Chapter 62 Because the main photographer likes transgender people, the whole...
Milan, in a centuries-old Baroque building, is the headquarters of the niche brand Aethelred.
Light streamed through the tall, arched windows, falling on the heavy velvet table in the private reception room.
This exclamation, with its exaggerated ending and Italian accent, came from Mr. Olivier Durand, the founder and creative director of the brand Aethelred.
The man wore a perfectly tailored velvet suit in an indescribable dark purple color, his nails were neatly manicured, and a uniquely designed antique ring adorned his little finger.
He practically shuffled over to greet her, warmly opening his arms to give Lin Suxing a light hug, followed by a rich but not unpleasant scent of cologne.
“Let me take a good look at you, dear Lin!” Mr. Durand looked Lin Suxing up and down with his bright blue eyes, his fingers gesturing elegantly in the air. “Perfect! Flawless! You are simply our Aethelred’s walking muse!”
Lin Suxing felt a little shy because of the other person's enthusiasm and closeness, and a blush rose on her fair and bright cheeks: "Thank you for your compliment."
Although Lin Suxing had witnessed the Italians' ability to praise others many times during his trip to Europe in the past few days, he was still somewhat overwhelmed at this moment.
Durand affectionately took Lin Suxing's arm and made him sit on the velvet sofa next to him, leaning slightly towards him and using a variety of gestures as he spoke.
Ms. Sofia Chen, the Asia Pacific Regional Director, smiled to the side, clearly accustomed to her director's style.
“Mr. Lin, it is truly amazing to meet you today.” Sophia Chen spoke in a calm and dignified tone, befitting a mature professional woman. “We all agree that you are the perfect representative of our brand when Aethelred enters the Asia-Pacific market.”
Ms. Sofia Chan added with a smile, "Especially impressive was the set of photos we saw earlier, taken on what we would call an 'empty stage' in Chinese."
A glint of fascination flashed in Mr. Durand's eyes. He gestured, trying to express his feelings precisely: "The background, ancient, mottled, full of the narrative of time. And you, dressed in modern clothes, singing an ancient opera... that tension between inheritance and innovation, that ultimate Eastern aesthetics and lonely poetry, is very moving."
As he spoke, he switched languages and told Lin Suxing in broken English, "This set of photos moves me even more than your most famous one."
As she spoke, the older woman tapped around on her phone, pulled out some pictures, and handed them to Lin Suxing: "The first time I saw these pictures, I told Sophia, this is the person we're looking for! That kind of innate charisma isn't something just any pretty face can have!"
The scene in the shot is a dilapidated dressing room backstage at a theater.
A young man with his back straight sat in front of a mottled mirror. The paint on the frame was peeling off, and the mirror surface was covered with mold and scratches.
He was applying makeup in front of the mirror, holding a small paintbrush in his hand, his movements slow and focused.
The camera zooms in to capture his profile in the mirror, as well as the rouge, powder, wigs, and head ornaments scattered on the dressing table in front of him.
The dim light shone down from the only bulb overhead, enveloping him in a hazy glow, creating a strange and sorrowful beauty in contrast to the decaying scene reflected in the mirror.
When the young man's lips turned up, a small dimple appeared on his left cheek, like an ice shell crushed underfoot in the snow.
A wet patch spread across the corner of her eye, trembling as she struggled to open it, like the wings of a butterfly dampened by rain.
As if trying to cover something up, he raised his hand and rubbed his cheek, his well-defined knuckles sinking into the soft flesh, and the Bodhi seed bracelet slipped off his slender wrist.
The forced smile slipped from the corner of his mouth, leaving only his lower lip, marked by the fangs, gleaming like a dying candle under the overhead light.
Lin Suxing understood: "It's this set, which is also a work I created with the Figaro team."
Lin Suxing nodded humbly, a polite smile on his lips: "Thank you for your praise, Mr. Durand. Chinese culture has a profound heritage, and I am honored to be able to showcase a bit of its charm in my own way, which happens to resonate with the spirit of Aethelred."
In a harmonious atmosphere, both parties solemnly signed their names on the contract, signifying the imminent start of their cooperation.
Lin Suxing felt a little unreal when he wrote down his name: he had actually gone from an unknown nobody to a spokesperson for a luxury brand?
The young man turned his head to look at the lake and mountain scenery outside the window, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
The system nudged him: "Host, you should be happy. You've been slacking off from beginning to end, but you've still completed all the tasks. The original protagonist, Lin Ke, is still living in a mental hospital, while you've gone from an obscure nobody to a celebrity that many people know."
