Chapter 35 Part 1: Stage Presence and Close Quarters

If Duan Yan was the unyielding ice forged in the dead of winter, hard and cold, then Song Jin was the warm, brilliant sun of returning spring, radiant and full of life.

Under the dazzling glare of the spotlights, the T-stage transformed into a radiant stage.

Song Jin’s steps were as light as the wind, her movements fluid and natural, like a carefully choreographed dance.

She wore a pink dress as gentle as a cherry blossom, its hem swaying softly with her steps, like a cheerful melody dancing in the air.

A confident smile graced her face, as warm as sunshine, and her eyes curved into crescents, seeming to hold the brilliant light of the stars.

Her pace was firm and powerful, her long, slender legs exceptionally captivating under the lights. Her tied-up hair swayed gently with her movements, exuding an endless youthful vitality.

The very air around her seemed to be infected by her energy, becoming bright and lively.

Duan Yan was captivated by this energy, unable to tear her gaze away from Song Jin.

At this moment, Song Jin was like a nimble little cat, displaying her most dazzling light on the stage that belonged to her, making her impossible to ignore.

Song Jin stood on the T-stage, radiating light like a second sun, shining straight into Duan Yan’s heart.

Noticing Duan Yan’s gaze, Song Jin winked at her, a hint of playfulness and cuteness in her eyes.

After both had completed their catwalks, Fare nodded with satisfaction and began to critique their performances.

“Very good. You both showcased your individual styles. You see, the key to a catwalk is to match the style of the clothing, and you both achieved that. As celebrities, I won’t say much about how well you manage your figures; that’s part of your professional dedication.”

Song Jin nodded. She had witnessed the style of international supermodels on the runway abroad and knew well that in this circle, beauty was the foundation, but a unique style was what made one unforgettable.

Duan Yan sat beside Song Jin, lost in thought.

After the praise, Fare pointed out directly where they needed to improve.

“Now let’s talk about the shortcomings. Although you were wearing flats just now, and the heels weren’t too high, on a real runway, the heels can be very high. Song Jin is clearly not accustomed to them yet. As for Duan Yan, you are too eye-catching, which can easily make people overlook the clothes themselves. Remember, a model’s duty is to display the clothes, not to outshine them.”

Duan Yan and Song Jin humbly accepted the guidance.

Fare continued, “Now, walk together once. Just follow the normal procedure.”

Duan Yan’s official height was 165 cm, while Song Jin’s was 170 cm. The difference wasn’t obvious when they walked together normally, but now on the stage, especially when walking face-to-face, Song Jin found she could look down at Duan Yan slightly, feeling a little smug inside.

‘If we kiss in the future, Duan Yan would probably have to stand on her tiptoes to reach my lips.’

In the instant she turned, her eyes met Duan Yan’s for a second. She saw the shadow Duan Yan’s eyelashes cast on her eyelids. Song Jin gave Duan Yan a small wink, conveying a silent understanding that only they shared.

Duan Yan kept her gaze straight ahead, but the slight upturn of her lips betrayed that she had seen Song Jin’s playful gesture.

From early morning to late afternoon, they practiced relentlessly. From their initial awkwardness to their current proficiency, their progress was obvious. Each walk down the runway was more confident and composed.

Seeing that it was getting late, Fare let them go home to rest, reminding them to take good care of their feet.

“Alright, that’s all for today. Same time tomorrow. I hope to see an even better performance from you then.”

Fare was a busy person and left right after giving her instructions.

Exhausted, Song Jin plopped down on the cold floor, her hands hanging limply at her sides, completely disregarding her image.

Her body was like a string that had been stretched too taut and had finally snapped. In order to present her most perfect self in front of Duan Yan, she had been constantly careful, afraid that any misstep would leave a bad impression on her.

But now, she was utterly exhausted, unable to even muster the strength to maintain basic composure.

“So tired.”

Duan Yan was still standing on the T-stage. Seeing Song Jin’s ungraceful state, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“What, aren’t you tired?”

Song Jin felt a bit indignant. She was clearly more energetic than Duan Yan, so how was she the first one to collapse?

‘If we get together in the future, what if I can’t satisfy Duan Yan at night?’

‘Will Duan Yan blame me for not having enough sta/mina, sob sob sob…’

Song Jin couldn’t help but let her imagination run wild.

Duan Yan was helped off the T-stage by Xu Qin.

“Of course I’m tired, but it’s still bearable.”

The two arrived at the dressing room. Because they didn’t want to get makeup on their clothes, they removed it before changing. Xu Qin prepared to help Duan Yan with her makeup removal.

“I’ll do it,” Song Jin volunteered, taking the makeup remover pad from Xu Qin’s hand.

He Xin looked somewhat helpless.

Since their last visit to the film set, Xu Qin and He Xin had gotten to know each other. Now…

Song Jin and Duan Yan had always been rivals—one a seasoned senior, the other a rising star.

But since the incident on the film set, things had become subtly different, and now it felt even more off.

“You don’t even know how to put on makeup, how would you know how to take it off?” Duan Yan broke the silence teasingly.

Song Jin retorted indignantly, her cheeks puffing up slightly like a pouting kitten, her eyes wide as if they could shoot fire. “Who says I don’t? I’ve removed my own makeup before.” Though her voice was slightly childish, it was firm.

The way Song Jin looked when she was angry—those wide-open almond eyes, the whites clear, the pupils deep—made one want to reach out and stroke her.

Duan Yan had a soft spot for this cute and innocent look of hers. With a smile on her lips, she relented, “Alright, you can try?”

