"We really made it here."
Chen Zhenzhen watched Zhang Zhaomu striding along with vigorous steps, several delivery packages in his arms, and had the uncanny feeling that she was marching to the execution ground.
She had to wear that kind of short skirt, and show herself to him in it...
Chen Zhenzhen instinctively felt that this wasn't quite the sort of thing best buddies did...
But she really couldn't find a reason to refuse, and deep down, she was a little excited too.
Before she knew it, they had reached the door of Zhang Zhaomu's rented place.
"Go wash your hair first. I'll cut it for you," Zhang Zhaomu said.
"You really do know how to cut hair, right?" Chen Zhenzhen's voice trembled a little. "My hair isn't long to begin with. If you mess it up, even a hair salon will have trouble fixing it."
"Trust! Do you know what trust is?!" Zhang Zhaomu protested.
"First tell me how you plan to cut it." Chen Zhenzhen still couldn't put her mind at ease.
"First, I'll definitely have to put extra thought into your bangs. Your hair's too thick, so I'll trim your bangs to give them a lighter, airier look. Hmm, the overall length is a little short, so I won't change it much, but I have to do something about the sides and back. We're getting rid of that helmet once and for all!"
"Your hair looks like a helmet!"
Despite saying that, Chen Zhenzhen went into the bathroom.
She knew her way around the hot water and everything else. After all, she sometimes came to Zhang Zhaomu's place to shower after pulling an all-nighter, so her family wouldn't smell the internet cafe on her when she got home. She even had a towel here that was hers alone.
Soon, she came out with her hair dripping wet. Zhang Zhaomu had her sit at the table, took a fresh towel, and tucked it into the back collar of her T-shirt.
Since he was cutting someone else's hair, he had to pay attention to the details. The last time he had cut his own, he hadn't bothered with all this; he'd just cut it in front of the mirror and taken a shower afterward.
"I'm starting."
Zhang Zhaomu rested both hands on Chen Zhenzhen's shoulders. "Relax, I'll be quick."
The warmth of his palms came through the fabric of her T-shirt. Chen Zhenzhen immediately fell silent, her heartbeat quickening without her noticing.
She had never minded physical contact with him much before, and they occasionally even slung their arms around each other's shoulders. Why did it feel so strange this time? The places where his hands rested felt as if electricity were running through them, sending a tingling sensation through her.
She murmured a soft "Mm," then felt him lift a lock of her hair between two fingers. The scissors went snip.
His movements felt quite professional. In a hair salon, Chen Zhenzhen really wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between him and a Tony. Unfortunately, there was no mirror in front of her, so she couldn't see the result and could only let him do as he pleased.
Black locks kept falling. Chen Zhenzhen went from nervous at first to gradually giving up and going with the flow. She couldn't resist anyway, so whatever it looked like, it looked like. If it turned out really ugly, she'd pay him back in kind and ruin what little hair Zhang Zhaomu had too!
She was already annoyed by how impossibly refined the guy looked every day lately!
As she thought this, Zhang Zhaomu finished cutting before she knew it and plugged in the hair dryer.
"Don't you need to wash it before drying it?" Chen Zhenzhen couldn't help asking.
"Do you really think this is a hair salon?" Zhang Zhaomu ran his fingers through her hair. "Don't worry, my technique is excellent. There aren't any stray clippings left, so there's no need to wash it again."
"Oh."
The air from the dryer was warm, and so were Zhang Zhaomu's hands. Whenever they touched her scalp, a strange, tingling sensation traveled straight from the top of her head to her heart. It felt as though something were lightly scratching at the inside of her heart, making Chen Zhenzhen's earlobes turn faintly red.
Damn it, everything feels so wrong today!
He's just drying my hair. It's not like I've never had it dried at a hair salon. Zhang Zaowan isn't any different from those Tonys, even if he's my age and we get along pretty well. This does seem to be the first time he's dried my hair for me... Wait, what am I letting my thoughts run wild for?
Chen Zhenzhen hurriedly set her mind straight.
I'm at a hair salon, and a Tony is drying my hair. I'm at a hair salon...
She kept repeating the words in her mind to hypnotize herself, but the scratching sensation in her heart only grew stronger.
Fortunately, her hair was soon dry, and Zhang Zhaomu's voice rang out. "That's about it. Next, I'll tie your hair up."
