Chapter 16: Protective

In the dressing room, Fang Chuning sat in front of the mirror. The makeup artist stood beside her, applying makeup to her face. The smell of cosmetics made her a bit uncomfortable. “Cara, don’t apply it so thick, my face feels stiff.”

Cara was a female makeup artist who strived for perfection in both herself and her “work”. She held the girl’s chin with two fingers, preventing her from moving. “It’s not thick at all. You have good skin, I just need to enhance your features a bit more.”

Fang Chuning felt like a lump of clay being molded.

She sat stiffly, only able to move her eyes. Beside her, Gao Qiong was leaning on the mirror, doing her own makeup. She wasn’t satisfied with someone else doing it for her and insisted on doing it herself.

Fang Chuning rolled her eyes to glance at her in the mirror. She had to admit, it looked quite professional. “When did you learn to do makeup? I didn’t know you had this skill.”

Gao Qiong was concentrating intensely and didn’t respond. She glanced at the photo of a male witch on her phone screen, then steadily used the eyeliner pen on her face like she was painting, applying makeup as skillfully as a man would.

Fang Chuning couldn’t help but exclaim, “Awesome!”

The door of the dressing room opened, and a girl walked in. “President, someone is looking for you outside.”

Fang Chuning looked at her through the mirror, “Who?”

“He said he’s your brother, President.”

Cara pressed down on the girl’s restless head, slightly displeased. “It’s not done yet, can’t you stay still?”

Fang Chuning froze again as the powder brush lightly swept across her face. She wanted to raise her hand to scratch but was stopped. After about ten minutes, it was finally done. She looked left and right in the mirror. Apart from her features becoming more defined, her skin whiter, and her lips redder, there wasn’t much change.

The fruit-flavored lipstick on her lips made her want to lick them. Then, feeling the color was a bit light, she applied more lipstick herself.

She couldn’t help but admire herself in the mirror, sighing, “You really don’t know until you try it, I didn’t realize I was so beautiful.”

Gao Qiong beside her snorted with laughter: “Have you suddenly realized you were born in the wrong body?”

Fang Chuning ignored her, thinking that since she’d be going out soon, she might as well change into her costume now to save time going back and forth.

Outside the dressing room, Fang Tianli had become a bit impatient waiting. “I don’t know if that girl told her or not. It’s been so long and she still hasn’t come out!”

Su Qi, holding his arm, comforted him: “She’s probably not ready yet, let’s wait a bit longer.”

Just as he finished speaking, he saw the dressing room door open. The girl had her hair in a high ponytail and was wearing a white and red princess dress. Both the color combination and quality of the dress were excellent, luxurious yet elegant. She was still adjusting the gold buttons at the collar, her face expressionless. With her tall and alluring figure, she looked noble and unapproachable.

Su Qi felt his heart pounding rapidly in his left chest. He bit his lip, staring at the girl with wide eyes, unconsciously tightening his grip.

“Ouch, that hurts!” Fang Tianli forcefully pried open his hand, rubbing the sore spot and glaring at him. “Su Qi, what are you doing?! You’re hurting me!”

Su Qi snapped back to reality and quickly apologized timidly, “I’m sorry, Lili, I didn’t mean to…”

“If you didn’t mean to, why did you grip so hard!” Fang Tianli’s cheeks puffed up in displeasure.

“I…” The small boy looked utterly helpless, his teary expression making others feel sorry for him.

Fang Tianli became even more displeased. He was the one who got hurt, so why did it look like the other was about to cry? He had been with him for so long, why was he still so timid!

Fang Tianli was unhappy in his heart and didn’t want to give in, so he simply turned his face away sulkily, ignoring him.

Fang Chuning had just come out to see this scene of seemingly broken plastic brotherhood. “What’s wrong with you two?”

Su Qi’s eyes were filled with tears, his lips pursed as if he wanted to speak but didn’t dare.

Fang Chuning looked at her younger brother. Fang Tianli’s cheeks had deflated a bit, but he still wasn’t acknowledging the other.

Su Qi gently touched the red spot he had pinched, his weak voice constantly apologizing, “I’m sorry, Lili, I’m sorry…”

Fang Tianli glanced at him, his anger gradually dissipating, but he still maintained his posture of not wanting to acknowledge him. Fang Chuning, knowing her brother’s little thoughts all too well, patted his head and helped Su Qi out of the situation, “Are you guys hungry? Do you want me to take you to get something to eat?”

