When Chen Youzai got up that morning, he put on the new clothes he had bought and carefully sprayed styling gel into his hair until every strand stood on end. He studied himself in the mirror for a while longer. New clothes really did make a difference, he thought. Admiring the effect, he straightened his collar and headed out.
Even the air seemed fresher along the way. Chen Youzai greeted everyone he passed with what he considered an elegant smile, only to be met with bursts of laughter. Baffled, he looked himself over and immediately understood. That refined air simply did not suit him.
So he shoved his left hand into his pocket, spread the fingers of his right hand, and swept them from his forehead toward the back of his head, trying for a roguish look. Unfortunately, his fingers became hopelessly tangled in his hair. The silky locks he had imagined possessing chose that moment to betray him. Grinding his teeth, Chen Youzai ducked into a secluded corner and painstakingly pulled his fingers free one by one.
While Chen Youzai was grimacing in pain, a girl happened to walk toward him, apparently intending to fix the zipper on her clothes in the same secluded spot. Instead, she came face-to-face with his contorted expression. Her face drained of color. With two shrieks, she turned and bolted.
Scenes like this had played out countless times over Chen Youzai’s eighteen years. Ridicule and contempt had followed him from birth. His eyes were barely larger than grains of rice; lively though they were, they almost seemed not to exist. His flat nose looked as though someone had deliberately smashed it in. Then there was the huge mouth that appeared whenever he smiled, the blemishes all over his face, and his naturally curly hair… With all those features gathered on one face, how could the single word “ugly” possibly do it justice?
Things might have been a little better if Chen Youzai had grown his hair long enough to hide his face. Instead, he preferred short, choppy hair and slathered it with gel every day. Once he spiked it all upward, his face was displayed with perfect clarity.
If Chen Youzai had at least had a good figure, it might have compensated for his face. Unfortunately, at 1.67 meters tall with short, bowlegged legs, he only made people wonder just how much more unfortunate that face of his could possibly look.
If Chen Youzai had been quiet, honest, and kind to others, perhaps his classmates might have viewed him a little more favorably. Unfortunately, he loved showing off. The more awkward he looked, the more bizarre his gestures became. He always thought he looked impressive, completely unaware of the visual assault he was inflicting on everyone else.
The girl’s horrified retreat dealt Chen Youzai a heavy blow. His face remained twisted with embarrassment for a good while, only for another boy to pass by and give him a hard shove. “You already look that awful, and you’re still standing somewhere this obvious blocking the way? Move!”
Chen Youzai snapped. Already in a terrible mood, he swung a fist at the fairly good-looking boy, furious that the guy had chosen this moment to provoke him. He managed to land the first punch only because the other boy had been caught off guard. After that, he was kicked and smacked around until his body flapped about like a tattered cloak.
Before long, a crowd gathered. Chen Youzai struggled to open his eyes and saw pretty girls surrounding him on every side. He sprang to his feet, scratched his head, and put on an expression that clearly said, I won. Instead, curses and mocking laughter crashed into his ears, leaving his head buzzing.
“What a wimp. Chen Youzai again, showing off all day long!”
“Damn, nice one! You should’ve messed up that face of his even more. Give him some free plastic surgery…”
“Hahaha… Look at ‘Facial Paralysis’ making that face. I’m dying…”