"Does Ninth Master have one of these?" Old Qian made a smoking gesture.
"Brother Qian, smoking less is good for your skin," Chu Zhi said while handing him a cigarette anyway.
Good for his skin? What a joke. His skin had been as rough as a Shar-Pei's since childhood—it had never been good.
Besides, someone right in front of him smoked too, yet his skin was annoyingly flawless! That "someone" Old Qian was referring to was none other than Chu Zhi.
"Huh? Ninth Master, why are you smoking women's cigarettes?" Old Qian examined the slender Mild Seven in his hand—clearly a feminine brand.
"Women's cigarettes are milder. I want to set a good example, but quitting smoking isn't something that can be done overnight, so I'm taking it step by step," Chu Zhi explained.
The deeper reason was that he had discovered that women's cigarettes still counted toward his "Tobacco Emperor" achievement, whereas fake smoking didn't. From that day on, he had switched to women's cigarettes.
Fake smoking meant taking a puff and exhaling without inhaling into the lungs—like kids mimicking adults.
Old Qian held the slim cigarette, so different from the thick, regular ones he was used to. It felt awkward in his hand.
The two were in the factory's smoking area.
After lighting up and taking a drag, Old Qian frowned. "Ninth Master, this thing has no tobacco taste at all."
"You'll get used to it," Chu Zhi said, puffing away. Even without the [Smoke On Command] title, good-looking people made everything aesthetically pleasing—well, except maybe taking a dump.
"Ninth Master and I combined could shake up all of Asia, captivating countless boys and girls," Old Qian thought to himself, stealing another glance at Chu Zhi.
Half a minute later—
"Brother Qian, I'll head over for the makeup test now. I'll have Xiao Zhu drive you—it's hard to get a taxi around the FT District. He'll call you when he arrives," Chu Zhi added before leaving.
Watching Chu Zhi's retreating figure, Old Qian had initially planned to stub out the cigarette as soon as Chu Zhi turned away—he really wasn't used to women's cigarettes—but he held back because of Chu Zhi's thoughtful reminder.
"I thought there might've been some acting in his livestreams, but after these past couple of weeks, I can tell Ninth Master genuinely cares about others. Plus, his looks are on par with mine in my prime," Old Qian shamelessly mused.
Outside the makeup room, a crowd of young women in their twenties—all staff from the August First Film Studio—had gathered to catch a glimpse of Chu Zhi.
Not all of them were his fans, but when Chu Zhi was around, who wouldn't want to take a look?
"Teacher Huang," Chu Zhi greeted.
"You're too kind," Huang Mi, a Beijing local, replied. "What kind of look are you going for, Teacher Chu?"
"Something holy and pure," Chu Zhi said as he changed into monk's robes.
Rumor had it that the scriptwriter was a former online novelist. The movie Using My Present Life to Exchange for Your Eternal Life featured not only five identities—general, scholar, drunken sword immortal, demon, and heavenly emperor—but also a holy monk. Chu Zhi had underestimated the creativity of online writers. What he thought would be a major challenge turned out to be just another day at the office for them.
First, he put on a wig. Thanks to technological advancements, the wig industry had evolved—no need to shave his head to play a monk. The simulated monk's scars looked incredibly real.
Huang Mi got to work. To achieve a holy aura, the lips needed a light coat of rose pink (YSL's Glossy Stain in 204 worked perfectly), followed by a thicker layer of purple-red (Dior's 771 was the choice here—Burberry's 53 was a no-go, as it clumped unnaturally).
Next came red-toned eyeshadow, highlighter on the nose bridge and tip, and golden contact lenses. The eyebrows were lifted slightly upward. About twenty minutes later, the look was complete.
Huang Mi had approached this as just another job, but the final result left even him momentarily dazed.
In Jin Yong's novels, there was a character named Monk Wu Hua, described as follows: "Under the moonlight, his eyes sparkled like stars, his lips red and teeth white, his face as delicate as a maiden's, yet his grace and elegance surpassed any woman in the world. He was spotless, as if he had just descended from the heavens."
Chu Zhi's holy monk look surpassed even that. The golden eyes, the nose bridge highlight, and the sharp contours of his face added an otherworldly distance, as if he were a celestial being beyond the three realms and five elements.
