Chapter 51 Dog Whistle Violence

After waiting on the first floor for nearly an hour, Zhang Cheng slowly walked down from the second floor.

Walking up to Luo Qinglin, Zhang Cheng said with a smile, "Mr. Luo, I'm really sorry to have kept you waiting."

"It's okay. Did you have a good rest, Mr. Zhuang?" Luo Qinglin asked, staring into Zhang Cheng's eyes.

Zhang Cheng glanced down at the floor and answered irrelevantly: "Qu Man was just discharged from the hospital last week and has a busy schedule these days. If she is not in good condition for filming later, I hope you can forgive her."

Zhang Cheng smiled in a flattering manner, with his shoulders always hunched inward and his back slightly hunched. He did not have the shrewd and capable temperament of other star agents at all.

While Zhang Cheng was avoiding looking at him, Luo Qinglin winked at Qin Xiaoxi.

Qin Xiaoxi picked up a glass of water from the bar and handed it to Zhang Cheng, "Hello, Brother Zhang, I'm Qinglin's photography assistant, you can just call me Xiao Qin."

Zhang Cheng was a little surprised to be suddenly addressed. He was stunned for a moment before taking the water. "Thank you, Miss Qin."

Qin Xiaoxi looked out the door and asked the moment Zhang Cheng drank the water, "Brother Zhang, why don't I see Mr. Zhuang and Miss Qu's assistant?"

"Cough, cough, cough," Zhang Cheng coughed a few times after choking on the water, and explained, "My assistant resigned last month, so I've been in charge of the schedule during this period."

"Ms. Qu..."

"Mr. Luo, let's start shooting soon. Qu Man has other schedules to attend to in the evening."

Luo Qinglin wanted to ask about Qu Man's condition, but was suddenly interrupted by Zhang Cheng.

As soon as Zhang Cheng finished speaking, he walked towards the stairs by himself, as if he didn't want to talk about other irrelevant things.

Luo Qinglin picked up the tablet, stood up with Qin Xiaoxi, and followed Zhang Cheng to the second floor.

Turning the tablet to the chat page, Luo Qinglin secretly sent a message to Qin Xiaoxi.

【Luo Qinglin: Inform others that the shooting order has been changed. Qu Man will shoot her personal photo first. 】

【Qin Xiaoxi: OK.】 】

The dressing rooms of Moon Phase Studio are located on the left side of the second floor. There are five rooms in total. In addition to makeup tools, each room also has soft couches for resting.

Qu Man was leaning on Zhuang Yiqing's shoulder, sitting on the soft couch in the first room to rest.

Qu Man looked even more tired than when she first arrived, as if the entire hour of rest was wasted.

She lowered her eyes to look at the wooden floor beneath her feet, in a daze, not knowing what she was thinking about. She didn't even notice Luo Qinglin coming in.

Seeing that she had no reaction, Zhuang Yiqing leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Qu Man then stood up and gave Luo Qinglin a gentle smile.

Luo Qinglin walked up to Qu Man, half leaned over and said, "Ms. Qu, we will first shoot your personal photo, then the double cover, and finally Mr. Zhuang's personal photo."

"Aren't we going to shoot for the double cover first?" Zhuang Yiqing asked with a frown.

Luo Qinglin turned his head, squinted his eyes and smiled, "Considering Miss Qu's physical condition, we decided to shoot Miss Qu's blockbuster first. Is there any problem?"

"Or... Mr. Zhuang doesn't want to, and wants to take the photo himself first?" Luo Qinglin said, staring into Zhuang Yiqing's eyes.

"How could that be?" Zhuang Yiqing relaxed his brows. "Mr. Luo is so considerate of Manman. I can't thank him enough."

After he finished speaking, Zhuang Yiqing stood up with his arm around Qu Man, walked around Luo Qinglin, and helped her sit on the leather chair in front of the makeup mirror.

Zhuang Yiqing stood beside the leather chair, his elbows resting on the back, quietly waiting for Luo Qinglin's next arrangement.

Luo Qinglin turned around and observed Qu Man's expression through the mirror.

As if she had noticed his gaze, Qu Man slowly shifted her eyes and smiled slightly when she looked at him.

"Mr. Luo, the makeup artists haven't arrived yet?" Zhuang Yiqing suddenly asked.

As soon as Zhuang Yiqing spoke, Qu Man quickly shifted her gaze away and no longer looked at Luo Qinglin, only at herself.

“Here it comes!”

Qin Xiaoxi's voice came from outside the door, and three young girls carrying large and small bags came in one after another.

"Let's style Miss Qu first." Luo Qinglin instructed.

The three girls received instructions, greeted Zhuang Yiqing and Qu Man in turn, and started working without stopping.

Luo Qinglin asked Qu Man, "Ms. Qu, have you seen the plans for today's shoot?"

"Um."

Qu Man finally spoke, but her voice was not as clear as what Luo Qinglin heard in the interview video, but a little hoarse.

Luo Qinglin added: "I have seen your performance in "Treading Snow to Find Plum Blossoms". The female knight you played in it is one of my favorite roles."

