His line of sight mingled with the soft lamplight, lingering on her inexplicably for a long time without shifting away.  

It wasn’t until she inadvertently tilted her head that she noticed him.  

“Ah.”  

Song Shixi was genuinely startled by Qin Yue, who had been standing there for who-knows-how-long. Her grip loosened, and she nearly dropped the iron. Thankfully, the ironing board was wide enough—otherwise, if that thing had landed on her foot, the consequences would have been unthinkable.  

Just thinking about it made Song Shixi shudder involuntarily. Her breathing quickened for a moment before she barely managed to steady herself and lift her gaze back to Qin Yue.  

Only then did she realize he had already stepped close to her at some point, leaving barely a step or two between them. His usually stern face actually flickered with a trace of panic.  

But by the time she looked more carefully, that expression had already vanished, as if it had never existed.  

“Why are you so clumsy?”  

Qin Yue was the first to speak. His voice, tinged with the effects of alcohol, carried a slight rasp, the tail end of his tone lifting with a hint of intimidating severity.  

Hearing this, Song Shixi almost couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes. She had been ironing just fine—if he hadn’t appeared out of nowhere without making a sound, would she have been startled?  

If she hadn’t been startled, of course she wouldn’t have nearly had an accident, nor would she have been scolded for being clumsy.  

But faced with his icy expression, she didn’t dare voice the complaints in her heart. Instead, she gritted her teeth and changed the subject: “Brother, you’re back?”  

During dinner that afternoon, she had been the only one at home. But as night fell, everyone else had returned one after another—only he was missing. She figured he must have gone to a business dinner.  

Now, smelling the strong scent of alcohol on him, she knew her guess had been right.  

As she mulled this over, she stole a glance at Qin Yue, only to meet his deep, unfathomable eyes head-on.  

His hazel pupils were misty, as if veiled in a layer of moisture. When he stared straight at her, it felt as though he was trying to pull her in—ambiguous yet scorching hot.  

Song Shixi’s heartbeat suddenly accelerated. It took her a long moment to snap out of it before she hastily averted her gaze like a fugitive.  

Fortunately, whether because he was slightly drunk or not, Qin Yue didn’t seem to notice her overly bold stare. Instead, he shifted his attention to the neatly folded pile of clothes.  

“What are you doing messing with these clothes in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?”  

Her mind went blank, and she replied instinctively, “Selling them.”  

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake. Song Shixi closed her eyes in frustration, about to backtrack, when he asked, “Are you short on money?”  

“Who would ever say no to more money?” Seeing no way to salvage the situation, Song Shixi simply gave up, scratching her temple as she answered with an awkward laugh.  

At her words, Qin Yue fell into rare silence.  

True—who would ever say no to more money? Especially someone like her, who was vain and money-obsessed.  

His gaze swept over the pile of clothes before he looked away, his tone even colder than before. “If you need money, just say so. As long as you behave, the Qin family won’t mistreat you.”  

If she went out selling clothes and people found out, they might assume the family was secretly neglecting her.  

Having said his piece, he didn’t linger, turning to leave.  

Song Shixi didn’t take Qin Yue’s words to heart, refocusing on ironing the clothes.  

“Just say so if you need money”? Easier said than done—who could she even ask?  

Relying on others was never as reliable as relying on herself. That was a lesson Song Shixi had learned the hard way, after countless setbacks since childhood.  

…

The next morning, Song Shixi had no classes, but she woke up early. After washing up, she circled around the foot of the bed to the vanity, drew back the curtains, and sunlight instantly poured in. The hydrangeas in the backyard stretched their long branches toward her, as if the lovely white blossoms were within arm’s reach.  

But Song Shixi had no time to admire the lush greenery outside the window. Instead, she looked straight into the round mirror on the table.  

This face was identical to the one she had in her past life. No matter how many times she saw it, it still left her slightly dazed.  

The girl in the mirror was blessed with striking features—a petite, oval face with smooth contours, arched willow-leaf eyebrows beneath a pair of alluring fox-like eyes. Her irises were light, clear and bright, her nose small and pert, her lips pink and glossy.  

Her delicate, pretty features and curvaceous figure seemed flawless from head to toe.  

But upon closer inspection, imperfections emerged—her skin wasn’t perfectly clear, her complexion lacked vitality, dark circles shadowed her under-eyes, her forehead and chin had tiny blemishes, her hair was frizzy and split-ended, and she had a slight hunch…  

All of which dulled her beauty.  

During her time as a blogger, she had tried nearly every beauty method in the world to produce effective content and strengthen her fanbase. At the same time, she had maintained a disciplined routine—prioritizing sleep, wellness, exercise, yoga…  

Staring at her flawed reflection, Song Shixi took a deep breath. For the first time, she felt an obsessive urge to fix everything immediately and restore her former refinement. But skin and posture couldn’t be improved overnight—she had to take it slow.  

Right now, the more pressing matter was seizing the opportunity to make money while the momentum was hot.  

She had a plan. To sell the clothes quickly, it’d be best to have a living advertisement nearby—and who better than herself? The key was that she’d be working for herself, for free!  

Paying the rent yesterday had felt satisfying in the moment, but now, the thought of it made her wince. Still, what was done was done. Regret was pointless, and besides—this money would definitely be worth it!

Song Shixi gathered her thoughts, took out the small knife the original owner had used to sharpen pencils from the drawer, wiped it clean, and then swiftly and precisely trimmed her unruly eyebrows into a neat shape.  

