Chapter 21: Day twenty one, No Thought

Yuan Yu didn’t seem to know why he was walking so fast after meeting his former boss’s assistant.

Could it be that his resignation was not very pleasant.

Si Nian didn’t explain much.

Her former boss could also be called her ex-boyfriend.

After ending the date and returning home, she seriously thought about it and felt that she wasn’t attracted to Yuan Yu.

There was nothing right or wrong about it.

It just seemed pure, without that kind of chemical reaction.

In fact, she didn’t really know what it felt like to have a chemical reaction with someone.

She had been busy surviving since she was a child and had no time to be interested in boys.

Later, apart from the period with Lu Shuyan, she had never seriously dated anyone.

But she was sure she didn’t feel any chemistry.

Not wanting to waste time meaninglessly, Si Nian sincerely messaged Yuan Yu on WeChat, telling him that they could only be ordinary friends.

The message on the other side showed “The other party is typing…” for a while.

But in the end, the reply was very short: [Understood.]

Si Nian put down her phone and let out a long sigh of relief.

Then, she remembered bumping into Zhao Chao at the mall today, and her head started hurting again.

She wondered if Zhao Chao would tell Lu Shuyan about their private encounter.

Logically, even if he did, it shouldn’t matter.

But last time, after telling Lu Shuyan that she would inform him when she got into a relationship or got married to prove that she had truly turned over a new leaf, she wasn’t sure if Lu Shuyan would think she was moving too fast and was waiting for her to report back.

They were neither close nor related.

Why should she prove anything to Lu Shuyan.

Si Nian felt that last time she had only said those words because her self-esteem was hurt by the check.

She lightly kicked the air.

Brand advertisements and magazine sample photos were gradually being released.

Si Nian was getting busier with her work.

Even with Jiang Yihan’s help, she was overwhelmed.

She seriously considered whether she should hire a dedicated manager or assistant.

Apart from brand collaborations, a variety show also recently contacted her.

It was a celebrity fashion-related reality show called Trendsetter.

The concept was that several celebrities would co-manage a fashion brand.

The production team approached Si Nian to act as an NPC model in the show, walking the runway during the showcase segment, wearing outfits styled by the celebrities.

The show’s pay wasn’t high.

But many people were willing to participate without pay just to gain exposure.

The production team sought out Si Nian because she had been gaining popularity lately.

The Y-brand face cream advertisement was very successful, and many viewers recognized her face.

Si Nian understood that even appearing on the show as an NPC model was a rare opportunity.

After receiving the invitation, she communicated with the production team and went through a simple interview before being confirmed.

The production team sent her the recording schedule.

Along with Si Nian, there were several other models, both male and female.

Some were well-known in the industry and had familiar faces to the audience, while others were being promoted by agencies to gain exposure.

It was clear that everyone joined the show not for money but to gain visibility, expand their influence, and attract more followers to land better jobs in the future.

The production team had already planned out the recording process.

The models were only needed for the product showcase segment in each episode.

First, the celebrities would compete in small games to decide who would pick their preferred models first.

Then, the models would wear the outfits styled by the celebrities and walk the runway, while the audience judged the styling.

Si Nian had only watched variety shows before.

Even though she was just an NPC without any lines, she was still a bit nervous about participating in one for the first time.

The showcase segment for the first episode was set in a clothing warehouse.

The production team built a modern, aesthetically designed mini-runway as the stage.

The staff had already set up the cameras in advance.

The models, as “tool NPCs,” wore the basic T-shirts and trousers provided by the show.

However, since it was a recording, they had to do their own makeup.

Si Nian had carefully applied her makeup before leaving home.

But while waiting for the recording to start, the assistant director suddenly told her that her makeup was too heavy and needed to be toned down.

Si Nian was stunned.

It was her first time being told that her makeup was too heavy.

Since it was her first time on a show, she had been very meticulous with her makeup.

But overall, it wasn’t heavy at all.

Under the studio lights and cameras, it was already quite natural.

She didn’t know what standard the makeup artist was using to judge her makeup as too heavy.

Nevertheless, Si Nian still went to the restroom, took some cotton pads, and carefully removed some makeup.

Her phone buzzed with a message from Jiang Yihan, asking if she had arrived at the recording and how she was feeling.

Si Nian replied with a photo of herself removing makeup.

She added, “The assistant director said my makeup was too heavy, so I have to take some off.”

She also attached a meme expression.

Jiang Yihan replied: [Fake smile boy speechless.jpg]

People in the entertainment industry were extremely sensitive to appearances.

No lead actor or actress would want to be overshadowed by a supporting role.

It was likely that after seeing Si Nian in person and realizing that she looked just as good as in the advertisements, someone felt threatened.

They couldn’t outright replace the model chosen by the production team, so they opted to make her tone down her makeup.

Si Nian understood the real reason.

But the reality was that she was here for work and had no right to say no.

She removed some of her makeup, reapplied a little powder, and the assistant director finally approved.

Once the recording started, Si Nian realized that even though the show was called a reality show, it had a lot of scripted content.

Scenes that had once made her laugh or feel emotional were likely scripted.

She was chosen by a team consisting of a male idol and a rising actress.

According to the script, they were supposed to have a CP (couple pairing) storyline after the show aired.

The script detailed their eye contact moments and dialogues, which would later be edited for marketing purposes.

Si Nian watched as the idol and actress read their romantic lines one moment and rolled their eyes at each other the next.

Then, as soon as the camera was back on, they started playfully interacting again.

Their professionalism was impressive.

Luckily, Si Nian didn’t have any lines as an NPC.

For the final runway, she wore a hip-hop rapper-style outfit chosen by the two celebrities.

To match the style, the makeup artist gave her a dramatic smoky eye look.

Although the outcome of the fashion styling had little to do with the models, she still did her best to embody their theme, walking the runway with a fierce expression.

After the showcase, the celebrity guests stayed to record additional scripted content.

But the NPC models were dismissed.

They finished work early that day.

As Si Nian left the studio, the sun was setting.

She had always liked capturing moments of getting off work.

So, she took a photo of her elongated shadow in the sunset and posted it on her “Ramblings” account with the caption: [Off work today.]

Lu Shuyan had been busy with work lately.

Traveling between multiple cities.

Sometimes, work kept him so occupied that he could forget certain things.

But when he finally had a moment of peace, his emotions also settled.

Just then, his phone received a notification from the account “Ramblings.”

It was a post about getting off work.

He stared at the photo of a lone shadow for nearly thirty seconds.

Then, he finally made a decision.

He swiped away the post.

Then, he blocked the account so he wouldn’t see any more updates.

Lu Shuyan put down his phone.

His shoulders relaxed slightly, carrying a sense of finality.