Chapter 201 Burning Love
At 9 p.m., the white lights in the studio had been on for a full twelve hours.
Lu Yinzhao's hands were still covered in toner dust from debugging the equipment, and there were three empty coffee cups piled up next to the monitor in front of him.
Lu Yinzhao had just finished taking a series of photos of the female lead in the study when he squatted down to adjust the angle of the reflector.
"Add some more water mist here, so that the hem of her skirt has some wet patches, hmm... we need that hurried feeling of someone who just ran in from a rainy alley and didn't have time to tidy herself up," Lu Yinzhao said to the set and prop teachers.
"Okay, okay."
At this moment, Lao Wang from the lighting team walked over carrying the equipment.
He wiped his sweat and whispered to the script supervisor next to him, "I've worked with Director Zhan on three films, and this is the first time I've seen him smile all day long."
The script supervisor chimed in, "This morning, the props team put the house number at the alley entrance upside down. In the past, he could stand there and mutter for half an hour, but today he just said a few words."
Lighting crew member Lao Wang chimed in, "Just now, when Teacher Lu mentioned wanting to add a close-up of the pocket watch, he immediately told us to turn off all the main lights, leaving only a small desk lamp for illumination. He even squatted down next to him to watch the monitor, working with Teacher Lu to figure out the shot. It seems Director Zhan is really satisfied with the cinematographer he found this time. Weren't the previous ones all scared away by him?"
The script supervisor nodded: "That's right! I just went to deliver the printed storyboard to Teacher Lu and happened to see Director Zhan handing Teacher Lu warm water and saying something like... don't drink coffee all the time, it's bad for your stomach."
"Do you remember when we were filming 'Dark City,' the cinematographer wanted to change the set colors, and Director Zhan directly criticized him, saying that he didn't understand the atmosphere of a suspense film? Compared to Director Zhan today, they are like two completely different people!"
As the two were talking, the actor playing the male lead walked over, holding a bag of warm egg yolk pastries, and handed it to Lu Yinzhao.
"Teacher Lu, why don't you take a break for two minutes and have something to eat?"
"Thank you, please put it on the table. I need to finish taking these photos first," Lu Yinzhao replied with a polite smile.
"You are really... so dedicated. To be honest, I've taken so many promotional photos, and this is the first time I've met a photographer who understands the character better than I do. The photos you took today are even better than the ones I saw through Director Zhan's lens."
The male actor spoke quite loudly, and when Director Zhan heard him, he laughed and scolded, "You little rascal, didn't you think you were pretty great before? That's why I'm telling you to watch and learn more. You can't only learn by following me. During filming, everything can help you gain a deeper understanding of the character."
"Director Zhan, you're right. I really benefited a lot from following Teacher Lu today." The actor smiled and scratched his head.
Lu Yinzhao quickly finished taking the last photos, intending to leave work as soon as possible.
He was actually the youngest here, but a group of people older than him called him "Teacher Lu," which made him feel quite embarrassed.
Just then, news from Bian Ji arrived.
[Brother Aji]: Is it over yet? I'm here to pick you up. The car is outside the film studio.
[Brother Aji]: Shall we go get some late-night snacks?
Lu Yinzhao thought to herself, "That's wonderful!"
He's so hungry he's practically starving.
"Director, I've finished taking all the photos for this scene, so I'll stop here for today..."
"Go back and rest! You've worked hard! Our crew has a heavier workload here, you probably haven't worked for this long in a row before, have you?" Director Zhan said with a kind smile.
"It's not hard work, it's what I should do, I can handle this little bit of work."
Lu Yinzhao greeted the director and crew members, waved, and then turned and left.
He glanced at Xiao Fang following behind him and said with a smile, "You're off work too. There's no work today, you can go home."
"Teacher Lu, are you sure you don't need me to follow behind anymore?"
"No need, no need!"
It wouldn't be appropriate for him to bring an assistant on his date.
When they were almost out of the film studio, Lu Yinzhao practically ran out.
I could see Bian Ji's car parked at the entrance from a distance.
"Ugh! I'm so tired! I'm so tired! My back aches, my legs are cramping!"
As soon as she got in the car, Lu Yinzhao lay in Bian Ji's arms and started howling.
Only in front of Bian Ji could he unleash his true nature without restraint.
Bian Ji cupped his face in her hand and gently pinched it.
Then I noticed the small bag he was carrying. "What's this?"
"Oh, this is a salted egg yolk pastry that the male lead actor in the crew gave me. I was in a hurry to leave work and haven't had a chance to eat it yet."
As Lu Yinzhao was speaking, she prepared to open the bag, but Bian Ji gently took it away.
The man tossed the small bag aside. "Honey, it's late at night, we're not going to eat this, it's too greasy. I'll take you to that beef noodle soup shop you used to like."
"Great!" Lu Yinzhao had been starving all day, and now that he heard there was meat to eat, he no longer cared about the egg yolk pastry.
The poor egg yolk pastry lay in some corner, completely forgotten.
...
One evening at 8 PM, the normally calm Weibo account was suddenly interrupted by a "surprise announcement" from the official Weibo account of "Mist Locks the Red Alley".
Without any prior promotion or pre-release copywriting, they simply released a nine-grid promotional photo with a caption of just three words: "The fog has risen."
The first picture is a scene of confrontation at the alley entrance taken by Lu Yinzhao.
In the rain and mist, the male protagonist clutched his pocket watch, hidden in the shadows, the line of his Adam's apple as sharp as a knife.
The villain's silhouette, however, is blurred and out of focus, like a huge crisis hidden in the fog.
