Alone, Beautifully – Chapter 96
by Little PandaMy Wife (8)
“Let’s settle the accounts first.”
Weekend.
Zhou Qili and Qian Ai, the two who often skip classes, finally returned, looking quite healthy. Just by seeing their radiant appearance, Xu Jiao guessed they were in a good mood lately and hadn’t encountered any negative things recently.
Zhou Qili came back to the dormitory with large and small bags, including new clothes she bought and special products and fruits that Qian Ai’s relatives had forcibly given her when they left. The moment she saw Xu Jiao upon entering, she ran over with a big smile:
“Xiaoxu! You won the bet! Starting tomorrow, I’ll obediently work on the Level 6 questions, aiming for one set of real questions every two days, okay?”
“I also brought you a talisman, from a temple. It’s really effective there. The master saw Ai’ai and me and said we had been experiencing some bad luck recently. He personally drew the talisman, and it’s said to be quite useful!”
Qian Ai went to greet friends in other dormitories and had been chatting outside. Now, she came over a bit later, but was equally happy to see Xu Jiao. She saw Zhou Qili put down her things and took out a yellow paper-folded talisman from her bag to give to Xu Jiao, then ran over to join them:
“How about we go out for a meal today? My treat, as a way to send away the bad luck from our dormitory!”
She knew Xu Jiao was somewhat financially constrained, so she simply offered to treat, making both Zhou Qili and Xu Jiao guests, preventing Xu Jiao from overthinking.
Xu Jiao held the talisman that Zhou Qili had given her in her right hand, seeing her two roommates with glowing faces, but she showed a bit of embarrassment: “I have a tutoring job later, need to go teach a student, so I have to leave now and probably can’t join the meal. Why don’t you two go eat?”
Just as she finished speaking, Xu Jiao heard the sound of her old phone ringing.
It was an information alert sound.
She picked it up and looked, and surprisingly it was a message from a student’s parent. They said they went back to their countryside hometown on Friday and just now returned, got stuck in traffic on the road, and estimated they would be back in the city by evening, so she didn’t need to go over this week.
Zhou Qili was standing next to her and conveniently caught sight of the content on Xu Jiao’s phone. She immediately clapped her hands: “It’s heaven’s will! This is a sign from God for you to join us for a big meal.”
Xu Jiao smiled helplessly. Refusing once for a legitimate reason was enough, repeatedly refusing this kind of group activity could easily hurt feelings.
Qian Ai saw that she didn’t refuse again and immediately held onto the pole of her upper bunk bed, moving toward it: “Then I’ll touch up my makeup now. It was quite hot outside today, I sweated a lot on the way, and my makeup is definitely smudged.”
Zhou Qili also excitedly scrambled over to her: “Didn’t you recently buy a new foundation? Let me help you try it out!”
Only trying it on herself wasn’t enough, Zhou Qili didn’t forget to include Xu Jiao: “Jiaojiao, do you want to try? You usually never wear makeup, why don’t we help you do it today? I’d really like to try how it feels to do makeup on you. You have such a good base, and you’ll definitely look great after makeup.”
Qian Ai originally cherished her unopened bottle of foundation, but upon hearing Zhou Qili’s suggestion, her eyes also showed a slight eagerness to try. She sat on her upper bunk looking toward Xu Jiao.
Xu Jiao slowly blinked her eyes once.
The words of refusal were already at her lips when Zheng Zhiyu in red clothes appeared beside her. The bright red garments slightly reflected in her eyes, and pale fingertips rested on her back as she leaned in to her ear and persuaded:
“Agree with them.”
“I also want to see what you look like after makeup.”
Only Xu Jiao could see her appearance and hear her voice, while the two roommates in front remained completely unaware of what had happened, only inexplicably feeling that the dormitory’s temperature seemed to have dropped slightly.
Qian Ai casually rubbed her arm, seeing Xu Jiao waver a bit, then smilingly echoed Zhou Qili’s words: “Give it a try, you can choose any style of makeup you want, I can do eyeshadow, blush, highlighter, and contour!”
