Ke Ni’s neck stiffened.
How come…
Even the impression of being “disheveled” has spread to Jing Sicun’s ears?
Is the rumor mill really that powerful?
With a guilty conscience, Ke Ni glanced warily at the passing mirror, catching sight of Jing Sicun’s lazy silhouette, slouched comfortably in his chair.
That guy could create his own comfort zone no matter the occasion, as if he were a wandering cloud or a wild crane, moving with effortless ease.
He said, “You really can’t leave it unbuttoned,” but his slow, unhurried way of buttoning up was still so languid.
There was nothing about him that looked like he “couldn’t” do it.
Ke Ni’s makeup artist said, “Watch your step, over here.”
Ke Ni stepped over a cardboard box and a plastic bag full of miscellaneous items, withdrawing her gaze.
As for Jing Sicun’s teasing just now, Ke Ni couldn’t help but overthink it:
Before checking out of the hotel, Ke Ni had bumped into Jing Sicun and his group several times.
Jing Sicun already knew she was staying two rooms away.
The night Jing Sicun went out to get takeout in his bathrobe, there were only the two of them in the hallway.
Even if he hadn’t paid attention to her appearance or identity that night, as long as he heard about someone “disheveled,” he’d definitely know it was something she let slip…
The corridor was crowded.
Ke Ni’s makeup artist turned sideways, signaling for Ke Ni to put her canvas bag in the storage locker.
After storing her belongings, Ke Ni followed the makeup artist into the dressing room to pick out an outfit for the promotional shoot.
When signing the contract earlier, the director had said they’d already picked a name for the show—
“Ultimate Brainpower Club.”
Looking at the stylish outfits arranged on the dressing room rack, Ke Ni gradually realized that “Ultimate Brainpower Club” was different in style from the shows she’d participated in before.
Last time, the show’s custom costumes were modeled after the student uniforms from the Republican era.
But this time…
The makeup artist handed Ke Ni a trendy denim jacket and a poofy dress.
“Let’s go with this set, it really suits you!”
After changing, Ke Ni walked out absentmindedly.
The dress was a bit loose at the waist, so the makeup artist used a safety pin to tighten it at the back.
“Is this better?” the makeup artist asked.
Ke Ni smiled. “Yeah, thank you.”
But what Ke Ni was really thinking about was—
No wonder Jing Sicun had asked her in the restaurant that day if she found him annoying.
It was probably because he’d heard about the “disheveled” thing?
What would Jing Sicun think?
Did she need to explain this to him?
Ke Ni followed her makeup artist out of the dressing room, when suddenly a burst of hearty laughter rang out.
Jing Sicun’s makeup artist teased him while laughing, “Why are boys nowadays so conservative? Is it really that bad to leave a few more buttons undone?”
Jing Sicun just smiled as always.
“There’s no pay for joining the competition, but if I were modeling, I’d be pretty expensive.”
Someone asked curiously, “Jing Sicun, you were a model?”
Jing Sicun replied, “Ah, no.”
Another contestant, familiar with Jing Sicun, leaned on the back of his chair and poked his head into Jing Sicun’s mirror.
“Teacher, I’m not conservative. It’s so hard for me to get on TV, can you style my hair with a cooler color?”
The makeup artist said strictly, “No! Your face is a bit round, black is still the most slimming.”
The other contestants burst out laughing.
Ke Ni’s train of thought was interrupted by the lively banter.
And then…
Ke Ni was shocked to realize that ever since she’d entered, her mind had been preoccupied with things about Jing Sicun.
But the atmosphere in the makeup room was so harmonious.
Those contestants Ke Ni didn’t know could all chat easily with each other.
Someone even asked why Jing Sicun hadn’t shown up after signing the contract last time.
Jing Sicun’s answer was rather evasive, just saying he’d had some personal matters to take care of.
But that didn’t dampen their enthusiasm for conversation.
“Kao Han, want to play Five-in-a-Row?”
“Let’s wait till after makeup, while we’re in line for the shoot.”
“Jing Sicun, you in?”
