The next morning, Wen Xi woke up with a momentary dizzy spell, not yet fully cleared from the haze of last night’s dream.
However, today was a workday; it was time to get to it. She figured she probably just hadn’t adjusted to waking up early after resting for a few days. Wen Xi rubbed her head, yawning as she got out of bed.
The first thing she did upon opening her phone was clear her messages. At a glance, she saw the “Goodnight” Shen Yu had sent last night. Her heart skipped a beat.
But she wasn’t about to reply to Shen Yu. That person had just caused a ruckus in her dreams last night, and she was still feeling annoyed. Besides, they had been friends for so many days, how was it that the first thing she sent was a “Goodnight”?
Just as Wen Xi was thinking this, Shen Yu sent two more messages.
[S: Good morning.] [S: Are you awake? I heard your stomach isn’t great; remember to eat breakfast.]
Looking at these few lines of text, Wen Xi couldn’t help herself and typed out a few words.
[T.T: Who did you hear that from?] [S: Xu Shuili.]
Upon seeing that name, Wen Xi secretly thought that Shen Yu had likely exposed herself, accidentally revealing that Xu Shuili asking for the files early yesterday had been her arrangement.
The next second, the chat interface showed that Shen Yu had recalled a message.
[S: No one, I just guessed. Looks like I guessed right.]
Wen Xi: “…” Well, your guess was certainly accurate.
Wen Xi directly swiped the WeChat background process closed.
However… Wen Xi pondered for a moment. It seemed Shen Yu hadn’t realized that the “friend” she had added was actually Wen Xi’s professional account.
While eating breakfast, Wen Xi habitually logged into her Weibo “side account” and started scrolling. Her side account was specifically for supporting Shen Yu’s data; she only followed Shen Yu’s big fan accounts and fansites. Unsurprisingly, 80% of what she saw was Shen Yu.
Before she had scrolled very far, she saw a new airport “fancam” posted by a fansite. The timestamp was 10:00 PM last night.
Wen Xi couldn’t help but chuckle. An indescribable feeling welled up in her heart. Shen Yu had just seen her yesterday afternoon and headed to the film set that night. No wonder she had set a trap to see her yesterday.
What was she to do? Shen Yu was so clever; she would find out the truth sooner or later.
She really hadn’t expected that in ten years, not only had she changed significantly, but Shen Yu had changed so much as well. Who would have thought that ten years ago, it was Wen Xi who was the more proactive one between them? Now, ten years later, she was the one being pressed step by step.
In truth, Wen Xi had moved frequently after graduating from university. She would live in one city for a while, get bored, and then move to a distant city to live for another bit. She had no fixed residence, yet each time brought a different experience. It wasn’t until she opened her studio two years ago that she truly settled down.
She had initially come to Wancheng at Yu Qiao’s invitation, but the decision to open the studio here was because it looked very much like the city where she grew up. It was near the sea, with scenery like eternal spring all year round.
Speaking of which, she hadn’t been back in ten years. After her parents died in a car accident, her paternal grandparents had also passed away one after another, leaving only her maternal grandparents. However, she wasn’t close to them. Moreover, when she was nearly homeless back then, being tossed from one relative to another, her maternal grandparents hadn’t taken her in either.
She was happy to be unburdened these past few years. Aside from sending some money back annually as a matter of routine, she had cut off all unnecessary contact with relatives.
Back to Business
Enough idle thoughts, it was time to think about work. Since Wen Xi hadn’t confirmed a specific date to resume work previously, she moved up a photo shoot for a “civilian” (non-celebrity) client that had been postponed.
The young girl wanted to shoot outdoors, so they chose a cool, shaded park. Wen Xi had no problem with that; she applied her sunscreen and waited for Pu Tao to pick her up. Although she didn’t have a driver’s license, Pu Tao did, so she had provided a car for Pu Tao’s use.
Feng Lexian came along today as well; he was needed for lighting and moving the equipment. Besides, some of the heavier cameras required a tripod for support, and the tripod Wen Xi used was also heavy.
Feng Lexian, sitting in the passenger seat, was a fairly sturdy young man. “Boss.”
Wen Xi opened the car door and sat inside, nodding. “Good morning.”
Pu Tao handed over a bottle of yogurt. “Boss, this brand is really good!”
Wen Xi didn’t stand on ceremony; she took it and said, “Thanks.”
With that, Pu Tao started the car. On the way, remembering what Yu Qiao had instructed her last night, she asked Wen Xi, “By the way, Boss, President Yu told me you’re moving again. Do you need me to help you find a place?”
Wen Xi glanced at Pu Tao. “She sure is fast with her instructions. I wonder whose assistant you actually are.”
Pu Tao laughed. “Definitely yours! And aren’t the things President Yu instructs me to do also your business?”
“I can’t win against you,” Wen Xi said, sitting in the back, her fingers tapping playfully on her knee. “But I’ve already found a place I like. Just help me call a moving van this weekend.”
“Will do!” Pu Tao nodded in agreement.
The client for this session had chosen a wetland park, located somewhat in the suburbs. It would take them over half an hour to drive there. By the time they arrived, the client had already been waiting for a while.
Wen Xi wore a sun-protection mask as she got out of the car. She carried the lighter equipment in her left hand, while the heavy items were all carried by Feng Lexian.
The client was a very lively girl named Xiao Ning. She had sent them a location pin and guessed it was them when she saw the three of them carrying professional equipment. Even with the mask covering half her face, one could still guess Wen Xi was a beautiful woman just by the exposed eyes and brows.
Xiao Ning walked forward a few steps, her face flushing as she greeted Wen Xi, “Hello, Teacher T!”
