The Beauty

“An'an, this is my new boyfriend.”

Xu Wanwan held Lv Cheng's arm, smiling brightly.

Before coming, they had coordinated their story, with Lv Cheng pretending to be her boyfriend, using the excuse of having her friend, Feng An'an, approve of him.

Prior to the meeting, Xu Wanwan had hinted to Feng An'an about bringing a handsome guy, prompting her to dress up.

However, Feng An'an couldn't recall the numerous testing plans; her mind was focused on one thought.

Such a handsome man!!!

Wanwan is truly my best friend!

How many layers of filters did she apply to see me fit to date someone?

In that moment, Feng An'an made a firm decision; she and Wanwan would be lifelong best friends.

After this thought, her gaze turned as sharp as a knife, scanning Wanwan's boyfriend – Lv Cheng.

Stealing my best friend's dog of a man, go eat sh*t.

If she doesn't expose every inch of that dog's trickery today, she's not worthy of being Wanwan's friend.

"An'an, what's wrong?" Xu Wanwan was concerned about An'an's mental state, a chain of associations flashing in her mind.

Daydreaming for no reason is a precursor to depression, and depression is a precursor to suicide.

No, wait, a quick search would reveal cancer starting.

Xu Wanwan shook off the horrifying associations in her mind and observed An'an carefully.

Feng An'an immediately gently held her hand and spoke softly, "I'm fine, come in."

Leading them into the living room, Feng An'an handed out drinks, keeping an eye on Lv Cheng's movements.

Too careless.

Feng An'an shook her head in disbelief; she deliberately handed the drink to Lv Cheng first, but he drank it without considering his girlfriend.

Not attentive enough, deduct points!

Xu Wanwan spoke to Feng An'an, "An'an, can I have some hot tea?"

As Feng An'an was mentally evaluating Lv Cheng's looks and personality, she absentmindedly nodded, "Sure."

Feng An'an's distraction was noticed by Xu Wanwan, and the dismissed thought resurfaced.

Seeing Feng An'an successfully diverted, Xu Wanwan spoke urgently, "Did you see? She said she weighs only around sixty kilograms and is still losing weight."

Lv Cheng, also lowering his voice, replied, "But she looks healthy."

Xu Wanwan was about to continue her train of thought when she was interrupted, and she explained with a wry smile, "It's the effect of makeup."

After explaining, Xu Wanwan continued with her new concern, "An'an has been daydreaming all day. Could it be depression?"

"Unlikely."

Lv Cheng felt Feng An'an's sharp gaze and thought, instead of depression, it's more likely to be bipolar disorder.

Qi Yuan interjected, "Try something, and if it doesn't work, just take her to a psychologist."

Stop the wild speculation; if this continues, Feng An'an will end up in a coffin.

The beauty treatment method is already very unreliable; Qi Yuan is genuinely concerned that if it doesn't work, Xu Wanwan might consider it a terminal illness.

Feng An'an, unaware of her friend's wild imaginations, handed the hot tea to Xu Wanwan and initiated the next probing plan.

Sitting on the edge of the sofa, she curiously inquired, "How did you two meet?"

"At that time, I was being chased by a few street thugs, feeling hopeless, and he happened to appear and saved me."

Xu Wanwan cut to the chase, narrating a seemingly typical hero-saves-damsel tale.

Bravery earns points.

Facing several ruffians, willing to step up, Feng An'an reluctantly gives Lv Cheng a thumbs-up.

"That sounds quite dramatic."

"Yeah, it was a bit."

Recalling the events of that moment, Xu Wanwan's cheeks flush slightly.

Being chased by those thugs, she was insulted with the comparison of a toad wanting to eat swan meat. There's nothing more humiliating than that.

Deep in his heart, Feng An'an curses his luck. It seems like Wanwan has fallen for it.

"Speaking of which, he recently said I've gained weight."

Xu Wanwan appears to be complaining but is actually coquettish, sprinkling some imaginary dog food, shifting the topic to weight loss, using Lv Cheng as an excuse.

Lv Cheng responds casually, "I don't want to lie to you. I like you whether you're fat or thin."

"You see, he never knows how to say something nice."

Oh...

Though they haven't eaten, it feels like they've had their fill, even a bit greasy.

The flame of friendship that Feng An'an just ignited starts to flicker, leaving her with a calm and serene mind.

But Xu Wanwan's dog food distribution seems to have just begun; she looks at Lv Cheng.

"Do you think I look better with a bit of weight or if I were thinner?"

Lv Cheng catches her signal, "You look best when it's just right. What about you, Yuan?"

"As long as you're healthy."

Prepared for being called out, Qi Yuan looks at Feng An'an and casually adds, "She's too thin, for example."

Nicely done!

Xu Wanwan suppresses a smile; they've pulled off a great collaboration.

Just as she's gossiping with her best friend, suddenly being singled out catches Feng An'an off guard.

Though she hasn't really thought about dating Qi Yuan, you can't deny me the chance even if I don't win the lottery. If I can't buy the lottery, it's like forbidding me from daydreaming.

This is too cruel!

Decision made, tonight is all about gaining weight!!!

Feng An'an forces a smile, "I also think I'm too thin. I've been trying to gain weight recently, hehe."

Does it really work?

Lv Cheng is greatly impressed; being from out of town, he hasn't seen this side of the world.

Proudly smiling, Xu Wanwan knows her best friend's thoughts inside out; can she not guess?

A scoundrel can see through her friend, relying solely on his face?

But it's not over yet; she can't just morally bind Qi Yuan for life just because he's compassionate.

She must figure out An'an's issues, whether it's the heartbreak from a scoundrel or an online bullying problem, before she can address them properly.

"An'an, do you think I should lose weight? I saw your success with weight loss before; care to share?"

Once this topic is brought up, Feng An'an perks up.

"I strongly suggest you also get yourself a pot of Hibiscus Noodles."

"Hibiscus Noodles?"

Chewing on the term, Xu Wanwan knows hibiscus is used to describe a beauty, but can it be used with noodles?

Could it be a new type of weight loss product made into noodle-like things?

Earlier, when she strongly suggested Feng An'an to eat more, it was met with resistance, and Xu Wanwan isn't sure what hibiscus noodles are.

"Wait here for me."

Feng An'an noticed Xu Wanwan's confusion and got up to walk into the room.

After a short while, she struggled out with a basin of flowers.

The flowers weren't large, but they were planted in pots typically used for larger plants.

The petals were about the size of half a palm, tender and white, swaying in the wind. In the light of the room, little hints of red blush adorned the petals, resembling the shy face of a beauty, fair and blushing.

Qi Yuan wasn't much of a botanist and couldn't recognize the type of flower.

Xu Wanwan, who had a good relationship with Feng An'an, wasn't as polite. She asked directly, "What kind of flower is this? I've never seen it before."

"It's Hibiscus Noodles, a new type of plant developed specifically for beauty purposes."

"Can one plant be so miraculous?"

Xu Wanwan turned into a million "whys," circling around the Hibiscus Noodles.

"It seems to have been discovered in the birthplace of the Beauty Phase, as a new variant species. Based on that variant plant, they cultivated the Hibiscus Noodles."

Beauty Phase?!