DYUTVOBGA Chapter 92

Three girls stood in the innermost corner of the elevator against the wall, heads bowed as they played on their phones, occasionally glancing up at the three boys standing near the elevator door.

They watched as one of them pressed the button for the 16th floor and heard the other boy wearing a black two-piece hoodie ask, “There’s no mistake, right? 1604?”

His voice, muffled by the mask, was deep and somewhat husky, exuding a lazy, unhurried quality. A voice of such quality, if encountered in an online romance, would be the typical sound of a “scumbag voice”.

The one in the floral shirt in the middle hummed in acknowledgment, and then they fell silent.

More messages popped up one after another in the group chat.

Despite their outwardly quiet and elegant appearances, the two girls were quite unrestrained in their dormitory chat group, boldly speculating about the identities of those three handsome boys.

Excellent body proportions, outstanding temperament, excellent posture, a pleasant voice… With all these boxes ticked, even though they all wore masks, one couldn’t help but firmly believe the assumption that they must be good-looking.

Humans are always full of curiosity and a desire to probe beautiful things, and under the general principle of attraction between opposite sexes, encountering handsome strangers during a journey is clearly an interesting matter.

But Wei Man wasn’t speaking in the group. She absentmindedly scrolled through the group chat messages, watching her roommates chat fervently, egging each other on to go ask for contact information.

Primarily, it was Mi Tong who wanted to; Mo Fan had a fairly high immunity to handsome guys and required a certain extraordinary level of handsomeness to pique her interest.

As she looked, Wei Man’s gaze unconsciously drifted away from her phone screen, subtly shifting to the back of the boy standing diagonally in front of her.

She was still very curious about this floral-shirt guy, not just because of the aura of a top-tier handsome guy that seemed to surround him, but more importantly, she felt he looked somewhat familiar.

Wei Man couldn’t figure out where this faint sense of familiarity came from, as if she had just met this floral-shirt guy not long ago.

But if she had seen this type of person in real life, she should have been impressed enough to remember him for a long time.

Wei Man racked her brains but still couldn’t recall anything conclusive.

And while she was reminiscing, she didn’t realize she had been unconsciously staring at that back.

And because she was staring too openly, the boy in the floral shirt tilted his head slightly, the eyes hidden behind the sunglasses glancing briefly at the girl’s face.

Wei Man happened to meet that fleeting gaze and suddenly snapped back to reality. She felt like the eyes behind the lenses were very bright, seemingly flashing with an unusual color.

Continuously staring at a stranger is quite impolite, and being caught red-handed would be even more embarrassing.

Normally, Wei Man should have looked away the moment she was discovered peeking. But in that instant of eye contact, she found courage from somewhere. Driven by that faint sense of familiarity, she ended up staring even more brazenly.

The girl’s eyes were large, dark, and bright, her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if pondering some unsolvable mystery.

She was carrying a grayish-white backpack with a butterfly-shaped acrylic pendant on the zipper. Shades of green blended into each other, and countless small butterflies clustered around a string of English words…

“Quentin@butterflies”

The boy noticed these details and was slightly taken aback. There was no visible change in expression on the face covered by the mask, but the muscles of his cheek tugged the mask upward slightly. Wei Man guessed he might have smiled.

Was it… laughing at her for staring so intently?

Wei Man didn’t think so. The next second, the other party gave her a slight, silent nod in greeting, then turned his head away, no longer paying attention to her.

It was very polite and well-mannered, quite different from the flamboyant, rebellious impression his clothing gave. There was a kind of calm composure that broke through the clothing style, something ingrained in his bones.

Her phone kept vibrating as new messages flooded the entire screen.

[Mi Tong]: Xiao Man, don’t stare at him so obviously. If you’re really interested, just take the initiative and ask for his number!

[Mo Fan]: You two are quite in sync, you both like the floral shirt guy in the middle. But I always feel these three might be quite young, maybe even younger than us?

[Mi Tong]: Makes sense. It would be awkward if after all this discussion, it turns out they’re underage high school students. [Scratches head]

[Mi Tong]: But it probably won’t come to that. At most, they’re our age. High school students don’t give off this vibe; they seem more like college students with money and free time.

