"I’m heading out first, you all keep up the good work on the magazine shoot!" Dong Qiin flashed them an encouraging hand gesture and left the makeup room, her face beaming with triumph.
Li Li, Wu Daxi, and even Song Zilin continued to discuss enthusiastically for a few more monts. He Jinxia wanted to join in, but as soon as Dong Qiin turned and walked away, Master Tony imdiately reached out and straightened her face.
He Jinxia had no choice but to close her eyes and let Master Tony continue to work on her makeup.
Ever since her third day in Huadu, Tony had co to Huadu to style her for the magazine shoot.
Initially, because it was a third-tier magazine shoot, a stylist with standards like Tony looked down on lowering his social status to work with a third-tier magazine publisher, so at first, Tony didn’t co along.
It was only when he happened to see the magazine photos He Jinxia posted on W信 that he expressed strong doubts about the third-tier magazine makeup artists’ skills. In his words, it was simply three characters—unwatchable. That’s why he decided to co over personally to take charge of her makeup.
Magazine publishers were aware of Tony’s reputation, and even if so were quite dissatisfied with Tony interfering with the makeup, they had to endure it.
The fashion industry was even more rciless than the entertainnt circle, especially when it ca to the power wielded by makeup artists, who had contacts with the heads of various costic brands.
Tony held a certain status in the fashion world and could influence brands not to advertise in their magazine anyti he was dissatisfied with them.
Magazine revenue cos from two main sources: sales and advertising. So big-na costic brands wouldn’t condescend to advertise in smaller magazines—even if the advertising fee was just a small sum, they wouldn’t be willing to pay.
Yet, a good makeup artist could recomnd these costic brands to magazines, and their recomndations were always on point.
Whichever magazine was innovative, whichever magazine fit the costic brand’s positioning... With a makeup artist’s recomndation, these brands were more than happy to advertise in the recomnded magazines.
So, for a third-tier magazine publisher, not only could they not drive away a stylist like Tony, who had deep relationships with top-tier costic brands, but they also had to treat him like a revered Buddha and cater to him.
When Tony finally finished the makeup, it was already half an hour after the other actors had completed their makeup.
Once Tony left the room, and only the crew remained, Li Li couldn’t help but speak with a sour tone:
"Jinxia is really impressive, managing to turn Tony into your personal makeup artist. Tony is soone even top-tier stars can’t easily hire. It looks like you’ll be ascending to the top-tier soon, won’t you?"
He Jinxia gave her a glance and readily passed the bla to her agent without any sense of guilt.
She smiled lightly and said, "Master Tony was brought in by my agent; I don’t know how he managed to do it."
Li Li said with so contempt: "Just don’t do it through seduction, okay?"
He Jinxia’s smile slightly faded, and she retorted indifferently, "That’s better than you trying to seduce soone and still being turned down."
Li Li was abruptly silenced, a bubble of suppression rising in her heart, heavy with anger.
How could she compare herself to a homosexual?!
That was an insult!!
Before Li Li could utter her next sentence, He Jinxia added, "Not everyone is as despicable as you think. Please respect others and don’t speak nonsense. Slander is a sin too."
"He Jinxia, you—"
"Alright already, let’s not argue. We’ve finished our makeup, so let’s hurry out to shoot. The photographer has been waiting for us outside for quite so ti," Wu Daxi hurriedly interrupted Li Li, smoothing things over.
Li Li looked at He Jinxia furiously, tore Wu Daxi’s hand away, and exclaid angrily,
"He Jinxia, don’t think you can look down on people just because you’ve beco famous. If it weren’t for Director Dong’s willingness to support you and let you star in this movie, you’d still be a has-been fatty hidden away in so dark corner, forgotten by everyone!"
He Jinxia silently looked at Li Li with a coldness in her eyes, as if she were watching a jumping clown from a higher vantage point.
This look imdiately set Li Li off. She couldn’t stand it and wanted to say more, but by then, Wu Daxi had already dragged her to the door.
With a loud "bang," the door was shut firmly, and calm was restored to the room.
He Jinxia lowered her gaze, retracting the indifference and disdain from her eyes, and then, lifting her head, her gaze returned to its usual clarity.
Song Zilin was still in the room. After a mont of silence, she said, "Sister Jinxia, let’s go out too."
He Jinxia humd in response, "You go ahead, I’ll be right there."
Song Zilin walked a few steps forward, then couldn’t help but turn around to look at He Jinxia, advising, "Sister Jinxia, it’s better to avoid trouble. The crew is still promoting, and with Li Li’s status—"
She stopped speaking without finishing her sentence, but she believed that He Jinxia would understand what she ant.
He Jinxia looked up at Song Zilin, sowhat surprised that she would say this to her.
She nodded and said calmly, "I get it. I won’t cause any trouble with her until the promotion is over."
Seeing this, Song Zilin didn’t say anything more and walked out the door.
A few minutes later, He Jinxia also opened the door and left.
The reason she deliberately went out last, making everyone wait for her a few minutes, was to make a statent to the people in the crew and to Dong Qiin.
The discord between her and Li Li was now out in the open. If Li Li offended her again, she might very well refuse to participate in the promotion.
There was sothing He Jinxia did not make clear to Song Zilin: she wouldn’t start a conflict unless others provoked her again.
As Luo You said, "I will not offend others unless they offend ." Now that the movie was finished and ready for release, no amount of actor squabbles could affect their performance in the movie. Li Li knew this, which is why she kept provoking He Jinxia ti and again.
If Dong Qiin kept turning a blind eye, He Jinxia’s eyes darkened, a cold smile curling at the corner of her mouth, well, let’s all play this ga then.
Now that she had both fa and works to her na, she no longer needed to tiptoe around and rely on others’ good graces as she used to. It was ti to show so edge to avoid being seen as a pushover by everyone, soone anyone could trample on at will.
*
"Good, Jinxia, move a bit to the left, chin up a little, that’s it! Maintain that aloof deanor, perfect!" Inside the photo studio, the photographer snapped away at He Jinxia, praising as he shot.
"Where’s Wu Daxi? Co a little closer, Jinxia, place your hand on his chest, closer, a bit closer, there, hold that pose!"
"Now, switch positions, Jinxia, grab Wu Daxi’s tie, you need to portray a dominant and overbearing vibe... "
Ever since "L&G Charming Won" shot He Jinxia and Wu Daxi to fa, other magazines seed to fall into a pattern, asking He Jinxia to strike "dom, overbearing CEO, aloof" poses, while Wu Daxi naturally fit the "sub, restrained, indulgent" style.
More than one magazine sought to have their joint photos align with this style, as if mimicking "L&G Charming Won" would make them the next Charming Won.
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