Wen Xi smiled. “Hello, hello. Don’t be nervous.”
“Um… I’m your fan, I’ve liked you for a long time!” Xiao Ning smiled shyly. “I’ve been on your waiting list for so long; it’s finally my turn!”
Wen Xi’s rates for commercial and private commissions were different. Private commission prices were roughly the same as market rates, but slots were few and had to be snatched up or waited for.
Wen Xi’s eyes curved beautifully. “Then I’ll take a few extra sets for you later. Don’t mention it; thanks for waiting.”
Xiao Ning’s face turned even redder. “Then I’ll be in your care, Great T!”
Wen Xi led Xiao Ning toward other areas to find a shooting spot, with Pu Tao and Feng Lexian following behind.
Pu Tao whispered to Feng Lexian, “The Boss is flirting with a fan again!”
Feng Lexian looked at them, somewhat confused. “Is she?”
“You don’t understand,” Pu Tao squinted mysteriously. “In our circle, we call this kind of behavior ‘fan-service catering’.”
Feng Lexian shook his head, indicating he really didn’t get it.
Walking ahead, Wen Xi had no idea Pu Tao was talking about her like that. She asked Xiao Ning, “Where would you like to shoot?”
For this kind of outdoor shoot, the client usually arranged their own hair and makeup in advance or had it handled by a stylist at the studio; Wen Xi was only responsible for the photography.
“Anywhere is fine!” Xiao Ning looked around. “It’s all very pretty here; I have a bit of a hard time choosing.” After saying that, Xiao Ning looked at Wen Xi with an expression of total trust.
Wen Xi smiled helplessly. “Then I’ll pick? We can shoot in a few different spots; the environment here is indeed quite nice.”
Xiao Ning nodded. “Okay!”
Once they finished talking, Wen Xi beckoned the two behind her to come over. Having gone through many outdoor shoots together, the three of them were very synchronized. Feng Lexian went up to set up the tripod and opened the reflector. Pu Tao held the flash and the constant light, looking for the right angle for the lighting.
Outdoor shoots for private commissions were effortless for Wen Xi now; everything went smoothly.
After the Shoot
Once the shooting was over, Wen Xi and Xiao Ning finalized the deadline for the raw photos. However, this was Wen Xi’s first day back at work since she had trended on the hot search. As an old fan, Xiao Ning hadn’t dared to chat too much during the shoot for fear of affecting Wen Xi’s mood.
After the shoot was finished, Xiao Ning gathered her courage to speak. “Teacher T, Shen Yu’s side didn’t do anything to you, did they?”
Wen Xi, who was looking down at the photos, was startled for a moment before laughing. “What are you thinking? I’m fine, of course. They were very friendly.”
“But you were attacked in so many comments,” Xiao Ning said, a bit upset. “I don’t think they’re friendly at all.”
Wen Xi chuckled. “Don’t think like that. Those fans were angry because I was the reason Shen Yu ended up on a ‘black’ hot search and got criticized. See, aren’t you also angry now because I was criticized?”
Wen Xi reached out and patted Xiao Ning’s shoulder. “So, in many things, it’s hard to distinguish right from wrong. Even though my action was unintentional, the fact remains that it started because of me. You can’t blame anyone; if you must blame someone, blame those marketing accounts that hate just for the sake of hating.”
Xiao Ning nodded.
“And,” Wen Xi added, “I like Teacher Shen Yu very much. Don’t have a prejudice against her because of this. She handled it very well, and we even followed each other because of this, I gained something from it, didn’t I?”
Xiao Ning smiled. “It’s good that Teacher T thinks this way. We fans were very worried about you while you weren’t at work these past few days.”
“No need to worry,” Wen Xi shook her head. “I was just resting at home for a few days.”
After Wen Xi finished chatting with Xiao Ning, they saw her off together.
Pu Tao rested her head on Wen Xi’s shoulder. “Boss, why did you tell her so much?”
Wen Xi smiled. “Didn’t you notice? She’s my fan.”
Pu Tao: “Of course I noticed!”
Wen Xi continued to explain, “So, I want her to go back and spread the word to others. I haven’t been affected by being criticized; on the contrary, because I personally like Teacher Shen Yu, I hope everyone won’t dislike her because of this incident.”
Pu Tao thought about it and gave a thumbs up. “Brilliant, Boss!”
Wen Xi nudged Pu Tao. “Stop being cheeky. We’ve been busy all morning. Pack up the stuff; let’s go eat!”
Pu Tao immediately replied, “You got it!”
She turned around with Feng Lexian to move the gear into the trunk, then went to find a highly-rated restaurant nearby.
On the other side, after Xiao Ning returned home, she pondered Wen Xi’s words and opened a group chat. She explained Wen Xi’s thoughts to everyone. Within two hours, most of Wen Xi’s fans understood her stance.
In fact, many of Wen Xi’s fans were part of the “fandom circle” and had other idols they supported. They had initially followed Wen Xi because she occasionally took high-definition photos of their idols, but they grew to like Wen Xi more because of her solid skills. She was steady, frequently interacted with everyone, and had a good reputation offline.
When Wen Xi wasn’t as famous at the beginning, the fans who had her take photos also recommended her to others. Her current fame was built step-by-step, and she never forgot her fans; she often held giveaways or discounts for private commissions during major holidays. Thus, Wen Xi’s fan base was relatively stable and respected her personal views.
Now, seeing these thoughts from Wen Xi, everyone expressed their support. As Xiao Ning chatted, she couldn’t help but go off on a tangent.
[Xiao Ning: You guys have no idea how gentle Teacher T is in person!]