Su Qi’s eyes turned to her again, his lips pursed as he waited for Fang Tianli to decide.

Fang Tianli was in no mood to eat now. He glanced at the person beside him and lifted his small chin haughtily, “Don’t ask me, ask him.”

Fang Chuning shifted her gaze to the shy little boy. Su Qi’s ears were flushed red, his watery eyes timidly looking at her, “If Lili eats, I’ll have a bit too.”

That meant they wanted to eat. Fang Chuning took them to the school cafeteria, which was quite crowded with many parents accompanying their children for meals.

As soon as they entered the cafeteria, Fang Tianli showed disgust on his face, “Why do we have to eat in the cafeteria? There are so many people, I don’t like it.”

When he was at school, his lunch was delivered by servants every day. He had a special place to eat, quiet and comfortable. At worst, he could go to a restaurant outside and get a private room to eat alone. Why should he have to squeeze in here with so many people?

Fang Chuning glanced at the time, not intending to indulge him, “Then you can watch us eat.”

Su Qi gently linked arms with the boy, pointing to a relatively less crowded corner, “Lili, let’s sit over there. There are fewer people there.”

The three sat down where he pointed. Fang Chuning placed her phone on the table for them to watch, while she went to get food.

Su Qi took the opportunity to say, “Sister Ning, I’ll go with you. You can’t carry three portions by yourself.”

Fang Chuning had no objection, but she quickly regretted changing into her costume early. In the cafeteria, others were either wearing school uniforms or casual clothes, making her stand out conspicuously in her outfit.

Feeling the gazes falling on her, Fang Chuning’s ears grew hot. The key was that she was tall, making her almost immediately noticeable upon entering the cafeteria.

She coughed awkwardly, then noticed the junior student in front of her turning around. Seeing her dressed like this, he seemed a bit surprised, then his eyes brightened, “President Fang?”

Fang Chuning wasn’t surprised to be recognized, after all, her headshot was often posted on the school forum, supposedly for its imposing and deterrent effect. In reality, she felt it was no different from posting a door god image.

The junior student looked very happy and even asked if they could take a photo together.

Fang Chuning was completely taken aback, “This is the cafeteria, it’s not convenient.”

The junior student looked a bit disappointed, but quickly perked up again, “President, you look so good in this outfit!”

The junior student was oddly sincere. Fang Chuning smiled at him to show polite gratitude.

Just as Fang Chuning was being enthusiastically approached, Su Qi hesitantly spoke up behind her, “Um… classmate, it’s your turn in front.”

The junior student turned back to find that there was no one in front of him anymore, and the cafeteria worker was looking at him impatiently. His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly stepped forward with his tray to order food, embarrassed.

New Star had very high standards for student meals, with a wide variety of dishes, all required to be the freshest and most nutritious of the day. To maintain students’ interest, dishes couldn’t be repeated within a week.

Fang Chuning ordered a bowl of extremely spicy handmade beef noodles. During their meal, a slightly chubby woman suddenly sat down opposite them, accompanied by a comically fat girl.

She remembered this girl, wasn’t she Zhu Xixi who had said she wanted to play ball with them last time?

“You must be the young lady of the Fang family? Thank you so much for taking such good care of our Xixi at school. Our Xixi is pure-hearted and doesn’t have much cunning. It’s her blessing to be in Miss Fang’s good graces!” The chubby woman started chattering non-stop as soon as she sat down, smiling so wide her eyes almost disappeared.

Fang Chuning wasn’t paying attention to what she was saying, only aware that the woman’s saliva was adding extra seasoning to her beef noodles as she spoke. It was a bit annoying. “I think you’ve misunderstood. I’m not familiar with this Zhu classmate.”

“Oh, but Xixi said Miss Fang takes very good care of her. Well, it doesn’t matter. I’ve brought a gift for Miss Fang today. I hope Miss Fang can look after our Xixi more in the future. Our Xixi may be a bit slow with words, but she’s very sincere at heart…”

It was all “our Xixi this” and “our Xixi that”. Perhaps thinking that although Fang Chuning was from the Fang family, she was still just a child after all, and children were easy to cajole, so the chubby woman spoke without any reservations.

Fang Chuning was most afraid of people who couldn’t stop talking once they started. She looked towards Zhu Xixi sitting beside the woman, only to find Zhu Xixi staring intently at Fang Tianli beside her.

