Chapter 9: Makeup and Costume Fitting

"Yes, you have improved, but you must keep it up."

Dong Ran had misunderstood Jiang Xiaobai's meaning. She thought that when Jiang Xiaobai said "it's not Jiang Xiaobai," she meant that she had improved compared to before, not realizing that she was actually talking about a "complete transformation"—that she had changed on the inside.

Jiang Xiaobai didn't say anything; she just smiled.

The production schedule was tight. Not long after signing the contract, all the actors had to report to the set.

Before filming officially began, all the main characters had their makeup tests and took promotional photos. It was at this time that Jiang Xiaobai met the other actors.

Since it was a major production, the leads were naturally big stars.

The female lead was Li Biying. She had been named one of the "New Four Dan Actresses." In the past few years, she had starred in two extremely popular works and had won the "Best Actress" award twice in a row; her popularity was very high.

Her appearance fit the image of a "female lead" in novels and dramas perfectly: a pair of almond-shaped eyes that were innocent and bright, radiating a pure light; a petite, oval face; fair skin; and dimples that appeared when she smiled. She was a very sweet woman.

The male lead was Shu Jie. In terms of fan base, he was even stronger than Li Biying. Shu Jie was a crossover artist; not only was he an actor, but he was also a singer—a singing and dancing idol.

He stood at 182 centimeters tall with a lean waist and long, straight legs that could rival any male model. Yet, atop such a masculine body was a very youthful face. His skin was more delicate than a woman's, with thick brows, large eyes, red lips, and white teeth. When he smiled, he looked as sunny as the boy next door.

The term "fresh meat" was practically coined for him.

The second male lead was Qiao Yan. He was actually a child star who had played many roles growing up, but he had never truly hit it big. It wasn't until last year, when he played a cold-blooded assassin in a movie, that the character's ruthlessness and his own impressive acting skills made him an instant hit. He quickly gained a following, which gave him the leverage to land this role.

Qiao Yan was also handsome, but compared to the "pretty boy" Shu Jie, he had more of a masculine edge. His personality wasn't very outgoing, and he remained mostly silent when they met, giving his face a cold, sharp handsomeness.

However, though he was aloof, he wasn't arrogant. When they met, he nodded and greeted everyone in a friendly manner.

There were two makeup rooms on set: one for the leads and another for everyone else.

Yes, Jiang Xiaobai was in the "everyone else" category.

This was perfectly normal. Whether it was her or Qiao Yan, although they were ranked as the second leads in the script, their industry status was still a bit weaker—especially Jiang Xiaobai, who was even lower-ranked than Qiao Yan.

The private makeup room was clean and spacious, while the one they used felt quite crowded. Fortunately, Jiang Xiaobai and Qiao Yan were given priority for makeup, so they were finished before it was anyone else's turn.

Jiang Xiaobai played the Fairy Haoyue. Her costume was a gorgeous long white dress with exquisite craftsmanship. The collar, waist, and sleeves were all adorned with hand-stitched embroidery in dark patterns, and the hem of the skirt featured light red motifs. Over the white dress was a layer of sheer gauze.

The skirt was very long. As she put it on, Mingzhu helped her, carefully smoothing it out to avoid getting it dirty or wrinkled.

Once the magnificent outfit was on and her makeup and hair were finished, Jiang Xiaobai looked at the person in the mirror and fell silent.

Compared to her original body, this one was even more striking. It was like a fresh flower that had just bloomed in the morning, trembling with delicate petals as it showed off its beauty to the world, making anyone who saw it pause for a moment to stare, and then sigh—

"So beautiful!"

Mingzhu opened her mouth in a daze. She was already used to Jiang Xiaobai's beauty, but after putting on this gorgeous and delicate dress, her beauty had doubled.

"Miss Jiang has a wonderful foundation. I didn't even dare to use much powder. In all my years in the industry, I've rarely seen such a true beauty."

The makeup artist was a woman in her thirties. She had already been sighing in admiration when she saw Jiang Xiaobai's bare face, and now, seeing her fully dressed, her eyes were filled with amazement.

The major production *Legend of the Nine Heavens* didn't just revolve around the leads; many other characters were also important. There were over a dozen actors just for the promotional photos, and there were at least ten people in the makeup room right now.

"She's... pretty..."

"Tch, she's just... a vase..."

"Even so, with a face like that... she can get away with anything."

The other actors were whispering. Occasionally, a voice would reach Jiang Xiaobai's ears—some were praises, but there were also disdain and jealousy.

Mingzhu glared angrily toward the source of the voices, but she couldn't tell who had spoken.

Sister Xiaobai isn't a vase! She's very capable, and she's such a good person. How dare these people slander her!

Jiang Xiaobai, however, remained expressionless, unaffected by these words.

In the entertainment industry, status was always determined by one's rank. Some actors had no talent and terrible acting skills, but because they were popular, they were sought after; just showing their faces at an event could earn them millions, and their peers would fawn over them.

There were also actors who weren't famous but had superb acting skills and rich experience; yet, sadly, these people often didn't win the respect of others.

Although Jiang Xiaobai was beautiful, she had no notable works to her name. If someone called her an eighteenth-tier actor, no one would argue. If it weren't for her outstanding face making people remember her name, perhaps no one would even know who she was.

The disdain from these people was less about her lack of talent and more about jealousy—jealousy of her beauty and jealousy of her good luck in landing the role of the second female lead.

The photo shoot had an order, of course, with the leads going first, followed by the rest of them.

The photographer was still busy and hadn't called for Jiang Xiaobai and the others yet, so she remained in the makeup room.

Her gaze shifted, and she looked toward the front-side.

Qiao Yan's makeup was finished too.

His costume was primarily black with intricate red patterns, carrying an inexplicable sense of mystery. He wore a cape behind him, making him look even colder and more sinister.

The character he played was Ghost Sword, the strongest expert in the cultivation world. He was incredibly powerful, but he was neither purely good nor evil. He acted without boundaries, following only his own whims, and by the later stages of the story, he became the biggest villainous boss.

So, there was a reason for him to be wearing such dark attire.

Jiang Xiaobai admired the handsome man for a while. Having read the script, she felt that Qiao Yan was a perfect fit for the role of Ghost Sword. As long as his acting didn't have any major issues, he was bound to become a hit.

It’s good to lean against a big tree for shade. The actors had good skills, and it was a major IP; so far, Jiang Xiaobai was very optimistic about this drama.

"Why is there still no movement after so long?"

After waiting for another ten minutes, Jiang Xiaobai felt something was wrong.

It had been so long since they finished their makeup; why hadn't anyone come to call them for the shoot?

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A quick note here: Since this is an entertainment industry novel, there will inevitably be many fictional actors and works. Please do not try to map these to real-life people. The characters and the script have no prototypes; they are purely the author's invention. Thank you for understanding.

(End of chapter)