Chapter 197

Chapter 197

"You have such good skin, wow, wow, wow, don’t tell me you’re not wearing any makeup!"

Zhong Ning simply nodded.

Zai Zai leaned in to take a closer look, and Xiao Ba, who was holding the camera, zoomed in for a close-up.

"This is incredible. No makeup and still looking like this—amazing. Zai Zai, you really hit the jackpot today!"

"I’ll start with a base first."

As Bowen spoke, she first pulled out a wet wipe and carefully cleaned her hands before patting toner, lotion, and serum onto Zhong Ning’s face.

Makeup required close contact, and filming did too. The three of them surrounded Zhong Ning tightly. Xie Shiqing watched them, their looks of awe and exclamation, and her brows gradually lowered.

So noisy.

Her heartbeat slowly calmed. The sweet milk candy in her mouth suddenly tasted as bitter and unbearable as Coptis root.

Just like Zhong Ning understood her, she also understood Zhong Ning.

Zhong Ning was trying to completely suppress all her feelings, to become strangers, or at most distant acquaintances—she was trying to recalibrate and redefine things. Any kind of relationship would do, just not lovers.

She herself could have many grievances, could be pitiful, could draw out Zhong Ning’s sympathy and compassion—but there must no longer be love.

It was as if, no matter how close or far they stood, there was always a layer between them that couldn’t be crossed.

A rift carved by the damage she had caused—deep as a cliff in the soul.

Xie Shiqing watched those people chattering around Zhong Ning. Zhong Ning responded gently, always so patient, even to strangers.

She had agreed on purpose—just to make it clear: You’re not special.

Not special. Even friends could feel jealousy, but not her.

Bowen’s technique was highly professional and fast, mostly because there wasn’t much that needed to be done to Zhong Ning’s face. Her brows didn’t need shaping, and no foundation was necessary. After the initial skincare, Bowen applied a makeup primer and dabbed something around her eyes.

When the makeup was done, she held up a mirror. "Ta-da! Look!"

In the reflection, a red dot was marked at the center of Zhong Ning’s forehead. Her eyeliner, in a red-gold hue, extended past the outer corners of her eyes, and the lower lash line was deepened, giving her a strikingly cold and noble aura.

Bowen then pulled out a pair of dragon horns. "Can I put these on you?"

The semi-transparent ice-blue horns were adorned with tiny shimmering decorations. Since Zhong Ning had already agreed to the makeup, she naturally didn’t refuse the accessories.

A pair of dragon horns, a single red tassel earring—when she lifted her gaze, it felt as though the dragon deity from a painting had stepped into the real world.

Her blue hair matched perfectly, creating a harmonious, striking effect.

After finishing the makeup, Bowen couldn’t help herself and grabbed the camera to take several shots.

"So cool, seriously so cool!"

"Say no more, I fell for her in an instant!"

Zai Zai stood nearby holding her face with sparkling eyes. "I really struck gold today!"

Zhong Ning smiled kindly, and Bowen managed to capture several candid shots.

Though their tone was excited, their voices were kept low and wouldn’t disturb anyone resting nearby.

With makeup done, it was time to shoot. Bowen was quite skilled in photography, and the museum’s historic interior created a great backdrop. The dragon deity in modern attire alongside a girl in ancient dress made for a striking visual—like a couple who had crossed time and space.

Since they were shooting couple-themed photos, a bit of physical interaction was inevitable—like holding hands.

Zai Zai was someone who understood boundaries well, and Bowen too. They always asked beforehand, and only acted after Zhong Ning nodded in agreement.

Both were enthusiastic yet respectful, never making anyone feel uncomfortable.

After the photos were taken, Bowen said, "Do you want to add each other as friends? I’m worried I’ll forget to send you the edited photos. What’s your account? I’ll tag you in the comments later."

Zhong Ning thought for a moment, then registered a new account on the spot, naming it blue sheep, without mentioning her current alternate account.

This would likely bring in a wave of traffic, so she planned to use this name as a public account to promote charity work. After all, she had some followers on Bluebird and a bit of recognition.

The two followed each other and also added each other on WeChat. Bowen said, "You don’t usually wear makeup—do you have anything for removing it? If not, I can take it off for you."

Zhong Ning replied, "Then I’ll trouble you to do it."

Bowen clicked her tongue. "You really don’t wear any makeup?"

Zhong Ning nodded. "I don’t go out often. At home, I only have some basic skincare stuff, sunscreen and the like."

She was good at gaming, but makeup wasn’t her strength. She’d once tried to shape her eyebrows herself and ended up shaving off half of one—after that, she never tried again.

She looked good bare-faced anyway, no need to torment herself.

The two went to the restroom to remove the makeup and washed their faces. Bowen then helped apply a layer of moisturizing serum.

"Thank you, thank you, really sorry to trouble you."

"It’s no trouble," Zhong Ning said with a smile. "I even got a follower boost off your popularity. Oh right, in the first video—did you catch the person who was sitting with me?"

Bowen was briefly stunned. "I think so. I’ll ask Xiao Ba to check the footage."

She called Xiao Ba over, and the two of them reviewed the recorded video. Sure enough, Xie Shiqing was in the frame.

The interview segments were also recorded. If successful, the clips would be kept; if not, the video would be deleted on the spot to avoid any disputes.

Zhong Ning took a glance. "Can you blur her out? Preferably a large blur—she doesn’t like appearing on camera."

Bowen readily agreed. "Absolutely, no problem at all."

Actually, that girl was also very attractive. Sitting together, one looked cute and the other handsome—they were visually striking.

But for the couple-themed shoot with Zai Zai, Zhong Ning was clearly the better fit.

Bowen had initially thought, if those two were actually a couple, then either a solo shoot or a few couple photos would work, and she could pair Zai Zai with someone else.

Unexpectedly, they weren’t.

She had misjudged.

"The video and photos should be ready in about a week. I’ll contact you on WeChat when they’re done."