Makeover of Beauty

I spent half a month traveling with my dream guy, sharing meals and accommodations, thinking he might have feelings for me.

Until he patted my chest and sighed, "If I had a sister, I'd set you up with her."

Me: ??!!!?

I was devastated to realize that my dream guy mistook me, with my short hair, braces, and baggy shorts, for a boy.

Three years later, I met him again at university.

He was the popular campus heartthrob, and I was the pigtail-wearing girl secretly in love with him.

I knew he definitely didn't recognize me.

(The feisty girl with a strong personality X the campus king who can't handle sweet girls)

1

Ever since I heard Sean would be playing in the afternoon basketball game, I started planning my outfit three days in advance.

Pigtails, a Japanese schoolgirl uniform, and glitter makeup. I was so eye-catching that my roommate Baylee refused to walk with me.

"It's just a friendly inter-department game.

Isn't this a bit over the top?" she complained from two steps behind me. "If he makes it to the nationals, then you can dress like this to cheer him on."

I ran back, tugging at her sleeve, whispering, "It's not that I don't have faith in Sean's basketball skills.

What if he's just a pretty face and actually terrible at playing?

Then this might be my only chance!"

Just as I finished speaking, a group of people in red and white jerseys passed by us.

The one in front stopped, turned around, and looked at me. "Were you talking about me?"

It was Sean?!

My mind went blank as I watched him walk closer, standing in front of me, looking down with a sharp gaze.

"Nice outfit."

His eyes were cold and piercing, his jawline sharp, and his lips pressed into a thin line, clearly not pleased.

"I really don't want to upset a pretty girl, so maybe you should..."

"Sorry!"

I quickly bowed and apologized before he could finish, then grabbed Baylee and ran off.

My heart was still racing as I excitedly asked her, "Did you hear that?

He called me pretty!"

"I didn't hear that," Baylee mercilessly burst my bubble. "All I saw was his look, like he was ready to punch you."

I pouted, whispering, "Sean wouldn't dare hit me."

But honestly, I wasn't so sure.

After all, he didn't seem to recognize me at all.

2

The first time I met Sean was in a youth travel group when I was fifteen.

Being small and skinny, I was often bullied by boys, so when I hit puberty, I stubbornly tried to shed my feminine traits.

I even cut my hair short and dressed like a boy.

There wasn't a single dress in my wardrobe.

On the plane, by chance, I ended up sitting next to Sean.

He was the complete opposite of me. At sixteen, he was already nearly six feet tall, with striking features that stood out among a group of acne-covered boys. He was every girl's dream guy.

What was even more infuriating was that Sean, who was cold to others, was incredibly gentle with me. He even brought breakfast to my room when I overslept.

"You should eat breakfast on time," he said with a smile, ruffling my hair. "Otherwise, I'm afraid you won't grow taller."

I was deeply moved and naturally assumed he had feelings for me too.

Until that afternoon.

As the sun set, on our way back to the airport, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked me up and down.

My heart raced, and scenes from countless romantic dramas flashed through my mind. Sean's handsome face came closer, stopping just short of touching mine.

He sighed, "It's a pity I don't have a sister."

I was dumbfounded.

"Wha... what do you mean?"

"I thought of you as a brother," he said with a helpless shake of his head, then punched me lightly on my flat chest.

"If I had a sister, maybe you two could end up together when she grows up."

It was a bolt from the blue.

Sean had always seen me as a buddy and even tried to make me his future brother-in-law.

After leaving the summer camp, I started growing my hair, wearing dresses, and spent three years transforming myself into a sweet, soft-spoken girl.

I never expected to run into Sean again in college.

He was a year ahead of me, taller than before, over six feet three, with short hair and a cold, fierce gaze.

Baylee said he was the notorious campus king at A University, known for fighting, overflowing with hormones, and had many admirers, though he never accepted any.

She said this while I stood in the corner of the auditorium, watching Sean and his friends pass by.

