The makeup artist looked at the face in the mirror and couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp.
He had been in this industry for over a decade, and the number of handsome men and beautiful women who had passed through his hands could be counted by the dozen. He used to feel that the greatest tragedy of this profession was seeing too many attractive people; it didn’t just lower his tolerance for the plain-looking people in daily life, it made him numb to beauty itself.
He felt it should be considered an occupational hazard.
However, today he realized that when faced with a true beauty, his senses were still very much intact and far from numb!
The face in the mirror was exceptionally gorgeous, possessing a peerless elegance. It was a flamboyant, highly aggressive kind of beauty. When she looked up, he felt as if more than half of his soul had vanished.
He had seen Qin You once a few days ago. At the time, she had her hair casually pulled back in a ponytail, wearing a black jacket and jeans while standing in a corner.
Back then, he thought she was pretty and would probably look even better with makeup.
But he never expected that once he actually finished her makeup, this face would radiate such brilliance that it was almost impossible to look at directly.
Oh boy… He felt like his moral compass was following her facial features.
With a face like this, what did a few mistakes even matter…
“Mhm, that’ll do.”
Director Wang’s voice abruptly brought the makeup artist back to his senses.
While he was applying Qin You’s makeup, Director Wang had been supervising the entire process. Before he even started, Director Wang had spent a full ten minutes lecturing him on exactly what kind of look he wanted, from various details to metaphysical “vibes,” chattering incessantly.
The makeup artist really wanted to shout—”You’re questioning my professional competence!”
But truth be told, when the makeup was finished, he actually understood Director Wang’s actions a bit. He had heard the gossip about Qin You, and although he didn’t know how Director Wang had convinced her to play this role, the makeup for this face truly couldn’t afford even the slightest slip-up. She had to be the most beautiful trophy character possible. If he were in the director’s shoes, he would have watched the whole time too, ensuring his casting efforts didn’t go to waste.
One had to admit, Director Wang’s eye was truly sharp. The makeup artist had seen those photos of Qin You online, but back then he only thought her makeup was too generic. He had completely failed to see that she was such a beauty even without makeup—talk about a lapse in professional competence!
Qin You stood up, and her full figure appeared in the mirror.
She wore a well-tailored strapless mermaid dress of medium length, with the hem ending just above her ankles at the calf. It felt somewhere between formal and casual. The dress was black, but made of a material that shimmered like sparkling waves under the lights.
“The jacket is here!”
The costume designer ran in from outside, clutching a pile of black clothing. When she saw Qin You in the mirror with her makeup finished, a flash of amazement crossed her eyes as well. However, she quickly suppressed it and put on her professional persona.
Just after she had helped Qin You into this custom-made long dress, Director Wang had frowned and thought for a long time. Then, he suddenly turned to her and said, “Find a jacket. Matte, black, long, but not too heavy. It needs to be light, with a length roughly reaching below her knees.”
Qin You was also slightly stunned. This dress was identical to the one worn by Ling Yu in the drama from her previous life, but in that scene, Ling Yu hadn’t worn a jacket…
The costume designer brought several jackets that fit Director Wang’s description. Director Wang lifted them all to inspect them before finally picking one and tossing it to Qin You.
“Try it on.”
Qin You put the jacket on.
“Mhm. When we film the shot of you getting up from the table later, remember to take off the jacket first, then let down your hair.”
Qin You nodded. “Understood.”
Director Wang watched Qin You finish her makeup and gave his final instructions on the sequence of actions. Finally satisfied, he left. The stylist emerged from a corner to fuss over her hair for a bit longer before finally giving her an “OK” sign.
Qin You took a deep breath and pushed open the door. She was going to film Ling Yu’s first scene.
Outside, the set had been ready for a long time—a dimly lit restaurant with soft but cold white light. The actor playing the bartender behind the bar knew he was just a background element but was still excitedly preparing to show off his skills for the camera. The extras, arranged in suitable seats by Director Wang, were practicing how to “murmur” in conversation according to his requirements. On the track between the bar and the seating area, staff were laying down rails for the camera. Yang Qiu was in a small, temporary booth watching the staff adjust the microphone; she would need to cooperate later by making a phone call to her boyfriend in the scene. Aside from them, there were some idle people outside the set—actors who weren’t needed for this scene were racing against time to rest or chat.
*Tap. Tap. Tap…*
As the sound of high heels clicking against the marble floor became clearer, people couldn’t help but look toward the source of the sound.
The hem of the black mermaid dress swirled in a light, fluttering arc that tugged at people’s heartstrings. The jacket, which reached past her knees, looked more like a cape than a coat. The fabric billowed as she walked, as if a blower were positioned right beside her.
