Forced to Act out a Strange Script with a Rival - Chapter 44

“M-succubus?”

Li Ting also frowned, suppressing the inexplicable hostility she felt deep down towards the so-called “sister” of Si Xiaoxiao mentioned by Sally.

Was it a coincidence? Was Sally’s suggestion of this theme purely accidental?

Or, was this another “reward” arranged by that system?

Sally looked at Si Xiaoxiao and the assistant beside her, both showing expressions of surprise mixed with a bit of trance, their ears growing redder by the second. A rare smile flashed in her sharp, hawk-like eyes.

She explained to the two in a professional and calm tone: “It’s a succubus, but not the kind of vulgar sexuality you might be imagining.”

“Vulgar sexuality?”

Sally made a gesture, and an assistant immediately pushed over a mobile clothes rack covered with a dust cover.

“The theme for our S-House this season is ‘Primal Desire · Rebirth.’ We want to present desire itself in its purest, wildest, and even divine aspects. The succubus, being the embodiment of desire, can also symbolize breaking free from constraints and returning to one’s true nature. Your temperament…”

Sally’s gaze swept over Si Xiaoxiao again, carrying both scrutiny and a sense of expectation and encouragement: “…has that kind of untamed, raw vitality. It fits the core concept perfectly. I happened to see your photo, and you were the inspiration that led to the design of this…”

She motioned for the assistant to unveil the item on the rack.

An unusually styled garment was revealed.

It wasn’t the imagined revealing tight leather or sheer fabric.

It was a long gown of extremely special, dark red satin, subtly accented with a few white ribbons. The color was rich, like solidified blood or the burning embers of a fire.

Even an outsider like Li Ting could see the exquisite craftsmanship and high quality of the dress, which seemed unlike the outfit in the system space.

Its cut was extremely fluid. The upper body featured an asymmetrical, one-shoulder design. On the other side, black metal chains, resembling intertwined thorns, extended from the shoulder, adorned with tiny dark red crystals and green thorns.

The skirt was a high-low fishtail design, with the entire back virtually open. Extending upward from the small of the back were two structures made of finely woven black metal wire, resembling the fragile skeleton of broken wings, delicate yet full of power.

The overall impression of the outfit was opulent, dark, and possessed a paradoxical feeling of fallen yet sacred beauty.

“Wow…” Si Xiaoxiao gasped involuntarily, the surprise in her eyes replaced by pure awe at the beauty of the creation.

She cautiously stretched out a finger, touching the cold metal chains and the smooth satin. The texture was delicate and strangely alluring.

Truly the work of a master!

“Go put it on,” Sally’s voice pulled her back to reality, speaking with gentle encouragement: “The makeup and styling team is waiting for you.”

Si Xiaoxiao took a deep breath, suppressed the nervousness in her heart, and nodded forcefully: “Okay!”

She then picked up the heavy, highly-designed dress and headed toward the dressing room, her eyes sparkling with an alarming, powerful magic.

Time passed in anticipation.

When the dressing room door reopened, the entire studio seemed to fall into silence.

The master’s judgment was indeed sharp; the dress looked as if it were tailored specifically for her.

The dark red satin wrapped around her graceful, well-defined figure. The one-shoulder design perfectly showcased her elegant shoulder and necklines. Her smooth skin glowed with a pearl-like sheen under the cool studio lights.

In addition to the main dress, Sally had designed many small accessories. Firstly, around her neck, there was an extremely delicate black leather choker. Secondly, there was an dark-silver metal finger stall, and… a succubus tail hanging from her behind.

The choker was not wide or heavy but slender and elegant, conforming to the curve of her neck. It had no clasp, silently denoting a certain undeniable ownership and control.

The finger stall encased the front half of her right index and middle fingers, with a fluid, sharp design. Its end was slightly pointed, glinting with a cold, hard light.

Finally, the tail. It was unclear what kind of high-tech product it was, but the entire tail looked very springy, the kind that seemed like it would make a “duang” sound.

The next step was the makeup, a process that lasted for a very long time. Sally demanded high standards, constantly making real-time adjustments and changes to the look.

The entire studio revolved around Si Xiaoxiao in an orderly fashion. Even Li Ting, the fake assistant, temporarily took on some of the actual assistant’s duties, occasionally handing over props and such.

The final effect was astonishing.

The makeup eschewed the stereotypical notion of a succubus’s heavy, smoky look. The base was flawless and clean. The eyebrows were deliberately darkened and straightened, losing some of the traditional feminine softness and gaining a cold, heroic air, truly distinguishing it from the usual image of a succubus’s sexuality and fully bringing out Si Xiaoxiao’s pure brightness.

Deep burgundy eyeshadow was meticulously extended upwards at the outer corner of the eye, while the lower eyelid was dotted with fine glitter. Her thick lashes were brushed out clearly, curling up surprisingly.

