Chapter 118: I Will Draw Your Eyebrows for a Lifetime!

After the group chatted and laughed for a while, the photography assistant brought over Qin Luo’s costume.

In truth, Qin Luo’s outfit was quite simple: a white silk vest worn underneath a pair of white trousers, white soft-soled high boots, and a wig styled into a bun atop his head.

This look felt like a man from ancient times who, having snuck off to a brothel for a tryst, had been caught by his nagging wife and was scrambling to get dressed in his undergarments.

The scene was meant to be the drawing of eyebrows at daybreak. At that hour, the male lead had just woken up, so he could hardly be expected to be perfectly groomed. Moreover, some of Chen Sixuan’s makeup had to be washed away to create the look of a natural, "half-made-up" beauty. If her makeup were already too perfect, there would be no need for the male lead to intervene.

Of course, Qin Luo’s eyebrow-drawing was merely for show. He wasn't actually meant to scribble on her face, as that would only ruin Chen Sixuan’s lovely features.

Chen Sixuan had swapped her expensive queenly gown for a thin, close-fitting silk garment as delicate as a cicada’s wing. The fabric was so sheer and the neckline so low—compounded by the generous curves of her chest—that Qin Luo’s hand holding the eyebrow pencil couldn't help but tremble.

"Lead actress, you need to look more natural—even more natural! You’re an old married couple; why are you blushing?"

"Lead actor, don’t block the mirror with your body. Move to the left, further left—"

"Lead actor, look intently at the lead actress’s eyebrows! You are drawing eyebrows, not unhooking someone’s bra. Why do you keep looking down?"

"Don't laugh. Focus. Be affectionate. Be spellbound—she’s a great beauty like Miss Chen; how can you not feel anything?"

As the shoot progressed, Jin Derui displayed his professionalism and authority. Regardless of whether it was Qin Luo or Chen Sixuan, he ignored their individual identities, treating them merely as subjects in his frame. He pointed out the flaws in their coordination without hesitation and directed them on how to adjust.

Li Qingcheng, watching Qin Luo make a fool of himself during his first commercial shoot, was doubled over with laughter. Especially when Jin Derui shouted that he was drawing eyebrows, not unhooking a bra, she clutched her stomach, gasping for air.

Onlookers outside the window pointed and whispered, quite intrigued by the filming process.

After clicking the shutter several times, Jin Derui reviewed the negatives and shook his head helplessly. "Let’s take a break. You two need to find the right feeling. I can’t see the connection a husband and wife should have in these photos."

"Sixuan, I’m sorry. I’m too clumsy," Qin Luo said with a bitter smile. He knew his poor performance was dragging her down. Aside from a bit of initial shyness, she had quickly adjusted her mindset to enter the role, perfectly capturing the expressions of a devoted wife. Qin Luo, however, was struggling.

"It’s okay. Everyone is like that the first time. I was even more nervous during my first commercial; my hands and feet were shaking. You’re much calmer than I was," Chen Sixuan comforted him with a smile. She was actually very happy to be shooting this with him.

Professionally, she shouldn't have been shy, but because it was Qin Luo—and because she truly held feelings for him—she couldn't help but lose herself in the role. Since Li Qingcheng had mentioned that the beautiful woman surrounded by an entourage in the Rolls-Royce was Qin Luo’s fiancée, Chen Sixuan had felt a deep sense of defeat. If it were any other woman, she might have had the confidence to compete, but against someone like that? How could she? Even if they couldn't be real lovers, she was happy enough to play the part in front of the camera. That was why she was being so incredibly earnest.

Qin Luo was different. This was his debut, and he was falling into every trap a novice could. Whenever the photographer shouted, he panicked. He would fix one mistake only to commit several others. He was easily distracted by his surroundings; if someone spoke outside the window, he would turn his head to look. If Li Qingcheng laughed, he would look over to see why.

He didn't look like a man tenderly drawing his wife's eyebrows in the privacy of their boudoir; he looked more like a furtive thief with shifty eyes.

Had it been any other model, Jin Derui would have been shouting curses. But he knew Qin Luo’s status and feared that if he pushed too hard, this gentleman would simply walk away. He had to be patient. "Mr. Qin, our time is limited. Once the sun sets, we won't be able to shoot. Artificial lighting just isn't the same as natural light."

"You are a newcomer, and performing like this is already... well, it's okay. But you need to watch out for common beginner mistakes. First, understand your positioning. Don't block the mirror; we are capturing the hazy beauty of the lead actress in the bronze mirror. And don't block my lens—we are filming her, not you."

