Shrine - Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Ruan Ruan confirmed for the first time that she had fallen for Shi Ran.
Who wouldn't be moved by a scene like this? A person as cool and aloof as a banished immortal said she was happy because she had been intimate with her—that even the slightest bit of happiness was evidence of her rebellion against the heavenly court. Her expression held no intimacy, yet it made her words seem all the more sincere. You see, someone who didn't even try to curry favor with her expression had no need to embellish her words.
Shi Ran truly was a boss. She was frank about everything, poised and unruffled by it all. Sensual pleasures were dust in her eyes, and she wanted the dust to settle.
Ruan Ruan blushed, blinked twice in quick succession, and lowered her head. "Then you should come find me."
Unlike Shi Ran, she couldn't bring herself to talk about being happy or not; she simply said she hoped Shi Ran would come find her.
Shi Ran nodded, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and ate the grapes Ruan Ruan had washed.
After the meal, Shi Ran took Ruan Ruan to get her makeup done. They took a private elevator, swiping a card to get to the 9th floor, to the makeup artist Sylvia's room. Her room wasn't on the same floor as the other staff members; it was a larger suite. Upon entering, Ruan Ruan saw that the living room had been almost completely converted into a makeup and styling studio. The air was thick with the fragrance of skincare and cosmetic products.
A vanity table was set up facing the sofa, with a rectangular mirror framed by double rows of lights. The pristine white tabletop was crowded with a dense array of cosmetics. Beside it was a small refrigerator for storing skincare products that required low temperatures. Several suitcases lay open on the floor, and a few more were stacked unopened in a corner. Bright light streamed in from the balcony, making the bottles and jars of varying heights glitter like jewels.
So this was where Shi Ran always had her makeup and styling done. No wonder she could start working the moment she got out of the car, needing only one touch-up assistant with her.
Ruan Ruan felt like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden, surreptitiously taking everything in.
They say the entertainment industry is a circle with a strong class hierarchy, and much of it is demonstrated through this kind of privacy. Those within it could only ever see the tip of the iceberg; the rest was hidden behind a curtain. Extras couldn't stay in the rooms of supporting actors who followed the production, and minor actors had no idea what kind of lives the A-listers were living.
They were like fish fry soaking in a pond. After mustering all their strength, they could swim into the river. Only by desperately leaping over the Dragon Gate could they be gilded in gold.
Sylvia was wearing a slightly worn-out shirt, her hair held up with an eyebrow pencil, and she was drinking milk tea.
It was quite interesting; many stylists dressed rather plainly themselves. She wasn't surprised to see Ruan Ruan, which meant Shi Ran must have given her a heads-up. She just chewed on some boba pearls and said to Ruan Ruan, "Have you taken your costume test photos? Let me see them."
"No, but I have some photos I took myself," Ruan Ruan said in a small voice. A character like hers didn't get official costume photos taken by a photographer, but Ruan Ruan was very meticulous. Because her scenes were scattered, she worried about continuity with her hair and makeup, so she always took a photo herself after getting ready before heading to set.
Shi Ran, who was playing on her phone on the sofa, looked up at Ruan Ruan searching for the photos, a thoughtful expression on her face.
Sylvia glanced at the photos a couple of times and got a general idea of the makeup look. She selected the appropriate shades from the vanity, had Ruan Ruan sit down, and clipped back her beautiful hair with a pin, revealing her delicate, flower-like features. After a simple cleansing, she began to apply the makeup.
The little finger resting on the powder puff was fragrant and soft, as if meticulously cherishing this face. Ordinary makeup artists didn't have this habit.
It was a trivial detail, but it inexplicably made Ruan Ruan feel like she was worth something.
Ruan Ruan had no idea what Shi Ran was doing behind her. She moved her neck, trying to see her in the mirror, but could only catch a small glimpse.
Footsteps sounded from behind, and Shi Ran approached. She leaned against the side of the vanity, picked up a bottle of mineral water from the table, and opened it. She watched Ruan Ruan as she drank.
Ruan Ruan met her gaze. "Will I be holding you up?"
"I'm not in a hurry."
Ruan Ruan interlaced her fingers and fiddled with her nails.
Shi Ran didn't leave; she just stood there and watched. Ruan Ruan found it impossible to concentrate. Even as her eyebrows were being drawn, she had to lift her eyelids slightly to peek at Shi Ran through Sylvia's fingers. Her eyelids fluttered, the lashes tickling Sylvia a little.
"Close your eyes. Don't look at me," Shi Ran said softly, turning her head.
Ruan Ruan obediently closed her eyes.
She heard Sylvia chuckle and let out a soft "tsk."
"You're so well-behaved," Sylvia joked as she drew the eyeliner, her breath warm against Ruan Ruan's neck.
