My Taoist nun girlfriend is from the Republic of China era, 1942.

Chapter 35 Chen Xiaomiao's Major Makeover (AI images for reference only)
Lu Yuan had a clear goal; instead of going to clothing stores in the shopping district, he drove to a high-end beauty salon.

The receptionist greeted us with a sweet smile: "Welcome, sir/madam. What would you like to see?"

Lu Yuan handed over the membership card his mother had left him and asked, "Can this card still be used?"

"Yes, sir, let me take a look first..."

The cardholder swipes their card at the front desk to enter their information; the cardholder is a black/gold level holder and has a certain amount of balance in their account.

As a useless "asset" left by his mother, Lu Yuan was having a headache about what to do with it, but today it came in handy.

The receptionist handed the card back with both hands, then turned her gaze to Chen Xiaomiao behind Lu Yuan.

"Is this your first time at our store, miss? You can try our basic deep facial cleansing and moisturizing treatment first to restore your skin to its best condition, and then we can do a hair care treatment."

You have a very good foundation and are so young, basic skincare is enough; you don't need any other adjustments.

Flattery is a basic skill for service industry workers, and Chen Xiaomiao felt both embarrassed and pleased by the string of compliments.

Lu Yuan responded on Chen Xiaomiao's behalf: "Okay, we'll do it your way."

"Yes, sir." The receptionist's smile remained unchanged. "May I ask what your preferred style preferences are?"

"It's more Chinese style, simple and elegant."

"clear."

The receptionist understood and turned to Chen Xiaomiao, her voice even softer: "Miss, please come this way with me."

Chen Xiaomiao looked at Lu Yuan, her eyes asking a question.

"Go ahead and relax. They'll wash your face and comb your hair, but it'll take a while. It's okay."

Upon hearing Lu Yuan's words, Chen Xiaomiao felt as if she had received a pardon and slowly left with the receptionist.

Lu Yuan sat down in the rest area and had just picked up his phone to play for a while when a woman in her forties, wearing a modified cheongsam and exuding a gentle temperament, came over, carrying a pot of tea and several exquisite tea snacks.

"Lu Yuan?"

The woman gently placed the tray down.

Lu Yuan looked up at the somewhat familiar face in front of him, but couldn't remember who it was for a moment.

"My name is Su Xia, and I'm the manager of this store."

The woman smiled warmly: "Your mother, Chen Lan, is a regular customer and an old friend of mine. I was also there at your parents' funeral, but you were too busy then, so you probably don't remember me."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan sat up straighter and replied politely, "Hello, Aunt Su. It's good that you still remember me."

"You child, why are you being so polite with me?"

Su Xia waved her hand and pointed to the private room where Chen Xiaomiao was: "Is that girl your girlfriend? She's quite pretty and has a clean temperament. If your mother could see her, she would definitely like her."

"Yeah……"

Lu Yuan smiled politely.

Su Xia picked up her teacup and blew on it: "If there's a chance in the future, you can bring her here to visit often."

Lu Yuan knew that Su Xia wanted Chen Xiaomiao to take over from his mother and become a long-term customer here.

He didn't spell it out, only vaguely replying, "Yes, I definitely will if I have the chance!"

Su Man continued chatting and asked, "Did you bring her here specifically for a hair and makeup session today? Is she going to some important occasion, to meet your grandparents?"

Lu Yuan shook his head: "It's not that big of a deal, it's just a regular classmate reunion."

"Oh, young people should get together more often."

Su Man nodded, then naturally changed the subject: "After the styling is done, shouldn't we take her to the mall to pick out a new outfit? A young girl should always dress presentably."

Lu Yuan understood the implication and offered, "I'm too lazy to run around aimlessly. Aunt Su, I remember you own a clothing store. Could you help me out?"

Let's do this once in a while; there's no harm in using the money left in Mom's card.

Su Man put down her teacup, her smile deepening: "Your mother is a regular customer, and you've asked again. How could Aunt Su not help with such a small matter? Tell me, what kind do you want?"

"Aunt Su, you decide. You have a better eye than me. Just pick the one you think is suitable for her."

“Okay, Aunt Su, I’ll take care of it.” Su Man readily agreed: “Then sit for a while longer, I’ll go make the arrangements.”

Nearly two hours later, the frosted glass door at the back of the shop was gently pushed open.

Lu Yuan subconsciously looked up.

One glance was enough to leave him speechless with astonishment.

Chen Xiaomiao stood at the door, looking flustered. Her cheeks were flushed with a healthy blush from the recent treatment and her shyness, like peach petals glistening with dew on a branch in early spring.

