The dressing room was messy, with rows of costumes hanging on expandable racks all around.
Several stylists were busy applying makeup to the actors for the next scene, while seven or eight actors sat on small stools, waiting in the open space.
After Xu Qiao entered, glances subtly stuck to him from all sides.
The stylist who brought Xu Qiao over pushed out a row of clothes, took out a set of red garments, and handed them to Xu Qiao.
The thin fabric had a high color saturation, adorned with extravagant embroidery and sequins, making it look somewhat cheap.
Li Feifei couldn’t help but doubt. On such a cold day, wearing this outfit felt like not wearing anything at all.
The stylist pointed to the opposite side. “The changing room is over there. Need help?”
“Thanks, I’ll manage.” Xu Qiao’s eyes formed a crescent shape as he glanced at Li Feifei nearby. “Feifei, wait for me here.”
The dressing room was temporarily set up due to limited space, with the changing room arranged on the other side, shared with the neighboring film crew.
With fingers hooked onto the clothes rack, Xu Qiao walked to the changing room. At this moment, there weren’t many people inside. He entered the furthest corner, slid down the latch, and closed the door.
Taking off the down jacket, a chill hit Xu Qiao. He removed the sweater and thermal underwear, leaving only boxers to start changing into the red outfit.
The clothing was not only light and thin, but the fabric was also slippery. When worn, it couldn’t be kept in place with just one hand. It kept sliding down from the shoulders.
While securing the clothing and fastening the belt, the firmly closed door behind unexpectedly swayed. It somehow opened, allowing a chilly breeze to sneak in.
Xu Qiao turned around, and saw a man in his twenties standing outside.
He was tall, with broad shoulders, a slender waist, and long legs. Dressed in ancient costume, he wore a finely embroidered, moon-white robe. Around his neck, there was a high-end gray cashmere scarf that mismatched the overall look.
Noticing the thin down jacket draped over his arm and the damp short hair that had been washed, it seemed he had finished filming and come to change clothes.
Xu Qiao slightly raised his chin, reminding him, “Shouldn’t there be other changing rooms?”
The sharp lines of the man’s eyes scanned Xu Qiao from top to bottom.
Xu Qiao’s thinly draped red attire fell halfway to his waist, revealing a significant portion of his shoulders and back. In the dim and dull light of the dressing room, it showcased a warm and jade-like complexion.
Noticing his gaze lingering on his exposed back, Xu Qiao calmly adjusted his clothes.
Without saying anything, the man casually pushed the damp short hair falling to his forehead back up and turned to leave.
Seeing him depart, Xu Qiao closed the door again.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Moving his foot, he saw it was a wooden sign strung with a rope. Picking it up, he read: “Exclusive for Xu Siyi.”
Straightening up, Xu Qiao then noticed a nail on the door of the changing room. This sign was originally meant to be hung there.
“Xu-Si-Yi.” Xu Qiao whispered the name, recalling that Li Feifei had mentioned Xu Siyi from the neighboring film crew before they started shooting.
Hence, this changing room wasn’t for general use. It was Xu Siyi’s exclusive space.
So, the young man just now—
Xu Qiao took out his phone and entered the name in the search bar. The webpage redirected, and the man who appeared in the pictures was indeed the one from earlier.
In the photos, his features were exceptional. The way he raised his chin to look down at the camera exuded a commanding presence.
After skimming through some encyclopedia entries and the latest news, Xu Qiao reluctantly gathered information about the current popularity of this individual.
He used to occupy half of the entertainment industry’s traffic, but this year he seemed to be transitioning. There were much fewer updates about him, but his standing in the entertainment industry remained unattainable for Xu Qiao at the moment.
Currently, he was playing the role of a Daoist master in the neighboring “Hundred Ghosts” drama crew.
……
Regardless of the perspective, as someone within the industry, Xu Qiao’s recent act of not recognizing the other person was extremely abnormal.
After rehanging the sign back onto the nail, Xu Qiao glanced at it and walked out.
Returning to the dressing room, Li Feifei took the sweater and thermal underwear draped over Xu Qiao’s arm. Seeing his empty down jacket, with only a thin layer of red clothing, he couldn’t help but worry. “Feeling cold, Big Brother?”
“Not really.” Xu Qiao nodded to his stylist in charge, indicating that he could proceed.
The stylist, a young girl, rarely had the opportunity to showcase her skills with such a remarkable face like Xu Qiao’s. She eagerly prepared, rubbing her hands together.
Starting with the wig, the stylist used a brush to carefully attach the custom-made wig for Jin’er to Xu Qiao. Once the wig was in place, she stared at Xu Qiao without blinking, expressing her admiration.
Strands of black hair scattered down, adding a touch of ancient charm.
Beneath the natural look, Xu Qiao’s skin glowed with a bright and delicate sheen, making the stylist envious.
With such flawless skin, there was no need for foundation or concealer. It could surely withstand the scrutiny of high-definition cameras. The black hair cascaded down like flowing clouds, enhancing the clarity and elegance of his face.
However, the challenge of applying makeup came with the excellent facial and bone structure.
The stylist hesitated, afraid that her skills might fall short, worried that her attempt to enhance the beauty of this face might unintentionally mar it.
……
Using a makeup brush on Xu Qiao’s chin, she assessed him, contemplating the alluring character of Jin’er. After careful consideration, she began applying makeup.
After a considerable amount of dabbing and smoothing, the makeup was finally done. Xu Qiao frowned slightly as he looked at himself in the mirror.
The makeup was overly vibrant. Although it looked beautiful, something still felt off.
The contouring was extensive. The stylist aimed to conceal his masculine features, softening the lines to make him appear more feminine. While his features were more refined and gentle compared to typical male celebrities, he still wasn’t a real woman.
