Cai Yuan, who was ranked fourth, couldn't help but tremble a little.
During the break between substitutions, Wen Mubai went up to give Xu Chacha a sip of water. Xu Chacha secretly asked her, "Was it okay? How did you perform?"
Wen Mubai wiped the water off her lips with his index finger. "You look beautiful. I'm already worried about the future when Teacher Xu will be surrounded by many suitors, and I'll be like an old, fading canary in a cage."
“Indeed.” Having been influenced by this refined scoundrel for so long, Xu Chacha had long since learned to deal with his every move. “Don’t worry, once I’ve finished pampering the little beauties outside, I’ll know to come home when I’m tired.”
"Huh?" Wen Mubai let out a sound, pressing his index finger against her lips harder.
"Hiss—" Xu Chacha glared at her, "Is this how you treat your sugar daddy?"
"I was so jealous, I couldn't control myself." Wen Mubai let go of her hand, turned her index finger over to look at it, and commented with a light smile, "This shade is quite nice."
"I'll buy it for you when we get back, so you can apply as much as you want."
"No need for new ones, these are fine." Wen Mubai shook his red-stained fingers. "I hope Teacher Xu can get off work early."
Where is this place?
Xu Chacha didn't understand what was going on, but when she saw the second contestant come out from afar, she immediately pushed the person away, and only then did the makeup artist dare to step forward to touch up her makeup.
Xu Chacha had watched the show, so she could name everyone. The second contestant was a dark horse; she hadn't graduated yet and had no experience. She was almost eliminated in the first episode, but unexpectedly, she made it into the top three in the second episode.
Her score was consistently low in still photos. Although she had good physical attributes, her poses were like those of a puppet, with eyes that looked like they were made of glass, completely lifeless.
"Hello, Teacher Xu."
"Don't be nervous." Xu Chacha grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "The last episode went really well."
"Oh, you've seen it all?" The girl covered her mouth. "The last episode was a coincidence; I don't even know how it was filmed."
“Actually, you’re very photogenic. Just relax a little.” Xu Chacha ran her finger along her chin. “The lines on the left side of your face and here are particularly beautiful. Try to show them off as much as possible. Make sure your eyes are expressive and engaging with the camera. Don’t lack confidence.”
To succeed in this line of work, you need to know your strengths and never be stingy with your performance. You also need to seize every opportunity to advance further. This girl is the type who doesn't like to compete. If Wu Yao hadn't lent her her cosmetics in the second episode, she probably would have been eliminated that episode.
"Thank you." The girl touched her chin, her face inexplicably turning slightly red. "You're so kind."
Taking photos of more than a dozen people in one go should have made Yang Zhou tired by now, but she became more and more excited as she took the photos today.
Xu Chacha is like a panacea; she has amazing effects on everyone she's with.
When it was finally Cai Yuan's turn, Xu Chacha simply smiled politely at her and turned to tell Yang Zhou to hurry up and start.
Cai Yuan chose a pure and innocent makeup look, which Xu Chacha couldn't understand.
Even after repair, the obvious traces of her chin and nose surgery are still visible. Light makeup can hardly hide the artificial and unnatural look; heavy makeup is more suitable and can enhance her aura.
Perhaps she wanted to surprise them, but that was not within Xu Chacha's considerations.
Cai Yuan didn't interact with her much. As soon as filming started, he stood in front on his own, bumped into Xu Chacha and went to the back, then twisted his shoulders, opened his arms and struck a pose.
In a group photo, people tend to focus on the person who occupies the largest portion of the frame and stands in front. This was exactly the idea Cai Yuan had in mind.
She couldn't let Xu Chacha outshine her. Her ranking in the last episode was already a bit precarious, so she had to push herself to the top this time.
“Cai Yuan, move over a bit.” Yang Zhou was very dissatisfied with the photo in his hand. “It’s a group photo, can you interact a little? Don’t stay in one position the whole time, change positions.”
Cai Yuan nodded, but his actions remained the same. Yang Zhou took a few pictures, shook his head, and asked for a replacement.
Goodbye, teacher.
By the time they finished photographing the last person, it was almost dark, and Xu Chacha's legs were aching from standing for so long.
Fortunately, this contestant was quite efficient; she quickly finished filming and jumped into Wen Mubai's car.
Once I got in the car, I lay down on the back seat, barely breathing.
"My leg is about to break."
"Wearing high heels all day, how can you not get tired?" Wen Mubai handed her some water. "Let me massage you."
Xu Chacha kicked off her shoes and lifted her feet onto her knees. "That's great."
"You're quite eager to have someone serve you."
Wen Mubai rolled up her cheongsam to her knees, then pinched her left leg and massaged her ankle little by little.
"Ouch—" When it reached her calf, Xu Chacha's leg twitched, and she frowned. "It hurts, be gentle."
"The muscles are too tight; you can't break them apart without using some force." She said this, but still loosened her grip a little. "Like this?"
"Hmm." Xu Chacha leaned back and took off her hair bun. "It hurts so much to keep my hair tied up like that. I regret it."
“No matter how tough it is, you’ll still have to take it next time.” Wen Mubai looked up.
"I regret not asking for more money back then." Xu Chacha mimicked the 45-degree wicked smile of a domineering CEO on TV, lifting Wen Mubai's chin with her finger. "If I didn't earn more, how could I support this greedy old vixen?"
Wen Mubai curved his eyebrows and smiled, looking very compliant, but his hands were squeezing and pressing her muscles hard.
