Chapter 114: Envy and Motivation

Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Envy and Motivation

Irene had just stepped out of the bathroom when Vera, who was waiting at the door, pushed her into the walk-in closet.

As soon as she put on the velvet long dress, a stylist came over with a measuring tape to size her up.

"The shoulder width is just right. We need to take in the waist by 1 centimeter, and adjust the slit on the skirt up by 2 centimeters so it’s easier to walk."

Another stylist was kneeling on the floor, helping her pair it with silver high heels.

"This is a classic pair from Chanel. The 7-centimeter heel will make you look taller without being too tiring, and your feet won’t hurt even after walking the red carpet for a long time."

Just after trying on a Dior haute couture piece, Vera walked in with a white lace long dress from Burberry.

"Try this one too! It’s a best-seller among mid-range brands. The lace pattern is incredibly delicate, and many actresses have been wearing it on red carpets lately. However, we can pair it with a pearl belt to add some uniqueness and avoid matching outfits with others."

Irene looked at her and immediately put on a pitiful expression, hoping Vera would go easy on her. "But I don’t like lace."

"It’s just to try it on, not to make you choose it," Vera replied, completely ignoring her boss’s preferences at the moment.

Irene sighed and began to change clothes again.

The neckline of the lace dress was quite low, so the stylist specially paired it with a thin pearl necklace, creating an elegant curve around her neck.

"It’s pretty, I’ll admit," Irene said, turning in front of the mirror, "but this lace is too form-fitting. If I accidentally brush against something at the awards ceremony, it’s bound to snag."

"Don’t worry, we brought spare lace patches, so if it snags, we can repair it on the spot," one stylist said with a smile.

Irene sighed. Then, Vera handed over a green satin long dress from YSL. "This one is made of eco-friendly materials. The color is very flattering for your skin tone, and the skirt is quite full, which will look great in photos, especially full-body shots."

Just like that, from ten in the morning until three in the afternoon, Irene barely stopped.

After trying on the Dior velvet dress, she tried the Versace sequin dress. Just after taking off the Burberry lace dress, she changed into a pink tulle dress from CK. She tried on seven or eight pairs of high heels, and accessories like necklaces, earrings, and bracelets piled up on a table.

By the end, she barely had the energy to lift her arms. Leaning on the sofa in the walk-in closet, she watched the styling team excitedly discussing and couldn’t help but complain,

"You call this choosing a dress? This is practically physical training. It’s more tiring than filming for a day."

Vera handed her an iced coffee and said with a smile, "Hang in there, only the last three sets left! These three are all haute couture from top-tier brands. We have to try them."

She pointed to a red tweed jacket from Versace. "This is the latest model. Paired with matching black wide-leg trousers, it’s capable and stylish, perfect for someone behind the scenes like you—it won’t look too flashy."

After finishing her coffee, Irene gathered her strength to try it on.

The texture of the red tweed jacket was excellent, and the wide-leg trousers had a strong drape. Once she put them on, she looked exceptionally spirited.

She nodded at the mirror. "This one is nice, and pants are more convenient than skirts. If I need to walk around or go on stage to accept an award at the ceremony, I won’t feel restricted."

Vera immediately made a note. "This one is tentatively on the shortlist! Two more to go: the Dior blue tulle dress and the Versace black mermaid dress. Once those are done, we’re finished."

By the time she finished trying on the last sequin dress, it was past four in the afternoon.

Irene slumped on the sofa in the living room, watching the styling team organize the fitting records. Every outfit had been photographed and printed out, and everyone was gathered around discussing which one was better.

After Irene rested for half an hour to catch her breath, Vera walked over, sat beside her, and handed her a list.

"We’ve initially selected 6 candidates: 3 top-tier haute couture—red tweed suit, black velvet long dress, black mermaid dress—and 3 mid-range brands—white lace dress, green satin dress, pink tulle dress.

The accessories and shoes have also been matched. Come back next week to try the modified versions, and we can finalize the choices."

Irene took the list and the photos, looking at the dense records. "Remove the white lace dress. The dress is beautiful, but I feel completely uncomfortable in it."

Vera wanted to argue for it, as the dress had received a top-three score among them.

But seeing Irene’s serious attitude, she said, "All right, I’ll listen to you."

"It’s a good thing I have you all, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to handle this alone. By the way, what about Loren? Does he need to choose a suit separately?"

"Don’t worry, I’ve already contacted him. He’s going to try on his custom suit tomorrow. He’ll take photos and send them to you so you can coordinate the colors."

Irene couldn’t help but smile at the mention of Loren.

The fitting work concluded, and the staff left the villa one after another. Just as Irene wanted to lean back on the sofa to rest a bit more, her peripheral vision caught sight of Vivian standing in the corner of the living room.

The girl’s gaze was involuntarily drawn to the Burberry lace dress on the hanger by the cabinet, her eyes filled with envy.

During the fitting earlier, she had stood quietly to the side, helping the styling team pass accessories and helping Irene arrange the skirts, yet she had never said a word about "liking" anything.

Irene certainly recognized that look, and she knew very well the weight these clothes held in the hearts of young girls.

When she was lying on her hospital bed in her previous life, she had also dreamed of wearing these fine clothes and being envied by others.

Looking at her "wanting to get close but feeling shy" demeanor, Irene couldn’t help but smile and beckoned to her. "Vivian, come over and sit for a while. Don’t just stand there."

Vivian was startled, quickly withdrew her gaze, and walked quickly to the sofa to sit down.

Irene pointed to the white lace dress draped nearby. "I saw you staring at this dress the whole time while you were helping me with the hem earlier. Do you think it’s beautiful?"

Vivian’s face flushed instantly, and she quickly lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s. "I... I just thought the lace pattern was exquisite, I didn’t mean anything else."

In truth, she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off this Burberry lace dress from the moment she first saw it, secretly thinking to herself, It would be nice if I could wear a dress like this just once.

But even though she was Irene’s classmate, such a thought was too presumptuous. Besides, she was already lucky enough to be able to join the crew of The Italian Job to learn, which was already much better than her other classmates.

Irene gently patted Vivian’s shoulder, her tone very gentle. "It’s normal to like these things. Beautiful clothes, glamorous occasions—who wouldn’t envy them?"

Vivian looked up and met Irene’s gentle gaze.

Irene continued

"Don’t think that envy is something shameful. When you become a director in the future and create your own work, brands will naturally come to you, and there will be styling teams to tailor your image.

It’s not because these external things are so great, but because you yourself are outstanding enough to be worth adorning with them."