They went out to eat for breakfast and got so sugar pancakes and soy milk.
Ah Tou liked to have breakfast at the street stalls (1) because there were signs of human life there. If she were to eat at ho, she would end up feeling sleepy again. Besides, seeing so many people awake in the early morning was really motivating and would make her feel all refreshed and prepared for the day.
Liang Yanyan didnt bring any extra clothes with her, so she picked out so larger ones from Ah Tou's closet, although they still looked small on her. Ah Tou had a lot of leather clothes, which Liang Yanyan looked very pretty in once she tried them on.
When they got up in the morning, the two did their makeup together in front of the mirror. Ah Tou was very interested when she saw Liang Yanyans skills. The other woman didnt look so young last night after she removed her makeup, but that quickly changed now with just a few strokes.
"You're good at doing makeup." Ah Tou said while they were eating breakfast.
"You think it's makeup?" Liang Yanyan carefully examined the disposable chopsticks and made sure there were no stains before using them to pick up a stead bun.
"Well, youve basically changed your whole temperant. I think it's amazing."
"Are you trying to act cute? Liang Yanyan chuckled as if she thought Ah Tou was being funny.
Ah Tou was at a loss for words. "I an it."
"In fact, makeup isnt enough to change your temperant. You need to revise yourself entirely. That includes your body as well. " Liang Yanyan looked at Ah Tou before suddenly making a cute expression. She then made a manly expression and quickly changed it to a forlorn expression.
She did it so perfectly that Ah Tou was totally stunned.
"Are you an actor?
"Youd think that I changed to soone with a different temperant because I had controlled my facial expressions. But I actually changed my whole body language, too. Thats why you couldnt observe any flaws, Liang Yanyan said. She only ate one stead bun before stopping. "Its not clean."
"Its a breakfast stall, how clean do you think it is?" Ah Tou kept eating, "Are you an actor? Where did you learn acting from?"
"No, what I do is much more complicated and dangerous." Liang Yanyan lit a cigarette and watched the people coming and going around them. Ah Tou finished the last stead bun in front of her and started drinking her soy milk. Taoties Food (2), Ah Tou said. Theres a club at my university called Taotie Club. The only requirent for joining is to be able to eat in a way that makes people feel that the food is particularly delicious. Our president is making a lot of money doing mukbang (3) now.
"If you're tired of making small talk, just dont say anything," Liang Yanyan said to her. "Im not interested in things at your school."
"You knew?" Ah Tou was a little embarrassed. She really had used up all of her strength in trying to find a common topic between them. She had a little social anxiety and wasnt able to communicate with others for a long ti now.
The two beca silent. Ah Tou stretched contentedly after finishing off two sugar pancakes, a basket of stead buns, a fried dough stick, and a glass of soy milk. Where did the tattoos on your arms co from?" Liang Yanyan asked.
"Huh?" Ah Tou replied, "I did them myself. Why? You dont like bad girls? You look a lot more street smart than I do, ok? You also have a tattoo!
"The main psychological implication of getting a tattoo is to swear sovereignty over ones body. A tattoo is a declaration of your control over your own body. For many kids who grow up in Chinese families, it's the only way for them to declare their freedom to their parents, Liang Yanyan said. "You were still trying to act cute just now, so I figured you didnt fall into this category. I got my tattoo because Im like those kids I just described. How about you?
"I I just think it looks good," Ah Tou said. The story behind her tattoos was so complicated that she didnt even want to ntion it right now.
Liang Yanyan smiled and suddenly said, "You like to paint, do makeup, and tattoo human bodies. All of these things are processes for reshaping the human body. This reshaping also includes controlling your limbs. You seem to be very interested. Do you want to learn more? I can teach you so ti."
"How did you know?"
"The works youve put on canvas are far less vivid than the ones youve tattooed on yourself. The life drawings you drew in your sketchbook werent even you. You modified a lot of things and tried out various possibilities. This ans that you dont like being yourself but want to beco soone else. It also indicates that in your heart, you dont want to live a single life, but long for various kinds of lives, Liang Yanyan said. Youre an extrely greedy woman.
Ah Tou looked at Liang Yanyan, but was too stunned to co up with a response.
She had honestly never thought about this problem before, but Liang Yanyans words made her feel like this was exactly the case. When she woke up this morning, she had felt much better. Although she knew that she would definitely break down when she returned ho and saw that Tintin wasnt there, she forced herself to push the matter aside for now. She was so intent on ignoring it that she didnt really listen to Liang Yanyan carefully.
Now that Liang Yanyan brought her back on topic, Ah Tou imdiately blushed. She knew what Liang Yanyan ant by what she had been modifying.
"I was actually just practicing."
"That makes sense," Liang Yanyan said. "But its not impossible to live different lives in one's lifeti. It's not a fantasy, you just need to know what you have to give up."
Ah Tou nodded. It seed as if Liang Yanyan had just said sothing super cool, but Ah Tou didnt really understand it. She paid for their breakfast and then looked at Liang Yanyan, So, are we going to catch the ghost now? Do we need any equipnt?"
"Were waiting on one more person, Liang Yanyan said. "Xie Yuchen has prepared everything for us.
"We have more teammates? Ah Tou was surprised.
At that mont, soone approached their table and placed four beer bottles down. Ah Tou looked up and saw a man wearing black sunglasses. Good morning everyone, greetings! Anyone down for a glass? He smiled at Ah Tou and moved to sit down in the empty chair at their table, but Liang Yanyan moved it away so he couldnt, Did Xie Yuchen tell you to co and take soone away? Just leave the thing and go away. If you dont go, I will.
Why so violent? Are you from Zuan (4)?" Black Glasses put down his bag, which looked particularly heavy. Are you sure you dont want my help? It's free."
****
TN Notes:
(1) Also known as breakfast stalls. Theyre stalls set up on the side of the street that serve breakfast foods. Theyre often out in the open and each vendor usually offers a variety of food. More info here
(2) An ancient Chinese mythological creature that really likes to eat. It usually describes soone who is greedy for food. More info here.
(3) Genre of online broadcast consisting of the host eating while interacting with their audience
(4) A faction in the online ga League of Legends, but in the text, it refers to a sub-China server nad after Zoan. The server is famous for hosting a lot of bad-tempered players. The China network has 29 servers. More info here.
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