Chapter 40 My Heart Is Surgeing I never said I didn't like you, why are you running away? ...

To be honest, Mo Ningzhi hasn't taken any serious photos in half a year. Occasionally, she feels the urge to take pictures, but the results are only mediocre. For a top luxury brand like Vespera, the photos have to be outstanding.

Zhan Linzhou said, "I transferred an intern assistant from the studio. These devices are quite complex, so having her help you will save you a lot of effort."

Zhan Linzhou brought a quiet girl to him. "Her name is Fang Lei. Fang Lei, this is Mo Ningzhi. Your task today is to cooperate with him to complete the filming."

"Okay, I understand, Brother Zhan," the girl said gently.

Mo Ning knew it wasn't appropriate to ask a girl to carry heavy equipment, and he also didn't like to use assistants when shooting. "Just help me watch the external monitor and organize the photos I've taken."

Fang Lei nodded in agreement.

"How's it going, Alaric? Is the equipment okay?" Thorne strode over.

“Okay, but let me check the clothes we’re shooting today first.” He said to Thorne beside him, “I didn’t bring my camera today, so I’ll need to use yours. Besides the main camera, you should have brought some spare lenses, right? I also need to adjust the equipment settings, which requires the camera owner’s approval.”

Every photographer has their own preferred shooting methods. For professionals, the camera is undoubtedly their second life, and the equipment parameters are like a life code, directly related to the lifeline of imaging. If outsiders want to touch or tinker with it at will, it is like trespassing on their artistic territory without permission, which is disrespectful to this dedication and professionalism and will provoke strong resistance from the photographer.

As someone in the same industry, Mo Ningzhi naturally wouldn't easily cross someone else's bottom line.

"Of course! Everything will proceed as you planned. I'll communicate with Dax and make sure he's appeased. But if he knows it's you using his device, he definitely won't be angry, I promise."

With Thorne's assurance, Mo Ningzhi's work became much simpler. Although the Dax team couldn't arrive on time, the entire set of equipment had already been delivered in advance. As Vespera's top photographer, he naturally had access to top-of-the-line equipment. Although it was somewhat different from what Mo Ningzhi usually used, it wasn't difficult to get the hang of.

Mo Ningzhi adjusted the equipment and said, "I'll take a set of photos first to see the effect. If I'm not satisfied with the photos, I can change people at any time."

Thorne said, "I believe you."

Five minutes later, Qin Weijin changed his clothes. He was dressed in a very stylish black outfit: a simple yet sharp black shirt and trousers that accentuated his tall and slender figure. The long black cape was undoubtedly the highlight of the overall look, adorned with delicate gold embroidery, understated yet luxurious. Paired with Qin Weijin's well-defined features, he resembled an elegant gentleman who had stepped out of a classical painting, cool and captivating.

No wonder this outfit is called "Priestess"; it truly lives up to its name.

Mo Ningzhi glanced at the nearby street scene and finally chose a set of steps with a golden fence, with bright red roses winding along it. At the top of the steps, one could see a corner of the old church, making it a perfect spot for taking pictures.

"Brother Jin, let's take a set of photos here first."

Qin Weijin had no objections and, with Zhang Yuyu helping him up the steps in his cloak, said, "Okay."

Qin Weijin was a very competent and professional model. He didn't need any prompting from Mo Ningzhi; he would strike the right poses. For Mo Ningzhi, all he needed to do was find the perfect composition and angle to capture Qin Weijin's confidence and composure forever.

Viewing Qin as Jin through the viewfinder is actually quite different from reality.

Her tall, slender figure and heavy, classical attire stood out starkly against the backdrop of vibrant red roses, making her features appear even more striking. The ancient and dignified priest, holding a scepter, was unsmiling yet exuded an aura of nobility and imposing presence.

But in Mo Ningzhi's eyes, it was indescribably sexy.

Every gesture, every blink, every movement of Qin Weijin's eyes, every movement of his Adam's apple as he swallowed—all were captured instantly by the precise lens. Even though Qin Weijin's shirt was buttoned up to the collar, revealing not a sliver of skin, Mo Ningzhi still felt an indescribable... allure about him.

Mo Ningzhi blinked quickly, stood up, and said, "Brother Jin, go up two steps and then turn around. Put your left hand on the railing and watch out for the thorns."

"Is that so?" Qin Weijin performed the actions as instructed, standing on the high place and looking down.

Mo Ningzhi picked up the camera.

They looked at each other in the camera lens.

Mo Ningzhi originally thought that these illusions were just his own chaotic thoughts, but after their eyes met, Qin Weijin seemed to pause for a moment, and then a gentle ripple seemed to appear in his eyes.

