The next morning, Zhou Suisui was woken up by the sunlight.
She opened her eyes and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling for several seconds before remembering she was at Liu Weiwei's house. On the nightstand, the pure white business card was glaringly bright in the morning light.
She sat up. The red mark on her chest had faded, but when her fingertips touched it, she could still feel a faint sting beneath her skin.
The buzzing sound of a coffee machine came from the living room.
Zhou Suisui put on her slippers and walked out. Liu Weiwei was already up, sitting by the dining table in a silk robe, looking down at her phone.
"Awake?" Liu Weiwei glanced up at her. "There's bread and milk in the kitchen. Help yourself."
"Thank you, Weiwei," Zhou Suisui said softly.
She went to the kitchen, poured a glass of milk, and took two slices of toast. The bread was a bit burnt, but she had no appetite, just mechanically stuffing it into her mouth.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Liu Weiwei asked.
"...It was okay," Zhou Suisui said.
In truth, she had barely slept. The moment she closed her eyes, she saw Chen Boxu's eyes, smelled the scent of cedar when he leaned in, and felt the icy touch of his fingertips brushing against her skin.
Liu Weiwei put down her phone and picked up her coffee cup. "What are your plans for today? Going back to the apartment?"
Zhou Suisui tightened her grip on the milk glass.
"I..." she began, her voice a little dry. "Weiwei, could I trouble you with one more thing?"
Liu Weiwei looked at her without speaking.
"Tonight... I'm going to see Chen Boxu," Zhou Suisui said. "But I don't know... what to wear, or how to dress up."
She looked up at Liu Weiwei, pleading in her eyes. "Weiwei, can you help me? Please."
Liu Weiwei drank her coffee in silence.
"That black dress of mine... is too ordinary," Zhou Suisui continued. "The earrings won't do either. I have nothing... Weiwei, you have good taste, please help me..."
"Zhou Suisui," Liu Weiwei interrupted her, "do you know what you are doing right now?"
Zhou Suisui bit her lip.
"You're asking me to help you dress up for a date with a man. And this man is your roommate's type." Liu Weiwei set down her coffee cup. "You want me to help you steal someone's man?"
"I'm not..."
"Then what are you doing?" Liu Weiwei looked at her. "Tell me, what are you planning to do? Go drink tea and chat with Chen Boxu? Or go discuss a business partnership with him?"
Zhou Suisui's face paled.
"Weiwei," her voice was very soft, "I have no other choice."
"You do," Liu Weiwei said. "You can go back to your apartment right now, throw the business card away, find a job, and work hard. That is a choice."
"But I don't want to!" Zhou Suisui's voice suddenly rose. "I don't want to rent an apartment for the rest of my life! I don't want to count every penny every single day! I don't want... I don't want to be looked down upon forever!"
By the time she finished, her eyes were red.
Liu Weiwei looked at her for a long time.
Then she sighed.
"Fine," she said, her voice laced with obvious helplessness and disdain. "Since you insist on jumping into the fire pit, I can't stop you."
Zhou Suisui's eyes lit up. "Weiwei..."
"Don't be happy too early." Liu Weiwei stood up. "I'm helping you because I don't want to see you make a joke out of yourself. But I have to say a few things upfront."
Zhou Suisui nodded.
"First, I am helping you out of kindness, not obligation." Liu Weiwei held up one finger. "Don't expect me to clean up your messes every single time in the future."
"Second," she held up another finger, "I am only responsible for making you look presentable. As for what happens after you meet Chen Boxu, that is your own business."
"Third," Liu Weiwei held up a third finger and looked into Zhou Suisui's eyes, "this is the last time I will warn you: it's not too late to turn back now. Once tonight is over, there will be no turning back."
Zhou Suisui was silent for a long time.
Then she said softly, "I know."
Liu Weiwei looked at her and shook her head.
"Go wash your face," she said. "Then we'll go to the mall."
At ten in the morning, the mall had just opened.
Liu Weiwei walked in front, her high heels clicking crisply against the marble floor. Zhou Suisui followed behind her, wearing the same black dress from yesterday, feeling like Cinderella stumbling into a castle.
"Let's pick out an outfit first," Liu Weiwei said without looking back. "That dress of yours won't do. It's too deliberate; it looks like you had to grit your teeth to afford it."
Zhou Suisui didn't say anything.
Liu Weiwei familiarly turned into a boutique. The shop assistant clearly recognized her and greeted her with a smile. "Miss Liu, what brings you here today?"
"Just bringing a friend to look around," Liu Weiwei said, her gaze sweeping over the clothing racks. "Do you have any new arrivals? Something suitable for her age."
The assistant sized Zhou Suisui up and nodded with a smile. "Yes, we just received a batch of autumn wear. There are a few pieces that perfectly suit this young lady's temperament."
Liu Weiwei followed the assistant inside, and Zhou Suisui trailed closely behind.
The store was quiet, the lighting was soft, and a faint fragrance filled the air. None of the clothes hanging on the racks had price tags, but Zhou Suisui knew they must be very expensive.
The assistant brought out a few dresses.
An off-white silk slip dress with an extremely simple cut, but the fabric shimmered with a pearl-like luster under the lights. A dusty pink knit dress, soft and draped beautifully, with a perfectly cut neckline. And a black off-the-shoulder short dress with a sleek design and an asymmetrical hem.
"Try them on," Liu Weiwei said.
Zhou Suisui took the three dresses into the fitting room.
She tried the off-white one first. The silk fabric felt cool and smooth as it glided over her skin, like a second layer of skin. The dress was very form-fitting, outlining the full curves of her chest and her slender waist. She looked at herself in the mirror. It was beautiful, but a bit... too innocent.
