Chapter 6: Keeping Composure

Yan Luoxi turned her head, feeling the slight calluses on his fingertips brushing gently over the pulse on her wrist, sending a tingling numbness shooting through her limbs. Subconsciously, she tried to pull her hand back.

But she couldn't move, for the man had no intention of letting go.

Yan Luoxi's cheeks burned with a faint heat as she glared at him in embarrassment and annoyance. She struggled with her wrist, only to distinctly feel him tighten his grip. She frowned and said, "Let go!"

Li Yeqi looked at her quietly, his deep, unfathomable eyes difficult to read. After a few seconds, he finally parted his thin lips, "The gown hasn't arrived yet, do you plan on going on the program wearing a dress with blood on it?"

Yan Luoxi looked down and indeed saw blood stains on the hem of her white dress. At first glance, one might mistake it for embroidery. She said, "The TV station has spare gowns..."

"They might not fit you," Li Yeqi said indifferently, his gaze on her calm yet deep and inscrutable.

Yan Luoxi felt an inexplicable panic, probably because of the subtle possessiveness in the man's eyes, as if she belonged to him. In reality, they had only known each other for mere minutes and couldn't even be considered friends.

She was about to speak when she saw a woman in a professional suit hurriedly approaching, holding a luxury brand bag. She offered it with both hands, "Seventh Master, the gown you requested is ready."

Li Yeqi stood up, took the luxury brand bag, and handed it to her, "Take it."

Yan Luoxi didn't accept it. "Sorry, I don't take rewards for no service, especially since we are just strangers. I appreciate your kindness, but I should be going."

"The clothes were bought for you. If you don't want them, just find a trash can to throw them away," Li Yeqi said rudely, stuffing the bag into her arms and leaving with his people, not even giving her the chance to refuse.

Yan Luoxi helplessly carried the gown upstairs to the makeup room. She sat there waiting for nearly half an hour before the makeup artist finally arrived. With less than 40 minutes to go before the evening interview program, the makeup artist began to touch up her makeup.

Halfway through the touch-up, she suddenly heard the makeup artist exclaim, "Oh no." Looking down, Yan Luoxi saw a glaring red lipstick stain added to the white hem of her dress.

"Sister Luoxi, I'm so sorry, my hand slipped. I'll clean it off for you right away," said the makeup artist, grabbing a couple of tissues to wipe the lipstick off her dress.

"Don't..." It was too late for Yan Luoxi to stop her, and she watched helplessly as the hem got stained with the lipstick, beyond any hope of rescue.

Seeing the result, the makeup artist withdrew her hand satisfactorily, a hint of schadenfreude in her eyes. "Sister Luoxi, what should we do? The dress won't come clean, and the program starts in five minutes. It's probably too late to have a dress sent over from the store now."

Yan Luoxi looked at the makeup artist unfazed, "It's fine. I wasn't planning to wear this dress for the program anyway. Is the makeup done?"

"It's done."

"Then please take me to the changing room, I need to change into another dress," Yan Luoxi said as she stood up, picking up the clothing bag that was set aside and quietly observing the makeup artist.

The makeup artist glanced at the mobile phone on the makeup table and then led Yan Luoxi to the changing room. The changing room was some distance from the makeup room, and with less than five minutes left until the program started, Yan Luoxi had no time to think about anything else but knew she had to seize this opportunity.

She quickly changed her clothes, slipping into a violet one-shoulder cocktail dress that showcased her delicate collarbones and pale long legs, elegant yet playful. She hurried out of the dressing room, and the makeup artist handed her a phone, "Sister Luoxi, there's only a minute left before the live stream starts, you better hurry over."

Pressed for time, Yan Luoxi grabbed the phone and dashed toward the studio.

Just as she reached the outside of the studio, she heard a stagehand counting down. She rushed onto the stage, bowed apologetically to the host, and then took her seat next to Lai Zhiyuan.

Her tardiness naturally displeased the host, but the show was about to start, and the host quickly got into character, smiling at the camera, "Welcome to 'Honey Secret Close Quarters,' every Friday night at eight. I'm your host Huahua, and our guests tonight are the rising starlets Lai Zhiyuan and Yan Luoxi. Zhiyuan, Luoxi, say hello to the audience."

The camera swept over Yan Luoxi and settled on Lai Zhiyuan, who wore a blue and white striped knee-length skirt, radiating liveliness and innocence. She waved sweetly at the camera with a bright smile, "Hello everyone, I'm Lai Zhiyuan."

When it was Yan Luoxi's turn to greet everyone, the camera merely glanced over her, as if intentionally reducing her screen time. The viewers watching the live stream could feel her awkwardness through the screen.

Yan Luoxi didn't feel embarrassed when the camera moved away; she stood up and bowed to the audience, introducing herself with grace, "Hello everyone, I'm the nation's beloved second lead, Yan Luoxi. I hope you all like me."

The phrase "nation's beloved second lead" somehow endeared her to the live audience, eliciting warm applause, even the viewers at home couldn't help but chuckle.

Yan Luoxi's unique way of greeting unexpectedly won over the audience, and the director immediately instructed the cameraman to shift focus, ensuring Yan Luoxi got plenty of screen time.

Lai Zhiyuan hadn't expected Yan Luoxi to be so popular. She glanced at her, thinking not to get too happy too soon, as she would make her cry before long.

"Both of you seem to have a knack for trending on social media since your debuts. Do you have any worries about that?" Host Huahua quickly dove into today's topic.

Lai Zhiyuan picked up the mic, "There are some worries, but trending means the fans care about me, which isn't a bad thing at all."

Huahua looked at Yan Luoxi, "What about Luoxi?"

Yan Luoxi tilted her head, feigning deep thought, then said innocently and helplessly, "I hope the next time I trend, it's not because I played the second lead again. Please, please, it's my only wish for this year."

Yan Luoxi didn't know that while she was still on the show, "Yan Luoxi's Variety of Cute Moments" had become a trending topic on Weibo, and the number of related posts was skyrocketing, firmly occupying the top of the trending chart.

Although this episode was supposed to focus on Lai Zhiyuan and promote "Empress Wu," it was Yan Luoxi's cute antics that sent the ratings through the roof. The director asked the host to interact more with Yan Luoxi, leaving Lai Zhiyuan out in the cold.

Lai Zhiyuan's face darkened, her nails digging into her flesh without feeling any pain. If this weren't a live broadcast, she would have stormed off the set. She turned her head and watched Yan Luoxi, beaming with a pleasant demeanor, and swore in her heart that she would cast her into the eighteenth layer of hell and ensure she never rose again.

At 8:45 p.m., the program ended on time. The audience and staff gradually left, leaving only Lai Zhiyuan and Yan Luoxi in the studio.

Yan Luoxi stood up, looming over Lai Zhiyuan, "Lai Zhiyuan, I told you, I would take back everything I've lost, little by little. Today is just the beginning."