Chapter 15

Ji Shuangyu's face was already highly effective for publicity, and that unique white hair of his would surely add more to talk about.

Just like now, Chen Manzhi and the photographer were staring at Ji Shuangyu's hair. As people seeing Ji Shuangyu's full appearance for the first time, they were simply stunned.

Chen Manzhi couldn't help but say, "Pardon my forwardness, but do you have albinism?"

"No, it's just premature canities. It's just a more thorough case than most people's because I was too poor before and suffered from malnutrition." Ji Shuangyu had given this reason to Zhou Siyin as well, and compared to his earliest insistence that it was due to 'gluttony'... he was even polishing his words for the media's sake!

Chen Manzhi was finally relieved, thinking that even so, it was still quite an astonishing sight. After all, most people with white hair did not possess such youthful beauty. He murmured, "No wonder. I was wondering why the rumors said you were an old gentleman."

"An old gentleman?" Ji Shuangyu had only just found out. So when Chen Manzhi said he didn't expect him to be so young, he wasn't being polite or praising his youthful achievements, but there were rumors circulating outside.

Some people at the Changle Theater had seen Ji Shuangyu's white hair, and who knows how the story spread and got distorted.

"Alright, this even gives me a chance to clear up a rumor." Ji Shuangyu thought it wasn't a loss. How did he become an old man? He was just an ordinary, pitiful person raising gourd babies.

The photographer then took out a few photos. They were of various socialites or famous opera actors, striking different poses, some being lifestyle shots and others more official. "Mr. Ji, you can choose a pose and strike it."

Ji Shuangyu asked, puzzled, "Do I have to do a specific pose? Why?"

The photographer looked at him awkwardly, momentarily at a loss for words.

Taking photos, cutting one's hair, and not binding one's feet were the three great civilized practices of this era. However, most people were very unnatural when having their pictures taken, not knowing how to pose. The longer the photoshoot, the stiffer ordinary people became.

Photographers were used to it and prepared some examples for them to copy.

Chen Manzhi said with a smile, "That's not necessary, Mr. Ji. Please feel free."

The photographer originally thought Ji Shuangyu was just bold, but unexpectedly, he even started choosing the location himself, bossily directing the photographer where to place the camera.

After Xu Xinyue brought the lamps, he started arranging the lighting.

This photographer was also a young man. Under the pressure of Ji Shuangyu's aura, he weakly did as he was told. He swore that Ji Shuangyu was the most relaxed person he had ever seen being photographed, and he had taken pictures of many opera actors.

Chen Manzhi gave Ji Shuangyu a deep look and started chatting with him.

The interview was divided into two parts. The first half was about Ji Shuangyu's ideas for adapting and designing Temple of the Spiritual Official, as well as his thoughts on this Xieyi Style of stage art. The second half was about him personally, whether he had any prior work experience, and so on.

Ji Shuangyu just made things up, claiming he had been interested in opera and directing since childhood, deeply influenced by a senior in the opera world from his alley.

"A senior in the opera world? May I ask which master it was?" Chen Manzhi's fountain pen moved swiftly as he asked.

Ji Shuangyu: "Oh, Senior Jiang Sanjin. He's a leader of the extras."

Chen Manzhi: "..."

The corner of his mouth twitched, but he didn't say anything.

After the interview was mostly done, Chen Manzhi stretched. "Thank you for your cooperation. Where is that Miss Jin Que?"

Right, quite some time had passed. How was she not done with her makeup yet? Ji Shuangyu called out, "Jin Que, are you not ready yet?"

"I-I'm ready." Outside the door, Jin Que said nervously, "I don't really dare to come out..."

She might be at ease on stage, but facing a reporter, she was terrified. She had just applied the makeup and styled herself according to the improvements Ji Shuangyu had suggested over the past few days. No one else had seen it yet, and she felt extremely shy.

"Come on out." Ji Shuangyu walked to the door and gently guided Jin Que out. Speaking of which, his physical age was similar to Jin Que's, even two years older, but Jin Que acted like a junior in front of him.