My heartbeat told me he was still my dream guy.

3

When Baylee and I arrived at the basketball court, we found it already surrounded by people.

The most eye-catching was Emilee, the campus beauty from the neighboring Illuminate Media University.

She was a tall, elegant beauty with French curls, a burgundy dress, and a stunning figure.

Just standing there, she was the center of attention without saying a word.

The onlookers whispered, "I heard Sean has liked Emilee for a long time. She promised him that if he wins this basketball game, she'll be his girlfriend."

My heart skipped a beat.

Another onlooker shared their gossip, "No way, isn't it said that Sean doesn't like girls at all?"

My heart skipped two beats.

As they spoke, Sean and his friends entered the court.

Compared to when he was sixteen, his expressionless face now looked even fiercer. During a break, he lifted his shirt to wipe his sweat, revealing a clear eight-pack under the sun.

I gasped, "Wow!"

Baylee turned her head in confusion, "Lilliana, what's wrong? Did someone step on your foot?"

"Just drooling."

I wiped the corner of my mouth and waved the plastic clapper in my hand to cheer for Sean, which drew strong disapproval from the other side.

During halftime, the class president came over and asked, "Lilliana, what do you mean by cheering for another department?"

I opened my mouth, but before I could answer, Sean passed by with a bottle of water, chuckling, "If you're playing poorly, why worry about who cheers for me?"

The class president turned red with anger, his neck stiffening as he asked, "I'm talking to my classmates, why are you interrupting?"

Sean ignored him, holding the bottle, raising an eyebrow at me, "Sis, how's my technique?"

Maybe it was the heat from playing, but he rolled up his jersey a bit, revealing a sliver of his abs, making my eyes glaze over and my mind wander.

I instinctively replied, "I haven't seen it in action."

Sean paused, "I meant my basketball skills."

"...??!!"

I suddenly realized what I'd said, and my face flushed red, ears burning.

Sean stood there, staring at me, his gaze so intense it felt like my face was burning with embarrassment. He finally let out a cold laugh, "Pretty bold, sis."

The class president looked at me with a "another girl led astray" expression.

In the second half, Sean played even more aggressively, scoring multiple dunks and three-pointers. Between goals, he kept glancing my way, his gaze carrying an indescribable meaning.

I was on edge, turning to Baylee, "Is he imagining that basketball is my head?"

"You..."

Baylee had just uttered a word when a huge force suddenly hit the back of my head. My vision went black, followed by a dull and sharp pain at the top of my head.

"Lilliana!"

Baylee caught me, glaring at the group running over, "How do you play basketball?!"

I reached up to touch it, my fingertips covered in blood.

Before leaving, I had clipped two small lightning hairpins in my hair, and the sharp ends might have pierced my scalp.

"Sorry."

The apology sounded eerily familiar. I turned my head, enduring the pain, and when I saw Sean, my eyes welled up with tears, "Do you really hate me that much?"

He frowned, his expression complex, his eyes even a bit helpless, "I didn't mean to. Can I take you to the hospital?"

I was a bit squeamish about blood, and the moment I saw it, I felt faint.

In the end, Sean carried me all the way to the campus hospital.

The doctor parted my hair to examine it and decisively said, "The scalp is injured. We need to shave this small patch to treat the wound."

"Sh-shave it?"

I couldn't believe it, my voice trembling, "Can I just apply the medicine directly?

Shaving it all off will ruin my look and could mess up my chances of dating..."

Would Sean like someone bald?

The doctor looked at me with a hint of exasperation.

Just as I was about to negotiate further, a slender hand rested on my shoulder.

It was Sean's unmistakable voice, firm and decisive, "Shave it."

The hand on my shoulder was warm and strong, with distinct knuckles.

I fell silent immediately, but when I saw the doctor approaching with the clippers, I couldn't help but shrink back in fear, only to bump my head against Sean's waist.

