Chapter 14: My Beautician Friend

April 9, 2023, Sunday, Sunny, 16–26°C.

Tang Song stopped, panting heavily. After resting for a while, he pulled his phone out of his arm bag.

He checked his movement trajectory.

Total distance: 5 km, average pace: 6'34″.

It had been a week since he started exercising. Having passed the physical adaptation period, his stamina had improved significantly.

He opened his [Personal Information] panel.

[Player: Tang Song (25')]

[Role: Jinxiu Trading - Development Engineer]

[Height: 180cm, Weight: 85.5kg]

[Constitution: 57, Endurance: 55, Agility: 49, Savvy: 76]

[Asset Status:]

Balance: 18,294.00 RMB (Debt: 20,000.00 RMB)

…

His weight had decreased by another 1kg in a fasting state, and his constitution had increased by 1 point. Everything was getting better and better.

Suddenly, Tang Song's eyes lit up.

His Charisma had increased by another 1 point at some unknown time!

One must realize that without styling, he was sporting a cool "bowl cut," which carried a self-imposed [Charisma -1 buff].

In other words, if he changed to a hairstyle that suited him, his Charisma might directly reach 27 points!

He was only 3 points away from unlocking the first-stage reward and starting the planned tasks!

It was likely due to the recent series of events—especially overcoming the hurdle of Xie Shuyu and the self-reflection following the news from Secretary Jin—that his mindset and mental state had improved.

His Charisma had increased naturally by 1 point.

After doing a few more sets of stretching exercises downstairs, Tang Song returned to his rental apartment in high spirits.

While eating breakfast, he opened Xiaohongshu to check his results.

In just one night, he had over 600 unread messages.

The note he posted last night had attracted considerable attention.

Likes: 412, Comments: 196.

His follower count had jumped directly to 276.

Quickly finishing his milk, Tang Song began to seriously reply to netizens and collect suggestions.

Tang Song: "Thanks for the suggestion. My skin is indeed very poor; I've already started studying seriously to improve it."

Tang Song: "It might be because I frequently look down at my phone and computer, causing my neck to lean forward subconsciously. Thanks for the tip, I'll check out this training method!"

Tang Song: "I'm planning to change my hairstyle to an American textured crop. I'll update my note tonight to show the results!"

…

Time passed unnoticed until it was after 9:00 AM.

*Buzz, buzz, buzz—* His phone vibrated, and a WeChat message popped up.

[Zhao Yaqian: "Good morning, Brother! I hope I'm not disturbing your rest. Your membership card was processed yesterday afternoon. Remember to come pick it up when you have time."]

Thinking of those 180cm "wine glass legs" and the ongoing [Betting Agreement], Tang Song felt a surge of excitement.

He replied quickly: "Alright, thanks for the hard work, Qianqian. I'll head over at 2:00 PM today to collect it, and I'll take the opportunity to have you do a skincare session for me (#Happy)."

[Zhao Yaqian: "You got it, Brother! Your card comes with 3 complimentary basic facial treatments and one VIP treatment. Just look for me when you arrive at the shop!"]

After a brief chat, Tang Song exited the interface, checked the time, opened a review app, and began searching for a reliable barbershop.

After picking and choosing for a while, he finally chose a high-end chain salon five kilometers away.

Perhaps because it was relatively expensive, the shop wasn't very crowded.

The person responsible for his haircut was a young stylist under 30. He was a man of few words, somewhat aloof, and quite handsome.

Learning from past mistakes, Tang Song pulled out the hairstyle photo sent by the netizen "Minmin" and repeatedly confirmed with the stylist whether the effect was achievable.

The stylist took a quick glance, felt his hair, and gave an "OK" gesture in the mirror: "Absolutely no problem."

Seeing the man's confidence, Tang Song took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

*Swish, swish, swish—* The clippers swept out the American fade on both sides.

*Snip, snip, snip—* The scissors moved incessantly, creating layers on the top.

Twenty minutes later.

The stylist dried his hair again and began instructing him on how to style it.

Through the mirror, Tang Song observed the movements while committing the steps to memory.

He inserted his fingers into the roots of the top hair to create a natural volume, pulling the tips upward to form the textured, spiked look.

The front fringe was lifted upward to add dimension to his facial contours.

The back was gently tousled for volume, making his head shape appear more structured and full.

"OK, that's it. Your hair quality isn't great, so if you want the effect to last, it's best to use a matte texture clay," the stylist advised as a final tip.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Tang Song once again realized the importance of hair.

Having lost 9 pounds, although he still had some facial fat, the voluminous, textured hairstyle made him look clean and stylish. His attractiveness had leveled up.