“...I know,” Lin Suxing lowered her eyes and gave a quiet smile, “It’s just that at times like this, I especially miss Niannian. I don’t know why.”
The ink-black signature on the contract page still carried the warmth of the ink, as if the fingertips still retained the warmth of shaking hands with Mr. Durand.
The crisp sound of champagne glasses clinking and the sincere or polite congratulatory smiles of those around him seemed to ring in Lin Suxing's ears through a layer of frosted glass, but they could hardly reach his heart.
He maintained a perfectly measured, expectant smile, responding appropriately, until he sat in the car returning to the hotel, isolated from the outside noise. Only then did the glamorous shell of "success" that enveloped him quietly crack open.
A profound, unreal sense of loss, like the hazy mist of Milan outside the window, spread silently.
He did it.
She secured this coveted top-tier resource, becoming Aethelred's first brand ambassador in the Asia-Pacific region. This is undoubtedly a dazzling milestone in her career, a testament to both her talent and luck, enough to make most people in the industry envious.
He should have been full of vigor, even a little arrogant and smug.
But he didn't.
He felt a void in his heart, and suddenly... he missed him. The longing made his heart ache slightly.
I want to hear that person's deep, magnetic voice immediately, even if it's just a simple "Su Xing"; I want to be enveloped by his familiar scent of cedar and a hint of tobacco; I want to feel the reassuring, almost domineering strength of his strong arms around me; I even want to see him slightly furrow his brow, looking at my silly antics with a mixture of helplessness and indulgence.
This longing came so intensely that it almost washed away the luster of his seemingly perfect achievements at this moment.
He suddenly realized that all the glittering stars and the splendid flowers, if there was no one by his side to witness and share that most genuine and undisguised emotion, would become a backdrop for self-admiration. The liveliness belonged to others, while the loneliness was his own.
He took out his phone; the screen saver was a photo of the two of them. In the photo, he was smiling broadly, while Li Xinian was affectionately pressed against his cheek, his gaze intently tracing his profile.
The young man gently pressed his forehead against the cool car window, gazing at the unfamiliar lights of the foreign land rushing past outside. He exhaled softly, creating a small, blurry white mist on the glass.
His fingertip hovered over the dial button, but he hesitated to press it. With several hours separating them, Li Xinian was probably busy; he shouldn't disturb him.
【Year after year】
***
The Il Ristorante–Niko Romito restaurant boasts a large glass window overlooking a meticulously maintained private garden, its silhouettes casting shadows in the night, adding to the tranquility.
The interior design blends classic Italian style with modern minimalist lines, while soft, melodious music flows through the air.
Zhuo Hongjie arrived on time with several core members of the Figaro team. As soon as he entered, he patted Lin Suxing on the shoulder: "Aethelred never considered finding an Asian face as a spokesperson before! Suxing, you've really ascended to a higher level this time!"
"What ascension?" Lin Suxing laughed and dodged away. At this moment, the waiter poured everyone bubbling champagne. "It's all thanks to everyone's joint efforts that we were able to get this endorsement. Your willingness to choose me as the opening screen figure for the monthly magazine has greatly guided my style since then."
Art director He Xiao also laughed heartily: "This is great news, Su Xing! Congratulations! We are all happy for you!"
The members of the Figaro team and Lin Suxing had gradually become familiar with each other during several shoots. At this time, Lin Suxing did not mince words: "Everyone is in Milan today, so I thought I'd treat everyone to a simple meal as a way of expressing my gratitude."
Assistant Xiao Zhao, who rarely visits such upscale restaurants, joked with a smile, "Oh dear, I can't even read the menu. What if I end up ordering a song after all that trouble?"
This made everyone laugh, and they all started saying what they wanted to eat: "I've eaten here a few times before, their traditional Italian lasagna is their signature dish, it's really good." "I want to eat meat..." "You guys order, I'm fine with whatever!"...
The appetizer was tuna tartare with caviar, vibrant in color and rich in flavor. The accompanying wine was a full-bodied Barolo, perfectly complementing the meal.
“Su Xing, congratulations!” Zhuo Hongjie raised his glass, his eyes behind his glasses sparkling with sincere blessings. “Aethelred has a discerning eye; your temperament and style truly resonate with the soul of their brand. We are all honored to see you achieve this.”
Lin Suxing raised his glass to clink with everyone: "...Really, thank you all so much. I'm not a very eloquent person, and I really don't know how to express my gratitude."
When Lin Suxing was still on a talent show after being linked to the system, she never imagined that one day she would be sitting in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Milan, celebrating with the editor-in-chief and his team of a well-known magazine that she had won the title of Asia-Pacific spokesperson for a luxury brand.
