Chapter Six: The Enigmatic Stylist of Human and Demon
Chapter Six: The Androgynous Stylist!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bai Su was sleeping soundly when a thunderous noise suddenly exploded in her ears.
“An earthquake?”
She leapt out of bed and ran barefoot toward the door. Just as she opened it, she saw Lin Huiyin, hair disheveled, rushing out of her own room.
“Aunt Bai!” Lin Huiyin called.
“What happened?” Bai Su asked anxiously. “Where’s Benben? Didn’t she come out?”
“No,” Lin Huiyin replied.
The two of them hurried to Hepburn’s room and twisted the doorknob, only to find it locked from the inside.
Standing outside, they pounded on the door and shouted, “Benben—Benben—wake up!”
“Hepburn, get up! There’s an earthquake—”
“Hepburn—”
Click.
The door opened from within. Hepburn, groggy and still wearing a bunny sleep mask, stared in confusion at Bai Su and Lin Huiyin standing at the threshold. She mumbled, “Aunt Bai—why is it so early? I’m not awake yet.”
“I—” Bai Su started to speak, then realized the banging had ceased.
She dashed into Hepburn’s room and yanked open the curtains with a flourish. In the villa’s courtyard, Tang Zhong was doing push-ups in shorts and a tank top.
“One, two, three, four—”
“Tang Zhong!” Bai Su shouted.
Tang Zhong didn’t stop. He lifted his face to look upstairs and said, “What is it?”
“Do you know what time it is?”
“Five-thirty,” Tang Zhong replied. He had gotten up at five, done a set of rapid squats and sprints, spending about half an hour.
“So you know it’s five-thirty? Are you aware this is everyone’s rest time? You’re disturbing people’s sleep, don’t you know that?” Bai Su yelled, exasperated.
Having spent years in the entertainment industry, she’d developed nerves of steel. But talking to Tang Zhong always made her lose her temper.
What was it that Da Zui Guo Furong always said in “My Own Swordsman”? Just seeing him made her want to go wild.
“I told you yesterday I would get up early to exercise—” Tang Zhong switched to doing one-finger push-ups.
“But yesterday you said six o’clock,” Bai Su fumed.
“Did I?” Tang Zhong paused, then said, “Let’s make it five from now on.”
“———”
Thanks to Tang Zhong’s disruption, Lin Huiyin and Hepburn were listless at breakfast.
Especially Hepburn, who nearly fell asleep with a mouthful of porridge. When she absentmindedly swallowed, she almost choked herself to tears.
Lin Huiyin kept her head down, eating quietly, never glancing at Tang Zhong.
Bai Su was exhausted too, but forced herself to stay awake. “A stylist will be coming soon to work on Tang Zhong’s look—”
“I’m not wearing a skirt,” Tang Zhong said.
“Understood,” Bai Su replied. “Tang Xin rarely wore skirts either.”
“I’m not wearing a bra.”
“No need for that.”
“I’m not using lipstick or false eyelash glue.”
“That depends on the stylist’s recommendations.”
“I hope he has no recommendations, or I’ll have something to say about it.”
“—All right,” Bai Su said helplessly. Once again, she realized she’d brought home a real handful.
“That’s all for now,” Tang Zhong said.
Bai Su exhaled in relief. At least he wasn’t being too outrageous—although he already was.
After breakfast, Lin Huiyin and Hepburn put down their chopsticks and headed back upstairs for more sleep.
Watching them go, Bai Su sighed softly and said, “Tang Zhong, if you keep this up, things will only get more tense. Cooperation will be impossible in the future—”
“If I said I’m doing this to cultivate early-to-bed, early-to-rise habits in them, would you believe me?” Tang Zhong wiped his mouth with a napkin, smiling. “Being a star requires good health. Staying up late won’t do.”
“No,” Bai Su replied flatly.
“You’ll see in a week,” Tang Zhong said. “I’m going to my room to read. Let me know when the makeup artist arrives. Don’t worry, since I agreed to stay, I’ll do my best to cooperate.”
With that, he pushed back his chair and headed to his room.
“That man—” Bai Su watched his retreating back, deep in thought. “He doesn’t seem so bad.”
Tang Zhong was sitting on the floor reading when he heard a car horn outside.
He walked to the window and saw a white Audi TT rolling into the courtyard.
