Chapter 004 Genius

In her previous life, Song Wan had an ordinary appearance and poor acting skills; naturally, she couldn’t land any significant roles. Later, as her acting improved, she was still relegated to minor supporting roles with barely any lines, all because of Han Sen. By comparison, the role of Miaoyu was the first major part she’d ever received in either life, and she was determined to do it justice.

Song Wan opened the script, her mind quickly immersing itself in Miaoyu’s world.

The story was about a celestial being who, after falling in love with a mortal, was cast down to the human world. Even after losing her memory, she still found her beloved and braved tribulations with him.

The role Song Wan was to portray was Miaoyu, the second female lead in the drama.

Miaoyu was a mysterious Miao girl, her appearance terrifying, her methods poisonous. She not only cursed the male lead and his parents, but also repeatedly sowed discord between the two leads, causing their love to be beset by endless obstacles. In the end, she even poisoned the male lead’s sister, earning his undying hatred; he considered her his lifelong enemy.

—That was Miaoyu’s apparent identity.

But she had another, hidden one—

She was actually the male lead’s long-lost biological sister, found only after he’d come of age.

When Miaoyu was young, she was kidnapped and sold to the Miao region as a child bride. Despite enduring unimaginable suffering, she never forgot her doting family and fought desperately to escape her increasingly affectionate captors. Yet when, after enduring countless hardships, she finally found her way home, what she saw was a memorial to herself and a foster daughter of the same age who had taken her place.

Her family lived in perfect harmony.

What’s more, her beloved brother treated that girl with great affection.

Everything she had clung to for all those years lost its meaning. Her deep love, buried for so long, fermented into an unrelenting hatred. Thus, everything she did later, once her true identity was revealed, became tragic and pitiable—worthy of forgiveness.

Especially since, after the mother parasite was removed, the girl who appeared at the male lead’s side possessed beauty that could topple a kingdom. Even though she had killed many, she repeatedly showed mercy to the male lead’s family.

Among all the characters in the novel, Miaoyu was the most multidimensional, the most vividly portrayed—making people both love and hate her to the extreme.

She was wildly popular, but the role was also a tremendous test of one’s acting skills.

“Song Wan, come over and take Miaoyu’s costume photo!”

Song Wan was in the midst of studying her character. She froze for a moment. “Costume photo?”

Zhou Qi, who had just set up the camera, slapped his forehead. “I almost forgot! Yang Fan, come over here. Song Wan, follow Yang Fan to the makeup room to get your styling and makeup done, then we’ll shoot your costume photo. The other roles are negotiable—even the leads might skip their photo—but Miaoyu’s costume photo is absolutely indispensable.”

With those words, the entire set fell silent.

Song Wan was momentarily stunned and glanced back at the male and female leads.

Chen Yi was fine. Though his look wasn’t friendly, since they weren’t in direct competition, he managed to keep a peaceful facade; he even offered her a slight smile as she looked over.

But Zhao Meng couldn’t restrain herself. In front of everyone, her gaze toward Song Wan was dark and venomous.

Song Wan inwardly sighed. This director certainly knew how to make enemies for her.

But there was no refusing the costume photo. She could only stand and follow Yang Fan to the makeup room.

She didn’t notice, but as soon as she turned, Zhao Meng immediately issued instructions to her assistant, who quickly circled around Song Wan and Yang Fan, running into the makeup room from another direction.

The makeup room was divided into two interconnected yet distinct areas: one half for makeup, with mirrors and cosmetics; the other for costumes, accessories, and styling tools.

Song Wan quickly finished with her styling, but when she crossed to the other side, she found only a teenage boy waiting there.

Though she’d seen such tricks in her past life, Song Wan’s heart still sank. “Are you the makeup artist for the crew?”

The boy’s eyes widened in awe at Song Wan’s transformed appearance, but at her question, he blushed furiously and dropped his head in embarrassment. “Sister Zhao Meng’s makeup got smudged, so the teacher went to fix it for her.”

On one side was Song Wan, a newcomer about to take her costume photo; on the other, Zhao Meng, a popular star whose makeup needed urgent attention though she wasn’t shooting yet. Either way, someone would be offended.

But in this industry, everyone knew where their loyalties should lie.

Song Wan could have gone straight to complain to Zhou Qi. Given how much he valued the role of Miaoyu, he would surely have made the makeup artist give her an explanation.

But then what? With most of the show already filmed, could Zhou Qi really replace the makeup artist?

As long as the makeup artist remained, there would be countless ways to make Song Wan suffer, and she’d gain a reputation for being difficult in Zhou Qi’s eyes. She might get her momentary satisfaction, but her future on the set would be miserable.

What’s more, the backstage staff were all close; offending the makeup artist was like stirring up a hornet’s nest.

But she couldn’t just swallow the insult either. If she let Zhao Meng get away with this, she would only become bolder in the future.

After a moment’s thought, Song Wan turned to the boy. “Can you do makeup?”

He hesitated. “I can, but I...”

“As long as you can, that’s enough!” Song Wan sat down in the chair in front of him. “Have you seen the drama ‘Empress’? Just give me Consort Li’s makeup.”