"Ah... oh, okay."
Chen Zhenzhen didn't even know what she was answering.
"Your hair's still a little short, so twin ponytails wouldn't look as good. I'll put it in buns instead. It's simple and convenient, and it won't take you much time to do yourself."
As Zhang Zhaomu spoke, he deftly tied Chen Zhenzhen's hair up, then carefully tucked a few unruly strands behind her ears. "Done."
"Oh." Chen Zhenzhen stood and turned to look at Zhang Zhaomu, only to find him hastily turning his head away and closing his eyes.
"Zhang Zaowan!" Chen Zhenzhen immediately flew into a rage. "Just how ugly did you make it, that you don't even dare look at me?!"
"No, no!" Zhang Zhaomu hurriedly explained. "I have a good idea of how it looks, and there's definitely nothing wrong with it. It's just that I've only done your hair so far. I want to save a little anticipation until you've put on the whole outfit."
"That way I can experience the full contrast between how you looked before and how you look now, the way other people see it."
Chen Zhenzhen: "...It had better be!"
She carried several delivery bags into the bathroom, and then Zhang Zhaomu heard her cry out in surprise.
"What is it?"
"Nothing, you... I... I'm looking in the mirror..." Chen Zhenzhen's voice came through the door. "It's a little... I'm a little unused to it. Is this me?"
"One hundred percent genuine. My skills are beyond question." Zhang Zhaomu sounded smug. "Stop dawdling and hurry up and change. I can hardly wait."
"Wait!"
Then came the wait.
One minute, five minutes, ten minutes...
Zhang Zhaomu finally couldn't hold back. "Come on, are you taking a dump in there? Why does it take so long to change clothes?"
"I am not!" Chen Zhenzhen's tone was a little strange. "Zhang Zaowan, you bought these clothes too small!"
"How is that possible?" Zhang Zhaomu retorted. "For your height, this is the size you should wear. Besides, it's a blouse. Even if the size is a little off, it wouldn't matter."
"But... but..." The voice inside stammered. "Anyway, it doesn't fit. I want to change back."
"No!" Zhang Zhaomu urged her on. "Hurry up, or I'm coming in."
"Don't! I got it!"
Footsteps approached the bathroom door, then stopped. Zhang Zhaomu seemed to hear Chen Zhenzhen take a deep breath. Then, with a click, the handle turned, and Chen Zhenzhen came out with her head lowered, squirming awkwardly.
"H-how is it?"
Zhang Zhaomu: "..."
"Say something."
Zhang Zhaomu: "..."
Chen Zhenzhen couldn't help raising her head. She saw that his expression was a little dazed, his eyes fixed on a spot below her face.
"Zhang Zaowan, where are you looking?!" Chen Zhenzhen exploded with rage.
"No, it's not..." Zhang Zhaomu hurriedly looked away, sounding a little sheepish. "The result is even better than I imagined. Buddy, you really were hiding your assets. How come I never noticed you were so big... no, so good-looking before?"
Chen Zhenzhen: "...Could you go die?"
"Gross! Pervert! I treat you like a buddy, and you actually look at me like that-wait, what did you just take out?"
"Put your phone down! No pictures!"
But Zhang Zhaomu had already quickly pressed the shutter, freezing Chen Zhenzhen's appearance on the screen.
The girl's once disastrous hairstyle had been tied into two playful buns. Her smooth forehead and delicate eyebrows showed through the gaps in her fluffy bangs, and a pair of exceptionally large eyes glared at the camera in embarrassment and anger. Her already small, exquisite features were now completely unobscured, and an innocent, captivating charm seemed ready to overflow.
But farther down, her prominently raised curves stood in stark contrast to her innocent, sweet face. The cream-white blouse really had been bought too small. It was stretched tight around the buttons, pulling the fabric into alarming folds across her chest.
A figure of that size should have made her look heavy, but her slender waist instead outlined curves that seemed like a miracle of the creator.
Her charm wasn't the kind of breathtaking beauty Duan Chan'er possessed at first sight, nor was it Xiang Qing's dreamlike beauty, like an immortal from a painting. It was a real, tangible, weightier impact.
"Chen Zhen."
Zhang Zhaomu let out a long sigh. "I'm starting to regret giving you a makeover."