Chapter 26 Just want to surprise you

As Su Nian put the two carefully designed sets of clothes into dust bags, her fingers gently stroked every seam.

The clothes now come to the final step - taking the perfect photo and making the judges fall in love with them at first sight.

"I have to take a different picture this time," Su Nian said to her mother Su Hong. "In addition to laying out the pictures, I also want to wear the clothes and take pictures to make them come alive."

Clothes are the designer's language, and models are the ones who turn language into poetry. Su Hong looked at her tall and beautiful daughter with approval.

Next to her mother's tailor shop was Aunt Fang's wedding photography studio. Aunt Fang, who had watched Su Nian grow up, immediately made the decision when she heard she wanted to take photos: "Come in the evening, there's no one in the studio, you can do whatever you want!"

When Si Yan heard that Su Nian was going to be the model for his work, he didn't want to miss such a highlight moment.

Su Nian and Si Yan walked into the studio. Professor Si Yan was holding a dust bag, like a diligent assistant.

Aunt Fang's eyes lit up, and she pointed at Si Yan and said, "Oh, this guy is so handsome! It's such a waste to hand over props, why not just take a photo together!"

Si Yan smiled and said nothing.

Su Nian secretly glanced at him - although he was dressed simply today, his tall and straight figure, coupled with his calm temperament, was indeed pleasing to the eye.

While directing her assistant to adjust the lighting, Aunt Fang said to Su Nian, who was putting on makeup, "Your mom said you put a lot of effort into these two outfits. You need to make them look their best today!"

Su Nian smiled slightly, but she felt a little nervous. This was the first time she had worn her design for others to see, and it was also a crucial part of the competition.

While Si Yan was waiting for Su Nian to put on makeup, Aunt Fang suggested that he also change into matching clothes so that he could act as a moving background board.

Si Yan smiled and said, "I never thought I had the potential to be a mobile background board. If I had known earlier, I shouldn't have studied Chinese medicine. I should have been a model."

Su Nian couldn't help but continue, "With your temperament, you're too unworthy to be a model. You need to be a designer's exclusive muse."

"Then may I have the honor to be your exclusive muse?" Si Yan asked seriously.

Su Nian's cheeks flushed slightly and she didn't respond.

Si Yan chose for himself a charcoal gray turtleneck sweater and a pair of distressed khaki overalls.

Aunt Fang came over to take a look and immediately decided, "Wear this sweater with the overalls. It will go well with the dark grey coat from 'City Wanderer'."

She turned around, pulled out a black baseball cap from the prop rack, and put it on Si Yan's head. "Young man, you have broad shoulders, so you should wear something neat. It will make Nian Nian's outfit look more stylish."

The filming began next. Su Nian stood in front of the black geometric background, and Si Yan was placed in the shadow behind him by Aunt Fang.

The drape of the dark gray recycled fiber coat was particularly obvious under the soft light. Su Nian slightly hunched her shoulders according to Aunt Fang's instruction, allowing the hem of the coat to naturally fold over the Martin boots.

The rust-red trouser legs were deliberately left with a gap of two fingers' width, so that when walking, one could catch a glimpse of the metal buckle on the boot cuff, like the occasional flash of sparks in the city's neon lights.

She raised her hand to brush away the hair that was messed up by the wind. The corners of her off-white cotton shirt that showed through her sleeves just neutralized the overall coldness.

Si Yan didn't dare to move much, and only occasionally helped her to straighten the collar of her coat that was blown askew by the wind.

The most moving moments often come unexpectedly. As Su Nian bent down to adjust her shoelaces, Si Yan reached out to hold down the fluttering hem of her dress, their figures frozen in time in the concrete jungle. Aunt Fang, perceptive in her moment, sighed softly, "This is the story that design tells."

Some photos are of clothes, some photos are of people, and the best photos are of the stories between clothes and people.

Before changing into the next set of clothes, Aunt Fang suggested taking a few more shots of the two of them.

