LR – Chapter 69

***
Chapter 69 – Cosmetics Endorsement

When the platform finally returned to normal, the number of comments that poured out at once was staggering.

【Is Weibo finally working? Other platforms are still lagging, but whatever—I’m here to send my blessings first! May the two handsome men stay happily together for a hundred years!】

【My bestie and I each stan one of them, and now we’re both speechless. After staring at each other for a long time, we simultaneously opened the CP supertopic.】

【So when Suisui said he liked people who’s bad at acting but charming, he really meant A’Jing! How sneaky to subtly show off their relationship! Let me be fair: our A’Jing did a great job filming the ⟪Fading Colors⟫ MV, right?

Oh, it was because he was filming with his future wife and his true feelings showed. Never mind, then.】

【⟪Love Reservation⟫ was 100% written for Jiang Liusui. Based on what Yu-ge revealed at the concert, it seems he was even rejected? Jiang Liusui, how cruel! Hahahaha! I can totally imagine Yu-ge sulking with low energy after being turned down.】

【Based on my years of knowing him, he probably drank heavily the night he got rejected.】

【So compatible, so compatible, truly so compatible! From personality to looks to aura, they’re a perfect match! A tsundere paired with a tease is the ultimate combo!】

【I used to think no one could tame Yu-ge, but Suisui’s outwardly gentle yet inwardly rebellious nature suits him so well! Their daily life together must be so fun and sweet!】

【I’ve already started rewatching ⟪Fantasy Holiday⟫. Damn it, every moment was real sugar! Does anyone understand how happy I am right now? I bet the production team still has unreleased footage—now that you’ve gone public, why not ride this wave? Hurry up and release some of those unaired clips for us to see!!】

For an entire day, the trending topic stayed at the top of all major platforms without dropping.

He Yujing was bombarded with countless messages. With Jiang Liusui back in the country and him alone, he felt a strange sense of loneliness, as if he had just come out publicly but was immediately abandoned. He didn’t even bother replying to a single message. Yet there was one call he couldn’t ignore.

He Yujing’s mother deliberately called him during the late night in China, which was nearly noon where He Yujing was. When the call connected, he was slightly surprised: “You’re still awake?”

His mother valued her health and had rarely stayed up past 10 p.m. But her voice on the other end was unusually alert, blending delight with a hint of reproach: “Such a big matter, and you didn’t even tell us? Your father and I only found out online.”

“When you brought Xiao Jiang home last time, I could tell you treated him differently… So were you two already together then? Keeping it from us on purpose?”

“Xiao Jiang has such a good personality—you’d better not bully him.”

Seeing his mother so unusually enthusiastic for the first time, He Yujing joked half-seriously: “How would I dare bully him? I’d rather cherish him like a treasure.”

The more his mother thought about it, the happier she became, and she couldn’t help chattering on: “So you’ve finally settled down. No wonder you refused to go on those blind dates before.”

Seeing her dig up ancient history and likely ramble endlessly, He Yujing proactively asked: “Did you call just to tell me this?”

“Of course not. When you return to China, remember to bring Xiao Jiang home. Last time it was too rushed—I didn’t get to properly talk with him.”

The overseas work concluded just before the Lunar New Year. Knowing Jiang Liusui’s circumstances, He Yujing couldn’t bear the thought of leaving him alone. He said, “I was actually planning to bring him back for the New Year.”

“Really? That’s wonderful!” His mother replied with a smile. “Before the New Year, our family is going on a vacation. Why don’t you ask if he’d like to join us? If you two prefer to spend time alone, you can still bring Xiao Jiang home to stay for a few days first.”

“Alright,” He Yujing agreed. “I’ll ask him later.”

The endorsement Wang Cen had secured for Jiang Liusui was for the cosmetics line of the high-end luxury brand Viola.

Although the brand was known for its glamorous and extravagant style, it had unexpectedly chosen a snowfield as the outdoor shooting location this time. Rumor had it that the brand’s planning department had immediately settled on this concept after seeing Jiang Liusui’s photos.

Moreover, the treatment for the new endorser was exceptionally generous—not only would there be a full set of promotional photos, but a dedicated promotional short film tailored to the brand’s concept will also be produced exclusively for him.

It was the height of winter, and the mountain climate was bitterly cold.

