Chapter Eighty-Four: The Temptation of Beauty, the Ladies’ Brigade Arrives

Mrs. Wang was truly diligent when it came to matters. After hearing Lin Yang’s brilliantly conceived plan, she left Tang Yixue’s villa and immediately set about rallying her circle of ladies.

Her phone calls came one after another; it took nearly an hour before she finally finished.

Because her husband, Wang Xiaochuan, was the director of the City Health Bureau, Mrs. Wang had never been shy about living extravagantly as an official’s wife. She spent freely on expensive massages and skin treatments at elite beauty salons, shopped in luxury fashion malls, bought designer handbags, and feasted on lavish seafood banquets. Every pleasure of a fine lady’s life, she enjoyed without missing a single one.

And so, over time, she had indeed made the acquaintance of many wives of wealthy businessmen and officials. Her circle of connections stretched across Jinhai, and she had not lacked for friends even in the neighboring cities.

Women all cared about face, and the wives of the rich and powerful cared all the more. These ladies wanted for nothing and spent their days seeking delight in beauty and fine living. To put it bluntly, they were simply idle with nothing better to do, gathering together whenever they had time to compare themselves with one another: who spent more money, whose face was better maintained, whose figure was better, whose bust was fuller, whose purchases were more expensive, all in order to display their superior status.

Women who loved beauty were, in some cases, truly beyond help.

Upon hearing Mrs. Wang’s boast about that miraculous medicine, these so-called friends spared no time at all. The wives who loved speed and thrill drove their own luxury cars in a wild rush, while most of the others, accustomed to a life of comfort, were naturally escorted by their private chauffeurs.

Before long, the area in front of Mrs. Wang’s home was jammed with luxury cars. Anyone who did not know better might have thought some high-end automaker was staging a motor show there.

“Mrs. Wang, is it really as magical as you say?”

“Mrs. Wang, where is the medicine? The miracle drug you mentioned for beauty, for perfect skin, for removing scars, for keeping youth forever—where is it?”

“Mrs. Wang, look, look! Can that ugly scar on my hand really be restored completely to how it was before?”

“Mrs. Wang, oh dear, I’m late! Where’s the medicine? The medicine you talked about? Hurry up and bring it out. I’ll pay ten thousand.”

“Mrs. Wang, here’s a bank card with twenty thousand on it. Give me one bottle first.”

“Mrs. Su, what are you fighting me for? I was the one who offered money first.”

“Hmph, Mrs. Yang, that’s not how it works. The highest bidder wins. Even the ancients knew that, and you’re not a child, so why are you acting spoiled? And stop shaking that lump of flesh around. It’s making me sick to look at it.”

“Hmph, a woman with a B-cup like yours should just be jealous. I’ll shake if I want to—what are you going to do about it? Why don’t you try shaking yours?”

“You... you shameless hussy, you wanton slut...”

“All right, stop arguing. I’ve been waiting forever. Let’s hear what Mrs. Wang has to say first.”

Women could be truly terrifying. Before anything had even happened, and all for the sake of beauty, a whole flock of them had already turned on one another and started clawing at each other. Their impatient expressions made it look as though they were fighting over the bride.

Watching her friends bicker and quarrel, even Mrs. Wang felt embarrassed. What sort of people were these, anyway? Hadn’t she only exaggerated a little on the phone? All right, perhaps a tiny bit of exaggeration—just a little. But did these women really have to be so eager? They looked as though they could not wait to reincarnate.

“Hey, hey, can you all quiet down? I only said someone else has this medicine. I never said I had it!” Mrs. Wang spread her hands in helpless innocence and explained with exasperation. Had she somehow been talking to herself on the phone, or were these women’s ears growing on the wrong end?

“Tch. If you don’t have it to give us, then why the hell did we even call? And you made it sound so miraculous over the phone too. Honestly, you made us skip our spa appointments. Such a waste of time.” One of the less temperate women complained at once, even giving Mrs. Wang a disdainful glare.

Once one person started, the rest naturally followed. Complaint after complaint rose and fell in waves.

“Oh my, Mrs. Wang, when did that burn scar on your arm disappear? Don’t tell me it was because of that miracle medicine!”

Some women really did have sharp eyes. While the others were busy trading barbs, she was already glancing around to see which lady had grown prettier lately, so she could quietly ask for advice and strengthen their connection. She wanted to keep herself from falling behind the beautiful and ageless.

As wives of the wealthy and of officials, they knew perfectly well the importance of beauty, a slender figure, a full bosom, and a lifted rear that could conquer a man at a glance. For women like them, this was no trivial matter. Their husbands were out in the world, powerful and rich; if they let their guard down even slightly, those men might be chasing flowers and willows outside, taking mistresses, keeping lovers, or engaging in one-night affairs. How could they not care about their appearance?

“Heh, Mrs. Fang really does have sharp eyes. Yes, I’ve been to many beauty salons and plastic surgery clinics for this burn, but nothing helped. The scar went deep; it just wouldn’t go away. My husband was not pleased with me over it, and we nearly ended up divorced. Sigh...” Recalling that unbearable episode from some time ago, Mrs. Wang was moved to tears. For her, once she and her husband walked down the road to divorce, her life would be ruined.

“So what happened next? Hurry up and tell us!” Mrs. Yang, whose temper was quick and fierce, reached out and pulled the now center of everyone’s attention toward herself, urging her anxiously. Her ingratiating look was a complete reversal of the arrogance she had shown moments before.

“Heh, the reason I asked you all here this time is, first, to let you experience the wonder of the medicine for free, and second, naturally, to help promote it. I happen to know your circles are very broad, and all of you know wealthy friends. Well then, does anyone have an interest?” Mrs. Wang asked with a smile.

