Chapter 23

“This reporter,” Su Yi quirked her lips up. “…may I trouble you to please examine your question more closely next time, I’ve always been very clear about the fact that I like someone who is not in the industry. Alright, let’s close this topic, following this I will only answer questions regarding the filming of the show.”

However, the reporter refused to give up. “If you don’t say who it is, how can I believe that you’re not just looking to gain attention?”

This time Su Yi’s smile was not friendly anymore. Ignoring the Wu Xue tugging at her shirt, she said, “Why would I want you to believe me?”

The reporter looked a little awkward and rephrased. “I mean your fans.”

“When did you become a representative of my fans’?” Su YI sneered. “My fans believe me, there’s no need for you to be worried.”

The other reporters were all as quiet as chicken, their recorders held higher than their faces.

After the interview, Wu Xue attempted to go fix the mistakes. Her artiste had her eyes closed, putting on make-up as she slowly said, “Never mind them, if you have the time, consider what we will have for dinner.”

Normally, Wu Xue was rather strict on her diet. It’s different once she’s filming though; no matter how much she ate, she would always lose a few kilos by the time filming was over. She really had a peculiar physiology.

Wu Xue flung her phone away. “You’re really getting bolder hmm, making it a habit to roast reporters?”

“You didn’t recognise him?” Su Yi said, “That one, that was the guy who blurred my photo and said I flashed.”

Wu Xue asked, “There was so much media then, how was I supposed to recognise him? Actually, how did you know it was him?”

Su Yi jeered. “Of course I checked.”

… she was really big on revenge.

The make-up artist was helping her put on the eyeliner when her phone rang once. She struggled to open an eyelid and glanced at the phone homescreen, then hurriedly caught the makeup artist’s hand. “Pretty lady, can I type a reply before we continue with the make-up?”

As it was far away and both travel and lodging required money, Su Yi had not brought along her make-up artist. The production company had arranged her an old-time make-up artist; when Su Yi used to come to Shanghai for work before, she had helped with the make-up too.

The make-up artist smiled and shrugged. “As you wish.”

Su Yi was about to reach out to her phone, but An Xuan acted quicker than her, putting the phone in her hand first.

Yesterday, she chatted with Chu Ying until midnight. Now that she thought about it, they didn’t talk about much – all she did was ask him about his army days. As she found voice messages too troublesome she’d called him directly – this was one big reason she did not sleep well last night.

The other’s voice was low and his stories were straightforward and to the point. It was nice listening to him.

Thinking about it, she really had just brought it upon herself; after listening to the stories, she looked at the time – midnight – and asked on the fly if he wanted to sleep.

Then he wrapped it up in two sentences, not even giving her a chance to say goodnight.

In the chat was Su Yi’s message to him in the morning.

[Goddess Su Yi: Awake now, going out for work. [Today is another day with full power.jpg]]

[Chu Ying: Ngh.]

Ngh???

Just a ‘Ngh’?!

She thought about it and took a picture of herself in the mirror.

[Goddess Su Yi: My work. [picture]]

[Chu Ying: Good.]

Conversation… over.

Su Yi turned the phone over and placed it on her lap. “… let’s continue.”

The make-up artist chose a lighter make-up for her this time, with simple upturn at the end, giving her a pair of seductive eyes.

She considered it and concluded that this would not do. After she was done applying her lipstick, she picked up her phone, chose a filter and took another photo.

As she was about to send it, the other sent a photo first.

In the photo, the guy was wearing a white T-shirt, shorts, and appeared to have just finished running – the front of his shirt was wet.

His lips were curled up, and the photo was followed by: [Just finished exercising.]

Su Yi responded with a rather out of the blue statement: [Together.]

[Chu Ying: Sure, when you’re done filming.]

Su Yi wanted to say, the exercise I’m referring to might be different from the one you’re referring to!

She gulped some water, saved the photo, then clutched the phone tightly – as if afraid that someone beside her would try to take it away.

The filming couldn’t wait, so all Su Yi could do was pitifully send him a ‘Talk to you later’, then obediently put aside her phone and continued with the make-up.

The make-up artist said, “I really like doing your make-up, even if I mess it up you still look good.”

“… don’t,” Su Yi said. “If it’s not perfect, Li Min will chase me back here for a redo.”

The make-up artist couldn’t help laughing. “I know it, relax… the scriptwriter and the director have discussed with me the details of this make-up. I’ll make sure it’s perfect.

Before the final step of fixing the make-up, Su Yi went and changed into her costume.

Her character in ‘Undercurrent’ was a high class, famed courtesan, serving only the rich and powerful. Her name was Qiu Ji, and she made a living by trading information under the table. When she met the male lead, they had a rather nice start. However, she was not of a high enough class and had long since passed her prime. In the end, the male lead had his happily ever after with the pure, innocent female lead, while she was discovered trying to pass on some information for the male lead and shot to death.

Her first outfit was a blue and white Qipao, with beautiful ink patterns adorning the top and a cluster of orchids at the bottom.

