Contract Marriage: Let's Make It Real, Mrs. Sterling!-Chapter 254: Does This Count as Cheating Before the Exam?

Chapter 254: Chapter 254: Does This Count as Cheating Before the Exam?

Mia Sutton held an apple in her hand and sat to the side, taking a crisp bite. Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she turned her head and stared fixedly at Jensen Sterling, then languidly said, "Mr. Sterling, does this count as cheating before the audition?"

Jensen Sterling: "Hmm?" He didn’t understand what she was referring to at first.

Mia adjusted her sitting posture, placed the apple aside, and said, "Look, you’re involved in the audition, and privately, you’ve given me so many perks."

Mia counted on her fingers: "You gave me notes, explained the scenes, and we’ve even rehearsed together, isn’t this like a student getting top-notch guidance from the teacher before the exam?"

Listening to her meticulous explanation, it’s actually quite true.

Jensen was just about to say it doesn’t count, since he hadn’t participated in Stacy Shields’ casting nor had he given any opinions.

It was at most considered pre-audition guidance.

Before he could speak, Mia squinted and chuckled, "I’ve really hit the jackpot."

Hearing this, Jensen paused the words that were about to come out: "..."

Mia raised her eyes to meet Jensen’s gaze and laughed brightly: "Mr. Sterling, you wouldn’t think I’d feel guilty, would you?"

After that, she waved her hand nonchalantly and said, "Not at all, who doesn’t do a lot of preparatory work before auditions? So it’s nothing, just that my guidance was from a god-like figure."

Then Mia murmured with downcast eyes, "It’s like the Goddess of Fortune has smiled upon me. But mainly, it’s my own hard work."

She really complimented herself without batting an eyelid.

Jensen listened and laughed, too. How could she be upset over this?

Not to mention he hadn’t interfered. Even if he had, no one could say much.

This society is like this — survival of the fittest. To get something, one must become strong. Otherwise, don’t talk about unfairness; no one is a three-year-old child.

...

The production team quickly finalized the cast, and up next was costume fitting.

During this time, Mia had been shuttling between the set and home, trying on outfits several times.

Jensen was the same, even though he was just a guest star, he played the soul character of the entire drama.

And due to his role in the drama, the makeup and hairstyle couldn’t be random.

Although Mia didn’t appear often — maybe only in two or three episodes in total — she had several costumes.

Especially in the early stages, as the little girl cherished by the ancient Demon Lord, she almost never repeated outfits in her appearances. It was simpler later on, just a set of white clothes.

However, the clothes were simple but the makeup and hairstyle were not. The market for fantasy dramas had been sluggish for the past few years, and the actors’ makeup and hairstyle all felt like they were carved from the same mold.

So the production team took great care in this aspect, ensuring the makeup and hairstyle suited the character and didn’t give off a generic feeling.

In every aspect, they achieved the ultimate aesthetic.

They wanted hairstyles that were exquisite, beautiful, and fitting for the character without appearing burdensome.

After several costume fittings, Mia finally settled on her makeup style.

The designer originally thought the real effect might not match the model, given the gap between the two.

But when the real effect appeared, the stylist couldn’t help but marvel.

In the early stages, Mia lived among the Demon tribe, and the color of the costume was inclined to dark tones; yet it didn’t feel depressing at all, instead adding a sense of nobility.

The early phase of Stacy was indeed one of pampering, and several sets tried were all highly satisfactory.

The last outfit was the one she wore when she ascended to the Divine Realm: a white attire, crafted with complexity — layers of skirts, a cinched waist design, making the waistline very pronounced.

The cuffs were designed to be wide, and phoenix patterns were embroidered with silver threads on the skirt. When standing, they were undetectable, but as she began to walk, they gradually revealed themselves.

As she moved, the phoenix seemed to come alive, vividly animated.

The hair accessories were equally exquisite; as the Goddess, her entire look was elaborate — her hair was gathered up, adorned with tiny jade stones, all made of white jade.

The complexity required the stylist several hours to complete the look.

When Mia changed into the outfit and stepped out, even the person who had designed the makeup was stunned.

It was truly stunning.

The Goddess of the Nine Heavens, just like this, wasn’t she?

...

Today, not only Mia but the other lead actors of the production were also getting dressed, Jensen was amongst them, of course.

However, the male costumes weren’t as intricate as the female ones; as the ancient Demon Lord, it was all about commanding presence and grandeur — that’s all it took.

Most actors were almost ready; outside, small groups were chatting.

After all, staying with the crew for months requires getting familiar with each other.

But Jensen’s spot remained quite peaceful; apart from the leads greeting him at the start, none of the smaller actors dared disturb him.

Jensen sat there with slightly closed eyes; soon, there was a slight stir in the scene, accompanied by sounds of gasps.

He slowly opened his eyes and was greeted by Mia in white attire; it was the first time he saw Mia’s makeup — he had missed the previous fittings due to other matters.

The girl’s delicate face bore no expression now, utterly cold, an epitome of tranquility, as if it couldn’t accommodate any matter.

The complex attire did not make her seem cumbersome; on the contrary, it accentuated her refined and noble aura.

His eyes dazzled with a hint of amazement; even knowing the girl was beautiful, such a form seemed radiant, impossible for anyone to overlook.

The director beside him watched and exclaimed, "This is literally Stacy walking out from the script; this time we truly struck gold."

During the audition, her portrayal of that particular highlight of her character was remarkable; later, this transformation into a cold elegance was equally critical.

Originally thought it might take some time to instruct her on the scenes, but now, it turned out unnecessary.

Mia only had to stand there, and she was Stacy through and through!

The director clapped his hands, "Alright, the team is ready; let’s start shooting the costume photos."

Lead actors have their dedicated shooting rooms; Mia wasn’t a lead, but with Jensen there — even though Jensen was just guest-starring — with his status, having a separate shooting room was no issue.

And since the two had shared scenes to shoot, the director simply arranged them together.