Chapter 559 Film Utopia The makeup artist adjusted the respirator on Shang Yechu's face, stared at her face for a long time, and smiled:
"He's quite handsome. What's the internet calling this again? 'Mask-covered style.' Director Shao is quite fashionable."
Earth, being a garbage dump, naturally cannot have clean air. Members of the farmer's base must wear air-purifying masks when they go out. This is also why the mother only asked the Heavenly Emperor to take her child, but not to save her—she had inhaled too much unfiltered, polluted air and was beyond medical help.
The protagonist receives different treatment than others. While most characters wear mass-produced masks, Shao Guangji, showing favoritism, arranges for the Heavenly Lord to have a specially made semi-covered respirator. The blueprints were personally designed by his master artist friend, and the workmanship is exquisite, even taking into account the fit of the jawline. Due to the complexity of the design, it cannot be mass-produced.
Shao Guangji was a staunch member of the "looks-matter" club, and none of the main characters he chose—men, women, young, or old—were ugly. After all, good looks are a viewing pleasure for audiences, and the attractive appearance of handsome men and beautiful women is one of the selling points of movies. Especially for the Heavenly Emperor, who symbolizes civilization, the requirements for appearance are even more stringent.
Buddhism describes the Buddha as possessing "thirty-two major marks and eighty minor marks of a Buddha," implying that his appearance was flawless. Similarly, deities in ancient Taoist texts are mostly described as having "plump skin and a flawless complexion." The central message is largely the same: deities cannot be too ugly.
Therefore, Shang Yechu's makeup and demeanor must change as humanity's strength increases. When humanity is scattered and disorganized, the Heavenly Emperor looks like a bitter gourd. But when humanity is united and unstoppable, the Heavenly Emperor will also be radiant, his majestic appearance imposing. Not only will she need makeup, but she will also have to gain weight dramatically later on to achieve a face as large as a silver basin.
The mask felt heavy on her face. It was so precious that Shang Yechu dared not touch it even slightly, and she hadn't dared to wear it during the test shoot either. Only now, with filming officially starting, was the "Old Buddha" finally brought out of its box.
A cold, heavy feeling settled on her skin as Shang Yechu peered into the mirror. The artist's aesthetic was truly extraordinary; the dark mask obscuring the lower half of her face didn't seem out of place, but rather added an indescribable wildness to the person in the mirror. Cold, savage, yet incredibly technologically advanced. Like a hybrid of human, beast, and robot.
Shang Yechu gently stroked the uniquely textured cover, and a strange feeling suddenly welled up in her heart.
She sat up straight and cast an indifferent glance at her reflection in the mirror.
"ah!"
A small scream rang in her ears. Shang Yechu looked in the direction of the sound and saw her assistant standing by the door, covering her mouth with a look of utter despair on her face.
Shang Ye asked curiously, "What's wrong with you?"
The assistant patted her chest and after a long while said, "Big sister, could you look at me like I'm a dog again?" Her expression was full of longing.
Shang Yechu was startled, her scalp tingling: "I thought something had happened. Where did you learn all this nonsense?"
The assistant grinned and said, "Oh, if you don't want to, that's fine. But, ma'am, you looked really sexy just now. But when you speak, it doesn't have the same charm. Your voice is muffled, like Shin-chan's."
"Luckily, I didn't have any lines in this scene." Shang Yechu turned around and made final adjustments in front of the mirror. "Is everyone getting impatient?"
"We are waiting, but not for you. We're mainly waiting for the lighting to be set up." The assistant stuck out her tongue. "Big sister, you're so punctual. When I was with Zhuang Sheng, he would rather make the whole crew wait than not get his face done."
Shang Yechu didn't say anything, but simply shook her head slightly at her assistant. The assistant turned her head and caught sight of the makeup artist behind the curtain. Realizing she had misspoke, she immediately fell silent.
The dressing room fell silent. Since there was still some time, it was a good opportunity to reflect on where the problems lay in the performance just now.
Shang Yechu had studied this scene many times, but still hadn't finalized a formal performance plan. Under the cover of the mask, most expressions were meaningless. The audience could only infer the Heavenly Emperor's emotions through changes in his eyes and brows.
She adjusted her posture in front of the mirror several times, but the effect was still unsatisfactory. Shang Yechu frowned repeatedly, her mind unsettled as she thought about Yang Huanyi's changes. She stood up and paced around a few times, constantly pondering the key moment of this scene. Yang Huanyi, Yang Huanyi. Yang Huanyi has become a mother… Heavenly Emperor, Heavenly Emperor, Heavenly Emperor, Heavenly Emperor, Heavenly Emperor, Heavenly Emperor…
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