"Being paid for is a burden, so the old witch dares not neglect you." She leaned closer to Xu Chacha and said, word by word, "Just tell me what kind of service you need."
"Ouch! That hurts!" Xu Chacha tried to kick her, but her ankle was grabbed and she couldn't move. "I won't say you're old, just be gentle."
...
Wu Yao removed her makeup and wanted to thank Xu Chacha, but as soon as she got to the car, she heard her scream.
The car door wasn't closed, and in her worry, she disregarded politeness and pulled it open directly. "Teacher Xu, are you alright!"
The response she received wasn't from Xu Chacha, but from Wen Mubai's cool gaze as he brushed past Xu Chacha's shoulder.
As she lifted her leg, Xu Chacha's skirt rode up to her thigh. Hearing Wu Yao's voice, she turned around, her eyes slightly red and moist. Her long, disheveled hair was draped over her shoulder, making her look as if she had just been bullied.
"What's wrong? I'm fine."
Wu Yao quickly turned her head away, her eyelashes blinking rapidly.
Did she see something she shouldn't have seen?
Chapter 58 is airing!
"Let's close the door first," Wen Mubai said.
Wu Yao is alone now. If more people pass by later, it could cause misunderstandings and lead to trouble.
"Okay, okay, sorry." Wu Yao quickly did as instructed.
She even made sure to wait a little further away, so as not to hear anything she shouldn't.
But soon the two got out of the car, and Xu Chacha walked up to her. "Did you need something from me?"
"Yes, I want to thank you."
"There's no need to thank me. I'm just doing my job for the money. Let's work together again in the future." Xu Chacha patted her shoulder.
"And...can I have your autograph?" Wu Yao then took out the banknote she had been holding.
"What a coincidence." Xu Chacha also took out a set. "I want yours too."
"ah?"
“My friend and I watched the show and became your fans.” Xu Chacha said frankly, “Before coming here, she repeatedly told me to get your autograph. You won’t refuse me, will you?”
"Of course not! It would be my honor."
"Then sign it?"
The two exchanged a smile, signed their names, and then swapped them.
Xu Chacha reached out and hugged her, saying, "Go for it! You must win the championship."
"Um!"
...
After filming wrapped, everyone took a car back, and the elimination round started filming promptly at 9 PM in the studio.
Xu Chacha, as a guest judge, also got an extra chair and sat on the judges' panel, right next to Wen Mubai.
She had changed out of her cheongsam and was now wearing a pale yellow long skirt that accentuated her graceful figure as she leaned back lazily in her chair.
The contestants had all changed into casual clothes and stood in two neat rows in front of the stage.
On the left was a large screen with the "Super Rookie" logo on it. After Zhang Dingding finished her opening remarks and the recording officially began, they called up the first contestant to be evaluated, and the screen displayed that contestant's photo.
The evaluation order is still based on the filming order, so Wu Yao is first.
As soon as she came up, Zhang Dingding couldn't help but smile like an aunt, "Teacher Yang Zhou said you did very well this time."
Wu Yao bowed slightly, not being overly modest, "Thank you, Teacher Yang Zhou, I'm glad I didn't disappoint you."
"Come on, let's see your best photo."
The photo was chosen by Yang Zhou. She picked the one for Wu Yao, where she was standing behind Xu Chacha, circling her. Both of them seemed to be introverted, but the visual tension was very strong.
Xu Chacha raised her chin, revealing her long and slender neck. Her long black nails pressed against her delicate skin, as if a little force would cause blood to gush out in the next second.
"This is a moving photograph," was Yang Zhou's first impression upon seeing it.
Zhang Dingding smiled immediately upon seeing the photo, saying, "Teacher Yang Zhou's praise of you was well-deserved."
"I didn't just praise her. This photo wouldn't be as stunning if anyone were missing, especially Teacher Xu. She completely transformed the moment the camera turned on Wu Yao. She was the one who guided Wu Yao into the right state of mind so quickly. So, the right collaborator is also very important." Yang Zhou looked at Wen Mubai, "Teacher Wen, do you have anything to say?"
Wen Mubai smiled but remained silent. He first turned his head to look at Xu Chacha, "Teacher Xu is too captivating in front of the camera. It's already quite good if you can take a photo with her and make people look away from her. Wu Yao's ability to be evenly matched is truly outstanding."
This was the first time Xu Chacha had ever heard someone praise her so seriously, especially in front of so many people.
She knew this was work and couldn't be mixed with personal feelings, but her ears still couldn't help but burn. She raised her hand to cover them up.
The person next to her went even further, reaching out from under the table to grab her hand and gently tracing the palm of her hand with his fingertips.
A tingling, electric shock-like sensation shot through her brain, causing her to shudder involuntarily.
Zhang Dingding looked over and asked, "Is the air conditioning set too low? Is Teacher Xu cold?"
Xu Chacha quickly waved her hand, "It's not cold, it's not cold."
She gritted her teeth, grabbed the other hand, and together they pushed away the man's disruptive actions, giving him a warning look.
Wen Mubai replied with a smile, as if the warning had no deterrent effect.
“Yes, Ms. Xu has been a great help to me,” Wu Yao said to Xu Chacha. “Thank you.”
"Oh, I see." Zhang Dingding looked around, as if he wanted to stir things up. "I'd like to ask, Teacher Xu, out of all the contestants you've worked with today, who is your favorite or most promising one?"