Mr. Zhan Qingyue, who often speaks without thinking, was ruthlessly added to Ning Qiuxiu’s blacklist on WeChat.

For women, their beautiful photos and opinions are not to be questioned.

Zhan Qingyue, after getting scolded, decided to buy a gift to make amends.

Since he couldn’t find high-end products in the small second-tier city of G where he was, he asked Zhou Yang, who was in A City, to buy something for him.

The requirements: Expensive and likely to please a woman.

Zhou Yang agreed and the next day, Zhan Qingyue received an air express package from A City before Ning Qiuxiu even got home.

Zhou Yang had bought a lipstick gift set, a global limited edition 8-piece set from a top international brand this year.

It was rare and hard to get, and Zhou Yang had gone through a lot of trouble to get it.

Ning Qiuxiu’s flight landed in the afternoon at 3 PM.

She wasn’t really angry when she blacklisted Zhan Qingyue; she just thought he needed a lesson for his behavior.

But she didn’t expect Zhan Qingyue to take it so seriously and buy a gift to apologize, which touched her a bit.

Well, even though he’s sharp-tongued and a bit harsh, he’s actually quite likable.

Ning Qiuxiu had heard of this gift set but hadn’t paid much attention to it due to her less demanding needs and financial constraints.

However, no woman could resist such things, and Ning Qiuxiu was no exception. She happily accepted the gift: “Well, I’ll graciously accept it then.”

Seeing her happy expression, Zhan Qingyue knew he had chosen the right gift. He seized the opportunity to negotiate: “Then, Miss Ning, could you consider lifting my ban from your WeChat blacklist?”

“Sure, sure,” she replied.

When it comes to money, it’s okay to be a bit flexible.

Zhan Qingyue had achieved his goal and said, “Let’s open and see.”

Ning Qiuxiu was curious about what the eight lipsticks looked like, so she opened the packaging.

When she saw the colors of the eight lipsticks on the outside of the gift box, her hand paused.

Some of the colors looked a bit frightening.

— Ning Qiuxiu wasn’t aware that this lipstick set was referred to as the “Death Gift Box” in China.

It contained eight lipsticks, with four of them being problematic.

This set was designed for the European and American markets, and the color shades didn’t quite suit domestic tastes, making it somewhat disappointing in China.

However, Zhou Yang didn’t have a girlfriend and only bought expensive things without considering whether they were suitable.

He didn’t think about the color options at all.

In front of Zhan Qingyue, Ning Qiuxiu took out one of the lipsticks, waved it in front of him, and said, “Let me put this on for you, Mr. Zhan.”

Zhan Qingyue nodded.

Ning Qiuxiu went to the bathroom, wiped off her old lipstick, and applied the one Zhan Qingyue gave her.

After finishing, she walked out and winked at him, “How does it look?”

Zhan Qingyue: “……”

Ning Qiuxiu had applied… a dirt-colored lipstick, a popular shade in Europe and America recently.

Since she was wearing light makeup, combined with this exaggerated color, she looked like a character poisoned in a drama.

The outcome was a bit different from what Zhan Qingyue had imagined.

Instead of gaining favor, he ended up getting a week’s stay at a special WeChat suite.

---

After the Shangmei Fashion Gala ended, Ning Qiuxiu spent a week at home recovering.

She picked up her abandoned symbol-drawing career and devoted herself to studying the art of beauty symbols.

In the past, during her cultivation days, there were many resources that could keep one’s appearance youthful, and beauty pills were also available.

Therefore, no one had researched beauty symbols.

Ning Qiuxiu had to rely on her understanding of symbol art and drew them blindly.

It was quite frustrating.

Practice is the only standard for testing truth.

Ning Qiuxiu carefully tested the symbols on Zhan Qingyue, placing them on his bed and even having him wear them. If the symbols showed results, it meant success; if not, it meant failure.

Zhan Qingyue was used as a “symbol furnace” by Ning Qiuxiu. On the surface, he remained calm, but inside, he was quite unsettled.

A week later, Ning Qiuxiu returned to work.

The audition for My School Bully Girlfriend was postponed by a week due to the director’s schedule, which gave Ning Qiuxiu time to recover from her cold and get back to her best condition.

Qu Hua accompanied her to the audition. To fit the role, Ning Qiuxiu wore a light pink sweater, jeans, and a single ponytail.

Her youthful appearance was even more pronounced in this outfit, making her look like the dream girl of high school boys, evoking a sense of nostalgia and longing.

When Xiao Sheng saw her for the first time, his expression was somewhat cold.

He didn’t show whether he was impressed or not. However, Ning Qiuxiu was confident.

After introductions were made, she took the initiative to extend her hand: “Director Xiao, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Xiao Sheng shook her hand.

Since this wasn’t a formal casting audition, the atmosphere wasn’t too serious, but Xiao Sheng made it more formal.

Once seated, he asked directly, “Have you read the script?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” Xiao Sheng signaled to someone nearby, who then handed over a script. Xiao Sheng said, “As usual, please read the lines from the script.”

This was to test her command of the lines.

Ning Qiuxiu was a bit surprised.

Was the casting for this drama really that strict?

In this age where voice actors are everywhere and some dramas even hire famous voice actors to attract attention, this audition was still testing the actor’s skill with the script.

Young actors often lack solid voice skills and need both good acting and strong script-reading skills.

It’s tough to find someone suitable for the role, especially since the school bully is only 17 years old.

But she wasn’t afraid.

Following the director’s request, she read several lines.

