Chapter 191
The morning's indoor photoshoot consisted of three sets. After quickly finishing the first, Zhou Xiao returned to the second floor to begin selecting the first batch of photos. Halfway through, Kang Rui, who had been idling nearby, trotted over and quietly reminded him, "Teacher Zhou, the second set of looks is ready over there."
"Huh? Oh, okay!" Zhou Xiao looked up from her computer and subconsciously checked the time. It hadn't been ten minutes. She paused for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. After signaling to Kang Rui that she understood, she casually picked up the camera, which had been placed on a magazine nearby.
"Isn't procrastination cured now?" Kang Rui glanced at Cai Qi, who had reentered the studio, and couldn't help but curl his lips. He still remembered that the last time they worked together, this sister's team had always been procrastinating.
Shaking his head and looking at Zhou Xiao's back as he left, Kang Rui sat down in front of the computer, took out his camera, took a few original photos and sent them to his boss.
…
In the nanny car, before the first half of filming ended and the location was changed, Cai Qi, having just eaten a simple fat-reducing meal, was leaning back in the back seat, resting her eyes. She had been working out a week in advance for this shoot.
"Tsk!" Her agent, Cai Hua, sitting in front of her, looked with great interest at the original photos she had asked Zhou Xiao to import into her photo album before leaving. The more she looked, the more satisfied she became. When she swiped right and saw a breathtakingly beautiful close-up photo, her mood suddenly brightened. She turned to look at her sister, who was taking a break, and said, "If we finish shooting early enough, I'll give you a day off. Go shopping and relax."
"Shang Ken" filmed both indoors and by the sea, originally planning to devote this morning and afternoon to indoor shoots. Cai Hua had some idea of Zhou Xiao's shooting style, but she hadn't expected him to be as fast as rumored. Furthermore, even a single photo she randomly selected would be considered a masterpiece.
The person resting in the back seat suddenly sat up. Although his eyes were covered by a steam mask, he reached out and accurately tapped the shoulder of the woman in front of him. "Wow! This is what you said. I'm going to..."
The nanny car suddenly became bustling with activity. The assistant sitting next to her was clearly used to this, searching the internet for Zhou Xiao's past works without blinking. She had already inadvertently saved quite a few pictures in her photo album.
In the other car sat Zhou Xiao, Kang Rui, and Zhuang Xinyan, the makeup artist who had originally come with Cai Qi's team. The car was quiet. Zhuang Xinyan sat next to Zhou Xiao, watching her expertly edit photos with a piercing gaze.
Photo editing isn't really a big deal, but the key point is that others edit photos to make them more beautiful and refined, while Zhou Xiao's editing is to preserve the realism of the image. She captures the three-dimensional, vivid people in real life through her photography.
When Zhuang Xinyan and Cai Hua saw the makeup she had applied to Cai Qi on screen, they were stunned by it for the first time in a long time. Zhou Xiao's camera perfectly captured the inspiration she had in her head when she created the look, which is why she had the nerve to buy the car.
A car whirred along the road to the seaside, trailed behind by Cai Qi's nanny car and a black car. As the driver in front, with a stern face, sped up again, Zhou Xiao, who had been working on her photos, glanced up sharply. This wasn't an accident! She glanced sideways in the rearview mirror and saw a black car following closely behind them, full of provocation.
Just then, a message popped up on my phone. It was from my manager, Cai Hua, who I had just added as a friend at the set. Apparently, he'd noticed the car following us and reluctantly sent a message, "Teacher Zhou, please tell the driver to be careful and not speed up. That car followed us this morning, and I didn't expect it to still be here. They must be some of Xiaoqi's fans."
Cai Qi's shooting for the March issue of "Shanghai Ken" was a non-public schedule. I think the other party must have purchased her flight information privately and followed her all the way from the airport.
The makeup artist Zhuang Xinyan also received the message from Cai Hua. After speaking to the driver in front, she noticed Zhou Xiao who was still in a daze.
Zhou Xiao was gently nudged, instantly awakening from her memories. She felt a mix of emotions. Why was there such a clear ban on sasaeng fans within the industry? It was a situation that only one could understand once. The driver of the car she was riding in, a magazine employee, had clearly sensed the malicious provocation of the black car approaching during his two attempts to speed up.
The young driver was also quite hot-tempered, but when he was about to argue back, Kang Rui, who had been resting with his eyes closed in the back seat, couldn't help but say coldly, "Hey, if you want to go racing, go by yourself. We won't accompany you in the car!"
So the three cars kept in formation and slowly drove to the original shooting location - the beach
After all, it was impossible to abandon the original arrangement for a few fans. As Zhou Xiao got out of the car, he subconsciously turned back to glance at the black car. The car was still parked beside the nanny van. A camera peeked out of the half-open window, filming the tightly wrapped Cai Qi. From Zhou Xiao's angle, he could vaguely see the tops of several heads huddled together.
Cai Qi was quickly grabbed by her sister and manager, and they headed towards the magazine's rental location. She paid no attention to the shutter sounds behind her, as if it were a common occurrence.