On the table were some skincare and cosmetic products popular in this era—moisturizing cream, clam oil, osmanthus hair oil, pressed powder, perfumed powder paper, eyebrow pencils, lipstick…  

Some brands Song Shixi had never even seen before, but given the limited options, she couldn’t afford to be picky. After studying them for a bit, she spent a little over ten minutes applying a simple, light makeup look.  

Today, she had chosen a pale green dress, her long hair braided into a loose plait draped over her chest, with a delicate floral hairpin adorning the side of her face. The overall look was fresh and elegant, her every smile and glance radiating a beauty that was impossible to ignore—striking enough to catch anyone’s eye.  

Satisfied, Song Shixi curved her lips slightly and stood up, stepping away from the windowsill.  

Unbeknownst to her, every move she had made had been observed by someone.  

Qin Yue stood on the balcony of his study in his pajamas, watching the graceful figure disappear from view. After who-knows-how-long, he finally raised a hand to rub his temples, as if trying to erase the absurd images lingering in his mind.  

But the scene kept replaying before his eyes—those slender, porcelain-white fingers, lightly stained with lipstick, carefully blending the color over soft lips, like peach blossoms blooming in spring, full and delicate, tender and sweet.  

Qin Yue took a deep breath, feeling as though he had lost his mind—or perhaps the alcohol still hadn’t worn off.  

A stifling irritation settled in his chest. When the landline in the study rang, his tone carried a trace of impatience as he answered, “What is it?”  

Only after realizing he had let his emotions seep into his work did Qin Yue abruptly fall silent for a couple of seconds. Adjusting his state of mind, he motioned for the other party to continue. The call involved project pricing, so he listened intently.  

…

It was a beautiful day, sunlight spilling through the clouds like golden silk.  

By the time Song Shixi dragged two suitcases to the backstreet, she was already panting from exhaustion, her arms feeling like they no longer belonged to her. Taking a deep breath, she maneuvered past various stalls, heading toward her own.  

Dressed fashionably and radiantly today, paired with her striking figure and looks, she naturally drew a flood of attention. Unfazed, she walked forward without a care.  

“Qiuhong? When did you get here?”  

From a distance, Song Shixi spotted someone standing beside her stall. As she got closer, she realized it was Wu Qiuhong and couldn’t help but feel both surprised and delighted.  

The moment Wu Qiuhong heard her voice, she turned and hurried over, taking one of the suitcases from her. After hesitating for a long moment, she finally murmured, “I was passing by… thought I’d check on you.”  

Hearing this, Song Shixi saw right through the excuse but didn’t call her out. Instead, she cheerfully said, “Since you’re here, you might as well stay and help me out.”  

Her lively, playful expression was impossible to resist. Besides, Wu Qiuhong had come specifically to help, so she naturally agreed without further protest.  

The two opened the suitcases. Song Shixi first took out a light-colored, floral-patterned bedsheet and spread it over the stall to cover the originally ugly dark tabletop. Then, she wrapped thin strips of fabric around the stall’s frame, meticulously decorating the setup.  

Only after everything was arranged did she and Wu Qiuhong hang up the clothes together.  

“These clothes are so pretty, and they feel so nice to the touch. Are you really willing to sell them at such a low price?”  

Wu Qiuhong had assumed she would be selling cheap, old clothes, but these clearly had barely been worn—the fabric was smooth, the colors vibrant, with all kinds of patterns and designs that made her eyes practically spin.  

Clothes this nice were something she had only ever seen in department stores. Now, she didn’t even dare touch them, afraid of staining or damaging them. When Song Shixi pulled out a sign that read “50 cents, take your pick,” Wu Qiuhong couldn’t help feeling shocked and a little regretful.  

50 cents? At a department store, you couldn’t even buy a sleeve for that price!  

“No matter how pretty or comfortable they are, if they don’t suit me and just sit in the closet gathering dust, I might as well sell them.”  

Song Shixi also felt it was a bit of a waste, but she urgently needed money for rent and couldn’t afford to be sentimental. Besides, the original owner’s wardrobe was overflowing—these were just a drop in the ocean.  

Moreover, selling them to those in need promoted recycling and helped reduce waste, which was good for the environment.  

Noticing Wu Qiuhong staring at the sign in her hand, Song Shixi belatedly realized the misunderstanding and quickly pulled out an exquisite metal box from the suitcase. Intricately carved with beautiful patterns, it instantly captured Wu Qiuhong’s attention.  

“This isn’t the price for the clothes—it’s for these.”  

Song Shixi smiled and opened the lid of the metal box, revealing an assortment of colorful little accessories that glittered brilliantly under the sunlight.  

They looked dazzling, as good as new, but they were actually secondhand too.  

The original owner had practically changed accessories daily—wearing a hairpin or hair tie once before tossing it aside and buying new ones. The jewelry box at home was already overflowing. Yesterday, Song Shixi had sorted through them, keeping the ones she liked and preparing to sell the rest. Whatever money she could recoup was better than nothing.  

Besides, selling small accessories like these wouldn’t incur much loss. And placing a low-price sign next to them could serve as a gimmick to attract customers.  

Listening to her well-reasoned explanation, Wu Qiuhong realized she had a clear plan and stopped pressing the issue.  

The two quickly set up the stall. Along the way, many people were drawn in by the eye-catching clothes and the stunningly beautiful stall owner. But after asking a few questions and learning they were secondhand goods—along with the corresponding prices—they all left.  

Plenty of people inquired, but by the time the first class of the day had ended, they still hadn’t sold a single piece of clothing or accessory.