Chapter 25: The Ever-Changing Features

After finally spotting a newcomer with a good-looking face, Li Shuangmu felt he could overlook everything else. Yet this person dared to stand him up? Did she not want to survive in this industry? In the world of entertainment, reputation was crucial—especially for newcomers. They absolutely could not be late, nor could they break their word. If you couldn't do it, don't promise; but once you did, you had to fulfill it no matter what. A newcomer without credibility would find it hard to make a name for herself, even without others deliberately making things difficult.

To this, Chu Luoxi felt genuine admiration for the young woman who had promised to come, then failed to show, without giving any irresistible reason for her absence, even affecting the filming schedule. It seemed that even in her previous life, after gaining some status, she had never dared to act so boldly! Unless this newcomer had a powerful backing? Tsk tsk, young people, even having connections isn't omnipotent!

She sighed, furrowing her brow in thought. Her enhanced memory once again proved useful. As it happened, the actress who played this character in her past life was not particularly outstanding, leaving audiences with little impression—just enough to satisfy Li Shuangmu's resigned attitude of making do. In the end, it was Xiao Jingxuan's brilliance that firmly captured the viewers' attention, to the point where people almost forgot about this peerless character. In the scenes of reminiscence, not only was there Yun Tianxue, but also the protagonist's father; in such circumstances, Xiao Jingxuan played both roles, making things simple, convenient, and efficient.

Now that the role had landed in her hands, Chu Luoxi would never allow herself to be the one people merely tolerated. As for whether she would pass the audition, she hadn't even considered it—she wasn't worried about embarrassment, but she had to earn some credit for the great Xiao after all!

She strongly suspected that if she couldn't even pass the audition, the legendary Xiao might just erase her from existence. With that thought, Chu Luoxi let the stylist fuss over her, and began to seriously study the character profile. As the soul of the story, there was plenty of material; the background and motivations were complete enough that one could make an entire drama with Yun Tianxue as the lead.

This made it easier for her to analyze the role. Those twenty years in her past life had not been wasted. She extracted the key points, analyzed the character's personality, checked for any special habits—such as expressions or small gestures—and soon, Chu Luoxi felt utterly confident.

There was just one scene left; with its completion, today's tasks would be fulfilled. Li Shuangmu felt considerably more relaxed. While the props crew prepared the set, he turned to Xiao Jingxuan with interest, asking, "Are you really that close with your junior sister?" Close enough to recommend her for a job? This was clearly a move to promote Chu Luoxi.

As a director, there were always things he disliked—such as working with students, or with newcomers. Though they came cheap, they were hard to manage. Everyone started as a newcomer, true, but when time was tight and chaos reigned, such choices were generally avoided. Yet Chu Luoxi was both: a second-year student, and a newcomer. Li Shuangmu confessed, this was a lot of pressure...

Xiao Jingxuan’s starry eyes flickered. He idly twirled a strand of hair caught by the night breeze, his manner lazy and relaxed. "She's alright. I just think my junior sister is quite interesting."

Li Shuangmu's mouth twitched. Was that a compliment? A compliment, again, or still a compliment?

"Let me be clear—if she doesn't pass the audition, I won't give you any more favors. Half a scene with a newcomer can waste half a month, even a whole month. We just don’t have that kind of time!" Li Shuangmu was always straightforward, though in his heart, he didn't hold much hope for Chu Luoxi.

Xiao Jingxuan chuckled softly, a faint allure lingering in the air, making one's heart tremble. Even though Li Shuangmu was older and also a man, he couldn't help but secretly mutter, "What a charmer."

"If she’s really that incapable, then of course it’s off," Xiao Jingxuan replied, echoing Li Shuangmu's words but without the slightest hesitation. Clearly, he had an inexplicable confidence in Chu Luoxi, despite only meeting her today.

As they spoke, the stylist who was working on Chu Luoxi approached, unable to contain his excitement: "Director Li, it's done!"

Seeing his reaction, Li Shuangmu’s interest was piqued, and he felt a surge of anticipation. "Little Ding, judging by your expression, the result must be impressive!"

This stylist, Little Ding, had worked with him for a long time and had seen countless productions, specializing particularly in period costumes. Yet it was the first time Li Shuangmu had seen him so enthusiastic.

"Not just impressive—it's extraordinary. If I’d known, you wouldn’t even need an audition. Just look at the styling." Little Ding’s eyes gleamed with professional brilliance.

"Such high praise?" Li Shuangmu was partly convinced, surprised by the assessment.

As they speculated, Chu Luoxi finished preparing and gracefully pushed open the door, stepping out.

To those outside, a flash of brilliance seemed to appear, as if gathering all the light of heaven and earth, suddenly manifesting before everyone’s eyes, making it impossible to look away.

Chu Luoxi was clad in a pale yellow gauze dress, which fluttered slightly in the night breeze, like rising smoke, like petals gently falling. Every movement traced a perfect arc, like the flowing lines of drifting clouds, captivating every last glance.

Her forehead was elegant, brows like moth wings, clear eyes and white teeth; her gaze was limpid as water, her lips a rich crimson. Standing before them was a goddess in ancient garb, radiant and peerless, her splendor dazzling.

Unconsciously, Li Shuangmu swallowed—an involuntary reaction after being nearly breathless. He finally agreed with Little Ding’s assessment: just for that appearance, and the serene, ethereal aura, no audition was needed—he would cast her without hesitation.

Seeing the entire room fall silent, all eyes fixed on her, Chu Luoxi smiled slightly. Her gaze sparkled, crystalline and full of color, immediately drawing another round of gasps. Yet she found it rather amusing.

In her previous life, it was only after years in the industry that she discovered she had a "face of a hundred transformations"—meaning, whatever look she adopted, she could embody it perfectly. Coupled with her honed acting skills, this was the key to her success. Otherwise, with so many peers camped out at the film studio, how could she, a young woman with no background or influence and only an Imperial Film Academy diploma, climb upwards?

Once, an experienced makeup artist helped her realize this, telling her with excitement that this was her capital to exploit. The artist had always believed that facial features suited to endless transformation were legendary; he’d worked with countless stars—some suited to period looks, some to modern short hair, some to a cold style, some to innocence—always with a preference. Yet it was the first time he’d encountered someone like her, adaptable to any style.