Finally, she put in blood-red contact lenses, making her already large eyes appear deeper and brighter, like two bottomless honey pools, circulating with a sense of both innocence and alluring purity.

The broken metal wing skeletons on her back perfectly displayed the line of her spine—smooth, taut, and imbued with the unique vitality of a young body.

Innocence and temptation, wildness and divinity, control and surrender, all reached a strange balance in her. Standing there, without needing to strike a deliberate pose, she was the purest, most vivid embodiment of desire itself.

Li Ting’s gaze was instantly captured, her breath catching almost imperceptibly. She distinctly felt the heart in her chest beating heavily and uncontrollably.

It must be said that Si Xiaoxiao’s styling was undoubtedly completely different from the set given by the system, yet there seemed to be some subtle connection.

However, when speaking of the actress Si Xiaoxiao, she was undeniably an existence that caused countless directors to shake their heads and sigh.

This actress was very “slow” and “obtuse.” She was always unable to grasp the deep meaning of a script or understand complex emotions because she was a very simple person herself.

Perhaps there were no succubi in real life, but Si Xiaoxiao had indeed seen one—she had seen and understood the succubus played and interpreted by Li Ting, and so she instinctively drew reference from it.

On Si Xiaoxiao’s body, perhaps some of Li Ting’s “color” had indeed been left behind.

Si Xiaoxiao seemed to sense that unusually focused gaze. She subconsciously glanced in Li Ting’s direction.

The instant their eyes met, the two simultaneously looked away.

“Perfect!”

Sally’s voice was filled with undisguised amazement and excitement. She quickly stepped forward and personally adjusted the angle of the metal wings on Si Xiaoxiao’s back, allowing them to cast more dramatic shadows under the light: “Remember how you feel right now, Xiaoxiao! You are not ‘playing’ a succubus; you are ‘Desire’ itself! It is wildness, it is breaking free, it is the divinity born in desire! Give me the look! That kind of… pure, almost innocent, yet utterly irresistible attraction!”

If this had been before, Si Xiaoxiao might have been confused. How was she supposed to act as a succubus, a creature that doesn’t exist in real life? Plus, all of Sally’s demands sounded more nonsensical than “colorful black.”

But the system had allowed her to see what a succubus looked like beforehand, and even let her experience being a saintess…

Is it this coincidental? This system…

This question was also brewing in Li Ting’s mind. Her gaze, deep and secluded, once again fixed upon Si Xiaoxiao.

The large reflector focused a soft yet intense light on Si Xiaoxiao, and the sound of the shutter clicked like a rapid drumbeat.

“Tilt your head slightly to the right, yes, look over here, not at the camera—look through the camera!”

“Relax your shoulders, open up your collarbone line a little more! Very good!”

“Imagine the wings on your back growing! Breaking free from those shackles! Yes! That’s the feeling!”

Sally rapidly gave professional instructions, her requests full of vision.

When the shoot came to a pose requiring Si Xiaoxiao to lie on her side on the floor, showcasing her back wings and the fluid lines of her waist and hips, Sally frowned.

“Xiaoxiao, your back muscles could be a little more relaxed. The line is a bit tense.”

She then turned to the corner: “Assistant Li, could you please come over and help adjust her shoulder strap and the chains on her back so she can relax more?”

Li Ting paused slightly, pulled down her cap, and then stood up, walking calmly toward the center of the spotlight under everyone’s gaze.

The intense light made her eyes narrow slightly. She walked to Si Xiaoxiao’s side and crouched down.

At such close proximity, she could clearly smell Si Xiaoxiao’s perfume. The dark red satin made Si Xiaoxiao’s skin blindingly white. Against the backdrop of the cold metal wing skeletons, the line of her spine appeared even more fragile and beautiful.

Li Ting’s fingers brushed against the slightly slipping thin shoulder strap on Si Xiaoxiao’s shoulder.

The skin beneath her fingertips was warm and delicate, trembling slightly.

She gently pulled the strap back into place. Her fingertip inadvertently grazed the smooth shoulder, causing both of them to subtly tense up.

Next, she carefully adjusted the intertwined black metal chains. The cold chains contrasted sharply with her warm fingertips.

Her movements were professional and restrained, devoid of any unnecessary contact.

But every subtle adjustment felt like an electric current, causing Si Xiaoxiao’s back to break out in fine goosebumps, and her breathing instinctively quickened slightly.

After the adjustment was complete, Li Ting was eager to withdraw her hand, but to her surprise, the highly conceptual master suddenly called a halt to her action: “Wait, Assistant! Please don’t move yet! Keep your hand right there, Photographer, six o’clock direction.”

“Yes, yes, give that a big close-up! Assistant, I hope you don’t mind your hand being in the shot! Perfect! That’s the sense of conflict I wanted!!” Sally issued the instructions swiftly and decisively. Li Ting didn’t even have time to say she minded.

Several consecutive shutter clicks rang out.

After many years, they finally had a photo together again, though she hadn’t expected it to materialize in this fashion.

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