Her once dry and yellowish long hair became smooth and shiny black, and was delicately coiled at the back of her head, secured with an elegant jade hairpin. A few strands of hair fell naturally beside her cheeks, making her neck appear even more slender and fair.

She wore a moon-white, modified cheongsam-style dress. The fabric was a plain crepe satin with excellent drape, with lotus scroll patterns embroidered only in the same color silk thread at the collar, diagonal placket, and cuffs, shimmering with a warm luster under the light.

The stand-up collar perfectly frames the slender neck, while the diagonal placket with its knotted buttons extends all the way to the waist. The cinched waist design accentuates the delicate curves of a young girl's developing body.

The skirt is calf-length with a low slit, revealing slender ankles as the wearer walks, and is paired with off-white soft-soled low-cut canvas shoes.

There was no heavy makeup, just a thin layer of moisturizing lip gloss and clean, neat eyebrows.

Standing there, her natural allure blended with girlish shyness, as if she had just stepped out of the misty rain of the Republic of China era—seductive, pure, and gentle…

Chen Xiaomiao walked quickly to the man, nervously clutching her skirt, and occasionally stealing a glance at the large floor-length mirror beside her. Her foxy eyes sparkled, filled with disbelief and a hint of secret joy.

“Lu…Lu Yuan…”

Her voice trembled slightly: "Do you...do you think I'm okay like this?"

Lu Yuan's Adam's apple began to bob involuntarily, his gaze fixed on the screen, not looking away for a long time.

Lu Yuan only spoke slowly, deliberately, when Chen Xiaomiao felt uncomfortable being stared at.

"Tsk tsk tsk... After tidying it up, it actually looks quite professional."

He stroked his chin, walked around Chen Xiaomiao for a short distance, and his gaze swept over her slender waist and smooth neck: "Isn't that right..."

"What is it?"

Chen Xiaomiao's heart was in her throat.

"It's this physique..."

Lu Yuan sighed and shook his head: "You're too thin. You can't carry off the elegance of this dress. I'll feed you more good food and fatten you up."

Chen Xiaomiao was taken aback at first, then stomped her foot in embarrassment and anger.

"You're so trusting, I..."

The soft-soled cloth shoes made almost no sound when they stepped on the floor, only creating a small breeze.

Seeing that Chen Xiaomiao was swearing, Lu Yuan quickly coaxed her, "No, no, no, you're just kidding! It's beautiful, really beautiful! Even more beautiful than the fairies in the paintings!"

After being praised by Lu Yuan, Chen Xiaomiao's face flushed even more, and she gave a low hum, barely accepting the outfit.

into the night.

Lu Yuan drove his old A8, carrying Chen Xiaomiao, into the evening rush hour traffic.

Chen Xiaomiao sat upright in the passenger seat, her hands neatly placed on her knees, her whole body tense.

Lu Yuan glanced at her, breaking the silence.

"daughter in law!"

"Hmm...Eh!"

Chen Xiaomiao was slow to react and clearly hadn't gotten used to the new title.

"We'll be there soon. Let's change how we address each other. Are you nervous, honey?"

"I...I...I...am...not...at all...nervous!"

"Don't be nervous!"

Lu Yuan tapped the steering wheel lightly with his fingers, his tone calm: "Wife, remember this! First, try to talk as little as possible. If someone asks you something, just give a vague answer like 'uh-huh' or 'oh,' or look at me and I'll answer for you."

"middle."

"second……"

Lu Yuan paused, his tone becoming more serious: "No matter what you see or hear, no matter how strange or outrageous it may be, don't make a fuss or shout."

Let alone saying things like "immoral" or "illegal" to someone's face.

Just treat it as something new to see, keep your own judgment in mind, understand?

Chen Xiaomiao thought of the students in the university who showed off their arms and legs, and the bride upstairs who had "had surgery," and she roughly got a sense of what was going on.

She pursed her lips and replied softly, "I understand. It's like when we perform rituals at our temple. No matter how noisy the people below are, we have to keep our composure and not lose our composure."

Lu Yuan was almost amused by Chen Xiaomiao's analogy, but quickly straightened his face: "Yes, that's about it. Tonight's meal might be more exciting for you than a religious ceremony."

But it's good to see it for yourself sooner rather than later. There are many things in this world that are different from what you imagine..."

　This is my first time using AI to illustrate illustrations. I don't know if everyone will like it, or if I think it's better to leave some room for imagination.

　　Please provide feedback.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)