Something amazing happened after Sophia applied the beauty cream to Nancy’s hand. Though the cream was light, it left her skin with a pearly sheen, giving it a healthy glow. It even smoothed out the lines on her hand, making her skin look both hydrated and flawless. It was hard to tell if it was because of the high moisture level or the coverage, but it was genuinely both dewy and textured! Absolutely perfect!
Have you ever seen a product that, once applied, makes it look like you’ve used 10 hyaluronic acid masks and the best foundation?
The beauty cream achieved that!
All the socialites, well-versed in high-end skincare and cosmetics, were taken aback. “So just this one step covers everything?”
“Can I try it?”
Nancy passed the beauty cream around.
Everyone tried it, and each one was amazed!
Until now, no one had paid much attention to Sophia. Although they hadn’t said anything out loud, they silently agreed with Angel’s earlier remark.
While Angel’s words were rude, they weren’t entirely wrong. After all, this was a birthday party, and Sophia only brought a homemade skincare product as a gift, which seemed a bit off. Everyone else had brought items like bags or phones, with nothing costing less than ten thousand dollars.
And this skincare product… how much could it be worth?
They only kept quiet out of politeness, but who would have thought Sophia’s skincare product would work so well!
“How did you manage this? Why is it so hydrating, and why does it have makeup benefits too?”
“It’s like an instant beauty filter!”
“My skin doesn’t feel dry at all!”
If it truly works this well, it would be in high demand!
Sophia smiled. This beauty cream was something she had crafted in her past life, initially because she found makeup tedious and time-consuming. She didn’t want to waste her limited time on such a mundane task. With good skin and health, she didn’t need much makeup, so she thought, wouldn’t it be great if there were a product that could both care for her skin and satisfy makeup needs?
Human technology has advanced so much—we can go to the moon, so why not simplify skincare and makeup routines for women?
Who decided that it couldn’t be done?
And so, Sophia invented it. In her past life, this cream was sold in pharmacies, with people lining up to buy it, and it had gained a bit of online fame.
She hadn’t known what to give Nancy for her birthday, so she remembered the beauty cream.
Beyond its effectiveness, she had another intention—to make an impression among the socialites.
Everyone praised it and wanted to buy one. “How much is it?”
Sophia hesitated. Money? She hadn’t thought about pricing it!
“Special edition, 2,998 dollars! Regular version, 998 dollars!” A voice suddenly interrupted.
Sophia looked up in surprise to see Chloe and Mr. James entering the room together. Chloe smiled as she looked around at everyone:
“Many of you may not know, but this cream hasn’t been launched yet. Dr. Smith specially formulated it, and this is the only one available for now. However, it will be available in our salon soon!”
“Really? I want to pre-order one!”
“Me too!”
“Count me in!”
Hearing that it was the only one and that she had the exclusive piece, Nancy excitedly stored it away, unwilling to let anyone else have it. After all, it was a godsend for anyone with a lazy skincare routine!
Even Angel couldn’t help but weakly ask, “Is it really that amazing?”
Just as they were talking, there was a loud click.
The room went dark.
Not a single light was on.
A blackout? The crowd murmured, guessing that someone might be bringing in a surprise cake.
But after a moment of silence, with no cake or music, they realized it was a genuine power outage!
In the dark, Sophia instinctively stepped back and accidentally bumped into a solid chest. “Sorry.”
Someone nearby turned on their phone’s flashlight.
In the dim light, Sophia looked up to find Scott Livinus gazing at her intently with his deep, unreadable eyes, focused solely on her.
In the darkness, their features were blurry, but Sophia could clearly feel the intense gaze on her back.
That gaze was fixed on her, unwavering.
They were close—so close that their breaths mingled, warm against each other’s faces, and the heat seeped into her mind.
She could hear his breathing in her ear, and there was a faint herbal fragrance in the air.
It was the unique scent of Scott Livinus!
Scott Livinus seemed to never use cologne, only a blend of herbal fragrance that smelled like a sachet or herbs infused into his clothes.