As Xu Jiao began to say “No,” the word was unexpectedly swallowed back somewhat vaguely. No one saw, but a pale fingertip boldly pressed against her lips, suppressing all the remaining unwilling words.
Xu Jiao expressionlessly increased the pressure between her teeth, biting down on the intruding coldness and not letting go. Yet, the person behind her seemed not to notice, only leaning on her shoulder and laughing softly, a faint laughter filled with inexplicable pleasure and wildness.
Qian Ai: “Hmm?”
Zhou Qili was also somewhat confused: “What did you say?”
They only saw Xu Jiao open her mouth but didn’t clearly hear what she wanted to say, and when they saw her stop halfway, they all showed puzzled expressions.
Even though she knew her two roommates couldn’t see Zheng Zhiyu’s action, being teased like this in front of two familiar people, Xu Jiao’s ears still blushed slightly with a hint of unwillingness, but she ended up nodding her head.
Zheng Zhiyu pinched her ear and softly praised her: “Really good.”
After saying that, she disappeared, giving Xu Jiao no chance for revenge. Being watched by her two roommates, Xu Jiao couldn’t vent her anger at the air or retrieve the well-hidden plaque. She could only swallow her frustration, using her long-unused acting skills to show an expectant smile and calmly respond:
“I was saying, okay, I want to try.”
Applying makeup seems like something from several lifetimes ago.
Xu Jiao thought of that world with Feng Qingyu, where she would rise early every day to go to the film set, put on makeup, change costumes, and act. Now, she unexpectedly felt as if it had been a very long time since she’d been in front of the camera.
Spotlights, cameras, posture, acting roles…
Facing the mirror, holding a makeup brush in her hand, she almost didn’t need Qian Ai’s help and effortlessly spread the foundation evenly on her face. The foundation was very delicate, with a high water content, and thanks to Xu Jiao’s good skin base—without dryness or sensitivity—the foundation spread very smoothly.
Qian Ai provided her with the whitest shade, and after finishing the base makeup, Xu Jiao’s skin appeared one degree more transparent and fair, perfectly creating the makeup look the foundation intended to present. Her facial features became more pronounced against the transparent white of her skin.
She leisurely picked up an eyebrow pencil and casually touched up the color at the tail of her eyebrows, then casually selected the most ordinary earth-tone eyeshadow palette. As her makeup was about to be completed, Qian Ai slowly remarked from the side:
“Xueba, how are you so skilled?”
“Aren’t you someone who never wears makeup?”
Zhou Qili, who was initially anticipating the result of her makeup, suddenly realized upon hearing Qian Ai’s question and echoed: “Right, how are you so skilled? Ai’ai has so many makeup products that I can’t even tell what they are without looking at the names. How do you distinguish them so clearly?”
Xu Jiao paused her movement of applying eyeshadow with the brush, tapping the middle of the brush on her wrist, letting a layer of excess powder fall, which slowly spread out in the air and dissipated like fine dust.
She casually said: “I’ve seen you all use it before.”
Qian Ai: “???”
Qian Ai: “You mean you can do it just by watching?”
Zhou Qili was also a bit dazed: “A Xueba without photographic memory isn’t a good makeup artist?”
Xu Jiao let them speculate and only applied a light makeup casually. Then, in the mirror, with that face where the coldness between the brows became more intense and the facial features more glamorous, even when standing in a crowd, it made people unable to move their gaze after one glance. She slightly adjusted her angle facing the mirror, and that was her most suitable appearance for facing the camera.
Zhou Qili, who had been waiting to see the effect of her makeup, involuntarily picked up her phone and took a photo of Xu Jiao as she looked in the mirror at that moment. A few seconds later, the picture popped up on her phone.
Despite the insufficient lighting, it did not detract from the beauty of the person in the photo.
Just as Zhou Qili was about to show the photo to Xu Jiao, her gaze suddenly fixed on one part of it.
On Xu Jiao’s shoulder, there was a very pale hand, not like that of a normal person.
It looked like snow-white knuckles.
Zhou Qili’s heartbeat suddenly skipped a beat, and when Xu Jiao looked over, she barely managed a smile and said to her: “I… I just wanted to take a photo of you, but it didn’t really turn out well, so I’ll delete it now.”
