Starlet Taotie Chapter 21 (Part 1)
Chapter 21.1 Film Emperor's Style
Having just wrapped up her final scenes for 'Divine Chef', Jiang Tao rushed back to the capital without a moment's rest to head to the 'Lingxiao Chronicles' set for her makeup test.
She had barely stepped into the studio when she ran into Ann Lisa, who was walking out.
Ann Lisa stared at her in shock. "What are you doing here?"
Jiang Tao: "Makeup test!"
Ann Lisa couldn't believe it. "You're in 'Lingxiao Chronicles' too? Which role?"
There was no trace of that tasty, satisfying emotion on her anymore.
Jiang Tao wasn't really in the mood to deal with her, so she brushed past her and headed inside.
But Ann Lisa took that as a sign.
Jiang Tao probably landed some female role way down the cast list, that's why she didn't dare say.
Ann Lisa said deliberately, "It's fine if you don't have many scenes. Director Zhou cares about skill, not popularity. That's only natural."
Before she could finish, the makeup artist walked out. "Miss Jiang, you're here! Come on in, quick. The special effects makeup takes a while, so we need to get started right away."
Special effects makeup?
Ann Lisa froze.
In 'Lingxiao Chronicles', only the demon and yao races required special effects makeup. Which female characters fell into those categories, again?
She ran through the cast list in her head.
She already knew most of the actresses and which roles they were playing.
The only one she didn't know about was Yue Jia.
There's no way Jiang Tao's playing Yue Jia, right?!
Impossible!
With Jiang Tao's acting skills, there's no way she could play Yue Jia!
Even as she thought that, a flicker of unease stirred in Ann Lisa’s chest.
She turned and walked back into the studio.
The makeup artist and assistants were bustling around Jiang Tao, busy with the molding process.
Ann Lisa watched, growing more uneasy by the second. She pulled aside an assistant. "Which character is that makeup for?"
The assistant glanced over. "Yue Jia."
It really was Yue Jia?!
Ann Lisa felt as though she'd been struck by lightning.
Her mind flashed back to the audition.
'Lingxiao Chronicles' was a big male-led IP. Though the female roles weren't numerous, each one was exceptionally compelling, especially Yue Jia.
Later, she'd heard that Shen Zhiyan would be making a guest appearance as Vaidūrya shangxian.
A film emperor descending to star in a web drama, even if just a cameo, was more than enough to stir up buzz. Especially with that heartbreaking romantic storyline between him and Yue Jia.
It was easy to imagine just how much attention the character of Yue Jia would garner once the drama aired!
Because of that, Ann Lisa, who had originally been auditioning for the male lead's senior sister, had switched last minute to Yue Jia.
But after the tryout, Director Zhou had tactfully told her that Yue Jia's role involved intense emotional conflicts, high difficulty, and demanded strong acting skills. And that for now, she didn't quite meet their requirements.
Director Zhou had then suggested she re-audition for the senior sister role, and she was cast for it.
It was a bit of a pity, but the outcome wasn't bad.
Ann Lisa felt some regret but still threw herself into preparing for the part. Still, she couldn't help being curious, who would end up playing Yue Jia?
The production team, however, kept things tightly under wraps, and she hadn't been able to find out.
There were vague rumors that Sang Ling, the youngest film empress, was interested in the role.
If it were Sang Ling, Ann Lisa would be envious, sure, but at least she could accept it.
But Jiang Tao?
That would mean Jiang Tao was a better actress than her!
Ann Lisa had seen Jiang Tao's previous performances. Stiff and blank, an outright assault on the eyes.
Had Director Zhou lost his mind?!
And even if Zhou had lost his mind, surely Shen Zhiyan, the film emperor, hadn't lost his too?
But then again, thinking about it now…
They couldn't possibly have lost their minds.
That meant only one thing: Jiang Tao's acting had actually moved them.
That conclusion was even harder for Ann Lisa to swallow.
She thought back to when she first debuted.
Back then, she'd been full of ambition and confidence—but Jiang Tao had crushed her completely with just one commercial.
That suffocating feeling of never being able to break through still made it hard for her to breathe whenever she recalled it.
She'd eventually pulled herself out of it with her own hard work.
But that sense of oppression had never truly left her.
In the past, at least she had her acting to fall back on.
So even when facing Jiang Tao, she'd had her footing.
But now... was she about to lose even that to Jiang Tao?
Ann Lisa took a deep breath.
No.
She absolutely could not go back to how things used to be.
…
Jiang Tao's look was extraordinarily complex.
Yue Jia's design required not only the ferocity of a savage beast, but also the allure of a woman.
Her wig fell past her ankles, with two braids at her temples, their ends strung with animal fangs. Rising from within the smooth, lustrous black cascade, a pair of long, sharp ram horns curved upward ever so slightly.