Soon, there was a knock at the door, and Bai Su’s voice called, “Tang Zhong, the stylist is here. Come out.”
When Tang Zhong returned to the living room, he found an extra person there.
A man.
A dazzlingly flamboyant man.
Crimson straight-legged trousers and a tight white shirt tucked into a belt, revealing a slim waist.
His cheeks were gaunt, his chin just shy of a perfect oval. The left side of his hair was long and curled at the ends, the right side shaved. The asymmetry was visually arresting.
He wore oversized yellow glasses—no lenses, merely decorative.
Upon seeing Tang Zhong emerge, he clasped his hands to his chest and squealed in a shrill voice, “Oh my, isn’t this our little Xin Xin? It’s uncanny! Absolutely uncanny! Isn’t it? Isn’t it?”
———
Tang Zhong had the urge to punch that grinning, fawning face.
After reading Tang Xin’s diary, he genuinely wanted to help. But if they intended to turn him into this, he’d rather die in Tang Xin’s place.
“Ah Ken, do you think he looks like her?” Bai Su asked excitedly, clearly trusting this flamboyant man’s eye.
“He does. Uncannily so. Couldn’t be more alike,” Ah Ken replied, mincing around Tang Zhong in tiny steps. “My goodness, how can two people look so much alike? Twins, for sure. Su Su, you’ve found the right person this time. Wonderful.”
“As long as he looks the part.” Bai Su visibly relaxed. She looked at Tang Zhong with even more delight and asked, “Ah Ken, how would you transform him?”
“Simple,” Ah Ken said. “No transformation needed.”
“What did you say?” Bai Su was stunned.
Ah Ken smiled coquettishly, raising a delicately poised finger. “Su Su, don’t worry. I’m a professional—you have to trust my expertise. Let me ask you: if no one knew our Xin Xin had a brother, and he appeared in the Butterfly Group, would anyone suspect he was an impostor?”
“No,” Bai Su shook her head. She only worried Tang Zhong would be seen through because she knew the truth. No one else knew Tang Xin had a twin brother.
Tang Xin herself only learned about her brother after starting college. She’d always lived with her mother.
“Then there you have it,” Ah Ken said cheerily. “Don’t stress, no one will uncover the truth.”
“All right. Thank you, Ah Ken,” Bai Su said gratefully.
“Hm.” With the air of a diva, Ah Ken strode over to Tang Zhong, eyeing the drab prison-issue tank top and shorts. He wrinkled his nose. “Take that off, take it off. How can anyone wear such a tasteless outfit—oh my eyes, it’s blinding.”
He covered his eyes as he spoke, as if Tang Zhong’s clothes were truly damaging his vision.
Tang Zhong frowned. “Insult my clothes all you want, but stop assaulting my ears—can’t you speak normally?”
Pfft—
Someone couldn’t help but snicker.
They all looked toward the sound. It was Hepburn, who had just come downstairs and couldn’t hold back her laughter.
Seeing everyone’s gaze, Hepburn blushed and stammered, “Ah Ken, I wasn’t laughing at you. I was—laughing at his clothes.”
“Hmph.” Ah Ken snorted. “Benben, you always know how to please me. Did you like the hairstyle I gave you last time?”
“I loved it. Absolutely loved it,” Hepburn nodded fervently. “Ah Ken, your skills are amazing.”
Pleased by the compliment, Ah Ken’s mood improved. He turned back to Tang Zhong and said, “I am speaking normally, every word is genuine and kind—do you understand? Do you?”
Tang Zhong was about to retort, but Bai Su tugged at his shirt from behind, so he decided to hold his tongue.
Seeing Tang Zhong yield, Ah Ken chuckled again.
He stepped forward and gently stroked Tang Zhong’s hair. “That’s better.”
———
Tang Zhong clenched his teeth.
“Xin Xin—oh, I’m calling you Xin Xin from now on, all right?”
———
Tang Zhong clenched his fists.
“Xin Xin, listen: I’m cutting your hair into choppy layers—your brows need a trim, they’re too thick. Your lips—my, your lips are exactly like Xin Xin’s, so sexy even without gloss. Makes one want to steal a kiss.”
———
Damn it all.
Tang Zhong finally lost his patience. He seized Ah Ken by the neck and lifted him off the ground.
Ah Ken’s face flushed purple, his legs kicking in the air like a body hanging from a branch.