After speaking, as if wanting to erase that memory from her mind, she unlocked the phone screen and quickly pressed the delete button below the photo. By the time she handed the phone to Xu Jiao, the previous photo was already gone.
Xu Jiao didn’t really mind, and Qian Ai didn’t notice this detail either. She praised Xu Jiao’s makeup appearance a lot, then pulled her two dear roommates out the door.
Zhou Qili felt uneasy inside, unsure how to face her phone, afraid of seeing something she shouldn’t again. Before leaving, she threw her phone on the bed.
Qian Ai, carrying a shiny shoulder bag and holding Xu Jiao’s hand, turned back to look at her:
“Xiaoli, hey? Aren’t you bringing your phone?”
Zhou Qili smiled briefly, the curve at the corner of her lips quickly disappearing: “Mm, my phone’s out of battery, let’s go. Anyway, it’s just at the school gate, eating a meal won’t take much time.”
However, Xu Jiao noticed her not-so-good complexion and showed a somewhat pensive expression on her face.
“Xiaoxu…”
In the restaurant, after ordering, Qian Ai went to the restroom, leaving only Xu Jiao and Zhou Qili at the dining table. Thinking of the scene she saw during the photo-taking, Zhou Qili hesitated for a long time on the way and finally gathered the courage to speak hesitantly to Xu Jiao.
Xu Jiao was looking down at her phone, seemingly chatting with someone, but in reality, she was communicating with Zheng Zhiyu through typing. That person was speaking in her ear, and she was typing responses on the phone.
Earlier, Zheng Zhiyu had gone out with her, as usual, hiding in her shadow, but when passing by a street outside the school gate, she suddenly told Xu Jiao she wanted to leave for a moment. It wasn’t until Xu Jiao and her roommates entered the restaurant that she saw her return, and she spoke to Xu Jiao in a very good tone:
There is a business nearby.
Earlier, when she mentioned introducing a part-time job to Xu Jiao, there hadn’t been any follow-up for days, as if she had forgotten about it. Now, as she brought it up again, Xu Jiao straightforwardly asked about all aspects of the job to avoid being completely in the dark later.
“Is it the part-time job you mentioned last time? What exactly does it entail?”
After typing this, Xu Jiao looked up at Zhou Qili, giving a faint smile, and softly asked: “What’s the matter?”
Zhou Qili looked around and hesitantly said: “Mm… just, have you encountered any unpleasant things recently?”
She was brooding over the ghostly hand in the photo.
Xu Jiao’s expression remained unchanged, she only countered with: “Why ask this suddenly?”
Zhou Qili laughed it off: “Just curious about your daily life alone in the dormitory.”
Xu Jiao observed her expression, seemingly understanding something, and reassured her by saying: “There aren’t any unpleasant things, no need to worry about me.”
At the same time, she typed another sentence in the chat box on her phone: “Did you do something when I was putting on makeup that scared her?”
There were quite a few people in the restaurant. This place had a relatively special flavor, serving Northeast cuisine with ample portions, cheap prices, and guaranteed taste. Other nearby students or office workers would come if they had time. If Xu Jiao and her friends hadn’t come early today, they might still be waiting for a table at the door.
With many people around, it’s inevitable for eyes to wander. Zheng Zhiyu was too lazy to reveal her appearance, choosing instead to hide leisurely in Xu Jiao’s shadow, extending a trace of cool breath near her shoulder, acting like eyes watching Xu Jiao’s screen.
Seeing the added question above, the dark shadow at her feet shifted slightly. After a long time, a familiar voice slid into Xu Jiao’s ear: “I don’t even know her, why would I want to scare her?”
“Jiaojiao, why do you always focus your gaze on these people?”
Hearing these words, which sounded both coquettish and complaining, Xu Jiao pressed her lips and didn’t answer. Seeing her lack of response, Zheng Zhiyu sighed faintly and then replied:
“Earlier, when she took a photo of you, maybe… she accidentally captured me too.”
