Chapter 74: After Removing the Makeup

"Director, have I finished today's scenes?" Chu Luoxi hurried over to Qiu Xian, wasting no time before asking.

Because of the ginseng incident, the relationship between Chu Luoxi and Qiu Xian had grown much closer, and their conversation had become more relaxed.

"Why? Do you have something urgent?" Qiu Xian replied casually, not paying much mind—after all, young people always had unexpected matters to attend to.

"No, it's just that if we're done, I want to remove my makeup. This headpiece is so heavy..." Chu Luoxi supported her head with one hand, determined never to make herself suffer if she could help it. Beauty always came at a price!

Qiu Xian chuckled, "Go ahead. Aren't you going to eat first?" He could sympathize. Whenever actors filmed palace dramas, which of them wasn't desperate to remove their makeup, especially in the heat of summer? Everyone suffered through it!

"Well, I'll take off my makeup before eating," Chu Luoxi replied, raising her eyebrows and darting toward the dressing room with urgency.

She didn’t wait for the stylists to assist; Chu Luoxi deftly removed the elaborate headwear herself, ensuring nothing was damaged. In her previous life, when she was worked to the bone by her company, there were times she had to rush between several productions in a single day, all period dramas. She had mastered the routines of applying and removing makeup. If she had to wait for stylists every time, she would have collapsed countless times. Without a personal makeup artist, she had learned to do everything herself—self-reliance was key.

She expertly took off the headpiece, massaged her scalp to relax her skin, then grabbed her cosmetics case and pulled out makeup remover, ready to free her face.

Perhaps because she had seen too many natural beauties turn unrecognizable without makeup in her previous life, Chu Luoxi rarely wore cosmetics unless absolutely necessary. She never fussed over her personal image in private.

Her face was perfectly presentable; there was no need for heavy makeup. Even maintaining one’s image came at a cost. Besides, she liked the contrast between her made-up and natural look. Once she became famous, she could walk the streets unnoticed. Even the sharp-eyed ones wouldn’t dare confirm her identity, so there were plenty of advantages—it all depended on perspective.

Feeling the refreshing touch of water on her face, Chu Luoxi finally relaxed, savoring the natural comfort.

As she wiped her face with a soft towel, she turned to see Ding Ju rushing in. "What are you looking for?" Chu Luoxi asked. Ding Ju was always so frenetic; it was strange that she also had such a delicate heart—a contradiction, really.

Seeing Chu Luoxi's transformation, Ding Ju paused and sighed. "I'm looking for you. Aren't you eating?" Was this a costume change show? She moved so quickly!

"No food left?" Chu Luoxi rinsed the towel clean and laid it out to dry.

"Of course there's food!" Ding Ju rolled her eyes. The crew always budgeted extra for boxed meals—no one would ever go hungry, and there were always leftovers. It wasn’t wasteful; it was a matter of principle. If extra extras showed up unexpectedly, they couldn’t be left without food. Compared to the massive expenses of the production, a few boxed meals were negligible. As long as the number didn't exceed double digits, it was still considered thrifty.

"Then that's fine. As long as there's food, it's no problem. The meals have already been delayed for so long—they must be cold by now," Chu Luoxi said, unconcerned.

Though not the lead, her role was important enough that using the crew's microwave was no issue. She could eat whenever she liked.

"But that's not it. Huang Zixue ordered dishes for everyone. He wanted to treat the crew, but realized you weren't there," Ding Ju explained, clearly frustrated.

"What? He's treating us again? Should we wait, then?" Chu Luoxi sprang up, finally reacting normally. She didn’t feel flattered, just uncomfortable at the thought of others waiting for her, especially the senior members of the crew. That would be far too inconsiderate.

In truth, the boxed meals weren’t bad, but they weren’t anything special either. The leads took turns treating the crew, so it balanced out. As a newcomer, Chu Luoxi wasn’t part of this rotation, and hadn’t expected anyone would wait for her to eat. She had simply planned to dig into her boxed meal later.

"No, the dishes are being made and haven’t arrived yet," Ding Ju reassured her. "I came to find you because Huang Zixue said he was the reason everyone was delayed, so he’s treating the group."

This celebrity really was generous—he’d just treated everyone last night, and now he was providing extra meals for the whole crew and a special meal for the lead actors. What extravagance, Ding Ju thought privately, feeling this was far too lavish for her modest sensibilities.

"Oh, that’s good. I’m finished here, so I’ll head over," Chu Luoxi replied, though she wasn’t fond of such occasions, she knew they were necessary. People needed opportunities like this to bond—it was also her chance.

She was quite accustomed to it. Despite their high earnings, celebrities spent a lot, and many were still in debt. To outsiders, this was hard to understand.

Chu Luoxi appeared, fresh-faced, standing out among the palace-dressed actresses. Yao Xiao and the others looked on with envy.

Being the lead came with its own burdens—especially the heavy costumes. They were beautiful, but throughout the long days of filming, there were few chances to remove them, so it was natural to be jealous of others’ comfort.

"Hey, you’ve already removed your makeup? Why didn’t you call me?" Liu Yun exclaimed, sounding a bit reproachful. Many props in the crew were valuable, and it was best not to damage them. For publicity or charity events, the crew could auction them off for collectors—a source of income. Liu Yun didn’t like Chu Luoxi acting on her own; if she damaged too many props, it would be wasteful.

Chu Luoxi understood, quickly offering a conciliatory smile. "Brother Liu, don’t worry—I didn’t damage anything. If you don’t believe me, you can check later. I was in a hurry and thought you were eating, so I didn’t want to disturb you." She had to be careful with her words; if she lost the privilege to handle her own makeup, it would be rough for her. She wasn’t busy, but Liu Yun certainly was.

Chu Luoxi felt a bit puzzled. Though the lead actors took turns treating the crew, it didn’t normally include many people. Liu Yun, as a public makeup artist rather than someone’s exclusive stylist, shouldn’t really be here. So why was he present? Did he have connections behind the scenes? She pondered, but it didn’t affect her much. Her previous workdays were hectic, with too many people to remember, and Liu Yun wasn’t a particularly famous exclusive stylist, so perhaps she didn’t really know him.

The entertainment industry was both small and vast. Some people could go a lifetime without crossing paths—that was perfectly normal.