It was Jiang Liusui’s first time shooting an advertisement, and in this area, he was a complete newcomer. He arrived at the filming location early.

The crew was busy making preparations, and the dressing room had been set up inside one of the RVs.

On his way to hair and makeup, Jiang Liusui ran into the photographer for this shoot—Zhao Duo.

Zhao Duo was a highly respected photographer in the industry, having shot fashion covers for countless A-list celebrities both domestically and internationally, and had won numerous professional awards.

He wore his shoulder-length hair half-tied into a small braid at the back, with the other side left loose. A single diamond-shaped gemstone earring adorned one ear, and his vibrant, eye-catching attire stood out starkly against the snowy backdrop.

Yet, no one on set dared to stare at him for too long. Even his young assistant kept her head slightly bowed, speaking to him with utmost respect.

Jiang Liusui stopped and greeted Zhao Duo with a smile. “Hello, Teacher Zhao. I’ll be troubling you today.”

Zhao Duo did not respond. His gaze swept lazily over Jiang Liusui from head to toe. “You’ll certainly be troubling me quite a bit.”

Renowned for his exceptional skills but also his notoriously difficult temperament, Zhao Duo had few friends in the industry.

Jiang Liusui was taken aback for a moment but quickly recalled Wang Cen’s earlier comments about the photographer. He replied calmly, “I’ll do my best to cooperate with your work.”

Zhao Duo offered no response, so Jiang Liusui politely nodded and said, “I’ll head to hair and makeup now. See you later.”

He had barely taken a few steps when Zhao Duo turned to the assistant beside him and remarked, “The brand must be out of their minds, offering such high-level treatment—an outdoor shoot and conceptual videos—without considering whether a big-company connection like him can even handle it.”

The assistant murmured in agreement. Although Zhao Duo appeared to be speaking to the person next to him, he made no effort to lower his voice. Jiang Liusui continued walking forward without looking back.

Ding Yan, who was beside him, held his tongue the entire way. Only when they reached the dressing room and saw that the makeup artist hadn’t arrived yet did he finally burst out, “How can he talk like that? The shoot hasn’t even started, and he’s already labeling you!”

“What’s wrong with a big company? Getting signed with Shengyun is our achievement. Wang-ge worked hard to secure this endorsement—why does he make it sound like we stole it from someone?”

Ding Yan wanted to say more, but Jiang Liusui hushed him. “There are too many eyes and ears around. Let’s not discuss it further.”

Jiang Liusui stopped Ding Yan, although he too felt somewhat uncomfortable. After all, being met with sarcastic remarks right off the bat—no one could possibly remain completely unaffected.

But on second thought, the most important thing today was the shoot. As for whether the photographer had a problem with him… that was beyond his control. If he couldn’t figure it out, he might as well stop dwelling on it.

In the winter mountains, the snow lay pristine and white, stretching from the far reaches of the deep blue sky.

The team arrived at the designated shooting location. The thick snow on the plain shimmered with a soft, pearl-like luster under the sunlight, while in the distance, tall snow-capped cedar forests stood wrapped in silver.

Jiang Liusui, bundled in a down jacket to ward off the cold, was about to take it off when Zhao Duo passed by him. “Still wrapped up in that coat? What, are you afraid of the cold?”

Jiang Liusui didn’t respond and simply removed the down jacket. He wore a thin V-neck shirt and trousers, with a robe-like lightweight coat layered over them. The clean, airy white outfit complemented the snowy scenery perfectly, but it offered no protection against the sub-zero temperatures. The biting wind felt like a knife scraping against his bones.

Zhao Duo didn’t deliberately drag things out and started the shoot right away.

This concept short film had a touch of fantasy. The first scene showed Jiang Liusui lying in the snow, opening his eyes and locking gazes with a snow fox lying beside him. There was a close-up shot in the snow to highlight the makeup on his face. Since the snow fox would be added later with CG, during the actual shoot, there was nothing beside him—he had to rely entirely on his own performance.

Jiang Liusui lay on his side in the piercingly cold snow. Once the shoot officially began, he closed his eyes with a relaxed expression, then slowly opened them.

Several cameras had been set up around him. It was Jiang Liusui’s first time shooting a commercial short film, and he wasn’t sure which camera he should look toward. Zhao Duo hadn’t given him any instructions beforehand. After a moment’s hesitation he chose to look at the nearest camera.

