Chapter 108: Very Good, Very Powerful

The New Year was fast approaching, and the China University Student Film Festival happened to fall right around that time, marking the first awards ceremony of the new year. By scheduling the festival then, the organizers were arguably carving out their own niche, avoiding direct competition with the long-established awards. As a relatively new event leaning toward the tastes of the younger generation, it had successfully paved its own unique path.

Because it catered to the youth market, many celebrities took it quite seriously. After all, it served as a summary of the past year; a strong start here could set a positive tone for the various major awards to follow. Consequently, the festival drew significant attention from all sides. The preliminary speculation and analysis had already built up the hype, and by January 2nd, the industry was buzzing from the early morning.

Despite the name "Film Festival," it was something of a misnomer; at best, it was a pure awards gala. There were no other activities related to television or film, and the most spectacular event was simply the red carpet show before the evening ceremony.

"Ugh, this University Student Film Festival is being held right inside the Imperial Film Academy, yet I have to come from the outside. What kind of nonsense is this..." Chu Luoxi, who had been camping out at Zhu Xueishuang and Liu Yujia’s villa since her break began, complained. She had already spent a day relaxing, only to be dragged out of bed at the crack of dawn for styling. Her morning grumpiness had yet to subside, and she was full of resentment.

"Complaining won't help. Do you dare bring a stylist into your dormitory? Even if you did, you wouldn't be able to get them in," Liu Yujia said with a giggle, completely unbothered compared to Chu Luoxi’s internal struggle.

"That’s a fair point. Hey, Xixi, why do you still look like you haven't woken up? Hurry up and get ready; the makeup artist and stylist we booked will be here soon," Zhu Xueishuang said, looking at Chu Luoxi, who was still sitting on the sofa with her eyes shut. She was speechless.

Filming for "Crystal" had finally wrapped two days before the New Year, and a massive promotional campaign was about to follow. Zhu Xueishuang and Liu Yujia had finally snatched a couple of rare days of rest, only to likely become jet-setters soon after. Attending this festival was also a requirement set by Li Shuangmu. Although neither of them had received nominations and were still bona fide newcomers, walking the red carpet would increase their exposure and serve as a pre-promotion for "Crystal," helping them become familiar faces to the media.

Thus, Zhu Xueishuang and Liu Yujia took it very seriously. Chu Luoxi, however, had almost forgotten about it entirely. In her heart, she was no longer a newcomer; she had attended countless award ceremonies in her previous life and found this one neither fresh nor particularly appealing.

"By the way, Xixi, have you made arrangements? Do you need our help?" Zhu Xueishuang asked, thinking that Chu Luoxi hadn't given it a second thought. If they hadn't reminded her today, the girl would have likely forgotten about it completely.

Letting out a massive yawn, Chu Luoxi’s eyes welled up with tears. "I shouldn't need to bother; Lan Daji said he would take care of it."

"You don't know how lucky you are. Lan Lun is truly a responsible manager!" Liu Yujia said, sounding slightly envious despite her tone. Even though Lan Lun wasn't very famous yet, his name had already started making waves in the industry. Moreover, Lan Lun had debuted alongside Xiao Jingxuan and Leng Lu; in four or five years, he had already achieved success, and those with a keen eye could naturally see that he was something special.

"Saying that makes it sound like your manager isn't responsible? Be careful, or someone might throw a fit!" Chu Luoxi teased. Apparently, Liu Yujia’s manager was just as blunt and short-tempered as she was; saying that would surely cause an explosion.

"Uh, I didn't mean that," Liu Yujia quickly defended herself, looking genuinely frightened.

People began arriving at the villa one after another, and Zhu Xueishuang and Liu Yujia went off to attend to their own business. Chu Luoxi was just about to consider heading back to bed for a nap when Lan Daji arrived, accompanied by someone who took her by surprise.

"Liu Yun?" Chu Luoxi exclaimed. Wasn't this the formidable makeup artist she had met on the set of "Jiang Shan"?

"What, not happy to see me?" Liu Yun smiled faintly, his demeanor as restrained and unassuming as ever. If one didn't know him, they might not even notice him.

"How could I not be? It’s just strange—aren't you with the film crew?" Chu Luoxi asked suspiciously. Generally, makeup artists had contracts with their production teams and couldn't just walk off the set.

"Isn't it the film festival today? Director Qiu gave everyone the day off so they could prepare for the event. I don't have much to do," Liu Yun explained calmly, looking as relaxed as ever.

"Oh, I see. But then why are you here..." Chu Luoxi looked toward the "moving iceberg" standing nearby, unable to guess his intentions.

"He's here to do your makeup and styling," Lan Lun said, cold and concise.

In the performance industry, the line between makeup and styling wasn't strictly drawn. Unless someone was exceptionally brilliant in one specific area, one person could usually handle both. Of course, those who excelled in both were highly sought after, and Liu Yun was exactly that kind of versatile expert. That was why Chu Luoxi hadn't expected Lan Lun to find him, especially since he was still working for a production crew.

Although she didn't know Liu Yun in her past life, her interactions with him in this life made it clear that his skills were top-tier. With such an expert on hand, she certainly wasn't going to complain. Since she had already decided to show her face—and as Xiao Jingxuan’s date, no less—maintaining a low profile was out of the question. She might as well make it perfect.

"You're just coming like this?" Chu Luoxi gestured at Liu Yun’s empty hands. She had never encountered a makeup artist who didn't carry a professional kit.

"Don't you have a full set? I'm too lazy to carry mine!" Liu Yun grinned, evidently still eyeing the set of high-end, internal-use consumables Chu Luoxi owned.

Hearing this, Chu Luoxi covered her face. Well, that answer was certainly... effective.

Before long, everyone was busy, working to present their most perfect selves for the evening’s red carpet show. While the industry was buzzing, the general public took a bit longer to warm up; it wasn't until the preliminary reports started airing toward the evening that websites, forums, and chat groups slowly shifted their focus.

The University Student Film Festival was held at the Imperial Film Academy every year. It was the one day when media and reporters were allowed inside; on any other day, they would be politely turned away. The students of the academy took great pride in this, and every year, the day was as grand and lively as an anniversary celebration—a major holiday for the school. This was all thanks to the academy’s hardware; due to the generous donations from various alumni, they possessed world-class facilities, which was exactly how they secured the rights to host the festival.