Chapter 21.1

After finishing the video recordings, the two of them watched both completed videos in silence.

Overall, Tang Ruan’s self-recorded video was slightly better. The makeup she applied to herself was indeed clearer and more precise. Cheng Mushi agreed with this observation.

“Tang Ruan, why don’t you just post the one where you did your own makeup online? I mean, I think mine turned out great too, but the one you did on yourself is genuinely impressive,” Cheng Mushi suggested sincerely.

Tang Ruan thought about it for a moment, recalling what Ji Jing had said to her the night before. It wasn’t a bad idea.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Cheng Mushi admired her reflection in the mirror, basking in her own beauty. “I feel like I could shoot for a magazine cover today!”

Tang Ruan chuckled softly, nodding in agreement. “You could totally do that.”

“Too bad I’m not famous enough, and you’re not in need of money,” Cheng Mushi sighed. “Otherwise, I’d seriously hire you as my makeup artist. This makeup looks even better than what most first-tier actresses get in production teams. The key is—it doesn’t lose its natural touch.”

It was an honest compliment. Cheng Mushi had no reason to lie, especially not to Tang Ruan. After spending time with her, she knew Tang Ruan’s personality was easygoing and pleasant.

Tang Ruan’s eyes lit up as she smiled. “That doesn’t matter! I can still do your makeup anytime you need.”

“Are you kidding?”

“Not at all,” Tang Ruan replied. “As long as it’s not too busy, I’d be happy to. I don’t have much to do at home anyway. If you ever need me, just let me know.”

And with that, the matter was settled. As for the video, the two spent the entire morning in the small loft editing it. They knew that most viewers preferred shorter videos, so they made it as concise as possible, keeping only the highlights.

Tang Ruan’s exquisitely beautiful face remained the centerpiece of the video, effortlessly captivating.

For some reason, Cheng Mushi had a strong hunch that Tang Ruan might become popular. Just this one video could be enough to gain her a massive following. Her beauty, combined with her makeup skills, felt like an art performance in itself.

“Post it tonight when the traffic is higher. I’ll share it too,” Cheng Mushi joked. “Even though I don’t have that many followers, it should help a bit.”

“Alright,” Tang Ruan agreed.

The two shared a laugh and, after tidying up, went downstairs to grab a bite to eat. Cheng Mushi left shortly after.

As soon as she left, Ji Jing returned.

–

Tang Ruan turned to see Ji Jing walking in suddenly, momentarily stunned. “You’re back so soon, husband?”

Ji Jing paused for a second, catching the slight tone of disappointment in her voice, as if she regretted that he’d returned so quickly. He raised an eyebrow and replied, “It’s Saturday.”

On Saturdays, he usually only dealt with urgent matters in the morning and took the afternoon off.

Suddenly, Ji Jing’s gaze landed on her face, and he commented, “Your makeup looks good.”

Tang Ruan: “…”

Her interest was immediately piqued. She looked at Ji Jing with a smile and asked softly, “Do you want to see the video I made? Maybe give me some feedback?”

Ji Jing froze for a moment, surprised by her request.

“Husband?” Tang Ruan pressed on. She figured Ji Jing must have a unique perspective. As a man who often attended various high-profile events, he likely had a good sense of what kind of makeup would appeal to men without feeling overdone.

Seeing his hesitation, Tang Ruan couldn’t help but pout and coax him. “Husband, pretty please? Help me review the video?”

Ji Jing’s eyes lowered slightly as he stood there with his hands in his pockets. After a moment, he responded with a low, “Alright, let’s take a look.”

“Great!”

Not wanting the butler Li, to get curious, Tang Ruan pulled Ji Jing to the living room. It was all aboveboard and proper.

She transferred the video to her laptop and played it for Ji Jing. The two sat side by side, watching the screen intently.

…

Ji Jing stared at the face on the screen, feeling a strange sensation. The person in the video was sitting right beside him, yet watching her through the video made her feel distant, almost ethereal.

Tang Ruan’s voice was pleasant, soft yet slightly sweet, with a hint of a southern accent. This wasn’t surprising, as her mother was from the South, and her gentle tone had clearly influenced Tang Ruan. It was soothing, almost unreal.

In the video, Tang Ruan began by introducing the products one by one. She spoke to the camera naturally, without any awkwardness. Then, she started applying makeup to her own face. Her slender, pale fingers moved gracefully, gently massaging and blending, drawing small circles on her cheeks.

Ji Jing found himself fixated on her hands, his gaze following every movement. Her long, delicate fingers seemed to stir something in him, and his mind wandered to thoughts that were… less than proper. He watched her lips part and close as she spoke. Before the makeup was applied, her lips were bare, soft and pink, with a subtle sheen that made them look like jelly—plush and inviting.

Ji Jing’s throat bobbed involuntarily, and he cleared his throat, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

Tang Ruan turned to him, puzzled. “Are you thirsty?”

“Mm.”

“I’ll get you some water.”

After she left, Ji Jing reached up to loosen his collar, undoing one button, then another. He also adjusted the air conditioner, lowering the temperature significantly. The cool breeze eased the heat building up inside him.

When Tang Ruan returned with the water, she didn’t notice anything unusual. She watched as Ji Jing downed the entire glass, his Adam’s apple moving with each swallow. The faint sound of his drinking reached her ears, strangely captivating. Tang Ruan quickly looked away, her cheeks warming. She pinched her earlobe to cool herself down and focused back on the video.

After a few minutes, she rubbed her arms and glanced at Ji Jing, who was still staring at the screen with unwavering attention. “Husband, don’t you think it’s gotten colder in here?”

Ji Jing: “…No.”