It didn't look like her.
She then tried the dusty pink one. The color was gentle and made her skin look very fair. The knit fabric softly wrapped around her body, the neckline slightly open to reveal her collarbones. This dress was more casual than the previous one, but also more... safe.
Finally, the black one.
The off-the-shoulder design put her beautiful shoulder and neck lines on full display. The waist was cinched tightly, and the hem stopped mid-thigh, revealing a pair of long, straight legs. The black color made her skin glow with fairness, and against the black, her eyes held an indescribable allure.
She stared at herself in the mirror for a long time.
This was exactly how she wanted to look. Not deliberately acting innocent, not deliberately keeping a low profile. Just blatantly beautiful, sexy, and flaunting her assets.
She walked out of the fitting room wearing this dress.
Liu Weiwei was sitting on the sofa flipping through a magazine. Hearing the noise, she looked up, her gaze lingering on Zhou Suisui for a few seconds.
"This one," she said.
The assistant smiled and nodded. "Miss Liu has great taste. This dress is a designer's limited edition; there are only three in the entire city."
"Wrap it up," Liu Weiwei said, then looked at Zhou Suisui. "You need to change your shoes too. The pair you have won't do."
Zhou Suisui looked down at her feet. The blistered spots from yesterday were still covered with band-aids.
"Weiwei," she said quietly, "I... I didn't bring that much money."
Liu Weiwei glanced at her.
"Put it on my tab," she told the clerk. "I'll settle it later."
Zhou Suisui wanted to say thank you, but Liu Weiwei had already turned and walked out.
Next was shoes.
Liu Weiwei picked out a pair of black stiletto sandals. The heels weren't too high, but the design was incredibly exquisite. The upper consisted of thin straps that crisscrossed at the ankle, making her ankles look slender and beautiful.
"Try them on," Liu Weiwei said.
Zhou Suisui slipped into the shoes. The leather was soft and molded to her feet, making them much more comfortable than the pair she wore yesterday.
"They work," Liu Weiwei nodded.
Then came lingerie.
Liu Weiwei led her into a lingerie shop and familiarly told the clerk, "I need a black lace set. Size..." She glanced back at Zhou Suisui. "34C?"
Zhou Suisui blushed and nodded.
The clerk quickly brought out a few sets. Liu Weiwei chose one—black lace, with a design that was extremely sexy but not overly revealing.
"This one," she said.
Zhou Suisui took the lingerie. As her fingertips brushed against the delicate lace fabric, her face burned intensely.
"Weiwei..." she murmured softly.
"What?" Liu Weiwei looked at her. "We're already at this point, and you're still feeling shy?"
Zhou Suisui bit her lip and said nothing.
After buying the lingerie, Liu Weiwei took her to get her hair done.
The stylist looked at Zhou Suisui's long hair and suggested, "How about we cut it a bit shorter? Right down to the collarbone. It'll give you more of an elegant aura."
Zhou Suisui looked at Liu Weiwei.
"Cut it," Liu Weiwei said.
The snipping sound of scissors rang in her ears. Zhou Suisui watched herself in the mirror as her long hair gradually grew shorter, falling to her shoulders with the ends curving slightly inward, framing her face to look smaller and her neck more slender.
After her hair was done, they went to get her nails done.
Liu Weiwei picked a nude pink polish. The color was very subtle, but it shimmered with a delicate pearlescence under the light.
"This color," she said, "is low-key, but if you look closely, you can tell it's high quality."
By the time everything was finished, it was already three in the afternoon.
Zhou Suisui stood before the mirror in the mall's restroom, looking at her reflection.
The black dress, the black shoes, the newly cut short hair, and the exquisite makeup. She was an entirely different person from the girl yesterday, who had stood awkwardly in the banquet hall wearing a dress she had gritted her teeth to buy.
But as she looked in the mirror, she felt a bit unfamiliar to herself.
"Had enough looking?" Liu Weiwei's voice came from behind. "It's about time. We should head back."
Zhou Suisui turned around.
Liu Weiwei stood at the restroom entrance, holding a few shopping bags, her face expressionless.
"Weiwei," Zhou Suisui walked over. "Thank you."
Liu Weiwei didn't acknowledge the thanks, merely saying, "Let's go."
The two took a taxi back to Liu Weiwei's apartment.
As soon as they entered, Liu Weiwei dropped the shopping bags on the sofa and went to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.
"Get yourself sorted," she said. "I'll drop you off at six-thirty."
Zhou Suisui nodded, carrying the shopping bags into the guest room.
She took out the new clothes and shoes, arranging them one by one. She hung the black dress in the closet, placed the shoes on the floor, and set the neatly folded lingerie on the bed.
Then she sat on the edge of the bed and took out her phone.
The screen showed her chat interface with Lin Xiao. The last message was still the one she had sent last night; Lin Xiao hadn't replied.
She hesitated for a moment before typing:
Suisui: I have something going on tonight, so I probably won't be coming back either.
Send.
The message quickly showed as Read.
But Lin Xiao still didn't reply.
Zhou Suisui waited a few minutes, tossed her phone aside, and lay flat on her back on the bed.
The ceiling was stark white, completely blank.
She thought of Chen Boxu's eyes, and the cold, sharp scent on him when he leaned in.
Then she thought of Lin Xiao, remembering how Lin Xiao looked sitting in the living room reading an art book, and the condescending words Lin Xiao had spoken in that light, airy tone.
The red mark on her chest began to emanate a faint heat again.
Zhou Suisui raised her hand and pressed it over the spot.
"Don't regret it," she told herself.
Then, she closed her eyes.