Seeing Duan Yan agree, Xu Qin handed the makeup remover to Song Jin, then sat to one side, chatting softly with He Xin, letting out a light laugh or two occasionally.

Song Jin carefully took the makeup remover, gently dabbing a cotton pad with the clear liquid. Her eyes showed an unprecedented focus and gentleness, as if she were handling a precious work of art.

“Close your eyes, I’m starting now,” Song Jin said softly, her voice so gentle it was as if she were afraid of startling Duan Yan.

Duan Yan obediently closed her eyes. Her long eyelashes trembled like a butterfly’s wings, each flutter tracing a line across Song Jin’s heart.

Ripples spread through Song Jin’s heart. Her fingers lightly touched Duan Yan’s eyelids, the cotton pad dancing gracefully across her skin.

Following Song Jin’s movements, Duan Yan’s skin gradually revealed its original luster, like a pearl stripped of its shell, becoming ever more radiant.

Duan Yan’s skin was like the purest white jade, delicate and glowing, every pore attesting to her flawlessness.

Before, Song Jin had been very jealous, secretly turning into a cat to sneak into Duan Yan’s house to investigate this secret. But now, Song Jin’s feelings were of pure appreciation—‘Wifey’s skin is so good!’

Song Jin smiled as she remembered secretly infiltrating Duan Yan’s home to uncover her secrets.

The brand she had noted down, “Yumeijing,” turned out to be a domestic brand of baby skincare products when she looked it up at home. She felt she had been both silly and cute.

Duan Yan was puzzled by Song Jin’s sudden smile and asked softly, “What’s wrong?”

Her voice carried a hint of curiosity. Though her eyes were closed, her long lashes still trembled, betraying her unease.

Song Jin suppressed her laughter and praised her sincerely, “Sister, your skin is so nice, just like fine silk.”

Hearing this, Duan Yan smiled helplessly, her eyes revealing a mix of tolerance and fondness for Song Jin’s childishness. “You, you’re really like a little kid. Thank you for the compliment. Your skin is very nice too.”

Hearing this praise, Song Jin’s heart felt as sweet as honey, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face unconsciously.

She used a cleansing milk to gently make circles on Duan Yan’s cheeks, the palm of her hand lightly pressed against Duan Yan’s cheek, the touch of her fingertips delicate and warm.

When Song Jin’s fingers touched Duan Yan’s lips, the distance between them closed, and they could almost feel each other’s breath intertwining.

Song Jin’s fingers slid gently over her lips, carefully wiping away the traces of lipstick.

Under such intimate contact, Duan Yan felt a little unnatural. The warmth from Song Jin’s fingertips was transferred through the cotton pad to Duan Yan’s lips. Her originally cool lips seemed to ignite at that moment, flushing with a shy crimson.

A strange illusion arose in Duan Yan’s heart, as if Song Jin’s fingers weren’t removing her makeup, but engaging her in an intimate kiss.

Song Jin had been focused on removing Duan Yan’s makeup the entire time and didn’t notice Duan Yan’s expression. She thought her technique was poor and making Duan Yan uncomfortable, so she secretly resolved to practice more in the future.

Finally, the long makeup removal process was over. Song Jin let out a sigh of relief, and her movements came to a halt.

“Alright, you can open your eyes now.”

The uncomfortable Duan Yan slowly opened her eyes and also let out a secret sigh of relief.

Her reflection in the mirror showed that the makeup on her face had been removed very cleanly. She smiled and said, “Thank you for your hard work.”

Song Jin was completely satisfied. “It was no trouble, hehe.”

Duan Yan, with her face now bare, turned and walked into the changing room to get changed.

Suddenly, a faint “hiss” broke the silence of the room, as crisp and abrupt as a needle dropping to the floor.

Song Jin’s heart leaped. The cotton pad in her hand fell to the ground. Heedless of anything else, she immediately pushed the door open, her urgent tone laced with concern. “What happened?”

Her gaze flew through the air and landed unexpectedly on Duan Yan’s body. She saw Duan Yan’s brow furrowed slightly, as if in some discomfort.

It turned out that Duan Yan had accidentally kicked a hard corner in the changing room while changing, and the pain from her toes made her let out a small cry.

Duan Yan’s clothes were casually draped to one side, one fragrant shoulder half-exposed. Her skin, under the soft lighting, glowed with the warm luster of ivory. The exposed skin was like a crescent moon at dawn, fresh yet carrying a hint of allure.

Her fingers were lightly pinching the lace edge of her skirt, causing the hem to hang in the air, not yet fully fallen. A section of her thigh was faintly visible in the light and shadow, its lines smooth and elegant. A large expanse of snow-white skin was exposed to the air, as if silently speaking of some temptation.

Song Jin was momentarily mesmerized, frozen in the motion of pushing the door open, as if time had stopped at that instant.

Duan Yan noticed Song Jin’s gaze and immediately let the lifted skirt fall. A blush quickly spread across her cheeks, like the last rays of sunset on winter snow—faint, yet enough to make Song Jin’s heart flutter.

Song Jin also immediately realized her gaffe. A faint blush appeared on her face as well, and she quickly averted her gaze, taking a slightly flustered step back.

“Sorry.”

Song Jin’s voice was as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz, tinged with shyness. She then gently closed the changing room door, leaving a trace of awkwardness lingering in the air.

Inside the room, Duan Yan’s breathing was slightly ragged. She covered her face helplessly, feeling the heat on her cheeks. She slowly closed her eyes to calm herself.