Kerry and Kaiya felt sick to their stomachs at Duke Leslie’s admonishment.

They had looked down on Lu Xia before, and they despised her even more now. Graces was their brother, but they had never given him a second thought. To them, he was just a ’defective product’ unworthy of being their sibling—a stain on their Duke Mansion. Yet, this very person they disdained was now being treated like a treasure. ’That Duke Lu Xia must not have seen anything of real value in her life!’

They considered themselves a cut above the rest and felt that Duke Lu Xia’s actions were a disgrace to all females.

But now, Duke Leslie was lecturing them because of *that person*. How could they possibly stomach that?

Lu Xia, having already left, couldn’t care less what the two sisters thought. After all, she had achieved her goal for the day.

She was confident that curiosity would drive Duke Leslie to use the beauty cream she had sent. Once she tried it, she would certainly realize what a great product it was.

After all, the beauty cream was effective on scars and even more so on unblemished skin. It would brighten and whiten one’s complexion, and no female could refuse the chance to become more beautiful.

The beauty cream was infused with Spiritual Spring Water. The concentration wasn’t high, but it was enough to achieve the effect Lu Xia desired.

And Lu Xia was right. That very night, after washing up before bed, Duke Leslie applied the beauty cream like a face mask.

She was already interested in Lu Xia’s No. 1 Institute. Now that she had received a product sent personally by Duke Lu Xia, she felt she had to try it. If it worked well, she would continue to foster a good relationship with Duke Lu Xia. If it didn’t, she would know that Duke Lu Xia was just a worthless flatterer, and their future interactions would be nothing more than a superficial courtesy.

The pure black beauty cream felt cool and rather pleasant on her skin. Its scent was light and delicate, not at all overpowering.

’Aside from the slightly unappealing color, it seems fine overall.’

With that thought in mind, Duke Leslie waited for twenty minutes. She was somewhat surprised to watch the black paste turn transparent before her very eyes.

After washing it off and examining her reflection, she was surprised to find that the recent dryness from the weather had eased. Not only that, but her skin seemed much fairer and more supple than before. She couldn’t help but touch her hydrated cheeks, muttering, "It must be all in my head, right?"

’What kind of product could work so fast? Even the Anti Aging Cream I spent a fortune on isn’t this potent.’

After reassuring herself, Duke Leslie thought no more of it and went to bed. But when she looked in the mirror the next morning, she discovered that in the natural light, her skin was visibly fairer and more supple. It wasn’t an illusion at all.

At breakfast, even Kerry and Kaiya asked in surprise, "Mother, did you sleep well last night? You look wonderful today. It’s like you’ve gotten younger."

"I was about to say the same thing. You seem much fairer, Mother. Have you started using a new product?"

Hearing this, Duke Leslie’s heart pounded. Unable to suppress her joy, she asked, "Do you really think I look fairer than before?"

As she spoke, she couldn’t resist picking up a hand mirror to examine her face, trying to find some flaw to convince herself it was just her imagination. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

But she couldn’t find any argument against it. She really had become much fairer—the proof was on her neck.

She had only applied the cream to her face last night, not her neck, and now the contrast was striking.

"Yes, Mother, you really are. I wouldn’t just say fairer, though. Your complexion is just excellent—so natural." It wasn’t the artificial paleness of makeup.

"I never expected Duke Lu Xia to be so capable. This beauty cream is truly effective. I’ve only used it for one day, and the difference is already obvious." Duke Leslie gazed at her reflection, satisfied. ’This is even better than the expensive beauty treatments I get.’

But to Kerry and Kaiya, her words sounded entirely different.

The two sisters asked in astonishment, "Mother, what are you saying?"

"You used the beauty cream Lu Xia gave you? How could you dare? Weren’t you afraid there might be something wrong with it?"

"What could be wrong with it?" Duke Leslie looked at them, a hint of confusion in her eyes. "Can’t you two see for yourselves whether there’s a problem? Have you ever seen results this good? Stop looking at people with such prejudice. You should learn a thing or two from her. She might have been a mess before, but now that she’s not, she’s proven her capabilities. And what about you two? All you do is look down on everyone, but I’ve yet to see you produce anything I can brag about!"

Duke Leslie already had a decent impression of Lu Xia, but after using the beauty cream, she was thoroughly impressed.

The sisters could sense this, of course, which only made them more certain that Lu Xia was up to no good.

Unfortunately for them, Duke Leslie wasn’t listening to a word they said.

Lu Xia had expected Duke Leslie would try the beauty cream, but she hadn’t imagined she would use it that very same day. And she certainly didn’t expect that on the second day, thrilled with her perfect complexion, Duke Leslie would happily go out to meet her friends. After receiving a flood of compliments that greatly satisfied her vanity, she did indeed help promote the cream.

*

A month went by, and news about the No. 1 Institute Beauty Cream spread rapidly online. During this time, Mai Lun, who had been using it consistently, saw a huge improvement in his facial scars. The pockmarks and discoloration left over from laser treatments on one half of his once-hideous face had now faded to nearly match his original skin tone. Moreover, the rough skin had become smooth and delicate.

He casually scrolled through the comparison photos he had uploaded for thirty consecutive days, which documented his entire recovery process.

In thirty days, the No.1 Institute Beauty Cream had given him a miracle.

He wasn’t fully healed yet, as his condition had been quite severe, but he now had complete faith in the beauty cream. A full recovery was just a matter of time.

Looking at the comparison photos posted online, it was clear that many people in the No.1 Institute Beauty Cream trial had already made full recoveries and regained their confidence.

As more of these posts appeared, many people initially suspected it was just a marketing ploy. Gradually, however, they realized the posts seemed to be spontaneous, with no one pulling the strings. The trial might have officially involved only volunteers, but everyone has family and friends.

All it took was one look to know if it was real.

So, on Lu Xia’s end, the product started trending even before its official launch, propelled by public fervor under the hashtag—#BeautyCreamRestoresYourBeauty.

"When I started seeing more of these posts, I assumed it was just a marketing gimmick. Then I saw my friend yesterday. Oh my god, the transformation was incredible! He’d injured his face in an accident, leaving a scar about 10 cm long. He tried all sorts of things, but nothing could get rid of it completely. Turns out, he secretly signed up for the No. 1 Institute’s beauty cream trial. I never thought the stuff would actually work! If it hadn’t happened to someone right next to me, I’d never have believed it. It seriously sounds like a fake ad!"

"You’re not the only one, OP! My brother signed up as a volunteer too. When he did it, we all thought it was a scam. But he’s been so down ever since his injury, so our family figured we’d let him do it if it made him feel even a little better. We never dreamed this one little bottle would restore his confidence. Our whole family is so grateful to the No. 1 Institute!"

...