‘Empress’ was a palace drama famed for its parade of beauties, all competing for attention.

Consort Li was the most beautiful and the purest among them.

Miaoyu had two costumes—one, a dark and enchanting Miao-style outfit with intricate, eerie facial patterns that the boy might not manage; the other, ethereal and bright, clean and pure, very much like Consort Li’s makeup.

Coincidentally, in consideration of Song Wan being a newcomer, the stylist had started with her celestial maiden look.

The boy was startled. “But the teacher says my skills aren’t polished enough...”

“If I’m not worried, why should you be?” Song Wan’s expression cooled. “Or would you rather I complain to Director Zhou and have your teacher scolded?”

He panicked and dared not protest further, immediately beginning her makeup.

...

Half an hour later, Zhou Qi finished shooting the second scene and waved his hand. “That’s a wrap for now! You’ve all worked hard this morning—go eat!”

Everyone was speechless. Even if they’d shot two scenes, even if each scene had over twenty takes, it was barely after eleven. Lunch already?

It was neither early nor late.

Besides, they’d been filming until one in the afternoon the past few days without a word of “good job.”

Zhou Qi didn’t care what they thought. As soon as the equipment was packed up, he scurried off to the room where Song Wan’s costume photo was being shot.

Others exchanged glances. Remembering the stunning girl from that morning, their curiosity piqued.

“Why don’t we check it out too?”

“But the director...”

“What’s there to fear? There’s safety in numbers!”

With that, the group jostled and nudged each other, trailing after Zhou Qi.

Zhao Meng had just sat down when she saw everyone rush off to the photo room. Already seething, she was further irritated when Chen Yi, oblivious to her mood, invited her to join them.

Let’s see how you manage to play Miaoyu without a makeup artist to help you!

With this thought, Zhao Meng, swallowing her anger, agreed to go with Chen Yi.

...

Song Wan, her makeup complete, hurried to the photo studio.

Luckily, the rooms were close, and she arrived in just a few steps.

The boy, named Zhou Zhou, trailed behind, worried his work might not suit the character and ready to fix any flaws the photographer found.

Song Wan chuckled. “You don’t have to be so nervous. I think Consort Li’s makeup suits Miaoyu perfectly, especially since you made a few adjustments to match her even better.”

She wasn’t just trying to reassure him; she genuinely thought he was talented.

The original Consort Li look was a bit too youthful for Miaoyu, who, having returned home at twenty-two, was older than the fifteen-year-old consort. But Zhou Zhou’s subtle modifications made it fit Miaoyu’s character flawlessly.

Despite Song Wan’s honesty, Zhou Zhou couldn’t believe it.

She could only sigh—she couldn’t force him to accept her praise.

“Knock knock!”

“Hello, everyone. I’m Song Wan, playing Miaoyu. I’m here for the costume photo.”

Under the staff’s gaze, Song Wan greeted them calmly and with poise.

The crew exchanged glances, their astonishment palpable.

They’d all worked long enough in the industry to be highly sensitive to beauty.

With her hair styled in an elegant bun and dressed in a pink ruqun, Song Wan glided in from the doorway—so effortlessly graceful that, for a moment, they thought Miaoyu herself had stepped out of the novel.

Otherworldly, breathtakingly beautiful.

The photographer was obviously delighted, his usual pickiness nowhere to be seen, smiling as he directed his team. “Hurry, everyone! This is the real Miaoyu. If these photos don’t satisfy Director Zhou, you’re all fired!”

His assistant grinned. “Look at Master Wu, beaming from ear to ear. Who’d dare cross him now? With such a beautiful model, the perfect styling and makeup—everyone’s lucky today!”

Song Wan couldn’t help but laugh, turning to Zhou Zhou. “See? Everyone’s praising your work.”

“No, no,” Zhou Zhou shook his head repeatedly. “It’s not my skill—the stylist did a great job, and Miss Song is naturally beautiful.”

But the joy in his eyes was impossible to hide.

It was the first time he’d ever been acknowledged.

“Have you ever done a costume photo shoot before?” Photographer Wu asked out of habit, unsurprised to hear her say no.

He’d worked with Zhou Qi several times and knew he’d held out for months for the right actress for Miaoyu, only to find someone outside the industry.

No bias—he simply had Song Wan step in front of the camera to get a feel for it.

He’d expected a rookie to need several rolls of film to warm up, but as soon as Song Wan stood before the lens, her expression sparkled with charm, her body leaning forward ever so slightly, yet with a shadow of sorrow in her eyes.

Her every look and gesture, even her body language, instantly shed her own persona and became someone else entirely.

Every blink and smile radiated innocent playfulness.

The perfect model, paired with a top photographer—the resulting photos were stunning.

“She’s a genius!” Photographer Wu exclaimed. “Casting you as Miaoyu was the most brilliant decision of Zhou Qi’s entire career!”

His assistant, seeing the photos, went even further. “Director Zhou, where did you find a model like this? Send me a dozen more!”

“Picked her up off the street, ha ha ha…”

Startled, Song Wan turned to see Zhou Qi, grinning from ear to ear in the doorway—no one knew how long he’d been standing there.

Behind him, Zhao Meng’s fingernails dug deep into her palms.