and locked eyes with Shi Huaiming, who had just come out of the bathroom, fresh from a shower.

Both of them froze on the spot.

Zhenzhen stood motionless, her hands nervously twisting together, cheeks glowing with a warm blush.