Chapter 7 Acquaintance
The next photography lesson was an outdoor course.
After the teacher finished distributing the cameras to the students, Yu Weiyou hurried over and nervously said to the teacher who was about to leave, "Teacher, I've thought it through. I can try it first, and if it works out, I'll continue to be your model in the future."
It was rare for him to speak first.
I noticed a slight blush on her face. Was it just my imagination?
"Oh?" The teacher adjusted his glasses and smiled. "Have you made up your mind?"
"Um……"
The teacher nodded and said, "Alright. Well then, why don't you come to my office now and take a look?"
"OK…………"
“Yu Weiyou, don’t be shy. My name is Lu Jiucheng. We might be working together in the future, so I hope we can get along well,” he said.
"Okay..." To show a little politeness, Yu Weiyou pursed her slightly dry lips and answered. Otherwise, she would have preferred not to answer at all.
It seemed that even her usual domineering aura gradually weakened. Standing next to this person, there was indeed a sense of oppression. I didn't know if it was because he was a teacher or because of his own aura. Just like Shu Ciyin said, he was very shrewd and I didn't know what he was thinking.
"We're here, this is it." Lu Jiucheng pushed open the door.
"……Uh-huh."
So, the scene in the office quietly came into view for Yu Weiyou. There were many picture frames of various sizes stacked to one side or pasted on the wall, as well as several cameras, some equipment, a display case, and a coat rack with some clothes hanging on it.
As expected of a photography teacher, the office is cluttered with many things, yet the disarray is just right, creating a sense of order and harmony.
Seeing Yu Weiyou looking around his office, Lu Jiucheng smiled again and said, "It's a bit messy, sorry for the mess."
Yu Weiyou quickly waved her hand and said, "No, it won't happen."
Lu Jiucheng coughed as if starting a lecture and said, "I'll get straight to the point. The most important thing for a model is the photoshoot, right? Maybe we can do an audition first, see how it turns out, and then talk about the specifics. What do you think, Yu Weiyou?"
Yu Weiyou silently fiddled with her fingers and answered without hesitation, "Okay, let's do the audition first..."
As he spoke, Lu Jiucheng gestured for Yu Weiyou to stand in front of a backdrop wall and instructed her on how to pose.
Yu Weiyou stretched her body and struck various poses, wondering what she would look like on camera, whether she would look like an ugly country bumpkin, acting coy and affected.
"Okay, not bad." Lu Jiucheng put down his camera and walked towards Yu Weiyou. "Let's take a look together."
“Yu Weiyou probably doesn’t face the camera like this very often, right? You look a little nervous, and your posture is a bit stiff. But I think you’re quite photogenic. You have nice features and a well-proportioned figure. If you do more physical exercises, you should look great,” Lu Jiucheng said while showing Yu Weiyou the camera.
Yu Weiyou continued fiddling with her fingers, her voice lowering as she said, "I will try my best..."
“No rush, we can take our time. Um, but I’d like to know, Yu Weiyou, have you ever taken a physical education class?” Lu Jiucheng looked up and asked.
"I chose it once for one semester but didn't continue."
"Oh, is that so? It's alright, we'll get to know each other better. You can try working with me for a while, and I'll pay you accordingly." With that, he put down his camera and poured Yu Weiyou a glass of water. "Thank you for your hard work, Yu Weiyou. I haven't been able to properly entertain you. I have some fruit here; you can have some."
"Okay... thank you." Yu Weiyou breathed a slight sigh of relief and picked up her water glass. While drinking, her gaze slowly shifted to the display case, which contained many figurines and some exquisite dolls.
It looks great.
"You like this?" Lu Jiucheng followed Yu Weiyou's gaze. "Actually, I made this myself."
"Ah...that's amazing." Yu Weiyou couldn't help but exclaim. Suddenly, something seemed to have changed, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"Um..." After thinking for a few seconds, Yu Weiyou decided to ask.
Lu Jiucheng looked up: "Hmm?"
"Teacher, do you design clothes too?"
"Not very often. Because I studied photography and also came into contact with some art, and I happened to learn about dolls for a while, so I made a few on a whim." Lu Jiucheng looked at the doll, as if lost in a memory.
“I see…” Yu Weiyou pondered for a moment, then continued as if she had made up her mind, “I originally wanted to be a fashion designer and model, but now it seems that those things are indeed a bit far away for me.”
Lu Jiucheng handed Yu Weiyou an orange and said, "No way. I think Yu Weiyou might be very talented."
"Huh?" She was quite surprised to receive such a response; perhaps it was just politeness, she thought.
“But I’d like to ask, if I may be so bold… I’m just curious how you came up with such a dream?” he said, peeling off a slice of orange and putting it in his mouth.
Yu Weiyou thought for a moment and said, "I had this idea when I was very young... I can't even remember the original reason, but this dream has continued."
"It's so rare that you've managed to stick to your childhood dream. I almost gave up on my dream for various reasons... We absolutely can't let that happen again in front of me, or it would be such a shame! So, let me help you achieve your dream from now on. You can ask me any questions you have about design and modeling, and I'll try my best to answer them. I'll also teach you some things about getting into a good school. The rest is up to you to work hard. I'll cheer you on and hope your dream comes true."
Yu Weiyou was momentarily overwhelmed by his enthusiasm. Had she met a benefactor? He must have other motives, right? What could they be? She couldn't figure it out. Even if he did have ulterior motives, the rewards he offered were undeniably tempting.
"Thank you, teacher... If there's anything you need from me, please feel free to let me know," she said sincerely.
Lu Jiucheng said with a smile, "Then it's settled."
At that time, Yu Weiyou thought to herself that this teacher didn't seem too difficult to get along with. However, she really didn't have much experience in getting along with adults. She could never relax when she was with him. Every cell in her body was tense, and she was always ready to think about whether her way of interacting with him or what she was saying was appropriate.
"Li Rong, do you really think I can get the light?"
"Anyway, I think you would also hope that my dream can come true."
"To be honest, I'm just an ordinary girl. I thought I would never panic or be afraid again, no matter what I faced. But the sudden light unexpectedly threw me off balance. This opportunity made me start to imagine what direction my future would take. I don't know why, but I start to tremble whenever I think about this."
"Li Rong... if you were to regain your sight one day, what would you think? Would you be just as nervous?"
"Hmm... It's been so long since we've talked like this. It's not that I've forgotten you; in fact, I still often think of you. But I'm sorry, I always find it hard to face you. Now, my dream has finally made new progress, and I really want you to know this good news. I will keep moving forward! Please keep cheering me on from that year! I will carry your share and live well."
"Live well."
For the next period of time, Lu Jiucheng often took Yu Weiyu with him to film, sometimes shooting on location, but usually filming inside the facility.
Under Lu Jiucheng's guidance, Yu Weiyou learned a lot and even received payment as a model. Although she still couldn't completely let her guard down, she always felt that this person's intentions were not so simple. How could an adult help her so much for no reason, even if he didn't get anything out of it and was even giving her money? But no matter what, her impression of him kept improving, and she grew closer to him. She would even occasionally ask him for advice when she had some worries or academic problems.
He was indeed very gentle; he would patiently answer all her questions and take care of her in every other way. Why... did he have to go to such lengths? Everything seemed so natural and logical; she couldn't refuse or decline, yet afterwards she always felt guilty.
Is such tenderness really something she can handle?
This long-lost gentleness suddenly reminded her of when she first met Li Rong, and how she quickly fell for her back then.
Now, it's impossible to remain completely unmoved; he truly is a suitable friend for deep friendship. So the question returns to itself: how does he actually see her? What are his intentions towards her? And what is the current state of their relationship…?
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