Chapter 60

Fortunately, the director soon had a different idea, gesturing toward Cheng Yan and Xin Ran. “You two first, the rest can wait.”

Aside from An Xun and Tang Ruan, the production team had a few other makeup artists. But, as An Xun put it, they were backup for busier times. Lead actors always had dedicated artists. An Xun used to handle it all herself, but the workload had grown too demanding, so she brought in Tang Ruan and Xu Ya.

An Xun glanced at Tang Ruan and whispered, “You take Xin Ran. I know Cheng Yan better, and Xin Ran’s easy to work with.”

“Sure.”

Tang Ruan smiled appreciatively. “Thanks.”

Although Ji Jing’s potential jealousy had crossed her mind, she reminded herself that he wouldn’t overreact. He respected her work and always gave her the space she needed.

In the makeup room, Cheng Yan remained quiet, while Xin Ran was more chatty and animated.

An Xun’s rapport with Cheng Yan was evident in their casual banter.

“Make me look younger, Ms. An Xun,” he requested.

She rolled her eyes playfully. “How about eighteen?”

Cheng Yan raised an eyebrow. “That works for me.”

“Keep dreaming,” she deadpanned.

Xin Ran laughed and turned to Tang Ruan. “I won’t ask for much. Just make me look twenty.”

Tang Ruan chuckled, amused. “You already look young. This makeup will be perfect on you.”

“I trust you,” Xin Ran said warmly.

Tang Ruan deftly prepared her tools and began working with expert precision.

…

The makeup room was serene and well-equipped, with heating and ample lighting that made it both comfortable and efficient to work in.

As Tang Ruan focused on Xin Ran’s makeup, the actress’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she closed her eyes. “By the way, I’ve seen your makeup tutorial videos.”

“Really?” Tang Ruan blinked, surprised. “You’re not joking?”

With just over half a million followers on Weibo—many of whom were bots or gained from a brief viral moment thanks to a publicist—Tang Ruan didn’t consider herself particularly famous.

Xin Ran smiled. “I follow Qiu Bin, and I saw one of his posts.”

Qiu Bin had once tried to sign Xin Ran, but negotiations fell through for various reasons. Still, they remained on good terms, and following each other on social media wasn’t unusual.

Curious one day, Xin Ran had clicked on a link to Tang Ruan’s profile. Known for his sharp instincts, Qiu Bin had an eye for potential stars, and it was rare for anyone to turn him down—Tang Ruan had refused twice.

Intrigued by that defiance, Xin Ran had watched all of Tang Ruan’s videos.

In truth, she was now something of a secret fan.

Tang Ruan listened to Xin Ran’s words, feeling both amused and slightly exasperated.

“It’s really not that dramatic. My videos aren’t that impressive.”

Xin Ran smiled, her lips curving gracefully. “They are. The first thing I noticed was how pleasant your voice sounds. I liked it right away. Plus, you’re so modest.”

She had a sharp eye for people, and whenever she liked someone, her attitude toward them was always warm and kind.

Tang Ruan chuckled softly, brushing eyeshadow onto Xin Ran’s lids with a light touch. “Thank you for your support. You’re actually the first person I’ve met who’s said they’ve watched my videos.”

“I’ve seen them too.” A voice suddenly chimed in—it was Cheng Yan.

Tang Ruan: “…”

Cheng Yan glanced over at them and said, “My agent made me watch them.”

An Xun laughed, adding, “Probably because he was curious about anyone Qiu Bin took an interest in.”

Tang Ruan felt a bit awkward and smiled faintly. “I didn’t realize I was so well-known.”

The relaxed conversation in the makeup room dissolved any remaining tension. The casual, friendly atmosphere surprised Tang Ruan—she had expected such high-profile stars to be harder to approach. Instead, they were quite down-to-earth, making it easier to enjoy working with them.

