Ning Xiaoyu hadn’t expected to earn so much money in just one afternoon.

4,675 yuan.

After a rough calculation, she was completely stunned by the number.

Had she really taken photos with several hundred people?

The love system felt gratified. 〖That’s right, Girl! You spent the entire afternoon taking pictures. A full-fledged, emotionless photo-taking machine!〗

Aside from the ten limited poses she initially provided, she later settled on a single Salted Fish Lying Flat pose and stuck with it till the end. Strangely enough, passersby just loved this kind of laziness! Otherwise, why would it be called a salted fish? It had to be this salty.

Shen Yueyue leaned in beside Ning Xiaoyu, looking shocked. “Wow, Xiao Yu, you actually made that much in just one afternoon?”

Just as the guests were still processing the number, the director continued, “Well then, both of you will soon be discussing the brand endorsement contract with the sponsor.”

Xi Rui couldn’t help but speak up, “Director, you’ve been keeping this a secret for so long, but you still haven’t told us which cosmetics brand it is?”

Ling Zige also joined in the excitement. “Yeah, which brand is it?” Their group had come in second place, barely losing to the first-place team. Even though the gap between them was quite large, getting second place still felt frustrating.

If the brand wasn’t particularly impressive, then losing might actually be a good thing.

After all, not just any brand could afford to hire him as an endorser.

He didn’t want to lower his status by endorsing some unknown label.

The director laughed heartily, smacking his bald head. “Look at my memory. I’ll tell you right now! It’s Qingxin.”

【What? Qingxin?! That Qingxin?】

【Besides that Qingxin, what other Qingxin could there be in the country?】

【This is completely unexpected. Xiao Yu really hit the jackpot!】

【Ahhh, is my baby girl about to rise step by step into stardom? I’m so proud!】

【Let me ask on behalf of my primary school brother— Is Qingxin really that impressive?】

【Of course! It’s the leading domestic cosmetics brand, ranked number one in national popularity.】

【Qingxin has been working with its current spokesperson for many years. Why are they suddenly changing?】

【Simple. The head of Qingxin’s PR department has changed.】

【Not a single rumor about the spokesperson switch leaked! Now that I think about it, Qingxin’s contract with the previous endorser is indeed about to expire.】

【Some of the guests look completely dumbfounded.】

【Of course they’re dumbfounded! Who wouldn’t be? This is Qingxin— the leader of domestic cosmetics! It’s not some random brand that just popped up in the last few years.】

Ning Xiaoyu had no idea what the others were thinking. When she heard the name Qingxin, she was a little surprised, but that was all.

For such a well-established national brand, she was, of course, very familiar with it.

She never thought that one day, she would be endorsing a brand that had existed for decades longer than she had been alive.

If the director had revealed the brand name at the start, the competition that afternoon would have been much fiercer— perhaps even several times more intense.

Just as Ning Xiaoyu had that thought, Ling Zige chuckled and said, “Director Zhang, I’d like to know exactly how the first-place team made their money. That way, I can admit defeat wholeheartedly.”

There was no reason not to tell them. After all, the guests would find out sooner or later.

Ning Yuwei looked up expressionlessly, waiting to hear the director’s explanation.

The director sighed emotionally. “The first-place team dressed up as mascots and took pictures with passersby. One photo cost 10 yuan, two photos cost 15 yuan, and many people took pictures with Xiaoyu’s team.”

“There were that many people willing to take pictures?”

Shi Chao was the one who spoke.

His team had finished last. If he had known taking photos was so profitable, why would he have bothered performing on the street? Not only was it exhausting, but hardly anyone was willing to tip.

The director chuckled. “I don’t know if you dressing as a mascot would have made money, but Xiaoyu’s team stood out with their unique approach, and that’s why they made a fortune. There should be videos online by now. If you’re curious, go check them out. The passersby definitely felt their money was well spent.

If I had been there, I would have taken a photo with Xiaoyu too.”

Regardless, the first-place team had already been decided.

No matter how frustrated the other guests were, they had missed their chance this time. They could only wait for the next opportunity— whenever that might be.

────ρя


That evening, Ning Xiaoyu and Lu Jingdu signed the endorsement contract together.

Lu Jingdu’s legal team had already reviewed the contract and confirmed there were no issues, so they could sign with peace of mind. The compensation offered was also very generous.

