A minute passed with eight eyes looking at each other.

Finally, one of the stone statues moved—Cheng Ping turned around and walked towards his room, eyes fixed ahead.

This movement seemed to trigger something, as the remaining three followed suit, each returning to their rooms without a word.

The corridor returned to its peaceful quiet in the early hours.

In the following days, Li Baixi was busy with the crew and preparing for the competition, working non-stop and having no time to question those two.

Albert maintained his aloof demeanor outside of filming, silently preparing his lines on set, showing no interaction with Ma Koukou. Li Baixi sometimes wondered if that night was just a dream.

Only once during makeup, Albert sat stiffly and awkwardly asked, “So, are you doing well here?”

Li Baixi: “…”

The movie was already two-thirds filmed, and now he asks this?

This disastrous attempt at friendliness confirmed for Li Baixi that the night wasn’t a dream. The male god was trying to extend an olive branch to Ma Koukou’s “family.”

On the eve of the competition, Li Baixi left for the airport, dragging Ma Koukou along to see him off. “So, what’s going on?”

Ma Koukou blushed. “As you saw, while you were off having your dual-flight, I also had my one-in-a-thousand.”

Li Baixi: “…”

Li Baixi still found it hard to believe. “How did you manage to get close to such a high mountain flower?”

Ma Koukou: “You don’t get it, do you? The higher the flower, the more it fears the waves. I just served tea, touched fingers, brushed legs, and asked the monk if the girl was beautiful…”

Li Baixi: “Impressive, Ma Koukou. What will you do when the movie wraps and he goes back to his life?”

Ma Koukou paused, then said, “Master, I didn’t think you’d be so old-fashioned. What monk? I’m just talking nonsense. He’s swarmed with admirers. We’re just having some fun while the filming lasts. Who thinks about the future with someone like me?”

Li Baixi imagined Albert’s face and asked skeptically, “Are you sure? With your English, have you had a deep conversation?”

Ma Koukou: “…You should worry about yourself. You’re about to board the plane. Are you confident?”

Li Baixi: “Don’t worry.”

Ma Koukou saw him off at the airport entrance, shouting at his back, “Don’t lose! If you do, let’s retire early!”

The next day, Cheng Ping, in between filming, found time to open the live stream on his phone.

Due to the time difference, it was already night in China, and the live stream had just begun, with an astonishing number of viewers.

Whether it was because of the story of a master standing up for his disciple, a confrontation across distances, a rivalry within the same school, or simply because of the popularity of the two makeup artists themselves, the live stream was highly anticipated, with comments flooding in.

“Oh oh oh, I’m here for Queen Li!”

“Wow, Li Baixi in men’s clothes! Have you seen it? I haven’t.”

“Can you handle it? I can.”

“Teacher Song! Teacher Song, look at me!”

Cheng Ping stared intently at Li Baixi, trying to gauge his state. Li Baixi was dressed simply in a white shirt, his hair tied in a high ponytail, not bothering to dress up—seemingly disdainful of selling his looks for votes, although it seemed to have the opposite effect.

Previously, Cheng Ping had volunteered random topics, letting Li Baixi practice a few makeup looks on him. Since the official topic was unknown, the preparation phase was just to get a feel.

Li Baixi performed well then, but facing another model now, their confidence was uncertain.

The sponsor’s host was introducing the competition: “…It’s actually a charity event. Your votes will be converted into donations, along with our makeup products, sent to impoverished areas… Thank you to both teachers for participating. Although it’s called a competition, we all know art has no high or low, it’s just a friendly exchange…”

Li Baixi and his junior brother exchanged a glance, and from the look in each other’s eyes, they knew there was nothing friendly about it. Calling it a competition was an understatement.

A blood feud in the arts, victory and defeat.

With so much at stake, the loser would see their reputation and commercial value plummet.

Li Baixi didn’t think he was overreacting. After all, his junior brother showed no mercy to Ma Koukou. Deep down, they both knew this day was inevitable.

The host finally introduced the mystery model—Actor Zhang’s new lover.

