The Greatest Showman #719 - Magic Height 1 Zhang

"No, you're overdoing it!" Jennifer exclaimed, her eyes wide. She waved her hands as though trying to fan away Donald's actions. "Art, you know? Makeup is art too." Her dramatic tone and expressive gestures gave her words an almost mime-like quality, as she circled Renly's face. "This is the paintbrush. We're painting! It's no joke, we're serious."

Alexander leaned in, studying their "work," and muttered, "Brows. He needs thicker, deeper brows, the charcoal ones."

Paul involuntarily tilted his head, trying to see things from Alexander's perspective. Then he caught himself, realizing, "What am I doing? Why am I going along with this?" But he soon realized he wasn't the only one—everyone had gathered around, craning their necks to inspect Renly from every angle.

Then, a hand stretched out—Donald's hand. He grabbed the eyebrow pencil and carefully began to draw on Renly's brows. After just a few strokes, Kaya and Jennifer protested, "What are you doing?" Even Paul and Jennifer couldn't help but laugh.

Renly's eyebrows had once been sharp and defined like unsheathed swords, effortlessly framing his face with handsome precision. But now, Donald, with the skill of a toddler, had turned them into squirming caterpillars. It was awful. Paul bit his lower lip, trying to stifle his laughter, but it was almost impossible. His abs were sore from trying to keep his composure.

Jennifer reached out, tracing Renly's brows with her fingers. "This way, this way, you want it like this," she explained with gestures. Donald, confused, handed her the eyebrow pencil.

Jennifer took it, looked up at Donald, and started to explain again, but before she could finish, the eyebrow pencil flew out of her hand, smearing Renly's forehead. It fell with a faint "clink" not far away.

In an instant, everyone froze, stunned into silence. They all stared at Renly, who remained still. Then, with a rush, Jennifer was the first to bolt, followed by the others, scattering in different directions, trying to stifle their laughter as they glanced at the still-sleeping Renly. Eli and Paul, still frozen, could hardly believe what had just happened.

Paul's eyes were wide, his body stiff. He stood there, like a statue, unsure of what to do. Before he could react, he saw Renly slowly open his eyes.

"Oh no," Paul thought, his muscles seizing up in terror.

After the excitement of the prank, the reality of the situation began to sink in. They were all starting to regret their actions. Jennifer, Rami, and Alexander especially felt the tension. They had all witnessed Renly's well-mannered and composed demeanor—his calmness and charm were unmistakable. It was hard to imagine what the consequences might be for a prank like this.

"Hey, good morning," Renly said groggily, his voice husky and tired. His exhaustion was evident, and he still sounded deep in sleep.

Paul froze, not sure how to respond. His mind raced, but his mouth couldn't keep up. "Hey, good morning," he muttered, unsure of whether he should tell Renly the truth or try to cover up the mess. Should he suggest Renly sleep longer? Or just make an excuse to leave?

"When did you arrive?" Renly asked, eyes still closed. "I didn't hear you come in last night."

"Late night," Paul answered, trying to sound casual.

Renly chuckled. "Late night? Well, you're definitely not getting enough sleep. Are you alright? And what's the time back in Los Angeles?"

Paul laughed nervously. He could feel Jennifer signaling for him to get out of there, and he nodded instinctively. "I'll go... try the fitting," he stammered. "Once everything's ready, you'll have a chance to rest."

The awkwardness of the moment was palpable. Paul's voice was dry, betraying his nervousness, but Renly, still half-asleep, didn't seem to notice. Renly gave a small "hm" and didn't say anything more.

Paul waited a moment longer, hoping Renly would speak again, but when nothing happened, he moved away. He walked toward Jennifer, but she waved her hands frantically, signaling for him to get away from the danger zone.

Confused, Paul stopped, turned around, and saw Donald peeking out from behind some crates, while Kaya hid behind the makeup artist. Alexander sat in a chair, pretending to be nonchalant, though his tense muscles suggested he was ready to run. Rami, on the other hand, stood in the middle of the room, acting deep in thought as if he were contemplating the meaning of life.

Paul instinctively moved toward Rami.

"Drink!" Jennifer suddenly shouted, but before anyone could react, Donald called out, "Renly!" His voice was loud enough to shatter the silence, causing everyone to look at each other nervously, stealing glances at Renly.

Paul, too, was glancing nervously toward Renly. His mind was racing, thinking, "What am I doing? Why did I get involved in this prank?"

He turned to see Renly sitting up, eyes wide open, staring at the mirror. The absurdity of the situation hit everyone like a punch to the gut. The makeup that had turned Renly into a clown was now undeniable. His thick caterpillar brows, colorful blush, exaggerated lipstick, and disheveled beard, combined with his smeared "panda nose," made him look like a tragicomic figure.

Paul squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stifle the laughter rising in his chest. It was painful to hold it in, and his heart pounded as he turned to look at Jennifer. She, too, had her hand over her eyes, trying not to laugh, though the smile tugging at her lips gave her away.

Donald, perhaps emboldened by his earlier behavior, called out again, "Renly!" But as soon as the words left his mouth, he turned and swiftly walked away, leaving the rest of the group scrambling for cover. Alexander, ever the actor, pretended to stretch and muttered something about going to the bathroom, quickly exiting the room.

But Jennifer, ever the bold one, didn't run away. Instead, she stepped forward and said, "Renly? Jesus Christ! What the hell happened to you? God, this is a bloody mess!" She feigned concern, her face twisted in worry, though the hint of a smile still lingered.

Everyone gave Jennifer a scornful look, as if to say, "We see what you're doing."

Just when everyone thought Renly might explode in anger, he shrugged. "It's nothing. I just took a nap. There are some red marks on my face. I'll have the makeup artist cover it up." His calmness stunned everyone into silence. Even Jennifer was caught off guard.

Wait, did Renly not see the clown makeup? Did he not realize what they had done?

Renly stood up and stretched his neck and back. "How are the preparations going? The props team told me we need to do another fitting. Have you all done yours?"

His calm demeanor only made Jennifer more nervous. She stumbled over her words, unsure of how to handle the situation. "Uh...no, we haven't been notified yet... Renly, are you okay?" Jennifer finally blurted out, unable to hold it back any longer. "Your face...?"

Renly raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.

"Your face is covered in heavy makeup," Jennifer blurted, unable to keep the truth hidden.

Renly shrugged. "So what?" He said, unbothered by the situation. His composure left everyone speechless.