Chapter 288
"Teacher Zhou, it's ready here," Lu An, who was squatting beside the swimming pool, said after reaching out to stir the water.
Zhou Xiao nodded, put the phone he had just held in his hand into his pocket, and began to devote himself to shooting the WP Hotel Swimming Pool.
The clear, turquoise pool is artificially rippled, revealing the distorted, classic WP logo beneath. The spa's indoor pool evokes the image of a medieval hammam. Combined with modern design, the hotel exudes the opulence and luxury of a luxury hotel.
The pool water was just the right temperature, and Zhou Xiao's camera panned to Dai Linfei, who was rising from her recliner. Her waist-length hair was neatly gathered behind her, and her pearly white mermaid dress perfectly suited her.
As Dai Linfei moved, the fine jewelry around her neck and wrists sparkled in the lights. The large emeralds, surrounded by diamonds, were so stunningly beautiful that it gave the illusion of a mermaid queen.
Dai Linfei removed her high heels and lightly tapped the water with her toes. As if with a sense of mission, she gazed ahead and walked steadily into the pool. The splashing water fell on her pearly white dress, leaving a subtle blue mark that vaguely resembled the reappearance of shimmering mermaid scales.
As Dai Linfei walked to the center of the pool, she scooped up a handful of water, applied it to her face, and then wiped it back. The water droplets lingering beneath her eyelashes gave her a sense of authenticity, while her damp hair added a touch of mermaid charm.
The mermaid queen seemed to come alive at that moment, her eyes filled with a hint of compassion and gentleness. The next moment, Dai Linfei, like a lotus emerging from water, curled her lips into a smile, drawing the audience out of their reverie.
"Cut!" As Zhou Xiao finished his words, the pool assistant quickly tossed a pure white towel toward Dai Linfei in the water. When she emerged, another dry towel was placed firmly over her.
"That's an exaggeration! The water is warm," Dai Linfei said helplessly, wrapped in a towel. Of course, if you ignore the smile on her face and the degree to which her lips curled up, it might be more convincing.
William Allen commissioned Yuan Zhili and Zhou Xiao to shoot a promotional video for the hotel after the dinner, specifically for WP's Chinese spokesperson, Dai Linfei. The other two spokespersons at the dinner were filmed by their own teams.
The WP Hotel in Shanghai perfectly blends the charm of Shanghai with the brand's ingenuity. Zhou Xiao's final photoshoot of the day was the spa's pool, having already shot key promotional locations including the hotel's rooms, restaurant, fitness center, and brand boutique.
"I'll send the edited video to Brother Lu and Mr. Yuan as soon as possible," Zhou Xiao said casually as he packed up his equipment. "If you have any questions, you can tell me."
"Teacher Zhou, it feels like you're almost becoming a non-staff member of our team. Are you interested in joining us?" Lu An stepped forward to lend a hand and jokingly said, "If you're paid the full salary, I can even help you out."
"No, I wouldn't dare ask the boss to help me," Zhou Xiaoxiao declined with a smile. Having worked with Dai Linfei many times, she'd heard other assistants at the studio call Lu An "little boss." Apparently, the other party had a stake in the studio. But perhaps only in this situation could one be so completely committed.
"Haha, then let's wait for our next cooperation! However, sister Fei and I really like your shooting. If you have any ideas, please consider us first!" When Lu An said this, he didn't notice that Dai Linfei was winking and joking with Zhou Xiao behind him.
Zhou Xiao suppressed a smile and nodded. After saying goodbye to everyone, she returned to her room with her camera. After filming the promotional ad, all that remained was editing. But at the moment, she wasn't rushing to edit, instead turning her attention to the buzzing messaging app on her phone.
Scrolling through the endless unread messages, Zhou Xiao discovered that most of them were asking if Huayao had invited her to film the music video. Of course, there were also confused people like Zhu Jian and Cheese.