“Cut!” Zhao Duo snapped sharply. “Where are you looking?! Your gaze is all over the place!”

“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” Jiang Liusui said, acknowledging his mistake. “Let’s try again.”

Zhao Duo ignored him and called out, “Stay where you are and find the feeling first.”

When Jiang Liusui didn’t move immediately, Zhao Duo raised his voice. “I said lie down! Why are you still sitting?”

The crew around them watched, murmuring among themselves.

Jiang Liusui met Zhao Duo’s gaze, then silently lay back down in the freezing snow. Ding Yan couldn’t bear to watch and came over to help him up.

Shivering from the cold, Jiang Liusui’s voice trembled slightly, but his tone remained calm. “Don’t. Just do as he says.”

Zhao Duo clearly didn’t like him. If he got up now without regard for the director’s instructions, things would only get harder later.

“But it’s so cold in the snow…!” Ding Yan protested anxiously. “And what’s the point of just lying there?!”

Seeing that Jiang Liusui was determined, Ding Yan stepped back to avoid causing more trouble. Ten minutes later, Zhao Duo, bundled in a thick down jacket, strode over and looked down at him. “Found the feeling yet? Once you have it, we start.”

Jiang Liusui met his gaze coldly. “Let’s begin.”

With the experience from the previous take, Jiang Liusui had a rough idea of which camera to focus on.

He imagined the dark lens as a curled-up snow fox, gradually stretching and tilting its head playfully toward him. Unconsciously, Jiang Liusui propped himself up, his gaze following the imagined movement—

Jiang Liusui’s performance this time was impeccable. Zhao Duo smiled insincerely and said, “Pass.”

He disliked shooting newcomers, especially those overnight sensations with huge followings.

They had nothing to offer, requiring repeated adjustments even for simple still shots—both troublesome and demanding.

This one wasn’t as pretentious as expected, but still didn’t appeal to him. Seeing Jiang Liusui shivering with cold after coming down, Zhao Duo estimated he’d start complaining soon and decided to hurry through the shoot: “Continue! Next scene.”

Jiang Liusui only had time to sip a little hot water before heading back into the freezing snow to continue shooting.

After multiple consecutive scenes, Jiang Liusui continued without a single complaint. Seeing that Jiang Liusui was nothing like what he had imagined, Zhao Duo grew increasingly irritated, feeling silently humiliated.

Although Jiang Liusui cooperated fully during the shoot, he remained silent afterward and made no attempt to curry favor.

Quite impressive.

A newcomer who had never done a fashion commercial before actually dared to show him attitude.

The intermittent shooting continued until noon. During the break, Ding Yan noticed Jiang Liusui’s lips turning pale from cold and quickly stuffed a prepared hot water bottle into his arms, then wrapped him from head to toe in a thick down jacket.

Jiang Liusui had lost all sensation in his hands and feet. His fair, thin skin now showed purplish-red patches on the back of his hands from the cold. The team stylist noticed and applied some frostbite ointment, quietly reminding him, “Remember to wash this off before shooting again. Teacher Zhao will comment if he sees it.”

Jiang Liusui responded softly, “Thank you.”

Noting he hadn’t complained all morning, the stylist initiated conversation: “Is this your first commercial shoot? It’s normal for progress to be slower, and Teacher Zhao is indeed quite strict.”

The stylist phrased it diplomatically.

Jiang Liusui smiled slightly. As feeling returned to his hands, he held a lunch box and ate slowly. Although too cold to have much appetite, he forced himself to eat knowing the afternoon shoot awaited.

The stylist asked gossipily, “Since you’re shooting this, didn’t Teacher He share any tips with you?”

Jiang Liusui’s relationship with He Yujing had become the most talked-about topic at the moment, with even related news generating extensive discussion.

Jiang Liusui paused mid-bite and looked up at the question.

Unsure how to respond, he simply stared at the stylist, who misinterpreted his silence as displeasure and quickly added with a laugh, “Oh, I didn’t mean anything by it.”

The stylist continued familiarly: “Teacher He holds global ambassador titles for top luxury brands. Sylvie’s editor-in-chief is his longtime friend and first-tier magazines line up to feature him. He has abundant experience in this area, that’s why I asked.”