…
Zhou Xiao changed into slippers and brought his camera to the beach. He pulled over a plastic stool and sat down, waiting for the artist's hair and makeup to be completed. Unexpectedly, the sasaeng fans were still following the car, ruining their original vacation plans. Cai Qi's enthusiasm had visibly dropped significantly.
Zhou Xiao wasn't much of a psychological counselor, after all. After a few words of comfort, she watched Cai Qi follow the staff into the dressing room. She also heard Kang Rui, who was on the phone with someone, accurately reporting what had just happened.
The sea was azure, the sky blue, the waves rolling. Zhou Xiao found some amusement in watching the small crabs scurrying across the beach. He shook his head, putting his worries aside, and stood up to take a photo of a "blue cottage" perched on a distant reef. In the camera's frame, the walls were mottled, the sea eroding revealing the earthy color within. It looked lonely yet captivating.
"I thought you were going upstairs to take pictures." Kang Rui, who was following Zhou Xiao, put his hands in front of his forehead and looked up at the weather at the moment, and his tone began to become familiar.
Zhou Xiao put away his camera and shook his head. "No, I really value my life!" The hut was built on a reef. Although it seemed safe, it was full of dangers. If he slipped and fell on the reef, that would be the least of his worries. The worst thing he feared was falling into the sea and hitting the reef below.
Zhou Xiao knew the man was worried she'd be unhappy with the length of her makeup session, so she'd come to chat with him. She reflected on how much interesting footage she'd already captured in such a short time, and waved to Kang Rui. She entered the large tent set up by the "Shanghai Ken" magazine on the beach. Inside, she had her own computer, so she decided to use the time to continue retouching the photos in the car.
It was almost three in the afternoon when they arrived at the beach. After another hour and a half of makeup, Zhou Xiao selected a few photos before spotting Cai Qi approaching from a distance.
Another cyan dress appeared, but compared to the fabric of the first set she wore this morning, a closer look revealed countless shimmering scales. Every movement of Cai Qi's body was a dazzling spectacle. Without a doubt, this was another heavily crafted, tight-fitting mermaid gown.
Zhou Xiao looked at Cai Qi's makeup and nodded inwardly. This was the result of a discussion between Zhuang Xinyan and her in the car. Her beautiful face was outlined in thick ink, her face detailed with luminous scales. Her hair, damp and draped on either side of her cheeks, didn't appear draped at all, but rather had a gloomy, cold beauty.
When a cyan mermaid returns to the sea, with the beautiful sunset glow behind her, everything seems sacred and solemn. But beneath the surface lies the suppressed nature of the siren. The pearl necklace no longer struggles to break free from its shackles, but becomes a sharp weapon of attack. As she turns sideways, the scales on her face shimmer with the ripples of the sea.
The sky darkened quickly, as if it had no lingering feelings for this sea. The siren in the waters was cold and stubborn, with the faint glimpse of frosted shark ears. Under the sunset glow, a shimmering glass headdress entwined with wet hair, looking dreamy and graceful.
I didn't count how many outfits she had changed, but when Cai Qi finally stepped into the sea in this shimmering organza dark green dress, accompanied by the sea breeze, the actor's conviction and the atmosphere that was so film-like made her the perfect siren.
When Zhou Xiao said the four words "end shooting", Cai Hua, who had already prepared a towel, rushed over and wrapped Cai Qi tightly.
It was already quite cold in Shanghai in January, but Cai Qi, freezing cold after the shoot, made a point of running over to find Zhou Xiao. She felt she'd thoroughly enjoyed the entire day shooting, even though she was practically freezing to death. But when she leaned over and saw herself captured in Zhou Xiao's lens, it was all worth it!
"Teacher Zhou, can I take a few pictures?" Zhou Xiao saw the other person wrapped in a towel, pointing at the screen with a look of joy. Zhou Xiao, who was called upon, caught Cai Hua's eye, and their eyes met mid-air.
"Why, didn't she see the photos that were exported?"
"Haha, I forgot to show her."
Zhou Xiao nodded upon receiving the message, even turning her computer screen towards Cai Qi. Just as she was about to put her camera back in her bag, she glanced up and was captivated by the rosy purple sky. As the others gradually prepared to leave, she was left alone to capture the beautiful scene with her camera.
Zhou Xiao activated the camera mode to record this rare and beautiful scene. After sharing the video with her parents, she quickly packed up her camera and computer.
She glanced down at her wet feet, then saw everyone else getting into the car with their shoes in hand. Zhou Xiao followed suit. Before she even got in, a QR code was handed to her from behind. It was Zhuang Xinyan, beaming with joy.
"I forgot to exchange contact information in the car. Let's work together again next time when we are free!" Zhuang Xinyan said with a smile. Seeing her look being taken seriously by the photographer is undoubtedly the most satisfying and happy thing besides receiving the money.
Zhou Xiao readily took out his phone, and after the two added each other as friends and got in the car, he heard Kang Rui, who was already sitting inside, sigh, "Teacher Zhou seems to be very popular."
"By the way, Teacher Zhou, are any friends coming to the anniversary event next month? If so, please let me know and I'll send you the tickets."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
