Chapter 550 - 546: No, I’m Not Wearing Makeup

Lily Sterling looked embarrassed and shook her head. "I thought we were supposed to come completely bare-faced?"

Connie chuckled, then patted the spot beside her, gesturing for her to sit.

Kiara Holden and her agent, Rowe, recognized Lily Sterling at once, even without makeup. Everyone in the industry knew Connie only managed two artists: Heather Keaton and Lily Sterling.

They thought Connie would introduce Lily, but she remained silent.

The atmosphere grew tense, forcing Rowe to speak up and break the silence. "Connie, your artists are always top-notch. She’s so beautiful even without makeup. I saw Lily in *Flora*—her acting was fantastic. It’s rare for a new actress to get a double nomination for the Golden Magpie Award."

At the mention of the Golden Magpie Award, Kiara Holden, who was also nominated for Best Newcomer, shot Lily a look tinged with obvious hostility.

"You’re nominated too, aren’t you?" Connie suddenly asked, looking at Kiara.

Kiara hadn’t expected Connie to speak to her directly. She was startled for a moment before quickly composing herself. "Ah, yes, Connie. I never thought I’d be nominated for Best Newcomer with my first series. I still can’t quite believe it."

’You have to be humble in front of your seniors.’ She had certainly mastered that survival tactic of the entertainment industry and could perform it on cue.

Connie simply smiled without saying a word. Seeing this, Rowe quickly chimed in, "But when it comes to the award, Lily definitely has a better chance. She has two nominations, after all, which naturally gives her an edge over the other actors who were nominated."

Kiara discreetly pouted at his words.

Her agent was right. Objectively speaking, Lily was the only Best Newcomer nominee who had also been nominated for another award. Her win was practically a given.

But she still couldn’t accept it.

’I was the female lead in my own hit series.’

’Lily just rode the coattails of a huge IP like *Heavenly Destiny as Phoenix*. She played the third female lead and somehow stumbled into some dumb luck, getting nominated for Best Supporting Actress alongside Sophie Grant.’

’Don’t tell me Connie pulled some strings behind the scenes.’

As Kiara was silently fuming, her agent leaned in and whispered, "You’re wearing makeup, aren’t you?"

Kiara looked up, a flash of guilt in her eyes. "No! I’m bare-faced!"

Rowe frowned, studying her face skeptically. "Really?"

He even reached out and touched her cheek. Sure enough, there was no foundation.

His confidence grew. ’If this is what Kiara looks like bare-faced, she’s definitely not any worse than Lily. In fact, her complexion looks much healthier.’

Seeing that her agent believed her, Kiara let a smug smile play on her lips.

’She knew these clueless guys could never spot her ’no-makeup’ makeup. Director Alan wouldn’t be able to, either.’

’Never underestimate a woman’s makeup skills.’

’Most importantly, she could never show her completely bare face to anyone. Nobody would even recognize her.’

’Even Connie had stared blankly for two seconds when she saw Lily without makeup.’

’If it were her, her agent would probably just ask, "Who are you?"’

"The director’s here!"

Just then, Rowe spotted Director Alan walking toward them from a distance, dressed in a bathrobe and holding a cup of coffee. He was the first to jump to his feet.

The others saw him and stood up as well.

Director Alan was in his fifties. He almost never made a bad film and had won major awards at film festivals both in China and internationally.

He only worked with top-tier actors who had both status and skill. Any newcomer lucky enough to get an opportunity with him was guaranteed to make a name for themselves in the film world.

This was the first time Lily Sterling had seen Director Alan in person, and he was the most influential figure in the film industry she had met since her career began.

Alan had a slim build. His salt-and-pepper hair was styled in a casual, loose manner.

He broke into a friendly smile as soon as he saw them from a distance. His eyes crinkled, the deep crow’s feet at their corners revealing a man who smiled often.

"Don’t be so formal. Please, sit down." As he approached, Alan gestured for them to sit. He casually picked a spot and plopped down naturally.

Seeing this, everyone sat down as well.

Noticing that Alan only had a cup of coffee, Rowe instinctively asked, "Director, aren’t you having anything to eat? Just coffee?"

Alan smiled. "I don’t like to discuss work while I’m eating. I’ll eat after I’ve finished with the auditions."

He leaned back casually on the sofa, and his gaze landed on Lily Sterling, who was sitting relatively close to him. He gave her a brief glance and said, "Lily Sterling, is it? You have a great look. I tried to imagine what you’d look like without makeup based on your stills, but you’re even better in person."

As he spoke, he gestured toward her jawline. "Especially the lines of your face here. They’re so smooth, and the curve is gentle. It will look fantastic on the big screen."

Lily was still completely dazed. She never expected Director Alan to glance at her once and immediately launch into a string of compliments.

"Thank you, Director," she said, nodding instinctively to thank him for his praise.

The director then changed the subject. "You’ve read the script, haven’t you?"

"I have. I’ve read it several times," Lily replied quickly.

"This script is a bit unusual. It’s about a group of people on the fringes of society. There are a lot of running scenes, as well as scenes that require a lot of physical exertion. How’s your stamina?"

Lily was momentarily at a loss for words. She didn’t know what Director Alan’s standard for "good stamina" was.

But on second thought, she added, "I filmed a movie in the mountains about human trafficking that had a lot of escape scenes. I can run. I can run over a whole mountain pass without stopping!"

Her answer made the director laugh, a satisfied smile on his face. "As long as you can handle a tough shoot, that’s what matters. The reason I don’t like using newcomers is that kids these days can’t take any hardship. They need a stunt double just for simple wirework. It’s so uninspired."

"Connie." Director Alan suddenly turned to her and said with a smile, "You’ve still got a great eye for talent. This newcomer you’ve picked is genuinely good."

"Thank you for giving her this chance. Lily is still in the middle of filming. She rushed over here overnight."

Facing Director Alan, Connie’s tone grew instinctively respectful. "Please, ask anything else you’d like to know. It’s such a rare opportunity to meet with you. Any guidance you could offer her would be invaluable."

"Oh, please don’t say that. The last thing I want to do is lecture the younger generation. I’ve found that the moment you start lecturing, people think you’re getting old. Can’t have that."

Director Alan smiled and waved his hand dismissively, but he was inwardly impressed by the completely bare-faced Lily Sterling before him.

Based on nothing else but her overall appearance without makeup, the experienced director could tell with a single glance that she would be stunning on the big screen.

Then, Director Alan’s gaze shifted to Kiara Holden.

Feeling his eyes on her, Kiara’s face lit up with anticipation, and she instantly straightened her posture.

Only for Director Alan to blurt out, "You’re wearing makeup, aren’t you?"