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Chapter 2

After finishing her breakfast, Zhan Yiran returned to her room.

Recalling the incident at the dining hall earlier, she couldn't help but touch her own head.

Just now, just now... that woman stroked her hair and even said she had a resolute personality.

For the first time in her life, someone praised her.

Everyone else always said she was a spoiled brat, disdaining her and saying she took advantage of her family's wealth to do as she pleased.

Even her mother disliked her, and her older brother was always lecturing her.

Zhan Yiran walked up to the mirror, where a red-haired girl with heavy smoky makeup and clothes covered in studs like a porcupine was reflected.

Looking at her appearance, Zhan Yiran suddenly became enraged.

She angrily kicked over a chair.

That woman Gu Nanyan must have been deceiving her. How could that woman truly praise her sincerely? She was so unsightly and annoying that no one could like her!

Gu Nanyan was just trying to curry favor with her, hoping to gain a foothold in the Zhan family through her.

A flicker of anger flashed in Zhan Yiran's eyes.

Hmph, she wouldn't let that woman Gu Nanyan have her way. She would go and tear off her hypocritical mask.

With that thought, Zhan Yiran violently mussed her hair to make herself look like a madwoman, then applied heavier smoky makeup to her face.

After that, she stormed off to find Gu Nanyan.

Zhan Yiran assumed Gu Nanyan would be gloating in her room, boasting about marrying into the Gu family.

However, when Zhan Yiran arrived, she found that Gu Nanyan was not in the bedroom, but in the small study.

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Zhan Yiran snuck into the small study.

There she saw a slender, resolute figure holding a brush, painting something on paper.

Zhan Yiran thought Gu Nanyan was just pretending to be cultured. Hmph, that third-rate small-town celebrity who grew up in the countryside couldn't possibly understand calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting.

But as Zhan Yiran approached and saw the painting on the table, she was utterly stunned.

A majestic landscape sprang to life from Gu Nanyan's brushstrokes, unfolding grandly before her eyes.

It was too astonishing!

Zhan Yiran nearly couldn't breathe.

She had always disliked traditional Chinese painting, finding it too bland, always emphasizing "capturing the spirit" which Zhan Yiran couldn't comprehend at all.

Yet at this moment, Zhan Yiran felt the profound grandeur of traditional Chinese painting.

It was so beautiful that she was dumbstruck.

Gu Nanyan noticed Zhan Yiran's arrival but didn't acknowledge her, highly focused on her work and seeing it through to completion. Only after putting down her brush did she turn towards Zhan Yiran.

And then she saw a cat-like face.

Gu Nanyan paused, stunned.

Zhan Yiran noticed Gu Nanyan's astonishment and suddenly felt a pang of bitterness.

Gu Nanyan must be disdaining her!

She knew it – Gu Nanyan was just pretending. She didn't truly praise her sincerely.

A sense of vengeful pleasure welled up in Zhan Yiran's heart. She deliberately tilted her head up, displaying her heavy smoky makeup to Gu Nanyan, intending to shock her.

But not only did Gu Nanyan show no fear or aversion, she didn't even turn her head away in disgust. Instead, she gazed at Zhan Yiran in astonishment: "What kind of makeup is this? So bold and vibrant!"

As the Princess of Zhenguo of the Great Qi dynasty, Gu Nanyan was seeing this modern style of makeup for the first time.

Zhan Yiran instinctively answered, "This is called smoky makeup."

"What a fitting name," Gu Nanyan praised. "It's like smoke swirling around, or the deep night. Very special, and very suitable for you."

Zhan Yiran was completely stunned, unsure of what to do as she touched her own face. "Don't you think I look awful? Don't you think this kind of makeup is vulgar?"

"Why would I think that?" Gu Nanyan seemed puzzled. "Makeup itself is not at fault. Why call it vulgar? This unique way of expression is bold and special."

As she spoke, Gu Nanyan picked up a brush, dipped it in some color, and lightly applied a few strokes to Zhan Yiran's face.

Zhan Yiran's originally messy, disorganized makeup suddenly became dazzling and eye-catching, taking on an air of aloof pride.

Gu Nanyan put down the brush, admiring Zhan Yiran's makeup with great satisfaction. "It suits you very well."

Zhan Yiran fell silent, walking up to the mirror and quietly gazing at her own reflection.

The reflection was still her, but a different version of her.

No longer a hedgehog-like appearance, but transformed into a cloud leopard.

Still distinct from others, but powerful and beautiful.

Zhan Yiran's eyes reddened as she clenched her fists tightly.

Summoning all her courage, she asked one word at a time, "Why don't you dislike me? I don't do well in school, I have a bad personality, I'm arrogant and defiant. Every day I wear this ugly makeup. Everyone dislikes me and looks down on me, thinking I'm a waste."

"No one looks down on you except yourself," Gu Nanyan's tone was calm. "A weak wolf fears being isolated, but a powerful tiger always walks alone. Why do you care what others think of you?

As long as you become strong, others will admire you instead, and they'll be the ones concerned with how you view them."

As the Princess of Zhenguo of the Great Qi dynasty, Gu Nanyan had always been alone.

But she didn't feel lonely, nor did she care what others thought of her.

She fought on battlefields and guarded the borders.

She employed capable officials and benefited the common people.

She was the unmatched Princess of Zhenguo.

Everyone hoped to be noticed by her, to be valued by her, to be rewarded by her.

Her standards were the true standards.

Gu Nanyan lifted her eyelids slightly. Her demeanor was serene, but the gaze flickering in the shadows held the aura of one who looked down upon the entire world.

"Little brat," she stroked Zhan Yiran's head again. "The color of your hair is beautiful, like the sunset glow. How did you achieve this?"

Although Gu Nanyan had the memories of the original soul, they were only general impressions. She was largely unfamiliar with the details of modern society.

"You know nothing," Zhan Yiran let out an arrogant huff, but didn't avoid Gu Nanyan's touch. In fact, to make it easier for Gu Nanyan to stroke her head, she even leaned her head into Gu Nanyan's palm.

"It's very simple. Just go to a hair salon and have Tony dye your hair the color you like."

Hair salon? Tony?

Gu Nanyan slowly searched through the original soul's memories. Ah, a hair salon was a place where people had their hair cut.

In this era, there were no rules about only one's parents being allowed to cut one's hair.

This society was very liberal – women could do whatever they wanted, even cutting their hair short.

It was an era of gender equality.

Gu Nanyan liked this place.

After their conversation, the ink on the painting on the table had dried.

Gu Nanyan instructed Zhan Yiran to have the painting framed and hung on the wall.

Gu Nanyan liked this era, but she did not like the Zhan family.

Their aesthetic sense was too poor; the paintings hanging on the walls were too ugly.

Gu Nanyan's aesthetic taste was at the level of painting saints and immortals. Her private collection contained works by Wu Daozi and Gu Kaizhi.

Just now, she had asked the butler to hang a painting by Wu Daozi, but the butler was aghast, saying that Wu Daozi was a painting saint and that collections of such caliber were housed in museums; the Zhan family did not possess any.

This Zhan family's cultural foundation was too lacking; they could not even produce a passable painting.

Gu Nanyan had no choice but to paint one herself.