Chapter 120: Living High on Beauty!
As a girl, what should I prepare when moving into a dorm?
Ye Zhen felt a bit perplexed about this.
Although she had researched gender differences and browsed certain forums, she still wasn't sure what exactly to pack!
She had prepared over ten different sets of underwear, panties, and socks.
As for outerwear, she only packed two sets.
She figured she wasn't short on money, so she could always buy things on campus if needed.
Items like towels and toothbrushes had been ordered two days prior and should arrive this evening.
So, what else?
What else would other girls prepare?
Ye Zhen discreetly scanned the items on their desks, noticing a pile of bottles and jars, along with all sorts of colorful trinkets—she had no idea what they were for.
Whoa~
Compared to this, her attempt at being a cute girl was way too rough.
She really didn't fit in.
After half an hour of small talk, everyone returned to their seats and began organizing their luggage.
"Zhenzhen, what did you bring?"
"We've got outdoor training coming up in a few days—gotta pack sunscreen!"
"Oh yeah! We also need cooling balm, moisturizing spray…"
The three of them chattered away.
Outdoor training?
Oh, Ye Zhen remembered.
In this world, the outdoor training for new students was somewhat similar to military training in the real world.
Ye Zhen wasn't afraid of hardship and felt she could try anything.
After all, it was a rare chance to have such a healthy body!
"Zhenzhen?"
Just then, Wang Xiaoya approached her. Seeing the empty desk, she couldn't help but gasp.
"You… didn't bring any skincare products?"
Ye Zhen pondered—were these things really necessary? She'd never used any skincare products before, and her face had always been smooth and dewy.
Of course, she couldn't say that outright—it would be asking for a beating.
She forced a smile and replied, "Those things… I suppose I'll probably buy some later."
To fit in, she had to put on a show.
Wang Xiaoya’s expression suddenly turned serious.
All three of them were dressed in stylish, expensive clothes—even the cheapest item on them cost over a thousand yuan—while Ye Zhen was clearly dressed plainly… well, that was putting it politely. In truth, she looked shabby.
Seeing Ye Zhen's strained smile, Wang Xiaoya instantly imagined her impoverished family selling their last chickens, ducks, and geese to send her to Mondstadt, even applying for various student loans from the school…
Ouch.
How tragic.
Studying art was notoriously expensive.
Mondstadt's art department was notoriously expensive. There were endless reasons to spend money here. Completing this four-year program—tuition, living expenses, occasional study abroad trips… it easily ran into the millions.
In short, it all comes down to money.
Only when you've poured enough money in can you enjoy life in Mondstadt. Otherwise, this place is pure hell!
A poor student sitting among a bunch of rich kids stands out like a lighthouse in the night.
Whether there'd be a few snobs looking down on others, or cliques bullying people—who knows?
Pushing those thoughts aside, Wang Xiaoya took a deep breath.
She gently patted Ye Zhen's shoulder and gave her an encouraging look.
She wasn't one to meddle in others' affairs, but she couldn't refuse to protect her porcelain-doll-pretty, loli-like roommate.
For her, beauty was absolute justice.
Ye Zhen: "???"
I have no idea what you're thinking, but I bet you're imagining something pretty wild.
After Wang Xiaoya returned to her seat, she began rummaging through her belongings.
Seeing if there was anything she could give to the poor little girl.
"I have a brand-new set of Eska Rabbit clothes. I don't really like the scent, so you can have them."
Who knew someone had already started helping out the loli!
Wang Xiaoya shot a reproachful glance at Qiao Xin, who had handed over the gift box: "Hey, Xiao Qiao, didn't you say yesterday that this gift box was hard to get? That you camped out all night for it?"
"Hmph, did I ever say that?"
Qiao Xin rolled her eyes in a slightly arrogant manner, then flicked her fingers to tidy the stray strands of hair by her ears.
"Girls are like that—always chasing the new and discarding the old. I liked it yesterday, but today I don't. Problem with that? Hmph~"
Watching Qiao Xin, this spoiled coal magnate's daughter, Ye Zhen fell deep in thought.
For some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that Qiao Xin's tone and mannerisms were strikingly similar to… Hua Fei?
Ah, probably just her imagination.
Ye Zhen desperately wanted to say that giving her this gift box was a waste and asked for it back…
But Qiao Xin shot her a glare. "What? Think it's not good enough?"
That single sentence shut Ye Zhen up.
Ye Zhen sighed helplessly. "Thanks. I'll return the favor later."
"Just treat me to a bowl of spicy hotpot."
Qiao Xin swayed her hips back to her seat and resumed applying base coat to her nails.
Just then, Lu Chengcheng arrived with a bag of snacks. "My brother brought these back from his business trip. Not sure if you'll like them, but why not give them a try?"
"Thanks!"
Ye Zhen's eyes sparkled as she looked at the little snacks.
Oh, how pathetic…
Perhaps anyone who's been through a long illness becomes particularly mindful of food, always craving it.
