Li Yǔ's POV
Bai Ze (storming in): Master!! I just got word about that place showing signs of opening so we might want to get prepared. I've already sent word to Bai... (Noticing me and stopping short.) Who's this??
It was right at this moment that the door burst open and a guy stormed in. Lì immediately jumped up and away from me and turned to the intruder, who, by the way, had such bad timing (I could barely see him get flustered). I didn't realize at first that I was glaring at the guy...
Lì (staring at the intruder for a while before replying (clearly still flustered)): Bai Ze... This is... um, that girl...
The man (Bai Ze, was it?) stared blankly, his eyes moving from Lì to me and back to Lì with a look of confusion before he seemed to realize what his master was implying. "What gi...??? Wait... The one who ran away???"
Me (snapping (still annoyed at this Bai Ze's barging in)): Hey!!! I didn't run away... I just realized how late it was and had to head back home... And I forgot to leave a note... But I did plan to come back to apologize!!!
Bai Ze (sarcastically): Ya, sure... A whole month later...
Yup, he's starting to piss me off. "I had things that needed to be settled."
Bai Ze (snorting): What would a little girly like you need to get settled... (storming up to me) And what makes you think that you can just walk in and out of here whenever you want?
Me (snapping back): I don't recall seeing your name anywhere in this forest!
Lì (interrupting): What was it that brought you here, Bai Ze??
Bai Ze (turning towards him): Right!! There are some fluctuations in that area, clearly signs that the place is going to open soon... I've already sent word to Bai Zou and he'll meet us there.
Me (curious): What place?
Lì: Well, sometimes there are some fluctuations in places where the qi is overwhelming, which causes a rip and a portal of sorts to open... And at the other end, there are usually treasures and useful stuff we can find, even rare beasts... However, it doesn't stay open long so we usually...
Bai Ze: I don't think it's best to tell her about that, master... She could be a spy. You can't just blindly trust someone like her...
Me (starting to get angry again): 'She' is standing right in front of you and can hear everything you say, you know...
Bai Ze (annoyed): Maybe I want 'her' to hear it and shoo off... After all, you are not welcome here... So shoo (making that motion with his hand)...
Me (wishing so badly for my riptide): Ya, well 'she' feels that you should lighten up and stop acting as if you own the world!!!
Lì: Maybe both 'he' and 'she' should calm down and become friends... Anyway, we have more important stuff to discuss...
Me (huffing and turning to Lì (showing my best puppy dog eyes)): Take me with you!!! It sounds fun!!!
Bai Ze (immediately): Absolutely not, it's too dangerous for little girls like you to go prancing around to places like that as though you are going to a party...
Me: I don't recall asking you... I asked your master, so why don't be a good little servant and back off and stop making decisions for him!!!
I don't know how it happened but at some point, we were standing nose to nose, glaring at each other. Well, not exactly nose-to-nose, since I was so much shorter than him, which only infuriated me even more because that condescending ass was looking down on me! We both whip our faces towards Lì at the same time, exclaiming at the same time "MASTER!!!/ LÌ!!!!"
Lì (backing up): Well... Actually... I think Bai Ze is right on this...
I pout but back off immediately as another idea forms in my head, "Okay...".
Lì (raising an eye): Why'd you back off so quickly???
Me (smirking): Well... If you don't bring me, I'll just follow you there... No biggy...
Bai Ze (snorting): You really think you could keep up with us?? Why don't you run along back to your mommy...
Me (ooh that struck a chord): You wanna try me, punk??!!!
Bai Ze (coming face to face again): You won't be able to handle...
Lì (having enough): Alright, both of you stop with this childishness!!!
Bai Ze/ Me: She/he started it!!! (Glaring at each other)
Lì: STOP!!! Let's just go... And you (pointing at me (causing me to pout again)) stay...
Bai Ze: But master... We can't just go like that... What if your enemies are there and they recognize us??? If they know we are after any valuable treasures, they will try to nab it before us...
Lì (sighing): Well... It's not like I can become a completely different person, right??
Me (thinking before smirking): I might be able to help you with that...
Bai Ze (snorting (he sure snorts a lot, like a pig)): You??? (With a criticizing look) what can you do???
Me: Hey, it ain't me who needs a solution... Believe it if you want. And it's not like I gain anything from lying to you... But if I do solve your problem, then you have to take me along...
Lì (thinking): Alright... I agree... If you can turn me into a completely different person, I'll take you along.
Bai Ze (shocked): Master... You can't be ser...??
Lì (interrupting him): However if you can't, then you have to promise not to follow behind...
Bai Ze (snorting): How do we even know if she will keep her word???
Me (nodding my head): I promise... I am a ma... woman of my word... But there are a few things I'm going to need from you...
