dognovel Chapter 14 You are a little different today than last time.
Chapter 14 You are a little different today than last time.
First stop, the barbershop.
There's a barbershop near the company that Chen Mo frequents; the barbers are skilled and the prices are reasonable.
On a weekend morning, the barbershop wasn't crowded.
"Mr. Chen, you've arrived?"
Barber A-Jie recognized Chen Mo and greeted him with a smile, "The usual? Short on the sides, trim on top?"
"Let's try something different today."
Chen Mo sat down in front of the mirror and said, "I want to change my hairstyle. What kind do you think suits me?"
Ah Jie paused for a moment, then carefully examined Chen Mo.
"Mr. Chen, you look much better lately."
He said with some surprise, "My skin is fairer, my eyes are brighter, and I feel completely different."
"Really?" Chen Mo smiled.
"real."
Ah Jie walked around behind Chen Mo, looked at him in the mirror, and said seriously, "Your face shape is actually quite good, it's just that your hair used to be too thick, covering your forehead."
I suggest getting a neat haircut that shows your forehead; it will make you look much more energetic.
"Okay, I'll do as you say today."
Chen Mo nodded.
He has no concept of his own image.
Since the professionals have suggested it, let's give it a try.
If he's not satisfied with the cut, he won't say so on the spot; he just won't come back a second time.
Men seem to be all like that.
After getting Chen Mo's permission, A-Jie started cutting.
Twenty minutes later, A-Jie put down the scissors and used a hairdryer to give it a quick fix.
"Okay, take a look."
Chen Mo looked in the mirror and froze.
The reflection in the mirror shows a delicate face with well-proportioned features and bright, expressive eyes.
Her thick bangs were cut short, revealing her full forehead.
The sides and back were shaved clean and neat, but not too short as before; instead, the appropriate length and layers were retained.
The hairstyle is refreshing, natural, and stylish, making the person look several years younger.
"This...this is me?"
Chen Mo could hardly believe it.
"Of course it's you."
Ah Jie didn't expect the cut to have such a good effect.
He raised his pinky finger and smiled, "Mr. Chen, you actually have a good foundation, it's just that you didn't know how to dress up before."
This hairstyle suits you very well; it makes you look energetic and capable.
He paused, then added, "And I've noticed that you've been working out lately, haven't you? You seem to have a completely different aura."
"I guess so," Chen Mo replied vaguely.
If hiking counts as exercise, then so be it.
He certainly wouldn't say it was because of the system's improved attributes.
After paying and leaving the barbershop, Chen Mo felt much lighter on his head.
He instinctively reached for his bangs, but found nothing.
His forehead was exposed.
This novelty made him feel somewhat uncomfortable, yet he was also secretly excited.
Next, I'll buy clothes.
Chen Mo rarely goes out and seldom goes shopping, so he's not familiar with shopping malls.
He searched on his phone map and finally decided to go to a large shopping mall nearby.
The mall was crowded on the weekend, mostly with young people.
As Chen Mo walked through the crowd, he suddenly realized that he was no longer walking with his head down and in a hurry as before.
He straightened his back, looked straight ahead, and naturally observed his surroundings.
It feels good.
He first went into a men's clothing store.
The shop assistant was a girl in her early twenties. When she saw Chen Mo come in, she immediately came to greet him.
"Sir, what type of clothes would you like to buy?"
"I...I don't know either."
Chen Mo said somewhat awkwardly, "I just want to change into some new clothes, something I can wear to work and everyday life."
"Shall I put together a few outfits for you to try?"
The sales clerk's eyes lit up, and she said enthusiastically, "You have a great figure and you're tall, so you look good in anything."
Chen Mo felt a little embarrassed by what she said, but he still nodded.
The shop assistant was quick and soon brought over several sets of clothes.
There are simple T-shirts paired with casual pants, polo shirts paired with jeans, and a light-colored shirt.
"Try these outfits first and see which style you like."
Chen Mo took the clothes and went into the fitting room.
The first outfit is a polo shirt paired with jeans.
After changing, he walked out of the fitting room and stood in front of the mirror.
"This outfit looks great!"
The sales clerk's eyes lit up: "Sir, you look really good in that shirt, you have such a great presence."
Chen Mo also thought it was good.
This outfit is indeed completely different from his usual image.
He rarely wore shirts before, thinking they were too formal, but this outfit looked surprisingly good on him.
The shirt was of excellent quality and had a crisp cut, making his shoulders appear broad and his waist slim, elevating his overall demeanor.
