Chapter 46. I saw the video online. ...
Isn't this going too far?
Even couples taking photos aren't this affectionate. Just thinking about her snuggling into Li Yichen's arms makes her blush and her heart race.
Chu Ruofu's first magazine shoot was conducted under Li Yichen's guidance, and she was relaxed and natural. The photos did not require retouching; a simple color adjustment was all it took to produce a good result.
Both of them have great figures and looks, and they are a perfect match. Standing together, they have a strong fox and rabbit couple vibe.
A few years ago, there was an international animated film in which the most popular couple was the fox and the rabbit. The witty and humorous Mr. Fox and the clever and shrewd Ms. Rabbit were a perfect match and the best partners.
Chu Ruofu, a slightly reserved and shy rabbit, is caught between a cunning fox and a desire to hide, creating a suspenseful and sexually charged atmosphere.
Photographer Zhang Yan hasn't taken such a powerful and expressive photo in a long time; the sweet and ambiguous chemistry between the two is practically overflowing from the screen.
The scene of Li Yichen lounging lazily on the sofa with Chu Ruofu lying on top of him was something Zhang Yan came up with on the spot. He felt that the image of a strong man holding a delicate woman in his arms perfectly embodied the contrast between masculine strength and feminine tenderness.
Xue Fangfei and Xiao Sen were both watching the photographer take pictures. When they heard the photographer's request, Xue Fangfei looked at Xiao Sen and asked, "Can we shoot like this?"
The two are not a real couple, and they have not established a relationship on the dating reality show; they are still in the stage of getting to know each other.
Xiao Sen glanced at Li Yichen in silence and said, "Let them decide."
Although Xiao Sen is Li Yichen's agent, he always listens to Li Yichen's opinions. There's no way around it; Li Yichen's status and position are higher than his, and he can't control Li Yichen's actions.
For example, when Li Yichen suddenly had to participate in a dating reality show, the meager rewards the production team gave him were not even enough to buy a single ornament from Li Yichen's villa.
Li Yichen went there purely to have fun and enjoy the thrill of being a hunter, but ended up losing himself in the process. His manager felt ashamed; to be honest, he couldn't understand Li Yichen at all.
If it were acting, Li Yichen's acting skills, which were worthy of an award-winning actor, would have fooled even him.
How good is Li Yichen's acting? He can play any role convincingly. In his early twenties, he won the Best Actor award for his role as the male lead in "Memories of Murder". Many people would seek a psychologist after playing a character with psychological problems, but he didn't need to.
He can instantly immerse himself in a role, and then just as easily detach himself at the end, demonstrating acting skills that are terrifyingly superb.
The editor-in-chief and producer were reviewing the photos that had been taken.
"These photos are all good... I didn't expect that Chu Ruofu, this newcomer, would have such an amazing sense of the camera and expressiveness, even better than some veteran artists."
"The visuals are very striking; this issue of the magazine will probably go viral online..."
Acting is different from shooting for a magazine. Acting involves polishing the character beforehand, and some actors don't even need much acting skill; they can pass the test by simply completing the scene shoot.
Shooting for magazines won't work; in a camera lens, the model's body language, eyes, and subtle facial expressions are all essential, requiring a very strong sense of presence in front of the camera.
The female editor-in-chief crossed her arms and said, "I made the right decision to give up the lead role in a hit drama and choose to film with a popular couple from a dating reality show."
The producer said, "Everyone knows that most hit dramas these days are just fluff. Fans are always saying this one is a hit or that one is a hit, and the male and female leads are fighting over billing order. They start breaking up the main couple even before the drama has aired. It's disgusting to casual viewers, so how can they ship any of the main couples?"
Outside the photography area, everyone was staring at Chu Ruofu and Li Yichen.
Li Yichen lay on the sofa, his body relaxed and stretched out, displaying the strength of a man's body. Chu Ruofu sat beside him, leaning over him, her slender arms supporting her beside him.
The sofa wasn't very wide, just enough for one person to lie completely on. The space was cramped, so Chu Ruofu had to turn sideways and press tightly against Li Yichen, with half of her body pressed against his chest for intimate contact.
The photographer was directing Chu Ruofu and Li Yichen on how to pose.
Li Yichen took off his suit and put on an expensive shirt, with a few buttons undone at the collar, revealing his muscular chest.
Chu Ruofu touched Li Yichen's chest beneath the thin fabric of his shirt. His pounding heartbeat could be heard through the fabric, and she could clearly feel the rise and fall of his chest with each breath.
When she approached Li Yichen, his blood rushed through his body, and his breathing became slightly disordered. Her soft, boneless hand pressed against his chest, bringing a tingling sensation.
Holding hands and hugging are not as exciting as two people squeezing onto a sofa.