–

That afternoon, both Tang Ruan and An Xun worked tirelessly on the leads. Each actor posed for costume and makeup tests in two different outfits, and the intricate Tang Dynasty styling turned out to be exceptionally complex. The elaborate designs took a great deal of time, slowing down the process significantly.

As the actors posed for their photos, Tang Ruan and An Xun finally took a break, sitting on the side to rest.

“Are you tired?”

Tang Ruan shook her head, sipping water from her cup. “Not too bad, but doing makeup for people does get tiring.”

Constantly bending over could strain her back, making it ache.

An Xun smiled and handed her a piece of candy. “That’s normal. It feels exhausting at first, but you’ll get used to it over time.”

“I get that.”

Tang Ruan glanced at her. “Were you like this when you first started working on set?”

An Xun thought for a moment. “Probably, but it’s been so long. I remember wanting to quit every day, but my mentor wouldn’t let me.”

They continued chatting until it was time for touch-ups.

Before she knew it, the day was over.

–

That evening, Tang Ruan lay in bed, video-calling Ji Jing.

She blinked at the man on the screen and couldn’t resist a playful tone. “Husband, what did you do today?”

Ji Jing looked up, his gaze steady and warm. “Work.”

“That’s it?” Tang Ruan spread her hands and pouted. “Didn’t you miss me?”

He chuckled, covering his mouth as he coughed lightly. “Come home, and I’ll tell you whether I missed you or not.”

Tang Ruan: “…”

Her face reddened as she gave him a mock glare. “I’d love to come home, but I can’t just leave.”

Ji Jing raised his eyebrows. “Is it cold over there?”

“Very,” she sighed. “I’ve got the heater cranked up as high as it’ll go, but the nights here are freezing.” She added in a softer tone, “I booked my own room. The production had originally paired me with Xu Ya, but since she hasn’t arrived yet, I figured sharing wouldn’t be very convenient anyway.”

When it came to her own comfort, Tang Ruan wasn’t one to compromise unnecessarily. Unlike her early days, she didn’t take on set work for the money—it was purely for passion. After discussing it with An Xun, she had decided to get her own room.

The production team typically reserved shared rooms, except for makeup artists of An Xun’s rank, who had single rooms.

Ji Jing nodded approvingly. “Good choice. How big is your room?”

Tang Ruan laughed. “It doesn’t need to be huge. I just wanted a bit of privacy.”

“Don’t skimp,” he reminded her firmly. “We don’t need to save money.”

Tang Ruan: “…”

She gave him a sidelong glance and muttered, “Even if we’re rich, we shouldn’t waste it.”

Still, her choice wasn’t exactly frugal.

They chatted for a while longer until Ji Jing had to attend to work, and Tang Ruan, feeling sleepy, ended the call.

Afterward, she tossed and turned in bed but couldn’t fall asleep. The first night away from home always felt a little strange.

–

Two weeks later, Xu Ya arrived, and the production settled into its regular shooting schedule. Tang Ruan spent most of her time doing Xin Ran’s makeup, occasionally helping with other male actors but less frequently.

Xu Ya handled the makeup for the second male lead. Each makeup artist had their own set of actors to take care of.

One afternoon, Xu Ya approached Tang Ruan.

“Tang Ruan.”

“Yes?”

“I have something to take care of later. Can you do makeup for Lu Chenghe this afternoon?”

“Sure.”

Lu Chenghe played the second male lead. He was good-looking, personable, and quite popular on set.

With Xu Ya’s absence, Tang Ruan found herself busier than usual. It was her first time doing Lu Chenghe’s makeup. When their eyes met, she smiled. “I’ll be doing your makeup this afternoon.”

He smiled back. “Sounds good, beautiful makeup artist.”

Tang Ruan laughed. “You’re exaggerating.”

She stood before him, her posture confident and her hands steady as she worked with practiced skill.

Unlike Cheng Yan, Lu Chenghe was more talkative and seemed to enjoy conversation.

