Chapter 87: Yixuan Beauty Salon

Ye Aotian was well aware that Lin Li always had some odd and unpredictable tricks up his sleeve, which was certainly not good news for them. Yet, from the very beginning until now, Ye Aotian had never truly taken this matter to heart.

He had to admit that Lin Li had brought him quite a few surprises. But under the current circumstances, no matter how capable Lin Li was, he still could not pose a real threat to him. On this point, Ye Aotian was absolutely confident.

“It’s just that he’s developed a new drug, nothing more. Besides, the path he’s taking isn’t even on the same level as ours, so there’s really no need to keep him in mind,” Ning Yurou said, her tone utterly serious. Perhaps at first, she did feel a tinge of jealousy or other such emotions. But now, Ning Yurou seemed completely at ease.

Lin Li had already fulfilled his initial promise. Lately, he hadn’t allowed the Qin family to further invest in the herbal medicine market, which gave the Ning family some much-needed breathing room. As long as Ning Yurou could seize this opportunity, the next phase of their plans would unfold smoothly.

To be honest, Ye Aotian was still unsure what the future held, but seeing Ning Yurou’s attitude set his mind at ease. “I was worried you wouldn’t know what to do next, but it seems my concerns were unnecessary.”

“Still, we can’t take Lin Li’s situation lightly. No one knows what those people will do once they’ve amassed enough power,” Ye Aotian said with conviction. To the uninformed, it might seem as though Lin Li’s next target would be them.

Ning Yurou had long since understood this side of Ye Aotian. “Exactly. You can never truly know a person’s heart. Even though Lin Li has already agreed to many of my terms, I can’t guarantee that everything will go as smoothly as planned.”

Her expression was earnest as she spoke. “You’re right—we should keep a close eye on Lin Li’s every move. If the opportunity arises, perhaps we can find something to use against him.”

...

It took Lin Li only half a month to successfully open the beauty salon. Admittedly, the last time he used the lottery system, it hadn’t brought him anything particularly valuable.

However, that deed of property had truly solved the problem of establishing his new company. The place had originally been a beauty salon, so all Lin Li needed to do was make some quick stylistic renovations before opening for business. When the Qin family’s beauty salon was completed, everyone found it hard to believe because everything had moved so quickly.

The Qin family, who had previously dealt in herbal medicine, had suddenly transformed their business into a beauty salon project. Coupled with their reputation in River City, for a time, no one dared to try out their services. People were afraid that after signing up for a treatment, they’d be forced to take out a loan to pay it off over the next seventy or eighty years.

Even though the Qin family had gradually improved their business practices over the years, no one could guarantee such things wouldn’t happen. Lin Li could only sigh at this, but he didn’t let it bother him too much.

As for the position of director of the beauty salon, Lin Li decided to let Xia Ningshuang manage it for the time being. After all, everyone has their own areas of expertise. Lin Li didn’t know much about this field, while Xia Ningshuang had long wanted to make her mark in it—the timing was perfect.

If she could handle things well, Xia Ningshuang would become one of the symbols of the Qin family. “Are you sure I’m the right person for such an important position? After all, a beauty salon requires interacting with outsiders,” Xia Ningshuang said, her eyes bright as she looked at Lin Li. “But look at me now. Won’t people feel afraid when they see me?”

She had thought it was enough that her appearance could recover—she never dared hope that Lin Li would find her a job. With Su Lan’s companionship lately, Xia Ningshuang had become much more cheerful, but she truly hadn’t expected Lin Li to offer her the director’s position, allowing her to personally manage the salon.

For her, this was a golden opportunity. If she could prove herself, her future would be limitless. Yet at the same time, she hesitated—was she really qualified to do this?

After all, with her disfigured appearance, many people might find her frightening.

“This scar has indeed brought you a lot of trouble,” Lin Li said, “but if you can’t face and accept it, it will forever remain your inner demon. Now that you have the Beautifying Pill, you know you’ll eventually be able to fade the scar completely. So why not accept its existence now, open your heart, and have confidence in yourself?”

He knew Xia Ningshuang still struggled to accept what had happened to her. Everything had happened so suddenly, and even though Su Lan’s guidance had helped, it was still difficult for Xia Ningshuang to open up completely.

But Lin Li knew that she had to let go of her previous thoughts—only then could the problem truly be solved.

Looking at Lin Li, countless thoughts flashed through Xia Ningshuang’s mind. She had never considered these things before, but she had to admit that Lin Li was probably right. She fell silent, deep in thought.

“I’ll give you time to consider,” Lin Li said. “The decision is yours. But you know I have great faith in you, and I hope that in the future you’ll be able to take on this important role.”

He smiled at her and turned to leave, feeling confident that she just needed some time to adjust—he trusted that she would not disappoint him.

But before he could reach the door, Xia Ningshuang called out to him.

“You’re right. If I keep letting my current self hold me back, I’ll never be able to walk out from under this shadow. So this time, I want to prove myself in my own way. Besides, my recovery is the best advertisement for the beauty salon—everyone will witness my gradual transformation.”

Her voice grew more passionate as she spoke.