It was like falling into a dream, so dreamlike and beautiful that it felt unreal.
[By the way, host, you have completed the task of [becoming the Asia-Pacific spokesperson for Aethelred], so I can tell you the juicy gossip~] The system was even more eager to release the gossip than Lin Suxing, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of having someone to share the gossip with.
"Please speak." Lin Suxing was already used to the gossip surrounding this counterattack system.
[Have you noticed that the photographers on the team aren't here today?] the system asked.
Lin Suxing had already noticed Pierre's absence, and had just heard He Xiao say that he had gone on a date with his girlfriend: "He went on a date with his girlfriend, so he's not here. What, is there something going on?"
The system chuckled slyly: [That's right! Pierre's girlfriend, whose ID card lists her gender as male, is actually a transgender person.]
Lin Suxing: ?
Zhuo Hongjie, He Xiao, and the rest of the team: ? ? ?
They had met Pierre's girlfriend before; she had a hot body, a great figure, and a charming voice—she didn't look like a man at all!
Actually, Pierre's relationship with a transgender person is purely a private matter and doesn't involve the rest of the team. The problem lies in the fact that Pierre's girlfriend, Salyn, is a morally corrupt and utterly despicable person.
He Xiao put down the silver fork holding the squid and potato dumplings, and casually turned his ear towards Lin Suxing, listening intently to the system's sharing of information.
Zhuo Hongjie chewed on his Milanese veal absentmindedly, barely tasting it.
[Saline's affair with Pierre was a premeditated act. She didn't actually like Pierre; she preferred wealthy men who could buy her Hermès watches. But because she wanted to become an internet celebrity, she targeted Pierre, a skilled and stylistically diverse photographer.]
Lin Suxing couldn't help but sigh: "There are too many weirdos in this world! What kind of people are these? They use emotions to manipulate others. Sigh."
The system continued: "[That's not all. Not only did Salyn cheat on Pierre while they were dating, betraying him, but when Pierre discovered her phone's chat logs with other men and records of her sending nude photos to others, she wasn't ashamed at all; instead, she was proud of it, saying that she sought other men because Pierre couldn't satisfy her, making Pierre doubt his own sexual abilities.]"
Costume Director: "..." He was wondering why Pierre had been eating all sorts of yang-boosting supplements lately! He's so young, he doesn't need to take so many!
[Afterwards, Salyn will constantly manipulate Pierre, making him believe that her coldness and changes in attitude are due to his own incompetence, and that he can only demonstrate his worth by spending more money on her. Moreover, after swindling all of Pierre's money, Salyn absconds with the funds and then becomes involved with a seventy-something-year-old self-made man.]
He Xiao's vision went black, and she was already a little tempted to curse: she felt at first glance that Salyn was not a good person, but Pierre was deeply in love with Salyn, and as an outsider, she couldn't interfere too much.
But if Pierre could be deceived to this extent, He Xiao believed that he would absolutely not sit idly by.
Lin Suxing was furious and took the initiative to ask, "You said before that several people from the Figaro team would be imprisoned. Why was that? Is it related to this?"
"Of course, host, let me finish." The system, having enjoyed telling itself the gossip, continued, "The reason these people in front of you are in jail is inextricably linked to this Salyn. Salyn swindled Pierre out of his money and then blocked him, leaving him heartbroken and unable to recover, becoming increasingly listless. The rest of the Figaro team, unable to bear seeing him continue to wallow in despair, frequently took him out for meals to cheer him up."
The reason they went to jail was because they met Salyn at a dinner party. The original plot is as follows:
Rafail restaurant is especially beautiful at night, overlooking the night view of the bay area in the distance.
The team from Figaro Magazine gathered here not only to celebrate the recent critical acclaim for their work, but also to help Pierre, who was feeling down, to cheer up.
Pierre sat near the railing, looking like a completely different person compared to his usual radiant and meticulously groomed self.
He was wearing a loose sweater, his cheeks were sunken, and his stubble made him look somewhat unkempt. The dark circles under his eyes could not be hidden even by the dim lighting of the restaurant, and his golden hair had lost its luster. He looked like a dehydrated plant, slumped against the back of the chair, unconsciously twirling a water glass in his hand.
The team members, including creative director Vivian, several key stylists, and assistants, deliberately spoke in lighthearted tones to try and lighten the mood, but when their eyes met, they could not hide their concern for Pierre.
Just then, a slightly exaggerated laugh came from the entrance. Everyone looked over instinctively and saw a familiar figure walking in arm in arm with a portly businessman old enough to be her father.
