Chapter 108: A Natural Appearance Revealed

Inside the men's restroom of Nanshan Television Station, Mo Shu busily wiped and washed his face in front of the mirror for quite some time, finally managing to remove most of the ghastly “demon makeup” that had made him look like a terrifying specter.

Outside the restroom, Xiao Lian stood anxiously, rubbing her fingers together, her expression full of unease.

The time for the show’s recording was drawing nearer, and Mo Shu had been in the restroom for over ten minutes without coming out. Xiao Lian was deeply worried that he might have been upset to the point of distress.

More than just upset—Mo Shu was downright furious. Though his reflection in the mirror had almost returned to a human appearance, given the time, there was absolutely no chance to redo the makeup, not to mention his limp, unstyled hair.

After all, this was television, a variety show. The other guests had surely already taken great care to prepare their appearances, waiting to make their entrance.

But here he was, at this critical moment, looking so casual with his styling, surely he would become the laughingstock of the group.

Well, come what may. Since he was here, he had no choice but to make the best of it. Mo Shu took several deep breaths to calm himself; he certainly didn’t want to wear a sour expression throughout the entire show.

After a while longer, Mo Shu finally stepped out of the restroom with a composed face, though a few droplets still dripped from the tips of his hair—he must have washed his face too vigorously and accidentally soaked his hair.

Xiao Lian quickly grabbed some tissues to help clean his face, apologizing profusely.

“Mr. Mo, I’m really sorry. The makeup artist was assigned by the production team long ago. I have no idea what happened with her today. If I had known, I wouldn’t have gone to fetch breakfast—I would have stayed by your side to make sure she didn’t mess up your makeup like that.”

“Heh, I’m not blaming you. Maybe this is one of those consolation prizes your colleagues call the ‘last place participation award,’” Mo Shu teased lightly.

“I’m so sorry, really sorry,” Xiao Lian stammered, clearly flustered by the unexpected mishap as the recording time was imminent.

“Alright, stop apologizing. Do you have any hair oil in the makeup room? I’ll tidy my hair a bit, and then we can head straight to the recording site,” Mo Shu said with a reassuring smile. At this point, any pointless finger-pointing would only ruin his performance.

“I’ll go look for it. You just wait here,” Xiao Lian said, lowering her head as she hurried away, afraid that if Mo Shu followed her back to the makeup room, he might lose his temper and scold the makeup artist.

Mo Shu certainly had no intention of going back. He was almost ready to curse that makeup artist out—what she called makeup was more like disfigurement.

“Mr. Mo, I couldn’t find any hair oil, but will this gel do?” Xiao Lian returned quickly, holding up a bottle of gel. It would have to suffice.

Mo Shu thought to himself that such a low-tier makeup artist probably wouldn’t have something as “luxurious” as hair oil on hand.

He swiftly styled his hair into a sleek look, recovering some of his vigor. Only fifteen minutes remained before the recording began. The cameraman, sound engineer, assistants, and other staff were already in position, and soon a small production crew surrounded Mo Shu.

At moments like this, Mo Shu was grateful for the compulsory driver interviews imposed by the auto racing committee. Those endless interviews had trained him to face the camera calmly and confidently.

The group quickly made their way to the open space in front of the Nanshan TV office building, where director Xiao Yao and his team were already waiting for the stars to arrive.

Mo Shu was not late, arriving almost simultaneously with the others. Xiao Yao gestured for everyone to line up and, without further ado, announced the official start of the recording for “Extreme Partners.”

Of course, Xiao Yao still had a few opening remarks and needed to explain the rules of the reality show.

“Hello everyone! Welcome to the recording of ‘Extreme Partners.’ As always, today’s entertainment stars are five well-known celebrities whom you’re all very familiar with. They are...

The legendary superstar Zhang Tianwang, the Golden Goblet Best Actress Lin Meinv, the rising singing talent Wang Liang, the queen of television drama Sun Wan’er, and the rap sensation Wu Tianqi.

Let’s give them a warm round of applause!”

These five were all household names, and Mo Shu couldn’t help but glance at them with a heavy sense of pressure.

Look at how well-groomed and polished they were.

Zhang Tianwang was dignified and imposing; Lin Meinv radiated charm and allure; Wang Liang was youthful and vibrant; Sun Wan’er exuded nobility and grace; and Wu Tianqi was trendy and avant-garde.

Each had their own unique style and aura, truly befitting of celebrities who carried themselves with elegance wherever they went.

Xiao Yao paused to allow the applause to settle before continuing.

“Next, let me introduce the five sports stars joining us today. They are...

Football star Zheng Xiongshi, basketball star Sun Mina, gymnastics champion Li Dai, swimming ace Zhao Shuixin,

and a rising new star in racing whom we are meeting for the first time—

Mo Shu!”

As soon as Xiao Yao finished, Mo Shu noticed all eyes turning sharply toward him. He quickly looked around, nodding to the other stars, but inside he remained uneasy about his appearance.

Though sports stars might not match entertainers in looks or charisma, most of them were physically impressive.

Take football legend Zheng Xiongshi, for example: though of average height, his burly frame and evenly muscular, taut legs looked as if he could kick down a telephone pole with a single strike.

Sun Mina needed no introduction—her towering height of 198 cm made her impossible to overlook.

Swimming champion Zhao Shuixin was renowned in the sports world as a great beauty. She frequently posted selfies on Weibo and already possessed the aura and charm of a star. Today, dressed up as she was, her striking looks and youthful energy rivaled even Lin Meinv’s.

Gymnast Li Dai was the least conspicuous among the four athletes, given the typical stature limitations of a gymnast. However, with her hair styled high and her sharp, symmetrical features, the height difference seemed less pronounced, and overall she was just as impressive as anyone else present.

As for Mo Shu, due to the makeup artist’s blunder, he was already at a disadvantage just in terms of complexion and vitality.

The female celebrities appeared fully made-up, and the male stars usually wore a light layer of powder to conceal blemishes and uneven skin.

“Extreme Partners” was an outdoor reality show, not a 24-hour nonstop observation program, and he had never heard of anyone appearing on camera completely barefaced like Mo Shu.

Fortunately, his decent attire and the hastily styled hair helped him salvage some dignity; otherwise, he seriously considered digging a hole and burying himself in the ground.