To hold those old perverts firmly in their thrall, soft assets alone weren't enough. They needed hard assets too.
Clothes, accessories, makeup, and hairstyles were all crucial to a beauty influencer.
The musicians of Cloud Sound Workshop were beautiful, but if they put a little more effort into coordinating their clothes and makeup, their charm would multiply.
The designs Lu Ye had given them earlier were drawn from memories of his previous life.
He hadn't dumped every design on the tailor at once, choosing a few outfits suited to Liu Ruyan and Shen Qilan first. Along with the clothes, he'd drawn hairstyles and earrings, so they wouldn't change their entire outfits only to settle for casually pinning up their hair as usual.
Shen Qilan hung the outfits beside the screen first, letting the camera pan across them one by one.
"Young Master Lu, did you design all of these especially for us?"
"Of course. I drew them all myself."
"What kind of outfit is this? It looks a little strange."
She pointed at the short jacket and narrow skirt, a knowing smile on her face.
"It's called office wear."
"Then what about this one?"
"There's no need for that one yet. Save it to go with another song later."
Shen Qilan looked them all over, then suddenly leaned closer to the camera.
"Which one would you like me to wear, Young Master Lu?"
"Ahem, any of them, any of them. But the key is these."
Lu Ye pointed at the sheer stockings set to one side in the picture.
They had been adapted from soft dance stockings already on hand. Their color and thickness had both been tested. They couldn't change length on their own, nor were they soul-tool protective gear that could stop blades.
But they didn't need to stop blades for the camera.
Master He had adjusted the original design so they hugged the legs without clinging stiffly. Paired with skirts and heeled shoes, they brought out the lines of the legs perfectly.
Shen Qilan picked them up and smoothed them out.
"Master He also asked whether, if these proved popular, he could make more for you later."
"Why couldn't he?"
Lu Ye's eyes lit up.
"Why don't you open a women's clothing shop? Sell the clothes in the shop window. I don't think sales would be too bad, considering there are plenty of female Soul Masters."
Shen Qilan's eyes lit up at once.
"That's a wonderful idea, Young Master Lu. It really would be good business."
She had only thought about how dressing the girls up nicely could earn them more applause onstage. But if people on the phone were also asking where to buy the clothes, why just let them look instead of selling them some while they were at it?
Lu Ye wasn't in a hurry to swallow the whole business in one bite.
First, Master He needed to record the sizes, materials, and workmanship for the current designs before they discussed how many to make. The clothes could go in the small-item shop window, but whether they fit couldn't be settled simply by saying they looked good.
Shen Qilan understood these matters better than he did. As soon as she heard him, she knew how to approach the tailor.
When the others went behind the screen to change, the camera turned toward the empty space by the window.
Lu Ye picked up his tea and waited patiently for a while.
The music started first.
Then Liu Ruyan stepped into the picture.
She had changed into a fitted dark dress, neatly cinched at the waist, its hem swaying gently with her steps. Beneath her sheer black stockings, her legs looked even longer and more slender than before. Her heels made little noise against the wooden floor, yet he couldn't help looking their way.
Her hair was pinned up, with a few loose strands left by her ears.
A pair of small earrings swayed as she raised her head, and the light from the window fell right into her eyes.
Lu Ye's hand, holding his tea, stopped.
When he'd drawn the design, he'd naturally known roughly what it would look like.
But seeing it worn by the person before him, then watching her raise her eyes with a smile, was another matter altogether.
Someone nearby laughed softly.
Liu Ruyan heard it too, but instead of hiding, she picked up a round fan and turned halfway around to the beat she'd practiced.
The fan passed over her eyes and brows, then slowly moved away.
This time, there was no need for a transition at all.
Only after watching did Lu Ye set down his teacup.
"Beautiful."
He offered no extra comments, nor did he force himself to act serious as though he were inspecting goods.
Beautiful was beautiful.
Liu Ruyan's smile deepened, and she was just about to speak when Shen Qilan's voice came from the side.
"What about my outfit?"
The camera shifted, and Shen Qilan walked over in a new outfit, her hair coiled at the back of her head.
Unlike Liu Ruyan, her features had a mature beauty, and as she approached, her smile carried a deliberately teasing air. Worn by her, all the indescribable allure the outfit had possessed on paper seemed to come to life.
Lu Ye took a couple of looks and suddenly felt that the distance between them on this call wasn't entirely a bad thing.
At least she couldn't press him face-to-face about where he'd looked first.
But Shen Qilan wasn't willing to let him off so easily.
"Weren't you so good with words when you taught us how to compliment people?"
Lu Ye cleared his throat.
"If I say anything now, you'll think it's another lesson."
