Chapter 324: Morning Shoot with the Star

Early Sunday morning.

Xu Chen was up at five thirty, all because the photography studio was in MH District and he needed time for the commute.

Today he’d meet the ‘little rich girl,’ so even waking up this early, he felt light and cheerful with no morning grumpiness.

His three roommates were still sound asleep, so Xu Chen quietly got out of bed, freshened up quickly, and headed out with his backpack.

Shanghai was crisp and cool at dawn, with cars and pedestrians already bustling along the streets.

It’s always busy in Shanghai; at this hour in Tiancheng, you’d only see street cleaners and a few early risers out for a walk or breakfast.

Xu Chen hailed a taxi with a wave of his hand.

……

More than an hour later, in the outskirts of Minhang.

Xu Chen glanced at the map; this place wasn’t far from Xin Zhuang Training Base, so Bing Ge wouldn’t have a long trip.

He got out of the taxi and entered a spacious office park.

Following the directions, he reached Building 16 and ran into Sun Aimi and Gu Xinxi, who were buying coffee downstairs.

“Boss!” they called out quickly.

“Let me get that,” Xu Chen said with a smile.

They had time to spare, so they grabbed some sandwiches, bagels, and other breakfast items, eating them right in the shop.

Sun Aimi was heading out on a business trip that evening, so she carried a small suitcase.

“Where’s the afternoon photography studio?” Xu Chen asked.

“It’s also in MH District, about a half-hour drive from here,” Sun Aimi replied.

“That’s perfect. I see the schedule has only an hour for switching studios, so it’ll give Bing Ge time to eat on the way.”

……

Xu Chen sent Chen Xinyi a message asking where she was.

The morning shoot was for Kunlunshan Mineral Water, and only Chen Xinyi from Jiaduobao was coming for this.

After Nie Fei left, their new leader, that ‘General Gong,’ seemed uninterested in something as minor as photo shoots and didn’t bother showing up.

That worked out fine; it saved Xu Chen from having to deal with more introductions.

Chen Xinyi messaged back: [I’m in a taxi on my way, almost there.]

Once Xu Chen and the others finished breakfast, they headed straight upstairs to the studio.

……

The photographer’s name was Tang Shanfeng.

He lived up to his name, standing over six feet tall, but with a gentle face and a soft-spoken manner.

He introduced himself to Xu Chen, exchanged business cards, and then showed him around the studio setup.

It was a green screen shoot, so there wasn’t much to check, and Xu Chen just complimented how professional everything looked.

Not long after, Chen Xinyi hurried in, her single-shoulder bag bouncing as she rushed up.

“The endorser hasn’t arrived yet, right?”

“The traffic was terrible…”

Xu Chen smiled. “No rush, you’re actually a few minutes early!”

He quickly introduced her to the others, and the photographer checked the time:

“The endorser will be here soon. Should we head downstairs to wait?”

Everyone agreed, and they all went down together.

They lined up at the front door, waiting.

Xu Chen couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

“The little rich girl” had really become a big deal; now a whole group had to stand at the entrance to welcome her.

……

Right on time at seven, a dark blue Odyssey pulled up.

The back door slid open, and Xu Chen spotted Bing again.

Xie Bingran wore a pure white tracksuit, the collar pulled up to her neck. Hands in her pockets, she stepped out with a cool, detached expression.

She was already stunning, with her tall figure, and in that white outfit, she looked every bit the big star.

The group swarmed around her, especially Tang Shanfeng, who greeted her warmly.

Xie Bingran seemed a bit aloof and reserved at first, but when she saw Xu Chen smiling, she couldn’t help but smile back, her eyes twinkling.

Coach Cheng Hong got out from the other side and walked over with a smile.

Xu Chen stepped up quickly to make introductions between the groups.

Mainly for Tang Shanfeng and Chen Xinyi, since Xie Bingran and Cheng Hong hadn’t met them yet.

After the greetings, they all headed upstairs.

Xie Bingran was surrounded by the photographer and his assistants, so Xu Chen followed behind.

Gu Xinxi leaned in and whispered, “Bing Ge looks amazing…”

As Xie Bingran walked ahead, she glanced back at Xu Chen trailing behind.

Their eyes met, and Xu Chen gave her a smile.

……

……

They only had six hours for the shoot, and though it wasn’t too difficult, time was still tight.

The photographer briefly outlined the schedule, then sent Xie Bingran off with the makeup artist to handle her hair and makeup.

Coach Cheng Hong walked over to Xu Chen and said with a smile:

“I’m going to Northwest with you all.”

Xu Chen replied, “That’s great! I didn’t expect Coach Cheng to come personally.”

Cheng Hong explained, “The team originally assigned someone else, but Bing Ge’s become quite the priority now.”

“The leaders want to avoid any issues, so they sent me.”

She turned to Xu Chen and added:

“If there are any problems or issues during tomorrow’s shoot, I’ll speak up.”

“My job is to ensure Xie Bingran’s schedule stays safe.”

Xu Chen smiled. “Don’t worry, Coach Cheng. I worry most about keeping Bing Ge out of trouble.”

Cheng Hong laughed. “True, with you around, no one can mess with her.” ……

One of Tang Shanfeng’s photography assistants approached—a petite young woman—and said:

“You two leaders, we’ve set up breakfast and snacks over in the meeting room.”