“Of course.”

“No problem.”

“A piece of cake.”

The ladies answered one after another with fervent promises, their bright eyes glittering like stars, as though they were about to witness their own transformation into beauty itself.

“All right then, let’s go. The owner of that miracle medicine is in the villa next door.” Seeing that she had succeeded in stirring them up, Mrs. Wang called out loudly and led her circle of ladies toward Tang Yixue’s villa.

Just as the crowd was surging forward and preparing to leave the living room, a tiny voice suddenly kicked the door open. A little figure stood there, face full of displeasure, glaring indignantly at the women who had once seemed as fierce as wolves and tigers. Puffing out his plump little cheeks, he threw a tantrum in a surprisingly grown-up tone: “Hmph. You disturbed Little Yu’s sleep. What crime do you plead?”

The little old soul, Wang Xiaoyu, planted his round little hands on his hips and shook his chubby head as if bringing charges in court.

Only then did Mrs. Wang remember: when they returned home, the little fellow had eaten far too much at Tang Yixue’s place and grown sleepy after the meal. Just after they left Tang Yixue’s home, drowsiness had overtaken him. Mrs. Wang had brought him home along with a pile of snacks, carried him inside, and tucked him into his bedroom. Then, as she hurried to call her sisters, she had become so busy and pleased with herself that she had completely forgotten about the child.

“Heh, so it’s Little Yu,” said the prettiest of the women at the front. Looking at the plump little darling, she could not resist stepping forward and reaching out to pick him up, only for him to dodge her.

“Hmph. Auntie Yuan didn’t even bring me a gift, so I won’t let you抱 me. I won’t!” The little fellow was the kind who recognized snacks but not people; without snacks, toys, or tasty treats, nobody was familiar.

“All right, Little Yu, stop fussing. Mommy has something to do. Let’s go to your Auntie Yixue’s house.” Mrs. Wang put on a stern face and cut off the child’s continued mischief.

“Oh yay, we’re going to Big Beautiful Sister Yixue’s house! Little Yu loves Big Beautiful Sister Yixue the most. And she’s way prettier than that Sister Sakura!” The little fellow bounced away in delight, not noticing the strange looks from the women around him at all.

What an extraordinary little rascal—that was the silent title the group gave him.

Sakura? This little brat had actually said Sakura’s name out loud. If Lin Yang, who had some knowledge of actresses from that island nation, were to hear it, he would surely lift the little fellow up and inspect him carefully. After all, that was one of his beloved goddesses.

The group was as orderly as could be, practically racing as if to be reborn elsewhere, moving in a line toward Tang Yixue’s villa. Though the child had short legs, his speed was actually quite impressive. The moment he saw a beauty, he became a superhero, taking a few quick steps to reach Tang Yixue’s home. There he jumped up and down to slap the doorbell button that was a little too high for him, which was why Lin Yang, who was finally embracing the beauty, heard the bell sounding in fits and starts.

Fully dressed, Tang Yixue was the first to hurry to the door. She opened it and looked at the crowd of women outside, her expression twitching. A quick glance told her there were no fewer than fifteen of them, and she had not even counted the little figure.

Finding himself wedged in the middle, unable to advance or retreat, the little fellow roared in a high, indignant voice: “Who is it? You’re squashing me! Don’t you know adults should let children go first?”

Snap back to reality by that tender, adorable voice, the women immediately stepped aside and regarded Little Yu’s round little head peeking out from among a forest of elegant legs with amused smiles.

The child had always been absurdly unreliable, and his speech was no less unrestrained. Pushing his way out from the crowd, he looked at Tang Yixue’s lovely face, assumed the gentlemanly posture his father often used toward his mother, bowed slightly, swept his right hand in a half circle, and smiled in a babyish voice: “Big Beautiful Sister Yixue, the most, most, most adorable Little Yu has come to see you again.”

They nearly fell over laughing. At the sight of the little imp’s comical performance, the ladies bent over with laughter, all except Mrs. Wang, whose face had turned awkward and helpless. She truly had no way to handle this explosive little troublemaker at home.

Thump-thump-thump.

Lin Yang, having quickly dressed, came trotting over. Just as he reached the door, he was drawn by a burst of cheerful laughter. He quickened his steps to Tang Yixue’s side. Before he had even stood still and understood what was happening, the little fellow shot him an unhappy glare. Yet Lin Yang, already used to it, naturally reached out and took Tang Yixue’s delicate, boneless hand when he arrived beside her.

And so he drew the child’s jealous hostility for no reason at all.

At first glance, seeing a whole crowd of beautiful women at the door, Lin Yang could not help but have his eyes dazzled. Searching among them, he quickly spotted Mrs. Wang’s figure, then grinned and said, “Ha ha, Sister Qianxi really works fast.” As he spoke, he even raised a thumb in praise.

“You’re Doctor Lin?” asked one of the wealthy ladies standing in front, doubtful.

“Yes,” Lin Yang answered honestly.

“You’re far too young,” the woman said, adding another line with a face full of suspicion.

Lin Yang was speechless. What was that supposed to mean? Young, so what? Did age and medical skill have to be equal? Damn it, what was wrong with people these days, always wearing colored glasses? Still, since he had come asking for something, he naturally could not allow himself to be too willful. He stepped forward with a smile. “Heh, madam, that isn’t quite fair. Being young is a blessing, isn’t it? You should trust Mrs. Wang’s judgment.” As he said this, he pointed toward Mrs. Wang at his side.

“Hey, handsome boy, do you really have that miracle medicine that can beautify the skin, keep youth forever, and remove scars?” Before the wealthy lady who had raised the question could answer, another beautiful matron at the back impatiently pressed him for the answer, cutting straight to the point with a single, sharp question.