Living Only For Myself: Make Those Who Hate Me Regret It-Chapter 176: Duties of a Host

In the bridal shop, Xu Su, who was a bridesmaid, changed into the bridesmaid dress that had been prepared in advance. Unlike countryside weddings where bridesmaids casually wore their own clothes, Li Tingting was taking her wedding very seriously.

She had even prepared identical dresses for both bridesmaids.

It was a long, light gray tulle gown with spaghetti straps and off-the-shoulder sleeves. The sheer sleeves fell from the shoulder straps, creating a look similar to a boat neckline and revealing her delicate collarbones and fair arms. Compared to what she usually wore, the neckline was a bit low.

It was fine while standing, but bending over slightly would reveal a hint of her chest. Since her rebirth, Xu Su had grown accustomed to school uniforms and T-shirts, so she felt a little strange suddenly dressed like this.

Fortunately, everyone was busy doing the bride’s makeup. The shop had more than one bride today, and the makeup artists were all swamped, so not many people were staring at her.

The fashionable makeup style of the era was bold and dramatic, featuring vibrant eyeshadow, deep eyeliner, and thick, layered blush that completely masked Li Tingting’s natural features.

.....Watching from the side, Xu Su decided she would do her own bridesmaid makeup.

After applying a thin layer of primer, Xu Su put on a little foundation, then carefully traced her natural brow shape with an eyebrow pencil. After a moment’s thought, she went ahead and applied eyeliner and mascara as well.

Her eyelashes were very long and naturally curled, and would clump easily if she wasn’t careful, so she only brushed on a light coat of mascara.

Finally, using a cotton swab, she dabbed on some lipstick and blended it out across her lips.

The whole process took about ten minutes, and Xu Su, in a rather good mood, examined herself in the mirror.

But then, she saw in the mirror that the makeup artists, who had been busy just moments before, had all turned to look in her direction at some point. They were all staring at her, completely dumbfounded.

The girl in the tulle gown had skin as fair as jade and loose hair as black as ink. Her eyes shimmered, and the faint smile on her lips was so captivating that no one could look away.

This, they thought, must be what the poets meant by "skin of ice and bones of jade."

Xu Su stared at her reflection, momentarily lost in a daze herself. It didn’t seem like much had changed compared to before, except that her supple lips were redder than usual, like ripe persimmons waiting to be plucked.

"Sweetie, where do you live?" one of the other two brides getting married that day asked, her eyes filled with awe. "There’s a girl this beautiful in Kang County?"

"How have I never heard of you, being this gorgeous? Are you really a local from Kang County? How do you take care of your skin? It’s so fair."

"Your skin is incredible. We’re both wearing makeup, but you don’t have a single visible pore."

"Sweetie, do you have a boyfriend? Give me your number. I have a younger brother in college in Chang City. He’s good-looking and has a great personality, and he really needs a girlfriend. How about I tell him to come over right now?"

"My family owns two storefronts in Kang County..."

"..." Xu Su’s arms were held captive, one by each of the two brides, as they enthusiastically listed their family’s qualifications.

This burst of enthusiasm stunned Xu Su, leaving her flustered and at a loss for what to do.

It was Li Tingting who came to her rescue. "My cousin is still in high school. It’s too early for her to be dating. You’re scaring her."

She put an arm around Xu Su with a smile, looking at her up close and sighing in admiration. "Susu, you’re pretty enough to be a movie star. You could get famous on your face alone."

"I have no interest in acting," Xu Su said, exasperated. She had no dream of stardom; she’d rather be solving a few more practice problems than be a celebrity in the limelight.

Her loose hair was getting in the way.

Xu Su frowned for a moment before braiding her hair and letting it drape over her right shoulder. It went quite well with the soft style of the bridesmaid dress.

Just as she finished with her hair, Xu Su’s phone rang.

’...Shen Chen?’

Xu Su had saved Shen Chen’s number after his last call.

She was puzzled. ’Why is he calling me?’

Without much hesitation, Xu Su answered the call.

A moment later, Shen Chen’s voice came through the phone. "Xu, I’m in Chang City again. I heard you’re in Kang County. Can I come find you?"

It was his usual devil-may-care tone, but his words made Xu Su raise an eyebrow in surprise.

She walked to a corner before answering, "Why are you looking for me?"

"Well, I just got to Chang City and don’t know my way around. You’re the only local I know, and since you’re on summer break, how about showing me the beautiful sights?"

"How about no," Xu Su refused flatly. "I’m going back to Chang City this afternoon, and school starts tomorrow. I don’t have time to show you around. Go ask Zhou Mochen."

"Brother Zhou? He’s swamped. Doesn’t even have time to go out for a drink."

Shen Chen seemed to have anticipated this. "I did some research. You guys in Kang County have some kind of ’thousand-year-old ancient city’ that’s pretty famous. Since you’re there anyway, how about you take me to see it?"

"..." Xu Su fell silent for a moment. She found it impossible to believe that Young Master Shen was the type of person with the leisurely inclination to tour a so-called "thousand-year-old ancient city."

’Shen Chen should have just graduated from college around this time. He’s supposed to be learning the ropes while taking over a branch of the Shen Family business. How would he have the time to fly to Chang City?’

’Besides, Shen Chen is a bona fide playboy. Even if he did come to Chang City, he’d definitely be at the best nightclubs, hitting on the hottest women. As for some thousand-year-old ancient city...’

’He’s just messing with me for fun, right?’

Xu Su asked, "Are you really in Chang City?"

"Yep, got in yesterday," Shen Chen replied casually, then asked with a laugh in his voice, "Xu, a friend has come from afar. Shouldn’t you show a little hospitality as the local host?"

Xu Su laughed. She didn’t believe him for a second. Playing along, she said, "Fine. Come on over. I’ll give you a proper tour of the ’thousand-year-old ancient city.’"

She made sure to emphasize the phrase "thousand-year-old ancient city."

"Perfect! That’s what I was waiting to hear."

His volume suddenly shot up, leaving Xu Su a bit stunned.

"Where should we meet? I’ll punch it into my GPS."

She could hear a car door open on his end. From the sound of it, Shen Chen was already in a car and about to set off.

’He’s really committed to the bit...’

Xu Su casually recited the name of the wedding hotel and hung up. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

She silently cursed, ’What a dumbass.’

’Does he really think messing with me like this is fun?’

’As if I believe him for a second!’

As it neared eleven in the morning, the bride’s makeup was finally finished. After she changed into her wedding gown, the car to pick her up pulled up outside the shop.

Xu Su finally got a look at her new cousin-in-law.

He had a buzz cut, was about five-foot-seven, and had features that could, at best, be described as plain. He was running late, and as soon as he entered, the makeup artist assigned to the couple rushed to greet him.

The makeup artist quickly applied some simple makeup to his face, had him change into the groom’s attire, and by the time he was getting back into the wedding car, Xu Su glanced at the time. It was nearly eleven-thirty.

When the car stopped, Xu Su, mindful of her duties as a bridesmaid, clutched the small purse containing her phone and followed Li Tingting into the hotel.