“Oh.” Tang Ruan muttered to herself, “Really? It feels colder to me.”

Ji Jing, still feeling overheated, hadn’t noticed the temperature drop.

“Are you cold?”

“I’m fine.” Tang Ruan grabbed a nearby blanket and draped it over herself. “It’s not too bad.”

When the video ended, Tang Ruan looked at Ji Jing expectantly, eager for his feedback. Ji Jing didn’t disappoint, offering a few critiques. However, as she listened, Tang Ruan couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

“It’s pretty good,” Ji Jing concluded, before adding, “but are you sure you want to appear in the video yourself?”

“The video doesn’t need to be over-edited. Try not to trim too much, and you might want to adjust the overall tone—just add a light filter. You’re already fair-skinned.”

“And why are the makeup products you use so basic?”

…

After listening, Tang Ruan countered, “So, are you saying I shouldn’t appear on camera anymore?”

Ji Jing paused, holding an empty cup as though preparing to take a sip. When he realized it was empty, he calmly set it down and replied, “That’s not what I meant. If you want to be on camera, go ahead.”

“Alright.”

Tang Ruan hesitated for a moment before asking, “Do you think wearing makeup looks dirty?” She elaborated, “I mean, a lot of men seem to prefer their girlfriends with bare, clean faces. But when they’re out, they love admiring women with exquisite makeup.”

Ji Jing lifted his gaze slightly to look at her. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

Tang Ruan: “…”

Without thinking, she blurted out, “What about me?”

Ji Jing chuckled faintly, finally sounding a bit more like himself. “What do you think?”

His implication was clear: Tang Ruan was his wife. However, at this moment, Tang Ruan didn’t interpret it that way. She thought, “Typical Ji Jing… Always so overbearing and eager to distance himself from me, to the point of denying even having a girlfriend.”

She hummed nonchalantly, clearly annoyed. Not wanting to stay with him any longer, she grabbed her laptop and prepared to head upstairs.

“Thank you for your feedback, hubby. I’ll head back to my room now.”

With that, she straightened her back, ascended the stairs, and stomped heavily enough for Ji Jing to hear every step clearly.

Hmph!

Big hypocrite!

—

Sitting in the living room, Ji Jing was momentarily taken aback. He couldn’t figure out why Tang Ruan had gotten upset all of a sudden.

He rubbed his temples, feeling a bit weary. Just as he was about to take a short break, his phone rang—it was Ding Zerui. Glancing at the caller ID, he hesitated briefly before answering.

“What is it?”

“You at home?”

“Yeah.”

Ding Ze Rui chuckled, his tone teasing. “What’s up with you lately? Resting at home on weekends instead of coming out to hang with us?”

Ji Jing lazily responded with a “mm,” then got up and walked toward the staircase. In a low voice, he said, “If you don’t have anything important to say, I’m hanging up.”

“Wait.” Ding Ze Rui let out a small laugh. “How about we meet up tonight?”

“No.”

“Are you seriously trying to become the perfect husband now?”

Hearing that, Ji Jing let out a cold chuckle. “What do you think?”

Even if Ji Jing wasn’t actively trying to play the role of a perfect husband, he wasn’t the kind to enjoy frequent gatherings. Unless it was with his close circle of friends, he had little interest in places he deemed chaotic and unclean. He had a mild form of OCD and couldn’t tolerate such environments.

Ding Zerui laughed again and casually said, “Why not bring your wife along? Let the guys meet her.”

Ji Jing frowned slightly, lowering his voice. “What exactly do you want?”

“Remember that young guy your wife used to hang around with? That little punk has been running his mouth at a bar, saying all sorts of things. The guys and I couldn’t stand it anymore.”

Ji Jing froze momentarily, recalling the “task” Tang Ruan had assigned him previously. With a furrowed brow, he asked, “When?”

“He’s been showing up at the bar every night lately. If you want to know what he’s saying, come hear it for yourself.”

Ji Jing cleared his throat. “I’ll ask Tang Ruan.”

After hanging up, he glanced at Tang Ruan’s closed bedroom door. He pondered for a moment but ultimately decided to head to his own room without bringing it up to her just yet.

—

By dinnertime, the two of them were sitting down to eat at home. Once they finished, Tang Ruan was ready to head upstairs and post her video. Before she could make it, Ji Jing called out to her.

“Tang Ruan.”

She turned around, looking at him curiously from where he sat on the couch. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, “What’s up?”

“Do you want to go out?”

“What?” Tang Ruan stared at him in disbelief, wondering if she had misheard. She had memories—both from novels she’d read and the original owner’s experiences—that Ji Jing wasn’t the type to go out at night. In many ways, Ji Jing was a good man.

He wouldn’t go out partying at night, wouldn’t come home drunk, and wouldn’t carry any traces of perfume from other women. Not to mention, his mild OCD meant he was very particular about cleanliness. In short—

He was a gentleman.

Yet the original owner had disliked this. She had enjoyed going out, especially after meeting Dai Jun, frequently driving out late at night. Thinking about this, Tang Ruan couldn’t help but reprimand herself. She really had been reckless before.

Ji Jing, noticing the curious glint in Li Butler’s eyes, cleared his throat and said, “Let’s talk upstairs.”

Li Butler: “…”

Did his young master have to make it so obvious?

Tang Ruan couldn’t help but laugh, following Ji Jing upstairs.

Before he could speak, she stopped him. “Can I post my video first?”

Ji Jing nodded. “Go ahead.”

“Alright.”

The video had been finalized that afternoon, so all she needed to do was upload it to Weibo. After some thought, she decided not to add any captions and instead tagged a popular hashtag:

#100DaysOfMakeupChallenge