"Will this work?" Chu Ruofu asked in a low voice.
Li Yichen's voice was hoarse: "Okay, you can move closer so you don't fall."
Chu Ruofu was outside the sofa, and if she wasn't careful, she would fall off and be caught on camera looking disheveled. To prevent herself from falling, she moved a little closer.
Li Yichen obeyed the photographer's command, grasped her waist, and held her slender waist with a firm but not too heavy hand.
His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and his gaze grew increasingly deep.
Chu Ruofu obediently rested her head on his chest, her delicate face turned toward the photographer's lens.
Li Yichen looked down at her. Her strapless dress completely revealed her slender shoulders and fair, delicate skin. A faint fragrance wafted from her hair, lingering around his nose and awakening his most primal desires.
He had to hold his breath temporarily, trying to resist the strong attraction.
The photographer took several photos that captured the atmosphere.
Chu Ruofu felt how hot the body beneath her was; the intense heat was contagious, making her feel hot as well, and she was about to move to adjust her position.
"Don't move." Li Yichen pressed her slender waist, trapping her in his arms.
The two bodies were pressed tightly together.
The staff members watching in the filming area couldn't help but swallow hard.
"These photos are sure to be a bestseller..."
"Amazing, so much sexual tension, they have more chemistry than the male and female leads in hit dramas."
"The magazine is on sale, and I want to buy a copy, no, two copies, one to read and one to keep."
After the filming was finished, Chu Ruofu was still held in Li Yichen's arms with his arm around her waist. She supported herself against his chest, slowly got up, and gently exhaled.
It's finally over.
Li Yichen watched her sit up, his eyes fixed on her face, his gaze dark and brooding.
Agent Xiao Sen quickly grabbed a cup of iced coffee and strode over to block the crowd from watching: "Brother Li, have a cup of coffee to perk you up."
Hurry up and cool down, bro. This duo magazine shoot looks like they're about to devour each other; it's making everyone's mouths dry.
Li Yichen withdrew his gaze, took the iced coffee, took a small sip, and frowned.
The coffee was too bitter.
Xue Fangfei went over and helped Chu Ruofu to the rest area, opened the bottle cap for her, and let her drink some water and rest for a while.
The photoshoot isn't over yet; we'll be changing outfits and doing several more shoots later.
The group ate lunch provided by the magazine brand in the rest area, rested for a while, and then went to change their look again. They didn't finish taking all the photos until three or four in the afternoon, and then chose the most photogenic ones together.
After a day of filming, Chu Ruofu went to the dressing room to change back into her own clothes, feeling utterly exhausted.
Xue Fangfei massaged her shoulders and asked, "What do you want to eat tonight? It's on me."
Chu Ruofu couldn't figure it out and said, "Let's look at it later."
The two of them came out of the rest room together, walked through the corridor, and prepared to leave the photography building. They opened the door and went out, and saw Li Yichen and his agent standing by the window not far away.
Xiao Sen stepped forward and said, "How about we go have dinner together?"
Li Yichen's agent has extensive fashion resources and connections, and Xue Fangfei was somewhat tempted. She looked at Chu Ruofu and asked, "Do you want to go?"
Chu Ruofu looked at Li Yichen, whose eyes were filled with expectation as he stared at her, looking as if he would be very sad if she rejected him. For a moment, she hesitated whether to refuse him or not.
Seeing this, Xiao Sen said, "Brother Li was watching a fashion show abroad yesterday. In order not to delay today's magazine shoot, he rushed back. He didn't sleep for more than a few hours. He came here as soon as he got off the plane. He didn't have a good appetite at noon and ate very little for lunch."
"Teacher Chu, would you do me the honor of having a meal with us?"
Chu Ruofu's expression softened slightly as she said, "The program's rules state that guests cannot have private contact."
Xiao Sen enthusiastically chimed in: "The dating reality show rules prohibit private contact. We're having dinner together because of work. Rules are rules, but people are flexible. How can having dinner together as a group be considered private contact?"
Chu Ruofu said softly, "Okay."
Li Yichen gave Xiao Sen an appreciative look. Xiao Sen was usually very persuasive and eloquent when it came to helping him find resources and pursue women.
Xiao Sen thought to himself that he should ask Brother Li for a raise when he got back. He had put in so much effort to help Brother Li pursue the female guest, and if they got married in the future, Brother Li would definitely want to sit at the head table.
Xiao Sen pressed the elevator button and said, "Brother Li's car is in the underground parking lot. You can take our car." Xue Fangfei smiled and said, "I'll have the company arrange a driver to pick you up after get off work."
Upon arriving at the underground parking lot, Xiao Sen opened the passenger door and looked at Xue Fangfei with a smile: "Ms. Xue, I'd like to have a chat with you. May I sit in the front?"