Within five minutes of the photo being posted, the comment section was flooded with over three thousand messages.
Holy crap! This atmosphere! I thought I'd clicked on a screenshot from the actual movie!
Is there some foreshadowing in this watch? I'm already guessing what the plot will be like!
Who's the photographer? All I can say is, it's a hundred times better than some suspense movie posters!
As netizens discovered that the photographer was credited as "Lu Yinzhao," the comment section instantly transformed into a "massive family reunion."
【Oh, it's our teacher L? Never mind, that's just basic stuff.】
[OMG! I just went through his portfolio, and his recent fashion magazine shoots had such a warm and gentle vibe, how come he's so ruthless in suspense films?]
I thought he was only good at magazine covers; I didn't expect him to be so talented in film and television as well.
[In these promotional photos, every character's eyes are so expressive! Lu Yinzhao's ability to capture emotions through the eyes is truly top-notch.]
[Moreover, I can clearly feel that his photographic work is constantly evolving and improving; this is a major breakthrough. He's naturally suited for this profession.]
[Look at the tour posters Zhao Zhao took for our Brother Ji. I thought he was really good at capturing emotions back then, and now his movie promotional photos are even more amazing!]
[Speaking of which, why haven't we heard anything from this young couple lately? They've been so low-key! Can't they just suddenly get married for me?!]
That's their own business. Please don't interfere in their private lives! Besides, they haven't been dating for very long; they both need to focus on their careers.
At this moment, two people who "prioritize their careers" are kissing passionately, inseparable.
After a vigorous workout, Lu Yinzhao lay panting on the bed, unable to move her fingers or even hold her phone.
"No, I'm not coming... I really'm not coming." Lu Yinzhao's voice was hoarse, with a hint of pleading at the end.
Bian Ji bent down and kissed the tears from the corners of his eyes, gently wiping away the sweat from his forehead.
With a smile, she said, "Zhaozhao, your stamina seems to have gotten worse lately?"
These words seemed to have flipped a switch on Lu Yinzhao, and he instantly bristled.
“I’ve been busy with filming, graduation, and hiring for the studio lately. I’m all alone, and I can’t be in two places at once. Yet you keep tormenting me, Bian Ji! Are you even human?” Lu Yinzhao turned around and glared at Bian Ji.
Bian Ji pulled the person over again to coax them, "I just saw that you were too busy, so I wanted to help you balance work and rest and loosen up your muscles. Don't worry, I guarantee you'll sleep well tonight."
Lu Yinzhao: "..."
What kind of illogical nonsense is this? Is this some kind of attempt to fool people?
Bian Ji was clearly quite busy, but every time the two of them did those things, the man's energy would be unusually high.
Lu Yinzhao felt a bit useless. He was six years younger than Bian Ji, yet he still lost.
He supported his body, which was covered in red marks, and suddenly flipped the man next to him onto the bed.
Lu Yinzhao gritted her teeth and sat on him, "I'm not sleeping anymore, let's go again! Let's fight until dawn!"
Bian Ji: "..."
...
The consequence of insisting on a head-to-head confrontation is...
I'm so happy to have three days of relaxation in the bedroom.
From then on, Lu Yinzhao stopped worrying about so-called pride. If his physical strength was slightly inferior, so be it; there was no point in comparing.
It's better than getting a sore bottom.
Lu Yinzhao slacked off for three days. Anyway, it was almost graduation time, and most people at the school were not on campus, except for some who were preparing for postgraduate entrance exams.
After finishing her job on the film set, Lu Yinzhao didn't remember to take on any other work.
He needs to carefully plan what's to come.
"What day is your graduation ceremony?" Bian Ji asked.
"July 4th, what? You think you can still make it?" Lu Yinzhao raised an eyebrow.
“I can,” Bian Ji replied earnestly.
"Are you serious?" Lu Yinzhao poked Bian Ji's chest with her fingertip. "What level are you at now? Last time I went to a coffee shop near my school, I was surrounded by fans for half an hour. In the end, the security guards had to come and get me out of it. There are so many people at the graduation ceremony. If you show up, forget about taking pictures, the whole school will probably be surrounding you. How am I supposed to get my diploma?"
Bian Ji grasped his mischievous hand, "I can pretend before I go."
“How can you disguise yourself? Even if you wear a mask and glasses, your demeanor is different from ordinary people. Do you believe that your classmates at school will recognize you at a glance?” Lu Yinzhao said.
"Don't worry about that, I have a way to keep it a secret." Bian Ji's lips curled into a confident smile.
Lu Yinzhao asked suspiciously, "If others can't notice, then I probably won't recognize it either, right?"
"You'll recognize me," Bian Ji said confidently.
Lu Yinzhao, unsure of Bian Ji's intentions, said with some concern, "You should hire more bodyguards when you go out. There will definitely be a lot of people on graduation day. If you are discovered, the bodyguards can protect you and help you get out."
"Don't worry, that won't happen. I'll watch your entire graduation ceremony and see you receive your diploma," Bian Ji said earnestly, her voice full of tenderness.
"Alright then, if that's how you put it... then I'll look forward to it." Lu Yinzhao smiled.
Then she reached out to be hugged, saying, "It's too stuffy in the bedroom, carry me to the living room for a while."
"Yes, young master Lu."
Bian Ji easily lifted the person up by the waist and steadily carried them outside.
The summer breeze blows into the room, carrying with it a burning passion for love.
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Author's Note: Zhao Zhao: Anyone who tries to argue with me again is a dog [shrug]
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