After signing, Qingxin’s representatives arranged for Ning Xiaoyu and Lu Jingdu to shoot the promotional photos the next day.

When signing with 《Hi, My Friend》, the guests had agreed to a clause allowing them to take a few days off for external work if needed.

Since the promotional shoot wouldn’t take long, one day would be enough.

Early the next morning, Ning Xiaoyu and Lu Jingdu left the Friendship House together.

〖Love System: Hehehehe, this is your first business collaboration together, hehehehe.〗

Ning Xiaoyu: “……” Can you act normal?

The constant ‘hehehehe’ was giving her a headache.

〖Love System: Hehehe.〗

When they arrived at the shoot location, Ning Xiaoyu didn’t even have time to take a sip of water before a stylist dragged her straight into the makeup room.

As soon as she sat down, the stylist lifted a delicate pinky and said, “So, you’re the rising star Ning Xiaoyu? You do look pretty good.”

Ning Xiaoyu: “……Thank you.”

“But what’s with this hairstyle? Who designed it? It practically covers half your face!”

Ning Xiaoyu gave a polite smile.

She had paid 10 yuan for this haircut. How could she expect more from the barber?

The stylist smirked arrogantly. “No worries. Lucky for you, you ran into me today! I guarantee a complete transformation!”

Ning Xiaoyu gave a nonchalant “Oh.” She didn’t really care about styling, so she simply closed her eyes and let the stylist do whatever he wanted.

Since she was so cooperative, the stylist gave her a look of approval.

“I’ve worked with so many celebrities, and whether they’re big names or nobodies, they all have a million demands, scared I’ll make them look bad. It’s like they don’t trust my skills! But tell me, has anyone ever looked bad after I styled them?”

With her eyes still closed, Ning Xiaoyu gave another polite smile.

“I like you already! Just trust me, and I’ll make you gorgeous!”

Ning Xiaoyu, ever agreeable, said, “Mm, I trust you.”

So…… could she rest now?

Unfortunately, the stylist kept chattering in her ear.

“Your skin is amazing! What’s your skincare routine?”

Half-asleep, Ning Xiaoyu mumbled, “Just getting enough sleep.”

“Sleep? That’s a luxury in this industry! Sometimes, we barely get an hour or two between gigs.”

Ning Xiaoyu pursed her lips. “That sounds exhausting.”

“Yeah, but the pay is good, and I love this job, so I’ll keep doing it.”

Getting her hair and makeup done made Ning Xiaoyu drowsy, especially since she was naturally lazy. Like a doll, she let the stylist manipulate her.

The stylist’s voice became a lullaby, and before she knew it, she had dozed off, vaguely hearing, “Wow, your hair is so thick and shiny. It looks like you’re wearing extensions!

Tsk tsk, your previous stylist totally ruined you! Look at that baby face— so fresh, I’m jealous!

This old hairstyle? Outdated! It’s covering half your face! Who would want that?

It’s already this day and age! This kind of non-mainstream hairstyle hasn’t been trendy for a decade!

Tsk tsk.

Just wait! You’re gonna be amazed by my skill!”

Ning Xiaoyu occasionally muttered a vague “Mm”, “Yeah”, or “Okay.”

Even though she was clearly indifferent, the stylist was fully immersed in his own world, rambling on with increasing enthusiasm.

Eventually, Ning Xiaoyu truly fell asleep. After all, a proper styling session took at least four hours.

It was hard to pass the time without sleep for such a long period.

She wasn’t particularly fond of playing on her phone either.

In the end, Ning Xiaoyu was woken up by the voice of the love system.

〖Love System: As expected of my chosen host! You have the potential to go viral!

You and the movie king are a perfect match, a heavenly pair!〗

When Ning Xiaoyu woke up, she rubbed her temples before opening her eyes to look at the mirror.

That one glance left her stunned.

Was this…… her?

The person in the mirror was already fully made up.

The stylist had done her hair in a princess updo, pulling all her hair back and exposing her entire face.

It was completely different from her previous hairstyle.

Before, her hair had covered half of her face, and as the stylist had pointed out, it resembled an outdated non-mainstream style.

Now, her neatly pinned-up hair was adorned with large, blooming flowers, making her face appear a size smaller.