“Sure.”
“Teacher, I want to use the same foundation as Jing Sicun. Why does he look so fair after putting it on?”
“Don’t make things hard for the makeup artist. Jing Sicun’s just naturally fair!”
“What, Jing Sicun, do you usually use face masks? Lotion?”
Jing Sicun smiled. “Is it so hard to believe some people are just naturally good-looking?”
The contestant being teased probably hadn’t expected Jing Sicun to have this kind of personality, and exclaimed in surprise, “Chee!”
The other contestants and makeup artists all laughed out loud together.
These people might look like they’re just joking around, but they’re all really capable.
Like Song Yi, Dai Fanze, and He Zhi.
Song Yi had outstanding grades and had won awards in competitions, so he was admitted to the youth class at a science and engineering university.
He took the college entrance exam in his second year of high school.
Even though he was a year ahead of Ke Ni, they were the same age.
He Zhi was the same—just started his freshman year at sixteen.
Dai Fanze always seemed slow and lazy, like a homebody obsessed with games and food.
But he’d also won a silver medal in the physics competition.
The other contestants must be just as talented.
The makeup room was truly full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.
In the midst of it all, Ke Ni just felt extremely, extremely alone.
She sat quietly in front of the makeup mirror, letting the makeup artist take down her bun.
She felt cold, goosebumps rising on her arms.
Was the air conditioning on in the makeup room?
The last time she’d sat in a show’s backstage makeup room like this, Ke Ni was sixteen.
She’d quit halfway through the competition, crying her eyes swollen in front of the mountain of cosmetics.
Other contestants and staff had all come over to comfort her, telling her it was just a competition, mistakes were normal, and not to be too upset.
It was their comfort that gradually helped Ke Ni pull herself together, and she even participated in the post-show interview.
However…
What Ke Ni feared most wasn’t losing the competition, but the look of disappointment in her parents’ eyes.
For a long time after, Ke Ni couldn’t sleep well.
Her mother quickly noticed something was wrong, but her father thought her insomnia and losing the competition were all due to Ke Ni’s poor stress tolerance.
So Ke Ni started seeing a counselor.
But she clung tightly to her own secrets, unable to tell the psychologist the truth…
The makeup artist brushed powder across Ke Ni’s cheeks.
“Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”
Ke Ni snapped back to reality. “…No.”
The makeup artist was gentle. “Now I’m going to apply foundation to your forehead, try not to frown.”
Ke Ni said awkwardly, “Okay, sorry.”
The makeup artist kept encouraging her.
“Don’t be nervous, you guys aren’t competing today, just taking some photos. The boy I did makeup for earlier was really nervous too.”
There were too many contestants, and not enough makeup artists and photographers.
Everyone had arrived at different times.
Lin Xirun and Song Yi had finished their photos early in the morning, and Feng Zi’an wouldn’t arrive until five in the afternoon.
Even with the staggered times, the makeup room was packed with contestants and staff.
Ke Ni sat in the innermost, cramped corner, trying her best to relax her expression.
The boys’ makeup was simpler. Jing Sicun, who’d arrived earlier than Ke Ni, was already done.
The makeup artist who’d done Jing Sicun’s makeup brought him over to Ke Ni’s side and pointed to the plastic chair beside her.
“Sit here and wait for a bit. When the other contestants finish, the photographer will call you over.”
Ke Ni was having eye shadow applied, so she only heard voices and the sound of chairs being moved.
Someone sat down next to her, their thigh brushing against her stomach hidden under her skirt.
Ke Ni opened her eyes and saw, in the mirror, Jing Sicun sitting sideways next to her.
Jing Sicun’s features were already sharply defined.
The makeup artist had deepened the shadows around his eyes, giving his gaze a more aggressive edge—piercing, like an abyss.
Ke Ni met Jing Sicun’s eyes in the mirror, then deliberately looked away.
She really didn’t have the energy to spar with Jing Sicun today.
Ke Ni stayed silent.
Jing Sicun didn’t say anything either.
Only the quiet contact of their thighs through the fabric let them feel a bit of each other’s body warmth.