Qu Man opened her eyes immediately upon hearing this, scaring the girl who was putting on makeup so much that she quickly put away her brushes.

After looking at Luo Qinglin for a second, Qu Man quickly closed her eyes and whispered back, "Thank you."

"When you shoot, just think about the feeling of playing a female knight. Just express yourself freely and don't restrict yourself too much." Luo Qinglin said in a gentle voice.

"Mr. Luo is very capable at work." Before Qu Man could reply, Zhuang Yiqing interrupted.

This sudden praise was very strange, like a needle placed flat on a clean floor. Although it did not prick people, it was inexplicably puzzling.

"Thank you," Luo Qinglin suppressed his doubts and said to Qu Man, "I'll go to the studio to check the equipment first. When Miss Qu is ready, we can officially start filming."

When turning around and leaving the dressing room, Luo Qinglin looked at Qin Xiaoxi and walked alone to the studio in the middle of the second floor.

Qin Xiaoxi did not follow him out, but stayed in the dressing room, chatting with Qu Man from time to time.

An hour later, Qu Man finally finished her makeup. She wore a black dress and a wig tied up high with tea-white satin. There was not a single strand of hair loose, and it looked clean and neat.

La Pluie's necklace was torn into two parts, the jade half was tied around Qu Man's waist, and the metal half was tied to the hilt of the sword.

After putting on makeup, Qu Man changed her tired look and even her steps became brisk. She hurried out of the dressing room holding a customized lightweight Liu Yue sword.

Zhuang Yiqing wanted to follow her out, but was stopped by Qin Xiaoxi. She said she had to put on makeup quickly and sat in front of the makeup mirror to do her hairstyle.

In the shooting studio, lighting has been set up on both sides and directly above the fixed point, and the staff responsible for lighting are waiting on the side awaiting instructions.

Qu Manyi ran to the center of the designated point, raised her arms, bent down, stretched her body, and waited for Luo Qinglin's instructions.

"Ms. Qu," Luo Qinglin said, holding up the camera, "Just take pictures according to your own ideas. Don't be afraid of trouble."

Qu Man nodded, but her limbs remained stiff and restrained, like an eagle with broken wings.

With the continuous flashing of the flash, Qu Man's expression became increasingly stiff.

Luo Qinglin took down the camera and asked in a gentle voice, "Do you still remember the line you said while kneeling in the ancestral hall before leaving to avenge your mother in "Treading Snow to Find Plum Blossoms"? "

"Sleeping outdoors..."

"I have no regrets even if I sleep outdoors and eat in the wind, I will drink blood instead of rouge."①

Qu Man couldn't help but say those words, and it was as if she was back on the set filming. She was immersed in the role as if possessed, staring at the camera intently.

"Yes, it's in this state." Luo Qinglin smiled and raised the camera again.

The shutter sounds and flashes continued, but Qu Man had slowly adapted to the situation and even began to stretch her body freely, with even her eyes becoming rebellious and resolute.

It was not until then that Luo Qinglin began formal instruction.

"Miss Qu, hold the sword in front of you."

"Very good, keep it up."

......

Qu Man’s shooting didn’t take long. She became more and more efficient as time went on, and she finished her personal shooting in just over an hour.

When Luo Qinglin changed the lens, Qu Man seemed to be still unsatisfied. She was immersed in the role and couldn't get out of it. Her eyes were shining and she was excited.

"Ms. Qu, take advantage of this time and rest for a few minutes," Luo Qinglin reminded her, "Mr. Zhuang will be ready soon."

Upon hearing this, the excitement in Qu Man's eyes disappeared instantly, and her whole body was like an eggplant hit by frost, her energy and spirit quickly withering.

Luo Qinglin glanced at Qu Man and asked casually, "I saw in the news that you were hospitalized last month?"

"Yeah." Qu Man replied with a faint smile.

"Have you recovered?" Luo Qinglin asked again, "I saw that you looked very haggard when you first came."

"I'm back to normal."

"How long have you been together with Mr. Zhuang?"

"Three years."

......

Qu Man didn't talk much. She only answered Luo Qinglin briefly when he asked her a question, and had no intention of continuing the topic.

After asking indirectly, Luo Qinglin discovered that when he only asked about Qu Man herself, Qu Man would answer quickly.

When asked questions related to Zhuang Yiqing, Qu Man would always take two or three seconds to answer.

After resting for a few minutes, Zhuang Yiqing also finished his makeup, wearing a plain white brocade robe, and a wig half-tied up with red and black satin, and walked quickly to Qu Man.

This set of two-person photos does not focus on showing movement lines like single-person photos, but instead focuses on expressing emotions through eye contact.

The staff put away the prop Liu Yue Sword and turned off the lights above and on the right side of the fixed point, leaving only the light on the left side shining.

Luo Qinglin let Qu Man half lean against Zhuang Yiqing, and they both looked at the camera at the same time.

Zhuang Yiqing's demeanor was pretty good, his eyes were like swords, his jaw was tight, and he was always emitting an aura towards the camera.

However, Qu Man lost her composure, always distracted and absent-minded, and she didn't even hear Luo Qinglin's instructions.

"Miss Qu, Miss Qu?" Luo Qinglin called out.

