Chapter 133 The Job That Started with a Kiss

After filming outdoors, Lu Yinzhao turned to filming indoors.

It was the living room of a room. On the dark chestnut solid wood floor, by the window, there was a fabric sofa covered in green velvet. On the coffee table was a white porcelain teacup with a chipped corner, and next to it were several yellowed newspapers.

A phonograph with a brass horn stands against the wall, and to the left is a walnut bookcase.

“Sister Rui, stand next to the gramophone, touch it gently… Yes, turn your body slightly to the side of the camera, very good…”

"In the next picture, you are sitting sideways on the edge of the sofa armrest, holding a white porcelain cup."

"A slight smile is fine, but don't overdo it."

Crack—Crack—

Lu Yinzhao was so engrossed in taking pictures that his hands never stopped moving.

It must be said that Duan Xirui has a great sense of the camera.

Celebrities have a different feel from ordinary people. They definitely have special training in terms of posture and expression. Taking these kinds of photos is commonplace for them. They don't need the photographer to remind them much. They have a certain understanding of the movements themselves.

Lu Yinzhao felt that the shooting went fairly smoothly. Although it was still a little short of his ideal standard, it was quite good overall.

When it was his first job, Lu Yinzhao was naturally very enthusiastic and tried his best to take the best photos. After the shoot, if the client had any unsatisfactory feedback, he would humbly accept it and make revisions.

He had heard before that photographing celebrities was not an easy job, especially when dealing with some nitpicky and picky celebrities. Even after a lot of hard work, his professionalism and aesthetic sense might still be questioned.

Lu Yinzhao had prepared herself mentally before she arrived.

When it comes to working, there's never a time when things are always going smoothly. Lu Yinzhao had this realization when he entered this industry.

Who knew...

"W-W-Is this me? Oh my god! Am I that beautiful?"

"Xiao Lu! Your photos are absolutely amazing!"

Duan Xirui stared blankly at the photos the boy had imported into the computer, repeatedly clicking the "next" button and flipping through them over and over again.

With her other hand, she unconsciously cupped her slightly flushed face, lost in a strange sense of self-admiration.

"Sister Zhang, Sister Rui, what do you think... is it okay? If there's anything wrong, I can reshoot it."

Lu Yinzhao was selecting films as she filmed, and she directly deleted some that had obvious lighting problems.

After taking and deleting photos, I completed the 50 original photos required by the studio.

Judging from the expressions of Assistant Zhang and Duan Xirui, they seemed quite satisfied with the photos. However, since he was new to the area, it was better to remain humble, so he asked about them anyway.

Lu Yinzhao couldn't help but admire his dedication to serving his customers.

They ingrained "dedication" into their very being.

"This is more than just okay, this is amazing! Is my makeup right today? Xiao Zhang, tell me, do I look prettier?" Duan Xirui was still admiring her photos on the computer.

Assistant Zhang chuckled, "Rui Rui is naturally beautiful. Xiao Lu is such a great photographer; this kind of shot doesn't even need post-processing..."

Lu Yinzhao immediately said, "The characters don't need special processing, but some of the ambient lighting and color tones still need to be adjusted. I handle the post-production, so if you need it urgently, I can send it to you tonight."

"No rush, Xiaolu, you took such great photos! I'll definitely ask you to take photos for me again next time!" Duan Xirui said happily.

Xiao Zhang is better at finding photographers; the ones she hired herself before not only charged exorbitant fees.

They made a lot of demands during the shoot, asking her to do poses and movements that she felt uncomfortable with. The final result wasn't as amazing as she had imagined, and it wasn't worth the price they paid at all.

The aesthetic of this path suited her taste perfectly, and the shooting process was very smooth. Basically, there were very few repetitions or rework required in a set of actions.

This allows her to maintain a certain level of enthusiasm while working, and she is even willing to cooperate with the other party to take more photos.

"Okay, Sister Rui, I'll give it to you tomorrow." Lu Yinzhao thought about her afternoon classes and adjusted the time back again.

After putting the computer away, Assistant Zhang handed Lu Yinzhao a bottle of mineral water.

They also settled all his payment in the meantime.

Looking at the transfer on her phone, Lu Yinzhao stammered, "Sister Zhang, is it... too much?"

The price they had agreed on beforehand was around five or six thousand. After all, he was just a newbie in the industry and had only been shooting for less than half a day. This price was considered good in his mind.

But Assistant Zhang transferred 12,000 yuan to him, doubling the amount.

Assistant Zhang winked at Lu Yinzhao, "It was Rui Rui who asked us to do this, so just accept it. She seems really happy today. Your skills deserve a higher price."

"Thank you." Lu Yinzhao hadn't expected her first job to go so smoothly, but she remained grateful.

“Rui Rui just said that we should ask you out a few more times before you start to stand out, and I think that makes sense... Otherwise, once you become famous, we won’t be able to ask you out anymore.”

Assistant Zhang has a keen eye for talent. She sees that Lu Yinzhao is still so young and has unlimited potential. If he continues to develop in this area, he will surely become a leader in the industry.

She said it half-jokingly, and casually asked, "Are you planning to become a celebrity photographer in the future?"

"Well, I haven't graduated yet. Right now, I'm accumulating some experience and connections. Being a photographer has been my dream since I was a child."

"If you don't mind, and you don't know where to find work in the future, I can help you find someone to introduce you to someone."

"Is that okay?" Lu Yinzhao asked with a surprised and delighted expression.

"Of course! I have some close friends who are also in the same industry as me. I've taken a look, and the promotional photos of the artists they manage aren't very good. If Rui Rui's photos are posted on Weibo, they'll definitely ask me who the photographer is."

