The Problem Turned Out to Involve Two People

Liu Chang'an's fingers left the curtain, and the gauze and pearl curtain slid down from his shoulders, blocking out the outside world but turning the inside into a quiet little room.

This teahouse was chosen by Liu Yuewang. Given her personality, it was naturally to her liking. There were paintings on the walls, tea was brewing on the table, and a few seasonal flower buds were casually placed in a wide-mouthed vase by the window. The smoke from the small incense burner was as thin as silk.

The 11th district has the traditional three refined arts: tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and incense ceremony, which naturally originated from China. Song Dynasty literati had four refined pursuits: hanging paintings, making tea, arranging flowers, and burning incense. This place has made a replica of that, and it can be seen that the person who runs it has taste and care. It is exactly the kind of style that Liu Yuewang likes.

But this incense couldn't be very good, after all, cost had to be considered. Liu Chang'an took a damp towel and threw it on the small incense burner to cover it up.

Liu Chang'an then sat down and looked at the two "girls" wearing sunglasses opposite him.

Seeing the way they were looking at him, Liu Chang'an knew he hadn't come to the wrong place or mistaken the people.

He didn't say anything, he just pressed the service bell.

The atmosphere in the private room was somewhat quiet, because his expressionless face clearly indicated that this was not something to be laughed off. The two "girls" opposite him had never seen Liu Chang'an with such an expression before, and naturally did not know how to respond or what to say for a moment.

He wants to order food and tea too? Well, there's nothing we can do about it. Let's see what he wants to do first.

The waiter rang a bell and came in with a menu, a tea and beverage list, and sheet music.

"Let's start with some music: 'Moon Reflected in the Second Spring,' 'Listening to the Pines,' 'Cold Spring Breeze,' 'Great Waves Wash Away the Sand,' 'Zhaojun Leaving the Frontier,' and 'Dragon Boat.'" Liu Chang'an selected the music.

"Sir, you have excellent taste. These six pieces are also our musicians' specialties," the waiter complimented.

Liu Chang'an nodded, then instead of ordering tea, he ordered a pitcher of orange juice, two dishes, and a soup.

"Please wait a moment." The waiter left and loosened the curtain rope a little, completely obscuring the door so that the people inside could no longer be seen from below.

The erhu player sat on the porch playing his tune. The food was served quickly. Liu Chang'an ate a few bites slowly, then put down his chopsticks and finally looked up at the two "girls" opposite him.

They were observing his expression.

That's how women are; once they get into serious trouble, their mood, reaction, and attitude often don't depend on the severity of the matter, but rather on the attitude of the people they have to face.

If Liu Chang'an looked fierce and menacing, they would probably tremble with fear.

If Liu Chang'an treats them coldly, they will show some regret and appear pitiful.

If Liu Chang'an remained expressionless, they would fawn over him with obsequious smiles and lower their heads meekly.

If Liu Chang'an doesn't take it seriously, they won't think they're wrong, and they'll be even more dismissive than Liu Chang'an.

If Liu Chang'an directly resolved the problem and offered a few words of comfort, they would feel that it had nothing to do with them, and phrases like "That's right," "How can you blame us?" "It's all because of..." "If only you had..." "I knew..." and similar expressions would come out.

Women are creatures who are adept at reading people's expressions and reactions accordingly.

"You two are Professor Liu Yuewang and Professor Ling, right?" Liu Chang'an's fingers rested on the chopsticks, then he let go, looking like he had no appetite and didn't even look at the two of them.

"Yes, yes... I... I'm your Aunt Liu, and she's Professor Ling." Liu Yuewang felt a little embarrassed. This was, after all, in front of Professor Ling. As his future mother-in-law, wasn't his attitude a bit too harsh?

It was really embarrassing, but after observing Liu Yuewang's expression, Liu Yuewang felt that now was not the time to care whether Liu Chang'an had given her face or not. His fierce and menacing appearance was a bit frightening.

"Chang'an, what... what exactly is going on?" Professor Ling nudged Liu Yuewang, smiling obsequiously as he cautiously asked.

Liu Chang'an looked up. Professor Ling was originally a little older than Liu Yuewang, but now he looked as if he had regressed twenty years overnight, appearing to be less than twenty years old.

Professor Ling's figure and appearance were not as good as Liu Yuewang's, but at her age, she was still considered a woman of middle age with a charming appearance. With the addition of her status and temperament, she could maintain a kind of charm that was quite effective for men.

She's become younger now, and relatively ordinary, just like any other average girl you'd see on a university campus.

Therefore, some women can only rely on their youth, while others can accumulate mature charm over time.