Xu Chen told Cheng Hong, “I’ve already eaten. Why don’t you grab something, Coach Cheng?”

“I’ll just check on Bing Ge.”

……

……

In the makeup room.

Xu Chen knocked on the door, and hearing “Come in,” he pushed it open.

A female makeup artist was fixing Xie Bingran’s hair.

Xie Bingran spotted Xu Chen in the mirror and smiled.

Xu Chen walked over to Xie Bingran and asked the makeup artist:

“Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all, just touching up her hair.”

“The makeup is simple, just adjusting for the lights…”

Xu Chen leaned in close to the mirror, studying Xie Bingran’s face:

“You look even more beautiful now.”

Xie Bingran didn’t say anything, but the makeup artist chuckled, “She really is stunning.”

Xu Chen asked, “Hungry?”

Xie Bingran replied, “I already had breakfast.”

Xu Chen pulled a yellow apple from his pocket, wrapped in a tissue.

“This is from my dad—fresh from the town’s orchard this autumn…”

Xie Bingran took it and split it neatly in half.

A fresh apple scent filled the air instantly.

Xu Chen took his half and glanced awkwardly at the makeup artist.

The makeup artist smiled. “Go ahead and eat; I’ll keep working.”

……

Xie Bingran’s hair and makeup were straightforward, done in just over ten minutes.

The pure white tracksuit had been coordinated in advance to match the ‘snowy mountain’ theme.

Since the Kunlunshan Mineral Water contract was directly with the State Athletics Team, Xie Bingran could wear the national team uniform.

On the left chest of the suit, a small national flag was sewn in.

……

Tang Shanfeng was thorough and careful, discussing various shoot details with Xie Bingran and reviewing sample poses on site.

Xie Bingran had some experience from shooting the Chenfeng Ice Power ad in the Provincial Capital.

But for this Kunlunshan Mineral Water ad, there were plenty of poses involving holding the water bottle.

The camera flashed repeatedly as Xu Chen sat behind the monitor, reviewing shots with Chen Xinyi.

Sun Aimi helped the photographer adjust lights and setups.

Of course, it was mostly Tang Shanfeng’s assistants handling things, with Sun Aimi overseeing and giving directions.

Coach Cheng Hong relaxed on the sofa in the back.

Gu Xinxi was quick on her feet, serving fruits and drinks while chatting with Cheng Hong.

……

Tweaking poses and lighting angles took some effort.

After two solid hours, they wrapped the first batch of shots.

For the next set, Xie Bingran needed to switch to a shorter tracksuit, which she already had on underneath—just slip off the outer layer.

Xu Chen checked the progress—it was under control—so he told the photographer:

“Tang, let’s take a fifteen-minute break.”

Tang Shanfeng smiled. “Sure, we’ve got time to spare.”

The two hours of shooting didn’t tire out an athlete like Bing Ge much; it was just the endless posing that got monotonous.

Tang Shanfeng and Sun Aimi moved to the computer to review the photos.

Xu Chen walked over to Xie Bingran:

“Come on, let’s step into the makeup room for a breather.”

“Okay.”

They headed there one after the other, no one following.

Once inside, Xu Chen quietly locked the door.

He pulled Xie Bingran into a tight hug…

“Miss me?”

“Mm…”

“Let me get a good look at you.”

Their faces were inches apart, breaths mingling.

Xie Bingran’s lips had a touch of colorless gloss, making them look even softer and inviting.

Xu Chen wanted to kiss her but held back, not wanting to mess up her makeup.

Yet Xie Bingran nestled deeper into his arms, holding him close.

……

“You’ll have to take off the outer layer soon.”

“Oh.”

“Let me help you with that…”

Xie Bingran paused, a flash of chill in her eyes, and shoved Xu Chen away.

A knock came from outside: “We’re about to start.”

It was the photography assistant’s voice.

With a zip, Xie Bingran pulled down her jacket zipper and shrugged off the outer layer.

Xu Chen stared at her sleek lines and couldn’t resist pulling her into another hug.

His hands wandered a bit, but Xie Bingran gripped his wrist firmly.

“No touching…”

“Okay…”

……

……

A little after noon, they finished all the photos.

The studio had lunch ready, prepared to the State Athletics Team’s standards.

Coach Cheng Hong went with Xie Bingran to the meeting room to eat.

Meanwhile, the East Morning Star Advertising team, the photographer, and Chen Xinyi reviewed the final shots on the computer.

The assistants flipped through the photos, noting the good ones.

“We need one more close-up of the drinking pose; everything else is solid.”

Xu Chen said quietly, pointing at the screen—he was all business when it came to work.

Tang Shanfeng nodded. “Got it, that won’t take long.”

He glanced at the time and told his assistant, “Set up the lights; we’ll shoot that as soon as she’s back.”

Xu Chen turned to Chen Xinyi: “Any other thoughts, Teacher Xinyi?”

Chen Xinyi replied, “None from me; it all looks great!”

Tang Shanfeng added with a grin, “It’s mostly because the endorser has such a natural look—no heavy edits needed.”

“The post-production will be straightforward—just remove the green screen and tweak the outfit a bit.”

……