He let out a soft grunt and covered my eyes with his hand, "If you're worried, just close your eyes."

It wasn't fear; I was just heartbroken about my hair.

The medication application was quick, and after the doctor left, I covered the top of my head with my hand and turned to ask softly, "Isn't your game still on?"

Sean sat on the chair next to me, looking down at his phone, unconcerned, "It's just a friendly match.

I can skip it."

I craned my neck to peek and saw he was playing a game.

Suddenly, Sean looked up, "Wanna join?"

"No... no need."

I shook my head hurriedly and quietly sat back, sending a message to Baylee: "The doctor shaved a patch of my hair bald, and it was right in front of Sean."

Baylee quickly replied, "Is the wound serious?

Your brother just came to the school to find you. I'll bring him to the hospital to see you."

My... brother?

I gave Baylee my room number and then started to wonder, as an only child, which brother would come to see me at school.

"Lilliana, are you okay?"

Before long, Baylee burst through the door. I shook my head, my gaze moving past her shoulder to the tall, gentle-smiling man behind her.

I was a bit unsure and tentatively called out, "Brett?"

The man's smile deepened, "It's me, Lilliana."

It was Brett!

He's five years older than me and used to live next door until my family moved when I was in seventh grade.

Even after he left, we never completely lost touch. He remained in my contacts, occasionally sending holiday greetings, but that was it.

"I came here on a business trip and heard from Auntie that you're studying at University A, so I thought I'd drop by."

Brett's gaze swept over the top of my head and landed on Sean, "How did you get hurt like this?"

Following his gaze, I saw Sean had put away his phone, looking at Brett with a cold expression, "I accidentally hurt her. I'll take full responsibility."

"..."

The atmosphere was oddly tense.

I tried to ease it, "It's nothing, really. I was just being careless, standing too close to the court..."

Brett chuckled softly and reached out to tidy my messy pigtails, "Take care and steer clear of those reckless types. It's easy to get hurt."

Sean abruptly stood up, not sparing Brett a glance, and walked straight to me, pulling up a QR code.

"Let's connect on Whatsapp."

He tilted his head slightly, his sharp gaze softening a bit, "Contact me anytime if you need anything. I'll be responsible for you."

I added him on Whatsapp and whispered, "My name is Lilliana."

He nodded as if it was nothing.

The thought that had been forming in my mind was confirmed once more.

He really didn't recognize me anymore.

Sean headed towards the door but suddenly stopped and turned back, looking down at me, "Do you have time tomorrow?"

"Why?"

"Let's go get you a hat."

I was taken aback, then suddenly realized, "Is it that ugly?"

"A bit."

His expression seemed slightly disdainful. My lips trembled, and I couldn't hold back my tears, hurriedly covering my head.

When I looked up, my eyes met Sean's.

He paused, his lips pressed tight, awkwardly avoiding my gaze, "Sorry, I was just joking. It's not ugly."

I put on Baylee's baseball cap and then invited Brett to have a meal at the school cafeteria.

After so many years, his personality had become even more calm and gentle, yet I felt inexplicably uneasy.

Brett seemed to notice my discomfort and smiled as he said goodbye after dinner, "You're still injured. Go back and rest early."

"What about you?"

"I'm here on a business trip to discuss a project. I'll be around for a while and will come to see you in a few days."

I watched him leave, then turned back to my dorm, messaging Sean, "What time should we meet tomorrow?"

He replied almost instantly, "You decide."

In the end, we agreed to meet at nine in the morning outside the dorm.

The next day, I got up early, spending half an hour just choosing what to wear. I did my makeup, tied my hair, and borrowed Baylee's baseball cap from the day before.

When I rushed downstairs, Sean was already there.

The nearest shopping street was seven kilometers away, and on the taxi ride there, I felt carsick from not having breakfast, looking quite pale.

Sean glanced at me and suddenly said, "If you're feeling sick, just lean back and relax."

I nodded and gently leaned against the car window.