It was the Southeast Asian transgender model, Salyn, who haunted Pierre's dreams and ultimately led him to his downfall.
Salyn was dressed exceptionally glamorously tonight, her tight-fitting sequined dress highlighting her hot figure, her makeup exquisite, and her long hair flowing over her shoulders.
She clearly saw Pierre and his group as well. When her eyes swept over them, she showed no surprise or embarrassment, but instead gave a provocative, pitying sneer.
"What are you laughing at!" Zhao, the youngest and most hot-tempered member of the team, was furious when he saw this person. "You cheated people out of money and still have the nerve to flaunt it outside. We've already called the police. You just wait!"
Salyn's confident smile froze for a moment, then she whispered something to the wealthy businessman beside her before gracefully walking alone toward their table.
The strong scent of her perfume instantly overwhelmed the fresh air around the dining table.
Salin stopped and looked Xiao Zhao up and down. She sneered and said in a sharp voice, "Oh, you even had someone else come forward? What a big show of force."
She spread her hands, striking an innocent yet arrogant pose. "Money? What money? That was given to me by Pierre willingly! It was money I spent during our relationship, it was all consensual. Now that we've broken up, you want it back? Are all artists so sore losers?"
She swayed past Zhuo Hongjie, walked straight to Pierre, leaned down, almost touching his face, and said in a sweet yet venomous tone, "Pierre, tell me yourself, did you give me that money willingly? Hmm? Is it because you're incompetent and can't keep people, that you're now calling your colleagues to help you get your money back? Are you even a man?"
Pierre suddenly raised his head, his eyes instantly reddening. His body trembled slightly with humiliation and anger, but he was unable to utter a single word, as if he had been choked.
Salyn's voice was deliberately sweet, her gaze scanning the gaunt Pierre up and down like a scanner: "How did you become such a grotesque figure after just a few days? Tsk tsk, it seems you can't even take care of yourself without me?"
He Xiao frowned, suppressing his anger: "Saline, you are not welcome here. Please leave."
Salyn seemed not to hear him; her attention was entirely on Pierre, her tone filled with contempt and sarcasm: "What? Still making a scene over such a trivial matter? Pierre, I'm not trying to be mean, but the time I spent with you was the most worthless investment I ever made. No money, no future, how much could you earn from taking a few lousy photos? You couldn't even afford to buy me a decent bag."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone present with an air of superiority: "Look at the life I'm living now! And look at you all? A bunch of penniless scum who revolve around so-called 'art'! Pierre, leaving you was the best decision I ever made! Useless trash like you deserve to die alone!"
The word "trash" was like a poisoned dagger, piercing Pierre's last bit of self-esteem and causing all the team members present who regarded Pierre as family, friends, and work partners to explode instantly.
"Say that again, you son of a bitch!" A male stylist, usually mild-mannered, suddenly stood up, his chair scraping against the floor with a screeching sound.
A glass of deep red wine was splashed on her face without warning, hitting Salyn squarely in the face and her expensive dress!
It was He Xiao. She had stood up at some point, holding an empty wine glass in her hand, her chest heaving violently with anger, and her eyes as cold as ice.
But this is just the beginning.
"Beat him up!" someone shouted.
Even the normally mild-mannered team members couldn't hold back their anger any longer. The male assistant grabbed Salyn by the collar, the stylist threw a punch, and even the usually quiet female editor couldn't help but step forward and shove her forcefully.
"Scumbag!"
"They think they're right to cheat people out of their money and their feelings!"
"I've never seen such a shameless person before! Just seeing you makes my fists hard!"
The scene instantly spiraled out of control. The sounds of shattering glasses, Salyn's screams, angry shouts, and the clanging of tables and chairs mingled together, turning the restaurant terrace into a chaotic mess in an instant.
Pierre tried to break up the fight, but was shielded by the others. He looked at his companions who stood up for him, his eyes reddening.
Restaurant security and the manager rushed over and it took a lot of effort to pull the angry team members apart.
Salyn's hair was disheveled, her clothes were rumpled, and her face and body were covered in wine stains and scratches. She was still screaming and threatening to call the police, refusing to reconcile.
Lin Suxing pondered, "So they ended up like that because they were standing up for Pierre. This Salyn is so shameless! Who could stand up to that and not fight back?"
The system nodded: [Yes, Salyn refused to settle, so several people who injured her, including Zhuo Hongjie and the stylist, were criminally detained.]
Zhuo Hongjie's face was now as black as the bottom of a pot: he hadn't originally intended to meddle in other people's private affairs, but now that they knew this Salin was not a good person, they had no choice but to strike first.
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