Design Shoot (1)

Xu Anyi returned home after the quick meeting and saw that the house was empty, so she sat down in the living room, humming happily.

Not only did she not have to work at Yihua anymore, but she was also getting jobs now!

"My little money, here I come!" She punched one arm into the sky as she fell back onto the soft couch, exclaiming happily. At this moment, Si Mu walked into the room after coming back from work, and saw this scene in front of him.

His lips immediately turned up into a smile as he chuckled softly, placing his car keys into the cabinet.

Hearing the noise, Xu Anyi turned around and saw him. She immediately jumped up from the couch and ran over, helping him take his suit jacket off, "I got the job! Thank you, Si Mu."

"Didn't I tell you that you don't need to thank me?"

Xu Anyi pursed her lips out slightly, "But I feel bad for using you. . . But don't you worry! I won't need you for very long, just in the beginning, and then I will be able to find work myself!"

Si Mu turned around and met her excited gaze, "I am okay with being used."

Xu Anyi smiled but she still repeated, "Thank you."

Si Mu raised an eyebrow and placed his hands behind his back, leaning forward slightly as he bent down so their faces were closer together, "I want more than just a verbal thank you. Why don't you show your gratitude through some action? Like a kiss or a hug?"

Perhaps it was because their faces were too close or maybe because it was the first time he had asked for something so intimate, but surprise flashed past Xu Anyi's face as she stared at him blankly.

Si Mu noticed the change in her expression and he quickly pulled away, "Sorry."

He had been a little too rushed and probably scared her.

Xu Anyi broke out of her stupor in a few seconds and blinked a few times, looking away. Then, after they stood there awkwardly for a moment, she quickly leaned forward and hugged him around the neck for a quick second, "Thank you!"

Then, just as quickly, she pulled away and turned around, running up the stairs, "I'll be down for dinner!"

Si Mu stood there, frozen like a statue in the same position as he felt the lingering warmth in his body. Did she just hug him?

He stood there for almost a minute as he looked at the empty staircase where she had disappeared, unable to fathom what had just happened. Only when he heard a door close from upstairs did he finally break into a laugh as he made his way into the kitchen and begin cooking dinner.

—

The next few days passed by quickly, and Xu Anyi was busy as she continued to exercise and get comfortable in front of the camera again.

The day of the shoot arrived quickly and Xu Anyi arrived at the building early in the morning.

She walked up to the second floor and was led by a worker into a large room. There were many people inside already, and they rushed around, getting everything set up.

When she walked in, the manager noticed her and walked over, "Ms. Xu, you're here early! Come, come, let me introduce you to the photographer today."

The two of them walked over to the man who was standing in front of the camera.

"Eric, your new model is here. Eric, this is Xu Anyi, one of the two models today. Ms. Xu, this is Eric, your photographer for today."

Xu Anyi nodded and stretched her arm out, but the man did not shake it immediately. The photographer had long blonde hair that almost reached his shoulders and blue eyes the shade of the ocean. He pressed his thin lips together as he leaned back, observed Xu Anyi from head to toe, and then nodded.

He quickly shook her hand, "Nice to meet you."

Then, he turned around to start playing with his camera again, "Go change and get your makeup done. And then come and we can start warming up."

Xu Anyi nodded and smiled at the manager before walking over to the makeup room.

There was no one inside yet and the makeup artist was laying out her materials when Xu Anyi walked in.

"Hello, I'm Xu Anyi," she introduced herself, shaking the makeup artist's hand. She looked at the makeup artist's nametag which read 'Kelly'.

"You must be the new model. You can have a seat, I'll do your makeup first."

Xu Anyi nodded and sat down, looking at her reflection in the large mirror. She had not put on any makeup before this because she knew that they would be doing her makeup here.

Kelly finished laying out her supplies and bent down, grabbing onto her chin to lift her face up as she examined her face, "Your skin is very nice."

Xu Anyi grinned softly, thinking that it was all thanks to Si Mu's expensive skincare products.

"This new spring set focuses on the idea of natural and innocence, so I won't put on too much makeup," she explained as she grabbed a bottle of foundation and began working.

The makeup process did not take very long, and it might have also been because Xu Anyi had a good base to begin with, but the makeup was finished before long.

"Let me just put on the lipstick and then we will be done," Kelly said as she used a brush to apply a thin layer of a light pink color onto her lips.

As she was applying it, they both heard a noise coming from outside, and Kelly paused as they turned around to look.

"Thank you, Ms. Xia!" They heard several people scream one by one, and Xu Anyi furrowed her eyebrows together.

"Finish first," Xu Anyi turned her head around and looked at herself in the mirror. After her makeup was finished, she stood up and walked out of the room.

Just as she opened the door, she almost bumped into the person on the other side of the door.

"I'm-" She paused when she saw that it was Xia Yiwei, wearing a short white dress. Xia Yiwei frowned when she saw her, but under the presence of so many people, her frown immediately turned into a smile as she turned around and spoke to her assistant.

"Go get a cup of coffee for Anyi too."

She then turned to face Xu Anyi and smiled in a provocative way, "I bought coffee for everyone."

The assistant brought a cup of coffee back and Xia Yiwei took it from her, holding it out towards Xu Anyi, "You should drink a cup too. . . It's quite expensive."

Xu Anyi looked at the cup and then saw all the people around them who were looking at her. She looked Xia Yiwei in the eye and then suddenly broke out into a smile, taking the cup from her, "Thank you."

Then, she turned around and walked back into the room, sitting back down in the makeup chair as she took a sip of the coffee, which had no sugar or milk in it at all. She scrunched her nose up slightly as she set the cup down on the table, "I should get my hair done as well."

At this moment, Xia Yiwei walked into the room and looked around, "Is there only one makeup chair?"