The makeup artist’s eyes lit up when he saw Yan Huan emerge from the dressing room.
The cheongsam had not been particularly beautiful to look at when it had been hanging on the clothes rack, it had been left to gather dust, as it was too small for most actresses. The makeup artist was therefore surprised to see that Yan Huan had been able to put it on; he had been prepared to have to alter it for her, or to get a different cheongsam, but that was no longer necessary. The actress was a perfect match for the dress. He could not help feeling impressed: what an incredibly thin waist! How does she do it?
“Have a seat.” The makeup artist gestured to the chair beside him. He rubbed his hands with glee— he was determined to create the perfect Hong Yao.
Yan Huan sat down. She placed her hands on her knees as the makeup artist studied her facial features.
“You have a very photogenic face.”
Yan Huan simply smiled in reply. The woman in the mirror was young and beautiful; she was a flower that had just begun to bloom.
The makeup artist obviously knew what he was doing. He did not use a lot of makeup on Yan Huan as she was young, naturally pretty, and had good skin. Her exquisite features and perfectly symmetrical face meant that he did not have to use makeup tricks to alter the shape of her face, either.
Yan Huan enjoyed watching herself in the mirror. She loved watching the makeup artists turn her into different characters: seductive, glamorous, innocent, charming. All of these characters were her, yet at the same time none of them were actually her. Now, her eyes twinkled merrily as her red lips curved into a small smile; there was the scent of the night jasmine, the ye lai xiang in Chinese, on her breath.
She gently hummed the classic song Ye Lai Xiang as she stood up. From the very moment she put on her costume she was no longer Yan Huan, but a strong-willed prostitute who refused to resign herself to her fate.
She now exuded the unmistakable aura of a woman who sold her body for a living.
When she emerged from the makeup room, Su Qiao and Qi Haolin had already finished taking their full-costume photos. The two lead actors had other things to do and excused themselves.
There were now very few people left on set to watch Yan Huan’s photo shoot. As soon as the lights were on, she was already in position without the photographer having to remind her. The subtle smile on her lips was mirrored in her clear, merry eyes.
Click! The photographer had already snapped a photo. Yan Huan changed her pose; she crossed her arms, hugging herself, and turned sideways, accentuating the perfect curve of her waist. It was far and away the most beautiful curve on a woman. The expression on her face had changed: there was now a faraway look in her misty eyes.
The photographer continued to snap away. He had never met an actress half as professional as Yan Huan. Wasn’t she supposed to be new to this? He couldn’tbelieve it. Actors who were just starting out tended to be nervous and awkward, but she was neither.
“That’s the last photo. Well done.” The photographer finally had to stop, after having taken at least a hundred photos of Yan Huan. He had thoroughly enjoyed himself, and was sorry his tight schedule did not permit him to take a few more shots of the actress.
“Thank you.” Yan Huan bowed politely to the photographer. The photographer squirmed awkwardly, a little embarrassed by how polite she was being.
“I have a feeling you’ll be a star someday,” said the photographer as he looked over her photos. Yes, she was definitely star material. Her face was unbelievably photogenic, it was as though it had been made specifically for the camera.
Yan Huan smiled shyly in reply, even as the light in her eyes grew dim and cool. Yes, she was going to be famous. She knew she was going to be a star. She would reclaim the position she had lost in her previous life, along with everything else she had let slip away. She would not forget who she was, this time.
“Huanhuan, Huanhuan, your full costume photos are out…” Yi Ling had kept a zealous watch over her computer for the last several days. As soon as the photos from the makeup test were out, she immediately began shouting like a madwoman.
Yan Huan lowered the kitten in her arms to the floor. She patted it on the head, encouraging it to go play by itself. Little Bean meowed in reply before running off to its nest to sleep.
Yan Huan walked over to Yi Ling and draped herself over her back as she peeked over her shoulder. Yi Ling had not been pulling her leg: the full-costume photos for Love and Tribulations were really out. The production had a massive budget, which meant that the marketing department did not have to skimp on early promotional material; they had already announced the cast, and the latest press release included the full-costume photos from the makeup test.
