Ruan Ting felt a bit unsettled. Thinking about how he had been scolding his daughter all day, he suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
“I’m your child too, no matter how old I am. How could you dislike me?” After composing herself, she coquettishly whined to Ruan Ting.
How could Ruan Ting, a complete doting father, resist his daughter’s sweet coquetry? At this moment, he would gladly give his life for her.
Ruan Ting affectionately pinched his precious daughter’s nose, his tone reaching the utmost tenderness.
But when he noticed the cake residue still clinging to her hair and clothes, Ruan Ting’s expression instantly darkened. A raging fire blazed in his eyes, turning them red in an instant.
He had been so immersed in the warmth of his daughter’s affection earlier that he hadn’t noticed.
“What happened?” Ruan Ting’s gaze turned icy, his voice cold as frozen steel.
Oh no.
She had forgotten to clean herself up earlier, completely unaware of how disheveled she must look, and now her father had seen it.
“Who bullied you? Tell Dad quickly. How dare anyone bully my daughter? I’ll kill them…”
He couldn’t even bear to touch a single strand of hair on his precious daughter, and now he discovered she had been treated like this outside? How could Ruan Ting not be furious?
He wished he could skin the culprit alive, tear their tendons out, chop them into pieces, and throw them to the dogs.
Hearing her father’s words, Ruan Xing was momentarily stunned. Her eyes reddened slightly, then her heart filled with overwhelming warmth.
“Dad, I’m fine. I just went out to celebrate a friend’s birthday. We were having too much fun, got carried away, and ended up with some cake on us. Nobody escaped it…”
Ruan Xing’s eyes dimmed slightly. Ultimately, she didn’t want her father to know the truth and lied.
“Remember, you’re the little princess of the Ruan family, not someone to be bullied. If anyone ever bullies you, tell Dad. I’ll stand up for you. Don’t be afraid.”
Ruan Ting fell silent for a moment, seemingly convinced, but still added uneasily.
“Dad, you’re the best.”
Ruan Xing could no longer hold back her tears and threw herself directly into Ruan Ting’s arms, nuzzling against him.
After returning to her room, Ruan Xing prepared to take a bath.
“Ah!!!” A sharp scream.
The moment she entered the bathroom, she got the fright of her life. The scene was no less terrifying than watching a horror movie—it was practically… a disaster film.
“Oh my god, this… this…” Seeing the unrecognizable creature in the mirror that barely resembled a human, Ruan Xing nearly fainted from fright.
Was this really her face? Was she sure it wasn’t some artist’s “masterpiece”?
The dark blue eyeshadow and bright red lipstick—were they applied seriously?
This social makeup style combined with the cream all over her face was truly horrifying. Ruan Xing couldn’t stand her own ghostly appearance any longer and quickly used cleansing oil to remove all the colorful residue from her face, then soaked comfortably in a bath.
After her bath, her skin instantly felt as smooth and glossy as a peeled hard-boiled egg.
Standing before the mirror once more, the girl reflected in it had flawless fair skin, so tender it seemed one could squeeze water from it. Fresh from her bath, her pale complexion was tinged with a rosy glow. Her light-colored eyebrows, high nose bridge, and slightly red lips resembled jelly, while her large peach-blossom eyes stirred hearts. Her glass-like pupils were clear and bright, utterly pure, making her resemble a little fairy.
Even the vibrant red hair that would challenge most young women lay draped over her shoulders without the slightest incongruity, instead accentuating her delicate, dazzling beauty like a Barbie doll.
Ruan Xing admired her stunning face and suddenly felt a headache over her past life’s taste. Had she been blind? Why had she ever thought that vicious woman Lu Wan was beautiful? Clearly, her own looks had long been enough to crush hers.
She glanced at the leather jacket she had taken off, not wanting to lay eyes on it again.
Frustrated, Ruan Xing rummaged through the entire walk-in closet, searching for a normal outfit to wear, but all she found were those eye-sorely tacky, punk-style clothes.
Fine! She gave up.
She would buy some new clothes tonight anyway; the old ones were unwearable.
Then she scrutinized the red hair on the person in the mirror, feeling somewhat disdainful—it was the epitome of a punk youth.
This non-mainstream red mop had to be dealt with today.
In the end, Ruan Xing found a normal set of home pajamas to wear before heading downstairs.
Not long after, a mother and daughter pair returned from shopping outside, cheerful and laden with bags, only to encounter this scene.
The young woman’s red hair cascaded down her back, her features vivid yet soft. Her fair face bore no makeup, like a little fairy untouched by worldly cares.
She was nestled unabashedly in the arms of a man dressed in an impeccably tailored, high-end suit—a man of evident prestige—whispering softly to him. He responded occasionally, his face clearly showing doting affection.
Two resentful gazes from the doorway fixed directly on the pair.
When Lu Wan returned and saw this scene, her eyes darkened. She clenched her fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms. Her face lost all color, turning deathly pale, with undisguised jealousy burning in her eyes.
Ruan Xing’s face made it impossible for her not to envy. If not for today, she might have forgotten the stunning impact of her first sight of Ruan Xing, and how beneath the heavy makeup lay a beauty that drove boys wild.
She could hardly believe her eyes.
What was going on?
Why wasn’t Ruan Xing wearing makeup today? And why were the two of them so intimate?
Hadn’t this father and daughter always been at odds, quarreling whenever they met? Why were they so harmonious today?
Yet, within mere seconds, the subtle expressions on the mother and daughter’s faces vanished.
“Uncle, Xingxing, we’re back,” Lu Wan approached, deliberately masking her earlier emotions, and naturally took a seat beside Ruan Xing.
Ruan Xing had heard them enter earlier. Now, nestled in her father’s embrace, she pretended not to hear Lu Wan, continuing to chat and laugh with her father, outright ignoring her.
Yes, she was doing it on purpose.
Left hanging, Lu Wan felt awkward, and inwardly, she couldn’t help but resent Ruan Xing.
Yet at this moment, Ruan Ting was completely immersed in his daughter’s affection, having no time to spare for Lu Wan. He didn’t even cast a glance her way, focusing entirely on coaxing his daughter beside him.
Lu Wan stood there, her face flushing crimson with visible embarrassment, and she couldn’t help but start blaming Ruan Xing inwardly.
That damned fool, what’s wrong with her today? In the past, this idiot would hover around me the moment I returned. What’s going on today…
Being left out like this, no matter what, Lu Wan began to sense something was amiss.
This fool seemed different from her usual self today.
Lu Wan wondered if she had done something recently to upset Ruan Xing, causing this behavior. She racked her brains for a long time but couldn’t figure out where she might have gone wrong.