Meng Zhen’s features were already exquisite, and now, with her hair tied in a low ponytail and wearing a loose white T-shirt, she appeared even smaller. However, her demeanor wasn’t weak. Instead, it was remarkably serene.

Ma Chao had once visited Jiuzhaigou. The Five Flower Lake nestled among the mountains and forests was like this. Sometimes calm and unruffled, other times dazzlingly colorful, vivid as the morning glow. Meng Zhen was exactly like a paradoxical blend of these qualities.

“You’re an adult, right?”

After pondering for a while, Ma Chao couldn’t help but ask. He certainly didn’t want to end up with a reputation for exploiting minors.

“I turned eighteen two months ago, don’t worry.”

Meng Zhen neatly folded the blanket and returned it to the flight attendant. Before boarding, her mask had gotten dirty, so now she was only wearing a bucket hat on her head. Her striking features were impossible to conceal.

The flight attendant receiving the blanket stood stunned for a long time, like a marionette, mechanically going through the motions. It wasn’t until the plane landed that she finally snapped out of the daze caused by Meng Zhen’s stunning beauty.

Flight attendants regularly encountered many celebrities, including beautiful actresses and female idols, so seeing pretty faces wasn’t uncommon for them. However, not even the famously gorgeous Xiao^[1]萧; last name Lan had left such a strong impression on her. The attendant had also watched the talent show Meng Zhen participated in before. While the young woman on stage had indeed been pretty, she hadn’t been as strikingly beautiful as she was now.

For a moment, her mind had gone completely blank. Could Meng Zhen be some kind of fairy?

What the flight attendant didn’t realize was that during the talent show, all the contestants wore the same style of makeup. The sequence of applying foundation, concealer, setting powder, highlighter, and contouring indeed covered facial imperfections, but it also concealed Meng Zhen’s natural features. Additionally, filters were applied during the show’s broadcast, making it difficult to see her true beauty.

Meng Zhen was unaware of the impact she had on the flight attendant. After the group disembarked, they hurried to the hotel without stopping.

The other Meng Zhen greatly admired Director Qian Xubing, having watched his works repeatedly and never missed any of his interviews. As a result, Meng Zhen was very familiar with the other party’s filming style.

After arriving at the hotel, Meng Zhen first put away her luggage and quickly washed her face. Soon, Ma Chao called to urge her, “Hurry up and come to the restaurant on the 18th floor. Director Qian is here as well. Let’s discuss how we’re going to shoot.”

Even before their departure, Ma Chao had sent the script to Meng Zhen’s email. A short film usually had a runtime of about thirty minutes, so considering editing and other factors, a hundred minutes of footage would definitely be sufficient.

The script for 《Daffodil》 was personally written by Luo Yang. It tells the story of a scholar from a poor family who studied diligently in a secluded and quiet mountain forest. Perhaps due to his loneliness, he took special care of the goddess of the Luo River planted in the courtyard, regularly watering and fertilizing it. In his spare time, he would sit in front of the flower, sharing his thoughts with it.

The goddess of the Luo River gradually developed a sentient spirit during those days. It longed for the scholar’s attention, hoping that his gaze would always linger on it.

At first, things went as it wished, but then a beautiful portrait appeared. The scholar transferred all the attention and affection that once belonged to the flower onto the portrait. Consumed by jealousy, the goddess of the Luo River’s heart was gnawed away, and it was tormented daily by feelings of resentment until it eventually turned into an evil spirit.

And this sentient spirit could attach itself to the beautiful portrait. The goddess depicted in the painting was stunningly beautiful, exuding an ethereal and otherworldly aura at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, one would notice that this was not really the case.

The goddess was merely the surface, while the flower spirit was the essence.

She captivated and bewitched, causing turmoil in people’s hearts. In the end, she fulfilled her wish to remain with the scholar for a long, long time.

This story was a tragedy, with both protagonists exhibiting extreme obsessions far beyond the norm, leading to their downfall. Meng Zhen read the script four times, even contemplating Daffodil’s emotions during the flight.

Meng Zhen didn’t want to keep Director Qian waiting, so she quickly finished getting ready and hurried over.

At this moment, Qian Xubing, Luo Yang, Ma Chao, and the others were sitting together in a private room at the hotel restaurant. Director Qian, now fifty years old, had studied traditional Chinese painting in his youth, giving him a keen perception of beauty. It was this sensitivity that enabled him to capture the stunning essence of bygone eras in his films.

Originally, given Qian Xubing’s standing in the film industry, he wouldn’t have lowered himself to direct a short film. However, Luo Yang was Qian Xubing’s nephew^[2]sister’s son and the most talented among the younger generation. Upon hearing that the kid wanted to transition to filming, he couldn’t resist his persistence and finally decided to come out to help.

Qian Xubing arrived in Qianzhou yesterday and has already inspected the set that the crew had prepared.

In 《Daffodil》, the scholar was extremely poor, so naturally, his dwelling wasn’t grand but rather humble and somewhat simple. The designer drew inspiration from the study of a renowned figure from the republican era, meticulously recreating the setting with exquisite craftsmanship and vividly highlighting the natural landscape.

As they were discussing the filming content, a knock suddenly came from the door of the private room.

“Come in.”

Meng Zhen opened the door. It happened to be a sunny day, with bright sunlight streaming through the white gauze curtain in the window and casting onto the girl’s face. Compared to ordinary girls, her appearance carried a strong sense of allure. Not only were her features well-defined, but even the structure of her facial bones, from her eyebrows to her nose bridge, was perfectly proportioned—— neither overly prominent nor excessively sunken.