"..."

He looked at me with an indescribable expression, furrowing his brows before finally saying, "Alright, just rest.

I'll wake you when we arrive."

I leaned against the window, not really asleep, just lost in thought.

Three years ago, Sean wasn't exactly gentle, but he was quieter, a bit colder, and even smiled at me sometimes.

But after meeting him again at school, he seemed completely different.

Cold and fierce.

One day, I was leaving the library and saw him walking below from the second-floor bridge.

He wore a casual white T-shirt, speckled with blood, his short hair slightly tousled, and a clear wound above his brow, still bleeding.

He wiped it forcefully, not even flinching.

Baylee caught up from behind, seeing me leaning on the railing watching Sean, and said knowingly, "Looks like he's been in another fight."

"Fighting?"

"My cousin is in the same department as him. They say Sean's been like this since he started, disappearing for a day now and then, always coming back with injuries.

If he wasn't out fighting, how would he get hurt so often?"

As we talked, Sean had already walked away.

I watched his tall figure, his hair glowing in the sunlight, and it took all my willpower not to run down and talk to him.

"We're here."

Sean's voice snapped me back to reality. I sat up, realizing we had arrived near the shopping street.

The mall was bustling on the weekend, and I was full of energy, weaving through the crowd to lead Sean to a brightly lit accessory store.

It was filled with girls shopping, and Sean stopped at the entrance, looking down at me, "I'll wait here.

Let me know when you've picked something, and I'll pay."

I shook my head, mustering the courage to tug at his shirt, "I'm injured and can't manage it myself. Can you come in and help me pin a hair clip?"

Sean stared at me for a couple of seconds, then resignedly lowered his eyes and followed behind me.

"Let's go."

The store was filled with a faint freesia fragrance, and the narrow aisles were bustling with girls picking out jewelry.

Sean was clearly out of his element in such a place, his hands stuffed into his hoodie pockets, patiently waiting on the side.

I picked up hair clips one by one and handed them to him, asking him to help pin them in my hair to cover the small shaved patch over my wound.

"Does this look good?"

"It's okay."

"What about this one?"

"It's okay."

I pouted slightly and looked up at him.

"Are you just saying that to please me?

You don't really want to shop with me, do you? You're just doing it out of guilt, right?"

"I..."

Sean took a deep breath, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes.

I suddenly remembered that he was no longer the Sean from the summer camp who let me copy his homework.

The current him, both in rumors and reality, wasn't known for having a good temper.

Thinking of this, I hesitated, wondering if I should apologize, but he suddenly said, "I'm not just saying that to please you."

"I just think they're all okay."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over my colorful, playful dress. "Even in those quirky clothes, you look great."

I deliberately ignored his first comment, looking up with a pleased expression. "Can you say that again?"

Sean returned to his cold demeanor, ignoring me as he walked towards the cashier.

"Let's pay."

He bought me a bunch of shiny, colorful hair clips, then we headed downstairs to another store to buy a hat.

As I tried on a pink embroidered baseball cap, checking myself out in the mirror, Sean lounged on the sofa behind me, lazily watching. Suddenly, he asked the store clerk to bring down another black cap from the shelf.

"Sir, you have a great eye," the clerk enthusiastically pitched. "This one matches your girlfriend's perfectly..."

The words "girlfriend" reached my ears, and I stood there, blushing instantly.

Sean coughed lightly, took the hat from the clerk, and was about to put it on when a pleasant female voice came from the entrance.

"Sean."

I paused and turned to look.

It was Emilee.

She was wearing a flowing white dress and carrying several shopping bags as she walked in, smiling gently at Sean. "What a coincidence, you're here too."

"Yeah."

Sean casually handed the baseball cap back to the clerk and nodded in my direction. "Just brought someone to buy some things."

Emilee's gaze shifted to me, and she suddenly covered her mouth, laughing. "Oh, it's Lilliana."

