In the consultation room.
The doctor gave Gu Shengsheng a full facial examination. The results were better than she expected: the original owner hadn’t had any implants inserted — only hyaluronic acid injections. No surgery needed.
The doctor confirmed:
“Miss Gu, do you want to dissolve the hyaluronic acid in your nose and chin?”
Gu Shengsheng nodded firmly:
“Yes — dissolve it all! And these eyelashes — can you remove them too?”
The doctor smiled:
“Those are implanted lashes. We can take them off.”
Xi Xue’er sighed dramatically from the side:
“Shengsheng, you look so good right now — it’s such a waste to dissolve everything!”
Gu Shengsheng looked like she was facing death bravely:
“Doctor, let’s do it!”
She tilted her head back, squeezed her eyes tightly shut, and her body trembled slightly without realizing it.
The doctor laughed:
“Relax. The needle doesn’t hurt. If you’re too tense, I can’t get it in properly.”
Before he finished speaking, Gu Shengsheng felt a mosquito-like prick on her nose, followed by an indescribable sour swelling. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes and nose.
The nurse gently wiped her tears with a tissue and soothed:
“A little sour swelling is normal. Don’t be nervous.”
Xi Xue’er and An He heartlessly laughed at her:
“Shengsheng, you’re so weak!”
Just wait — your turn to cry is coming!
Gu Shengsheng opened her mouth to retort, but the doctor pinched her chin:
“Keep your mouth closed. Don’t move.”
Gu Shengsheng shut her mouth sulkily. Another needle went into her chin. The chin muscles were less sensitive than the nose, but by the time the full syringe was injected, her eyes were still streaming with tears from the pain.
The doctor changed gloves and opened a new needle:
“Who’s next?”
Gu Shengsheng — face already swollen — grabbed Xi Xue’er and An He, who were trying to sneak away:
“Don’t run! You two have to get it done too!”
======
After the dissolving enzyme injections, they had to stay for three hours of observation to watch for allergic reactions. The three of them lay in the massage room resting.
Gu Shengsheng kept checking herself in the mirror. Tears welled up again:
“How did I get even uglier?!”
Her nose and chin were red and swollen, standing out starkly on her snow-white small face. The bridge of her nose looked so wide it practically merged her two eyes into one. Even though the doctor repeatedly assured her everything would return to normal once the swelling went down, she still felt uneasy.
Xi Xue’er had recovered by now. The more she thought about it, the more she felt she’d lost out. She pounded her chest and wailed:
“I must have been out of my mind! Why did I follow you into this madness? I was so pretty before…”
An He also sighed long and hard:
“Shengsheng, what were you thinking? Didn’t you tell me my features were too flat and I needed more filler to look good on camera? I was even saving up to get implants next year.”
Gu Shengsheng rolled her eyes. No wonder these three were such good sisters — their beauty standards were all equally crooked. Plastic surgery was addictive. In the original book, Xi Xue’er kept going further and further until she eventually died on the operating table.
Gu Shengsheng patiently persuaded:
“The entertainment industry loves natural beauty right now. Besides, do you still want to act in Director Zhou’s drama or not?”
Xi Xue’er thought about it and was convinced:
“That makes sense… Shengsheng, if you tricked me, I’ll… I’ll die right in front of you!”
Gu Shengsheng said seriously:
“Don’t make reckless vows like that. The Heavenly Dao is listening.”
Xi Xue’er looked incredulous:
“Shengsheng, since when did you get so superstitious?”
It wasn’t superstition. Gu Shengsheng said slowly:
“Don’t worry — I definitely didn’t trick you. Even if I did… it’s too late to regret it now—”
“You little brat!” Xi Xue’er reached out angrily to pinch Gu Shengsheng’s cheek — then gasped:
“Wow, Shengsheng, your skin is so smooth and tender! Like tofu!”
An He rolled over closer:
“I wanted to ask earlier — did you secretly get a hydrating injection behind our backs? How are you so fair?!”
The nurse who came in to refill their water overheard and covered her mouth with a smile:
“Our doctor also complimented Miss Gu’s skin. She said she’s never seen such good bone structure. Once the swelling goes down, you’ll be stunning.”
Gu Shengsheng thought to herself: You told the original owner that opening her eyes and adding a chin implant would make her even more beautiful. Liar.
The nurse — now in full sales mode — turned to Xi Xue’er:
“Actually, Miss Xi’s skin is very firm, and Miss An has a great base complexion. If you try our new Porcelain Doll Package—”
“No way!” Gu Shengsheng immediately stopped Xi Xue’er and An He, who were already tempted.
“Then you have to tell us — what exactly did you do for your skin?!” Xi Xue’er and An He bombarded her, reaching out to pinch her cheeks again.
Gu Shengsheng dodged with a quick shake of her head — a skill she’d honed from real combat with Shen Wang:
“Don’t touch my face! It’s still swollen! If you promise me — no more messing with your faces — I’ll tell you.”
Xi Xue’er stared at Gu Shengsheng’s fair, smooth skin and nodded frantically:
“I promise! I promise! Quick — tell me!”
Only then did Gu Shengsheng say:
“It’s actually a food therapy recipe. I’ll make some for you later.”