Not to mention, the stylist had also given her clip-on earrings, adding an extra touch of brilliance to the overall look.

She didn’t have pierced ears and had never worn earrings before, so this was a new experience for her.

Since she was endorsing cosmetics, the makeup couldn’t be too heavy.

The stylist had given her a ‘no-makeup’ makeup look— appearing natural, yet meticulously detailed in every aspect.

Who was this person?

It had been so long since she had properly dressed up that Ning Xiaoyu barely recognized herself.

The stylist kept talking. “The dress has been prepared long ago. Hurry up and change into it.”

With the help of the staff, Ning Xiaoyu changed into the dress. Afterward, the stylist circled around her, inspecting her.

“Your complexion is great! No need for powder or oil. Perfect, absolutely perfect.”

Ning Xiaoyu glanced down at the dress that revealed quite a bit of cleavage and couldn’t help but speak up, “This dress—”

Before she could finish, the stylist immediately chimed in, “Gorgeous, right? Didn’t I pick well? Isn’t it just perfect for you? Look at the patterns— the overall tone leans toward purple, but on you, it doesn’t look tacky at all. It complements your hairstyle today perfectly.”

“This dress—”

“What? Do you think the skirt is too long? It’s a maxi dress so it’s supposed to be this way, reaching your ankles. Longer dresses give off a more ethereal look, and on you, it’s just the right length.”

“This dress—”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. This dress really flatters your figure— curvy where it should be and slim where it should be. The clothes you usually wear are too plain and don’t highlight your body at all. If it weren’t for this dress, I wouldn’t have realized how stunning your figure is.”

By the end of it, Ning Xiaoyu had completely given up on voicing her opinions.

Forget it. It was just a promotional shoot.

It should be over soon.

When Ning Xiaoyu appeared in front of everyone again, the entire room fell silent.

Who was this?

A great beauty had arrived at their studio today?

How come they hadn’t heard anything about this?

Was she a newly debuted actress?

What was she there for?

Dressed so stunningly, she couldn’t possibly be there for a promotional shoot— Wait. A promotional shoot?

Some of the staff finally connected the dots.

Someone who had undergone a full makeover and was now there……

Could this girl be Ning Xiaoyu?

But Ning Xiaoyu?

They recalled the plain-faced, utterly unfashionable actress who seemed completely out of place in the entertainment industry.

No matter how they looked at it, they just couldn’t associate that image with the dazzling beauty before them.

What kind of joke was this? Ning Xiaoyu could look this gorgeous?

If she had been this beautiful all along, how could she have stayed under the radar for so many years?

If she had looked like this, why hadn’t she put in the effort to dress up before?

If the love system could hear their thoughts, it would definitely reply, 〖Why else? Because she’s lazy!〗

Too lazy to dress up, and too lazy to deal with people fighting over her.

After all, being too beautiful came with a lot of trouble.

For example, just walking down the street, in a short distance, at least seven or eight strangers would come up to ask for her contact information— both men and women. If she refused, some particularly persistent ones would even follow her until they got what they wanted.

Or even something as simple as eating a meal— people would scramble to pay her bill.

These were things Ning Xiaoyu had experienced when she was younger.

But for her, this kind of attention was nothing but a burden.

She just wanted to walk in peace, have a quiet meal, and not get entangled with random strangers.

Over time, she stopped bothering with her appearance, and as a result, the trouble disappeared too.

Even after becoming an actress, in the past two years, she could walk down the street without anyone asking for her contact information anymore.

For Ning Xiaoyu, that was actually quite a relief.

After waiting for a short while, Lu Jingdu arrived with his manager, having just finished his own styling.

When he saw Ning Xiaoyu, a flicker of surprise quickly passed through his eyes.

His manager was even more direct, blurting out, “Ning Xiaoyu?”

Ning Xiaoyu nodded and, in a tone that clearly conveyed ‘let’s get this over with so I can go rest’, asked, “Can we start now?”

The manager was momentarily stunned before responding, “We just need to wait for the photographer.”

Ning Xiaoyu made a small sound of acknowledgment, indicating she understood.

Even now, the manager still hadn’t fully recovered from his shock.

Ning Xiaoyu actually looked like this?

It seemed that once the promotional photos for Qingxin were released, the gossip-hungry masses were going to be utterly floored.

This was going to be interesting.