Numb with cold and mentally sluggish, Jiang Liusui slowly agreed: “Yeah, truly impressive.”

The stylist was momentarily speechless at his response.

Someone in the distance glanced toward Jiang Liusui and quietly reminded, “Teacher Zhao, he’s He Yujing’s…”

“So what?” Zhao Duo detested people with connections most. “If he’s capable, he should shoot properly and satisfy me.”

During the afternoon still shoot, Zhao Duo had Jiang Liusui lying in the snow and venturing deep into the pine forest.

While shooting a series of photos in flying snow, Jiang Liusui was continuously blasted by a wind machine from the front. Seeing his dazed expression as soon as the shoot ended, Ding Yan sympathetically shoved a hot water bottle into his hands.

For the first time, Zhao Duo said something unexpected: “If you’re tired, take a break.”

Thinking he was being told to rest in the snow again, Jiang Liusui replied expressionlessly, “No need. I don’t want to delay the schedule.”

Seeing his lack of gratitude, Zhao Duo snorted and directly ordered him back in front of the wind machine to continue the photoshoot.

The biting wind assaulted him head-on, sending stabbing pains through his temples. Suppressing his anger, Jiang Liusui abandoned his previous soft expression during the shoot. His delicate features now carried a hint of coldness, his gaze toward the lens gradually turning sharp and aggressive.

This was different from Zhao Duo’s original concept, yet the result was unexpectedly impressive.

Zhao Duo was struck by the aura radiating from Jiang Liusui and, unable to help himself, pressed the shutter repeatedly to capture the moment.

After that, Zhao Duo stopped giving Jiang Liusui trouble, and the team completed all shooting before dark.

After wrapping up, reflecting on how Jiang Liusui had progressed from knowing nothing about commercial shoots to gradually finding his footing, Zhao Duo flipped through the camera photos and suddenly called his assistant. “Go give him some cold medicine.”

The assistant hesitated. “But…”

“Just go!” Zhao Duo snapped impatiently, and the assistant hurriedly agreed. A nearby production assistant cautiously asked, “Are you sending medicine to Teacher Jiang?”

Zhao Duo looked up. Knowing his temper, the production assistant carefully added, “Did Teacher Jiang not tell you? He’s already left.”

Before leaving, Jiang Liusui had bid farewell to everyone, and the production assistant had assumed that Zhao Duo, as the photographer, would naturally be no exception.

For a moment, Zhao Duo’s expression darkened, and he let out a heavy, cold snort.

Realizing he had spoken out of turn, the production assistant quickly made an excuse and slipped away.

That evening, Jiang Liusui developed a fever.

He’d taken cold medicine immediately upon getting in the car, but having spent too long in the snow, even with the car’s heater and hot water bottle, his numb hands and feet remained icy. By the time he got home, dizziness overwhelmed him. He took a shower to warm up, then collapsed into bed and fell asleep.

He drifted through one dream after another, briefly surfacing to consciousness before sinking back into sleep.

When he finally awoke from the endless dreams, the sky outside was dim and overcast.

He was drenched in sweat, his hands and feet weak and limp, although the headache had subsided somewhat. Thinking it was still early, he checked his phone—and discovered over a dozen missed calls.

Apart from the calls from Ding Yan and Wang Cen, all the rest were from He Yujing.

Jiang Liusui froze for a moment, only then realizing that a full day had already passed.

He quickly called back. It was afternoon where He Yujing was, and Jiang Liusui remembered he had no performance scheduled today. The call connected shortly.

“Hello?” Jiang Liusui’s voice was slightly hoarse. The voice on the other end asked, “Are you feeling better?”

Jiang Liusui hummed in affirmation.

Did He Yujing know he was sick?

But since he’d slept all day, He Yujing must have contacted his agent or assistant. Jiang Liusui took his temperature again. “The fever’s gone.”

Thinking of He Yujing being unable to reach him for a whole day and night while abroad, Jiang Liusui felt a pang of guilt. “I took some cold medicine and slept very deeply, so I didn’t get any of your calls. I should have told you in advance.”

“Since I couldn’t get through, I had to ask your assistant to come by to check on you,” He Yujing said half-jokingly. “If you weren’t there either, I would have flown back in the middle of the night.”

