NOVPUBThe term "beauty packet" was something Lou Yun learned in the group chat.
Other members who managed to grab a red packet containing beauty would post a message saying, "Thanks for the beauty packet," which likely carried the same meaning as the usual "Thanks for the red packet" in ordinary group chats.
The group chat was automatically anonymous, with only aliases displayed, which put Lou Yun at ease—no one could discover her real identity.
Soon, a group member replied to Lou Yun’s message.
【Beauty No. 6】: "A beauty packet is naturally exchanged with beauty. Welcome, newcomer—Fair Lady No. 9."
Beauty No. 6 was the one who had previously posted about "a slender waist."
She explained that beauty was something to be exchanged—shared and swapped among members. By clicking on the red packet, one could see what they were capable of sharing. The beauty one possessed could be gifted to others.
Lou Yun realized that the trial cards she had obtained were shared by these group members—beauties who had contributed parts of their own allure.
As she had guessed, only those who reached the "Beauty" tier could share seven-day trial cards.
Being a "Fair Lady" herself, Lou Yun found that every one of her facial features could be shared for others to experience.
【Fair Lady No. 9】: "I understand sharing beauty, but what do you mean by 'exchange'?"
Lou Yun was quick to pick up on the nuance in wording.
【Beauty No. 6】: "Isn’t it simple? Say I admire your cloud-like hair, and you fancy my sword-like eyebrows. If we both agree, we can swap them. But unlike sharing, an exchange means you permanently lose what you traded away. You’ll fully possess the new beauty you’ve acquired."
Lou Yun grasped the concept, but Beauty No. 6’s example implied a one-to-one trade—wouldn’t that leave her without hair? Swapping eyebrows for eyebrows or lips for lips seemed more reasonable.
She voiced her doubts—was there a way to have the best of both worlds? And what exactly distinguished the tiers of beauty?
【Beauty No. 6】: "The tiers are based on the degree of beauty, of course."
【Beauty No. 6】: "Those with poorer natural endowments who struggle to trade for higher-tier beauty can turn to the group admin. Help the admin collect 'beauty,' and in return, you can redeem beauty from them."
Beauty No. 6 tagged the admin, and Lou Yun entered a private chat.
This interface was slightly different from the group chat.
Lou Yun felt that the admin of this beauty red packet group was akin to the shopkeeper of the "Dimensional Convenience Store"—both engaged in equivalent exchanges, each taking what they needed.
In the dimensional store, she wasn’t the only customer.
And in the beauty red packet group, she was merely one among many "Fair Ladies."
Lou Yun was certain she was blessed by fate.
She could draw inspiration from different dimensions at the store, and through the red packet group, she could enhance her own beauty.
The admin’s pursuit of "beauty" aligned with Lou Yun’s understanding—or more accurately, it was a collection.
The admin, a self-proclaimed connoisseur of beauty, sought to gather all kinds of allure, which resonated with Lou Yun.
Though she didn’t know what kind of extraordinary being the admin was, Lou Yun learned that once she collected enough "beauty" and handed it over, it would become permanent—no longer just a limited-time trial.
The more she gathered, the more she could redeem from the admin’s "Beauty Vault," with higher membership tiers unlocking greater access.
In short, the higher her rank, the more options she’d have.
Generously, the admin temporarily granted Lou Yun—still just a "Fair Lady"—access to the Beauty Vault.
【Distant Mountain Brows】【Dark Eyebrows】【Sword-Like Brows and Starry Eyes】【Thick Brows and Big Eyes】【Oval Face】【Beauty’s Peak】【Willow Waist】…
Every part of the human body, from head to toe, was cataloged—even combinations like "eyebrow-and-eye sets."
Inside the Beauty Vault, Lou Yun faced a human model, free to mix and match these beautiful features to sculpt her ideal face.
The sheer variety left her dazzled, but the admin had only granted her a one-day trial.
She couldn’t take the beauty with her—this was merely a preview, allowing her to design a face she desired and calculate how much "beauty" she’d need to redeem it.
With time running out, Lou Yun adjusted repeatedly, only to find that many of her chosen "beauty assets" required higher tiers to unlock.
Determined to achieve her dream appearance, Lou Yun embarked on her quest to collect "beauty."
As a rising fashion designer in Xia Country, she was surrounded by models and beauties.
Collecting "beauty" wasn’t difficult—she simply had to photograph the qualifying features of those around her and submit them to the admin.
After review, the vault would credit her with beauty points.
Normal people couldn’t become beautiful overnight—cosmetic surgery required gradual procedures, and aesthetic treatments demanded constant upkeep.
But Lou Yun was brimming with anticipation, planning to redeem her beauty piece by piece.
She started with her eyebrows and eyes. Abroad, foreigners struggled to distinguish Asian features, and even acquaintances could be told she’d gotten eyebrow tattoos, eyelash extensions, or double eyelid surgery.
Changing her waist or collarbone? Easy—blame it on fitness, Pilates, or weight loss.
Her nose and chin? Rhinoplasty or bone shaving—common procedures. Even if facial recognition systems flagged her, she could boldly declare, "I had plastic surgery."
Lou Yun didn’t know how quickly other group members collected beauty or how they avoided suspicion.
For her, it was an unparalleled advantage, and her gathering speed was astonishing.
Hand models, leg models, foot models, lip models… she found them all with ease. One by one, she redeemed new eyes, a nose, and lips.
But soon, something went wrong.
The beauties she’d photographed began meeting with misfortunes—a hand model’s hands severed, a lip model’s lips cut off, a leg model losing sensation in her legs…
Some died; others wished they had.
Lou Yun realized something was terribly wrong, but it was almost too late.
She stopped collecting, too afraid to report it. Practicing a police station visit in front of the mirror, she found her new lips wouldn’t obey her.
In early May, a male classmate from high school suddenly arrived in Europe. Stunned by her appearance, he paled and left abruptly.
He said, "Lou Yun, you’re you—how did you become like this?"
Only later did she learn that this barely acquainted classmate had fled his wedding, boarding a flight to Europe on the ceremony day.
Lou Yun didn’t care about his motives, but his arrival reminded her—staying abroad, with rumors swirling, made collecting beauty too risky.
She decided to return home.
As a designer who had made a name for herself internationally, Lou Yun quickly received inquiries after announcing her plans to return to China.
Having been away for so long, Lou Yun didn’t act rashly. Her mind drifted between clarity and confusion, and when she was in that muddled state, her lips would utter words beyond her control.
There really are so many beauties back home.
She went through the onboarding process, had all her furniture shipped back from overseas, and spent over two months settling in—all while undergoing training for her university position.
Lou Yun hadn’t even begun her new "hunt for beauty" when the long-disappeared wooden door of the convenience store reappeared before her eyes.
It had been nearly half a year since she last saw that door. She had assumed the store had been pushed out by the rise of group chats and digital red envelopes! But it seemed fate had other plans.
Overcome with excitement, Lou Yun stepped inside, forgetting for a moment whether her absence—and the changes in her—might raise the shopkeeper’s suspicions.
She couldn’t wait to see what new items might spark her inspiration.
Her gaze lingered on the shopkeeper, her eyes tracing the contours of their face.
The shopkeeper’s face… was beautiful.
And the other two customers—they seemed like beauties too.
Especially the woman in the embroidered luo silk dress, though veiled, her hands were exquisite.
The other pair of clasped hands—also lovely.
Even without seeing their faces, her instincts told her they must meet her exacting standards of beauty.
"Excuse me, could we get acquainted later?" Lou Yun heard her own mouth blurt out uncontrollably.
She wanted to clamp it shut—but it simply wouldn’t obey.
