The Trending Topic Herself: The Villainess is the Superstar!-Chapter 142: Barefaced and Stunning

Maya retorted, "Who divides age groups when it comes to eating snacks? You have French and Japanese cuisine every meal, so you wouldn’t know that the most delicious thing in the world is actually spicy strips!"

"Ryan, you’re really getting old. What young person today doesn’t eat snacks?"

Ryan choked a bit. Since when did Maya learn to use age to poke fun at him?

The makeup artist applied foundation on Maya, then stared at her face, falling into silence.

Ryan, puzzled next to them, asked, "Why aren’t you continuing? Move to the next step after the foundation."

Maya coughed twice, not pretending this time; she genuinely disliked all the powders and creams.

The makeup artist, with a complex expression, turned slightly: "Ryan, do you think there’s anything wrong with Maya’s face?"

Ryan examined Maya through his glasses for a while: "I don’t really understand all this beauty stuff, I can’t tell what’s wrong. Is there something wrong with Maya’s face?"

"Actually, I’ve only applied foundation on half of Maya’s face, but now it looks like none was applied at all because there’s almost no difference between the two sides. The purpose of foundation is mainly to brighten the complexion and cover up blemishes, but it seems Maya’s skin is in such good condition that none of it’s necessary."

Ryan frowned: "So you’re saying..."

Maya used to wear smokey makeup, but lately, she’s gotten lazy and hasn’t applied it anymore. Ryan only half-understood this.

"In my opinion, Maya’s face is already perfect and really doesn’t need excessive embellishment. From my standpoint, unless there’s a specific style required, her current state is the most natural and perfect."

"Her bare face is unbeatable, her natural features are too outstanding. I think over-the-top embellishments aren’t necessary because there’s not a single flaw on her face. A bit more would be too much, a bit less would be too plain..."

Ryan listened with only partial understanding.

"If I really had to nitpick, Maya’s brow ridge is slightly higher, making her look a bit more spirited compared to other actresses. But I think it’s just right, as the defined brow ridge actually balances out the soft allure of her eyes."

"Her face is very beautiful, but not the stereotypical kind of beauty."

It seemed Maya’s face matched the makeup artist’s aesthetic well, making her speak more than usual.

Maya quickly interjected, "So you’re saying I don’t need makeup?"

The makeup artist nodded: "Unless it’s for a red carpet or a specific style, I think it’s great as it is. Honestly, I always thought you wore carefully done makeup before, but... to be honest, in all my years in this industry, I’ve never seen someone with such naturally good features."

Ryan also realized that, no matter what, this was a compliment to his artist being beautiful, so he smiled: "You’re the professional, so let’s go with what you suggest."

Maya not only stopped putting on makeup but also removed what she had initially applied.

Once finished tidying up, Maya sat across from Ryan: "Ryan, even though I didn’t finish putting on makeup, I was cooperative just now. What you said still stands, right?"

Ryan’s gaze lingered on Maya’s face, moving from her soft brows to her naturally red lips, murmuring: "Could it be that I’ve actually struck gold?"

Maya hesitated: "Ryan, why aren’t you saying anything? Are you backing out?"

Ryan snapped back to reality: "It’s all good."

After changing clothes, Maya sat with Ryan on the side. They didn’t chat much; whether or not they had common topics was irrelevant right then as Maya was busy eating snacks.

Ryan glanced around and noticed all the other artists were busy with makeup and styling, with even the male artists applying plenty of powder.

Somehow, he suddenly felt a sense of pride.

Just then, someone moved into view—it was Leo, finished with his styling.

Maya looked up at him briefly: "Weren’t you chatting with Kiki?"

In the storyline, Leo was supposed to be head over heels for Kiki, so why would he come over here?

Leo paused, then quickly regained his composure: "We finished chatting. It was just some small talk anyway."

Maya, sucking on a candy, felt a bit listless about the upcoming variety show and casually said, "Really? I thought you two would talk a bit longer."

Leo didn’t hurry to sit, his eyes narrowing: "Why would you think that?"

Maya frowned, biting into the candy with a crunch.

How could she explain? By saying she actually knew the plot?

The thought just seemed absurd.

"Just a guess."

Ryan chimed in, advising, "Didn’t I tell you not to eat candy like that? Do it again, and I’ll take you straight to the dentist!"

Leo’s expression changed multiple times as he recalled the last incident; he wondered if Maya got the wrong idea.

This matter kept cropping up in his mind, almost becoming an obsession.

"Maya, you must have misunderstood something. There’s nothing between me and Kiki, not now, not ever."

Maya’s swallowing motion paused as she frowned: "You don’t like her?"

"Of course not." He answered without a hint of hesitation.

What was going on? Why did it seem the plot slowed down once she arrived? She distinctly remembered at this point, Leo should have taken a liking to Kiki, not avoiding her.

Maya pondered, thinking she should speed up the plot development.

Hastily swallowing the candy, she cast away her lazy demeanor and, with the tone of someone experienced, advised, "Never be so certain about anything. Are you so sure you won’t like her in the future? Being stubborn won’t end well. You’re just like..."

She initially wanted to find a fitting metaphor to embellish her point, not to show off her wit, but at least so Leo could understand better.

However, perhaps she was a true literary novice; she lacked any natural talent in this area, and despite thinking it over, she couldn’t find a suitable term.

In the end, she could only cough awkwardly twice, feigning profundity: "I’ve said my piece; it’s up to you what you’ll make of it."

With that, she spread her hands as if posing pretentiously.

Having resolved to give Leo a nudge, Maya’s demeanor shifted after voicing her advice.

Ryan was bewildered as he watched from the side.

On the other hand, Leo’s face darkened, his eyes deep and unreadable, his lips pinching together but saying nothing.

Maya, unwilling for her long lecture to go ignored, asked, "Did you understand, Leo?"

Leo lowered his head slightly, hiding his expression: "I get it."

Maya felt sincere relief, instinctively wanting to pat him on the shoulder like an elder. However, realizing Leo was standing and the height wasn’t right, she simply retracted her hand.