The prettier she became under Vikas' ministrations, the angrier she got.
Today's make-over was completely different from last time because that was directed towards getting one up against the conceited Wang Corporation Heir while this was solely for his own benefit.
Yue knows that no one else will be more beautiful than her best friend later but she did not appreciate that with DiDi's actions, she could take away Dong Xin's thunder.
She didn't want anyone fussing over her later.
They're supposed to fuss about Zhi Ting and Xin.
"Ms. Shen... no matter how good I am, I won't be able to turn you into goddess" Vikas complained loudly.
That snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked at the mirror. "What are you saying Vikas! I don't even recognize myself anymore! You are amazing!"
"Then why are you not happy?"
Yue had a very expressive face, Vikas would surely have seen how angry she was becoming.
She straightened the crease from her forehead and decided to lie. "Uhmmmm... maybe it's because I really just don't want to go to this dinner."
The beauty maven nodded in understanding as he continued to blow dry her hair. "But you have been invited and you said yes, didn't you?"
She nodded.
"Well... you need to go. You cannot give your ex the satisfaction of thinking that you cannot handle his engagement to another woman."
That made her smile.
Zhi Ting wasn't her ex and he would not care in the world at all if she didn't come later unless Xin worried about her absence, she told herself.
"He might be happier if I didn't come."
"I feel like he must be looking forward to it because he is excited to show you how happy he is. But when he sees you later, he will be angry at himself for letting you go."
If that was anywhere near the truth, Yue was sure it would have felt amazing.
But she loved Dong Xin and Gao Zhi Ting.
And despite her heart's treachery, she could only wish the both of them well.
Also, she could only fool Vikas into thinking that his words brought her comfort.
The man knows nothing.
He is but a pawn in this game Wang He Di is playing at with her.
The Wang Corporation Heir seems to be preparing for tonight.
And because he had "kidnapped" her without even letting her eat breakfast or take a bath, it was Vikas who had provided her with everything.
He had her take lunch first when she admitted to not having eaten anything at all – apparently a service the center also offers because she took her food in a posh dining hall and food was served by an in-house chef.
She was directed towards the bath house where assistants scrubbed every part of her body clean.
That's the first time another person had bathed her since she was five.
The beauty center had facilities not only to bathe their clients but to also provide them massages, facials, scrubs, waxes, hair treatments, nail care, and everything you could think of in pampering women.
Yue was not at all surprised to see a number of the women she met when DiDi took her to the Entrepreneur's Gala around and about the center.
She didn't have a watch with her, a phone, nor even her wallet but there was a clock in Vikas' salon and she saw that she and DiDi only had two hours to get themselves to the engagement dinner in Dongzhimen.
She already has the dress that DiDi bought for her on – nude in color with a white belt for an accent.
He brought her nude pumps too.
"Voila!" Vikas announced as he put finishing touches on her hair.
He spinned her chair around to help her stand up and assisted her in facing the floor-length mirror in the middle of his work space.
The full effect of the look had her stunned.
She looked so natural yet Yue knew that never in a thousand years would she look this "naturally" beautiful.
Her hair was cascading down her shoulders in soft waves, her face looked like it almost has no hint of make-up except for her cheeks that looked flushed just right and her lips that looked like they were ready to kiss someone.
The outfit was a mix of simplicity and elegance. The tone of the dress and her shoe made her legs look like they could go on for miles and no matter how much she hated the bastard who brought it for her, she would not deny his impeccable taste.
"WOW!" she exclaimed.
"Happy, Madame?" Vikas asked her, the smug smile on his face saying that even if she doesn't answer, he knows how awesome he is. The guy not only looked like a demi-god, he had cheek as well.
Yue momentarily forgot everything that was splitting her head into two and smiled at the stylist. "Thank you Vikas."
"That is more I like it Ms. Shen" he smiled back at her "Never forget that a woman's best accessory is always her smile."
She nodded and looked at herself in the mirror again.
She remembered what DiDi told her. "Most definitely not a loser" she thought to herself.
She felt her spirits lift.
Because of their situation, Yue won't admit it to him or to anyone else that when he arrived at the beauty center to pick her up, her breathe hitched at the sight of him.
She noticed everything.
His hair was parted to the left, he rolled his white sleeves up his arms, and had it tucked in black jeans.
He was casually gorgeous and real bad for any woman's heart.
Because of how furious she is with him, she has a tendency to sometimes forget that.
"Wear this" the handsome devil handed her a box as they sat in his car.
She raised a brow at him and saw a pair of pearl earrings.
"What is this?!?"
It was his turn to raise a brow at her. "Earrings."
She huffed. "I know. What I meant was why are you giving them to me?"
He maneuvered the car out of the parking lot. "For a writer, you are not always so articulate Ms. Shen. And I am giving you those earrings because you are not wearing earrings now."
Her hands immediately connected to her ears, giving truth to his words. Her forehead creased. "For someone who calls himself my enemy, you give me too many gifts."
He smiled. "You need to surround yourself with beautiful things that you can comfort yourself with when you finally agree to stop writing my sister's story."
She hated that he sounded so sure. "I will return them to you!"
"So, are you going to strip naked to give everything I gave you back to me? It's still quite early, Ms. Shen, and we're on the road. People in the car next to us might be scandalized."
She felt her cheeks heating up. "YOU WISH!" she blurted.
Wang He Di laughed. "No. I think you do."
This man's confidence can rival the height of Mt. Everest. "Let me off! I will go to the party all by myself!"
He laughed harder. "If you can stop being childish for one second, you might actually wear those pearls already so that people at the party won't think about why you could have forgotten to wear earrings. And then, of course, they would think next about what could you possibly be thinking about that made you forget all about your earrings and that would lead to a plethora of awkward questions that I do not think you want to answer."
"You think too much. People there won't even notice me."
"Ms. Shen, I hope you are not as naïve to think that the people you call your friends do not see that you are still in love with this Zhi Ting guy. I learned about your feelings for him because of one of them. I am sure they'll notice YOU later."
He had a point.
And she hated that it was a very good point.
However, it also made her consider whether she had just been oblivious to everything.
She had been evading thinking about it too deeply but facing all her friends in about an hour or two made her consider whether she had really fooled everyone into thinking that she was over Zhi Ting or whether she had only fooled herself into believing that that was what she did.
If what DiDi said is true, she has to do better and not let Dong Xin see her heartbroken over their engagement and soon-to-be wedding.
This was her best friend's night and Xin deserved all the happiness in the world.
Yue had accepted that a long long time ago.
It was time to make sure that everyone knew that.
It was critical.
She put on the pearl earrings.