The stylist glanced at Xu Qiao in the mirror, feeling somewhat embarrassed. The makeup wasn’t bad, considering he was naturally good-looking. Nevertheless, even with the makeup, it was hard to make him look less attractive.
Yet, upon closer comparison, the makeup didn’t improve Xu Qiao’s appearance as much as his bare face.
She cleared her throat, uncomfortably speaking, “Uh… I’ll redo it! Cross-dressing is not my strong suit.”
“No need for cross-dressing. He’s a young man from the brothel, not a courtesan.” Xu Qiao looked at himself in the mirror, the corner of his lower lip curving into a beautiful arc. “I’ll try it myself.”
With limited experience, the stylist’s technique was somewhat unseasoned. Avoiding mistakes was already a success. Demanding more would be unfair to her. Xu Qiao thought it might be easier to do it himself.
“Big Brother, you know how to do makeup?” Li Feifei was somewhat surprised.
The stylist also hesitated. “We’re about to take the official photos. If you mess up, I won’t have enough time to redo it.”
“It’s okay, won’t take long.” The makeup table was fully equipped. Xu Qiao picked up two cotton pads with his fingers, dampened them with makeup remover, and calmly wiped away the overly vibrant makeup on his face.
Someone nearby sneaked glances at Xu Qiao, feeling that there was an indescribable charm in his movements.
After removing the makeup from his face, his complexion returned to its natural state — translucent and radiant under the lights. The stylist came over to help wash his face and perform a skincare routine.
She gently cared for Xu Qiao’s skin, simultaneously expressing concern, “You’ll really do your own makeup?”
Xu Qiao nodded, a faint smile making him appear exceptionally innocent.
Once, he was the courtesan that the noble sons of the entire city were eager to meet — every move exuded charm, and his eyes carried a captivating allure. Countless people fell under his enchanting gaze, willing to spend a fortune for a moment of intimacy.
How to leverage the advantage of a beautiful face, Xu Qiao knew better than anyone.
Jin’er was supposed to be gentle and charming, with the flexibility and elegance of a young man. Mimicking a woman’s appearance was not the best choice.
Glancing at the clutter of bottles and jars on the makeup table, Xu Qiao picked an eyebrow pencil and carefully outlined, refining the shape of his eyebrows.
The stylist sat on the side, still somewhat reluctant, thinking Xu Qiao was showing off. However, as she watched, a hint of surprise gradually colored her gaze.
Xu Qiao’s movements were initially a bit awkward, as if he hadn’t touched makeup tools in a long time. But soon, he found his rhythm, and his actions became skilled. With a few strokes, he outlined his eyebrows, arched the ends, bringing out a subtle and alluring curve.
The entire makeup process took just over ten minutes.
Xu Qiao looked at himself in the mirror. A smirk played at the corner of his mouth as he glanced sideways at Li Feifei and the stylist observing. “How is it?”
His complexion was clear and clean, yet his gaze held a beauty and allure that couldn’t be described.
The soft elegance of a woman mingled with the clarity of a young man in his eyes and brows, blurring the lines of gender. When he smiled, a hint of worldly charm showed, presenting a vivid image of Jin’er.
The stylist swallowed hard, nodded, and found herself speechless.
As Xu Qiao walked back to the set, Jiang Wen was explaining the scene to the lead actors.
The male lead was called Si Cheng, a freshman at the Drama Academy who had just turned eighteen. He started as a child star, known as the “national little brother,” and had a good reputation among the public.
The female lead was Zhang Yinghui, slightly older than Xu Qiao and Si Cheng. Originally from Sichuan, she had been drifting in the film and television industry for several years, playing numerous supporting roles. This was her first time as the female lead.
“Si Cheng, Chunyu Yuan is a man with internal conflicts. When faced with the genuine emotions of the female lead, he is both delighted and apprehensive. What are you daydreaming about!”
As Jiang Wen spoke, he noticed that Si Cheng’s gaze had wandered off at some point, staring blankly to the side. Annoyed, Jiang Wen rolled up the script and tapped him on the forehead, then followed Si Cheng’s gaze to see what had captured his attention.
When his gaze met that touch of red, Jiang Wen’s eyelids twitched, and a sensation akin to being pricked by needles surged from somewhere.
On the sidelines, numerous crew members momentarily paused, casting surprised glances at Xu Qiao, enveloping the surroundings in a muted stillness.
His body was wrapped in a red attire, and on that innocent face, the smile was shamelessly suggestive.
In the highly saturated deep red, with a slightly darker complexion, one could achieve an unrecognizable effect – on Xu Qiao, it complemented his face, making it even more fair and captivating, exuding a pure yet enticing beauty like a blooming rose.
The vibrant red sleeves and skirt hem floated like light chiffon, swaying back and forth, captivating onlookers.
He was Jin’er, and no one else could be more fitting.
Unrestrained, splendidly decadent to the core, exuding a captivating charm that bloomed almost to decay.
This was Jin’er.
Oh is this person from the dressing room the ML?
Thank you for the chapter!
Thank you for the update ☺️
I love when the mc is shamelessly unobtainably handsome. Wonder if the ml had a bit of gay panic so he didn’t fight him on that being his dressing room 😂 too stunned by the beauty of Xu Qiao 😏
Ahh this is such a great start! Im more and more excited for the next chapters 🤩 Thanks so much for translating!
+1!!
+2
+3
Or, given his looks, “oh no, I’ve barged in on a woman changing!”, given that our MC is going for a somewhat androgynous look
Thank you for the update 😊
So pretty! Looking forward to the next chapter 💜