He opened the system interface.

[Charisma: 27]

Nice!

An irrepressible excitement flashed in Tang Song's eyes. He kept thanking the stylist, praising his superb technique.

This made the aloof stylist blush slightly, causing him to wonder if his own attitude had been insufficiently warm just now.

……

1:50 PM.

As Tang Song approached Yizi Beauty & Hair, he soon saw Zhao Yaqian standing at the entrance.

A black blazer, a white shirt, and flat shoes.

She was still in that decent uniform.

Due to her height, she was very conspicuous standing there.

A formulaic smile rested on her beautiful face, and her graceful figure attracted the gaze of many passersby.

This was likely one of the shop's methods for attracting customers.

Seeing Tang Song approaching, Zhao Yaqian hurried forward to greet him. "Good afternoon, Brother. Welcome to Yizi Beauty & Hair."

"Good afternoon, Qianqian," Tang Song greeted her with a smile.

"Here is your membership card; it has a balance of 2,000 RMB," Zhao Yaqian said, pulling a golden card from her pocket and handing it over. "Additionally, I have a product worth 998 RMB to give you for free. Let me take you to the product area to make your selection."

"Alright."

Zhao Yaqian turned around and led the way with her long legs.

A fresh, sweet scent wafted toward him. Her full thighs overlapped as she walked, and her hips, wrapped in thin silk trousers, swayed gently.

At this moment, Zhao Yaqian carried an indescribable air of charm and sexiness.

Walking behind her, Tang Song took a deep breath, his heart racing faster and faster; he couldn't pull his eyes away.

He had to admit, his beautician friend was truly stunning!

"Brother, this entire row contains products you can choose from. There are price tags on them; as long as the total doesn't exceed 998 RMB, it's fine." Zhao Yaqian stopped in front of a shelf and said enthusiastically, "Would you like me to make a recommendation?"

Tang Song calmly averted his gaze and said, "Just choose for me. I trust you."

Zhao Yaqian froze for a moment, then a happy smile spread across her face. "Then I'll get you a jar of hair clay, a set of hair care products, and a facial cleansing device. They are all things you can use."

"Okay, thank you."

After selecting the free gifts, Zhao Yaqian led him to the beauty zone on the west side.

Although the area wasn't large, it was well-equipped, and every section was clean and tidy.

Beauty beds, trolleys, wall mirrors, ingredient racks, tool kits, lighting equipment, sterilization cabinets...

On the wall near the entrance, there were also several qualification certificates.

It was essentially a mini beauty salon.

Noticing Tang Song's scanning gaze, Zhao Yaqian explained somewhat unnaturally, "We originally had three beauticians, but they left due to some special reasons. Currently, I am mainly responsible, so you won't be able to choose a specific beautician."

"I didn't realize you were the beauty supervisor here. Impressive!" Tang Song saw her embarrassment and made a small joke to ease the atmosphere.

Zhao Yaqian let out a giggle, and the look in her eyes toward Tang Song lost much of its formality.

Lately, she had encountered nothing but frustrating matters; she hadn't even had the heart to visit her favorite fried skewer shop.

The trust and tolerance Tang Song displayed provided a small sense of relief to her tense and exhausted mind.

……

A damp cotton cloth wiped his face clean. She squeezed out some cleanser and gently worked up a lather in her palms.

Starting from the chin, she massaged through the corners of the mouth, the cheeks, and the nostrils, circling outward from the eye sockets to soothe the eye area, and rubbing her palms over his forehead...

"This step is deep cleansing, mainly to remove dirt and oil from deep within the pores. You don't need to be this meticulous for your daily washing."

"This is to remove dead skin and blackheads, making the skin smoother and brighter."

Zhao Yaqian's movements were gentle and practiced; her delicate, slender hands felt wonderful.

Tang Song lay back on the soft beauty bed, covered with a pure white blanket, with towels wrapped around his head and shoulders.

The sweet sound of Zhao Yaqian's voice drifted into his ears from time to time.

He felt comfortably drowsy.

After an unknown amount of time, accompanied by a gentle facial massage, Zhao Yaqian said softly, "Brother, your VIP facial treatment is finished."

Tang Song slowly opened his eyes. The first thing that entered his vision was Zhao Yaqian's large work name tag, which followed a charming curve.

He checked the LED digital clock on the wall.

Unknowingly, an hour had passed, as if he had taken a nap.

His greatest sensation was that his pores had been cleared; his skin seemed to be breathing, and his face felt full of moisture.

He sat up and looked at himself in the makeup mirror.

His face was much cleaner, with significantly fewer blackheads and acne.