The moment the photo froze, Mo Ningzhi could clearly hear his own heartbeat. This time, there were no screaming and cheering fans around him, no moving music, and the man on stage who spoke fluent Thai had become a majestic priest, but Mo Ningzhi's heart was beating even faster.

He stood at the bottom of the steps, like a priest and a devout believer.

As the core power organ of the blood supply system, with each heartbeat, warm blood is immediately transported to all parts of the body, and Mo Ningzhi's intense palpitations were sent to every corner of her body.

Mo Ningzhi froze for a moment, then realized he was doomed.

He couldn't remember how the photo was taken. He used all his composure to resist Qin Weijin's temptation, but to little avail. After the photo was taken, Mo Ningzhi felt completely exhausted.

During the shooting process, each photo was simultaneously displayed on the monitor. Zhan Linzhou and Thorne sat in front of the monitor, remaining silent for a long time.

Mo Ningzhi put down her camera, not daring to look at Qin Weijin, took a sip of water, and asked, "How is it? Are the photos okay?"

"Yes! Absolutely!" Thorne said, then hesitated, "It's just..."

Mo Ningzhi: "What's wrong?"

Zhan Linzhou glanced at him, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but didn't.

Finally, the enthusiastic Thorne jumped up, "These photos are amazing! As expected of Alaric! Such solemn and ancient clothes have been turned into a fashion blockbuster. Is this a novel shooting technique? Qin is so hot! You made him look so sexy. I dare say he is definitely the most popular priest in history! God, if he really took office in the old church, I swear, he could attract women all over the world to him!"

"..." Mo Ningzhi chuckled dryly twice: "That's too much, Thorne."

“No exaggeration!” Thorne slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and pointed at the photo, beginning his critique: “I only just realized what high-class seduction is today. The outfit design this time is conservative, but on Qin, it has an indescribable allure! Yes, allure! I feel like I’m about to fall in love with him! Especially in this photo, when he looks over his eyelashes, his eyes are practically flirting! He’s seducing me! Good heavens, is he in love?! I guarantee that every fan who sees this photo will feel the love in Qin’s eyes!”

He was so excited that his speech was a jumble of Chinese and English, but Mo Ningzhi still understood what he meant: "You've misunderstood."

"Impossible! There's no way I could be mistaken!" Thorne nudged Zhan Linzhou beside him with his shoulder. "You're right, Zhan, aren't you?"

Zhan Linzhou was staring intently at the screen.

Mo Ningzhi couldn't accept that she had taken such a photo, so she hurriedly turned around and ran away. Qin Weijin had just changed his clothes and came out, only managing to catch a glimpse of a bright red earlobe.

He walked to the screen and looked at the photos for a while, slightly stunned, then looked at the fleeing figure in the distance.

...

The morning shoot was a great success, but because it was so successful, Mo Ningzhi was exhausted. When the shoot moved indoors in the afternoon, she changed her approach and restrained herself to finish the last set of shots.

Mo Ningzhi remembered that when he was studying abroad, his teacher Leander taught him that incorporating personal emotions into the shooting process would make the photos more emotional. So, whatever Qin Weijin looked like in his eyes, that's what the photos would look like. Even if he tried to restrain himself and even changed the angles and compositions, the photos still shone brightly.

His heart was fluttering more intensely than he had imagined.

Mo Ningzhi returned the camera, then ran to a corner, her arms and legs trembling, and gulped down ice water. The cold water calmed her down, and Mo Ningzhi slowly swallowed back her pounding heart.

"Assistant Mo."

An unfamiliar female voice sounded behind her. Mo Ningzhi wiped the water from the corner of her mouth, turned around, and found that it was Fang Lei, the female assistant who had been temporarily assigned to help Zhan Linzhou today. "Is there something you need?"

Fang Lei was very introverted and spoke softly, "Do you know where Brother Jin is?"

Mo Ningzhi: "At this time, you should be changing clothes in the locker room. Do you need to see him for something?"

“Okay.” Fang Lei nodded. “I mentioned my resignation to Brother Zhan last week, and he asked me to tell Brother Jin as well. Today is my last day at work.”

Mo Ningzhi nodded, understanding. Although she didn't know how this matter had anything to do with her, she still said, "Then I'll take you over there to wait for him?"

"No need." Fang Lei paused, then pulled out several bound A4 sheets of paper from her backpack. The first page read "Resignation Letter." "I have to catch a flight soon and can't wait any longer. Could you please forward my resignation letter to me?"

