If he wanted to keep a firm grip on those old lechers' hearts, software alone wasn't enough. He needed hardware, too.
Clothes, accessories, even makeup and hairstyles were all crucial to a beauty influencer.
The musicians of the Cloud Sound Workshop were beautiful, but if they put a little more effort into their outfits and makeup, their charm would multiply.
The designs Lu Ye had provided earlier were drawn from memories of his previous life.
He hadn't dumped every design on the tailor at once. He first picked out a few that suited Liu Ruyan and Shen Qilan. Along with the clothes, he drew hairstyles and earrings, so they wouldn't change their entire outfits only to casually twist their hair up and call it done.
Master He wasn't an immortal who could conjure clothes out of thin air. Measuring, cutting, fittings-he hadn't skipped a single step. He finished the garments in two days, then altered them twice more. By the time he brought them out today, the stitching had long since been neatly finished.
Shen Qilan first hung the outfits beside the screen and let the camera pan over them one by one.
"Master Lu, did you specially design all of these?"
"Of course. I drew every one of them myself."
"What kind of outfit is this? It looks a little strange."
She pointed at the combination of a short jacket and a narrow skirt, smiling meaningfully.
"That's called business attire."
"And 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.
"Then which one would you like to see me wear, Master Lu?"
"Ahem, any of them, any of them. But the key is these."
Lu Ye pointed to the sheer stockings lying off to one side in the picture.
They had been altered from ready-made soft dance stockings. The color and thickness had both been tested; they couldn't automatically change length, nor were they soul tool armor that could block blades.
But the camera didn't need them to block blades.
Master He had adjusted the original design so they hugged the legs without being stiff and tight. Paired with the skirts and heeled shoes, they brought out the lines of the legs just right.
Shen Qilan picked them up and smoothed them out.
"Master He also asked whether, if these prove popular, he could make more for you in the future."
"Why not?"
Lu Ye's eyes lit up.
"Why don't you just open a women's clothing store? Sell the clothes in the display window. I don't think sales would be bad, given how many female Soul Masters there are."
The moment he said it, Shen Qilan's eyes lit up.
"An excellent idea, Master Lu. That really would be good business."
She had only thought of making the girls look pretty so they could earn more applause onstage. But if people on their phones were asking where to buy the clothes too, why only let them look, instead of selling the clothes to them as well?
Lu Ye didn't rush to swallow the whole business in one bite.
First, they would have Master He record the sizes, materials, and workmanship for the current designs clearly, then discuss how many to make. Clothes could go in the small-item display window, but a compliment on how they looked couldn't guarantee they would fit.
Shen Qilan knew more about these matters than he did. As soon as she heard him, she knew how to discuss them with 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 walked into the frame.
She had changed into a close-fitting dark dress, neatly drawn in at the waist, its skirt swaying gently with her steps. In black sheer stockings, her legs looked even longer than before. Her heels made a soft sound against the wooden floor, yet they drew the eye all the same.
Her hair was swept 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 just so into her eyes.
Lu Ye's hand stopped with the teacup raised.
When he had drawn the design, he had of course known roughly what it would look like.
But seeing it actually worn by the woman before him, seeing her lift her eyes with a smile, was another matter altogether.
Someone nearby laughed softly.
Liu Ruyan heard it too, but she didn't retreat. Instead, she picked up a round fan and turned halfway around to the rhythm she had 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."
There were no unnecessary comments, and he didn't force a serious expression as though he were inspecting goods.
Beautiful was beautiful.
Liu Ruyan's smile deepened, and she was about to speak when Shen Qilan's voice came from the side.
"What about my outfit, then?"
The camera shifted, and Shen Qilan walked over too, dressed in a new outfit with her hair coiled at the back of her head.
Unlike Liu Ruyan, her features had a mature air, and as she approached, her smile carried a deliberate hint of teasing. Worn on her, the outfit brought to life all the indescribable allure that had been on the page.
Lu Ye looked at her twice and suddenly felt that the distance between them on this call wasn't entirely a bad thing.
At least she couldn't pursue him in person and ask where he had looked first.
But Shen Qilan wasn't going to let him off so easily.
"Weren't you quite good with words when you were teaching us how to compliment people just now?"
Lu Ye cleared his throat.