Ke Ni felt conflicted.
In the end, when the makeup artist went off to borrow setting spray from another station, Ke Ni quickly whispered to Jing Sicun, “When I mentioned the ‘disheveled’ thing, I didn’t mean to badmouth you or anything. I was just annoyed by all the questions, sorry.”
Jing Sicun said, “It’s fine.”
Ke Ni said nothing more.
The previous group of contestants who’d gone for their shoot started returning, including an excited He Zhi.
He Zhi happily squeezed through the crowded corridor to their side.
“Brother Jing, Sister Ke Ni, did you guys come together?”
Ke Ni thought, as if that were possible.
Jing Sicun said, “No.”
Ke Ni’s makeup artist pointed at He Zhi.
“You guys know each other? This is the boy I mentioned earlier, the one even more nervous than you.”
He Zhi scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.
“How did the shoot go?” the makeup artist asked.
He Zhi replied quietly, “The photographer said I did okay, hehe.”
Ke Ni was still getting her hair done and didn’t say much.
He Zhi checked the time—it was already lunchtime.
He offered to go downstairs and buy everyone some fast food.
Jing Sicun said, “Thank you.”
He Zhi turned to Ke Ni.
“Sister Ke Ni, what do you want to eat?”
Ke Ni refused as always.
“No need, I’m not hungry, but thank you, He Zhi.”
It started drizzling outside, and He Zhi’s jacket was a little damp when he returned.
He still bought Ke Ni a meal—KFC fried chicken and a chicken burger combo.
Ke Ni took out her phone.
“Let me send you the money.”
He Zhi said cheerfully, “Sister Ke Ni, then add me on WeChat! You already added Brother Song.”
Ke Ni couldn’t refuse.
“…Okay.”
The makeup artist patted Ke Ni’s shoulder.
“All done, you can wait over here for a bit.”
Ke Ni nodded.
Next to the makeup table, piled high with cosmetics, was a mobile rack full of accessories.
Beside the trash can, two balls of used cotton pads had missed the bin.
A staff member stepped over the trash can and the crumpled paper, hurrying into the corridor leading to the studio.
He Zhi had class in the afternoon, so after wolfing down his burger, he left first.
Jing Sicun sat on the plastic chair, leaning against the wall, watching Ke Ni.
It seemed the makeup artist wanted to give Ke Ni a soft, sweet look—her eyes, cheeks, nose tip, and chin were all dusted with a hint of pale pink.
As soft as peach blossoms.
But she herself wasn’t that kind of person.
At least, not right now.
A few contestants crowded in a corner of the hallway, playing Five-in-a-Row on their phones, occasionally exclaiming in regret.
Unlike the other lively contestants, even after her makeup was done, Ke Ni didn’t look happy.
There was a strange silence hidden in her eyes.
The more contestants finished makeup and waited by the corridor, the more Ke Ni withdrew into herself.
She didn’t touch a single bite of the meal He Zhi bought.
Occasionally, she glanced around expressionlessly, uneasy and anxious.
Jing Sicun watched Ke Ni for several minutes.
He thought, if they weren’t here, Ke Ni would definitely notice him watching her.
Maybe she’d glare at him, maybe she’d avoid him.
But right now, she seemed too distracted.
Sitting here, Ke Ni looked just like the little girl drawn on her canvas bag.
She also looked like…
Someone called to him, “Jing Sicun, want to play a round?”
Jing Sicun smiled.
“I’ll pass, I’m afraid I’ll lose.”
The other person laughed and teased him.
She also looked like—
A lost cub.
The girls, all with exquisite makeup, gathered together to take selfies and chat about fun topics.
Ke Ni just absentmindedly picked at her fingers.
Jing Sicun saw Ke Ni pick off a bit of skin beside her nail, a thread of blood welling up.
He frowned.
Ke Ni didn’t feel any pain.
She only heard someone call her name.
“Ke Ni.”
She turned her head reflexively.
Jing Sicun looked at her.
“Why are you always unhappy?”
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