"Mr. Li, do you think this hairstyle is suitable?" Tang Song's expression was grim.
Li Wen hurriedly explained, "Don't get upset. Your hair texture is relatively soft, so it needs hair clay or wax to hold the style. Otherwise, it won't look right. Handsome, go wash your hair first, and I'll help you set it properly."
Hearing this, Tang Song breathed a slight sigh of relief, "Alright."
After washing his hair, he returned to the VIP room. Li Wen dried his hair, applied some hair clay to his scalp, carefully styled it to create volume, and finally used a setting spray to hold the style. It now looked a bit like it had been permed, and paired with his face shape, it was much more pleasing than before, at least not ugly.
Tang Song opened the system interface to check and saw that his charisma had returned to 25.
Seeing that Tang Song had calmed down, Li Wen enthusiastically said, "Your hair volume and hardness are indeed lacking. To achieve a good effect, you'll need to style it like this every day, which is time-consuming. I suggest you get a cushion perm; it will keep the volume for a long time, saving time and looking good. We have a promotion today, with a 20% discount on the perm, and if you add coloring, you can also enjoy..."
Before he could finish, Tang Song interrupted, "I have an urgent matter at noon. I have no time."
Li Wen awkwardly smiled, "Then come back when you have time. Please wait a moment; I'll call the eyebrow stylist for you."
Tang Song nodded without saying anything further. He had reasons to suspect that this hairstylist knew from the start that his hair texture couldn't support the style, aiming to upsell him on a perm and color treatment to make a good profit.
Zhao Yaqian was a newly hired beautician. Lacking experience and with average communication skills, she had struggled to find this job. Including the base salary, commissions, and performance bonuses, she earned about 4,000 yuan a month. Although not much, she saved on skincare and makeup expenses thanks to her job, which were her major monthly outlays.
Unexpectedly, within six months, the business faced operational difficulties and funding shortfalls, putting it at risk of closure. The boss owed her two months' salary. Her mentor, Sister Li, had already run off to a new job, leaving Zhao Yaqian as the mainstay of the "Yi Zi Beauty" salon. Business had been getting worse, and although she had sent out many resumes, she hadn't found a suitable new job. Facing this month's credit card bill and upcoming rent, Zhao Yaqian sighed, hoping the boss would keep his promise and pay her soon to give her some breathing room.
"Ding dong—" Her phone screen lit up.
[Mr. Li: "Yaqian, have you thought about it? I promised the same benefits, 15,000 yuan a month, including meals and accommodation."]
Seeing the message, Zhao Yaqian's brows furrowed instinctively. This Mr. Li was a regular at their salon, a seemingly respectable man in his thirties who was polite and a manager at a big company. After learning she was job hunting, he subtly hinted that he needed an assistant and invited her to apply.
At first, Zhao Yaqian didn't catch on and thought she had found a benefactor, even bragging to her girlfriends, hoping to become an office worker at a big company. It was only after her friends' warnings that she asked about the job requirements and benefits, realizing he intended to keep her as a mistress, attracted by her youth, beauty, and long legs.
Looking at the enticing message, Zhao Yaqian bit her lip and replied firmly, "Sorry, Mr. Li, I'm not suitable for that."
As she sent the message, Sister Lin's voice called from downstairs, "Qian Qian! There's a customer in VIP Room 2 who needs an eyebrow trim!"
Zhao Yaqian quickly got up, straightened her suit, grabbed her toolkit, and hurried over. Pushing open the door, she put on a professional smile and said, "Hello. I'm beautician Qian Qian. I'll be doing your eyebrow trim."
The customer was a young man around 25 or 26. Out of habit, she first assessed his skin condition. It was quite bad, a typical case of an oily-skinned guy with no skincare knowledge or habits—dull complexion, large pores, blackheads, pimples, and acne. Definitely a potential big client.
"Alright." Tang Song nodded, unable to resist glancing at the beautician a few times. She was the tallest woman he'd ever met, seemingly as tall as him. Her features were strikingly beautiful without being aggressive, giving off a very comfortable vibe. Her proportions were excellent, with long legs encased in black dress pants.
Zhao Yaqian seemed accustomed to such looks, her expression unchanged. She approached Tang Song, carefully examining his eyebrows. "Sir, your eyebrows are quite thick, but that means there's a lot of stray hair. I'll first shape your brows, then trim each hair to ensure you're satisfied."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. It's my job." Zhao Yaqian took out small scissors, a comb, and blades from her toolkit, lowering her head to start working. The faint scent of her perfume mixed with her natural fragrance filled Tang Song's nose, quickening his heartbeat, and his eyes kept drifting to her legs.
Full, shapely thighs and slender, straight calves—classic goblet legs. It was enough to make his blood boil. He had only seen such perfect legs online, and those were often enhanced. This was the first time I saw them in real life. His heart, wounded by the hairstylist's mishap, started to heal.
Just then, the system notification sounded.
"Ding! Congratulations, player. Your Little Red Book account has gained over 100 followers, unlocking the achievement [Moderate Fame] and earning a special item [Betting Agreement]."
Tang Song's heart skipped a beat. This was his first achievement, and it came with an item reward—absolutely significant!
"Sir, please don't move!" Zhao Yaqian exclaimed, quickly putting away the blade.
"Sorry, sorry!" Tang Song apologized profusely, his excitement making it hard to control his expression.
"Fortunately, you weren't hurt." Zhao Yaqian patted her chest, "I'll continue, but please stay still. Let me know if you feel uncomfortable."
"Okay!" Tang Song agreed, closing his eyes and summoning the light screen. He entered the system warehouse and saw the new item flashing white.
[Betting Agreement]: When used, it generates a betting event based on the player's current environment and mindset.
"What does 'betting event' mean?"
Driven by curiosity, Tang Song selected the [Betting Agreement] and used it.
[Generating betting event...]
[Participants: Tang Song, Zhao Yaqian]
[Betting Content: The progression of the relationship between player Tang Song and beautician Zhao Yaqian]
[Agreed Conditions:]
Within one hour, if the player successfully adds Zhao Yaqian on WeChat, the betting fund multiplies by 1.5. Failure results in the betting fund going to zero.
Within one week, if the player and Zhao Yaqian become friends, the betting fund multiplies by 3. Failure results in the betting fund going to zero.
Within one month, if the player gains Zhao Yaqian's favor, the betting fund multiplies by 6. Failure results in the betting fund going to zero.
[Enter betting amount: ____]
[Supplementary Clause 1: The player must not use deceit, coercion, or intimidation to accelerate the relationship's progress.]
[Supplementary Clause 2: Upon meeting any agreed condition, the player can terminate the Betting Agreement and claim the betting fund.]