Floating Color - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Third Realm

Translator: Claire.KK

Ann Yan smiled, “Last year, I was lucky to see Lin Runan at London Fashion week. I saw him apply makeup for the model of the main bout on the spot. Otherwise, his makeup technique wouldn’t come across to my mind.”

“Then my problems are more unpleasant. The board of directors asked us to find a way to sign Bai Yihan.

“But as an old saying goes, ‘A great man cannot brook a rival’. We have already had Li Mojun and I’m afraid that Bai Yihan wouldn’t be willing to join us.”

“Luckily that Bai Yihan’s main arena is in the big screen and our advantages in film are incomparable.”

On Monday morning, Mi Chen received a text message that the payment of being a temporary makeup artist at the music festival had been wired to her account! Although it was merely 800 yuan, Mi Chen felt like kissing the phone screen.

If the music festival was a dream, Monday was a reminder of the cruel reality. Mi Chen returned to the photo studio where she worked. Although she came back from abroad, she did not have any relevant work experience, so instead of being an “overseas elite”, she became a “NEET”.

Even her best friend Meow tried to persuade her, “Why don’t you just say that you have done makeup for a fashion magazine or you have done some chores in a fashion week. Will the employer really call the overseas companies to confirm it?”

But Mi Chen was not a good liar, and she didn’t feel comfortable about it. So Meow could only sigh, “When you have been in this society for a long time, and become more artful, you’ll no longer regard boasting as boasting itself.”

Mi Chen was not a popular makeup artist among customers in the photo studio. The reason was very simple that Mi Chen was not like other makeup artists who preferred using deep eye liner and bright colors to present an exaggerated effect so that after the “painting”, most of the customers would not recognize themselves. Most of the customers’ taste tended to be traditional, and by no means could they appreciate the “realism technique” of Mi Chen. A couple of days ago, a bride-to-be even lost her temper to Mi Chen!

The owner of the studio was so angry that he scolded Mi Chen mercilessly, “Have you really graduated from makeup school! Someone studying abroad turns out to be like that?!”

Some other artists said c as well, “Maybe because foreigners’ nose were different from ours, that’s why our overseas makeup artists can’t do her best!”

The owner of the studio was about to let Mi Chen go when several days ago, some couples came to pick up their photos and they were surprised to find that though Mi Chen didn’t paint them too much that “even their moms fail to recognize them”, they looked rather photogenic. There were two couples who actually appreciated that kind of style— “I’m still myself but my better self” vey much so they bought all the photos.

The owner then started to consider that maybe he should let Mi Chen stay but resort to another way of promotion.

Because of the promotion of the studio these days, there were several times more people coming to take photos than usual. Mi Chen was so tired that she didn’t even eat lunch. Some newlyweds who came to take photos were also picky and some of them had lost their tempers at her directly.

Countless times Mi Chen wanted to turn the make-up case upside down on these people’s heads. She didn’t understand why those people liked to paint themselves as a member of Visual Rock or a colorful parrot. But it was impossible to expect all people in the world to agree with her. According to Meow, if she couldn’t change the world she could only change herself. She had no choice but to give up the makeup skills she had learned in France and returned to the most popularly-accepted level.

As expected, customers’ impatience and anger became subsided.

Mi Chen didn’t leave work till nine o’ clock. She was so worn out that she was almost closing her eyes and swayed her way home.

When she opened the door, a very strong instant noodles’ smell came to her. Meow raised her head, took off her top and didn’t put on any pajamas for she hadn’t taken a shower, sitting in front of the table with a sort of gallantry. It seemed that Meow had worked overtime as well.

The smell of food made Mi Chen’s stomach start rumbling. She quickly went to Meow and found that the last bite was already in Meow’s mouth.

“Hey—how could you! You don’t even leave me a bit!”

Meow’s mouth is full of noodles and she said blurrily, “How could I know that you haven’t eaten anything! Or do you want me to throw it up for you!”

Mi Chen was encouraged and she seized Meow by her throat and said, “Good, then throw it up! Throw it up!”

Meow had no intention of losing so she squeezed the last bite of noodles into her stomach.

Mi Chen had no option but to loosen her up and looked for their storage cupboard. When she opened it, she found nothing but disappointment.

“I’m gonna die of hunger because of you…” Mi Chen collapsed on the chair feebly.

Her legs were puffed for she stood there at work for so long and she had no strength to buy stuff downstairs.

Meow felt kind of guilty and she then sparkled, “I say! There are some QQ noodles in the fridge! I’ll cook them for you!”

“What are you gonna cook it with? Soy sauce…”

“Hey! Don’t we still have the instant noodles’ soup? It smells great!”

“Okay! Instant noodles’ soup it is!” Mi Chen gave a like for Meow’s wit!

Back to junior high, they were eating one ice lolly together so Mi Chen didn’t mind if the soup was the left-over of Meow’s at all!

She crashed by collapsing like that in the sofa until the cooked QQ noodles with instant noodles’ soup was ready, and Meow pulled Mi Chen to the table.

“Meow! You’re the best and you cracked an egg in it! But when was it bought?”