Liu Chang'an knew that Professor Ling was a good belly dancer and was also Liu Yuewang's teacher in this field; the two had a very good relationship.

You two have a good relationship, but why are you both acting like teenagers again?

As for Liu Yuewang, Liu Chang'an was somewhat moved. So this is what Liu Yuewang looked like when she was young. When she took off her sunglasses, it was as if An Nuan was sitting right across from him.

Aside from her gaze and the subtle, elegant gestures that reveal a mature woman, Liu Chang'an wouldn't be able to tell the difference unless he was as familiar with An Nuan as he was!

Even close friends like Han Zhizhi and Zhang Taole, who are An Nuan, don't see each other as often after starting university. Given their current frequency of meetings, if they saw Liu Yuewang like this at first, they would mistake her for An Nuan!

"Can you hear the erhu being played outside?" Liu Chang'an continued to ask expressionlessly, without answering Professor Ling's question.

I put face cream on your faces, but you insist on eating it. You don't listen to your elders. Do you think I'll let this go easily?

Liu Yuewang and Professor Ling exchanged a glance, wondering why Liu Chang'an was rambling on... But what could they do? They were guilty, so what could they do but cautiously try to appease him?

"I know, these are the only six pieces that Master Abing recorded during his lifetime." Liu Yuewang's appreciation of traditional folk arts is not at the level of a master or expert, but he can still distinguish and understand them at a common level.

"Yes, seeing you all makes me feel like I'm going blind." Liu Chang'an listened to the music, then picked up his chopsticks and continued eating.

"We're not ugly!" Liu Yuewang said dejectedly.

"Chang'an, this matter... is definitely our fault, but you see, losing your temper isn't the way to solve the problem. I'd like to apologize to you first." Professor Ling's tone remained very gentle, and he appeared meek and submissive.

Liu Chang'an felt that this was the normal way for a woman to behave, with the temperament and cultivation of a mature woman. It was obvious that Professor Ling's personality, temperament, and mentality were much more mature than Liu Yuewang's when she was young, so her current youthful state did not have much impact on her state of mind.

Liu Yuewang was different; she was inherently different from the average middle-aged woman.

Most middle-aged women, having lost their youth, will clearly feel that their husbands, families, and society treat them differently than when they were young. However, this is something they cannot avoid; they must accept it, and their mindset will change, thus making them appear more mature.

As for Liu Yuewang, she has always maintained a similar temperament because everyone around her still admires, flatters, and is full of affection for her, just as they did when she was young. Her life and the emotional feedback she receives in social interactions have remained largely unchanged.

Such women rarely mature. Many young people often feel that if their parents are loving and the father especially dotes on the mother, then their mother often seems particularly charming and naive, always liking to act coquettishly, quite different from other people's mothers.

Liu Yuewang has no husband, but she has plenty of people chasing after her, flattering her, and singing her praises. How could she not be proud? Why would she need a seemingly hard and mature shell to protect herself?

"That's right... I, I'll pour you some tea. Drink it and don't be angry anymore. I promise I'll never do it again." Liu Yuewang and Professor Ling had brewed a pot of tea and poured a cup while waiting for Liu Chang'an. She handed it to him with both hands, and when he didn't take it, she carefully observed his expression and placed it next to him.

Seeing his expression, Liu Yuewang pushed the teacup away again, so that it wouldn't be inconvenient for him to pick up some food.

"Do you guarantee it will work? I already said that at your house last time," Liu Chang'an said irritably, not drinking tea but continuing to drink his orange juice. He had been drinking orange juice the whole time, and tea contains a lot of tannic acid, which easily reacts with various components in fruit juice, destroying the vitamins in the juice and increasing stomach acid, damaging the gastric mucosa... Most importantly, it affects the taste; if the tea doesn't taste good, the orange juice won't taste good either.

Liu Chang'an didn't criticize Liu Yuewang for not understanding common sense, since she should have already covered things like health and wellness knowledge.

Liu Yuewang fell silent. He had told An Nuan to supervise her, and since someone was supervising her, she naturally relaxed. So when An Nuan wasn't supervising her, she naturally... ate a little more.

"This time it won't happen again, this time it will work." Professor Ling gently patted Liu Yuewang's hand and said to Liu Chang'an with a smile.

In this situation, it seemed as if Professor Ling had nothing to do with it; she was merely a guest, someone who had come to plead for Liu Yuewang.

Liu Chang'an didn't mind. There was no doubt that Professor Ling had never eaten face cream before... No normal woman would try it on her own initiative, even though more and more cosmetics now claim to be edible... But if she wasn't stupid, she definitely wouldn't eat it.