Bai Ze (annoyed): Like what???
Me (smirking): Well, you to leave for one...
Bai Ze (immediately): I'm not going to leave my master with you... Who knows what witchcraft you used on him to make him comply with you so far...
Me (rolling my eyes): Ohh, relax... It's just that my methods are secret and no one else knows how to use them... You can wait outside for me to make your mouth drop with the result... As for the other thing, I need Lì to be blindfolded. As I said, you cannot see my methods. How much time do I have???
Bai Ze: About an hour or two at most...
Me (thinking about all the things I'd need to do): Okay, I should have enough time... I need you to get me a towel, two buckets of lukewarm water, a stool...
Bai Ze (suspiciously): Why???
Me (looking Lì up and down): To change his hair color... I think he'd look good in black hair, do you??? We'll make it straight; maybe just adjust the bangs in the front. He'd look good right???
Bai Ze (trying to imagine it): He would, wouldn't he???
Me: Yes... If there were more time, I'd have changed your skin color to a different shade but black hair and a fair complexion aren't bad at all... Ohh... Maybe jet black hair (to myself (thinking about my past look))...
Bai Ze (surprised): You can change his skin color???
Me (smirking): Impressed??? Yes, I could but two hours is way too little for a full change so I guess I'll just do his face and hands and we can just hide everything else under his clothing... So I think changing the hair color and style should do the trick and also my secret trump card...
Lì (uncomfortable with the attention): I suddenly want you both to go back to arguing with each other...
Me (clapping my hands): Well, no time, no time... Get the stuff and you can stay outside the cabin till I'm done... Ohh, and if you have some expensive quality clothing, prepare that... Chop, Chop...
Bai Ze left after grumbling for a while and returned in fifteen minutes, along with two servants carrying the bucket of water. They looked surprised at seeing me but did not comment, placed the water and other stuff, and left along with Bai Ze. I had stepped out for a few minutes as he changed and then went back in. I could sense Bai Ze standing beyond the closed door...
I remember, before the arrival of Xander, we had a truth or dare game and I lost and had to take a make-over by the Aphrodite cabin. When I looked in the mirror I was shocked at the stranger looking back at me, they did not use any magic, just modern tools. I had been interested in the art of changing appearances so I had them teach me and personally touched and felt all the make-up tools used, making it easy for me to create them now...
I had Lì sit on the stool and blindfolded him with a strip of cloth that had been brought. I summoned a black hair dye and a silicone, fair face mask that can be attached to just the face and not the whole head. Since he was blindfolded, I explained what I was doing, "I'm going to wet your hair and apply a paste that I made that can change the color.", and began the process... I placed a towel around him to avoid staining his clothes, tilted his head backward, wet his hair, and applied the dye carefully from top to bottom, I was careful to not miss any strands. It took about thirty minutes to completely dye his long hair.
Me (doing some final touches to the hair): Okay... I need to leave it alone for an hour. So I'll start with your face and hands, it won't take all that much time...
Lì (curiously): How do you know all this??
Me: Well, I'm not loved by my family and they've never bothered about me so when I was bored I'd try out stuff like this. I learned it all from a few experts who I had met ...
Lì: Can I take off the blindfold??
Me (immediately): NO!!! I have to do it for myself too...
Lì: Yourself??? Why???
Me: Well, in case I meet someone I know, it's better to be safe than sorry... And it's fun to become someone different... And also imagine Bai Ze's face when I walk out (smirking)...
I had no intention of wasting time using the same method on myself, but it would be weird if I suddenly looked different without doing anything... I used the mist to change my appearance a couple of times, while we were waiting until I found one that I liked and looked nothing like Li Yǔ...
An hour later, I rinsed off his hair and the color had set beautifully. I removed his blindfold after he promised to keep his eyes closed. It took barely fifteen minutes (an hour and forty-five minutes in total) to finish him up and as a final touch, I drew a design on his forehead and then stepped back to view my handiwork...
Me (impressed with myself): Wow... You look absolutely yummy. And to think I thought you couldn't look any more handsome... I am so proud of myself...
I could see him blush and open his eyes and watch as he gasped at my new look and stuttered, making me smirk. I used boots with heels, which were hidden under the clothes I summoned, which made me look way taller than I actually was and also made my breasts a bit bigger (suitable for a 20-ish-year-old as opposed to my fourteen-year-old body). I was roughly at his shoulders. I placed my hands into the bag and brought out a face mirror and showed him his face.
Lì (shocked): Y. You look beautiful... Nothing like how you did...
Me (smirking): So do you... So I guess I'm tagging along...
Lì: I guess you are... But wow, I didn't think you'd be able to do it...
Me (acting hurt (placing my right hand near my heart): Ouch... I thought at least you would have some faith in me...