But the most eye-catching thing was that face.
Qin You was in full makeup, with bright red lips, high-arched thin eyebrows, and seductive eyes. She was already naturally gorgeous, and this makeup magnified her features several times over, fully exposing the aggressive nature of her beauty. It was enough to make anyone who saw her catch their breath.
Someone let out a low, “Wow.”
Before Qin You appeared, there were still those who were secretly rejoicing and waiting to see a joke. Even though Qin You had kept her role a secret for so long, everything became clear the moment work started today—the role she was playing was that cannon fodder mistress who only had two scenes.
But when she finally stepped out of the styling room, both the malicious thoughts of those waiting for a laugh and the whispers on the set vanished in an instant.
In a black dress and red lips, the aura of the young woman approaching was too powerful, like a bright pearl that made it impossible to look away.
Some thought to themselves that even if she was just a trophy character with only two scenes, she would probably be the most memorable trophy character ever.
Qin You walked to the position designated by Director Wang and sat down, preparing to start filming.
In this scene, the “protagonists” were arguing over the phone, but their voices were merely background noise. The camera swept across the male lead’s face as he suppressed his rage, then moved forward without stopping toward Qin You. The shot focused on Qin You’s left hand holding her phone. The way she gripped it made her index and middle fingers tense slightly, making them look even more slender. A small portion of her profile was visible in this shot, its exquisite lines stirring the heart and piquing curiosity. Qin You gave a couple of casual “mhm”s, seemingly responding to or brushing off the person on the other end of the line.
Suddenly, her movements paused in the shot, as if something had caught her attention.
She turned her face slightly toward the phone, a movement that revealed a bit more of the lower half of her face to the camera.
“I’ll call back later.”
Then, with a *click*, she lightly flicked the flip phone with her index finger. As the phone snapped shut, the call was disconnected.
No one noticed that this seemingly insignificant line and action had already manifested Ling Yu’s dictatorial personality.
No one noticed because Qin You’s voice was too distinctive. Her speech carried a hoarseness, like a piece of sandpaper rasping against one’s heart, sexy and moving. In an instant, it transported people back to 1950s-1960s Hollywood, leaving them in a daze.
“Cut!”
Director Wang’s cold voice rescued the others from their momentary trance.
“Very good.” He gave a short nod, offering a rare bit of praise to Qin You, and then directed the camera to change positions to prepare for the second shot.
Qin You was already accustomed to this kind of intermittent filming. The most important thing for an actor wasn’t actually the ability to get into character, but the ability to do so at any time and place. A shot like this that didn’t require much emotion was fine, but for scenes that required building up feelings, being interrupted just as you’d cultivated them to move the camera for another angle was the most agonizing part. When the emotional experience was intermittent, maintaining one’s state was a difficult task.
The second shot was to capture her back view.
Qin You waited for the others to get ready. After the clapperboard strike, she continued Ling Yu’s movements.
She put down the phone and stood up. With a flick of her hands, the jacket slid off her body as smooth as flowing water, revealing her beautiful back.
Qin You’s posture was tall and slender. The mermaid dress only had two extremely thin straps. The stylist had gathered all her hair up, and in the shot, the black dress contrasted with her snow-white back, which seemed to glow—especially since the only lights were the overhead bar lights, making the surroundings very dark. By comparison, it looked as if she were radiating light.
Then she raised her left hand, reaching across to the right, and gently pulled the hairpin from her bun.
In an instant, her black hair fell like a waterfall, swaying slightly before coming to a rest.
With a *clack*, she placed the wooden hairpin on the table. Simultaneously, she used the leverage to walk past the edge of the table, but because the movement was so fluid, it almost looked as if she were floating.
“Cut!”
Director Wang looked up from the monitor with satisfaction, nodding once more and saying, “Not bad.”
He then signaled for the large jib camera to be moved onto the tracks.
*Tap.*
*Tap.*
*Tap.*
The camera in front of Qin You slowly retreated as she stepped forward, also gradually rising.
First came the high heels and the fluttering hem of the dress, then the graceful curves and relaxed arms, followed by collarbones deep enough to hold a pool of clear spring water, and finally, the exquisite jawline.
When Qin You sat in the seat opposite the male lead, the camera finally moved from her chin to capture her full face.
A smile slowly bloomed on that exquisite, gorgeous, and somewhat unapproachable face.
“Did you have a fight with your girlfriend?”
Countless people had the same thought—perhaps many years later, no one would remember this drama or the scandals, but this shot of Qin You would probably be edited out and replayed over and over again.
As the very definition of captivating allure.