[Mo Fan]: I estimate Xiao Man has the highest probability of success if she asks for his number. He didn’t show any negative reaction when he noticed you staring, and he even smiled.

[Wei Man]: I just feel he looks a bit familiar…

Wei Man typed out a line hesitantly. Just as she sent it, the elevator dinged, and the doors slid open on both sides.

The 16th floor had arrived. Wei Man and her friends lived on a higher floor, so they could only watch helplessly as the backs of the three boys exited the elevator.

After the elevator doors closed, Mi Tong finally spoke regretfully, “See, hesitation leads to defeat.”

Mo Fan didn’t feel much about it. She turned to look at Wei Man, “Xiao Man, you just said you felt that floral-shirt guy looked familiar?”

“…Mm.” Wei Man nodded. “He feels like someone I’ve seen recently, or maybe I saw him online?”

Mi Tong stroked her chin, “So not a model, but an internet celebrity? Possibly. Internet celebrities make a lot of money too. He might be a rich second-generation, looks-based influencer.”

Handsome and rich boys can easily become minor internet celebrities; just posting a few photos can make their follower count skyrocket.

“Familiar…” Mo Fan pondered for a moment, then slowly said, “Actually, I also feel he is a bit familiar.”

Mi Tong sighed helplessly, “If we go by that, I feel like all handsome guys in the world look familiar. They all just boil down to broad shoulders, long legs, and a high nose bridge.”

They chatted casually. Soon, the elevator reached their corresponding floor, and the topic of conversation naturally shifted from the handsome strangers they encountered to today’s travel plans.

Meanwhile, the “floral-shirt” guy the three girls were preoccupied with took off his sunglasses after entering room 1604, revealing a pair of half-open, half-closed eyes that looked like he hadn’t fully woken up.

His golden eyelashes hung softly, and in the dim, unlit room, a hint of faint green light glinted from beneath his eyelids.

Quentin yawned. The boy standing beside him reached out and slid the key card into the slot on the wall.

The lights suddenly blazed on, and the bright white light made him squint, his pupils glistening slightly with moisture.

Yan Qiao strode directly into the room, his voice coming from inside at a distance.

“It really is a double room. There’s only one bed. Come take a look.”

Cheng Shaozhi, who had just finished inserting the card, took off his backpack and carried it as he walked inside. He glanced at the 230×232 cm bed while placing his bag on the TV console.

He estimated the bed’s size, “This bed… It’s a bit small for three people.”

“It’s indeed a bit small. It might be okay for two adults and a child.” Yan Qiao knelt on one knee by the bed, bent over, and lifted the comforter. Seeing the two pillows arranged at the head of the bed, he said, “Huh? Only two pillows, and only one blanket. What do we do?”

Quentin slowly walked in and casually placed his sunglasses on the nightstand. He opened the nearby wardrobe, “There are extra blankets here, although a bit small. They’re pillows too. Should I take them all out?”

As he spoke, he bent down to pull out the blanket stored at the bottom of the wardrobe. Cheng Shaozhi, who was standing by the TV console, instinctively walked over, reached out to pick up the pillows, and gently tossed them onto the bed.

The three boys spent about ten minutes fussing over this bed. Even though there were extra blankets in the wardrobe, there were still only two in total.

Cheng Shaozhi suggested asking the hotel for an extra blanket, but Yan Qiao felt it was unnecessary. Two blankets should be enough.

“I don’t feel cold when sleeping at night. I can share a blanket with someone. Just give me a corner of it then.”

When he said this, he unconsciously raised an eyebrow, one corner of his mouth lifting along with it. His relatively dark lip color contrasted with the glimpse of very white teeth when he smiled.

With this naturally charming face and kneeling on one knee by the bed, any words he said seemed frivolous.

Meanwhile, Quentin, who had been helping to spread the blanket, had both knees on the edge of the bed. Too lazy to take off his shoes, the lower half of his calves were hanging off the edge. His worn, loose-fitting, gray-blue jeans tightened slightly at the bend of his knees with his movements.