…
After seeing Zhou Xiao's reply, Zhu Jian was delighted. Then, for some reason, her mind suddenly cleared up. She quickly opened the fan club's group chat. The MV-related content she searched for was mostly just people expressing dissatisfaction with Huayao, with no mention of reshooting the MV.
Zhou Xiao's reply, which couldn't have been simpler, had already reached over 10,000 views by the time Zhu Jian reopened it. This popularity and the excitement of his co-sharers gave Zhu Jian a bad feeling.
When Zhu Jian didn't receive a reply to his message to Zhou Xiao, he knew she must be working. He had no choice but to have Digital Sister from the fan club contact Huayao immediately to inquire about the specific situation.
They weren't the only ones confused during this period. After seeing the rumor, the fans from NINE STAR who had met Zhou Xiao offline also contacted him. Besides enjoying the news, they were also concerned about whether the MV would be reshot.
NINE STAR's album music videos have received widespread, if not widespread, dissatisfaction from fans. While Zhang Hongyu's videos are considered decent among the members, they still fall far short of those shot by professional directors.
But this is a group, and fans are best at and most often compare resources. After comparing the mediocre MV with the "poor" production of other members like Ji Shao, the few companies that filmed Zhang Hongyu's MV stopped protesting and accepted it naturally.
However, after watching Zhou Xiao's MV for Di Jiangtong, their mindset hadn't changed yet. Then, they heard from marketing accounts and forum users that she would help Ji Shao reshoot the MV. At this point, the remaining eight fans all disagreed.
Online, Zhou Xiao's phrase "Satisfy you" quickly sparked a flurry of online fan debate. This was especially true after the hashtag #PangranXinDangSatisfyYou# made it onto the entertainment charts, marking a rare "eight-team" event for NINE STAR fans.
——A certain blog——
@瓜田吃个瓜V: #悸然心动会员你# Oh my god, is this Ji Shao fangirl doing something big? Although Ji Shao is the center, wouldn't it be a bit of a bad influence for him to reshoot the MV alone?
[I just saw this sister's MV for Tongtong on the trending search, and I love it so much! If the previous MV was ugly, I think reshooting it will be easier on everyone's eyes!]
[It’s true that the emperor is so scary, the other eight are not worthy of reshoots~]
[Speaking of privilege, who is privileged?]
[If we were a group, it would probably be awkward, right? If I were Ji Shao, with a bit of common sense, we wouldn't be in such a bad situation now!]
Instead of buying likes and controlling comments, fans should spend the money on something better. For example, give the money to this sister and let her shoot a music video for everyone. I don't understand what's the point of arguing about this.
【……】
The red and black battle in the hot search square was promptly identified by Huayao Xingtu's public opinion detection. Naturally, the company had three doubts and was completely unaware of the online rumor that Zhou Xiao was going to help Ji Shao reshoot the MV.
So Chen Shenju, one of the three people who was catching up on sleep in the nanny car, received the call in a daze.
"Brother Chen, have you seen the trending searches? You didn't agree to any of Zhou Xiao's requests at the WP dinner last night, right?" Lin Qianxia's tone on the other end of the phone was very calm, and she didn't seem to have any sense of urgency about the staff being besieged by fans from various groups.
"No, what happened?" Chen Shenju was still drowsy, but he immediately woke up when he heard the other party's tone. Thinking about their interaction last night, they had only said hello to Zhou Xiao at the dinner, and that was all, right?
They left the hotel early this morning to go to a new brand for a contract signing, photo shoots, and hundreds of autographs. According to Chen Shenju, the three of them were, to put it bluntly, exhausted.
But even so, there was no rest. Look, the nanny car under my feet was rushing to the company. And Ji Shao had a scene tomorrow morning. After a simple dinner, they had to fly back to the film city tonight.
"Hmm?" Lin Qianxia paused, her voice suddenly became gentle, and she naturally began to talk about other things.