The others only saw a woman in an opera costume walking out slowly with her head bowed. As a Dan role actress who had trained in a traditional opera school since childhood, her posture was naturally impeccable. As she shyly raised her head, she revealed a pair of exquisite and spirited phoenix eyes, shimmering brilliantly. Her cheeks were tinged with a rosy blush, and her lips were full, red, and tender. Her originally slightly round face had become a perfect oval shape after the facial adhesives were applied. Her facial features, which were once somewhat plain, had somehow been transformed by the makeup into something pure, beautiful, and otherworldly. Truly, the autumn frost could not reflect her purity, and the sunset glow could not rival her beauty.

Compared to the makeup of the current era, Jin Que's look could be called exquisite. It stunned all three of them, almost more dramatically than when they first saw Ji Shuangyu, because the transformation was just too great!

Only now did Xu Xinyue understand why Ji Shuangyu had insisted on choosing Jin Que. Because her singing skills couldn't be improved in a short time, but Jin Que's looks could really be enhanced through her stage appearance.

After putting on her makeup, although Jin Que's facial features hadn't changed, she looked like a completely different person. If you said she was the real Lady Yunxiao descended to the mortal world, people would probably believe it.

—Opera makeup had also been continuously improving over several decades. The earliest opera makeup was much cruder than what modern people see. But what Ji Shuangyu had always been exposed to was the optimally refined opera makeup, and later generations had summarized many techniques on how to apply facial adhesives for different face shapes.

Ji Shuangyu told Jin Que how to apply the adhesives to better contour her face, as well as some techniques to emphasize her eyes and brows and outline her lips. He had never done it himself, but having sufficient theoretical knowledge was enough. Jin Que knew how to do her own makeup. After a little practice, Jin Que, whose bone structure was very suitable for makeup, looked like a stunningly beautiful Huadan actress after getting ready.

Appearing before people who had just seen her without makeup maximized the effect even more.

Chen Manzhi praised lavishly, "Miss Jin Que's stage appearance is truly that of a celestial beauty. When you go on stage in the future, you're bound to set a trend in Jingcheng."

At this time, the opera stage was also very capable of starting trends, which ladies would eagerly imitate. Chen Manzhi felt that this makeup style, although for opera, with its method of enhancing the eyes' charm and its naturally blended application, would probably be loved by many ladies.

Seeing everyone's amazed expressions, Jin Que didn't know how to describe her feelings. She had been very unconfident, wondering what kind of dumb luck she had to be chosen.

Now, the theater owner, the reporter... everyone's praise, especially Chen Manzhi's certainty that she would become famous, gave Jin Que mixed feelings. Her eyes glistening, she looked at Ji Shuangyu, feeling even more grateful to him.

Ji Shuangyu encouraged, "I told you, you have to believe..."

Jin Que was about to tearfully say she would believe in herself from now on and become confident.

Ji Shuangyu: "...believe in my taste."

Jin Que: "..."

Jin Que: "Yes, yes, yes."

Now it was time to take photos of Jin Que. Ji Shuangyu even specially set up the lighting for her. In photography, lighting can play a significant role in enhancement. The most common examples are using diffused light from the front to assist with illumination for faces with many wrinkles, or lighting from below for horror films, and so on.

Ji Shuangyu had worked as a photographer for a while himself, so his skills were very adept. He used butterfly lighting, a classic lighting method that, calculating the time, should have already been in use in the West.

This lighting method could make the subject's facial features more three-dimensional and their cheeks appear slimmer. It got its name from the butterfly-shaped shadow it creates under the nose, and because it was often used to shoot movie stills of female stars, it was also called "beauty light."

Ji Shuangyu used various variations of this lighting method based on the actual needs, using a hard light source to better enhance Jin Que's features, which were more defined after makeup, and then adding appropriate fill light.

"..." This whole operation made the photographer from Movie and Drama World a bit dizzy. He wasn't formally trained either, having learned from his family to make a living with photography. He usually just took photos for plays and already considered himself a technical talent.

Now, next to Ji Shuangyu... he didn't even know who the real photographer was! He had become a mere tool, and even Xu Xinyue was being directed to move the reflector.

