Chapter 52

After the entire campus camera was passed, they began to prepare to shoot the mermaid part, and the crew moved to the green screen venue downstairs.

Yuan Heng attended the event as an investor. The planners did not dare to neglect him and hired a project manager to accompany him throughout the event.

"Don't worry about me." Yuan Heng said, "Just do what you need to do."

He strolled around the filming location and seemed to come to the locker room inadvertently. Xiao Ziyu had not taken off his school uniform yet. He was a little tired after running several courses and was leaning back in a soft chair to rest.

Seeing someone coming in, he raised his neck alertly: "What are you doing here?"

After walking around the entire venue, this was the first time someone spoke to him in this tone. Yuan Heng found it funny: "I invested in the game, and I can't come to supervise it?"

Xiao Ziyu didn't believe him, but still wanted to consult Yuan Heng's opinion: "So what do you think of my shooting?"

Yuan Heng lowered his eyes and thought for a while, then commented: "It will make people want to fall in love with you early."

The term "puppy love" was very new. Xiao Ziyu ignored the frivolity in his tone and let his curiosity get the better of him: "In modern society... I mean ordinary people, at what age is considered puppy love?"

Eleven or twelve years old is not too young, and seventeen or eighteen years old is not too old. Yuan Heng carefully answered: "As long as you wear this school uniform, it is considered premature love."

Xiao Ziyu nodded thoughtfully. In ancient times, people generally got married early, and many of them got married when they were still young. He was eighteen years old when he became a king, which was not considered young.

Seeing his distracted look, Yuan Heng deliberately asked, "Why, have you ever been in love early?"

According to modern people's definition, he not only fell in love early, but also got married early, which is simply bad. Xiao Ziyu nodded: "I guess so."

This sentence aroused Yuan Heng's thoughts, but he couldn't tell whether the other party was talking about his past life or this life, and his tone became a little dangerous: "How old were you, and with whom?"

Xiao Ziyu avoided the topic of prying into other people's love history: "I was young and confused, it's not worth mentioning."

If he said this to others, it would be a cover-up, but if he said this to himself... Yuan Heng narrowed his eyes. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had been rampant for two lifetimes and had never been evaluated as "not worth mentioning".

Just as I was about to ask for an explanation, the makeup artist appeared at the door: "Is Mr. Yuan here too?"

Yuan Heng stood straight with broad shoulders and narrow waist blocking the movement in front of him. He stretched out his hand to pinch Xiao Ziyu's earlobe as punishment, then turned around and asked, "Prepare for the next set of makeup?"

His tone was serious, with the arrogance of a supervisor. Xiao Ziyu couldn't get angry in front of outsiders, so he endured the itch in his ear and glared at him with a sniper.

This time he didn't feel any pain or itch, only a lingering aftertaste. Yuan Heng didn't want to leave anymore.

The makeup of the mermaid takes a little more time. Xiao Ziyu's long hair was let down and divided into several thin strands on the left and right. They were braided into braids and decorated with tiny pearl shells.

The tone of the whole makeup is lake blue. The makeup artist lengthened the ends of his eyes, making his phoenix eyes slightly upturned, and when his eyelashes drooped, he looked a bit cold and distant.

The stylist put a transparent crystal crown on him, stroked his chin and looked at him for a while, then picked up a fine-bristle brush and drew a scale under his eye.

"Perfect!" The makeup artist snapped her fingers, "Just put on colored contact lenses."

Xiao Ziyu was slightly startled: "What?"

"Colored contact lenses," the makeup artist took out the daily contact lenses she had prepared in advance, "Do you want me to help you?"

Xiao Ziyu looked at the two thin layers soaked in liquid and asked uncertainly: "Should I wear this on my eyes?"

After receiving an affirmative reply, the deliberately slender phoenix eyes turned round in shock.

Xiao Ziyu resisted a little: "I have never worn this thing."

"Never worn them?" The makeup artist was also a little confused. Artists usually use colored contact lenses to enlarge their pupils and make their eyes look bright and lively when they appear on camera. It would be a bit exaggerated if they have never worn them. He was embarrassed: "It might be a little difficult to put it on for the first time, let me help you."

The backrest of the ergonomic chair was lowered, and Xiao Ziyu was half lying down, allowing others to do whatever they wanted.