Liu Chang'an didn't need to ask Professor Ling why he had become like this... Back then, An Nuan used a video as payment to get a bottle of face cream for Han Zhizhi and Professor Ling, and Professor Ling used it. At that time, she naturally used it in the normal way... After Liu Yuewang discovered that the face cream could also be eaten, she naturally shared it with Professor Ling. Middle-aged women often have various discomforts, and Professor Ling couldn't resist Liu Yuewang's temptation, so the two of them ate it together.

That's how things always develop: women encourage and embolden each other when they do bad things, and then they all meet their tragic end together.

Liu Chang'an glanced at Liu Yuewang.

Liu Yuewang sensed a calming atmosphere, so she straightened her posture, turned her head slightly to look out the window, and decided to be a little more reserved.

"Okay." Liu Chang'an nodded. "Thank you for your hospitality. I have class this afternoon, so I'll be leaving now."

Liu Yuewang and Professor Ling were taken aback for a moment, then stood up together.

Liu Chang'an hadn't stood up yet; their hands were still in mid-air, and they awkwardly withdrew their attempts to pull him away.

"Please help me!" Liu Yuewang decided to drop her inhibitions. She remembered how she felt when she secretly watched An Nuan flirting with Liu Chang'an. Liu Chang'an was the kind of person who fell for An Nuan.

What is An Nuan's routine? It's simple, it's just being coquettish. Anyone can do that. Liu Yuewang wasn't being coquettish with Liu Chang'an, but her sweet and ingratiating tone satisfied a man's pride and self-esteem. It's a woman's talent. Just because she doesn't usually have a place to use this talent doesn't mean she doesn't know how.

Liu Chang'an wasn't truly ignoring Liu Yuewang, but she had to learn a lesson. Liu Chang'an was a very magnanimous person... Would he be petty? Of course not. He just wanted to make a show of force, to let Liu Yuewang realize that if there was a next time, she wouldn't be able to escape the abnormal situation so easily.

"Aren't you doing great now? You look so much younger. Don't all women long to regain their youth?" Liu Chang'an said leisurely, tapping his fingers lightly on the table as he looked at Liu Yuewang in front of him.

It was actually a very strange feeling; he had to constantly emphasize that the person sitting opposite him was Liu Yuewang, not An Nuan.

Because looking at An Nuan and looking at Liu Yuewang are completely different feelings, if you are not careful, the feeling you have when looking at An Nuan will come back to you. Your eyes, mouth, eyebrows, smile, body language are all very different. Then you will immediately realize that it is Liu Yuewang. This instantaneous change of feeling is not a comfortable thing.

"Returning to youth... that means getting better and better in terms of figure, skin, and overall complexion and spirit without affecting our daily life, social life, family, and work, not becoming someone else, at the cost of completely losing our current life, work, and social interactions!" Liu Yuewang sighed. In fact, she was secretly pleased at first, but she quickly realized that such a situation, apart from satisfying the psychological need of appearing "youthful," actually had no real meaning.

Because of her current state, she can no longer face her former social circle, nor her relatives and friends. If the truth were to be revealed, she would never be able to live the same life as before.

Wherever I go, I'll be the center of attention... This kind of attention is different from the usual kind of staring. Will I be treated like a monster? Will I be studied and dissected? The thought is terrifying.

Most importantly, she looks exactly like An Nuan. How does An Nuan view her mother? Liu Yuewang was a little uneasy. Although she felt that An Nuan would never abandon her mother like this, Liu Yuewang just wasn't sure.

Professor Ling agreed with Liu Yuewang's statement. Both of them had been in a state of panic and only wanted to get back to normal as soon as possible.

"Professor Ling, let me take your pulse." Liu Chang'an opened his palm, gesturing for Professor Ling to extend his wrist. Such situations were not uncommon in his life, and he had some experience in dealing with them.

Actually, not everyone will experience this after consuming face cream; it's probably one in a hundred. The case of both of them mutating is quite rare.

He could tell that Professor Ling's condition was relatively mild, almost an "allergic" reaction, and she would recover quickly without any treatment. Liu Yuewang, on the other hand, had some problems... It might take her a little longer to recover, but there were ways to do it. He had every reason to make Liu Yuewang turn back.

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I recommend a great book, "The Weed with a Cheat Code." There are many books about people coming to another world, many books about having cheat codes, and many books about having systems, but this is the only one where the protagonist becomes a weed.

Today's chapter has many more words than yesterday's, right? It's all thanks to the hard work put into Zhou Dongdong's story!