As time was running short, the two quickly headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. However, Xu Ze’s appetite surprised Luozi. Normally, Xu Ze would eat at least five large shaomai (steamed buns) and two bowls of porridge, but today, he only had four shaomai and a bowl of soup, as if he’d returned to his old eating habits.
Luozi reached out and felt Xu Ze’s forehead. “Kid, did you catch a cold from washing your bedding last night? Why are you eating so little? With your usual appetite, plus the energy you must’ve burned last night and this morning’s run, you should be eating more than this.”
“Uh…” Xu Ze didn’t know how to respond and simply said, “I was in a bad mood those days, so I ate more. Today, I’m feeling better…”
“Oh…” Luozi seemed to accept this explanation and didn’t press further.
After breakfast, the two strolled to the classroom. Today’s imaging class was a small session, so it was mostly familiar faces.
As soon as Xu Ze walked in, someone noticed something different about him. Li Yan, a female classmate who usually got along well with Xu Ze, suddenly lit up and approached him. Without hesitation, she stared at him and giggled, “Xu Ze, did you use BB cream today? Or foundation? Your skin looks amazing!”
“Huh? Really? Xu Ze, you look so handsome today! What brand of skincare are you using? The effect is incredible! Tell us!” Other girls nearby also noticed Xu Ze’s noticeably improved complexion and eagerly crowded around him.
Sweating nervously, Xu Ze saw more and more curious female classmates gathering around, with even some male classmates glancing over. He quickly shook his head. “No, no, absolutely not! I’m a guy. Why would I use skincare? I swear I didn’t!”
“No? That’s impossible!” Li Yan tilted her head and leaned in closer to inspect Xu Ze’s face. A faint, alluring fragrance wafted into Xu Ze’s nose, and her proximity made his face turn red.
“Huh? It really doesn’t look like makeup. It’s so natural!” Li Yan’s eyes were filled with amazement and envy. “Xu Ze, what brand are you using? The effect is so good. Tell us!”
“Yeah, tell us, tell us!” The other girls chimed in, their eyes shining with curiosity.
“…” Xu Ze wiped his sweat and quickly pulled Luozi, who was standing outside the circle of girls, to shield him. “I really didn’t use anything. Really… ask Luozi if you don’t believe me!”
Seeing Luozi standing like a wall in front of Xu Ze, Li Yan’s eyes lit up. “Oh? Right, Luozi! You’re his roommate. Tell us, what brand of skincare is Xu Ze using?”
“Huh? Skincare?” Luozi, still confused, scratched his head after being questioned several times and finally said honestly, “Skincare… uh… we have a bottle of Dabao SOD Honey in our dorm. Xu Ze uses it sometimes.”
“Dabao SOD Honey?” The girls exchanged puzzled glances before someone finally remembered what it was and exclaimed, “You mean that ‘Dabao Every Day’ stuff?”
“What? That thing that costs a few bucks a bottle?” Li Yan asked in disbelief.
Luozi quickly corrected her, “No!”
“No? Then which one is it?” The girls, who had initially dismissed the idea, suddenly perked up and pressed Luozi for answers.
Offended by the girls’ disdain for their dorm’s standards, Luozi angrily retorted, “It’s not a few bucks. It cost us eleven yuan when we bought it!”
“Pfft…” The girls collectively scoffed, utterly unimpressed by Luozi’s simplistic explanation.