With the final touches done on her hairstyle, Zhou Rui walked over and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows when he saw Chai icen.
A good base makes any hairstyle look good. On top of that, this particular hairstyle had a youthful effect, making Chai icen look extrely tender. Most importantly, it made her look innocent and pure, with sweet smiles and angelic features.
The two then went to a clothing store together. Chai icen still had her old sense of style, frequenting shops not quite suitable.
Zhou Rui dragged Chai icen around to other stores, whispering, "You're a young girl now!"
Chai icen didn't mind, going wherever Zhou Rui took her. After looking around and trying things on, she picked out so girly pink clothes to show Zhou Rui: "What do you think?"
"Uh..." Zhou Rui didn't know what to say. This was like instantly unlocking her ridians and taking her cultivation up a level. Pretty soon they'd have to shop in the toddler section!
It was truly a shocking transition from middle-aged to girly and pink. Zhou Rui was having a hard ti accepting it.
But...it could work. Who could say no to good looks?
Marilyn Monroe looked stunning even in a sack, right?
"When I was young, I liked blacks, whites, grays, especially stripes. But as I got older, I realized these bright colors are so beautiful, especially soft pinks and purples. Problem was my skin was dark then, making look darker in those colors." Chai icen held up clothes to Zhou Rui as she talked.
"There are plenty of elegant clothes in other stores too. Why not get those?" Zhou Rui asked.
"Clothes are so expensive these days. Gotta spend money on more important things," Chai icen replied.
"Then you'll just use it to gamble at mahjong, right?"
Chai icen didn't know how to respond. She took the clothes and went to try them on.
Zhou Rui waited outside. Despite his bandaged injuries, no store attendant ca to help him. At least he got so peace and quiet.
When Chai icen finished changing and looked in the mirror, the other female shoppers in the store noticed her and couldn't help but gasp, "This young lady looks so good in that outfit!"
"It's mostly because the young lady herself is so pretty."
After complinting her, they actually went up to chat with Chai icen.
In idol dramas, crazed fangirls often shriek and gossip around handso guys, insanely jealous when they see a pretty girl. But real life girls aren't like that.
They do love handso guys, but many get so nervous around them they don't dare speak or make eye contact, let alone flock around the guys. However, when they see a beautiful young lady, they instantly get excited and may even go up to talk to her, fawning over how gorgeous she is and sotis sneaking pics.
If one had to compare, they might actually prefer the beautiful young lady over the handso guy.
Soon, the girls were asking Chai icen for her WeChat.
Zhou Rui limped over and stood tall behind Chai icen, a full head above her, like the sudden appearance of the Grim Reaper. He looked at the girls with a stiff smile and asked, "Would you like my WeChat too?"
The girls shut up instantly upon seeing Zhou Rui. After saying bye to Chai icen, they hurried off, still occasionally glancing back.
"The guy's kinda hot..."
"But he looks scary with those injuries and intense eyes."
Chai icen didn't care about them. A chatterbox who could spend half a day chatting with vegetable sellers, she happily showed off her new clothes to Zhou Rui: "Son! Don't I look handso?"
"Very handso. Let's buy them!" Zhou Rui laughed in response.
*
Hou Ranxi never imagined he would see Chai icen like this again.
Unable to get a plane ticket, he had his driver rush him back overnight, arriving at 5am.
Worried about catching Chai icen and Zhou Rui still asleep, he waited in the car until 6:30 before knocking.
Zhou Rui opened the door. Seeing Hou Ranxi's eye bags, he joked, "Don't call yourself Hou anymore. You're not a monkey, you're a panda!"
Hou Ranxi was in no mood for jokes. Upon entering, he heard Chai icen's voice: "My little monkey's here? Weren't you coming back the day after tomorrow? Let fry you another egg?"
Holding a spatula, she poked her head out to look at him.
A sixteen-year-old appearance, short bob reaching her neck, slender figure, seemingly delicate with an air of helpless charm.
Chai icen had almond eyes, round and slightly narrower and they'd be double-eyelids. Sohow that made her look even more helpless, adding a touch of fairy-like elegance.
Fair-skinned without a single blemish, not at all like her thirty-six year old self.
Hou Ranxi froze for a second, a twinge of sorrow in his heart.
Sixteen-year-old Chai icen...
Back then...
"What...happened to you?" Hou Ranxi felt his throat tighten, his voice sounding off.
He was far too shocked.
"I'm not sure either. Just suddenly beca like this. My body feels normal, quite energetic in fact. Better than before," Chai icen replied as she headed to the kitchen to fry eggs.
Hou Ranxi looked to Zhou Rui, who seed equally nonchalant.
What a steadfast mother and son...
Hou Ranxi followed Chai icen into the kitchen, unable to peel his eyes off her. He even reached out to touch her cheek.
Chai icen didn't mind, even jokingly asking, "Nice and firm, right?"
"But this isn't normal."
"I know, but Zhou Rui and I don't know what to do. That's why I wanted to find you to think of sothing together."
Hou Ranxi nodded. Taking off his suit jacket, he went over and took the spatula from her. "You go rest. I'll cook."
"Want to squeeze you so juice? I'll make mango juice." Without refusing, Chai icen headed to the fridge for fruits.
"Mango please."
"Okay."
In the dining room, Zhou Rui sat with legs crossed, as if completely recovered. Seeing them busy in the kitchen invigorated him.