Chen Shenju listened attentively to the voice on the other end of the line, nodding occasionally. After the call ended, he happened to meet Song Xiao's gaze. An idea suddenly formed in his mind, so Chen Shenju deliberately lowered his voice, his eyes still accusing, and asked, "Did you agree to let Zhou Xiao shoot the music video for Ji Shao?"
Song Xiao had already opened his phone to check the trending searches. His gaze paused for a moment on the words "Produce an MV for Xiao Shao." He vaguely felt that this seemed to be the key point, but he couldn't think of any other way to produce an MV, so he shook his head.
Seeing Chen Shenju still pondering, Song Xiao's curiosity was also piqued. He was urging Chen Shenju, "Why don't you ask?"
"No need, I think I've thought of it." Chen Shenju shook his head. He remembered the words Zhou Xiao added before leaving when he was discussing the microphone with him that night.
Chen Shenju raised his right thumb and middle finger to massage his solar plexus, and couldn't help but worry about his memory. He'd been really tired lately, so he'd better let Xiao Song share some of the burden. With this in mind, he softly beckoned Song Xiao to come closer.
…
The MV and photo album that Zhou Xiao had previously made were all saved in the computer. At this moment, she frowned as she looked at the hot search square on her mobile phone screen while logging into her heart-pounding account on the web version.
After uploading the video to his blog, Zhou Xiao propped his chin up with one hand, wondering who had created this trending search. The intention was too obvious, clearly trying to associate Ji Shao with "privilege" and "royal family", but in reality, these two words had nothing to do with Ji Shao.
Seeing the upload successfully displayed on her computer, Zhou Xiao clicked on the video, but this was actually only her second time watching it in its entirety. As the screen zoomed in, filling the entire screen, the screen went dark, and the prelude to Ji Shao's new song, "Autumnal Equinox," released last week, began to play.
The hand-painted painting unfolds slowly to the rhythm of the song, bringing the upbeat rhythm of "Autumnal Equinox" to everyone watching. The arrival of autumn brings away the summer heat and the joy of a bountiful harvest. Its light and gentle nature brings endless comfort and ease.
But this MV, edited by Zhou Xiao, carries the fruits of Ji Shao's journey from trainee to his current state. The Autumnal Equinox is also a time of harvest for Ji Shao.
As the chorus begins, fan art of Ji Shao appears like a revolving lantern, punctuated by the beat. Trainee Ji in a pink top, Ji Shao in his first uniform, Ji Shao during the first public performance... until the spirited young general. These vintage materials, combined with the new art prepared by Zhou Xiao, create a unique and innovative music video.
Zhou Xiao's storyboard design is perfectly realized in this animated music video. In tune with the lyrics in every frame, Ji Shao stands in a field, gazing at the sunset, his body stained with dirt and cockleburs. On a cool summer night, counting the stars with his arm as a pillow, Ji Shao's eyes seem to hold even brighter stars. Beneath a large banyan tree, Ji Shao, carefully examining a leaf, suddenly glances at the camera with surprise...
Each figurine bears Ji Shao's unique markings, and each outfit feels like something Ji Shao would wear in a music video. The music video seems to allow everyone to see the true nature of "Autumnal Equinox." Close your eyes, and scenes flash by.
And, at the very end, every frame of Ji Shao's presence flashed back quickly. Finally, the screen returned to darkness. Gradually, accompanied by Ji Shao's final, ethereal chant, a tiny purple glow quietly ignited on the pitch-black screen, then quickly spread across the entire starry sky.
The purple sea of stars surrounded Ji Shao like a burning flame. Standing in the center, holding a small light board with the word "Shao" in his hand, he finally gained his most precious and dazzling fans.
The next second, the painted sea of stars materialized into a real purple sea. It felt like the Star 101 finals, or like a live concert, but at that moment, it didn't matter. The swaying light signs, the excited screams, and the gradually unifying cheers of support blended together, finally bringing the event to a close.
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