Her hair ornaments drew from natural elements, leaves and vines, yet used vivid, dangerous hues.
Her form-fitting costume outlined her elegant figure without baring a single inch of skin.
It gave off an innate, understated seductiveness, subtle yet undeniable.
When she stepped out after changing, the entire studio fell silent.
Zhou Zhilan stared blankly, only snapping out of it when his phone slipped from his hand and landed on his leg.
Even though he'd already formed a mental image before choosing Jiang Tao, he never expected that she would look this breathtaking once the makeup and styling were actually done!
There was a natural wildness and intensity radiating from her—
As if...this was exactly how she was always meant to look.
Jiang Tao studied her reflection in the mirror, feeling a hint of novelty herself.
Before she was sealed away, she'd once wandered to Canglan Mountain, where there was a mirror-like lake. There, she'd seen her own appearance clearly for the first time.
It looked so much like this.
The photographer frantically circled around, snapping shots from every angle.
Jiang Tao didn't deliberately seek out the camera, but that only made the photos feel more alive.
She was like a proud creature inhabiting the wild—
Always alert.
Yet utterly above it all.
These conflicting qualities coexisted in her with such natural harmony.
Even Zhou Zhilan couldn't resist snapping a couple of photos with his phone and sending them to Shen Zhiyan.
【See, my eyes still got it, no?】
【no one else could play Yue Jia!】
Shen Zhiyan was listening to his assistant's report when his WeChat buzzed nonstop.
He glanced at it, seeing it was from Zhou Zhilan, he coldly dismissed it. "Continue."
But just a few moments later, the sound of an incoming voice call request started ringing.
"Shen ge, maybe you should check the message? Could be urgent?" the assistant ventured carefully.
Shen Zhiyan frowned slightly. "Alright. Go refine the proposal first."
After the assistant left, Shen Zhiyan took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
The ringing of the voice call paused for a few seconds before ringing once more, this time, it was a video call request.
Shen Zhiyan answered, his tone cool. "If you don't have anything important—"
But before he could finish, Jiang Tao's figure unexpectedly appeared on the screen.
Her long black hair cascaded behind her, framing a pair of striking, curved ram horns.
The vividly colored gown cinched at her impossibly slender waist.
She was leaning forward, half-turning her head, revealing a bare expanse of her snowy back—delicate butterfly bones (scapula), fragile yet utterly alluring.
An innocent face paired with a body of such sculpted curves.
It created a beauty of stark contrast, intense and captivating.
Yet what made Shen Zhiyan freeze wasn't just that.
For some reason, the moment he saw Jiang Tao, a strange sense of familiarity washed over him.
Zhou Zhilan was still shouting excitedly in the back: "See?! You have to admit my eye is incredible this time!!"
"Hey... why aren't you saying anything?"
Shen Zhiyan snapped back to himself, his tone growing even colder: "You're so boring."
Zhou Zhilan: "Are you fu—"
Before he could finish, the video call was cut off.
Zhou Zhilan: "..."
He stared at Shen Zhiyan's profile picture.
Running away like that didn't seem like the film emperor's style at all.
Could it be... he was shy??
The famously aloof Film Emperor Shen, who kept his distance from women…had he finally been moved by mortal desires?
…
Ann Lisa got home and flung her bag onto the sofa.
Her assistant was startled. "Lisa, what's wrong?"
Ann Lisa gritted her teeth. "What else could it be? Jiang Tao!"
The assistant had been with her for years and knew all too well just how deep her obsession with Jiang Tao ran.
If anything, Jiang Tao herself probably didn't pay as much attention to her own career as Ann Lisa did.
Everything would have been alright if Jiang Tao had just stayed buried at the bottom, but she was now rising in fame once again.
After venting her frustrations, Ann Lisa noticed the assistant was still there. Irritated, she snapped, "Why are you still here?!"
The assistant said softly, "Lisa, you haven't posted on Weibo today. Your fans are worried something's wrong..."
Ann Lisa remembered.
She'd been so happy about passing the audition that she'd posted a Weibo, without mentioning 'Lingxiao Chronicles' by name, just saying she was about to join a new production, that she'd be managing her figure, working out every day, and checking in with her fans.
But fans were resourceful, and they quickly put the pieces together.
They all rushed to congratulate her.
Some long-time fans even left comments: 【Lisa is truly dedicated to her career, we CarameLiis are totally at ease. Not like that certain actress who can only rely on variety shows for hype. scaring sheep into kneeling, playing the foodie schtick, all style and no substance. so cringe.】
(TLN: CarameLii is Lisa’s fandom name)
At the time, Ann Lisa had felt immensely satisfied reading that comment, it hit the nail right on the head.
But now, reading it again, it felt like a sharp slap across her own face.
Not only had Jiang Tao passed her audition too, she'd even gotten a bigger role than hers!
