Finding Her Inner Beauty

comparison of his raw photos and edited versions on an online marketp

I was hard at wo

, was now shaking with frustra

ink to the onl

hetic guaranteed, fair pricing

a close-up from an art ga

is eyes half-closed, his chin oddly crook

imperfections vanished, leaving th

and apology for three seconds

him. "Boss, what are you do

ling your c

be ridi

looking for a coach for

uckled before quickly apologizing, "Sor

.

took a deep breath, w

do you charge others $10 pe

e you're wealthy bu

uldn't s

ry people, and I only edit

I charged so little, it wouldn't

convinced by

tentedly and

to another client. Just as I was about to message them to confirm rec

kid finally

-

s a bi

nown for playing

bloodthirsty, ruthless, and dominee

eali

a bit c

editor, an

one day, someone messaged me, claiming to be Dean

sent a photo package, and transferred a thousand dolla

an needed to select photos, and his

I got Dean'

w drama, infatuated with the decisive emperor he pla

ed with scores from a popular online game and a farming simulation game, concludi

couple of ranked

a 0-3 score, hiding behind my Sun Bi

save me,

ead, w

much that I couldn't wat

oke, I just wa

Dean isn't

EO, with a high nose bridge, slightly long eyes,

angle, lighting, and even the photographer'

s were honed because I have a face

k the size of a fingernail, and my features are

ementary to high school, subjected to

g Photoshop, that I could remove it fr

online beautification ga

is alwa

carefully edited phot

late chatting, discussing ever

he was my true l

ime, he politely declined me af

d that this world is

m attending classes,

ke crazy, becoming a soul

e of the online marketplace inci

habitually lowered my cap and was about

's voice: "Gillian, I'm at

ha

w do you know whic

e delicious spicy noodles at the sev

n the city has a seventh cafeteria

if very impressed wit

im with my "Analog Elect

'll post about you scamming me on a

threat

a nationwide s

I gav

million follow

who are head over heels for him, would pers

e are

ome fi

ervous heart, I walked to the gate, finding everythi

e, I took out my phone,

and a hand grabbed my collar, pulling

el

ound, only to be silen

kin, such beautiful light pink lips, su

and dazzling beaut

spee

n my face, a flash of shock followed

.

't sur

my real appearan

.De

my composure and

ed to remember something, putting on a p

me on an online marketplace, do you

ay dumb. "Wha

s a ba

it to make

out my phone, opening Douban, showing him the fo

, and when he looked up

ace, now with such an expre

r t

cry, do

rately edited to look bad. You're really good-look

ted my raw photo on an online marketplace

ative when I'm just tr

ddenly turned to th

caution, "Where

, like a fierce lion read

d up at a nearby

t o

ar door, "What a

gettin

d out a pair of sunglasses from h

ently withdra

rmless fool, but he w

vior in the canyon, I wasn't

I had t

ooks of surprise or disgus

Dean upstairs and was led into a

to start filming a new drama, with

director, screenwriter, and investors. He

I overheard people mocking Dean in th

studio is full of amateurs. Dean re

or that incident, he'd probably still be signed with Creat

they noticed me, pondering

an caught me staring at him, "Gi

thinking about how to

t need to

towards me, "You posted my unedited photo on an online

a con

f Dean's new drama, I needed to sta

ty, I tried to resis

"Come when you do

o take on jobs

you, 200

"Alright, boss. No problem,

n I returned to the dorm, my roommates asked, "Gi

for an i

from Dean, "I'm going to be

ive seconds before three

clothes excitedly,

you get

s he fi

oting near the pine forest and

it's because he's a star, and I have a no

e say

then suddenly angry,

s signed photo

nt Dean for three seconds and exp

retrieved Dean's p

had no classes, and Stephan

ean, they forgo

ook photos with them, sendin

opped his smile, "Pretending to be

ld cry to them and ask

ntly, "Do you really think

on

a guy who crie

ere Dean's character had to save the

ank expression, then smoothly pulled t

ut

ed in satisfactio

mediately switched f

me, whining, "G

ped his hand on a tr

shook his head, tears in his eyes, "I

ould we

on it to make

wound still bleeding. I gently blew o

ting his lip, his long lash

it h

ded sl

w shoulders, a slender waist, and long, straig

nmoved, "To

me, on the ve

i

you don't disinfect it, it'll get

an's tears van

's assistant, and he cried

him switch to a domineering CEO o

s Dean can't act, I'll b

ive me back to the dorm. I was startled and refused

lled out a mask and hat, c

he said from under the mask, "S

th Dean, I was

through campus, head dow

ardless of intent, left

t just on my face but also in my hea

n, that creeping insecurity

ust walking together, I felt a

and only short-lived romanc

I could hold your hand and walk

ond, they added, "T

t nev

diting and filters, my face

lli

ughts, and I realized we were a

d by the roadside

his bright eyes, "Do yo

..

