Lazy Makeup

Xu Rong, a modern woman who died from overwork, transmigrates into the body of an eighteen-year-old noblewoman in an ancient dynasty. The original host had been jilted by her fiancé, Xiao Lun, who fell in love with another woman, Second Miss Chang. During a confrontation, the original Xu Rong fell down a hillside, sustaining a forehead wound that left a scar. Upon waking, Xu Rong accepts her new reality and focuses on recovering, discovering that her youthful appearance is a significant asset. Her mother, Madam Xu, is a fragile and weeping woman who lacks strategic acumen. Despite the scandal, Madam Xu manages to negotiate the continuation of the engagement with the Xiao family, claiming it as a victory for justice. Xu Rong is bewildered by this outcome, recognizing that Xiao Lun betrayed her and that marrying him would be disastrous.

The situation deteriorates when Xu Rong’s younger brother, Xu Huazhang, the Marquis of Ji’an, gets into a physical altercation with Zhang Weiling, the son of the powerful Duke of Yingguo. Xu Huazhang breaks Zhang Weiling’s arm after being provoked at a pleasure quarter. The Zhang family uses the legal system to imprison the fifteen-year-old marquis, leveraging their superior political influence. Madam Xu, desperate to save her son, approaches the Xiao family for mediation. The matriarch of the Xiao family, Madam Xiao, exploits the crisis to force a new marriage arrangement. She demands that Xu Rong marry Xiao Xin, Xiao Lun’s younger half-brother, in exchange for securing Xu Huazhang’s release. Madam Xiao also reveals that Xiao Lun and Second Miss Chang have already matched their birth charts, indicating their union is imminent.

Xu Rong meets Xiao Xin, who is portrayed as a gloomy, rebellious youth resentful of his family’s schemes. Madam Xiao had intended for Xiao Xin to seduce Xu Rong to force the marriage, but Xiao Xin refuses to comply with such dishonorable tactics. Xu Rong, displaying a pragmatic and calculating mindset distinct from her former self, proposes an alliance with Xiao Xin. Both are victims of their families’ political maneuvering; she is being sacrificed to save her brother, while he is being used as a pawn by his grandmother. They agree to cooperate, with Xiao Xin agreeing to help lure Zhang Weiling out of his confinement.

Xu Rong also investigates the role of Second Master Luo, a family friend who facilitated the meeting between Xu Huazhang and Zhang Weiling. Her maid’s brother discovers that Second Master Luo received a pouch of money from someone entering the Xiao family residence, suggesting he was bribed to orchestrate the conflict. Xu Rong devises a plan to blackmail Second Master Luo by having Bai Fu’s brother confront him about the payment. Simultaneously, she arranges a meeting with Zhang Weiling at a teahouse, aiming to negotiate a settlement that would secure her brother’s freedom and dissolve the forced engagement to Xiao Xin. The story follows Xu Rong as she navigates the treacherous political landscape of the noble courts, using her modern sensibilities and calm demeanor to outmaneuver her adversaries while seeking a path to independence.