Chapter 101 Red and Black Roses

Fu Yanle had his eyes closed, his chin being pinched by the makeup artist's fingers. Just as he was about to peck at the rice, the makeup artist finally released his face.

"Absolutely stunning!" The makeup artist exclaimed excitedly, looking at Fu Yanle in the mirror. "Teacher Fu, you look so beautiful!"

Fu Yanle opened his eyes. In the mirror, he still had shoulder-length hair, the curls languidly curled. His eyebrows were slightly lighter in color, but eyeshadow had been used to create shadows under his eyes. A thin red scar was drawn on his left forehead, and a layer of brown lipstick covered his lips. Overall, his features were still refined, but he possessed a more weary and sinister air.

“Although I’m really good-looking, but…” Fu Yanle pointed to his mouth, “could you remove this?”

The makeup artist, still captivated by Fu Yanle's stunning beauty, apologized upon hearing this, saying, "Ms. Fu, your natural lip color is too red, which doesn't match your overall facial features. This is lip mud; your lip lines are very shallow, so it won't look exaggerated at all, and it will look very natural!"

Fu Yanle accepted this answer, "Okay."

"How's the styling going?" Fang Zhouji pushed open the slightly ajar door and stepped inside, immediately spotting Fu Yanle in the mirror. He froze, then exclaimed with delight, "That's it!"

Fu Yanle: Spicy snack flavor?

"The look is just as I imagined, no, it's even more stunning than I imagined!" Fang Zhouji grabbed Fu Yanle's arm. "I was right, this role can only be yours!"

Fu Yanle smiled reservedly and comforted her, "My looks and abilities will always be so impressive. Relax, there's nothing to be surprised about."

“That’s right!” Fang Zhouji looked at Fu Yanle with deep affection and tenderness. “Quick, come with me to take promotional photos!”

Fu Yanle: "Okay!"

Fang Zhouji dragged Fu Yanle by the arm, carrying him into the shooting room like a chicken, duck, or goose. The photographer, who was adjusting the camera, looked up and couldn't help but let out a deep exclamation, "Wow!"

"It's so good, pipiupiu!" The scriptwriter's assistant on set exclaimed, her eyes practically bubbling with excitement. "My Goddess Newbie is truly amazing!"

Fang Zhouji looked at Fu Yanle and murmured, "My taste and aesthetic sense are ridiculously high. I chose the best answer so firmly without the slightest hesitation."

"To be honest, I only chose you because of my average aesthetic sense. After all, my physical attributes are what they are, and even if your qualifications are subpar, they can't be too outrageous," Fu Yanle said with a shy smile.

If anyone else had said something so damn bullshit, Fang Zhouji would have slapped them to death, but when Fu Yanle said it, it wasn't just bullshit, it was downright awful! That makes perfect sense!

"Alright, alright, let's get started." Fu Yanle abruptly took over the director's role. "What kind of effect do we want for the promotional photos?"

The assistant quickly said, "Teacher Fu only needs to complete the specific scenes, and the photographer will choose the shots to shoot. Bai Yi is a crazy villain who is very cruel to others and to himself, so Teacher Fu must express the two core elements of evil and beauty in his character."

“Ouke.” Fu Yanle reached out and took the short script for a specific scene.

Fang Zhouji directed from the side, "Everyone, get ready, check the lighting and set one more time for any flaws, and then everyone step back behind me."

Fu Yanle put down the script. "I've absorbed it all."

"Let's give it a try." Fang Zhouji didn't have high expectations for Fu Yanle. After all, Fu Yanle was neither a professionally trained actor nor had any acting experience. He was a complete newcomer who had been dragged into the industry by Fang Zhouji.

The makeup artist whispered at the door, "Good luck, Ms. Fu! The makeup is waterproof, don't worry!"

Fang Zhouji said, "Ready, 3-2-1-Go."

The entire audience held their breath, and the lights suddenly dimmed. Fu Yanle lifted his foot and walked forward. His steps were slow and casual, and with each step, the wide hem of his black robe seemed to float like lotus blossoms. The camera panned up, revealing Fu Yanle wearing a Chinese-style long robe with knotted buttons, his right hand resting on his waist, toying with a black rose.

The black rose rolled repeatedly between his palm and fingers. Suddenly, Fu Yanle's fingertips probed into the layers of petals and gently tossed the flower forward.

The camera follows.

The bathtub was filled with water, the surface of which was covered with dark red roses. A black rose fell with a "plop," splashing out a small ripple. The surrounding red roses trembled and swayed to the side, then gathered together again, layer upon layer, surrounding the single black rose.

Fu Yanle stepped into the water, the hem of his black robe swaying in a pattern. The camera moved to his left hand gripping the bathtub, his fair skin and the fine veins standing out starkly against the heavy, dark tones. The photographer lowered the lens, following the pure black fabric to Fu Yanle's slender, beautiful neck, then sliding down to his strikingly handsome face.

Fu Yanle closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of being bound and burdened by the water-soaked clothes. He felt imprisoned; he wanted to struggle, to cry for help, so he chose a very simple and permanent solution. He submerged himself in the water, splashing water everywhere, and his left hand, which was holding the bathtub, fell into the water with a "plop."

All that's left in the shot is a screen full of shattered red roses and the only intact black rose.

The air grew quieter, and the people in the water remained motionless. Fang Zhouji snapped out of his reverie, frowned slightly, and felt a little worried. However, he knew how a creator felt when suddenly interrupted, so he could only suppress his emotions and remain motionless, watching the position behind the camera.