Mo Ningzhi hesitated. The company's personnel situation was predictably complicated, and he didn't want to get involved. Fang Lei, though introverted, was very perceptive. She noticed Mo Ningzhi's predicament and flipped to the last two pages of the resignation letter. "My paperwork is all complete. It has the stamps of HR and finance, and the legal department has a confidentiality agreement receipt. I'm just asking you to pass on the final documents."

Mo Ningzhi paused for a moment, then took the document: "Okay."

"Thank you. I'll be going now. I hope you have a smooth journey in your work and life."

After Fang Lei left, Mo Ningzhi rubbed her aching temples and found a corner to sit down and rest. She hadn't noticed it earlier because she was so tense, but now she realized that her dizziness and headache had worsened.

Qin Weijin was right; he did catch a cold. He was exhausted after a day of taking photos, and now that he's relaxed, the dizziness is even worse.

Mo Ningzhi raised her hand and touched her forehead; it was burning hot.

"Ningzhi, you're here! Manager Zhan and Teacher Thorne were just talking about you. They're planning to have dinner together tonight. Do you want to come with us?" Zhang Yuyu walked over from the corner and spotted Mo Ningzhi.

Mo Ningzhi slowly shook her head: "I'm afraid I can't go."

"Why?"

Mo Ningzhi weakly raised his head, his eyelids heavy. Zhang Yuyu was startled when she saw his face. "My God, you look terrible."

She checked Mo Ningzhi's forehead temperature. "You seem to have a fever. Is it because you got caught in the rain a few days ago? Don't sit there. I'll take you to the hospital right now."

Mo Ningzhi shook her head, "No need, I can go by myself."

“How can that be? What if you’re in danger on your way back alone?” Zhang Yuyu insisted on helping him.

Mo Ningzhi didn't like being taken care of, especially by a young girl like Zhang Yuyu. He insisted, "I'm really fine. I'm not so feverish that I can't move. Besides, I have something I need you to pass on to Qin Weijin."

"What?"

Mo Ningzhi recounted what had just happened, and Zhang Yuyu took the documents. "Okay, I understand. You really don't need me to take you?"

Mo Ningzhi waved her hand, "I've called a car, could you please tell Brother Jin for me?"

"Okay, you should go back now."

Mo Ningzhi packed his things and had just stepped out of the film set when the car he had called arrived. He opened the car door, got in, and drove off in a daze.

...

After finishing work, Qin Weijin looked at the photos for a while and chatted with Thorne for a bit, but still couldn't find Mo Ningzhi. His gaze automatically swept across the entire set, and his brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

"Brother Jin, let's wrap up and go home," Zhang Yuyu said.

"Has Mo Ningzhi not completed the handover yet?" Qin Weijin asked.

"Oh dear, look at my memory." Zhang Yuyu tapped her head and took out her resignation letter from her bag. "Brother Zhan just talked to me about filming in the Northwest. I almost forgot. Ning Zhi just left. He asked me to give this to you."

Qin lowered his eyes and saw the three large characters "Resignation Letter" on the cover.

It's extremely bright.

She had considered quitting a few days ago, so what's wrong this time? Just now, when she was filming, her eyes were sparkling with affection when she looked at him, and she didn't seem to have any intention of leaving. Why is she suddenly going to resign?

Qin Weijin suddenly felt angry, but more than that, he felt uneasy and unable to control himself. He lowered his eyes and remained silent for a few seconds before grabbing his resignation letter and striding out.

Zhang Yuyu: "...Brother Jin?"

...

Mo Ningzhi didn't go to the hospital. He went home alone. The illness came on suddenly, and he couldn't resist the overwhelming drowsiness. Because he hadn't taken a shower, he took a few pills and fell asleep on the sofa.

He didn't know how long he had slept when he was jolted awake by the ringing of the doorbell. It was already dark, and everything was dim. The balcony door was open, and the night wind blowing into the room was a bit chilly. Mo Ningzhi felt hot and cold all over. He struggled to sit up and realized that his symptoms seemed to have worsened.

The doorbell rang more and more urgently.

Mo Ningzhi couldn't help but feel annoyed. She cursed Li Yan in her heart for forgetting the password again, and thought she would just stick it on his forehead next time. She walked towards the entrance in a daze.

I opened the door, and a tall figure stood before me.

The hallway lights were a bit too bright. Mo Ningzhi tilted her head to adjust to the light before recognizing Qin Weijin's face. "Brother Jin...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Qin Weijin pushed him backward back into the living room. Caught off guard, Mo Ningzhi stumbled and was shoved against the wall. The man in front of him, menacing, gripped his chin and called his name, "Mo Ningzhi."

"You like me, don't you? You even know what I'm allergic to, you get involved in all my private affairs, and you help me solve all my problems... I never said I didn't like you, so why are you running away?"