The next day.
Ran Xueyi couldn't see a shadow of the underworld princess the entire day. Her guts told her that Jian Yiling was up to no good again, but since she already agreed to let her do her makeup and dress her up, Ran Xueyi could only wait in the manor.
Meanwhile, Jian Yiling stayed up all night to contact some of her friends. Since the Royal Court Masquerade was a ball that was desired by many to attend, she couldn't let her dearest Ran Xueyi be looked down upon by the elites that will also attend the party.
Ran Xueyi was by no means any lesser than any one of them. So, naturally, Jian Yiling cannot let her wear simply, which Ran Xueyi liked to do often, in front of everyone else.
Around eight in the evening, Ran Xueyi was already sitting inside the dressing room, waiting for a certain someone to arrive. At exactly 8:10 P.M, Jian Yiling popped her head into the dressing room. She carried two dresses covered in plastic and a makeup bag with her other hand. Behind her back, a young man with brownish curls walked into the room with languid motion.
"Hello, hello! I'm back!" Jian Yiling didn't look like someone who was worried about being late. Well, in truth, she wasn't the one who's about to arrive at the palace late, but Ran Xueyi.
Ran Xueyi glanced at her from the mirror and sighed, "You're late. You only have 30 minutes to do your magic, Fairy Godmother."
The Fairy Godmother apologized profusely before Ran Xueyi could forgive her. Anyway, they don't have time to mess around now.
Jian Yiling didn't forget to introduce the young man who had come with her. She said, "This is Master Louis. He's a great makeup artist I've known a few years ago. I was late because I had to come and pick him up to help me make you the Belle in the masquerade."
A flash appeared in her eyes. Ran Xueyi heard of Master Louis. A makeup artist who can create a thousand faces by using makeup. He can make a person who lost their beauty look beautiful again. If facial reconstructive surgery did not exist, he would be the only one who could make a person look like how they used to. Many people suffered from different circumstances that cost them their lives, but most of the time, some people were revived and survived the ordeal in their lives. However, in return, they lost one thing as compensation.
From what she heard, Master Louis was constantly chased after by people who wanted him to do their makeup. Even a doctor cannot rewind time and do a surgery that would restore a person's face completely. However, with his magical touch, Master Louis was able to do it, albeit only temporary and washable with water.
But that was enough for these people.
Now, that same person, who was chased by many people and paid millions of dollars for a single makeup session with him, was now standing in front of her.
She had to say, Jian Yiling was truly remarkable for being able to find him and let him do her makeup.
Master Louis glanced over At Ran Xueyi and merely raised an eyebrow. When Jian Yiling came rushing to his hideout, she kept on rambling that he should do her friend's makeup. At first, Louis didn't listen to her request. Even if Jian Yiling was a childhood friend he recently just reconnected with, he cannot give her so much credit and advantage.
'She's willing to become your last muse!'
With this, Louis' interest was finally aroused.
Only a few people knew about Louis' obsession with painting. He wanted to capture a person's struggle in life and paint it. He had a perverse obsession with mundane human desires and mythology. The last piece he wanted to paint was Psyche's Tears.
Only Jian Yiling knew that he had trouble painting his last piece for almost six years. Louis brushed shoulders with Ran Xueyi two years ago, but she never met him, it was only him, who got a glimpse of her.
Well, it wasn't really a glimpse, since he started to watch every movie she appeared in and became fanatical. He wanted her... She's his last muse.
Ran Xueyi did not know what Jian Yiling offered to Louis so he would do her makeup. She could only guess that it wasn't a simple request.
Sending Jian Yiling a suspicious gaze, Ran Xueyi really wanted to pull her outside and ask her what she offered.
Jian Yiling, slightly guilty for her momentarily blurting words without thinking, looked away uncomfortably. Though she abruptly told Louis that Ran Xueyi agreed to become his last muse, by the time he asks for it, she will tell him that she tricked him in passing.
Louis will be angered by the truth, but Jian Yiling could reduce the heat and distract. What she fears most is that Ran Xueyi would definitely behead her if she finds out the truth.
Wiping the sweat that slipped down her cheeks, Jian Yiling busied herself with arranging the dress she took from someone's collection.
Thirty minutes later.
The whole room did not make a sound. The sounds of breathing were the only sound that could be heard. Ran Xueyi slowly opened her eyes and looked in the mirror.
She finally knew why everyone was silent a��� the woman before her, inside the mirror, was undoubtedly still her. However, if nobody told her or she wasn't aware that she was looking at herself in the mirror, Ran Xueyi would even question herself if she was still looking at a human or not.
A beautiful being was born. The lashes she was extremely proud of were curled; framing the cat-shaped eyes and made it even look seductive without being too provocative like a vixen. The lips were shiny with gloss and looked like it was tempting you to taste it like a forbidden fruit in paradise.
The dress was even more extravagant.
A golden mini dress framed her petite figure, the curves were all displayed and an ample amount of her milky, soft cleavages were out in the open. The front bodice formed an X and feather-like texture made it appear like it was made for angels to wear; the slightly voluminous skirt stopped at her mid thigh, but a pair of slender and pale legs peeked under it.
"Woah..." Jian Yiling couldn't stop admiring the look of her best friend. At this moment, she only realized that she has been holding her breath since earlier.
Louis calmly stared at the angel he created with a satisfied grin. He based her entire look with what he envisioned as Psyche, a mortal who was compared to Aphrodite because of her beauty. It was said that Psyche even made the goddess Aphrodite angry because she inevitably stole her worshippers away with only her beauty. People even said that she was even more beautiful than the goddess.
Naturally, Louis wanted Ran Xueyi to do the same a��� to steal everybody's breath.
Taking something out of his bag, Louis stood behind Ran Xueyi and gently put a golden sun halo crown on her head, perfecting the look. Sadly, they made haste to come here so he wasn't able to bring the fairy wings that would make the attire complete.
Nevertheless, her current look still adheres to the angel-goddess look that Louis wanted to show.
Ran Xueyi breathlessly stared at herself in the mirror for a few seconds. She looked a bit too beautiful and it was too dazzling. As much as she wanted to appreciate this look, she didn't want it to be this beautiful.
After all, she didn't want to go there with ambiguous intentions. She just wanted to make connections and meet the person who gave her the invitation card.
Moreover, who was to know the gender of that person.
It was alright if that person was a woman, but otherwise? Ran Xueyi didn't want the other person to think that she spent extreme effort to look beautiful.
Thankfully, the only life-saving grace was the ball needed everyone to wear masks. She wasn't too worried about people recognizing her since everybody was covering their faces.
"Maybe we can take off the crown and reduce a bit of my makeup?" Ran Xueyi tentatively said, which only received two glares from Louis and Jian Yiling.
"Are you crazy? If I was in your position, I would never ever wipe my makeup off and even wear that dress at my funeral!"
Louis also said, "Certainly not. Not under my watch..."
He finally got to create an image of what he wanted to paint. He wouldn't allow her to waste his energy and time he spent creating this masterpiece!
The expression on their faces could only be described as; if you say another word, we will skin you alive.
Thus, Ran Xueyi could only accept their arrangement.
It was nearing the time for the party. She only has a few minutes to arrive at the palace, thanks to the fact that the manor was located relatively close to it. Changing her entire appearance will absolutely take a lot of time.
And so, Ran Xueyi rushed to the palace as if this was another Cinderella story.
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