The Female Lead of the Abusive Novel Can Hear My Heart's Voice - Chapter 34

After discussing with Sister Li, she decided to come tomorrow if she was free.

Xia Mucai went back and slept for a night. Thinking about how she had abandoned her coworker for a whole day made her feel a bit guilty.

She tossed and turned in bed, worried that if the Brown Bear handed out flyers alone in the hot weather, something might happen. There would be no one to look after her.

If she fainted on the roadside all alone, wouldn’t that be very dangerous?

Maybe she should take the Brown Bear along. Isn’t it normal for a model to have an assistant? Besides, she’d get to see what the Brown Bear looked like without the costume.

Yesterday, seeing the chin and lips already amazed her. The Brown Bear must be a great beauty.

Sister Li required her to arrive at the clothing store by 10 a.m. She set her alarm for 9 a.m. The morning sunshine was gentle, like a warming pad. Luckily, she wasn’t in the habit of oversleeping. She glanced at her phone, still sleepy, and got up.

When she arrived, she was surprised to find that the Brown Bear was already waiting at the clothing store so early.

Did she usually come this early? She thought they both handed out flyers in the afternoon.

A bit embarrassed, she stepped forward and said to Brown Bear, “How about not handing out flyers today and being my assistant for a day?”

Brown Bear was thinking, neither nodding nor shaking her head.

She seemed to be having a hard time deciding.

Xia Mucai said, “I’ll pay you, double… no, five times what you earn handing out flyers.”

Brown Bear shook her head.

She felt a bit disappointed. She couldn’t understand why someone wouldn’t want such a good job no need to wear that suffocating costume to hand out flyers. What was so bad about it?

And she was even offering five times the pay.

But Brown Bear shook her head again, as if telling her it wasn’t about the money.

Trying to understand, she asked, “You mean you don’t need so much money?”

Brown Bear nodded.

She patted Brown Bear’s shoulder. “Taking care of me is troublesome. You keep the money.”

“Don’t shake your head unless you say it yourself,” she said, pointing at Brown Bear’s lips. “I clearly heard you talk before you’re not mute.”

Brown Bear was visibly stunned, obviously not expecting her to remember.

She crossed her arms and winked at Brown Bear, “So, what’s it going to be?”

She expected Brown Bear to speak anxiously, but instead she just nodded blankly.

If she wasn’t speaking, was she imagining things?

“Alright, once my shoot is done, I’ll give you the money. Go change into your outfit—wearing that costume in this heat must be unbearable. You don’t have to hand out flyers today.”

Brown Bear didn’t move, standing as if rooted to the spot.

Xia Mucai looked at her for a while, then thought of something surprising. Pointing at Brown Bear, she said, “You don’t want to wear the costume all day, do you?”

Though she wouldn’t get sunburned, it must still be hot to wear it.

It’s like wearing a winter down jacket in over thirty-degree weather basically being steamed alive.

She wondered if Brown Bear was really human. Could she be a monster like her?

Brown Bear happily nodded. Because Xia Mucai guessed what she wanted to say, she nodded enthusiastically as if saying, “Yes, yes, I want to wear it all day.”

“You…” Xia Mucai wanted to say more but was interrupted by Sister Li.

“Brown Bear is coming too?”

She nodded, “Yes, I invited her to be my assistant.”

“Quite professional.”

She crossed her arms, raising her head proudly, “Of course.”

She had the aura of a rich young lady, but in a way that wasn’t unpleasant almost cute.

“With that attitude, are you planning to be my model forever?”

Xia Mucai: “Just for a day, only one day. Also, if you post my photos online, make sure to photoshop my face into a trendy pointed face so no one can recognize me.”

Her head got tapped; she yelped, holding the spot that was hit.

Sister Li: “You have a lot of demands.”

She hugged Sister Li’s arm, acting coquettishly, “Sister, is that not okay?”

The word “sister” felt very good to Sister Li, making her heart soften. She smiled, raising an eyebrow.

“If I said no, would you quit?”

“Hmm, maybe.”

“Alright, that would be a pity.” Sister Li changed the subject, “By the way, when did you two become inseparable like conjoined twins?”

Xia Mucai: “When you weren’t paying attention.”

Li Yuan thought about Brown Bear removing her headpiece yesterday—the cold and beautiful face underneath, yet dressed in a cute bear costume.

She couldn’t help but laugh until tears came out.

Xia Mucai thought Li Yuan was laughing at her and Brown Bear for being so close and waved her hand carelessly, “Laugh all you want.”

Only Xia Chi knew what Li Yuan was really laughing at because those eyes kept staring at her, blinking mysteriously.

She felt oddly irritated. What if Sister Li suddenly told Xia Mucai her true appearance?

Li Yuan wiped tears from her eyes, “Alright, alright, follow me, I’ll take you to the studio.”