Xi Xue’er finally dropped it. After lying there a while, she said worriedly:
“I’m so nervous. What if the filler dissolves and I don’t look good on camera anymore?”
Gu Shengsheng poured chicken soup into her ears:
“Be confident. Your looks are very distinctive. Focus on your acting skills — the audience will love you.”
Xi Xue’er sighed:
“I’m okay… but An He, your drama…”
Gu Shengsheng and Xi Xue’er came from wealthy families; acting was just a hobby for them. An He was different. She came from a single-parent home — her father drove a taxi and worked hard to raise her. Just when things were finally looking up, he was hit and became a vegetable. Every day he lay in bed burned through money.
At sixteen, An He dropped out of school and entered the entertainment industry — all to earn money for her father’s medical bills. Her features were delicate but flat; she looked bad on camera. Plastic surgery was her way to get more roles.
An He couldn’t hide her disappointment but still forced a smile:
“It’s fine. Tomorrow I’ll beg Sister Long for a few walk-on parts. It’ll earn something.”
Hearing the name “Sister Long,” a flicker of disgust crossed Gu Shengsheng’s brow.
Orange Lemon Entertainment had a large roster of artists — one manager often handled more than a dozen small-time talents. Sister Long was the shared manager for Gu Shengsheng, Xi Xue’er, and An He. On the surface she was their agent, but behind closed doors she was running a prostitution ring. Without her, An He would never have ended up taking that final, desperate step.
A ridiculous minor character described in just a few passing lines in the book was now standing in front of her — alive, breathing, flesh and blood. Gu Shengsheng couldn’t just ignore it.
But right now she didn’t have a single cent. How could she help? She’d go back and ask Shen Wang — he must know ways to make money.
The mood in the room grew heavy for a moment. Xi Xue’er suggested:
“Let’s go eat! There’s a famous soup dumpling place nearby.”
Keeping An He in mind, the three of them rarely went to expensive restaurants. They were just as happy eating at cheap street stalls. The Fake Face Sisters’ friendship was anything but fake.
The three put on sunglasses and masks and slipped out.
It really was an old, established shop. Tall bamboo steamers were stacked high at the entrance, steam rising in clouds. The rich aroma of soup dumplings drifted far into the winter air, irresistibly tempting. A long line of locals and curious young people stretched out the door.
Gu Shengsheng and her friends — masked and sunglassed — joined the end of the queue. Girls who’d just had work done often came here for soup dumplings; no one batted an eye at their appearance.
Gu Shengsheng pointed at the steamers with slender fingers:
“One portion of crab roe soup dumplings, one portion of pork-and-beef mini steamed buns.”
Through the steam, her almond eyes sparkled brightly, fixed on the pale, trembling soup dumplings inside. The wrappers were paper-thin; the abundant broth and filling faintly visible beneath. The boss lady swiftly picked up the dumplings with chopsticks and placed them in a small steamer basket — not a single tear in the skin.
“Fifty-six yuan.”
Gu Shengsheng stepped aside and pulled out her phone to scan the QR code. She wasn’t very practiced yet — she poked at the screen one digit at a time.
“Hey, hey.” Xi Xue’er suddenly whispered excitedly, lowering her voice:
“Shengsheng — there’s a hot guy in the shop! An He, you look first.”
An He pretended to admire the scenery, then whipped her head around:
“Even from the back, that suit looks expensive!”
Xi Xue’er said:
“Your turn, Shengsheng.”
Gu Shengsheng turned to look.
In the narrow shop, a sharply dressed young man sat at a wooden table with his back to them. Every single strand of his hair seemed to radiate the scent of money — completely out of place in this little hole-in-the-wall.
Through the gap over his shoulder, she could see a long-haired girl sitting across from him.
Xi Xue’er sighed:
“Classic rich second-gen slumming it with his girlfriend, experiencing ‘ordinary people’ life.”
Gu Shengsheng laughed:
“Don’t add drama to their story. Grab the dumplings and let’s go — they’re best eaten hot!”
The three turned and left, laughing and chattering.
At that moment, Shen Tingchen was frowning at the greasy sheen on the tabletop and the crumpled used tissues left by previous customers on the floor.
Worse — to avoid being recognized, he was seated at the table closest to the kitchen. The smell of raw meat filling wafted over, making him wrinkle his nose.
A steaming soup dumpling was held to his lips. The girl across from him smiled playfully:
“This soup dumpling is really good — try it!”
Shen Tingchen narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to bite the dumpling.
Gu Yunyan let out a little “Ah!” and pulled her hand back in flustered surprise:
“You… you actually ate it from my hand.”
The slight irritation in Shen Tingchen’s heart vanished instantly. The corner of his eye curved with amusement:
“Didn’t you bet me I’d fall in love with this place’s dumplings? I ate it — why do you look upset now?”
“I didn’t tell you to eat it straight from my hand…” Gu Yunyan’s cheeks flushed. She lowered her head and poked at the soup dumplings in her bowl.
Shen Tingchen adored this shy side of her. He laughed softly, a charming, roguish smile tugging at his lips. He was just about to speak when, from the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught a familiar silhouette.
“Shengsheng!”