Cheng Shaozhi stood at the foot of the bed organizing things from his backpack. After hearing Quentin’s words, he zipped it up, about to place it back on the console. But when he looked up at the other two, he suddenly paused.

He heard Yan Qiao’s reply, then looked back and forth at the two people on either side of the bed, inexplicably feeling… was he perhaps a bit superfluous here?

‘What nonsense am I thinking,’ Cheng Shaozhi shook his head and said, “Let’s go to the next room for makeup and styling. I’m already done here.”

Room 1605 was originally also a king bed room, but the production team had removed the bedding and laid a layer of hard plastic sheeting on the bed.

Makeup and tools were neatly spread out on top, and three makeup artists were busily working in the room.

The slightly ajar door was pushed open from outside. The makeup artist turned her head, saw Quentin and the other two standing at the doorway, and smiled, “You’re here early. You’re the fastest.”

Yan Qiao lazily replied, “We’re staying next door. We’re close.”

The makeup artist beckoned them, “Come change clothes first. Your group’s outfits are over here. They’re a bit tricky to put on. If there are parts you don’t know how to handle, leave them and come out for Xiao Liu to help.”

Xiao Liu was standing by a rack of clothes. She quickly glanced at Quentin, then deftly took three sets of clothes from the rack, handing them one by one to the boys walking over.

Quentin recognized this young makeup artist as the girl who had touched up his makeup backstage during the last performance.

When she secretly glanced his way a second time, he nodded at her, “What a coincidence, we meet again.”

“Yes, what a coincidence…” Xiao Liu stammered slightly, then quickly composed her expression. “Quentin, these are your clothes. Change into them first, then we’ll add the accessories.”

An elegant Hanfu in a deep, rich shade of red and made of excellent fabric was handed over to Quentin. Nestled within was also a thin, gauze cloak.

Quentin weighed the clothes draped over his arm and roughly estimated them to weigh around 6-7 pounds.

All three makeup artists were female, so the three boys had to squeeze into the bathroom together to change.

Whether it was Quentin, who had lived abroad since childhood, or Yan Qiao and Cheng Shaozhi, who had grown up domestically until nineteen, none of them had any experience wearing Hanfu.

They took off their shirts, lowered their heads to fumble through putting on each layer of the garment, then helped each other adjust the lapels, waistbands, and cuffs.

Perhaps to fit the Halloween ghost and monster theme, these three sets of Hanfu all featured embroidered patterns of intertwined flowers and flowing water. The makeup artist explained they were “Red Spider Lily” and “Yellow River Water” from the underworld.

Quentin’s set consisted of the deep red Hanfu and a black gauze cape. The lapels and sash used black as the base color, with light gold embroidery thread outlining neatly arranged fret patterns.

The makeup artist tied a red cord and a string of copper coins around his waist one after another, and the golden tassels slowly hung down. If he were to put on the wig, he would look exactly like a young nobleman from an aristocratic family stepping out of a novel.

On the other side, Yan Qiao and Cheng Shaozhi were also dressed quite elegantly.

They walked out of the bathroom, one in black, one in white.

The pure black Hanfu had shimmering silver patterns, with intricate flower branches entwined together. Chains of varying lengths wound around their waists, with sun and moon-shaped metal pendants hanging from the ends.

With this outfit, Yan Qiao’s looks and temperament blended perfectly, actually giving off a wanton, unrestrained, and somewhat wicked aura.

Standing next to Cheng Shaozhi, who was dressed in pure white, looking ethereal and otherworldly, the contrast was even more striking.

“Ahh, I knew these three outfits would suit you perfectly. Come on, put on these props and then we’ll start putting on the wigs,” the makeup artist exclaimed, her eyes curving into crescent moons as she took three items wrapped in protective film from the wardrobe and unwrapped them in front of the three boys.

Upon seeing what was inside the packaging, the expressions of the three boys changed in different ways.

Quentin tilted his head, looking slightly surprised.

Cheng Shaozhi subconsciously frowned, but soon seemed to understand, and his brow relaxed.