"If I say it now, you'll think it's another lesson."
The whole room burst out laughing.
He laughed along with them, then looked over the picture and pointed to a somewhat dim spot beside Liu Ruyan.
"Right, the backgrounds in your videos are all too dark. Do you have anything that gives off light? You can put it beside you when you film to add some light."
"It's still a little dim here. Put the lamp to the side, not pointing straight at the camera."
Shen Qilan had already had two lamps prepared. She moved one and had someone use a light-colored screen to block some of the light on the other side.
The light no longer fell harshly on their faces, but their features and the fabric were clearer.
As he spoke, Lu Ye took another look 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 been wasted.
But Shen Qilan pointed to the newly positioned lamp. "Let's use this one first. If it's enough, we can leave it at that."
"It's enough."
Lu Ye nodded and told her to leave the lamp where it was. As soon as someone walked into the frame, their face was illuminated; there was no need to keep moving it around.
Once they had finished filming the last test segment, he finally settled on the official time.
"Ruyan, go film a video first and tell your fans that you're going to livestream tonight. Remember to change into something a little prettier for the video."
Liu Ruyan looked down at herself, then raised her eyes with a smile.
"This outfit?"
"That outfit."
Tonight would be her first official talent livestream, not a call like the one just now or the demonstration lesson from before.
Shen Qilan immediately called the musicians to get ready. Liu Ruyan stood by the window again and clearly stated the time and the first song she would sing.
After filming it once, she listened to it herself, then did it again.
This time she didn't speak too quickly.
Lu Ye watched the finished video before replying that it was good.
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 squeeze out from between fallen branches. Its front paws couldn't reach the edge, and it kicked its hind legs anxiously. An adult beast stood beside it, lowering its head several times before finally nudging it into a shallower spot.
The camera didn't follow and frighten them, but stayed quietly at a distance.
Bi Ji had filmed it herself.
She had deleted the part at the beginning where she had pressed the wrong button, and the rest showed neither the lake area nor the person filming. She posted it using the method Xiao Wu had taught her, and before long, someone asked in the comments whether the little creature had made it out.
Bi Ji glanced at the little thing, which had already run far away, and replied earnestly that it had.
Elsewhere, Er Ming had pulled up the video he had filmed of the cat and dog facing off again.
He no longer just looked at the hearts; he also checked exactly which comments had started arguments. Some praised how fierce the cat had been at the start, while others laughed at them for rushing to speak before watching the rest. Er Ming enjoyed reading it, but he was in no hurry to step forward and say he had been right there.
Let them guess.
They could guess all they wanted, but wasn't he still the one who knew best?
Xiong Jun stood nearby, looking at them 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 posted.
At the bottom of the lake, the phone that had first been borrowed from Er Ming was still lit up as well.
The Silver Dragon King did not show her appearance publicly or leave the place where she was recovering. She merely turned the camera around and captured a short stretch of silvery light and shadow nearby.
After filming it, she watched it again.
She could see the lively world far away.
But for now, she had no intention of showing anyone this little thing that belonged to her.
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 again whether he had come to pick her up. She only told him that she had let her family know she was safe that morning.
Lu Ye nodded. He didn't praise her for doing something she should have done herself in the first place.
"I'll be staying in Soto for another two days. There's business 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-is she livestreaming tonight?"
Lu Ye looked at her.
"You saw it too?"
"Xiao Wu saw the new outfit and called me over to watch. She also said the hairstyle was pretty."
The corners of Lu Ye's mouth rose involuntarily.
Some people wanted to see powerful figures, some wanted to see pretty girls, and some only cared about the shoes and the clothes.
Yet it was all the same video.
He said his goodbyes and headed back to the city. When he reached the outskirts of the village, he took out his phone and looked.
People were already asking for the exact time under Liu Ruyan's announcement.
The most familiar name was among them too.
Gu Zheng.
And in a small courtyard far away in Heaven Dou City, Gu Zheng had already moved everything he had to do tonight to an earlier time.
His sword had been polished, his meal eaten, and he had even completed a round of cultivation ahead of time.
He sat upright at the table, staring at the newly posted announcement, looking from her clothes to her face before watching it again from the beginning.
It was just one livestream.
He could continue cultivating after watching it. Surely it wouldn't take up much time.