CHAPTER 836: CHAPTER 834: TRULY GETTING NERVOUS

Though Ye Xinyan had already agreed to Zhou Biyao in her heart, she refused to relent verbally.

She raised her chin and glared at Zhou Biyao, saying, "No way! If I make you look pretty, how can anyone see my beauty?"

Poof... Zhou Biyao and the attendants in the room instantly turned to stone.

Zhou Biyao felt even more heartache, unable to speak for a while. How miserable must her life be to get along with someone like this? She must be blind, right?

Seeing Zhou Biyao’s sulky face, Ye Xinyan finally found some joy, as if she was getting some payback for the embarrassment of being caught that day.

It wasn’t just Zhou Biyao who was entranced by Ye Xinyan’s makeup; all the young ladies and wives from different families who came to offer congratulations were equally captivated.

Beauty has always been the relentless pursuit of women throughout the ages. Observing the once-not-so-distinguished fierce woman—no, fierce lady—who now looked graceful, more beautiful and gentle than usual, made other young ladies and young wives restless.

In one corner of the Duke An’s Mansion Flower Hall, seven or eight young women gathered and quietly discussed.

A young lady enthusiastically said to her friends nearby, "Hey, hey, hey, don’t you think she looks much better today? Her eyes are especially lively and bright, her appearance so soft. I think it’s all about her makeup technique. I wonder how she made her eyes look so big and bright."

Another young lady immediately chimed in, "I saw it, too. Not only are her eyes bigger and more lively, but her lips are exceptionally full. I’ve never seen a bride so radiant."

"Listen to me; I just overheard two bridal matrons talking, saying she did her makeup herself. Do you think if we ask her how to achieve such beautiful makeup, she’d tell us?" A young wife spoke excitedly.

"I don’t think she would, at least not today. Didn’t you notice that even Zhou Biyao and her cousins from the Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion were surprised by her appearance, but didn’t ask?"

"True, it’s indeed not the right time to ask now. So how about we wait until after she gets married and can go out? We could host a gathering, invite her, and ask her then. In front of everyone, she might not refuse and lose face, right?"

A young woman scoffed, "That’s not necessarily true; Ye Xinyan always speaks and acts without concern for face."

The young lady who spoke first stomped her foot, as if making a decision, said, "We must try, what if she’s willing to tell us?" She shot a reproachful glance at the others, "Do you know this is a big deal!"

Some women were originally thinking that if the Ye Family girls were invited to any gathering, they would have to seriously consider whether to attend, to avoid causing trouble for themselves or their families.

But after hearing the young lady speak so reasonably, they thought, too, if it could make their appearance more beautiful, causing a little trouble wouldn’t be a big deal, right?

The young lady and young women discussed this important matter. Ye Xinyan, having nothing to do at the moment, also pondered how to help the young ladies of this era with something.

Her visit here couldn’t be so selfish, only thinking about making money and living a carefree life. She also had to do some good within her abilities for the young ladies of this era.

She looked at Zhou Biyao’s long eyelashes and mused over rouge and powder, which she wasn’t skilled at, but perhaps trying an eyelash curler? This was her forte.

Making the young ladies’ lashes curl beautifully could really make their eyes sparkle, captivating their husbands.

She wanted to show the world that Ye Xinyan not only excelled in engineering and mechanics but was also skilled in women’s makeup, contributing to the ladies of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Yes, surely it would work. An eyelash curler is a simple gadget with no technical challenge; as long as she mentioned it to her grandfather, he could make it in his spare time.

Once the first one was made, others would be easier. She could even refrain from profiting off this, making ten or eight of them, selecting pleasant young ladies to give them away, and many would imitate it.

Creating an extra touch of beauty for the ladies was such a good deed. Surely, this appealed to beauty-loving young ladies.

Ye Xinyan thought about it and didn’t keep it to herself, immediately discussing with Zhou Biyao about whether this could be sketched out—at least giving Qi Younian a visual concept.

Later, several cousins from the Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion joined the beauty discussion.

Ye Xinyan occasionally explained how certain eyebrow shapes appeared gentle, while others looked sharp. ...The area beneath the brow bone must be enhanced. ...Although the cheeks and chin look similar in color, some transitional shading is needed.

Ye Xinyan occasionally interjected in their discussions, prompting the women to seriously observe Ye Xinyan’s face, gaining some insights.

Zhou Biyao’s admiration for Ye Xinyan at this time was greater than when she chased after Ye Xinyan in Clear Water Village, watching her create construction diagrams and assemble pulleys.

"Sister Qi, I’ve noticed you don’t use much makeup and thought you didn’t know about these things. But you were actually hiding your skills; if you wanted, you could be a stunning beauty at any moment," Zhou Biyao’s eyes shone like stars.

Yin Yuanfang was a bit perplexed, "Cousin, you’ve had nothing to do before, why not make yourself a bit prettier? If you possess such makeup skills, those young ladies wouldn’t be so antagonistic towards you."

Ye Xinyan, hearing this, was quite pleased and even glared at Zhou Biyao; look how well Yuanfang spoke, saying it’s even prettier. Unlike you, Zhou Biyao, always claiming it’s just makeup making me look pretty.

Zhou Biyao didn’t understand what happened. She had just praised Sister Qi so much, yet she was glared at. Is there any reasoning here?

Ye Xinyan explained to Yin Yuanfang, "Since it’s winter, it’s not easy to sweat; doing these things for formal occasions is okay. But if I fuss over my appearance regularly, constantly guarding against sweat and doing touch-ups, it would be too troublesome. It’s still convenient to be bare-faced or lightly made up."

The fixing effect of rouge and powder in this era is too poor; if dressed like she is now, a hot day with lots of activity and some sweat, a beautiful young lady would turn into a smudged face.

The Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion comes from a military background; though her cousins don’t learn martial arts, they possess a certain competence. Zhou Biyao also wants to be self-reliant, realizing her self-worth. Even though they wish to be prettier, they don’t pursue extreme beauty like ordinary ladies.

Ye Xinyan’s explanation made them nod repeatedly.

During this, it wasn’t clear if Ye Yuan sensed something from the adults’ conversation. Although he was playing with Qi Jiaer, he occasionally glanced at the bridal chamber.

The little guy would sometimes just peek from the door and then run off again. Sometimes he would enter the room, lean on the wooden bed’s edge, smile at Ye Xinyan, and pull Qi Jiaer along for a moment’s babbling.

Ye Xinyan really liked such children; she felt this child hadn’t been led astray, looking adorably plump. Much cuter than Ye Yi, who grew up being carried around.

This wasn’t just Ye Xinyan’s personal preference; many who visited Ye Xinyan’s boudoir to say hello liked the little guy if they encountered him.

......

Whether ancient or modern, getting married is an exhausting affair. But Ye Xinyan remembered Jiang Yifan’s words, anyway, as bridal matrons and several women were always by her side, followed by matchmakers later.

Someone would remind her how to proceed, allowing her to relax without worrying about the step-by-step formalities.

Thus, while chatting with a few close friends and sisters, she followed the women’s reminders, sipping tea and snacking occasionally. She endured until the outside started bustling, announcing the arrival of the groom, then Ye Xinyan truly felt nervous.