“How do you like being on set?”

“It’s nice,” Tang Ruan replied softly, her focus on applying his makeup. “Apart from the cold, the set is actually quite fun.”

This was true—life on set was indeed lively and full of excitement, a bit more engaging than being at home. However, they were two different kinds of experiences. After too much commotion, one would long for the familiarity and warmth of home. Home was where a sense of belonging truly resided. Right now, Tang Ruan missed home deeply. She missed Ji Jing even more.

Unfortunately, both of them were swamped with work. As the year-end approached, Ji Jing was practically working overtime every night until the early hours, while Tang Ruan couldn’t leave either. Though her schedule wasn’t as extreme, taking even two days off to go home wasn’t feasible.

According to An Xun, there might be a brief break for New Year’s Day, but nothing before then.

Lu Chenghe chuckled softly, his tone gentle. “In that case, enjoy it while you can, and wear more layers to keep warm.”

“I will.”

–

Once Lu Chenghe’s makeup was done, he went off to film his scenes. Tang Ruan stayed behind, tidying up her makeup station, which had become a mess. She was midway through cleaning when sudden screams and excited chatter broke out from outside. The noise shattered the usual calm atmosphere of the set.

Tang Ruan paused, her brow lifting slightly as she listened.

Curiosity piqued, she continued tidying before stepping outside.

…

Outside, Gu Tian, Ji Jing, and Xi Zijin had arrived together. Their appearance immediately drew the attention of actors and crew members alike.

“Wow, who are they?”

“They’re so handsome!”

“Yeah, they’re not actors, are they? I’ve never seen them before.”

“Oh my God, three tall, good-looking men… Are they here to see someone? But who?”

The female staff members whispered among themselves, their curiosity about the unexpected visitors growing by the second.

Even the director got to his feet, visibly stunned. “Mr. Gu, what brings you here?”

He recognized both Ji Jing and Xi Zijin and greeted them with great respect, promptly inviting them to sit down.

Gu Tian, who was most familiar with the director, scanned the area with a slight cough before replying, “We were just passing by and thought we’d stop in for a look.”

His assistant stepped forward, clarifying, “Are you in the middle of filming?”

The director nodded. “We’re shooting a scene with the male lead and the second male lead. Would you like to sit and watch?”

Ji Jing surveyed the set with a frown, about to speak when his eyes landed on Tang Ruan emerging from the other side. Across the sea of people, their gazes locked.

Tang Ruan… Seeing him standing there, she was beyond stunned.

She blinked several times, wondering if she was imagining things. This was the same man who had been too busy to mention a word about visiting during their video call last night, the man working late until 10 p.m. And now here he was, in front of her.

In the next instant, Ji Jing was right before her, his eyes fixed intently on hers. “What, cat got your tongue?”

“No.” Tang Ruan tilted her head up to meet his gaze. “Why are you here?”

Ji Jing raised his eyebrows, his eyes soft as he looked down at his wife. His voice carried a hint of reproach. “My wife hasn’t been home in half a month. Why wouldn’t I come see her?”

Tang Ruan laughed despite herself, pulling Ji Jing toward the makeup room, where it was quieter and free of onlookers. Everyone else was still crowding around Gu Tian and Xi Zijin, leaving them unnoticed.

Cheng Yan noticed but didn’t show any interest.

As soon as they were inside, Tang Ruan threw her arms around Ji Jing, her joy bubbling over as she clung to him. “I really didn’t expect you to come. Aren’t you busy?”

Ji Jing wrapped his arms around her tightly. “I am.”

He gently pinched her earlobe and lowered his head to press a kiss against it. “But I had to come see my wife, no matter how busy I am.”

His lips left her ear, seeking another spot to kiss, his voice dropping into a husky murmur. “Did you miss me?”

Tang Ruan laughed, standing on tiptoe to kiss him back, making her feelings abundantly clear without a single word.