The makeup artist poked the contact lenses into the remover, and seeing that he was stiff, she consoled him, "Don't be nervous, it's easy."

Xiao Ziyu uttered an "hmm" sound, but subconsciously clenched the armrests. Putting something in his eyes was no less than an operation. The ancient people had never seen the world and were terrified.

Unable to resist, he felt his eyelids being pulled open, and that thin layer was getting closer and closer. Xiao Ziyu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and when the time came, he closed his eyes, and a tear shed because of the sourness.

He opened his eyes wetly and said apologetically, "I wasn't ready just now."

Yuan Heng sat not far away and watched the whole process. The ancient people who dared to go on the wire without any training did not even dare to wear colored contact lenses. He couldn't see everything from his angle. He could only see Xiao Ziyu's fingertips resting on the armrest. They had never relaxed from beginning to end and were now pale.

He stood up, took out an alcohol cotton pad and wiped his fingers clean, and said to the makeup artist: "Let me do it."

Being supervised by an investor was already stressful, but she didn't expect the other party to do it himself. The makeup artist was stunned, not daring to question Yuan Heng's skills, and stepped aside first, "Teacher Xiao is a little nervous."

Yuan Heng stood behind Xiao Ziyu and looked him up and down. Was he that nervous? His thin lips were tightly pursed and his tears were about to ruin his makeup.

Xiao Ziyu said weakly: "Don't come to laugh at my joke."

Yuan Heng said: "If I don't come over, I will be laughing at you."

Xiao Ziyu has a conditioned reflex to colored contact lenses: "Don't damage them by wearing them."

"Don't move," Yuan Heng half threatened, half coaxed, "You're hindering my performance."

After scaring the man into silence, Yuan Heng felt a little sorry for him. He did not take off the device but directly started to fight. However, he did not try to pull Xiao Ziyu's eyelids. Instead, he placed his palms on his ears to support his head and ordered, "Keep your eyes open."

Xiao Ziyu rested his head on his palm, feeling the warmth, and reluctantly relaxed a little. He forced himself to open his eyes wide. In this position he could only see Yuan Heng's Adam's apple. Suddenly his vision blurred and something cold slid into his eyes.

Xiao Ziyu froze for a moment, realizing that the contact lenses had been put on. When he opened his eyes again, one pupil was pitch black, and the other had turned a deep blue. Yuan Heng's chuckle came from above his head: "Kitten."

With experience, the second one went much more smoothly. Xiao Ziyu endured the foreign body sensation in his eyes, gently blinked his eyelashes, and tears flowed again.

Yuan Heng wiped it off for him and took the independent mirror: "It's okay, take a look."

Xiao Ziyu looked at himself in the mirror. Curiosity finally overwhelmed his fear. His deep blue eyes were moist and shining. He couldn't find a suitable adjective, so he just identified himself: "Eric."

He looked up at Yuan Heng, trying to find a sense of identity: "This is what we saw when we met that foreigner."

Yuan Heng thought to himself, you are really good at making analogies. The hair on his forehead was styled and could not be touched. He suppressed his dissatisfaction and rubbed the hair on the back of his head, and corrected himself: "It looks more like a Persian cat than a long-haired dog."

After finishing the styling, you need to change clothes. The crew had ample funds, and the fishtail dress they prepared was made of pure silk and cotton, as smooth as water, and shimmered softly under the light.

Xiao Ziyu had been prepared for this, but he didn't expect that there would be no room for maneuver. He stroked the fish tail and asked, "How do I wear this?"

"You can just go bare-legged," the stylist took something out of the box, "You can also wear stockings if you're not used to it."

Xiao Ziyu: “…”

When faced with two evils, choose the lesser one, but Xiao Ziyu couldn't decide which method was more shameful. In the end, he picked up the stockings and slipped into the dressing room.

After putting on the mermaid costume, her legs became inconvenient to move, so she was eventually carried out. Xiao Ziyu felt like he had used up all his courage today. Fortunately, the staff were very professional and had no expression on their faces when they were moving the items, which made him less embarrassed.

Back at the green screen venue, the incandescent light was replaced with a professional soft light, shining only on Xiao Ziyu, and the mystery of the mermaid suit was revealed.

Xiao Ziyu lightly lifted his legs, the undulations of the fabric looked like flowing water, the cobalt blue material set off his snow-white skin. When the blower blew, the soft gauze on his upper body moved with the wind, as if he had dived into the underwater world.