Hou Ranxi ca out with the fried eggs while the juicer whirred loudly in the kitchen.
"Mom looked like this when she was young? So gorgeous? No wonder you never found a girlfriend even in your thirties. She's prettier than the school belle at our school. We've got a girl who got plastic surgery and still isn't as pretty as Mom." Zhou Rui started raving to Hou Ranxi about how stunning his mother was.
The juicer noise drowned out his words from Chai icen.
Chai icen had Zhou Rui out of wedlock at nineteen, giving birth at twenty.
She was only thirty-six this year.
Chai icen was originally best friends with Hou Ranxi's sister. She practically watched Hou Ranxi grow up.
Hou Ranxi skipped a grade in elentary school. When Chai icen was in 8th grade, he was in 6th. When she was a high school senior, he was a sophomore.
Hou Ranxi was thirty-two this year. Amazingly, he'd been single all this ti, never having a girlfriend. Chai icen once suspected he was gay and tried setting him up with n.
After Hou Ranxi's company troubles, his sister disowned him too. Chai icen was very disappointed and cut ties with her bestie.
She once told Hou Ranxi, "Don't worry, I'll be your sister from now on."
But Hou Ranxi never called her sister.
"Don't judge won on looks, especially what they're born with. They can't choose that," Hou Ranxi didn't entertain Zhou Rui's gossip, instead saying:
"I didn't an anything bad. Just wanted to express she's gorgeous."
"I know you didn't. That's why I'm reminding you. As a boy, you should respect won. And if people soday judge your looks, you'd have the right to be upset too. That's equality."
That was Hou Ranxi, a model guardian.
Perhaps Hou Ranxi was purely seeing things from Chai icen's perspective, afraid Zhou Rui would go astray when he grew up. So he would tactfully point out any problems that arose.
No one likes nagging, but Hou Ranxi wouldn't belabor it. He'd criticize then give candy.
"But you should be comnded for taking care of your mother these past days. More and more like a man now." Hou Ranxi praised again. "Anything you've wanted lately?"
"I want a dad."
"Aim high." Hou Ranxi replied then quietly returned to the kitchen to help Chai icen.
Seeing the tender look in Hou Ranxi's eyes as he regarded Chai icen, Zhou Rui covered his face.
If the male leads in idol dramas had even 30% of Hou Ranxi's gaze right now, the shows would be smash hits. A textbook eye-kill.
Who could withstand that?
After breakfast, Zhou Rui left for school, leaving Chai icen and Hou Ranxi.
Hou Ranxi looked troubled regarding Chai icen. "I can contact an expert from the Institute of Life Sciences. I've already updated him on the situation. Let's have you checked over. Don't worry, it'll be fine."
Chai icen nodded. "I don't really mind. Just worried what would happen to Zhou Rui if sothing happened to ."
"Don't think that way. Even if one day you don't want to care for him anymore, I'll be here." Hou Ranxi said as he helped Chai icen tidy up.
Chai icen chuckled. "Raising a kid would get in the way of you finding a girlfriend in the future!"
Hou Ranxi didn't respond, simply saying, "Go change. We'll head out soon."
When Chai icen ca back out in a girly pink tee, light blue shorts and over-the-knee socks, Hou Ranxi felt...unaccustod.
"My son said I look super cool like this!" Chai icen even spun around to show Hou Ranxi.
"Oh..." Hou Ranxi was uncomfortable.
Previously much younger than Chai icen and diligent with fitness while she didn't care for upkeep, they used to look a decade apart when standing together.
Now with her sixteen-year-old looks, one could still tell Hou Ranxi was a mature man. Felt like an old man with an underaged girl. Made the imagination run wild.
Especially with Chai icen dressed like that.
Hou Ranxi hadn't told his driver about Chai icen's transformation, afraid it was Zhou Rui's prank.
Now in the car, the driver saw Chai icen and asked, "Mr. Hou, whose child is this?"
"Er...a relative's." Hou Ranxi answered awkwardly.
Chai icen sat beside Hou Ranxi, secretly delighted. She turned to Hou Ranxi with a radiant smile. "Uncle Hou, let's go!"
"Ahem..." Hou Ranxi really couldn't adapt. "Don't act cutesy."
*
When his phone rang during a break in PE class, Zhou Rui was still doing calisthenics.
The loud music from the school PA system drowned out his words to others.
At the front of the line, Zhou Rui wasn't properly exercising. He fished out his phone and answered the call, standing out in the lineup. "So, what's the deal? Did Mom beco immortal?"
"No issues physically, just an abnormal occurrence. Currently stable with ongoing research, uncertain when revert back. Temp ID arranged to resolve troubles." Hou Ranxi slowly explained.
"Got it. Tell Mom don't go gambling mahjong or square dancing. She fought tooth and nail with old ladies over a square dancing spot. Worth it? When they see how she changed, they'll be green with envy. Won't she get ostracized?"
"Hmm, so she decided to do sothing else aningful."
"What's that? I think she has already made an outstanding contribution to dostic science by suddenly becoming intelligent, providing valuable research materials."
"She plans to transfer to your school to attend classes with you, urging you to be a good person, and to really get to know you in the process."
Upon hearing these words, Zhou Rui's thousands of words converged into one sentence: "What the fuck?"
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