Seeing Ye Zhen's earnest, delighted expression, Lu Chengcheng felt like she was looking at her own cat at home.
Ah~
So adorable!
How did I end up with such an adorable roommate!
Ye Zhen looked up, puzzled. "Lu Chengcheng, what's wrong with your face? Are you allergic to something? It's so red!"
Lu Chengcheng covered her face with one hand while waving the other awkwardly. "N-no… Ah, maybe it's just too hot."
She quickly turned back to her seat, afraid she might lose control and start rubbing the other girl's face.
As for Wang Xiaoya, after searching high and low, she only found a pair of unopened stockings and a brand-new nightgown.
Damn it, why didn't she have any decent new things?
"Well, Zhenzhen, I guess I can only give you this."
The nightgown was made of silk, smooth and silky against the skin—it would definitely feel comfortable.
"See if it fits?"
Ye Zhen could tell just by the feel that this thing was definitely worth a pretty penny.
But the style? One glance told her it wasn't meant for someone with her figure.
"I… probably can't wear this."
Under Wang Xiaoya's slightly hurt gaze, Ye Zhen quickly picked up the stockings: "These… I can wear these! Thank you."
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!"
Wang Xiaoya managed a faint smile.
"Alright! Hurry up and pack your things. Let's go downstairs to browse around, then grab a bite to eat."
At the mention of "dinner," Wang Xiaoya immediately added, "Today's on me!"
She couldn't possibly let the poor little girl—who'd sold her family's last chicken, duck, and goose just to come to Mondstadt, and even applied for various student loans from the school—foot the bill.
Her two roommates exchanged glances and nodded quietly.
Hmm, consensus reached swiftly.
From now on, they would be responsible for the little girl's three meals a day!
Ye Zhen: "Ermmm…"
How to put it?
She felt these girls might have misunderstood something, but she didn't know how to ask them what exactly they'd misunderstood…
Human relationships are really tricky to navigate.
Refusing someone's kindness was incredibly difficult.
Ye Zhen was especially bad at it.
"I'll just have to estimate the value of the gifts and give them something comparable in return."
After quickly tidying her bed, she prepared to leave the dorm room.
Surrounded by unfamiliar faces.
The campus bustled with activity, and the luxury cars parked at the entrance could easily fill several exhibitions.
Parents dropping off their children for school were all dressed to impress, looking every bit the successful individuals they were.
Ye Zhen had long grown accustomed to this lavish scene and felt no discomfort.
Instead, her three roommates, fearing she might be overwhelmed by the display of wealth, kept her firmly in the middle of them, cracking jokes and lightening the mood.
"Hey, little sister, wait up!"
Just as she was about to exit the school gates, Ye Zhen was hailed by a middle-aged man.
"Ever thought about becoming an idol? Our team is recruiting. With your looks, our company could fully invest in your training!"
Ye Zhen shook her head. "Not interested."
"Don't turn me down so quickly! Here's my business card."
She reluctantly took the card.
The card read: "Future Idol Agency."
Huh?
Wasn't this the agency of the idol the original owner had been madly chasing?
What a coincidence. This damn world, this damn sense of fate.
Her three roommates crowded around, glanced at it, and all gasped in unison: "Holy crap!"
"Dark Wings! Dark Wings!"
"Future Idol! Future Idol!"
"Oh my god, Zhenzhen, grab this sh*t… I mean, this insane luck!"
Ye Zhen promptly shoved the business card back into the middle-aged man's hand: "I'm really not interested, thanks."
Why would she want to be some idol?
This wasn't some entertainment industry script.
But the middle-aged man took the card and didn't leave. Instead, he frowned slightly and scrutinized Ye Zhen once more.
That scrutinizing gaze stirred up some unpleasant memories in Ye Zhen's mind.
She decisively grabbed her roommate's arm, sidestepped the man, and headed toward the denser crowd.
The middle-aged man stood silent for a long moment before pulling out his phone.
Not long ago, he had been negotiating a new product endorsement deal with the third young lady of the He family. As he was leaving, she had handed him a missing person flyer.
"If you encounter this person, please call me. Also, after you return, could you kindly print several copies of this missing person flyer and distribute them to the artists under your management?"
He had saved the missing person notice in his phone's photo album.
Now, he opened the album and studied it carefully.
Two photos were attached to the missing person notice.
One showed a girl with horribly disfigured features, while the other was a school ID photo of a girl in a middle school uniform.
"She looks somewhat like her, but not much."
After all, the girl in the ID photo wasn't as pretty as the one he'd just seen.
There are many people in the world who look alike.
But someone that beautiful? That's rare indeed.
The girl in the ID photo was certainly beautiful, but she still fell short!
"Forget it. I'll just call Third Young Miss to confirm. What if she's had plastic surgery?"
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This work is compiled by the Fei/Niao sk Camp public account. It originates from the internet, and I assume no responsibility for its content. All rights belong to the original author.