It felt as if a layer had been added to the surface of his skin; it was no longer rough or oily, but tender and bouncy.

"Thank you, that was excellent!" Tang Song said sincerely.

He could feel that Zhao Yaqian had been very attentive to his facial treatment, without a hint of perfunctoriness.

"As long as you're satisfied!" Receiving the customer's approval, a wide smile appeared on Zhao Yaqian's face. "You can come once every week or two. For daily care, you should also pay attention to maintenance at home. If you persist for two or three months, I guarantee your skin will become visibly refined, clear, and glowing."

"Okay." Tang Song nodded, clenched his fist slightly, and took the initiative to speak: "Since we've met, you don't have to keep using formal titles. Let me introduce myself properly; my name is Tang Song."

Zhao Yaqian looked at him and smiled. "Alright, then I'll listen to you... to Tang Song. My name is Zhao Yaqian."

Tang Song exhaled and pulled a small, deep blue box from his pocket.

He placed it directly in front of her. "I'll definitely be consulting you about skin problems frequently from now on. I'm a bit thin-skinned, so please accept this small gift. That way, I can bother you on WeChat with a clear conscience."

"This..." Zhao Yaqian hurriedly declined. "That won't do. You are a member of our shop, and maintaining customer relationships is my job responsibility. You are welcome to contact me anytime; I promise to tell you everything I know!"

Tang Song looked at her beautiful face and smiled. "Skin problems have troubled me for a long time. I've always wanted a beautician friend like you. These earrings aren't expensive; just take them as a gesture of goodwill between friends. Don't refuse."

Hearing the word "friend," Zhao Yaqian froze, and her face flushed slightly.

She had been working for over half a year and had met many people.

From Tang Song's previous gaze and movements, she could sense something subtle.

However, she didn't find this man particularly off-putting; at least he wasn't being overt, he seemed very polite, and he was quite respectful of her.

Especially since her recent experiences had left her in a terrible mood.

This sudden little gift was, in a sense, a rare bit of luck and a surprise—one of the few bright spots in her gloomy life, worth cherishing.

After hesitating for a moment, Zhao Yaqian poked her pink tongue out and whispered, "Then thank you for the gift, Brother Song. You can reach out to me for any skin problems in the future."

"It's a deal!" Tang Song pointed to the gift box. "Open it and see if you like it. I saw these earrings while out for a walk at noon and thought they would suit you perfectly."

Zhao Yaqian pursed her lips and gently opened the small box.

The first thing she saw was a familiar logo: Swarovski.

Below it were two exquisite stud earrings.

A platinum and rose gold color scheme, embellished with a ring of sparkling crystals.

They were *bling-bling* and looked very beautiful.

Surprised, Zhao Yaqian picked them up, held them against her earlobes, and compared them in the makeup mirror.

Beaming with joy, she said, "Thank you, Brother Song! I like them very, very much!"

This style of earring was a popular online item, priced around 700 RMB. For her, it was already a very expensive piece of jewelry.

But that was her personality; since she had accepted it, there was no need to be coy or pretend to be reserved.

Besides, Brother Song had said they were friends!

There was no need to feel ashamed about a gift between friends, right?

At worst, once her two months' salary arrived, she could return the favor with a gift of equal value.

Immediately after, Tang Song felt a jolt of excitement!

A crisp system notification rang in his ear.

*Ding! Condition 2 of the [Betting Agreement] has been met! The current betting amount has expanded to 150,000.00 RMB.*

150,000! That was 150,000!

It could buy an entry-level sedan, a 20% down payment on a house in his hometown's county, or more than a year of his salary...

Tang Song took a deep breath, his mind racing with many possibilities.

Next, he would use the topic of skincare to get closer to Zhao Yaqian, while simultaneously working hard to lose weight and transform himself.

From their interactions over the past two days, he could tell that the young girl, Zhao Yaqian, was not a complicated person.

As long as he showed enough excellence and gentleness, gaining her favor would not be difficult.

…

Not long after returning to Qingxin Garden, there was a knock at the door. The five classic books he had purchased from JD.com yesterday had arrived.

The plastic wrap was intact, the printing was clear, and they carried a faint scent of ink.

It was after 3:00 PM. The weather was clear, the temperature was in the low 20s, and it felt extremely comfortable.

Tang Song moved his ergonomic chair to the balcony, switched to "leisure mode," and reclined against the backrest.

The sound of the wind rustling the locust tree leaves filled his ears, occasionally interspersed with the clear chirping of birds.

Using the skyscrapers and the blue sky and white clouds as his backdrop, he began reading *The Crowd*.

(End of Chapter)