It was a warm, comforting scent that made her feel at ease.
“Did the circuit trip? Livinus, come check it out with me,” Liam called.
Scott Livinus responded and went to check the circuit with him.
“Sophia, let’s go too!” Nancy pulled Sophia toward the backyard, where they found Scott Livinus examining the fuse box with a flashlight, and a few other men were offering their opinions nearby.
It turned out that, at their core, all men were electricians, well-versed in these things.
Suddenly, they heard soft sobbing nearby, accompanied by a man’s quiet consoling voice and sighs.
In the late-night breeze, the crying sounded particularly sorrowful.
Nancy shivered and said, “Who’s crying? My hairs are standing up! Who’s there?”
At her shout, the crying stopped abruptly, and a man and a woman walked out from the shadows.
“Tony? Clara? What’s going on? Why were you crying?”
Tony looked down without saying a word, and Clara wiped her tears, choking up as she said, “It’s nothing, I just felt a bit down.”
“Feeling down? Clara, don’t tell me it’s because Tony has a mistress and is cheating on you?” Nancy teased.
Clara shook her head. “No, it’s not that.”
Scott Livinus glanced at Tony and asked in a serious tone, “Is it about having kids again?”
Tony didn’t respond, which was as good as admitting it.
Tony, in his early thirties, looked around the same age as Scott Livinus, but the two were very different. Scott Livinus, also in his early thirties, was always impeccably dressed, handsome, fit, and wealthy—a real eligible bachelor. Recently, an online poll had named him the man women most wanted to marry. Every time news about him came out, a flock of netizens would call him “husband” in the comments, claiming to be the future Mrs. Scott. In contrast, Tony, though also part of their circle, dressed casually, in a plain cotton T-shirt and pants, with his hair hanging loosely and black-framed glasses covering half his face, making his expression hard to read.
Tony never looked up at his friends, showing that this was a subject he found hard to talk about.
“What’s wrong, Clara?” Nancy asked.
Clara could only cry.
Scott Livinus continued working on the circuit, and as he flipped the switch, the lights came back on.
He suddenly glanced at Sophia and said in a low voice, “Come with me.”
For a moment, Sophia felt like she was his subordinate.
Once inside, Liam, Scott Livinus, Tony, and Clara remained silent. They had all been friends since childhood, and watching Tony chain-smoke in frustration, Scott Livinus suddenly snatched the cigarette from his hand and said sternly, “Spit it out! What’s the matter?”
“What else? It’s about the kids!” Tony said irritably.
“What did the doctor say?”
“Useless! They’ve practically given us a death sentence. The latest IVF attempt failed again.”
A heavy silence filled the room.
Unlike others, Tony and Clara had been together since they were young, marrying before graduating from college. They had been married nearly ten years now. Both familieshad only one child, and Tony and Clara were under a lot of pressure to carry on the family businesses. Yet, ever since they married, Clara had been unable to conceive. Both families were anxious. They had switched doctors countless times and tried every method—Eastern and Western medicine alike. Clara had endured a lot, but every attempt ended in disappointment.
When she was young, she often joked about not wanting kids, but now, seeing all her friends have children, she felt the void deeply. Every gathering was filled with kids, except for her. She pretended not to care, but whenever conversations about infertility came up, the room would go silent, making her feel even more self-conscious.
Was she truly incapable of having children? Why was it so easy for other women, yet impossible for her? The repeated failures with IVF had nearly driven her to despair, leaving her devastated and in tears at this latest setback.
—
Liam sighed. As friends, they hadn’t wanted to meddle in the couple’s private struggles, even though they were aware of the situation. But now, Tony and Clara seemed utterly defeated, and there was little they could do to help.
Liam looked to Scott Livinus, waiting for him to speak.
Scott Livinus fixed his gaze on Tony and said, “I happen to know a traditional medicine practitioner who’s quite skilled. Maybe you could give it a shot.”
