Xu Qingya thought the Pill would be difficult to swallow when she took it.
But unexpectedly, the Pill that Mu Jinyu concocted didn't have the usual unpleasant bitter taste of traditional Chinese medicine, instead it had a light, fragrant aroma.
And it melted as soon as it entered her mouth, like ambrosia, instantly rushing down her throat and into her stomach.
"This tastes so good."
Xu Qingya suddenly opened her eyes, her beautiful pupils shining brightly with surprise.
Although she still didn't know whether the Beauty Pill was truly effective, the taste was indeed pleasant, even sweeter and more delightful than honey.
She had no idea how Mu Jinyu managed that.
Mu Jinyu looked at Xu Qingya's surprised expression with a faint smile on her lips, but said nothing.
Meanwhile, Gu Xiyan and Wen Rou watched Xu Qingya with a mix of belief and skepticism.
That dark, unimpressive thing, tasty?
Gu Xiyan hadn't been in contact with Xu Qingya for long, just yesterday for a day.
One day was obviously not enough to understand Xu Qingya's character.
So, she harbored a rather cynical thought, wondering if the Pill was actually incredibly unpleasant, so much so that Xu Qingya wanted to vomit, but being unwilling to suffer alone, she forced herself to endure the discomfort, feigning a look of enjoyment to trick her and Wen Rou into falling for it?
But soon, Gu Xiyan's suspicion shattered completely with the visible changes on Xu Qingya's face following the ingestion of that lackluster Beauty Pill.
Though Xu Qingya was now a noble lady of the Xu Family, she was born from a concubine, and had suffered hardships with her mother before her father dared to bring her back to the Xu Family, resulting in skin that wasn't as well-maintained as Gu Xiyan's.
But now, the previously noticeable blemishes and acne scars on her pretty face, which were in fact real, vanished as if they had wings, right after she swallowed that unattractive Beauty Pill.
Her skin, which was slightly darker and not as fair as Gu Xiyan's, also became fair and tender, resembling the peel of a freshly boiled egg.
"This... can't be possible, can it?"
Gu Xiyan exclaimed in shock and walked toward Xu Qingya, then circled around her a few times.
During this, her gaze became increasingly curious and odd, and she couldn't help but reach out and inappropriately poke Xu Qingya's cheek with her finger.
Xu Qingya did not take offense with Gu Xiyan.
Because she was also deeply astonished, holding a small mirror to view her reflection while also pinching her cheeks, realizing they were vastly different from before.
After prodding Xu Qingya's face a few times, Gu Xiyan immediately turned around, setting her gaze on those other Beauty Pills on the office desk, her eyes burning with desire.
When Wen Rou regained her composure, her reaction was the same.
What woman doesn't love beauty?
So, they exchanged a look, then with a cry, they lunged toward the office desk, each snatching several Pills while shouting, "Mine, mine..."
Xu Qingya came to her senses and was about to join in the scramble for the Pills.
"The first one has the most effect, subsequent consumption will still work, but it won't be as dramatic as the first time," Mu Jinyu reminded softly.
Gu Xiyan and Wen Rou, upon hearing this, stopped their squabbling, while Xu Qingya ceased her prepared pounce and elegantly smoothed her hair at her temples, pretending nothing had happened.
Gu Xiyan and Wen Rou stopped their tussle, exchanged glances, their cheeks flushing slightly, said nothing, and each took a Beauty Pill and swallowed it lightly.
Wow, it truly melts in the mouth, like ambrosia, delicious beyond measure, leaving a fragrant taste that lingers endlessly…
Err…
Actually, the effect wasn't that exaggerated; they just embellished it a bit in their minds.
When Gu Xiyan and Wen Rou opened their eyes, they looked at each other first, noticing significant changes in each other's complexion, they then pulled out their mirrors to admire themselves...
The change in Wen Rou was the most significant, not only because she was the poorest, her skin inferior to Gu Xiyan's and Xu Qingya's, but also because she had fallen as a child, her face cut by a sharp stone, which wasn't properly treated, leaving a scar.
The scar, with her growth, had become very faint, almost unnoticeable, but a scar was still a scar, and it inevitably affected Wen Rou's beauty.
Others might not have noticed it plainly or cared, but Wen Rou herself was quite concerned about it.
And now, after taking the Beauty Pill, not only did her skin become smooth, soft, and fair, but even that slight, faint scar had vanished without a trace.
Wen Rou looked at the mirror, then raised her head and looked at Mu Jinyu with an expression of both shock and joy.
After Gu Xiyan had admired herself for a moment, she suddenly muttered, "It's quite miraculous, but... it didn't make me ten years younger."
Mu Jinyu heard this, curled her lips and said, "What? You still want it to rejuvenate your figure as well, to turn you back into a twelve or thirteen-year-old little loli?"
Gu Xiyan gave a wry smile and said, "Not really…"
If she turned into a twelve or thirteen-year-old loli, how would she manage such a company, with no authority to her loli face, and how would she impress people?
Mu Jinyu said, "Well, that's settled then. The Beauty Pill's effect is to make the user's skin younger, tighter, smoother, softer, and fairer…"
After a flurry of adjectives, she continued, "Basically, it makes one's skin better, younger, more charming, just like a ten-year-old child's skin, which is already good, but with my Beauty Pill, it can become as soft as a baby's."
Having heard this, Gu Xiyan nodded thoughtfully and said, "So, a forty or fifty-year-old woman who has been well taken care of, if she takes the Beauty Pill, her skin becomes fair and delicate, she could even give a twenty-year-old girl a run for her money?"
"That's the idea," Mu Jinyu nodded.
Gu Xiyan responded with a tinge of regret, "It's a pity it can't turn those bucket-waisted women into having a snake-like waist."
"Don't think too much about that," Mu Jinyu understood Gu Xiyan's insinuation and quickly shattered her dream, "There's no Pill that can directly remove fat, best to stick to honest exercise."
In fact, turning a bucket waist into a snake waist was something Mu Jinyu could achieve, but not like the Beauty Pill where you see instant results with just one Pill.
It would require him to give several sessions of massage and manipulation.
But that was too much trouble, and Mu Jinyu didn't want to bother with such things.
"Oh, I see," Gu Xiyan said upon learning there was no easy solution, sighing with slight regret, then shifted her gaze back to the few remaining Beauty Pills on the desk.
Her eyes immediately became intensely fervent.
Although it couldn't change one's figure, the Beauty Pill's effect of making one appear about ten years younger was terrifyingly potent. Once released into the market, it would surely cause a sensation.
This was a money-making weapon!
The former recipe from Xu Xiaojiao that could make one appear about three years younger in comparison was indeed worthless.