Hearing this proper and standard answer, Xu Jiao felt assured in her heart. At that moment, Zhou Qili, half-believing and half-doubting, nodded and reminded her: “Remember to bring the protective talisman I gave you.”
Xu Jiao smiled slightly: “Okay.”
After saying those two sentences to her roommate, Xu Jiao suddenly sat up much straighter—
In a place where no one could see.
Her waist had been poked at the itchy spot once.
It was a bit itchy and a bit painful.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t reach the instigator now and could only sit there, half-tormented, chatting freely with Zhou Qili about school matters.
After Qian Ai returned, the dishes on the dining table slowly began to be served. In the center of the table was a large pot. The waiter first poured in pre-marinated pickled cabbage and beef, then placed flat, white buns around the edge, similar to making pot stickers, and finally covered it with a thick wooden lid.
Only at the vent hole did curling heat escape, allowing the steaming fragrance inside to sneak out, tempting the diners’ appetites.
The three people were seated just against the wall, with a cold wall beside them. Xu Jiao sat alone on one side because the table’s structure was relatively special, with one table and one pot to heat the dishes. So, there was no tablecloth, only a square-shaped structure made of either wood or iron, especially suitable for gatherings.
On the table was boiling, rising steam, while under the table, Xu Jiao’s exposed calf, wearing a blue floral skirt, slowly felt a coolness climbing up.
Her throat moved, and taking advantage of the action of raising her hand to pick up the cup, she concealed the words escaping from her lips:
“Don’t make trouble.”
Xu Jiao softly whispered.
Zheng Zhiyu, as if not existing, continued to tease, neither responding to Xu Jiao’s words nor looking at the warning words she typed on the phone. She only gently and softly stroked from her ankle, up her calf.
Xu Jiao sat restlessly, as if countless ants were climbing up her leg. Her calf was pinched and rubbed repeatedly. To conceal her emotions, she drank three cups of cold drinks.
Zhou Qili and Qian Ai both laughed at her: “It’s rare for our dormitory to come out for a meal together, Xueba, why are you only drinking water?”
Xu Jiao’s lips moved slightly, “A bit thirsty.”
Finally, when the pot lid was lifted, she hastily moved her chopsticks a few times, barely filling her stomach to about two or three parts full. She just wanted to put down the bowl and chopsticks in her hand and go to the restroom to have a good talk with a certain little ghost who had joked too much.
However, just as she loosened the chopsticks in her hand, the coolness between her legs disappeared. The other party seemed to have grasped her temper very accurately, knowing when to dance on her limit of tolerance and when she was almost about to get angry, so they stopped at the right time.
Xu Jiao was unsure whether to put down her chopsticks or not, her gaze fell on the fragrant pot of pickled cabbage beef with fried vermicelli in front of her, the light in her eyes flickering uncertainly.
“Xiaoxu, don’t tell me you’ve eaten this little and you’re already full?”
The roommates were eating excitedly, and suddenly noticed Xu Jiao had stopped her chopsticks for quite a while, their gaze turning towards her, as if wanting to know if she was finding an excuse to secretly lose weight.
Xu Jiao’s fingertips tightened, and after a while, she couldn’t resist the temptation of taking a big bite of meat. She picked up her water cup, drank a bit of water, and continued to move her chopsticks:
“No, just resting a bit.”
Big dishes, small skewers of barbecue, frozen desserts, drinks…
After this meal, Qian Ai happily went to pay the bill. Zhou Qili, touching her belly, calculated whether she could reduce the extra weight before summer. Xu Jiao, recalling what Zheng Zhiyu mentioned about nearby business before the meal, said after paying and walking a bit with the two:
“I have something to attend to temporarily, you two go back first.”
Qian Ai and Zhou Qili exchanged a glance while arm in arm, then Qian Ai somewhat gossipingly asked: “Are you coming back tonight?”
Zhou Qili looked at her and didn’t speak.
Xu Jiao shook her head, “I don’t know for now. If things go quickly, I can return tonight. If there’s a delay, I might not.”
Zhou Qili then said: “Make sure to stay safe.”
Qian Ai added: “If you’re going on a date with someone, remember to bring them to meet us later.”