"Okay," the director found the angle behind the camera and gave a thumbs up.

The staff members retreated into the shadows around them, the wire instructor took his position, and Xiao Ziyu was pulled into the air by four steel ropes while holding his breath and concentrating.

The director meant to let him express himself freely. Xiao Ziyu had never played a mermaid before, but he had some insights of his own.

He waved his arms lightly, pretending to be swimming in the water. He put his feet together, causing his tail to rise and fall slowly. His phoenix eyes narrowed in the wind, and the shells adorning his hair collided with each other, making crisp sounds, like a leisurely and comfortable merman prince.

"The core strength is too strong." The project manager whispered, "It can maintain balance like this, as if it can really use buoyancy."

The assistant manager also said: "It's different if you have a kung fu foundation. The little anchor who came yesterday was shaking so badly when he was less than a meter off the ground that we had to use special effects in the end."

Yuan Heng stared at the person under the spotlight and in the camera. Xiao Ziyu tentatively turned his body sideways and made a floating gesture. The blower changed with his angle, blowing his hair and lapels from bottom to top. The director directed the chief photographer to take a profile. The entire planning team was immersed in Xiao Ziyu's emotions.

He focused his gaze and noticed beads of sweat on Xiao Ziyu's temples. He was still relaxed and easy-going. The embarrassment and restraint just now were swept away. Xiao Ziyu was enjoying the feeling of being in front of the camera.

Even though he didn't want to accept it, Yuan Heng had to admit that Xiao Ziyu was more charming when he was in the spotlight than when he was locked up behind high walls.

The treasure he once thought he had in his hand will one day be discovered by others.

After the whole shot was finished, Xiao Ziyu was slowly lowered back to the ground in a supine position. For a moment, no staff came forward to check, as if they were wondering whether they had created a mermaid prince or the mermaid had come to the world out of compassion.

Xiao Ziyu supported himself on the ground with his elbows, clenched his teeth and let out a slight groan. Yuan Heng's body had already rushed forward before his brain could react.

The staff rushed over and asked, "What's wrong?"

Yuan Heng stood in front of everyone and stopped them: "Don't touch him yet."

It is not easy to hang on the wire in a standing position. In order to create the feeling of swimming in the water, Xiao Ziyu's movements for more than half an hour were mostly sideways or lying flat. The waist muscles continued to exert force to maintain balance, which was very likely to cause strain.

Yuan Heng frowned. He was sweating even from the blower. It turned out that he was not only tired, but also in pain.

Xiao Ziyu was an expert at enduring pain. Even though his face was pale, he could still smile and comfort people: "I'm fine. I just need to rest for a while."

Yuan Heng looked at his weak appearance, and seemed to recall some old memories, his expression becoming increasingly gloomy. He didn't let anyone touch him. He put his arms around Xiao Ziyu's shoulders and legs, picked him up and carried him away in full view of everyone.

Xiao Ziyu was in so much pain that he couldn't stand up, so he couldn't resist. However, this position was too embarrassing, and there were people watching. He said uncomfortably, "Put me down."

Yuan Heng stood still: "Do you think you can walk back now?"

Luo Li was chatting with the planning team outside the venue. He turned around and widened his eyes: "What's wrong with Brother Xiao!"

Xiao Ziyu didn't want to answer, he just wanted to escape. He resigned himself to his fate and buried his head in Yuan Heng's chest, covering his face.

Yuan Heng left the company today in a business car. He placed Xiao Ziyu sideways in the back seat and closed the door to block the view of everyone outside.

With no one watching him anymore, Xiao Ziyu finally couldn't bear it anymore and let out a cry of pain through his clenched teeth.

Yuan Heng tightened his grip on the steering wheel and said with a stern face, "Why didn't you tell me that your waist hurts? If you encounter a long shot, are you going to tire yourself out?"

This little pain is nothing compared to the attack of the poisonous insect. Xiao Ziyu said mysteriously: "I have never been very sensitive to pain."

Yuan Heng snorted coldly, "You are quite capable."

Xiao Ziyu realized belatedly that it was Yuan Heng who picked Business Affairs, so why was he scolding him? He was confident: "You asked me to choose this book."

The rock that Yuan Heng lifted finally hit his own foot. He said hoarsely, "Then I'm sorry. Don't come to me in this way to settle the score."