Xue Fangfei wasn't the kind of person who lacked tact; she immediately said thank you, bent down, and sat down in the passenger seat.
Li Yichen opened the car door for Chu Ruofu: "Get in."
Chu Ruofu went up and sat down, while Li Yichen went to the other side to get into the car.
The interior of the business-class car was spacious. After Li Yichen got in, Chu Ruofu felt inexplicably cramped. He moved closer to her and asked, "Have you followed me back on Weibo?"
"I forgot." Chu Ruofu quickly took out her phone, logged onto Weibo, searched for Li Yichen's account, and followed him.
A pleased smile curved Li Yichen's lips as he leaned back in his chair, his voice languid as he said, "I didn't get much sleep on the plane last night, and then I spent the whole day shooting for the magazine. I'm so tired..."
Chu Ruofu looked at him. The man's handsome eyebrows and eyes were somewhat weary, revealing a fragile, sickly beauty. Suddenly, an idea flashed through her mind: if he had long hair, his face would be wonderful whether he was a man or a woman.
"After you've eaten, why don't you go home and rest earlier?"
Li Yichen moved closer to her, his voice audible only to the two of them, "No, I want to stay with you a little longer."
They rarely meet in private. Back at the Heartbeat House, surrounded by wolves, he wants to seize the opportunity to gain more weight in her heart.
Chu Ruofu's eyelashes trembled slightly when she heard his clingy words.
Li Yichen kept his eyes on her, not wanting to look away for even a moment, until Xiao Sen mentioned that they were going to a certain restaurant for dinner later.
"What kind of dinner would you like?" Li Yichen asked Chu Ruofu. "How about hot pot in a Western-style house?"
Chu Ruofu said, "I'm fine with anything."
Upon hearing her words, Li Yichen laughed and said, "Then you are really easy to take care of."
Xue Fangfei chuckled and said, "Teacher Li, you really know how to talk."
Most people would think that someone is indecisive and difficult to please when they hear "easy to do" or "whatever," but Li Yichen's first reaction was that they are easy to take care of.
The villa hot pot restaurant costs over a thousand yuan per person, making it an expensive establishment. Xue Fangfei and Chu Ruofu would not normally choose to eat at such a pricey place.
Xue Fangfei and Xiao Sen said they were only able to eat such an expensive hot pot because of Li Yichen.
Xiao Sen contacted a nearby restaurant in advance and booked a private room.
The group arrived at the old-fashioned villa hot pot restaurant. The old-fashioned villa decor was elegant and luxurious, with exquisite tableware. In the private rooms, waiters dressed in shirts and vests were waiting to help serve the dishes or add condiments to the customers' plates.
Chu Ruofu ate her fill, and Li Yichen sat next to her, occasionally serving her food and pouring her drinks, looking at her with doting eyes.
Xiao Sen shook his head. If he hadn't gone to the trouble of enrolling Li Yichen in an online dating course, how could that person be so good at taking care of his crush?
After eating and drinking her fill, Chu Ruofu felt incredibly happy. She glanced at Li Yichen beside her, her eyes slightly dazed. She had actually managed to get to the point where she was having dinner with Li Yichen.
After finishing their hot pot meal at the villa, Xiao Sen and Li Yichen safely escorted them back to their apartment building.
Watching the two figures leave, Xiao Sen noted down the address of the residential complex and said, "This complex doesn't offer much privacy. Miss Chu has become famous; she'll probably face trouble later."
Li Yichen said, "I'll find some time to ask her if she wants to move."
"Brother Li, she's not your girlfriend yet," Xiao Sen said, pouring cold water on the idea.
Li Yichen's lips curled slightly: "It was bound to happen sooner or later."
Xiao Sen said, "Brother Li, you're becoming confident again. Remember the online courses I signed you up for. Men should have a bit of humility and lower their stance."
Li Yichen ordered, "Drive."
Xiao Sen shrugged. He felt that it wouldn't be so easy for Li Yichen to rise to the top, as the other male guests on the dating show were quite competitive.
...
The fourth episode of the dating reality show will be filmed on Tuesday.
Chu Ruofu took a taxi with her suitcase to the Heartbeat House. Just as she arrived at the villa's entrance, a figure appeared before her.
In the early autumn weather, Lu Xubai, dressed in a dark shirt and trousers, stood tall in front of her.
The two fell silent for a moment.
Lu Xubai looked at her, remained silent for a moment, and then picked up her suitcase for her: "I'll help you take it upstairs."
Chu Ruofu followed behind him upstairs.
Lu Xubai carried her luggage to the room. He stood at the door without leaving, looking at her: "I saw the video online."
Chu Ruofu was suddenly overwhelmed with a guilty feeling of being caught red-handed.
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Author's note: There's still more at midnight. Will there be a fight in the next chapter?
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