“Well, maybe…last month…”

“Good, lemme have a taste to see if it’s off or not!”

Mi Chen scooped the egg to her mouth and smiled happily, “It’s a good egg!”

“Good people deserve good eggs! Even God spared an egg for your nourishment.”

Meow sat cross-legged beside Mi Chen, turned on the TV, and constantly changed channels, but then stopped right on the replay of the music festival. With her arms folded, Meow expressed her appreciation and sighed, “I haven’t seen him for many years. The charm of Bai Yihan has been soaring! Those boiled-chicken-like pop-idols have a Pacific Ocean’s distance to catch up with him!”

Hearing the name of “Bai Yihan”, Mi Chen turned away. She was different from those little girls who simply appreciated beautiful men. The makeup of Bai was done by her and what she was worried about was whether she had any mistakes in every shadow and highlight.

Bai Yihan was perfect, being perfect but not like a motionless specimen. Each time he raised his eyebrows and each moment his lips lightly pursed, he looked profound and sophisticated. The moment when all the hot pursuing gaze hit the tip of his nose, his fragrance and elegance couldn’t be stopped but flow along.

“I’ve seen this video many times.” Meow didn’t even blink.

Mi Chen kicked Meow a couple of times under the table, “I didn’t recall that you chase stars as well!”

“This is nothing to do with chasing stars. I’m just simply appreciating Bai Yihan. Mr. Bai has reached another realm.” Meow pulled on a serious face like a senior entertainment commentator.

“What?” Mi Chen gave a good slurp of the noodles – it’s so chewy and smooth! Fab!

“Haven’t you heard of the three realms of Zen Mind? First, “seeing the mountains as the mountains”. Like those idol stars with queer black eyeliners, and those young girls who are fascinated by them and couldn’t stop themselves, but they are all superficial. ‘Form itself is Emptiness; Emptiness itself is Form’. Secondly, “to see the mountains not like mountains”. The representative figures like Meng Chuan and Shi Jing who had finally broken away from the merely halos of pop-idols and finally entered the school of skilled actors. In addition to their faces, they have something more in their heads. And the last one is the highest level of cultivation, that is “to see the mountains as mountains again”, which is a kind of return. For example, Bai Yihan and others like Li Mojun are beautiful men rarely seen in decades, but what you see in them is not only appearance and skill, but also experience. Whatever they do, it’s easy for the audience to get into the role. ”

“I couldn’t tell that you have such high reviews to Bai Yihan! And as for all those Zen three realms thing, where did you pick it up? From the gossip of your colleagues?”

“That entertainment magazine in the toilet.”

“Fetch it to me to have a look?” Mi Chen wanted to know what the entertainment industry commented on Bai Yihan.

Meow gave her a smirk, “Well, the toilet roll has run out…so I ripped the page…”

“Come on! You used Bai Yihan’s face to wipe…?”

“This should be the honor of Mr. Bai as well!” Meow said cockily.

“You bought toilet rolls yet?”

“I forgot. I’ll get them tomorrow.” Meow seemed not to trouble herself about it and yawned.

“What about me then? Am I gonna go to the toilet or not!”

“I spared half of the magazine to you! With Li Mojun’s face on it!”

Luckily Mi Chen had finished her noodles or she would lost her appetite for sure.

After she ate up her QQ noodles, it was already past ten o’clock. Both of them were dizzy and sleepy and no one was willingly to move.

“Meow, can you do the washes…I couldn’t move literally…”

“Then leave them for tomorrow…anyway we don’t have to cook another pack of noodles tonight.”

At the moment, the doorbell rang. Neither Meow nor Mi Chen wanted to get up. They kicked each other for rounds and finally Meow got up, wrapped herself in a coat and came to the door.

“Who is it?” Meow was thinking that could it be that the toilet leaked and it caused trouble to the downstairs.

“Is Miss Mi Chen here?”

Meow looked through the peep hole, only to see a woman wearing a high-end suit with a branded bag in her hand. Her hair was adjusted to the left like a big wave, and her lips are tinted orange. And behind this woman, followed by another woman with a bun hairdo who seemed like a secretary.

“Hey! Mi Chen! Get up! Someone is looking for you!”

“So late and who’s wanting me…” Mi Chen didn’t seem to move a bit.

Meow then picked her up and pushed her to the door, “See it by yourself!”

Mi Chen rubbed her eyes, looked from the peep hole, and saw a Saint Laurent limited-edition handbag in the woman’s hand, and the lipstick applied on her lips should be the Chanel collector’s edition.

Mi Chen suddenly woke up. Although she had returned home, she had been living in France with her mother for more than two years. What luxury brand would she not recognize?

“May I ask why you’re looking for Mi Chen?”

The woman outside smiled, “Are you Mi Chen? I’m Ann Yan, the Director of Public Relations Department of Starry Cosmo. I know that it was you who did that makeup for Bai Yihan in the music festival and we are very interested in you, so I come to see you specially. ”

She only said that she came here to have a look, but the real intention was not made clear.

Meow opened her eyes and looked at Mi Chen: “No way! When did you do makeup for Bai Yihan? Could it be that they are frauds…those standing outside?”