The sound of the fingers that tapped on the wooden table echoed through the room, „Boring.." muttered Li Xue as she rested her head on her other arm.

She glanced one more time towards the door but no signs of costumers were there, only people who would keep an eye to her newly opened shop. They were intrigued by her unusually decorated store, which held numerous products that were made from grasses and weird stuff so countless rumors were spread on the streets.

There was this particular woman in her mid-thirties which was standing on the middle of the street and gossiping about the place with her friends, she had long hair and a dull face, which caused her to be forgotten the moment she is introduced to someone.

As Li Xue thought about her, an idea popped in her mind. She jumped from her seat and ran towards the woman. „Woman do you want me to make you pretty as you never have been before," Li Xue said to her as she was catching her breath, she took the woman's hands and held them together.

The woman furrowed her eyebrows and released her hands from Xue's grip, "That's absurd, I am pretty already, what can you do more.." she laughed in a scoffing way and her friends joined her.

„If I don't succeed in making you even prettier then I will pay you thousands of gold," Li Xue stated.

The woman pondered as she brought her hand to her chin, „I don't have anything to lose, l will accept your proposal," she said as she shrugged her shoulders.

Xue smiled widely, „Bring me a chair, Bai Zheng." To which he responded immediately, and hurried to the shop.

The people gathered around them, somewhere pushing the others so they could see better, they about what will Li Xue do to the woman whom she made sit on the chair, what wicked thing she planned to do.

Xue ordered five servants to hold the items she told them to get, and called for them one after another. She first started with a moisturizer that was perfect for the woman's skin which was neither fattening and thin.

She dabbed the moisturizer on her cheeks, forehead, and her chin, and then she spread it around the rest of her face slowly. Xue let it soak in for a minute or two and then proceeded with the powder foundation which was made from minerals using a brush. She blended it well till the middle of her neck so the foundation wouldn't be recognized.

Then Li Xue got the mascara which was custom made by several stick brushes turned to one, she soaked in the black composition and coated the woman's eyelashes slowly, she wiggled the product on her lashes to enhance them and make them curly.

When she was done with her eyelashes, Xue took the blush powder in order to liven up her features, and for the end, she took the red liquid lipstick which was in a small box and she dabbed a small amount with her finger and proceeded to tint the woman's lips making a gradient color which varied from red to fading light pink.

Li Xue finished her job as she put on the last product back to the tray the servant was holding, she looked at the woman's face and cheered up as the results were amazing.

Now the woman looked as if she was in her twenties, with her glowing face, mesmerizing plump lips and long eyelashes that complimented her gleamy round eyes. 

When the residents saw the transformation of this woman they didn't even spare a minute and jolted towards the shop to buy the products. From that day and on, the streets would be filled with costumers that would wait in rows to get into the shop and buy the goods.

„That was really unbelievable, how can a common woman become so beautiful," Bai Zheng whispered to Li Xue as they head back to her office which was located upstairs the shop.

„That is the power of makeup my sweetheart, there are some people that makeup makes them prettier but there are some people that get greedy to make themselves beautiful even though they don't need makeup, only to get uglier," Xue explained as she stretched her arms from tiredness.

Bai Zheng scrunched his face as he found that absurd, "How can get uglier by makeup.."

„Oh trust me, everything is possible." Xue smirked, "I'll draw you big moles on your face and you will see," she addressed while she took out of her purse that was tied on her dress a black ink and a brush and turned towards Bai Zheng.

He tensed and grabbed her hands, „What are you doing?".

Li Xue giggled, "Making you ugly." She tried to release herself from his grip, but her hands slipped and she got the ink on her face. When Bai Zheng saw her he started to laugh and released her hands. Xue saw this opportunity and drew on his face as much she could as payback, she cackled at his hilarious sight.

Bai Zheng got vexed and threw Li Xue over his shoulder, „Let me down you ugly man," Xue punched his back.

„You played enough today, Princess." He replied in a scoffing matter and slapped her ass. Her face flushed red from embarrassment, she held his shirt with her hands and hid her face on his back.

At that moment a piercing pain came from her lower stomach, „Let me down Bai Zheng, I'm not feeling well," Xue said breathy.

Bai Zheng removed his hand from her legs and noticed a trace of blood, „What is this blood," he put Xue immediately. He was so worried and looked at Li Xue to see if she has any opened wound, he turned her around to see where is the source.

Li Xue wrinkled her forehead, Is it possible that my period came, she thought.

„Bai Zheng can you call me a servant girl, I need some cloth and a change of dress." Xue pleaded him.

Zheng got freaked out, „Who hurt you, how could I not notice the spy?" he shouted as he put his hands on his head.

„No one hurt me," Xue explained with a lifeless smile as if her soul was snatched away. Ah this man, he doesn't understand, does he... She thought.

„Then why are you bleeding?" Bai Zheng questioned and glanced towards her with confusion.

„I got my period, honey," She explained.

„Oh," was all that came from his mouth. Now he realized how carried away he was that he got stupid enough to not get her secret message, which made her say the actual thing.

Period was kind of taboo to be mentioned in this era especially if it's a girl whom she tells to a man that she is not wedded to. It's like signaling their lovers that they are not clean to do love with them.

„I'm sorry, I'll call the servants," he bowed in embarrassment while bitting his lower lip and left the room in a hurry.

Li Xue was not aware of the taboos of this era but she was shy to mention the menstruation because it remained as her habit. A habit that she never told to anyone not even her mother because she considered it a private thing.

After some minutes the servants rushed in with period cloth and changes of clothes, they helped her dress up and took the unclean clothes after she finished the business at the toilet.

When she was done, Li Xue took a deep breath out and left the office. She was worried as what would Bai Zheng would feel, is he still embarrassed, she thought that men hate this kind of thing and don't want to talk about it and would find this sort of thing preposterous.

In order to ease the mood, at the sight of endless costumers that were visiting the shop she got an idea to prepare a banquet for her achievements and called Bai Zheng to come at her side, to which call Zheng replied later than usual. „Yes, my Lady?"

„Prepare the manor for the day after tomorrow, we will hold a banquet for the opening of the shop." She ordered.

„Hold on my child," woman's voice came from the entrance of the shop.

Li Xue turned towards the woman who was wearing extravagant purple dress with pink  exquisite ornaments on her head, it was no other than her Step Mother who came with several maids and guards by her side.

„You have your Mother now, I will help you to prepare this banquet even better. This is a matter for women, not men." She clarified as she fanned herself with a white fan where birds were drawn on.

Li Xue was surprised with her Mother's sudden offer, what is this woman's plan, poison me or sell me off.. she thought. But then reached a conclusion that she will let her do what she wants and see what she has planned. Who knows, maybe she wants to marry her daughters to good families that's why she wants to take the banquet on her hands; Xue shrugged.

„Alright then, you are on charge. There better not be any mistakes, " Xue said with a warning tone, she brushed past her Mother and left the shop.

„We will see..." The Step Mother said, as she removed the fan from her face and revealed her wicked smile.