In the utterly silent atmosphere, Fu Yanle emerged from the water. His long, curly hair was disheveled and smeared across his face. Water droplets slid down his high, straight nose, over the black rose he held between his lips, and then fell into the water, the dripping sound slow and powerful, sounding like the beat of a drum or the ticking of a clock, slightly eerie.

The camera was slightly raised.

Fu Yanle's panting sounded erotic, and the corners of his mouth curled up, perfectly conveying the satisfied pleasure of his successful prank. In the shot, Fu Yanle pressed his teeth against a black rose petal, while his tongue pushed aside the rest.

A black rose fell onto Fu Yanle's heart. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed the petal.

"Alright!" Fang Zhouji stepped forward. "That's it!"

The assistant quickly grabbed a bath towel and wrapped Fu Yanle up like a giant silkworm cocoon as he stepped out of the bathtub.

Fu Yanle spat the roses into the trash can by the door, shuddered, and walked behind the camera, saying, "I want to see the effect."

"The effect is fantastic." The photographer stepped aside. "The atmosphere is so strong! This part absolutely cannot have any filters added, otherwise it would weaken this natural sense of fragmentation and tension."

“That’s right, the original film is already the best way to present it, and the first take is the most natural and emotionally intense state.” Fang Zhouji nodded, his gaze towards Fu Yanle becoming even more intense. “Little Fu, I didn’t expect your perception and expressiveness to be so strong. Come and act! I can customize a script for you as the lead actor.”

The others looked at Fang Zhouji in surprise. Fang Zhouji was notoriously demanding and strict, always nitpicking and insisting on achieving the best possible result. Because of this, he looked down on most of the young actors of this generation in the industry. Apart from Song Xueyan, whom he had praised, the others had all been severely criticized by him.

"Director Fang, are you going to divide your love for Teacher Song in two?" the photographer joked.

Fang Zhouji smiled and said, "There's no conflict. Yanle and Xueyan aren't the same thing; they're both treasures. So, Yanle, how about giving it a try?"

"Thank you for your kind offer, Director Fang, but I don't want to play the lead role," Fu Yanle said. "If you like me, you can ask me to play a cameo role like Bai Yi, which only requires a few minutes of screen time but has a very distinct character."

Fang Zhouji sighed, "Alright, since you don't want to, I can't force you. But if there are any good roles that meet your criteria in the future, I will definitely seize the opportunity and look for you!"

Fu Yanle smiled and said, "Okay."

*

An hour later, Fu Yanle got into the car, looking neat and tidy. He opened the map and glanced around, spotting a newly opened ice cream and dessert shop. He immediately decided to go and give the new shop some money.

On the way, the three of them made a video call. Fu Yanle put on his Bluetooth headset to answer and was startled when An Shigou's two nostrils suddenly appeared on the screen.

"A pig staring at people with its nostrils?"

An Shigou adjusted the angle of his death and roared, "I'm a pig, and you're a dog!"

"Being worse than pigs and dogs means pigs and dogs are the same kind, so why kill each other?" Tang Wanbai, dressed in a white suit and with her hair neatly combed, said, "I'm shooting for a magazine!"

Fu Yanle said, "So why did you video call us during work hours?"

Tang Wanbai said, "Because I ate a ripe melon, I quickly took advantage of my break time to share it with you all!"

"Oh, it's the same old gossip every day, I'm sick of it," An Shigou said nonchalantly. "Money, sister-in-law, yellow—the same old three things. So, who is it this time?"

"It's Lin Qingtong!" Tang Wanbai exclaimed excitedly. "The two girls in the dressing room said that Lin Qingtong has over fifty new hashtags on Weibo, all about his scandals and gossip since his debut, but they just can't get him on the trending topics. I quickly went to Weibo and found, wow, it's really detailed, a lot of which I've never heard of before!"

An Shigou said dismissively, "That's because you're too trashy."

"Don't underestimate me. I know this juicy gossip before you two do, because it's the latest news!" Tang Wanbai took out her spare phone, brought up the relevant screen, and shoved it into the camera. "Lin Qingtong met with a high-ranking executive from Huaying Group at night and they entered a hotel together!"

The half-minute video clearly captured Lin Qingtong getting out of the car with a man and entering the hotel intimately.

An Shigou glared, "Damn it!"

Tang Wanbai said, "Only Lin Qingtong's face is clear in the video. The face of this high-ranking official is a bit blurry. At least I can't tell who it is."

"..." Fu Yanle was momentarily speechless, unable to say anything good or bad.

If this gets out, Fu Sheng won't know where to put his old face. By the way, the higher-ups at Huaying? Could it be that stubborn old bastard Wang Ruizhe?

Fu Yanle quickly said, "Let me see that profile picture of the high-ranking official again."

"Oh." Tang Wanbai obediently adjusted the pace. "Here!"

Fu Yanle looked at the screen. "It looks familiar." He narrowed his eyes and suddenly breathed a sigh of relief: Thank goodness it wasn't Wang Ruizhe. But thinking about it, it made sense. No matter how much of a womanizer Wang Ruizhe was, he wouldn't sleep with his best friend's illegitimate child.

Tang Wanbai asked curiously, "Yanle, do you recognize this person?"

“He’s the half-brother of Hua Ying’s chairman, just a figurehead with no real power,” Fu Yanle said expressionlessly. “Lin Qingtong has probably been deceived.”

Author's Note:

The countdown to the end is on, my darlings.