Assistant Zhang's words gave Lu Yinzhao a boost of confidence. It seemed that the client was genuinely satisfied with the photoshoot, and it wasn't just polite talk.

Lu Yinzhao thanked him again, this time without refusing.

How could he refuse a job offered with a kiss?

Moreover, he really enjoyed filming today and didn't feel tired at all.

Lu Yinzhao was just thinking about how to collaborate with more artists in the future when the other party directly "handed him a pillow" (provided him with a practical, helpful opportunity).

Assistant Zhang had cultivated this connection himself, so naturally he wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.

...

On the way back, Lu Yinzhao felt refreshed and in a great mood.

It was already noon when I arrived at school.

I really made the most of my rest time. After a quick lunch, I rested briefly in my dorm room and then went to class in the afternoon.

Believe it or not, after various "real-world" experiences, Lu Yinzhao felt a sense of thorough understanding when listening to these theoretical lectures again.

Some things he didn't quite understand before suddenly became clear to him at this moment.

After taking a shower that evening, Lu Yinzhao sat down at his computer and officially began his post-production work.

The photos on the screen are analyzed and processed one by one. Some can be zoomed in for close-up, and some can have their tones adjusted to be more vivid.

Lu Yinzhao couldn't completely avoid his roommate when he was drawing.

His roommates were used to him fiddling with those photos on his computer, assuming it was just homework assigned by his professor.

But the drawing he made today doesn't look like homework...

Duan Xirui's face was clearly not that of an ordinary person.

"Lu Yinzhao, who is this beautiful woman?" Song Shuye saw that Lu Yinzhao was working seriously and did not want to disturb him, but curiosity eventually prevailed.

“Duan Xirui,” Lu Yinzhao replied.

“Duan Xirui…that name sounds familiar.” Song Shuye couldn’t remember.

Xu Zishi, who was standing next to him, suddenly sat up in bed. "What? Duan Xirui? Is she that actress who's been really popular lately? The one who played Xiao Lingxian?"

Lu Yinzhao gave a soft "hmm".

Xu Zishi then let out a loud scream.

"Xiao Lu, don't tell me you went out this morning to take pictures of her?"

"Yes, just as you thought."

Xu Zishi jumped off the bed and excitedly circled Lu Yinzhao several times.

"I watched the entire series of 'The Legend of Fog and Begonia,' and my favorite character is Xiao Lingxian. Xiao Lu, how did you get the chance to take a picture of her?!"

After Xu Zishi finished speaking, he suddenly realized, "Oh... I forgot that you have people in the entertainment industry in your family."

Lu Yinzhao held up a finger and shook it, with a smug little expression on her face, "This is a job I took on myself, and I didn't tell my family."

“That’s right, don’t underestimate our little Lu. Just keep an eye on the situation of celebrity studios. Many studios hire photographers from outside.” Jiang Yi also chimed in.

Song Shuye belatedly realized and said, "You old Xu, you went to the internet cafe all night just to watch this, didn't you? You lied to me and said you were studying, is this how you study?"

"I'm not lying to you, I'm not lying to you. I only look at it when I'm taking a dump. It's not very long. I can finish it in a little time every day," Xu Zishi quickly clarified.

Song Shuye rolled his eyes and said, "I really didn't expect... Old Xu, you like watching romance dramas. I thought you would watch gay movies."

"..."

The conversation was drifting further and further away, so Lu Yinzhao quickly waved everyone away.

"Alright, I have to get back to work. Don't crowd around here. If all goes well, you'll be able to see these photos of me on Weibo tomorrow."

"Our little road is amazing," Jiang Yi said.

"Tsk tsk, in this dorm, you, Lu Yinzhao, are definitely the best at making money. I need to find a part-time job too," Song Shuye exclaimed.

“But what kind of part-time jobs can we find with our major? At most, we can tutor high school students,” Xu Zishi said.

"Can I be Lu Yinzhao's assistant? Help him carry things like fill lights, camera bags, and notebooks?" Song Shuye stroked his chin.

He was just joking, but Lu Yinzhao turned his head and said, "Let's wait until later. If there's another opportunity, I'll call you. I won't shortchange you on your salary."

Song Shuye's eyes widened: "Holy crap! Really?!"

Song Shuye even wanted to call Lu Yinzhao his godfather; he was just too kind!

Lu Yinzhao certainly had his own considerations. If the filming tasks became too demanding in the future, he would really need to hire an assistant to help him.

Instead of spending money to hire strangers, it's better to take care of your good buddies.

We should keep the good stuff within the family.

*

The next day.

A trending topic titled #Duan Xirui's Stunning Retro Photoshoot# quietly appeared on the hot search list.

Duan Xirui herself thought that the company had paid for the trending searches, but after asking her agent, she found out that it wasn't true.

After receiving the photos, Assistant Zhang posted 18 pictures on the studio's official Weibo account at noon, not wanting to waste any space.

Duan Xirui herself also posted 9 pictures on her own Weibo, which did not overlap with those posted by her studio.

Actually, they thought all 50 photos Lu Yinzhao sent were beautiful, and they struggled for a long time just to decide which one to send.

When Duan Xirui posted on Weibo, she specifically tagged Lu Yinzhao's Weibo account and praised him happily.

【Duan Xirui V】: #AncientDiary##Photoshoot# I secretly wore clothes from the past today~ Do you all like them? (Thanks to photographer @Bright.L, it was a very comfortable photoshoot!)

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Author's note: Zhao Zhao: They praised my photos! [Pleading emoji] (Zhao Zhao with starry eyes).