"Mr. Luo, Manman has not been in good health recently. Please bear with me."

After speaking to Luo Qinglin, Zhuang Yiqing turned around and reminded, "Manman, Mr. Luo is calling you."

Qu Man then slowly came back to her senses and looked at Luo Qinglin in a daze, as if she had forgotten where she was and what she was supposed to do.

Qu Man's condition was really not good, so Luo Qinglin had to tell the others: "Everyone take a half-hour break and adjust your condition before filming again."

"No need!" Qu Man suddenly raised her voice, her expression unchanged, as if she was angry, "I don't want to rest!"

"Manman..."

"I said I don't need to rest!!!" Qu Man's voice rose higher, almost screaming.

The staff around were startled by Qu Man's hoarse but sharp cry. They all stopped their work and looked at Qu Man.

As his eyes swept over Zhuang Yiqing, Luo Qinglin suddenly discovered that although Zhuang Yiqing's eyes were full of concern, the corners of his mouth were strangely slightly raised.

The degree of the curl of the corner of his mouth was barely noticeable. If he wasn't close, he wouldn't be able to see it at all.

Luo Qinglin clenched his teeth tightly, remained silent for a moment, and then loosened his teeth, and said to Qu Man in a gentle voice: "Okay, we won't rest, and we will finish the filming in one go."

For the next three or four hours, Luo Qinglin kept reminding Qu Man to concentrate, and to work on her demeanor and expression bit by bit.

Although this is more tiring than photographing new models, fortunately Qu Man has a solid background as an actress, and she can achieve 80% of the ideal effect in the end.

By the time Zhuang Yiqing's solo photo was taken, the sun had already set.

Busy with their evening schedule, Qu Man and Zhuang Yiqing quickly changed into their regular clothes and left in a hurry.

Luo Qinglin and Qin Xiaoxi followed them out of the studio and said goodbye to them in the courtyard.

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Zhuang, Miss Qu." Luo Qinglin said standing outside the car.

Zhuang Yiqing rolled down the car window, his tone full of gratitude, "You are very dedicated and patient at work. Thank you for taking care of Manman today."

"You're welcome. You too, be careful on the road." Luo Qinglin said goodbye with a smile.

Qu Man hid behind Zhuang Yiqing and did not say goodbye to Luo Qinglin until the car drove out of the gate.

Not until the roar faded away did Luo Qinglin stop smiling and frown. He stood outside with Qin Xiaoxi, looking at each other in silence.

The afterglow of the setting sun is reflected on the ginkgo leaves, and rays of the setting sun shine into the courtyard, making people feel tired for no reason.

After a long while, Qin Xiaoxi whispered, "There must be something wrong between the two of them. I have a feeling that Qu Man is very afraid of Zhuang Yiqing, but I can't see any evidence."

Luo Qinglin thought carefully for a moment, squinted his eyes and said: "Zhuang Yiqing actually showed a happy expression when Qu Man screamed."

"Moreover," Luo Qinglin said, "Zhuang Yiqing praised me for my good work attitude twice for no reason. I thought he was being sarcastic, but it seems he wasn't."

Qin Xiaoxi frowned upon hearing this, "Did Qu Man suddenly become irritable after you asked everyone to rest?"

"Yes, what's wrong?" Luo Qinglin asked.

Qin Xiaoxi clenched her fists and said with a sarcasm smile: "He used to love to say behind my back that I was an uneducated girl, that I was ugly, that I had high aspirations, and in front of outsiders he pretended to be very nice to me."

Knowing that Qin Xiaoxi was talking about that scumbag ex-boyfriend, Luo Qinglin listened quietly.

"Every time he takes me out for a party, he always mentions whose girlfriend is well-educated, pretty, and down-to-earth."

"When other people jokingly ask him why he doesn't have a new girlfriend, he will answer that he loves me as a person and doesn't care about these empty things."

"It's funny, isn't it? Everyone thinks he loves me, is very considerate, and is a perfect boyfriend, but they don't know that I'm the only one who understands that he's laughing at me and mocking me."

Luo Qinglin raised his head and asked in surprise: "You mean, Qu Man has been suffering from Zhuang Yiqing's verbal violence all day, but we can't understand it, only she can understand it?"

Qin Xiaoxi nodded.

"Then this is not..."

"pua." Qin Xiaoxi said.

"Dog whistle violence?!" Luo Qinglin said.

The author has something to say:

Jiang Yanyu: Appearing in the next chapter! Get ready for Paw Patrol to make great achievements!

annotation:

① The original sentence is "I swear to stay outdoors and eat in the wind, and drink blood instead of rouge", which is selected from "Four Poems for Qin Liangyu"

②Dog whistle violence:

A kind of violence that is only clear to the abuser and the abused, but invisible to others.

Example: A and B are a couple. A is often body-shaming by B, so she doesn’t dare to eat high-calorie foods. At the party, B handed a cake to A in front of everyone and asked A to eat the cake. A was scared and broke down crying and lost his temper. Everyone was puzzled and thought that B was very nice to A and that A was being unreasonable.

(The above explanation comes from the Internet, the author does not summarize it scientifically)