Yan Qiao, on the other hand, wore an “I knew it” expression. Unable to bear looking directly, he lowered his head, raising a hand to support his forehead.

Three large, fluffy tails in red, black, and white colors were being placed steadily on the bed by the makeup artist. With their cloud-like fluffiness, width, and the slightly upturned tail tips, they were clearly not cat or dog tails. Most likely, they were…

“Fox tails?”

Quentin blinked, “So we three are cosplaying fox spirits?”

The makeup artist beamed, “Bingo! Correct!”

Hehe, what young nobleman, great demon, or banished immortal, actually, you’re three fox spirits.

And there were not just tails, but matching ears as well.

All the inspiration came from these three young trainees’ “Lust.” When the production team first saw the short video submitted by these three, their initial reaction was:

Tsk tsk, where did these male fox spirits come from?

The three of them conveyed three different vibes while performing, yet they all had one common point: seductive.

Frank and natural seduction, deliberately teasing seduction, aloof and subtle seduction…anyway, it was all about seduction. How else could they be called fox spirits?

Xiao Liu held the red fox tail and helped Quentin secure it to the small of his back. The black gauze cape draped lightly over the tail like a cloud. The upturned tail tip peeked out from beneath the hem, swaying gently as Quentin walked, giving one an inexplicable urge to reach out and grab it.

The red of the tail was not the same as the red of the clothes. The fur of a red fox is a reddish hue with orange undertones, burning like a fierce fire under the sunset.

Quentin’s wig was also a similar orange-red, braided into thick rope-like braids with floral branches. It was pulled loosely, and stray hairs floated lightly and naturally. The soft braid resembled a second tail, winding from the nape of his neck over his left shoulder and casually rested on his chest, the ends reaching his waist and hips.

Emerald green eyes, fiery red long hair…the boy reflected in the mirror had a cold, detached expression, yet, because of the fox ears on his head, it contrasted to highlight a non-human allure.

Since they didn’t need to remove their masks, the makeup artist only applied a thin layer of sunscreen on them.

The fanged demon mask was quite ferocious and bizarre. In the director’s view, the more ferocious the mask, the more it accentuated the superior temperaments of the three fox spirits.

*

“Eh? I saw someone say on a forum that there’s an on-site makeup artist specializing in cosplay makeup at the Four Seasons Hotel taking orders. Is it true or not…”

Mi Tong sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her two roommates at the vanity on the other side. “Should I go out and look, see if I can find one?”

Mo Fan was applying makeup in front of the mirror. She casually said, “Are you sure the Four Seasons Hotel mentioned online is the one we’re at?”

“It should be. The original poster’s IP address is in Yanhai. Her previous post said she was going to Lulin Ancient Town for a random dance challenge. The hotel closest to Lulin Ancient Town is the one we’re in.”

As she spoke, Mi Tong stood up and headed out. “You guys keep doing your makeup. I’ll go look outside. Maybe I can find one. Booking a specialist is more reliable than getting makeup done on-site at the scenic area.”

Their room was on the 23rd floor, and Mi Tong planned to go ask at the front desk on the first floor to see if she could find out anything.

She stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the 1st floor.

The elevator doors closed. Not even a few seconds passed before it stopped on the 18th floor.

The sounds of young people laughing and chatting came from outside the gradually opening elevator doors.

Several boys, all dressed quite meticulously, stood outside. Each wore a mask, except for one who had his mask pulled down to his chin, revealing a face that wasn’t exceptionally handsome but pleasant enough.

They noticed Mi Tong standing in the elevator, but their conversation didn’t pause.

Only the boy not wearing his mask properly instinctively covered his face slightly. However, he saw the girl with black-framed glasses retreat to the corner of the elevator, her gaze casually sweeping over his face without a moment’s pause.

The boy didn’t know if he had been recognized. His ranking in the “NS” voting wasn’t high, and he wasn’t popular, so he probably shouldn’t be exposed. But he hesitated for two seconds before obediently putting his mask back on.

“It’s almost noon now. Are we going to Lulin Ancient Town to eat later?”