When Si Yan was pushed to Su Nian's side, he was very well-behaved and performed various actions naturally according to Aunt Fang's requirements.

Su Nian, whose movements were naturally graceful just now, seemed very reserved now. With someone else beside her, she didn't know where to put her hands.

Aunt Fang couldn't help laughing: "Girl, relax a little, just think of it as a walk on the street."

Su Nian took two steps forward, and when he turned around, the hem of his coat brushed against Si Yan's trouser legs. He subconsciously reached out to help, and just as his fingertips touched her sleeve, Aunt Fang shouted "Okay" -

In the camera, Su Nian looked up at him slightly. When he lowered his head, the shadow of his hat brim fell on his brow. There was a distance of half an arm between the two of them, but it looked like they had just waited for a red light side by side at the street corner.

When changing to "Natural Symbionts", the background changed to a gradient light green gauze.

The fluff of Su Nian's woolen cloak shone with a soft luster in the warm light. Her misty blue long skirt hung to her ankles, and the arc of the skirt raised when she walked was like a blade of grass covered with morning dew.

Si Yan changed into an off-white sweater. Aunt Fang found him a pair of brown leather boots and stuffed a bunch of dried flowers into his hand. "Take this and walk around casually."

Su Nian walked in front wearing a woolen cloak, her misty blue long skirt dragging across the ground. Si Yan happened to follow from the side and behind, and the tassels of dried flowers gently brushed the edge of her cloak.

In one snapshot, Su Nian turned around and said with a smile, "Don't drop the flowers." Si Yan was looking at her gently, and a warm light spread over their intersecting gazes. The buckle of the wooden belt gleamed in the camera, and it looked like they were walking out of the woods together.

"Take a closer picture." Aunt Fang stepped back from the camera. "Just like a normal chat."

Su Nian leaned closer to Si Yan, and the fluff of her cloak rubbed against his sweater. He raised his hand to help her tidy up her hair that was messed up by the wind. When his fingertips brushed the tip of her ear, they both paused.

"Click" the camera shutter sounded, and this warm and romantic scene was frozen.

The best match is not similar colors, but a blend of temperaments - like two different trees whose roots are quietly intertwined.

After nearly three hours of filming, when selecting the footage, Aunt Fang pointed at the screen and said, "Look at the way you walk. Even your shadows are talking to you."

Only then did Su Nian realize that, without her realizing it, every action between her and Si Yan revealed an unspeakable tacit understanding.

Su Nian and Aunt Fang together picked out twenty pictures for use as material for clothing design, and helped her cut them into the sizes required for the competition.

Aunt Fang said she wanted to make a beautiful booklet with these photos.

When they were done working, Si Yan helped fold the clothes into dust bags. Su Nian flipped through the photos in the camera and said with a smile, "I didn't expect you to be so photogenic."

"It's because of the photographer's good skills that he made an ordinary person like me look like a star." Si Yan said modestly.

"It's obviously the clothes I designed that set it off well," Su Nian was unconvinced. "I'll design a set for you later, and I guarantee you'll stun everyone."

"I don't need to impress others, I just need to impress you." Si Yan spoke the love words righteously.

Professor Si is getting better and better at flirting!

Si Yan asked Su Nian to forward a few photos to him. He had to take them home to deal with his grandmother, who had been pushing him a lot lately.

The next day, she organized the electronic materials according to the catalog, and specifically marked the source of recycled fibers and the environmentally friendly dyeing process of the wool cloak in the design concept.

The paper version uses dark gray cardboard as the cover, and the inside pages contain design concepts, design drafts, actual renderings, fabric descriptions, etc. The color scheme of the entire booklet is low-key and high-end, and very atmospheric.

Su Nian mailed the paperwork, with thirty-six hours left before the deadline. Regarding this design, Su Nian felt that the effort he put in was enough.

She stood at the door of the tailor shop. The wind seemed to carry the soft light from the studio, as well as the unique warmth of the fabric after being touched countless times.