The ordinary monk's robe, which was supposed to look divine only after CGI enhancements, now resembled the legendary Brocade Monk's Robe purely because of Chu Zhi's looks.
"Sir, this is hands down the best monk look I've ever done," Huang Mi exclaimed after snapping out of his daze.
Chu Zhi, too, was momentarily stunned by his own reflection. His natural 94/100 looks, combined with Huang Mi's skills, had elevated him to a whole new level. For context, even Leonardo DiCaprio in his prime wouldn't have scored above 95.
"No, no, no. Makeup can enhance beauty—it's like face magic. But what we've achieved here is beyond magic. It's straight-up sorcery," Huang Mi insisted.
"Mind if I take a photo?" Huang Mi asked.
Chu Zhi had no reason to refuse. After snapping a shot, he headed to the set, where the extras were already in position, waiting for him.
Though he tried to walk quickly, the monk's robes and straw sandals made it impossible.
"Master, your skills are out of this world! What's this for? Even if the show's terrible, I'd watch it just for this look!" an apprentice gushed.
"It's the model's natural gifts. My work is just the icing on the cake," Huang Mi replied humbly.
"Xiao Wu, Xiao Li, could you check if the scholar's costume is ready?" Huang Mi instructed.
The two apprentices scurried off, still buzzing about the makeup they'd just witnessed.
Alone in the makeup room, Huang Mi's professional composure melted away. His face lit up like a kid at a carnival.
"Unbelievable."
"Perfection."
"Holy monk look—best in the universe!"
Huang Mi mentally high-fived himself before posting the photo in a professional stylists' group chat. The response was instant:
"Who is this?"
"Isn't that Chu Zhi, the super popular star right now?"
"I think the eyeliner could be extended, but damn, this look is insane. Is this photoshopped? 'Enlightened monk' doesn't even cut it—this is like Bodhidharma-level holy."
"The eye makeup's shading is masterful."
[Note: The last line about the novel's release is omitted as it's promotional.]
"No edits. Just raw talent. Can't help it," Huang Mi bragged.
Now he understood why Chu Zhi was so beloved in the fashion world. You could throw any experimental design at him, and he'd make it work—no matter how outrageous.
On set—
"Director Liao, do we need a stand-in for the close-ups?" Niu Jiangxue asked.
"A stand-in? Sure, why not," Liao Dachong replied cheerfully. He had already requested a stunt double, and now Niu was offering a body double. The more, the merrier—he had no patience for coaching actors through endless takes.
"Got it," Niu Jiangxue nodded.
Liao Dachong's smile never wavered, betraying none of his inner disdain for the entire crew.
The makeup room was a trek from the set—August First Film Studio really loved testing their actors' stamina. A few minutes later, Chu Zhi arrived.
If Huang Mi, a seasoned stylist who'd worked with countless celebrities, was stunned, the reaction from the crew was even more extreme.
"?!"
"!!"
"…"
The cast and crew, including Niu Jiangxue, were speechless. Holy monk looks were rare in real life, and this wasn't just "handsome"—it was transcendent.
"Damn, this is too good," Niu Jiangxue thought, patting her flat chest to snap herself out of it.
"Director Liao, we can start now."
"Ah? Right." The moment Liao Dachong saw Chu Zhi, dozens of shot compositions flooded his mind.
Though he was no looker himself, he had an artist's eye. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become a renowned art director.
"Ms. Niu, forget the stand-in," Liao Dachong declared. "MV acting doesn't require much. We'll focus on static shots—play to his strengths and avoid complex emotions."
Niu Jiangxue nodded, puzzled by his sudden enthusiasm.
"Teacher Chu, I feel like the look needs one more touch," Liao Dachong said. "Can we add a red bindi? In Buddhism, it symbolizes one of the thirty-two sacred marks of the Buddha."
It made sense, but going back would take too long. So they called Huang Mi, who agreed it was a brilliant idea.
He arrived with his kit and applied a teardrop-shaped bindi to Chu Zhi's forehead—narrow and striking, elevating the holy aura with a touch of fierceness.
Inspired, Huang Mi also subtly elongated Chu Zhi's earlobes with spirit gum and blended it seamlessly with skin-toned foundation.
"Let's start shooting." Liao Dachong channeled his cinematic focus into realizing the shots in his mind. This MV was about to get the blockbuster treatment.