The clothing store owner had her own photo studio. She studied fashion design in college and always dreamed of seeing models wearing her own designs, bringing her financial gain.

It was a win-win situation she was greedy for both fame and fortune.

A plain white sedan was parked nearby, filled with various clothes and camera lenses.

The studio was simply decorated, with a separate changing room and makeup table.

Xia Mucai had good skin and had light peach pink makeup applied first, looking sweet and lovely. Holding an oil-paper umbrella on her shoulder, she appeared like a just-transformed little demon, naive and unworldly.

With heavier makeup, she looked more charming, more seductive, and less human.

Xia Chi sat quietly in a corner of the studio, staring at Xia Mucai under the lights, mesmerized and unable to look away.

She wished time could stop like this, just letting her quietly watch.

But humans were greedy. She was satisfied for now but envied Xia Mucai and Li Yuan, who could speak freely without hiding their faces, basking in the sun.

So envious.

She silently kept watch, wanting Xia Mucai to know a little, but afraid that if she did, she would run away.

“Are you okay sitting here? You really don’t want to take off the costume?”

Xia Mucai had finished shooting and was taking a break. She saw Brown Bear sitting alone in the corner, looking pitiful.

Brown Bear looked at her dumbly, seemingly unaware of when she had approached.

She tried to hug the bear head but was immediately stopped.

Brown Bear looked at her warily. Though she didn’t speak, it seemed like she was telling her not to move or do anything.

She laughed awkwardly and withdrew her hands, feeling guilty and not daring to look at Brown Bear.

“You must be heat-stroked, why do you look so silly?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brown Bear shaking her head. She silently hoped she wasn’t angry.

Brown Bear seemed unwilling to let people see her real face. What did she look like?

Very curious, more and more curious.

Sister Li called them, and Xia Mucai responded.

She waved to Brown Bear and pointed to the photo area, “I’m going over.”

Brown Bear nodded.

She walked over and saw Li Yuan, recalling yesterday’s events.

If she remembered correctly, she had vaguely seen Brown Bear’s chin and lips when she removed the headpiece.

So Sister Li must have seen what Brown Bear really looked like.

Li Yuan didn’t seem busy and just called her over to touch up her makeup. Xia Mucai asked, “Does Sister Li know what Brown Bear looks like?”

The one doing her makeup was surprised, “You two are like conjoined twins now. What, she hasn’t shown you yet?”

She was very proud, as if boasting, “I saw half her face yesterday.”

Li Yuan chuckled and shot back, “Well, I saw her whole face yesterday.”

Xia Mucai excitedly asked, “What does she look like? Are her eyes big or small? Is her nose flat or high?”

“Heh, if you do another day of modeling for me, I’ll tell you.”

Truly the embodiment of “all business.”

“You…” Xia Mucai wanted to point at Li Yuan’s nose and ask how a person could be so greedy.

“If you’re unwilling, fine. Then wait for Brown Bear to tell you herself.”

Xia Mucai felt an itch in her heart as if a cat was scratching her inside. How could she wait for Brown Bear to tell her?

All her pride was tamed by Li Yuan.

Brown Bear made her fawn; she smiled, trying to coax Li Yuan, “Sister just tell me what she looks like?”

Li Yuan: “Little one, I’m not falling for that trick.”

“Stop it,” she said, tapping Xia Mucai’s head. “I said only if you agree to model for me another day, I’ll tell you.”

She didn’t know what was so attractive about this bear, but letting herself benefit was good.

Recalling the stunning scene yesterday, Brown Bear was indeed very pretty, quite a looker.

Xia Mucai hesitated, torn between curiosity and not wanting to sell herself so easily.

“Have you thought it over? Once you miss this village, there’s no other store.”

“I…” No longer hesitating, between curiosity and selling herself, she chose to sell herself.

“I agree.”

Li Yuan curled her lips in triumph.

“Her nose isn’t flat, her eyes aren’t small.”

Xia Mucai wanted more, grabbing her to ask, “And then?”

“She’s not ugly, maybe like some celebrity.”

Hearing Li Yuan say Brown Bear wasn’t ugly, Xia Mucai had already guessed it from just a blurred glimpse of half her face.

She nodded with the look of someone who knew everything, as if she had already seen that face.

“Alright, go call Brown Bear over, I’ll take a picture of you two.”

Li Yuan patted her out of her daydream.

Taking a photo together…

“Okay.”

She went to find Brown Bear and told her, “Sister Li said she wants to take a photo of us. Are you willing?”

Brown Bear, sitting against the wall on the floor, looked up, puzzled, not responding for a long time.

Maybe wondering if they would take pictures while she wore the bear costume?

Anyway, now she knew what Brown Bear looked like, so she wasn’t curious anymore.

She hurriedly explained, “You don’t have to take off the costume, just wear your bear suit.”

Brown Bear sighed in relief and slowly nodded in agreement.

For some reason, seeing Brown Bear nod made her very happy.