Chapter 8: Yu Xi

Gu Yanyue maintained a smile on her face, but her heart was in a state of agitation.

"Can you find the cause? Does it have anything to do with Huo Qi's affection level dropping yesterday?"

The system paused for a moment before replying: "No bugs have been detected for the time being. It should be an issue with Gu Lingyi herself."

"Her? What kind of problem could she possibly have?"

As this disdainful thought faded, Gu Lingyi clearly felt a gaze directed at her. These two strange voices were indeed coming from Gu Yanyue.

"Forget it, I never expected her to contribute any affection points to me anyway..."

Gu Lingyi had no desire to eavesdrop on anyone's inner petty grievances, but unfortunately, she could not close her ears. Fortunately, the makeup was finished quickly, and the styling would wait until after she changed her outfit. One of the stylists led her to the second floor; it was only one level up, so there was no need for the elevator.

The stylist followed Gu Lingyi up the stairs, holding back until she finally couldn't help but say, "How does Ms. Gu usually maintain your skin? It’s so good!" She whispered in admiration, "Someone as beautiful as you will definitely become a huge star..."

"The two of us didn't even know where to start; we had no idea what kind of makeup would be worthy of you!"

"Usually, we don't do makeup this fast, it's just that you are truly..."

The stylist muttered on for a while, not expecting a reply. Celebrities in the entertainment industry probably heard such compliments often, and they were all much the same. However, Gu Lingyi stopped in her tracks.

In her past life in the apocalypse, people praised her for her strong combat skills, agile movements, innate talent, and her love for animals. No one had ever complimented her on being beautiful with such sincerity.

Gu Lingyi turned around, her clear, shallow eyes shimmering with light, and she smiled brilliantly: "Thank you."

With a face of heavenly beauty suddenly blooming into a smile before her, the makeup artist's heart skipped a beat, and her entire face flushed so red it almost seemed as if it were dripping blood. When Gu Lingyi wasn't smiling, her aura was incredibly intense; her exquisite, cold, and glamorous features gave off an unreachable sense of distance.

Yet, when she smiled like this, she instantly transformed from a mature, powerful woman into a sweet girl. When one thought about it, she was only in her early twenties, the age of a young girl. The impact on the makeup artist was significant; she was still feeling dizzy by the time they reached the second floor.

The theme of "Oil Painting Escape" was straightforward and clear, suitable for heavy, colorful, and complex styling. However, the wardrobe assistant had arranged for Gu Lingyi a minimalist emerald green silk slip dress. It had a backless cut and a floor-length train. It was beautiful, but it did not fit the theme, which would make it difficult for Gu Lingyi to perform in front of the camera. The stylist tried to communicate with the wardrobe assistant, only to be told that the outfit was decided by the magazine. What rights did a working stiff have?

Gu Lingyi shrugged slightly and cooperatively carried the dress into the dressing room. The wardrobe assistant didn't care if the dress fit or not and went downstairs as soon as the task was completed. Green complemented her skin tone, and the lustrous satin outlined Gu Lingyi's graceful figure perfectly. The hem of the dress swayed, and her long hair fanned out over her beautifully contoured shoulders and neck.

Gu Lingyi opened the door and stepped out of the dressing room, holding up the hem of her skirt. The second floor was bathed in ample sunlight, which gilded Gu Lingyi's frame with a golden edge. The stylist almost forgot to breathe.

*Clap, clap, clap—*

Careless applause rang out, and a young woman's crisp voice held undisguised admiration: "Perfect!"

The stylist regained her senses and looked toward the young woman standing amidst a pile of clothes. She was startled and hurriedly greeted her: "Ms. Yu!"

"Hmm," the woman replied, smiling at Gu Lingyi and revealing two small dimples. "This was the effect I wanted when I first made this dress. Cold, aloof, and proud."

Gu Lingyi raised an eyebrow, questioning: "You made the dress?"

Yu Xi nodded: "Yes."

The stylist on the side hurriedly introduced: "Ms. Gu, this is Ms. Yu, the founder of our studio and a fashion designer." Then she turned around: "Ms. Yu, this is the artist shooting today, Ms. Gu Lingyi."

"Hello, Ms. Yu," Gu Lingyi greeted her formally.

The other woman seemed to be an outgoing person: "My name is Yu Xi; just call me by my name."

Yu Xi had a very good impression of Gu Lingyi; after all, it was rare to find someone who could truly realize her design concept. Gu Lingyi chuckled: "Then you can just call me by my name too."

Yu Xi was naturally sociable, and Gu Lingyi was unpretentious. The two quickly hit it off and chatted for a while until the noise from the first floor grew louder. Only then did Yu Xi frown with displeasure: "What is all that noise downstairs!"

She usually required a quiet creative environment, and the people in the studio were accustomed to maintaining silence. The stylist volunteered: "I'll go down and check."

Gu Lingyi didn't follow her downstairs. She wasn't in a hurry to get her styling done; the staff had told her earlier that Gu Yanyue needed to finish her shoot first so that Gu Lingyi could adjust her performance to match the shooting direction.

Yu Xi led Gu Lingyi through the racks of clothing and props; the display shelves were packed tightly, making one's head spin.

"I came here today for this dress, but the shoulders and waist need to be altered."

A Rococo-style corset gown hung on the rack, gorgeous and classical. "The inspiration came from Empress Sisi’s corset. I didn't know the weight of my own design when I made it—a 54-centimeter waist. Once it was done, no one could wear it."

Her gaze was burning and impossible to ignore. Gu Lingyi waved her hands repeatedly: "No, don't look at me, I can't fit into it either..."

As her voice trailed off, she heard the voice of her small assistant, Ruonan, coming from the stairs: "Sister Yiyi... Sister Yiyi?"

Yu Xi looked slightly regretful: "Go ahead and be busy..."

Gu Lingyi nodded and darted out from between the layers of clothing racks: "Is it time for my hair?"

That shouldn't be right; Gu Yanyue hadn't even come up to change yet.

"Not yet," Ruonan shook her head and said as she walked: "Gu Yanyue's brother is here and is treating everyone to afternoon tea."

"Brother?"

Ruonan nodded: "Yes, they asked me to come up and call you."

Gu Lingyi recalled that when the elder of the Gu family took the original owner to meet the family, there was indeed such a brother. A brother coming to visit the set? It was a bit strange, so she asked suspiciously: "Is it Gu Yanyue's biological brother?"

"Not at all," Ruonan said mysteriously. "It looks like a 'love brother' to me."

Because the two were rivals, Gu Lingyi’s staff had a certain degree of hostility toward Gu Yanyue. As young actresses of the same age—one debuting as a supporting character in a major film, the other as a lead in a web series—the collision of their resource pools destined them to be at odds.

Gu Lingyi blinked in realization, her expression meaningful: "A 'love brother', huh..."

When she descended to the first floor and saw Huo Qi, Gu Lingyi wore an 'as I expected' expression. She was wearing disposable slippers, so she walked silently, but many people noticed her immediately. The scene fell inexplicably quiet for a moment.

"Is... is Gu Lingyi this beautiful?"

"How come I didn't notice before..."

"That waist-to-hip ratio... hiss—her figure is incredible!"

The stairs were diagonally opposite the lounge area. On the sofa, Gu Yanyue sat next to Huo Qi, her smile barely holding together. She questioned in her heart: "Are you sure Gu Lingyi doesn't have a cheat code?"

The system was very firm: "She does not."

Gu Yanyue gritted her teeth: "Then how is this possible!"

A resentful gaze secretly swept across the crowd. "These people were just praising me! Now their eyes are practically glued to her!"

The system: "..." Was its host being a bit too paranoid?