Jin Que was an opera actress, so of course, she didn't need to look at any poses to imitate. She struck a pose herself and was very resilient. Throughout the photoshoot, her smile was natural and elegant, not stiff at all.

After Jin Que finished, at Xu Xinyue's suggestion, the two of them took a photo together.

Jin Que shyly went to the photographer and asked if she could have a copy of the group photo if it wasn't used. The photographer generously said he could have it developed and give it to her, while pondering in his heart that giving a photo was nothing; he must find an opportunity in the future to ask Mr. Ji for advice on lighting and art.

......

After Chen Manzhi and the photographer returned, they were working on the layout with the art editor at their office. Design was a technical job back then. There was image cutting, but it was literally cutting with an art knife. Art fonts were also handwritten... everything was done by hand. But this time, while hand-cutting the image, looking at such beauty made the work seem less tiring.

A colleague saw the photo of Jin Que in her costume on Chen Manzhi's layout and exclaimed, "Who is this? When did Jingcheng get such a beautiful Dan role actress!"

"She's from the Hanxi Troupe, named Jin Que," Chen Manzhi reminded him. "The one staging Temple of the Spiritual Official."

He and the photographer also thought it was incredible! Jin Que's beauty had already skyrocketed after her makeup. Under the lighting arranged by Ji Shuangyu, she was even more captivating. Her features became more three-dimensional, the photo had great tension, and it carried a sense of lofty detachment. It was simply the magic of light and shadow!

The colleague was mesmerized. "She's so beautiful. How come I never knew the Hanxi Troupe had such an actress before? When will her play be on? I have to buy a ticket to see it." And this photo, he must also collect a copy.

"Let me admire it carefully." He reached for the layout and saw another photo folded on the bottom half. "And, who is this?"

Jin Que's stage appearance was indeed beautiful and captivating, but the person in the other photo was eye-catching in a completely different way, with a beauty not of this world.

Through the photo, one could see clear and spirited eyes. It was clearly a youthful face, yet it was topped with a striking head of white hair. A single photo seemed to tell a whole story.

"That's the director of Temple of the Spiritual Official," Chen Manzhi said softly.

Chen Manzhi later went to the printing department to communicate some things and happened to see their newly purchased two-color offset press arriving. Even the general manager was there. Chen Manzhi, a junior editor, quickly stood at attention and greeted him.

Zhou Siyin glanced at Chen Manzhi and reached out his hand. "What's this, let me see."

Chen Manzhi quickly handed it over. "This is the layout for the new issue of Movie and Drama World. It's not finalized yet. I think the photos should be enlarged, but there isn't enough space..."

Zhou Siyin naturally recognized Ji Shuangyu's photo; he had asked for it precisely because it looked like him. The Ji Shuangyu in the photo was still quite different from the real person. And when printed, it lost that... ferocity of the man himself.

Zhou Siyin snorted, "Enlarge what."

At his snort, Chen Manzhi fell silent as a cicada in winter, shrinking his neck and saying, "Then I'll-I'll-I'll delete..." The general manager's attitude was strange. Could it be that he dislikes the Changle Theater?

Zhou Siyin said disdainfully, "Do you know how to sell magazines? Put it on the cover."

Chen Manzhi: ".........."

......

The theater that opened opposite the Changle Theater was called the "Oriole Song Stage." In recent days, their advertising had been very loud. The partners had even paid to put an ad in the newspaper, introducing their new-style Peking opera theater and the featured plays.

The Oriole Song Stage claimed that their new play had a full hundred backdrops, and each future play would have different ones, with new scenery to see every time, featuring grand mechanisms, each one brilliant!

Hushang's set designers had three main schools, and the most formidable was the Min school. The set designer hired by the Oriole Song Stage was known in the community as "Jiang Sihai," and he was quite famous within the Min school, specializing in mechanical backdrops.

His monthly income says it all. In Hushang, Jiang Sihai once earned three hundred yuan in a single month, which was remarkably high. To bring him to Jingcheng, the Oriole Song Stage not only offered him a high salary but also had to rent a small Western-style house for him to live in.