"This set will do."
He didn't even try on the rest of the clothes and made his decision directly.
"Okay! I'll get you another pair of shoes."
The shop assistant then brought over a pair of light brown casual leather shoes.
After Chen Mo changed into the new clothes, he looked completely refreshed.
Simple yet sophisticated, casual yet refined.
Most importantly, this outfit made him look confident and composed, completely unlike the programmer who used to only wear old T-shirts.
"Sir, this outfit suits you perfectly."
While issuing the receipt, the sales clerk said, "Many guys can't pull off a shirt, but you look especially stylish in it."
"..."
Chen Mo smiled, not taking it too seriously; sales assistants always say nice things.
When he took the receipt to pay, he glanced at it and realized that the whole outfit cost a little over a thousand yuan.
For him, who is used to buying T-shirts online for a few dozen yuan, this is indeed a considerable expense.
But thinking about tonight's date, the system task, and the changes I've made recently...
Chen Mo reluctantly bought it anyway.
WeChat Pay.
[Congratulations, host, on completing the "Courageous Change" mission]
[Received stage rewards: Appearance +1, Fashion Skills (Beginner), Courage +200]
[Current attribute update:]
Appearance: 73.5 (Good)
[Skills: C1 driver's license (familiar), singing (beginner), cooking (beginner), fashion sense (beginner)]
System Level: Lv1 (2800/10000)
After paying, Chen Mo didn't change back into his old clothes; instead, he asked the shop assistant to put them in a bag.
He walked out of the store wearing new clothes and new shoes.
Walking alone in the mall, he could feel the gazes cast upon him from time to time.
This feeling is very unfamiliar.
But Chen Mo discovered that he didn't dislike it.
He even straightened his back and walked with more confidence.
When Chen Mo came out of the mall, it was already 4:30 pm.
There are still two hours until the date.
He thought about it and decided to go home first, put the old clothes back, and make some preparations.
When he got home, he threw his old clothes into the washing machine, then stood in front of the mirror and couldn't help but look at his refreshed self again.
The man in the mirror is both strange and familiar.
"Is this really me?" Chen Mo murmured to himself.
But soon, he smiled.
Because that's who he is.
……
At 5:30, Chen Mo went out again.
He left an hour early because he didn't want to be late for his first meal with a woman.
According to the address Zhongyi sent, the Sichuan restaurant wasn't far from his home; it was only three subway stops away.
But Chen Mo decided to take a taxi.
He was reluctant to wear his new clothes on the subway.
Sitting in the taxi, Chen Mo looked at the street scenes flashing by outside the window and suddenly remembered the "Brave Lifestyle Expert" mission that the system had issued last night.
"Over the next month, we will continue to improve our quality of life..."
The task was broad, but after tidying up the house and raising the progress bar, he suddenly understood the system's intention.
Doesn't life change starting with these little things?
Go to bed early and get up early, cook for yourself, get a haircut, buy new clothes, go on a date...
Half an hour later, the taxi stopped at an intersection.
Then get off the bus and walk.
According to the location, it seems to be located on a back street of this road, in a rather remote location, accessible only by foot.
A few minutes later, he arrived at the location.
The store isn't big, about the same size as the one I ate at last time, but it's quite popular, so it should be another decent hole-in-the-wall restaurant.
Judging from her appearance, she's quite the gourmand.
Chen Mo glanced at the time: 6:10.
He arrived twenty minutes early.
It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous.
This was the first time he had gone out to dinner alone with a girl since he started working, and he still hoped to leave a good impression on her.
"Relax, just treat it like a regular meal with friends."
After saying something to himself, Chen Mo walked over and sent a WeChat message to Zhong Yi, asking if she needed to reserve a table in advance and order food.
Zhong Yi: [Are you already here? I'm at table number 7 at the very back.]
"..."
Chen Mo looked at the WeChat message and was somewhat surprised.
Has she arrived yet?
He thought he was already quite early, arriving twenty minutes early, but the other person was even earlier.
Putting away his phone, Chen Mo walked into the store and arrived at table number 7, where he saw that familiar figure.
She was wearing a light blue dress today, with her long hair down and light makeup.
She was looking down at the menu, her profile appearing exceptionally gentle in the soft lighting.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up.
Zhong Yi was stunned for a moment when he saw Chen Mo.
Then she smiled.
That smile was even brighter than it was yesterday at the restaurant.
"You've arrived."
She stood up, a little shyly, and said, "You're a little different today than last time."