The whole room burst into laughter.
He laughed along, then looked over the picture and pointed to a slightly dark spot beside Liu Ruyan.
"By the way, the backgrounds in your videos are all too dark. Do you have anything that gives off light? You can put it beside you for some fill light when you're filming."
"It's still a little dark here. Put the lamp to the side, not straight at the camera."
Shen Qilan had already had two lamps prepared. She moved one and had someone use a light-colored screen to shield the other side.
The light no longer shone harshly on their faces, yet their features and the fabric of their clothes were clearer.
As Lu Ye spoke, he looked again at the fabric on the screen.
The embroidery had all been hidden in the shadows. No matter how well the clothes were worn, the tailor's work would have gone to waste.
But Shen Qilan pointed at the newly moved lamp and said, "Let's use this one first. We can talk once it's enough."
"That's enough."
Lu Ye nodded and had her leave the lamp where it was. Once someone walked into the picture, their face was lit, so there was no need to keep moving it around.
After the last test recording, he finally settled on the official time.
"Ruyan, go make a video first and tell your fans you're livestreaming tonight. Remember to change into a nicer outfit when you film it."
Liu Ruyan looked down at herself, then raised her eyes with a smile.
"This one?"
"This one."
Tonight's first official talent livestream wasn't the call they'd just had, nor was it the demonstration lesson from before.
Shen Qilan immediately called for the musicians to get ready. Liu Ruyan returned to the window and clearly stated the time and the first song she would sing.
After recording it once, she listened to it herself, then did it again.
This time, she didn't speak too quickly.
Only after watching the finished video did Lu Ye reply that it was good to go.
At the same time, deep in the Star Dou Great Forest, a new post went up as well.
In the video, a young Soul Beast was trying to crawl out from between fallen branches. Its front paws couldn't reach the edge, and it kicked its hind legs frantically. An adult beast stood beside it, lowering its head several times before finally nudging it into a shallower spot.
The camera didn't chase or frighten them, remaining quietly in the distance.
Bi Ji had filmed it herself.
She had deleted the part at the beginning where she'd pressed the wrong button, and the rest showed neither the lake area nor the person filming. She posted it the way Xiao Wu had taught her, and before long, someone asked in the comments whether the little beast had gotten out in the end.
Bi Ji glanced at the little creature, which had already run far away, and carefully replied that it had.
Elsewhere, Er Ming had pulled up his video of the cat and dog facing off again and was reading the new comments.
Xiong Jun stood beside him, looking at the video and then at his own phone.
He didn't think those little beasts were impressive.
But just as he was about to write that none of them could beat him, he saw Bi Ji turn her head.
Xiong Jun's finger stopped, and he silently deleted the words he hadn't yet sent.
At the bottom of the lake, the phone that had first been borrowed from Er Ming was still lit as well.
The Silver Dragon King hadn't revealed her appearance or left the place where she was recovering. She had only turned the camera around and captured a short clip of silvery light and shadows nearby.
After filming it, she watched it again.
She could see the bustling world far away.
But this little thing that belonged to her alone, she didn't intend to show anyone for now.
That evening, Lu Ye went to Shrek again.
Ning Rongrong had recovered and was packing her things. When she saw him, she didn't ask whether he'd come to pick her up again. She only told him that she'd sent word home that morning to let her family know she was safe.
Lu Ye nodded. He didn't praise her for doing something she should have done herself as though it were some great achievement.
"I'll be staying in Soto for two more days. There are matters at the merchant association I need to wrap up. After that, study hard on your own."
"I know."
After answering, she suddenly smiled and asked, "That Liu Ruyan-isn't she livestreaming tonight?"
Lu Ye looked at her.
"You came across it too?"
"Xiao Wu saw the new outfit and called me over to watch with her. She also said the hairstyle was pretty."
The corners of Lu Ye's mouth lifted involuntarily.
Some people wanted to see the strong, some wanted to see pretty girls, and some cared only about the shoes and clothes.
Yet it was all the same video.
He said goodbye and headed back to the city. When he reached the outskirts of the village, he took out his phone and checked it.
People were already asking for the exact time under Liu Ruyan's announcement.
The most familiar name was among them.
Gu Zheng.
And in a small courtyard far away in Heaven Dou City, Gu Zheng had already moved everything he had planned for the evening to an earlier time.
His sword had been wiped clean, his meal eaten, and he'd already completed a round of cultivation ahead of schedule.
He sat upright at the table, staring at the newly posted announcement. He looked from the outfit to her features, then watched it again from the beginning.
It was just one livestream.
After watching it, he could continue cultivating. Surely it wouldn't take up much time.