Xu Jiao smiled slightly, nodded casually, and then walked in the opposite direction to the two. Zheng Zhiyu, who was staying in her shadow, acted as if she hadn’t caused any trouble earlier and reminded her in her ear:
“Right-hand side, the third one, that hotel, room 808.”
Xu Jiao glanced to the side, her eyes revealing no clear emotions of like or dislike, and walked toward the hotel as instructed. This is a chain hotel, and though the facade on the first floor is not as wide as that of five-star or six-star hotels, the decoration is quite nice. The young lady at the front desk, wearing a uniform, smiled and asked her:
“Hello, do you have a reservation?”
Xu Jiao replied with the words Zheng Zhiyu had taught her: “I’m here to see a friend in room 808.”
The front desk was stunned for a second, her actions paused momentarily, then she pointed to the side: “The elevator is on the left side, you can go directly up.”
“Ding dong.”
Xu Jiao’s figure was concealed by the closing elevator doors.
In the employee lounge beside the front desk, a man opened the door and came out, tying his tie as he walked. He smiled at the sister who had just communicated with Xu Jiao and said, “Is there a guest checking in? Remember the previous rules.”
The uniformed girl smiled slightly but tilted her head when asked: “Check-in…”
Her eyes showed a bit of confusion and doubt, as if questioning her own memory. She paused for two seconds, pressed the mouse to check the computer’s check-in records, and then said:
“Seems she’s not staying, she’s here to see a friend.”
“Which floor?”
“…Forgot.”
“Forgot? Xiaoyan, you can’t do this, have you forgotten what the boss said? You need to stay alert during the night shift. If something like before happens again, our business is finished.” The voice from behind inexplicably grew lower.
The front desk girl touched her forehead hair and revealed an apologetic smile: “I know, Brother Li, I remember. We don’t open rooms on the eighth floor for guests. The doors on that side are all closed, and the corridor surveillance is also off. No one will go there.”
“Mm.”
Upstairs.
Xu Jiao walked out of the elevator and saw a dark corridor ahead, almost devoid of light.
Stepping out from the luxurious elevator, her shadow merged with the seemingly tangible darkness. Just as she stepped into the black corridor, a bright red fabric suddenly appeared beside her, transforming into the pale, bloodless image of a woman.
Xu Jiao took out her phone, turned on the flashlight function, and casually walked forward: “Can you now, by the way, introduce to me a bit about this part-time job’s content?”
Zheng Zhiyu held her other hand, the one not holding the phone, with icy fingertips slipping into Xu Jiao’s fingers, her voice sounded leisurely in the darkness: “Very simple.”
“Help some entities with strong resentment fulfill their wishes in exchange for compensation.”
Xu Jiao calmly responded with a “mm” and glanced sideways at her: “If I get paid… they won’t settle with ghost money, right?”
Zheng Zhiyu: “…”
She helplessly replied with two words: “No.”
After speaking, she and Xu Jiao arrived in front of a room, the golden door plate number shone dimly under the flashlight’s illumination, displaying the number 808.
Almost at the moment they both reached the front of the room door, the door suddenly made the sound of a magnetic card swiping, zi la zi la, and then opened inward automatically. The lights also turned on instantly, illuminating the dense darkness in the corridor.
As if…
Silently welcoming them.
Xu Jiao stepped inside and walked, observing the room’s arrangement and setup. Unlike the imagined horror scene, this was the most ordinary hotel setup: a snow-white bed, a clean bathroom, and room, not at all similar to those sinister horror movie scenes.
Before she could ask, Zheng Zhiyu, as if knowing her thoughts, slowly reminded her from behind:
“Must wait until the clock turns to see it.”
Xu Jiao turned off the light on her phone and calmly asked, “Do you mean I have to wait here until twelve o’clock?”
Zheng Zhiyu smiled slightly, and her gaze indicated toward the nearby bathroom: “You can take a bath first, and get some sleep.”
Xu Jiao casually placed her phone by the entrance, without looking at the door that suddenly closed. She just turned to look at the woman in red behind her, then slowly rolled up her sleeves:
“Forget the bath.”
“Let’s settle the accounts first.”
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