This new lover had little experience, and most viewers only found him familiar without knowing his name. At first glance, his features were bland, his appearance not even comparable to Li Baixi’s or his junior brother’s.

New Lover: “I’m honored to work with both teachers. I’m looking forward to seeing what I will become.”

As he greeted, Li Baixi began to understand why he replaced the small-time actor as the lead in Actor Zhang’s new movie—his unassuming, confident demeanor made his plain face suddenly look sophisticated.

Aura is a mysterious thing.

The host revealed the computer screen: “Here comes the main event. Let’s see the topic! We prepared many phrases in advance, now randomly playing them quickly. When I hit stop, the phrase on the screen will be today’s topic. Which teacher will call stop?”

Junior Brother generously said, “I don’t mind. Senior Brother, please.”

Li Baixi stepped forward, glancing at the camera. He knew Cheng Ping was watching.

“—Stop.”

The host hit the pause button.

The screen showed four large characters: “上善若水” (Supreme Goodness Like Water).

Cheng Ping thought back to the makeup looks Li Baixi practiced in the past few days; none fit this theme.

“Supreme Goodness Like Water” was too abstract. While it could be simply interpreted as “related to water,” the specific imagery remained very vague. This topic, like the one that stumped Li Baixi years ago, “I,” fell into the category of creative makeup.

No clear explanation, no detailed requirements.

Both makeup artists began to ponder.

The comments started giving suggestions.

“How do you depict water? Must use cool tones.”

“Blue hues are tricky. I’ve seen many disasters; it’s easy to turn into a monster.”

“Color usage is Song’s forte!”

The host waited a moment and asked, “There’s only one model. Who will go first?”

Li Baixi: “Then let my junior brother go first this time.”

As soon as he spoke, he saw his junior brother’s lips curve slightly, seemingly pleased.

Junior Brother: “Then I’ll take the lead.” He sat down at the front, opened his toolbox, and calmly started applying foundation to the new lover.

Junior Brother had indeed planned to seize the initiative. He knew Li Baixi too well.

Li Baixi had no fixed style in makeup, but one thing was certain: his colors were usually not as vibrant. Moreover, the new lover had bland features, and Li Baixi, who always adhered to the model’s natural look, would likely choose a predictable style.

This competition, judged by real-time voting, would favor those who catered to the public’s aesthetic. After experiencing the vibrant colors of his makeup, viewers would find Li Baixi’s work lackluster by comparison.

Junior Brother dipped his brush into the brand’s eye shadow, leaving a pure blue stroke on the new lover’s eyelid with the first brushstroke.

“Oh my eyes! This master stroke is something else. If I painted this color, I’d wash it off immediately.”

“Song’s style is always bold with colors.”

“The area is too large, looks like a Peking Opera mask, Blue-Faced Dou Erdun! Stealing the Horse!”

“Hahaha, you’re toxic.”

The comments laughed until they stopped. Junior Brother’s colors gradually spread, the blue transitioning from deep to light, creating the illusion of rippling water.

A touch of orange under the eyes contrasted, making the blue even cooler, like clear summer waves.

After playing with colors for years, Junior Brother’s understanding had only deepened. Outsiders could see the delicate blending, while those in the know saw how the varying shades reshaped the model’s features.

When he finished his signature eyebrows and the new lover lifted his head, the comments were filled with astonishment.

“Who’s this handsome guy?”

“Was he there before?”

The host: “Please step closer to the camera, so everyone can see more clearly.”

The new lover turned his head, showcasing the makeup from all angles, confidently winking at the camera.

“I give up. No ugly men in the world, only lazy ones…”

“I don’t lack this face, I lack the master’s hand!”

Cheng Ping ignored the new lover, still focusing on Li Baixi in the corner of the camera.

Li Baixi had watched the entire process quietly, but his eyes seemed distracted, showing little interest in his junior brother’s work.

His face showed no emotion, and Cheng Ping couldn’t tell if he had an idea or if his mind was blank again.