Such a person would inevitably become the center of attention no matter the environment they were in.

As a qualified director, one must be able to discover the shining points of the actors and actresses.

Qin Xubing excelled in shooting characters, whether male or female, he could bring out a particularly charming quality under his lens, such as being cool, gentle, noble, steady, and heroic, among others. He was not constrained by gender. Therefore, upon seeing Meng Zhen for the first time, he understood why Luo Yang insisted so stubbornly. Without any hesitation, he decisively agreed to cast Meng Zhen.

This short film was filled with the emotions deep within Luo Yang’s heart. The female lead was akin to his dream lover and had to fully match his aesthetic standards. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to capture that particular essence in the film.

And Meng Zhen embodied Luo Yang’s aesthetic vision perfectly.

Qian Xubing observed Meng Zhen while Meng Zhen also observed the director.

The other party appeared thinner than he did in online interviews. Despite his age, he still exuded the scholarly grace of an intellectual. He never followed fashion trends or indulged in expensive luxury goods, preferring simple attire of T-shirts and pants.

Meng Zhen greeted the others and then sat down on a chair woven from rattan wood. She held a teacup in her hand, and as she reminisced about the script she had read earlier, her demeanor also changed.

In her early years, Meng Zhen studied drama, so she understood the importance of body language for an artist. Later, she began filming silent movies, where not a single line of dialogue was spoken. It was through the gestures of her hands, eyes, and body movements that she conveyed the oriental charm, becoming a bridge of communication between her and the audience.

To practice her footwork, she walked on wooden stilts on the icy surface during the coldest days of winter. She dedicated three full years solely to this skill, and as she moved, her posture became graceful and her figure more elegant, eventually meeting the standards of a renowned actress.

Meng Zhen held the teacup with her left hand in a posture reminiscent of a lotus leaf, while her right hand formed delicate orchid fingers^[3]hand gesture in traditional dances; joined thumb and middle finger, the rest extended. Unlike performing on stage, her movements were subtle, with just a slight tilt of her head. In her gaze, there was a hint of shyness mingled with a barely visible wildness, her seductive eyes gazing softly at the bonsai pine on the windowsill.

“Good! Very good!”

Qian Xubing applauded repeatedly. Originally, he had thought Meng Zhen was just a pretty face without much acting talent. However, upon meeting her today, she completely surprised him. Her features were even better than he had imagined, exuding a captivating charm that was far from the typical innocence of other eighteen-year-old girls.

Luo Yang rubbed his chin with one hand and raised an eyebrow. “Uncle, I told you that you will definitely be satisfied. Meng Zhen is a good seedling, and her foundation in traditional opera isn’t bad either. You’ll see when we start shooting tomorrow.”

Qian Xubing shrugged and said nothing more.

The entertainment industry has never lacked glamorous female stars, but the key point lies in striking the right balance—— to be alluring without being vulgar and to exude charm without crossing into explicitness. Otherwise, it’s easy to provoke the audience’s aversion.

Qian Xubing continued to talk with Meng Zhen for quite some time. Meanwhile, Luo Yang also composed a song for this short film, and he did a clear vocal performance without accompaniment, showcasing his ethereal voice that was as enchanting as a merman’s, with a wide vocal range that provided everyone with an exquisite auditory feast.

———pr

The next day arrived in the blink of an eye, and Meng Zhen woke up before five o’clock.

In Qianzhou, dawn arrives later compared to the capital. At this moment, it was pitch black all around as they traveled in a nanny van to the set constructed on the outskirts.

To fully recreate Luo Yang’s dreamlike scene, besides the simple white-walled, green-tiled house, there was also a superbly cultivated daffodil planted in the courtyard. With every gust of wind, its tender green leaves swayed gently, and even the pale flower buds trembled delicately, emitting a faint and tranquil fragrance.

Luo Yang placed great emphasis on the filming of this short film. The crew stayed overnight at the location, and by now, all the equipment had been set up. They were just waiting for the two leads to finish their makeup before they could officially begin.

Meng Zhen’s costume and makeup resembled that of a painting of a beauty, akin to a flying celestial figure from the Dunhuang murals. She wore a vibrant-collared long dress, with light-colored silk draped over her arms. The fabric floated gracefully, not deliberately emphasizing her curves, yet the thin material elegantly outlined her figure.

From behind, she radiated an ethereal aura.

However, once Meng Zhen turned her head, her demeanor was completely different.

Meng Zhen embodied a delicate balance between the divine and the enchanting. Her attire resembled that of a celestial goddess, yet her countenance leaned more toward that of a seductive enchantress.

It’s not that Meng Zhen’s makeup was heavy, but the makeup artist used tools to enhance her facial features. Her foundation was light and translucent, her eyebrows elongated, and dark eyeshadow uniformly applied. Paired with deep nude lipstick, this created an instantly enchanting allure.

One of the short film’s producers was a former actress who had transitioned to behind-the-scenes work. She watched Meng Zhen intently for a while, unable to help but inwardly admire her. Youth is truly wonderful. Meng Zhen had only applied a light layer of powder, along with subtle enhancements to her brows and eyes, yet she looked so radiant. The producer couldn’t see any reason why such a star wouldn’t become popular.

Even if she were just placed as a decorative vase on the set, she would still be the most beautiful one.