“Probably. We’ll have to eat in town if we want to go to the ancient town early. If not, we’ll find a restaurant near the hotel.”

“But we have to go get our makeup done now. Are we supposed to eat wearing wigs and Hanfu? It’s too conspicuous.”

“Hmm… That’s true too. We won’t be too conspicuous if we go to Lulin Ancient Town. There are many tourists cosplaying ghosts and monsters today. I saw several witches and ghosts when we entered the hotel earlier.”

“Earlier, they said the makeup was in room 1605, right? I wonder if it’s crowded now. I hope it’s not like before where we had to queue.”

“We’ll definitely have to queue. But we should be among the earliest batch. I heard only three makeup artists came this time.”

Starting from when she heard them talk about makeup, Mi Tong had been secretly pricking up her ears to eavesdrop.

There were too many people opposite, and they were chatting happily. She felt too shy to interrupt and ask, only muttering to herself inwardly: “Room 1605 is the makeup room? Is this the room with the specialist mentioned on the forum?… They actually have three makeup artists; three is a lot. Queuing here is definitely faster than at the scenic area.”

She watched as this group of boys jostled and exited the elevator on the 16th floor. After the elevator doors closed, she quickly stepped forward and pressed the button for the 15th floor. Then, from the 15th-floor stairwell, she scurried back up to the 16th floor.

It was practically like being a thief…

Mi Tong emerged from the stairwell and followed the room numbers one by one. She hadn’t walked far before noticing a murmuring sound of conversation coming from the corridor ahead. The volume was not loud, as if muffled by a door.

She quickened her steps and saw the wooden door marked 1605 slightly ajar. Through the crack, she could see at least over ten people crowded inside, creating a noisy bustle.

‘Found it!’

Mi Tong clenched her fist and cheered inwardly. Then she raised her hand, knocked on the door, peeked in, and politely asked, “Excuse me, is this the place for Halloween cosplay makeup?”

As soon as she peeked in, everyone in the room turned to look at her in unison.

Even the makeup artist busy adjusting a “customer’s” wig paused, looking at her with surprise. “…You are?”

Mi Tong didn’t pay attention to what the boys in the room looked like. She only focused on the makeup artist, pushed her black-framed glasses up, and smiled obediently.

“Hello, Big Sister. I’m a tourist here for the Lulin Ancient Town Halloween Carnival. I saw on a forum that someone said there’s a specialist taking orders on-site at the Four Seasons Hotel. Is this the place?”

The makeup artist understood. She glanced at the trainees frantically putting on masks around her, inwardly amused. Her gaze towards the girl at the door also softened.

She shook her head, “I’m sorry, we are the official makeup team for the Carnival random dance challenge, specifically doing makeup for staff. You’ve come to the wrong place. You can go ask the front desk downstairs.”

After hearing the first half of the sentence, Mi Tong knew she had misunderstood.

She sighed disappointedly in her heart, politely thanked them, and was about to close the door and leave when her gaze unconsciously drifted to the braid the makeup artist was lightly holding.

Following the braid downward, she saw a fox tail hidden beneath a black cloak.

“Such exquisite styling… As expected of the official team, they’re really willing to spend money,” she mused inwardly and subconsciously looked toward the mirror on the makeup table.

From the angle at the door, she could just see a tilted half of the mirror.

In the mirror’s surface, the boy with fiery red hair had his head tilted, and the blurred half of his face fell into Mi Tong’s line of sight from a distance.

She faintly saw a sharp, angular profile. The eyebrow and eye area were blocked by the makeup artist standing next to him. The lower half of his face had lips of a relatively light color, with an exceptionally delicate shape.

‘It’s a bit familiar…’

‘No, not just a bit…it’s very familiar!’

Mi Tong stood outside room 1605, staring blankly at the door she had just closed, lost in thought.

A moment later, she gulped, suppressing the sound of her rapid heartbeat. Lowering her head, she quickly took out her phone, her hands trembling as she typed.

[Mi Tong]: @everyone @everyone @everyone!! Do you know what “NS” has been recording lately?!