Chapter Thirty-Three: Group Stage

"Perfect!" the stylist exclaimed with a smug tone.

Sheng Jiaoyang opened her eyes and was immediately struck by her new hairstyle in the mirror. Her

layered, choppy hair was shorter than before, the previously demure bangs were gone, and her hair was parted in a two-eight split. The color gradiented from dark gray to silver-gray, with a few strands falling across her forehead, the tips just reaching her eyebrows. The entire hairstyle was cleaner and more sophisticated than before, exuding an indescribable coolness.

Her skin was fair and delicate, and thanks to exercise, it had become firmer, making her face appear thinner. The stylish silver hair accentuated her features, adding a touch of masculinity.

"How is it?" the stylist asked.

Sheng Jiaoyang gave the stylist a thumbs-up.

"Go change your clothes quickly and come back for the makeup artist to do your makeup." Because Sheng Jiaoyang had previously spoken up for Qi Hua's stylist, this stylist had a good impression of her.

"Thank you for your hard work," Sheng Jiaoyang smiled.

The stylist, a young man in his early twenties, blushed at the smile and quickly pretended to tidy up his toolbox to hide his excitement.

Sheng Jiaoyang glanced at the other contestants still getting their hair done in the makeup room, then went to the adjacent dressing room to change into the clothes chosen by the stylist. He then returned to the makeup artist for a look that emphasized his features: sharply angled eyebrows, a straight nose, delicate eye makeup, nude lips…

incredibly handsome!

And in a way that blurred the lines between genders!

When Sheng Jiaoyang walked into the waiting room outside the studio, it was like a stone thrown into water, creating ripples.

Wang Wei, who had a bob haircut that wasn't bleached, was already sitting in the waiting room, having already finished her photoshoot. Because her phone had been confiscated again, she was chatting with another contestant from her group when she suddenly saw Sheng Jiaoyang walk in, and she was stunned.

"Wow, Jiaojiao, you're so handsome it's unbelievable!"

Wang Wei jumped up from the sofa, circled around Sheng Jiaoyang, and asked curiously, "Is the stylist a relative of yours? Look at Qin Yan's short hair, it looks like an explosive lion's mane."

Sheng Jiaoyang really wanted to remind Wang Wei, "Honey, look at the faces of the people you've mentioned! Now you're really going to lose all your friends."

"Hmph! What's so good about her? She looks like an old woman." A voice rang out, completely ruining the atmosphere.

Needless to say, the person who dared to express her true feelings so unabashedly was Qi Hua. She was now completely resigned to her fate; everyone knew what kind of person she was, and she didn't necessarily have to be a model, so she had no intention of tolerating it.

"Jiaojiao, let's go into the studio!" Wang Wei urged.

Sheng Jiaoyang glanced at the disdainful Qi Hua and went into the studio.

Inside the studio, Dawei, the photographer for the national supermodel, was looking at photos on the computer, while Zhuo Yiyan stood beside him, pointing at the screen and talking to Dawei. Seeing Sheng Jiaoyang walk in, both of them straightened up.

"Jiaojiao, you look really cool today!" Zhuo Yiyan praised with a smile.

"I think so too," Sheng Jiaoyang said.

"We've already photographed several people, but I think you're the most eye-catching one I've seen," Dawei also complimented.

"Thank you!"

"Okay, stand in the middle. We don't have a theme for today's shoot, so feel free to improvise."

Sheng Jiaoyang nodded and walked to the designated position in front of the camera.

Today she was wearing a silver-gray wrinkled t-shirt and ripped jeans, her hands in her pockets, standing there with a touch of carefree laziness, handsome to the point of being irresistible to both men and women.

She didn't change her poses much, and her gazes were limited, but Dawei quickly said, "Got it." Here, "Got it" meant that they already had some great photos.

"Alright, you can go out and rest now," Zhuo Yiyan said.

After Sheng Jiaoyang left, Dawei looked at a set of photos on the computer and said, "I thought Xu Jiaojiao was quite easy to work with during the previous shoot, but today she feels exceptionally different, with more of her own personality."

"This hairstyle suits her well. Although she had short hair before, the change is really significant compared to now." Zhuo Yiyan looked at the 360° flawless beauty in the photos and was deeply impressed. "

Her physical condition is only average in the supermodel industry. After all, there are many female supermodels over 1.8 meters tall, but her temperament is indeed good, and her eyes are particularly expressive. She can easily get good photos without posing."

"Yeah, I agree."

Another contestant came in, and the two stopped talking about this topic. After

each contestant finished taking photos in the studio, Zhuo Yiyan came out and asked, "Is anyone seasick?"

"No." "Me neither." The contestants responded one after another.

"I don't know if I get seasick or not. I've never been on a boat before." Wang Wei said weakly.

Sheng Jiaoyang glanced at Wang Wei.

"Teacher Zhuo, are we going out to sea?" a contestant asked curiously.

Zhuo Yiyan smiled mysteriously again.

The contestants' hearts skipped a beat, sensing something was wrong.

"Jiaojiao, do you remember when we were choosing clothes for the carnival? Teacher Zhuo smiled like that, and what happened? He sent us to the wholesale market. I really can't imagine what we're going to face this time." Wang Wei pulled Sheng Jiaoyang, her face full of worry.

Luo Yi also came over and asked, "Jiaojiao, what do you think Teacher Zhuo will take us to do?" Given Sheng Jiaoyang's ability to guess correctly before, she wanted to find out first.

“I’m not a producer on the show, how would I know what will happen next?” Sheng Jiaoyang shrugged. “Things will work themselves out, why think so much!”

After changing back into their own clothes and having lunch, they boarded the show’s bus and returned to the Supermodel House. The fifteen eliminated contestants were no longer in the villa; half the people were gone, and everyone felt a little out of place.

Previously, three, four, or even more people had to squeeze into one room, but now almost everyone had a bed. To be fair, everyone drew lots again for their beds.

Compared to her bad luck drawing a makeshift bed on the floor the first time, Sheng Jiaoyang’s luck turned around this time, and she was very fortunate to draw the only single room.

Amidst everyone’s envious gazes, Sheng Jiaoyang carried her luggage to her room. From now on, she was someone who could have a bedroom all to herself.

After the contestants had settled their luggage, Zhuo Yiyan took everyone to the beach.

It was only a little past three in the afternoon, and the sun was shining brightly. Some contestants were already lamenting their irritated skin.

Upon reaching the beach, everyone noticed that it had been prepared. Two sunshades were set up, fifty meters apart. One of the sunshades was covered by curtains, obscuring its contents.

Three life rings were placed inside the other sunshade.

They also saw a yacht anchored about ten meters offshore, displaying a banner for "Supermodel Nation," and several jet skis leisurely cruising nearby.

Even the slowest-witted person wouldn't realize they were there for fun; it was obvious something bad was about to happen.

Sure enough, upon arrival, Zhuo Yiyan once again flashed his signature smile, a smile that signified hardship.

"Girls," he announced, "we're going to have a group stage match here. The winning group will advance."