Ruan Ruan immediately flushed. "I've never had my makeup done like this before. I'm a little nervous."
"Don't be nervous," Sylvia said. "You're easy to work on. You'll turn out very pretty."
"Not too pretty," Ruan Ruan said quickly. "My character is supposed to be very ordinary, so just stick to how it was before."
Shi Ran glanced at her again. She really did love acting. She knew to save photos of her makeup for continuity, and she was willing to be less pretty for the sake of her role.
After Ruan Ruan was done, it was Shi Ran's turn. Ruan Ruan leaned over the other side of the vanity to watch her. Her exquisitely refined features were sculpted to be even more three-dimensional. The same cosmetics seemed to have a much finer texture on her face, and the shades looked much more high-end. Ruan Ruan was like a little kitten, and Sylvia's hand was the cat teaser; her gaze followed it back and forth, from the vanity to Shi Ran, and from Shi Ran back to the vanity.
With her back to Ruan Ruan, Sylvia smiled at Shi Ran. "Your friend is really interesting, like a little kid."
The corners of Shi Ran's mouth twitched into a faint, two-second smile before it vanished.
It was about time, and Ruan Ruan had to leave. She was a little disappointed that she couldn't watch Shi Ran finish her makeup. She stood up to say goodbye. Shi Ran gave a cool nod, but Sylvia enthusiastically said bye-bye.
Ruan Ruan closed the door behind her, as if shutting away a magnificent dream.
Inside were dazzling arrays of high-end cosmetics and gorgeous clothes that filled half the room. She had caught just a fleeting glimpse of the long train of a formal gown.
Carrying her small bag, Ruan Ruan went downstairs to catch a cab to the film set.
Cinderella had tiptoed through a dance and returned to the mundane mortal world.
The set was as noisy and busy as ever. A few extras she knew were listlessly playing cards under the sun. A supporting actress was filming a vlog with a selfie stick; seeing Ruan Ruan, she pulled her over for a quick hello. Ruan Ruan beamed, leaving behind a youthful and vibrant face, then went to find Wu Mei under the sky-blue backdrop.
Wu Mei was playing a game with her legs crossed. When she saw her, she gave up her chair. "Why didn't you come back last night?"
"A friend introduced me to someone from my hometown. We had a few drinks and stayed at a hotel together." Ruan Ruan opened her set case and squatted down to get some blotting paper.
There was still a faint reaction in her body; she wasn't sure if it was just psychological.
"Then when did you get your makeup done?"
"My hometown friend is a makeup artist on set. She did it for me," Ruan Ruan said with a blink. "Is it okay?"
"It's alright, I guess. Not as detailed as Teacher Zhang's work. Be careful you don't get called out," Wu Mei said with a glance.
Ruan Ruan pursed her lips to hide a smile. If Wu Mei knew Sylvia had done it, she would have died of shock.
The assistant director for the actors came out and called for people to get ready. Ruan Ruan answered and hurried inside, clutching her costume.
The shoot went very smoothly. After three or four shots, her part was done for the time being. While waiting for the next setup, it was the A-team's turn to film with Shi Ran. Ruan Ruan came out, wiping away a thin layer of sweat. Wu Mei handed her a small fan, and the two sat together to cool down.
Shi Ran's RV was still parked there, its door shut tight, as if it had never once allowed Ruan Ruan to step inside.
About ten minutes later, a Buick GL8 arrived. The actors on set were used to it, but they still instinctively glanced over. They watched as a large black umbrella passed by like a dark cloud, its movement as swift and clean as someone ascending a celestial ladder. The large black umbrella was the dream of low-tier actors—not because they couldn't afford one, but because they had no one to hold it for them. You had to become the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, for the cloud beneath your feet to become a Somersault Cloud.
Ruan Ruan smiled silently and lowered her head to play on her phone.
She would have to wait until six or seven o'clock again. It had always been like this.
Half an hour later, she received a WeChat message from Xiao Lin: "What kind of coffee do you drink?"
"What?"
"We're ordering coffee. Teacher Shi asked what you'd like to drink."
A stone had been tossed into the stagnant pool of her heart, creating a soft "thump" and shallow ripples. It began to beat, secretly and rapidly.
"Iced latte, half sugar." She typed out each word as if tapping on her own restless heart. So things were different. Starting today, everything was different.
Ruan Ruan put down her phone, as if burying a sweet secret.
She saw a delivery guy go in carrying a paper bag. She saw the delivery guy come out empty-handed. She saw Xiao Lin come out holding a latte.
She handed it to her, smiled, and said nothing.
Fine, dense beads of condensation had formed on the cup. Ruan Ruan reached out to take it and said in a soft voice, "Thank you."
It was no longer her bringing sour plum juice; it was Xiao Lin bringing her a latte. Many changes were just like this—small, yet subtle.
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