Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
“What’s wrong?” He turned and saw Yan Huan with a piece of clothing in her arms, a frown set in her unhappy face.
“Come with me,” she walked up and pulled him aside.
Lu Yi followed her with a baffled expression on his face, curious as to what had offended her so much.
Yan Huan made him wait outside while she went inside the changing room. Before long, she came out in a light blue outfit adorned with crystals. Her legs showed faintly beneath the cloth, accentuating her hourglass figure. This one-piece was extremely demanding on the wearer’s skin tone and figure, which was why Yan Huan had insisted on it. Lu Yi could imagine all the other guests basking in her radiance when she makes her entrance.
It was only to be expected; she didn’t lose to anyone even when she was walking the red carpet, surrounded by international stars.
“You look amazing,” said Lu Yi as he helped her spruce up her clothes. “It fits you perfectly. This is the one.”
“Fits me perfectly? You really think so?” echoed Yan Huan, looking up at Lu Yi, then down at her clothes. “Are you blind?”
“It doesn’t?” asked Lu Yi. He took a few steps back and re-evaluated her, but nothing he saw changed his opinions.
“It doesn’t,” hissed Yan Huan like a furious kitten. Suddenly, she turned around to reveal her back to Lu Yi. “Does it still fit perfectly?”
Lu Yi paused. The zipper on Yan Huan’s back wasn’t fully zipped.
“Why did you leave it unzipped?” he asked as he tried to fix it. That was when he realized the problem.
He couldn’t zip it.
“I’m so fat,” said Yan Huan sadly. Why did the 2.5 kg of flesh all go to her waist? Didn’t her face already suffer the brunt of it?
“The clothes are too small, that’s all,” Lu Yi grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around. “You are still beautiful, the most beautiful woman in the world. They must have messed up the sizes. Only a child can slip into this.”
“I used to be able to,” said Yan Huan, knowing that he was just comforting her. Messed up the sizes, huh? What a pretty lie. But she remembered how thin her waist used to be, and how pretty she looked in those tight clothes. She had gained weight, to be sure, and the extra flesh had decided to settle down at her waist.
“I don’t want to go on a diet,” she wrapped her hands around Lu Yi’s waist. She was getting overly sentimental these days, she realized. It took her a lot of effort to gain weight, and she didn’t want to lose weight just because her waist widened. Not even a bigger tummy could sway her.
Mustering her courage, she felt her abdomen. It was wider, but one could only tell upon close inspection. Anyway, she had to choose a different set of clothes. Something less slim, something that could hide her fats…
This was the first time in her two lives that she had a need for such clothes.
“I won’t allow you to lose the weight you finally put on,” responded Lu Yi to Yan Huan’s vexation. He had been plotting on fattening her up for months, and now he had finally succeeded—albeit it was a small victory of 2.5 kg. 43kg was still very light for someone who was 163cm tall. Still, it was kind of strange how all the fat went to her waist and tummy.
A new set of clothes came back a few days after the previous had been refunded—with a few extra inches around the waist. Yan Huan was mortified; she had put on so much weight.
The new dress had a nice design, at least. She no longer looked like a mermaid, but she would at least look good in this a cocktail dress. The ankle-long navy-blue dress gave her movements a floating quality. It was very comfortable too; it felt weightless, clinging to her skin. Most importantly, the zipper could be zipped this time.
Yan Huan was extremely pleased with it. She believed that the stylists at Linlang were way more professional than herself, and wouldn’t dress her in anything less than gorgeous.
Yue Ran arrived early on the morning of the day.
“So sorry to make you come all the way here,” apologized Yan Huan. She was short on time, so she had to ask for Yue Ran’s help.
“It’s fine,” said Yue Ran as he set his makeup kit down. “It’s not like I’m doing this for free. Plus, I’m always honored to work with you. One thing, though…”
He turned Yan Huan’s face to the mirror. “Looks like our best actress has been eating well lately.”
“I know,” said Yan Huan, holding her face out into the mirror. “It was my husband’s work. Impressive, isn’t it?”
“Indeed,” agreed Yue Ran, genuinely impressed. He knew Yan Huan long enough to know that she had a much harder time gaining weight than losing weight. That attribute made her look good on screen, but also gave her a sickly vibe. She looked prettier now that she was a little plumper; though she still willowy when compared to normal people.
Yue Ran was pleased with her current state. “It’s a shame that you aren’t acting or taking on advertisements now. Your looks are at its peak now.”
Yan Huan smiled at the mirror. “I have already reached the peak of my life. Becoming the best actress in the world, producing both of the top two highest grossing films in China that also made it into global top 50s… I’m not an ambitious person, and I want to devote the rest of my time to my family.”
Yue Ran listened silently, keeping his opinions to himself. She wasn’t stupid, he realized. In fact, he thought of her as smart. She knew when to back out of a complicated industry, and knew what she wanted in life. She was the best actress, and an ordinary woman at the same time.
In the end, an actress did not belong to the entertainment industry, but to a husband that loves her and a family that cherishes her. Like Liang Chen. Despite leaving the entertainment industry, one cannot help but see her as a winner in life when they bump into her, radiant with happiness.
She was a winner in life, period.
Her husband was still taking his college exams when she was making waves as an actress.
Yue Ran’s fingers kept working as he shot the breeze with Yan Huan. Before long, he had styled her hair into a wavy waterfall that cascaded down her shoulders. The low-cut dress exposed her exquisite collarbones.
“There. What do you think?”
Yue Ran himself was very pleased with his work. Inspiration always came easy whenever he worked with Yan Huan. Which artist wouldn’t love a beautiful art piece?