I was taken aback. "You know me?"

"Of course, your name is quite the talk of the school."

Her gaze was gentle and smiling, yet it inexplicably made me uncomfortable, though I couldn't pinpoint why.

The atmosphere was tense for a moment until Sean suddenly reached over, took the hat off my head, and pulled me towards the exit.

"Let's go." "Sean!"

Emilee called out from behind. Sean paused slightly but didn't turn back, holding my hand as we walked out.

Once outside, he let go of my hand and walked ahead. "Let's go, I'll take you to another store."

The joy and nervousness that had just started to rise in my heart were quickly extinguished. I looked down at my palm, feeling a bit dazed.

He held my hand in front of Emilee but let go as soon as we were out of her sight.

Was he trying to provoke her?

Thinking of what the onlookers said at the basketball court yesterday, I couldn't help but speak up.

"Sean."

He stopped and turned to look at me, his gaze a bit stern.

"What?"

The courage I had mustered vanished under his gaze.

I lowered my head, suddenly remembering that Sean was only shopping with me out of guilt for injuring me.

"Why aren't you moving?"

He came back and stood in front of me. I stared at the cake pattern on my dress and muttered, "I don't want to buy anything.

I have some errands to run, so let's leave it at that."

"Lilliana."

He suddenly called my name, and I instinctively looked up, meeting his slightly cold gaze. "Something to do?"

"Yes."

"Meeting someone?"

"...That's not for you to worry about," I retorted, uncharacteristically stubborn.

After saying that, I turned and walked towards the mall exit. After a while, I looked back and saw Sean following me at a leisurely pace.

He was tall and had long legs, so no matter how fast I walked, he easily kept up, leaving me exhausted.

Finally, I stood by the roadside, hailing a cab in frustration. Sean leaned against a nearby lamppost, casually lighting a cigarette.

A taxi stopped in front of us, and I opened the door to get in. Just as I was about to give the address, Sean leaned in and told the driver, "To A University."

After speaking, he looked down at me, warning, "There's a robber on the loose in this area.

They haven't caught him yet. Don't wander around dressed like that."

Even though I knew Sean was doing it on purpose, I was genuinely scared, having seen the news myself.

Feeling a bit wronged, I pursed my lips and asked him, "Aren't you coming back to school with me?"

"I have something to do."

Sean tossed the bag of hair clips he bought earlier into my lap. "Message me when you get to school.

We didn't get the hat, so I'll take you out next time."

His voice carried a hint of a smile as he said the last sentence.

The car door closed, and the driver started the engine. Through the rear window, I watched Sean standing there, extinguishing his cigarette and tossing it into the trash before turning and walking away.

He was heading back towards the mall we had just left.

I thought again about what the onlookers said. They said Sean had liked Emilee for a long time, and she had agreed to be his girlfriend if they won yesterday's basketball game.

But because of my injury, Sean didn't finish the second half of the game.

Was he going back to explain yesterday's events to Emilee?

My heart felt sour and bitter. Back in my dorm, I lay on my bed, not messaging Sean.

Baylee suddenly sent me a link. "Lilli, you and Sean are on a social media confession page."

I was startled and clicked on the link she sent. Someone had posted a photo of Sean and me in the hat store, with Emilee beside us.

"Saw Sean shopping with Emilee today. Are they really together?"

The comments below read: "Hey, don't ignore Lilliana next to them."

"No way, with Sean's personality, how could he like someone so pretentious?"

"In front of a goddess, cuteness doesn't stand a chance."

I was so angry I jumped up from my bed, ready to comment and clarify that Sean was just shopping with me, and Emilee was just a coincidence.

Just then, a new photo appeared in the comments. I zoomed in and saw it was still in that mall, but at another counter.

Emilee was bending over, trying on lipstick in front of a mirror, while Sean stood with his arms crossed, lazily leaning against a pillar, seemingly waiting for her.

My mind went blank.

He really did go back to find her.