Fang Tianli noticed it too and felt disgusted. “Stop staring at me!”

The boy was going through voice change, and his scolding voice had a hint of shrillness, carrying a fierce meaning.

Zhu Xixi shrank her head timidly, but her gaze still couldn’t help but stick to him. It was a completely undisguised lustful look.

Fang Tianli, used to being spoiled and willful, couldn’t tolerate this. He picked up the steaming bowl of soup, about to throw it, but Fang Chuning quickly grabbed his arm, preventing the hot soup from splashing onto the person’s face.

“Lili!”

Fang Chuning disapprovingly took away the soup bowl, her brows furrowed. Fang Tianli, however, didn’t pay attention to her. His gaze on the fat girl was slightly ferocious, “If you dare to stare at me like that again, I’ll kill you.”

Except for Fang Chuning, the other three were stunned by the boy’s vicious tone. Su Qi didn’t expect him to act like this, as if he had been provoked, completely different from his usual naive and gullible self.

Su Qi surveyed everyone’s expressions, then lowered his gaze and remained quietly silent.

The chubby woman’s face became a bit stiff, “What… what’s wrong? Our Xixi doesn’t mean any harm, there’s no need for this…”

As she spoke, she gave Fang Tianli a strange look that seemed to say “how ill-mannered”.

This look triggered Fang Chuning’s protective nature. “I don’t know if your Xixi has any ill intentions, but you’re certainly disturbing us. I’m not familiar with your Xixi at all, not in the past, not now, and not in the future. So, can you leave now?”

Their commotion was not small, and more than half of the people in the cafeteria were looking in their direction. Being lectured by a child the same age as her daughter, the chubby woman felt she was losing face. Her expression turned ugly as she raised her eyes slightly, speaking in a neither high nor low voice: “How can you speak to elders like this? Really, no manners…”

She said the last three words very softly and resentfully, as if wanting everyone in the cafeteria to hear, yet afraid that if they did, it would reach Hong Jie. By the end, she still had a bit of clarity and wanted to take it back, but it was too late.

Fang Chuning held down Fang Tianli, who wanted to use the tray to hit someone. She coldly put on a kind smile for the woman, “Auntie, you’re so old now, didn’t your father teach you not to disturb others when they’re eating?”

“You…” The chubby woman’s face turned red. She looked around and swallowed her anger, forcing out a smile that couldn’t be more fake, “Miss Fang is joking. I just wanted to come and say hello to you.”

“Are you done then?”

The chubby woman nodded stiffly, suppressing a bellyful of anger and about to leave with her daughter. Just as she stood up, she heard the girl continue: “I heard that Zhu Corporation is planning to open a branch in City A recently?”

These words gave the woman a bad feeling, and sure enough, she heard the girl say: “Why don’t I ask my mom to help you out?”

This was not helping, but more like cutting off the Zhu family’s roots! The woman finally realized the seriousness of the situation. If the Fang family really was so protective that they would go after Zhu Corporation because of today’s incident, then everything would be ruined!

The chubby woman’s face changed as quickly as a Peking opera mask. She immediately bowed and scraped, “I’m so sorry, Miss Fang. I was just excited to see you earlier, that’s why I rushed over to disturb you. Please don’t take offense!”

After speaking, she glared at her still dazed daughter, “Hurry up and apologize!”

Zhu Xixi lowered her head, her voice stammering: “So-sorry.”

Fang Chuning wasn’t the type to push her advantage when she had the upper hand, especially since Fang Tianli had indeed almost hurt someone just now. “If you don’t need help, then let’s forget it. Take care in the future. I don’t like people trying to get close to me casually.”

The woman repeatedly said “okay” several times, ignoring the contemptuous or mocking glances from around, not even caring about her own daughter, and hurriedly left the cafeteria.

The meal wasn’t finished, and the performance time was approaching. Fang Chuning arranged seats for the two of them and then went backstage. At this time, the backstage was very crowded, with people wearing various costumes and makeup. As soon as she arrived, she saw Xu Muzhou surrounded by a crowd in the center.

He wasn’t wearing glasses now, and his bangs were combed up. He seemed to be wearing light makeup, making his features even more three-dimensional and delicate. His outstanding phoenix eyes were brimming with smiles, looking as if he had an incredibly good temper.

After a while, he seemed to notice her. His eyes brightened slightly, and he politely made his way through the crowd, walking towards her.