“Cheese—!”
After a thunderous collective shout, the start-up photo for *Sleepless City (Tentative Name)* was taken.
the moment the photographer signaled the end of the shoot, Qin You could feel over a dozen gazes “swish” onto her.
It had been like this ever since she arrived today; scrutinizing looks followed her constantly. If Director Wang’s confidentiality agreements weren’t always so terrifyingly strict, people would likely already be gossiping with their friends about this “big celebrity.”
During the photo, the stares had vanished for a brief moment, but as soon as it was finished, those looks—some hidden, others blatant—returned to her.
Qin You had no scenes today. If she didn’t want to be watched like a monkey in a zoo, she could have left as soon as the ceremony was over. However, she remained, expressionless despite the burning gazes—she wanted to stay and observe how Director Wang filmed.
Since she wasn’t on set today, she was dressed casually in a black jacket and jeans, her hair tied back in a simple ponytail, and she wore no makeup at all.
But her face was the type that became more radiant the more unadorned it was.
Without the Original Host’s “internet celebrity” makeup that only hindered her features, Qin You just stood there in the wind. As the breeze stirred her hair, it created a sense of peerless elegance.
Most of the looks directed at her were filled with disgust and disdain, yet upon seeing her, they couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned. They had seen photos and videos of Qin You online—there had been plenty of them lately. But in those, she appeared as just an ordinary beauty. While she was very pretty, this was the entertainment industry; pretty people were everywhere. If one was merely “ordinarily pretty,” it was difficult to stand out.
Someone online had even made a comparison video between her and Gu Tianbai. Although Gu Tianbai wasn’t an actor, she was a great beauty who possessed a naturally cool and noble aura. Many people mocked Qin You, saying that as an actor, she wasn’t even as good-looking or elegant as the woman behind the scenes, and that Chen Ren wasn’t entirely blind.
But seeing her in person now…
What a stunning face!
Some couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
No wonder they had barely recognized her at first. She was far more beautiful than her photos and possessed a unique temperament. The Qin You in those online photos looked more like a little girl; the Qin You standing on set today carried a natural “star aura,” as if she were meant to be bathed in everyone’s gaze—whether that gaze was one of infatuation or loathing.
Those burning stares weren’t enough to make her spare them a glance; they only served to turn up the brightness of her own natural spotlight.
She stood there coldly, looking for all the world like the center of the universe.
*I wonder who she’s playing? The protagonist?*
*Probably. This is a web drama, and the crew is mostly newcomers. Qin You is the only famous star here. Who else would she play but the lead?*
For a moment, the crowd’s feelings were complex. Although being “infamous” was still a form of popularity, and Qin You’s involvement would undoubtedly give the drama instant heat… was that kind of heat really worth it?
Ah, this wicked entertainment industry.
However, as they recalled the image of the protagonist in the script, some actually felt a trace of pity. While the character Fang Ziyu was far superior in intelligence and presence to the “silly sweet” roles Qin You had played before, she was still portrayed as a growing college student. Her characteristic innocent strength was certainly cute, but it felt like a waste for this version of Qin You… watching such a big star turn back into an ordinary girl felt like something to sigh about.
Those who had such thoughts, however, soon realized they had guessed wrong.
The first scene to be filmed today happened to be the very first act of the script: Fang Ziyu, fresh out of high school, catches a fleeting glimpse of the Venture Capital Queen at her best friend’s coming-of-age ceremony, deciding her career path from that moment on.
The set was nearly finished, and the lavish party was beginning to take shape. Actors began emerging from the makeup room after their styling was complete. Most of those who came out first were extras who would appear on screen for less than a second, which was evident from their styling. As time passed, the actors emerging had increasingly exquisite and detailed looks, clearly intended for close-ups.
The most striking among them were two eighteen-year-old girls: one in a floor-length red dress, and the other in a simple, elegant white lace dress.
The girl in the white dress had clean features and a pure aura that perfectly matched her styling; she stood tall and graceful, like a lily.
Everyone knew at a glance—that was Fang Ziyu.
The girl in the red dress beside her was gorgeous, with a beauty so bright it bordered on arrogance. She was Fang Ziyu’s rich best friend.
Director Wang had a knack for casting; both of them looked as if they had stepped right out of the script.
Following them was an older actress, styled to look about thirty years old. She was the “backbone character” of this scene—the “Venture Capital Queen.”
She wasn’t a total newcomer, but she had only played minor supporting roles in other dramas. Even if viewers found her familiar, it wouldn’t reach the point of her upstaging the leads.
Several gazes instantly shifted back to Qin You. There weren’t many named female roles in the script, and now three were accounted for. That left Fang Ziyu’s superior, her colleagues, and…
*Wait, Qin You isn’t going to play…*
Someone remembered the fleeting “mistress” role in the script.
*Is Qin You really here to play that fox spirit?*
Someone let out a low “Wow.”
Now, that was exciting.
But then again, that face of hers really was a perfect fit… soul-stirring and captivating. It was very convincing.
Their director was truly devious—finding a famous real-life mistress to play the mistress in the drama. Tsk, tsk. They got the buzz without damaging the show’s reputation. Too shrewd.
Things were getting interesting.