With such momentum, and with the push from interested parties, the public once again began to hype up Western-style scenery, claiming with certainty that the Changle Theater had no chance of winning and that Temple of the Spiritual Official was just a fluke.

Usually, things that became popular in Hushang would then spread to other cities. With this famous set designer coming over, going to the Oriole Song Stage would make you one of the first in Huaxia to experience the new trend.

Passersby originally thought that the Changle Theater had already lost the publicity battle and was no match for the Oriole Song Stage. It was obvious that a little miser like Xu Xinyue would never be willing to spend money on newspaper ads like the Oriole Song Stage.

—As a result, when the new issue of Movie and Drama World was released, the cover was a photo of Ji Shuangyu and Jin Que. Inside, there were also two solo photos. It sold like crazy.

Countless opera fans exclaimed, why did the Changle Theater have such a hidden gem, Jin Que? They seemed to have seen her plays before but had no impression at all!

And this Ji Shuangyu, his name had become familiar along with Temple of the Spiritual Official. Just hearing the name before, some people had asserted that he was an old man who wanted to promote Huaxia aesthetics. Unexpectedly, his hair was white but his face was not old, giving him a legendary quality.

Although he claimed in the report that his white hair was due to malnutrition, which was a little disappointing, it didn't stop everyone from letting their imaginations run wild. We'll spin our tales, he can have his malnutrition.

The hearts of those who were just watching for fun couldn't help but lean towards him. Alas, what wrong can a beautiful person do? What's wrong with wanting to be an opera director?

Not counting the opera special editions of the famous newspapers, Movie and Drama World could be called the number one publication in the opera world. It was also distributed by Kunlun Bookstore, with very wide circulation. This advertisement was much more impactful than the small, hard-won classified ad the Oriole Song Stage had placed...

In the past, their covers were reserved for famous figures in the opera world and had witnessed many major events in the community. This time, they broke convention to feature Ji Shuangyu and Jin Que on the cover. This not only affirmed the status of Temple of the Spiritual Official but also seemed to make the play The Record of Sympathetic Joy and its lead actress famous before it even premiered.

Coupled with the huge amount of information revealed in this interview, the public had plenty of gossip to enjoy.

It turned out that the Changle Theater and the Oriole Song Stage were going head-to-head during the New Year!

The Changle Theater actually dared to face the enemy head-on?!

Would they choose the stylish set designer from Hushang, or the classical Xieyi stage and the pretty Huadan? Many audience members were already filled with anticipation and found themselves in a difficult position.

......

When Movie and Drama World was released, Jin Que also received her copy of the issue, along with a complete set of developed photos. Not just one, but all of them. The photographer even had someone pass a message, saying that all the photos were beautiful, and although they couldn't all be published, he had developed all of them and sent them to Jin Que.

When she saw the actual items, she almost didn't recognize herself. She couldn't help but stare at them for a long time. Finally, she cut out the newspaper clippings and preciously pasted them into a notebook. The photos were also wrapped up and placed under her pillow.

When Jin Que went to the theater again, everyone looked at her differently.

So we were the ones who failed to recognize a diamond in the rough. Jin Que, she really is a great beauty!

The leading lady, famous before the show even aired, truly proved that Ji Shuangyu was right to choose her. This time, facing the onlookers, Jin Que was not so nervous. She walked into the theater without looking sideways, because she felt she now represented Ji Shuangyu's aesthetic taste and could no longer be timid and embarrass the director.

"Jin Que, come, come, come—" When the troupe leader saw Jin Que, he was grinning from ear to ear, wanting to shake her hand. As long as you're famous, you're my family.

Whoosh—a gust of wind blew past, and the troupe leader was sent flying by something huge.

Ying Xiaonong helped Jin Que over a threshold and said lovingly, "Our Jin Que is truly a once-in-a-generation actress!"

Everyone: "..."

Author has something to say:

Audience: I heard he's an old man.

Ji Shuangyu: No, I have premature canities, commonly known as being caused by gluttony...

Audience: Ooooooh, his hair turned white overnight for a love that died, what a tragic story, such a devoted person, I'm crying 555555555

Ji Shuangyu: ...