t the set in the

yuan hourly wag

, Dean happily

in the dorm, Dean messaged me aga

ur

hoto and joined Dean for a ro

ng. To protect him, I played as an assassin, and throug

who stood there doing nothing and couldn't e

y're taking y

oing for the drag

e turned into a lit

the tower, only to be instantly defeated

of seconds, incredulously rais

he atta

ment, "Don't worr

lay in wait in the bushes, and at the last moment, I stole their dragon, taking do

hoed through my headphones,

st jungler I'

How many junglers ha

Not many, but Gillian, yo

rything from my gameplay to my awaren

round me, and Dean's incessant

didn't find

alkative yet inexperien

for one

nse of familiarity, but no matter how hard I th

at our school, I thought my stint

ean when I saw him standing across from me, looking conflicted and hesitant. F

glimmer of hope in his clear eyes,

of familiarity wa

ng myself repeatedly that I was just

nally understood what "only a few half-baked people i

is contract with Creative Nexus Studios

with just four peopl

hotographer Rhett were both

me to edit, I suddenly understood why someone as

e photos for Twitter. Out of over fifty photos, we barely

usly, "Gillian, I'm sorr

to keep my tone businesslike, but after holding back for a while, I couldn't he

k, instinctively as

e issues. The lighting and angles are amate

to tears and naive,

professional photographers' skills many times. How could

nt for a while before

th this equipment befo

photos, so you should s

re of 20 to 50 still

to ask me to

cting in those typical bi

face and acting skills that could comp

ure-hearted nature that was out of place

nal people to handle his work,

why I was an

reddened as he looked at me, "G

rs

cold shower, bringing

ary assistant, wh

future, what does it

ogized, "I misspoke, but I didn't

suddenly reached out to tug at my slee

g my head, "I'll send the edited photos to the

hool, it's a not-too-far

ool. But after a short distance, Dean's voice called

ve you a

t intersection and

ht behind me, just

d out from the car wind

blurred the conto

locked the bike and turn

with reddened eyes, "Gillian, I

and doing other jobs is too difficult for h

ng against the car window, "Yo

ked, "So you're

not

the south gate, lookin

oor and waved at h

ai

e out, "Let me walk y

houldn't h

tel in a hurry, not

illuminated us, and a couple who had been kissi

le of seconds before sudd

uickly pulled Dean behind me. He

y, "My boyfriend does look a bit like him,

I lifted my face, letting the bi

few seconds before a

ed a baseball cap from my bag. "Put this on, hurry out, driv

w a soft compliment my way before leaving, "Gillian,

nto the game intending to play a couple of ranked matc

illed with skin

Mulan,

hes, he had bought all available skins and sen

sound in the dorm was the quiet, stea

tared at Dean's profile

uffy onesie, holding a round, chubby whi

a booster on an online marketplace, he only

ing it to rank up, j

d he did it fo

Glory, Dean, still in Gold,

port me, controlling his Yao to run around me, and when I got fl

ldn't out-

take them down one

ing, soft, innocent

everyone, felt his somewhat naive and trusting nature, and noticed how he would quietly order a cup of bro

d I not

the sky, and I was ju

ited the pictures, I couldn't

nfirmed th

posed on a university confession page on

about someone, not

g department, if you're not confident in your

yourself into a minor internet celebrity, and even tricked a ha

uin the reputati

selfies from Twitter and a candi

my pale lips and bland features, and used PS to

s windblown and messy, my eyes slightly swollen, and

tween the two p

his post, I almost

in concern, "Babe, G

assure her, to

choked, and I cou

n't feeling well and couldn't go to

nxious inquiries, I silently se

ur professional course teachers, had the confession page p

bothered to stay anonymous when she posted abo

ay anyth

ain, using fake phot

like her that trust b

angry she shouted

e guy personally escorting

eceivin

st admit it, why pret

ing the girl's pretty face for

a smile, "but the handsome guy likes some

t make y

Stephanie dragged m

, the bravado I had must

e covers, and silently deleted all my

r thirty thousand f

ade me a minor in

I always captioned them, saying the images

t powerful passpo

e some compliments online that

ng a popular mobile game,

mmates. Later, I practiced hard and became a jungler

ugh almost every physics workbook available on the market, clawing my way from the bottom o

this world that I can ach

e it look as good in reality

as I could, saving all the money I ea

cosmetic surgery, to remove the b

k to Whatsapp and found that Dean had sen

photo to look naturally ugly. I need to post

ting app, rounded his face a bit, darkened his skin tone,

payment and sent t

ever appeared on

d to look less like him appeared on a un

llian's boyfriend, a

ng to do with the photos she posts on Twitter

with looks; any man with a normal w

Your birthmark is hardly noticeable un

me, and you're super cool when you take

ou, so

ong time until the screen dimmed,

y could actually be

e end still revealed hi

sent another message:

see me this