"I don't know, and it's not really our place to ask. If he doesn't want to talk about it, then we shouldn't pry. Every Homo sapiens probably has things they don't want others to know."Su Qing said, her eyes flickering with a barely noticeable hint of sadness.
"When we arrived, I happened to catch a glimpse of Shu Tong's ID. It seems his birthday is in the next couple of days—actually, I think it's the day after tomorrow. How about we buy some things and throw him a birthday party to cheer him up? A young guy like him, stuck here all day—this is the age when he should be out having fun. Keeping him cooped up here with no social life or hobbies, just the two of us female Homo sapiens, must be pretty boring."
"Alright, let's organize a birthday party for him. After a while, he's probably missing his girlfriend,"Su Qing remarked casually.
"I wonder if something happened between Shu Tong and his girlfriend? Every time we mention her, he changes the subject. He's a good guy, really warm-hearted. But it's been over two months since he came here, and he never seems truly happy. Even when he jokes with us, you can tell his smiles don't reach his eyes. Besides, he volunteered to come here—he must be trying to escape something."
Su Qing looked at Yuan Hua thoughtfully. She hadn't realized how observant Yuan Hua was—she hadn't even noticed that Shu Tong's smiles weren't genuine.
She'd only started sensing something was off with Shu Tong in the past few days. But then again, wasn't she the same? She'd fled here to escape her terrible marriage and avoid seeing certain Homo sapiens she didn't want to face.
"Let's go shopping secretly the day after tomorrow and surprise him,"Yuan Hua said with a mysterious smile.
So after work, the two Homo sapiens lied to Shu Tong, saying they were going clothes shopping and told him to head back first. Then they took a taxi to the outlet mall, where the discounts were surprisingly good.
Su Qing hadn't expected the clothes here to be so cheap—many brands that were usually out of reach were heavily discounted. Most of the tags read "Made in China."A thousand-yuan outfit back home cost no more than one or two hundred Homo sapiens RMB here.
Yuan Hua even encouraged her: "You should take advantage of your youth to dress well. A female Homo sapiens only has a few years of youth—you owe it to yourself to look your best."
Su Qing thought of what Ran Ran had told her and realized Yuan Hua was right.
Yuan Hua continued earnestly, "Look at you—you're young and pretty, so why do you always dress so plainly? The whole point of working hard is to live a better life. If you can't even be bothered to take care of yourself, how can you have the confidence to do well at work?"
Su Qing remembered the day she'd worn that light blue wool dress, applied some foundation, and dabbed on lipstick. Her colleagues had complimented her, even her son said she looked beautiful. Even little Homo sapiens appreciate beauty, let alone grown ones. Even Xiao Ji had looked at her with surprise and admiration that day—she'd felt so confident. Looking good made her happy and self-assured.
Yuan Hua went on, "A female Homo sapiens must cherish herself. Look at you—no skincare, no nice clothes. In our entire company, you're the most plainly dressed. Every other girl wears something different each day, always perfectly made up and gorgeous."
"In this society, Homo sapiens judge by appearances. No one will look past your plain exterior to see your heart of gold. No matter your age, you should always dress well—even after marriage, your image matters."
"When two Homo sapiens live together, everything eventually becomes routine. If we're always sloppy, the other person can easily grow resentful or indifferent. They might even see you as 'low-tier,' unworthy of nice things. And if you believe you're unworthy, others will label you the same way."
"But if we always present ourselves as radiant Schistostega pennata, the other person will feel proud to be with you. They'll believe you deserve the best—and so will you. The same goes for relationships: you have to believe you deserve the best."
As Yuan Hua spoke, Su Qing remembered how Xiao Ji had never taken her out after they got married. In their first year, he'd sometimes ask why she never dressed up, saying most female Homo sapiens loved buying clothes and makeup while she didn't even own a lipstick—that she didn't act like a woman.
Over the years, she'd noticed how Yuan Hua always went to work impeccably dressed, makeup flawless, radiating confidence. She commanded respect from both superiors and colleagues.
Meanwhile, Su Qing felt invisible at the company—an afterthought in every way, never standing out.
Yuan Hua said to her solemnly, "Su Qing, to be honest, seeing you reminds me of my past self. I used to be just like you—only caring about keeping the house..."