After listening, Xiao Sheng’s frown eased a bit, and he nodded, “Not bad.”

Ning Qiuxiu responded humbly, “Thank you, Director Xiao.”

Xiao Sheng still spoke coldly, “Turn to the second page. It contains the scene and dialogue you’ll need to perform. See if you need to find someone to act with you.”

Ning Qiuxiu glanced at the second page and saw the scene in her mind.

It was a big moment from the start.

The scene was about the female lead being bullied by local students when she transferred to a new school.

The female lead then boldly fought back and taught them a lesson.

Ning Qiuxiu’s audition content was that part where she teaches the local students a lesson.

…

At the audition, Qu Hua couldn’t get in.

He had heard that Xiao Sheng was notoriously difficult to deal with.

Although he had great confidence in his artist’s acting skills since Flickering Shadows, he knew that for School Bully, many agencies had pushed their own artists, including top stars.

Especially with a popular TV star known for her youthful look and suitability for the role, many fans thought she was a good fit. Given this situation, it would be challenging for Ning Qiuxiu to stand out.

But there was nothing he could do about it.

He could only wait outside, pacing back and forth, feeling slightly anxious.

“Get out of the way, you sissy. You’re blocking my path,” he heard a somewhat arrogant voice behind him.

Turning around, Qu Hua frowned when he saw who it was.

It was Zhen Paohui, the male lead chosen for School Bully.

He had been selected for his scholarly and handsome image, and was known for his excellent acting skills and warm, sunny personality.

But he was quite arrogant privately.

Although Qu Hua found the term “sissy” offensive, he still politely moved aside.

Zhen Paohui glanced at him disdainfully and said, “Disgusting.”

Qu Hua was immediately enraged, and Zhen Paohui’s manager, alarmed, quickly stepped between them and said, “I’m so sorry, sir. He’s had a rough day and is in a bad mood. Please bear with it. We apologize sincerely.”

“Apologize!” Qu Hua demanded.

Zhen Paohui looked up with a “no way” expression.

His agent was almost in tears, repeatedly apologizing.

Qu Hua, feeling it was unnecessary to be overly harsh and not wanting to cause trouble for Ning Qiuxiu, decided to let it go since the agent was being polite.

Zhen Paohui tried to say something more, but his agent covered his mouth and dragged him away.

Inside the audition room, after Ning Qiuxiu finished her performance, she bowed to Qu Hua and thanked the scene partner.

The partner gave her a thumbs up, indicating her performance was excellent.

Xiao Sheng was silent for a moment. Under the gaze of the staff and Ning Qiuxiu, he asked coldly, “Have you read the novel?”

“The novel is very exciting,” Ning Qiuxiu smiled, “I’m currently on my third read.”

Xiao Sheng nodded, seeming pleased with this answer, and asked, “How much do you weigh?”

“…88 jin (about 97 pounds).”

“Seventeen is a time for growth. If you slim down to 85 jin, we’ll confirm the exact start date for the crew.”

“Alright, thank you, Director Xiao.”

Ning Qiuxiu didn’t expect it to go so smoothly.

She had thought Xiao Sheng, with his stern face, would be difficult, but he turned out to have a softer side.

When Qu Hua finally saw her, he managed to hide his displeasure.

Hearing the good news from Xiao Sheng about her passing the audition helped him feel much better, easing the irritation caused by Zhen Paohui’s actions.

As they left the audition venue, Ning Qiuxiu said, “I just met the male lead actor. He’s so handsome, and that grandma gray hair color suits him perfectly. Too bad he’ll probably have to dye it back before filming starts.”

Qu Hua: “……”

“Hmph, bad character is useless,” Qu Hua’s frustration returned.

“Huh?” Ning Qiuxiu noticed Qu Hua’s change in mood, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, get in the car,” Qu Hua opened the car door for her, “Just focus on your performance and outshine him.”

Ning Qiuxiu sat in the car thoughtfully, watching Qu Hua come around to the other side.

She asked, “Did something unpleasant happen with you guys just now?”

“Nothing at all. What are you thinking? Your Qu brother is loved by everyone; how could there be any unpleasantness~”

Ning Qiuxiu smiled and said, “Brother Qu, this morning when you talked about him, you were quite calm and even praised him as a big potential star. What happened? Your attitude changed so quickly. Did you find out something negative about him?”

“……” Qu Hua glanced at Ning Qiuxiu with a complex expression and said, “Qiuxiu, I think you’ve really grown up.”

You’re getting smarter.

“Well, then be honest with me.”

Seeing he couldn’t avoid it, Qu Hua explained the situation to Ning Qiuxiu. Hearing it, Ning Qiuxiu was outraged, “No, this can’t just end like this!”

“Ah, don’t worry about it,” Qu Hua said. After all, he was a male lead and she was a female lead.

Making too big of a fuss would make things awkward if they had to work together in the future. “I’ve already been upset, and I’ve heard this kind of talk before. I’m used to it. Don’t worry.”

“No, we need to have the company negotiate this. If he doesn’t apologize, this matter isn’t over.”

Qu Hua said, “There’s really no need. I…”

Ning Qiuxiu ignored him, took out her phone, and called the company’s president to handle the situation.

As a major shareholder, Ning Qiuxiu’s words carried weight in the company, and someone was soon assigned to resolve the issue.

However, their company was like a larger studio in the industry, not as powerful as the major company involved.

Though they initially expressed sincere apologies and even offered to compensate Qu Hua for his mental distress, they refused to apologize.

When the company insisted on an apology, they started to dodge and ignore the requests.