Chapter 100: Accessories
"Hey! Chengcheng!"
"Where are your glasses? You look so pretty without them!"
After the two-day break, as soon as Chen Cheng stepped into the classroom, a girl rushed toward her and practically jumped on her.
Caught off guard, she stumbled backward until she bumped into An Yuan, who steadied her. Looking down, she found Hu Wei hugging her waist, staring at her in shock. Chen Cheng rolled her eyes.
"You're overreacting."
She pried Hu Wei’s arms off and, feeling a little awkward, brushed her long hair away from her face. Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she turned her head to the side. "Is it really that good?"
"Yes! You look like a completely different person! Before, you just looked like a quiet bookworm!"
Hu Wei nodded enthusiastically.
"And now?"
"A total beauty! You could be the nation goddess! If you put on some makeup and dress up a little, I can’t even imagine how stunning you'd be!"
Was it really that exaggerated?
"Right, An Yuan? What do you think?"
Standing behind them, An Yuan grinned and nodded. "Of course! I've always told her she's pretty, but she never believes me."
"It’s not that I don’t believe you..."
Chen Cheng just wasn’t used to being complimented on her looks. It made her shy, so she refused to admit it.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have worn contact lenses to school today.
As she entered the classroom, she immediately felt the attention of several classmates on her. Fortunately, she had already been considered one of the prettiest girls in school, and her interactions with An Yuan had drawn plenty of attention before, so she had gradually gotten used to being in the spotlight.
Even so, her steps still felt a little stiff.
Growing up, Chen Cheng had always been unremarkable, average looks, average grades, no particular talents. She had always blended into the background.
But now, she was suddenly the center of attention.
If she had been reborn as an ordinary or even unattractive girl…
Maybe becoming an almost flawless beauty was the universe’s way of compensating her? A special perk of being reborn?
If she had been reborn as a handsome guy… well, that would be tricky. She couldn’t exactly start dating An Yuan just to keep him by her side forever, could she?
Even as a good-looking guy, she doubted she could change her introverted and insecure personality, which had been with her for 27 years. Even if girls liked her, she’d probably struggle with relationships and marriage. Most likely, she’d just become a shut-in, and before she knew it, her prime years would be gone.
Probably. Not that she had any choice in the matter.
Chen Cheng returned to her seat and started organizing her homework for submission. She could clearly feel her deskmate, Pan Jie, sneaking glances at her.
"Pan Jie! Move, move! Go sit at my desk for morning reading!"
Hu Wei appeared again, shooing Pan Jie away and taking the seat next to Chen Cheng.
"What now?"
Chen Cheng had a headache dealing with her friend, Hu Wei, who was a bit too lewd, always spouting indecent jokes that were hard to handle.
"You’re like a completely different person today!"
Hu Wei propped her chin on her hands and studied Chen Cheng’s face.
"Am I?"
"You just seem… brighter? More approachable?"
"I’ve always been easy to talk to," Chen Cheng frowned. "I just don’t talk much."
"No, no, it’s different! You know what I mean? Like, even if you don’t say a word, everyone can just tell that An Yuan is already your man."
Chen Cheng’s face instantly turned red. She lowered her voice. "Don’t say stuff like that!"
That could be so easily misunderstood!
"Then why did you wear contact lenses today? Women in love always want to look prettier, you know~ trying to bloom like a flower~"
Hu Wei looked like she knew exactly what she was talking about.
Though honestly, Chen Cheng doubted Hu Wei had ever even been in a relationship.
"I just didn’t feel like wearing glasses today. It was a decision taken spontaneously. It’s nothing like what you’re thinking."
Chen Cheng casually brushed off the comment while handing her neatly packed homework to the girl sitting in front of her, asking her to pass it to the group leader.
She didn't want to get caught up in Hu Wei's chatter, who was a bit too difficult to deal with, and simply focused on doing her own thing.
But Hu Wei wasn’t about to let her off the hook. With a mysterious grin, she pulled a small box out of her school uniform pocket.
"Here, I'll lend you this, it's really pretty!"
"What is it?"
Curious, Chen Cheng couldn’t help but glance at the box in Hu Wei’s hands.
As the box opened, a pair of shiny silver clover-shaped earrings sparkled inside.
So pretty...
Chen Cheng had always thought little accessories like these were beautiful. Back when she was still a guy, she had even considered getting her ears pierced. But societal expectations stopped her, earrings were seen as too feminine, too soft, maybe even a little gay.
But now, she was a girl.
For a split second, a gleam of interest flashed in her eyes, but she quickly acted indifferent, casually rummaging through her bag. "Not interested. I don’t like them."
Of course, Hu Wei wasn’t fooled. "An Yuan would definitely love to see you wearing them~"
"I don’t even have pierced ears."
"These are clip-ons! No piercing needed."
"But the school doesn’t allow accessories..."
"It’s fine! Just take them off when a teacher comes by. Besides, your hair is long, you can cover them up. Only An Yuan will see them~"
That remark immediately brought back a memory, standing in the school hallway, secretly wearing a skirt and stockings under her uniform, showing them only to An Yuan.
Her face flushed with embarrassment, but she no longer refused. She let Hu Wei move closer and clip the earrings onto her ears.
Lifting her long hair to reveal her ears, she tilted her head slightly and used her phone to take a selfie.
Her ears were small and delicate, and the silver earrings stood out against her soft, pink earlobes, adding a hint of elegance and maturity to her look.
"Looks great, right?"
"Mm… yeah, really nice."
Her voice unconsciously rose a little, excitement sparkling in her crescent-shaped eyes. She gently touched the earrings, suddenly feeling an urge to show An Yuan. She wanted to see his reaction.
"That’ll be fifty yuan. Thank you for your patronage~" Hu Wei grinned, holding out her hand.
"......"
Wow. So she’s a little money-lover, huh?
Chen Cheng rolled her eyes. "I only have forty on me, that’s my lunch and dinner money. Are you planning to starve me?"
"Fine, forty! An Yuan won’t let you starve anyway!"
"You’re seriously that greedy?"
"Hey! Chengcheng, you’re wearing those too?" The girl sitting behind her suddenly leaned forward, looking surprised. "I bought the same ones from Hu Wei! Look, look!"
Chen Cheng turned around and saw the girl tucking her hair behind her ear, revealing an identical pair of four-leaf clover earrings.
Wow.
So this is what Hu Wei has been doing instead of studying in senior year? Running a side business selling accessories in class?
"I’m just making money with my own skills!" Hu Wei said confidently, "And they are really pretty! Forty yuan is basically the cost price, okay?"
"No thanks. I’ll just buy them online myself."
"Ugh, so stingy! Give them back then!"
The truth was, Chen Cheng was mainly just poor. If she really spent those forty yuan, she'd have to freeload off An Yuan for food.
Sure, he wouldn’t mind, but she had some pride!
Accessories, huh...
As Hu Wei walked away, Chen Cheng rested her chin on one hand, lost in thought.
When I get married, will An Yuan give me a diamond ring?
No, diamonds are too expensive. Silver would be fine.
A necklace would be nice too…
Oh right! An Yuan bought a dress for me online, it should be arriving soon, right?
Hopefully, it’s not something too revealing…