C14 The Godly Makeup Technique

"Sister Leng... I just can't handle it anymore... Ugh... I overdid it with the Haagen-Dazs last night... my stomach hurts... I need the bathroom!" Mu Xiaoling clutched the wall, her face a ghostly shade of pale as she spoke into her phone with a sense of defeat.

She never imagined that her usually resilient self would be brought down by a mere pint of ice cream. It must have been expired; otherwise, her constitution could handle ten boxes of Haagen-Dazs without a hitch.

"Just take care of yourself and get better. Don't worry about things here; I've got it covered," Leng Huaping said, her voice filled with compassion upon hearing Mu Xiaoling's feeble tone.

After ending the call, Leng Huaping turned to face Zhang Zhen, who was barefaced and still looked half-asleep.

He looked even more disheveled than when he had come for dinner the other day.

With such a solid foundation, how could this man not know how to groom himself?

"Mr. Zhang, have you ever considered styling yourself? What kind of look do you think suits you?" Leng Huaping asked politely, steeling herself for the task ahead.

With no other choice, since the expert Mu Xiaoling was unavailable, she had to step in.

As a chef, Leng Huaping avoided makeup because it could interfere with the flavors of her dishes. Even a hint of fragrance could negatively impact her culinary creations.

Still, she was a woman and hoped she had at least a bit of a knack for makeup.

"Well, just do whatever you think is best. I don't usually wear much makeup," Zhang Zhen said with a shrug. He was adept at tactical camouflage, disguises, aristocratic looks, and even the elaborate face paint of Peking opera.

As the sole medic in the Night Serpent Special Forces, Zhang Zhen was well-versed in the art of disguise, often helping his team infiltrate enemy lines. But when it came to his own preferred style, he was at a loss.

Leng Huaping's face grew even more distressed.

Anything... This was shaping up to be the challenge of the century.

Should he opt for a breezy, sunny look or a dark, brooding one? He felt that a rugged, muscular appearance suited him, but perhaps a more formal look would be better for public events.

Zhang Zhen was set to promote Deep Alley, and if his image clashed with that of the restaurant, it could potentially backfire.

"Hmm... Let's add some powder to the forehead, a bit on the face, and some on the nose... Oh, why isn't the color right? Add more." Leng Huaping frantically dabbed at Zhang Zhen's face, turning his reflection into a colorful specter, leaving him torn between laughter and tears.

Was she trying to create art on his face?

"This is a disaster... What have I painted?" After over an hour, Zhang Zhen's ruggedly handsome and slightly nonchalant face had been utterly transformed into a nightmarish canvas.

Showing up to the challenge with this face would scare off not just potential customers, but the existing ones as well.

Deep Alley prided itself on a refined dining experience and exquisite cuisine, not on a spokesperson who courted attention with gimmicks. This was not the image Leng Huaping was looking for.

"Ms. Leng, it's already 10:30. Shouldn't we be heading out?" Zhang Zhen stood up, pointing to the time on his watch, questioning her.

He was unaware of any special plans Leng Huaping had and assumed the makeup was intentional, designed to draw eyes for the challenge.

At least in this getup, he wouldn't have to worry about being recognized.

"How can we leave looking like this?" Leng Huaping slumped in her chair, gazing at Zhang Zhen's face, which was too painful to look at directly.

Applying for a Guinness Record Challenge wasn't something you could do on a whim. Standing someone up could tarnish the entire restaurant's reputation.

Indeed... Leng Huaping should never have left Pearl City. As her father said, she was not cut out for business.

"Um, Ms. Leng, you didn't want this makeup? There's still time; I think I can do it myself." It was then that Zhang Zhen realized Leng Huaping hadn't botched the makeup on purpose.

But to end up looking this ghastly after a proper makeup session was a talent in its own right.

"Do you know how to apply makeup?!" Leng Huaping's eyes lit up with hope, and her voice rose with excitement.

"Just a bit," Zhang Zhen replied modestly, his expression unchanged.

"That's fine, makeup or not. If you can just wash off whatever that is on your face right now, I'll be more than happy!" Leng Huaping hurriedly added.

In a frantic hour, she had slathered Zhang Zhen's face with a thick layer of makeup, the kind that wouldn't easily come off with regular makeup remover, and any attempt to forcibly wipe it away would leave unsightly residue.

"Wash it off, you mean like this?" Zhang Zhen's right hand gently swept over his face, and in less than five seconds, his heavily made-up visage was replaced by a clean and strikingly handsome one.

"This..." Leng Huaping's eyes bulged in disbelief.

Normally, it would take over half an hour to remove regular makeup, and the kind of exaggerated look she had just created, akin to stage makeup, would take at least an hour to fully remove.

Yet, in under five seconds, Zhang Zhen had effortlessly wiped his face with his right hand, removing all traces of the thick makeup without leaving a single mark.

"Are you a magician? Or is that a mask you're wearing?" Leng Huaping stared at Zhang Zhen in amazement, full of praise for his incredible feat.

"Feel for yourself, it's definitely my real face," Zhang Zhen said with a smile, flashing a set of pearly white teeth.

"It's unbelievable! How did you do that?" Leng Huaping instinctively touched Zhang Zhen's face, feeling the rough and solid texture beneath her fingertips. Realizing the intimacy of her gesture, she quickly withdrew her hand, her cheeks tinged with a blush.

"Ms. Leng, we shouldn't dwell on that right now. We have less than an hour left. Have you decided on the makeup look you want?" Zhang Zhen preferred not to dwell on the subject of makeup, as it was a minor secret of the Night Serpent Special Forces.

Despite the disbandment of his unit, Zhang Zhen's military discipline remained ingrained.

"Oh, right! Could you do a fresh, youthful boyish look? Our Deep Lane is all about youth, vitality, and delicious cuisine. It would be ideal if you could complement Gray Rabbit's look," Leng Huaping quickly regained her composure and whispered her request.

"No problem," Zhang Zhen said with a snap of his fingers, a confident smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Mind if I borrow your makeup?"