Chapter 336: Conversation in the Training Room
Inside the practice room, a powerful, upbeat track was playing. If anyone else came in, they might start clapping along after a few bars. But if they tried to find the track, they'd be hard-pressed to find it. It was a new song by Ji Shao, yet to be released.
The seemingly empty dance studio made one wonder where the dancer had gone. But with the turn of the doorknob, it seemed to welcome back its... owner?
Not really.
A beam of light from the ceiling shone on the young man in the corner. As the footsteps got closer, the young man, who was almost "invisible" in the practice room, twitched his ears slightly and then raised his head.
The weather in Shanghai in February wasn't exactly warm, even damp and chilly, yet beads of sweat formed on the young man's forehead. His hair looked damp, but even so, it couldn't hide the exceptionally bright eyes beneath.
Chen Shenju, exhausted and dusty, looked at Ji Shao and glared at him in a feigned anger. But then he pulled a bottle of mineral water and a box of medicine from his coat pocket. Then he stood up and turned off the music that had been playing for hours.
The mineral water he brought was from the office heating cabinet. It was still warm, perfect for relieving the pressure on his stomach. As for the pills, they were the company's regular stomach medicine.
Seeing Ji Shao's smile, Chen Shenju, who had returned to his presence, maintained a stern expression. After counting the number of pills Ji Shao needed to take, he pushed the water and pills towards him, saying sternly, "You're still dancing when you have a stomach ache? Do you think you're an iron man?"
God knows how anxious he was when he heard the hoarse voice on the other end of Ji Shao's call. Chen Shenju still remembered the last time he heard Ji Shao's voice so weak was during the recording of "Running" last year.
The long-term exhaustion, coupled with the short burst of high-speed pursuit, had pushed their physical limits to breaking point before their mental endurance. Even so, they continued their journey the next day without stopping.
Ji Shao obediently swallowed the pills, raised his head, and drank nearly half of the bottle of mineral water before reaching out to take the tissue that Chen Shenju handed him. Chen Zhu was meticulous, always achieving perfection in these small matters.
Although Ji Shao's face was still a little pale due to the stomachache, it did not affect the smile on his face at all. "Brother Chen, you know..." He didn't finish his words, but both of them understood what he meant.
Ji Shao's next group's joining date was still in flux, so the album recording and commercial shoots needed to be completed as early as possible. He wanted to use this time to quickly record some practice videos so Chen Shenju could share his performances with fans at regular intervals.
"Alright," Chen Shenju squatted down. He looked at Ji Shao and sighed softly, "But you need at least two hours to recover."
After saying this, he pretended to be distressed and said, "Take some medicine and rest. Otherwise, Song Xiao will come directly from Xincheng with a knife to chop me. Do you think I can dodge it or not? If you don't take good care of yourself, your fans will be unhappy if they know..."
Listening to Chen Shenju's rambling, Ji Shao didn't feel impatient at all. Instead, he relaxed and leaned against the wall behind him.
"Oh, right!" Chen Shenju suddenly remembered something. He hadn't been with Ji Shao just now because he had been called away by Jia Jie from the publicity department. Although Ji Shao had a stomach ache and couldn't continue the conversation, he had already memorized the core content of their discussion.
"DL called and asked if we could invite Ms. Zhou Xiao to shoot your commercial," Chen Shenju explained. "They said they hope we can take the initiative to contact her."
Ji Shao, who had his head leaning against the wall, subconsciously sat up straight when he heard the first half of the sentence. He looked as if he would immediately nod in agreement if Chen Shenju asked him if he agreed.
But this state did not last long. When he heard the words "take the initiative to contact", Ji Shao quickly realized that something was wrong.
However, Chen Shenju hadn't noticed Ji Shao's reaction yet. His voice continued to echo in the practice room, "Oh, because you called me just now, we haven't discussed who to contact. But I think it's almost time for me to ask."
"Brother Chen," Ji Shao's voice sounded a little low. He paused for a moment and said, "Don't brands always hire photographers for advertisements?"
"Hey, who can say for sure?" Chen Shenju thought for a moment and said, "Maybe it's because Teacher Zhou doesn't take many classes? Or maybe it's easier for us to find Teacher Zhou? But I think this is not bad either. After all, we have worked together several times. She takes..."
Ji Shao shook his head and interrupted Chen Shenju, "Just because Teacher Zhou Xiao is my fan, I can't just take it for granted, right?"
Seeing the other person's stunned expression, Ji Shao slowly stood up, leaning against the wall. After patting his shoulder, he walked towards the dance mirror.
When he bent down to remove the fixed lens, he turned around and said with a smile, "Brother Chen, please tell Sister Jiajia that I don't agree."
The footsteps grew farther and farther away, until Chen Shenju heard the door creak open, and the sounds of the company's newly signed trainees chasing and scolding drifted in. Before he could sigh, the next second, the door was closed behind him by Ji Shao as he left.
The noisy noises suddenly quieted down, and Chen Shenju lowered his head to reflect on recent events. Just as he was about to sit against the wall like Ji Shao, he noticed a few drops of sweat splattered on the floor where Ji Shao had been. He wiped them carelessly with his sleeve and sat down next to him.
What on earth had caused this arrogant thought to arise? In the silence, Chen Shenju looked up at the light on the ceiling, but before he could look for long his eyes could no longer bear it.
A rustling sound echoed in the practice room as Chen Shenju fished his phone out of his coat pocket. He lowered his eyes, thought for a moment, and then called Yan Jia, who was in charge of publicity.
Listening to the beeping on the phone, Chen Shenju couldn't help but feel relieved. Ji Shao's words were like a revelation to him. Although he couldn't escape a scolding later, he was genuinely happy for himself at this moment.
Just before the call was picked up, Chen Shenju's wandering mind was still thinking about how to deal with Ji Shao who was busy practicing dancing and refused to rest.
"Hey, how's Xiao Shao doing?" Yan Jia's concerned voice came from the other end of the line. She always treated colleagues like Chen Shenju with impartiality. But people always have their own preferences, like Yan Jia, who had always been very concerned about Ji Shao's business.
"After taking the medicine, I didn't insist on practicing," Chen Shenju said with a smile, "Sister Jia, about what you said just now..." Chen Shenju, who had anticipated the situation in advance, moved the phone away from his ear, listened to the voice inside, and subconsciously scratched his scalp.
Having initially intended to shoulder the consequences on his own, Chen Shenju realized he'd overestimated his power in Yan Jia's presence. While waiting for Yan Jia to get some water, he shouted at the screen, "Sister Jia Jia, this is Xiao Shao's own decision! He doesn't agree!"
After saying this, Chen Shenju subconsciously clicked the red hang-up button on the screen and leaned against the wall with a feeling of sympathy. However, this thought startled him again. When did such a refusal become problematic?
There is undoubtedly a problem, Chen Shenju thought.
…
The next day, Wu Wenle received a response from the department. He considered this result perfectly normal. Over the next two days, he carefully reviewed the other photos submitted by the photographers.
I do feel that Zhou Xiao's style is more compatible with the brand's needs, but there are other excellent photographers I could reach out to. The reason I asked this was to see if Huayao could help connect me. Of course, the prerequisite is to see if the other party is available within the next month.
The reason for choosing March is because March 20th was the official date of the contract signing. This date was also chosen out of respect for Ji Shao. This time last year, Ji Shao's personal single "Spring Equinox" was released.
Choosing a commemorative date can also let outsiders know their sincerity and cherishment in choosing Ji Shao as the spokesperson. As for whether they can cooperate, Wu Wenle feels that it depends on the fate of DL and Zhou Xiao.
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