When she walked out of the changing room, even Wu Xue paused.

To match her character, Tu Jinglan wore a Qipao with a thigh high slit, but Su Yi did not.

The Qipao was entirely wrapped around her body. Her white calves that were almost visible from the side; the long, as beautiful as, lotus roots hands clasped before her navel, together with her face, made her look like an upper society lady who had walked off the street from the early period of the Republic of China.

“Wonderful!” The scriptwriter who had arrived some time ago was already standing by the door. When he saw her, his eyes lit up. “It’s… perfect.”

He’d poured his heart into this script and had been walking about the set since a long time earlier today.

Tu Jinglan had also just left the common make-up room. The scriptwriter glanced at her once. He had intended to oppose this character that appeared out of thin air, but the investors insisted, and many people came out to encourage him to accept her since it was just one more side character. So after some thought, he’d agreed.

Her face looked as if it was just filled in, still a little bloated. Put beside Su Yi’s, it was like comparing a diamond and a rock – the difference was markedly clear.

The scriptwriter stopped looking at her, and spoke to Su Yi. “Let’s go, we can talk about the script with Director Li.”

Li Min was still arranging the backdrop. When she saw them, she turned around and asked, “Did you see the timetable? The first act is yours.”

“I saw it.” Su Yi mocked. “Who arranges for the side character to get the first act?”

Li Min said, “So you’d better be on your best, this act will immediately influence my mood for the rest of the filming today.”

The first act was the first scene shot when starting filming, not the first scene of the first episode to be aired. In this scene, Qiu Ji was to walk from her room to the railings, and with one simple look steal the hearts of countless men.

Everything was prepared. Su Yi stood in the room, taking a few deep breaths.

The cameraman sat on the moving chair, smiling. “Don’t worry, you’re beautiful, a few winks would have any man following you anywhere.”

Su Yi smiled at the words and winked a few times at the camera.

Li Min picked up a huge loudspeaker, and yelled at her. “Save your energy, don’t finish it up!”

Five minutes later, the filming officially started.

Once “Action” was called out, Su Yi collected herself, gently picked up the fan on the table , and when she looked up again, she allowed her emotions to gather in her eyes. Gracefully, she got up, lightly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before slowly walking out of the room.

Outside the railings, there were quite a few crowd actors in Qipaos, all of whom looked quite okay. Actually, in these sort of scenes where the beauty of one was to be emphasised, crowd actors with average looks would be chosen. However, the Qiu Ji in this show was meant to be the most beautiful flower of a hundred beautiful flowers. After some discussion between Li Min and the assistant director, they decided that Su Yi would be able to pull it off, and thus chose a bunch of crowd actors who did look good.

Su Yi, naturally, did not disappoint.

She walked over to the railing, and slowly sat down on it. The Qipao accentuated her curves, and the crowd below raised their heads in concert.

She picked one, and after curving her lips up, raised the circular fan and covered the curve of her mouth with it.

The slightly curved eyes of hers were overflowing with passion; it was easy to picture how beautiful the face hidden behind the fan was.

Wu Xue looked at the actors behind the camera, and thought, look, this is my trump card.

Never mind the others, just look at Cheng Anan – her whole face was red.

“Cut!”

Li Min shouted. “Passed!”

Su Yi heard this, and quickly got up. Although it was just the second floor, the railings were quite short. When she sat on it, it felt scary – as if she would fall down any moment.

She leaned on it, said out loud. “Wait for me, I’m coming down to watch the replay.”

She slowly walked down the stairs and jogged over to the camera in her black low-heeled shoe.

After watching it a few times, she frowned. “Did I mess that up?” She pointed at what she was doing with her fingertip.

Li Min, thus, looked again. Indeed, when Su Yi was brushing her hair, her fingers felt a little stiff.

“If I curve it a little, would it have been better?” Su Yi muttered to herself, then said, “Let’s do this again.”

After she finished, she turned around and went back to the second floor.

Cheng Anan said with emotion, “Yi-jie is really… awesome.”

Li Min agreed. “Indeed.”

This time, Su Yi was finally satisfied. It was stiflingly hot in the crowd, so after viewing it she hurriedly took a few steps back, fiddling with her earrings.

Chu Ying stood afar, watching. The little lady dazedly pinched the tip of her ears, completely different from that seductress earlier.

Then, as if she thought about something, she jogged over to her assistant and took her phone.

Less than two minutes later, his phone rang.

Such a woman… she really was irresistible!

He suddenly remembered yesterday when, in the car, she said she liked SUVs.

At that point, he really did want to buy her one.

In the next scene, Su Yi had no parts to act. She sat beside Li Min, free to watch the staff get the next set ready.

Although she knew that there would be a notification if she received any messages, she could not help checking her phone every ten seconds.

Just when she was about to light up her screen again, a huge hand suddenly appeared in front of her eyes. As if afraid of messing up her make up, it softly, slowly covered her eyes.

edited by larkspur!