"Also, stay steady. You’ve been remarkably calm for a first-timer, but you must focus and enter the role. What is your role? You are a woman’s husband. You wake up in the morning, see your beloved wife at the vanity, smile, walk over, take the pencil, and tenderly draw her eyebrows. Imagine there is no one else in the room but you two. Look only at her. Ignore the outside world. Pretend everyone else—myself included—is just air. Understand?"

Qin Luo nodded. "Understood."

"Most importantly, stop looking down," Jin Derui added.

Qin Luo wanted to wring the man’s neck. He hadn't looked down on purpose! Did the guy really think he was a lecher? He wasn't that kind of person at all. Knowing it was for the sake of finishing the shoot, he simply promised, "I’ll be careful."

"Excellent. Take five minutes to find the feeling. Then we continue," Jin Derui said.

"Let me teach you a little trick to get into character quickly," Chen Sixuan said, looking up at him. "Is there someone you like?"

"What do you mean?" Qin Luo asked, bewildered.

"You can imagine I’m that woman. If—and I mean if—I were the woman you loved, how would you feel while drawing her eyebrows? You have to find that sense of immersion," she suggested.

Someone he liked? Qin Luo pondered. Who should he pretend to be drawing for? Lin Wanxi? Wang Jiujiu? Wenren Muyue—or perhaps Li Qingcheng?

"Have you found it?" Chen Sixuan asked.

"Still looking."

Qin Luo was conflicted. Who would be the most immersive choice? Suddenly, an image flashed in his mind: a stormy night, a girl curled up in his arms, clinging to his waist, stubbornly refusing to let go. The girl’s face became clear—it was Wang Jiujiu.

Qin Luo quickly shook his head. Impossible. She was his student. How could he have feelings for his student?

Jin Derui checked his watch. "Found the feeling? Let’s begin."

Chen Sixuan looked at Qin Luo. He took a deep breath. "Let's start."

The afternoon light poured through the window, illuminating Chen Sixuan’s flawless, radiant face and her sheer silk garments. Qin Luo smiled, gazing at her with deep affection as he held the charcoal pencil.

*Your eyes hold my reflection, and mine are filled entirely with you.* Their gazes locked in the air, weaving together like silk, as if they had exchanged the vow to "hold hands and grow old together."

*My dear, I wish to draw your brows,*
*So that your deep eyes*
*No longer brim with tears.*
*My dear, I wish to draw your brows,*
*So that your delicate shoulders*
*No longer carry the weight of regret.*

*My dear, I wish to draw your brows,*
*So that your long, dark hair*
*No longer tangles with heartbreak.*

*Drawing your brows for you,*
*Drawing your brows for you,*
*I will paint the most beautiful rose in the world,*
*Making it feel ashamed in your presence.*
*I will paint the most romantic meeting in the world,*
*Letting me drift into sleep within your tenderness.*
*Drawing your brows for you,*
*Drawing your brows for you,*
*I could do this for a lifetime,*
*And never feel a hint of fatigue.*
*For a lifetime,*
*And still find you the most beautiful of all.*

"How beautiful. Simply gorgeous," a girl outside the window said, her hands pressed to her chest, her face filled with intoxication.

"So lovely. You have to treat me like that in the future. Draw my eyebrows every morning when we wake up," the round-faced girl turned and demanded of her boyfriend with a coy pout.

"Okay," the boy nodded earnestly, then added with a troubled look, "but I don't know how to draw eyebrows."

"You dummy, you can learn!" the girl laughed sweetly.

They didn't really care if the boy could draw eyebrows; what they cared about was the intent to spend a lifetime doing so. They asked for so little—how could you bear to give even less?

Even Li Qingcheng was mesmerized, standing quietly with eyes as gentle as water, lost in her own thoughts. Only Jin Derui remained calm, his face grave as he clicked the shutter repeatedly.

*Click! Click...*

A long time passed.

"Cut!" Jin Derui shouted. His voice shattered the beautiful atmosphere Qin Luo and Chen Sixuan had created, breaking the spell for the onlookers. He laughed wildly, ran over to hug both of them, and exclaimed, "Brilliant! Your performance was perfect! I was so moved I almost forgot to press the shutter."

"How was it? Not bad, right?" Qin Luo asked as Li Qingcheng walked over.

Li Qingcheng looked at Qin Luo and Chen Sixuan, who still wore happy, lingering smiles, clearly not yet fully out of character. She smiled and said, "Is this supposed to be drawing eyebrows? It’s clearly a seduction."