Chapter 40: Satisfied

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The executive director was pointing at a white piano that was displayed alone on a raised platform in the center of the showroom.

Under the spotlight, the white piano exuded a dignified feeling that made people refrain others from playing it without respect.

The staff of the piano store was there as well. When the executive director said that, the staff looked at Jiang Se with a judgmental gaze.

The executive looked at his watch. He asked, “Are the makeup artists and stylists here yet? Director Zhao called 15 minutes ago and said that he’ll be here before 9 a.m.”

A petite man walked up to him and answered, “I’ve given them a call three minutes ago. They’re already at the entrance of the mall.”

His voice had barely faded when they heard hurried footsteps coming toward them as the makeup artists and stylists hurried over with their boxes of equipment.

At this moment, the executive director did not chat with them. He looked at the time and asked them to bring Jiang Se with them and get her styling done. Although her character would not be showing her face, the crew still regarded it with great importance. She had at least seven costumes prepared for her.

The stylist grabbed a few dresses and compared them against Jiang Se’s body. Then, she took a blouse, appearing hesitant.

She was holding a light yellow dress in one hand and a white shirt in the other.

“Akin said that you wore a white shirt during the audition. Director Zhao was quite satisfied with that.” The stylist looked up at Jiang Se. “Shall we try the shirt first? If Director Zhao doesn’t like it, we’ll change.”

Zhao Rang was keeping a close eye on this character. The stylist was worried that Zhao Rang would not be satisfied with the looks she came up with. Therefore, after pondering about it, she chose to compromise and got Jiang Se to change into the shirt for now.

The shirt was sponsored by an Italian brand. When Jiang Se wore it, the stylist helped her with the buttons as she showered her with praises.

The round collar design highlighted her temperament very well. It perfectly displayed Jiang Se’s slender neckline, which was one of her strong points.

She glanced at Jiang Se’s body. She turned around and picked a fitting pair of jeans. She seemed to be envious of her. “You have a nice body.” Styling had always been her job, so with a single glance, she could guess what Jiang Se’s size was.

Jiang Se’s breasts were not overly well-developed. However, her old bras could not obscure the perfect shape of her young girl’s breasts. Her fair and translucent skin had the sheen of a pearl.

The lines of her arms were lovely as well. She was not a beauty who was as thin as a match, but she could carry an outfit while still appearing slim. This was especially true after she wore jeans. When she tucked her shit in, her slim waistline and pronounced buttocks were revealed.

The stylist could not stop herself from touching Jiang Se. “I’m so jealous.”

She was tall and had long, straight legs, so jeans suited her perfectly.

Jiang Se was slightly speechless. The stylist helped her tidy up her appearance and went out of the changing room with her.

She did not have to show her face today. The makeup artist initially intended to apply a thin layer of foundation on her face, but she was young, so her skin quality was great and she had a light skin tone. Then, the makeup artist applied some foundation on his own hand and compared it with Jiang Se’s skin. He gritted his teeth and gave up on applying the foundation on her face. He merely applied light cherry pink lip gloss on her lips. Then, he took a comb.

Jiang Se’s outfit was simple. To match her costume, the makeup artist tied her long hair up into a bun after combing her hair.

When her styling was done and she went out, the director, Zhao Rang, was already there. He was talking to the executive director. Upon seeing Jiang Se, Zhao Rang gave her a look of satisfaction.

He beckoned for Jiang Se to go over. At the same time, he motioned for his assistant to pass him a file from which he took a piece of paper.

“Since Cui Xing isn’t here yet, why don’t you practice this piece?”

It was a music score of what seemed to be an interlude of “The 99th Love Letter”. Since Jiang Se could play “Lyphard Melodie” the other day, she must know how to play the piano.

“Give it a try. We have someone here who can teach you if you have any questions.” Zhao Rang pointed at the Steinway piano store staff. When he said this, his phone rang. He passed the music score to Jiang Se, and the crew brought her to a piano. She sat down before it, and her back was facing Zhao Rang.

If Zhao Rang were to choose the actress based on the back profile, Jiang Se was more than enough to portray the role of Li Qingyang’s goddess.

She was young. Her brimming youthfulness could even reach them through the screen. The rare thing was that she was not arrogant because of her beauty. Instead, she had a unique temperament. It fit the feeling that Zhao Rang was looking for. She was beautiful with an implicit charm.

However, Zhao Rang was hoping that she could make the others see her in a new light with her internal qualities at the same time as showing off her beauty.

He had been directing for many years and knew about the audience’s psychology. If Jiang Se could personally play the piano in this film and they recorded the actual performance instead of editing it post-production, it would be a plus point for the film and for her when they publicized this during the promotional period.

Zhao Rang had listened to her performance before during the audition. He had asked his crew about it as well. He felt that Jiang Se had learned how to play the piano for quite some time before, so playing a song would not be a problem for her. However, he was not sure if she would get stage fright.

Although most of the people who entered this industry had tough minds, today’s situation was different.

This was the busiest business street in Huaxia’s imperial capital. The filming location was inside a piano store in a mall. Every single piano here was handmade and extremely expensive.

The price tags on the displayed pianos, as seen through the glass panes, was enough to discourage those who had insufficient experience from going into the store.

The sales representatives were well-groomed. After going through their special training, they were outstanding models of etiquette. Needless to say, this exerted a certain pressure on the people who wandered into their store.

This was especially true before she played the piano. The director and the staff of the piano store would remind Jiang Se over and over again about the preciousness of the piano. If she felt any psychological pressure, it would be easy for her movements to become restricted. She might only be able to unleash half of her full potential because of her nerves. Then, she might not be able to give a satisfying performance for Zhao Rang.

Zhao Rang took the call from the phone his assistant passed to him, but his eyes were still fixed on Jiang Se. He saw her studying the music score while one of the piano store staff was talking to her with head lowered. Jiang Se’s back was facing Zhao Rang and he could not see her expression. He could not discern if she was already feeling flustered.

However, she did look beautiful from the back. Under the spotlight, the young girl sat up straight. Her waist was slim and her shoulders were narrow.

In the next moment, Jiang Se immediately lowered her hands onto the keys and played some notes.

When he heard the first note from the piano, Zhao Rang sighed with relief. This newcomer was bravely playing music under the stares of the Steinway staff. She managed to gain control over the situation.

On the phone, the person calling from Ruiqiao Media Corp did not hear a response from Zhao Rang, so he called out to him several times, “Hello? Hello, Director Zhao…”

When the sound of the piano filled the room and Zhao Rang noticed that Jiang Se would even stop to study the score, he was finally at ease.

“I’m here.” He smiled. He took the phone and stood up. “Sorry, something was up…”