Jiang Liusui knew He Yujing’s mood at the time couldn’t have been as lighthearted as he made it sound. If it were him in that situation, if He Yujing were unreachable for a day and night…

Jiang Liusui said softly, “I won’t let it happen again.”

He Yujing didn’t dwell on it further and instead asked,””Was the shoot exhausting? It’s so cold today, and you were lying in the snow all day.” His tone gradually grew heavier toward the end.

Jiang Liusui was certain He Yujing already knew what had happened during the shoot and didn’t want him to worry too much. “It was a little tiring, but the snowy scenery was beautiful. The final shots should look great.” He said this both to reassure He Yujing and because he genuinely meant it.

Seeing how optimistic Jiang Liusui was and realizing he hadn’t taken the difficulties during the shoot to heart, He Yujing smiled and said, “Back when I was busy with work, He Linshu once thought I’d gone missing and almost called the police.”

“Really?”

“Really.” After saying this, He Yujing steered the conversation back. “Next time, make sure to tell me.”

Whether he was feeling unwell or being treated unfairly, he should always let him know.

Jiang Liusui understood the underlying meaning and obediently agreed. He Yujing suddenly added, “My mom asked me to see if you’d like to spend the New Year holiday with our family.”

Jiang Liusui was taken aback. His previously groggy mind instantly cleared, and his illness seemed to vanish from shock. “What?”

“Do you want to go? If you’d rather not be with them, we can find a place just for us,” He Yujing added, not wanting him to feel pressured. “That way, we won’t have to listen to my parents’ nagging. He Linshu’s kid can be quite a handful, too.”

Spending the New Year together—wasn’t that basically meeting the family?

Jiang Liusui slowly processed the idea, then flusteredly asked, “What should I prepare? Should I buy gifts? What do your family members like…?”

Hearing his flustered tone, He Yujing laughed.You’ve met them before, haven’t you? You weren’t this nervous back then.”

Jiang Liusui thought to himself that the previous meeting was nothing like this. He Yujing guessed what he was thinking and said, “Don’t worry, my mom will probably be more nervous than you.”

“Just focus on recovering. Wait for me to come back.”

After hanging up, He Yujing told Jiang Liusui to get up and eat something. He had already informed the housekeeper, who had been keeping congee and soup warm in the kitchen. If Jiang Liusui hadn’t woken up on his own, the housekeeper would have roused him the next morning.

Jiang Liusui drank a small bowl of congee and helped himself to some soup. After eating, he felt warm all over. Thinking about how He Yujing had arranged all this for him even while abroad, Jiang Liusui bit his spoon, his lips curling into an unconscious smile.

He rested for a while, took a shower, then took his medicine and went back to sleep.

When he woke up again, it was nearly evening. Jiang Liusui had slept through the day and now felt mostly recovered. Just as he was about to get out of bed to pour himself some water, his phone screen lit up—Wang Cen was calling him.

Jiang Liusui answered the call, and his agent’s concerned voice came through from the other end: “Are you okay? How are you feeling?”

Hearing that Jiang Liusui had mostly recovered, Wang Cen breathed a sigh of relief: “That’s good.”

After a brief pause, Wang Cen apologized, “I didn’t consider this photoshoot carefully enough. If there are similar jobs in the future, I’ll make sure to go with you.”

Having heard from Ding Yan about what happened on set, Wang Cen felt a surge of shock and anger, followed by prolonged guilt. He wanted to apologize to Jiang Liusui, but He Yujing’s call came through first.

Having been at Shengyun for so many years, Wang Cen had never heard the other party speak in such a stern tone. For a moment, cold sweat actually broke out on his forehead.

Knowing he was in the wrong, he silently listened to the questioning from the other end of the line, then repeatedly assured that similar incidents wouldn’t happen again.

Wang Cen expressed concern a few more times, informing Jiang Liusui that he would personally handle the follow-up collaboration with Viola and urging Jiang Liusui to focus on recovering.

After hanging up, Wang Cen couldn’t help but feel a little emotional.

Even from such a distance, He Yujing was still keeping tabs on matters back home—he truly held Jiang Liusui close to heart.

It seemed Zhao Duo had thoroughly offended He Yujing this time, and future collaborations would likely be impossible.

The industry never lacked those who could read the winds. Zhao Duo had always been eccentric and had offended many people. In the past, out of respect for his seniority, everyone had given him some face. But with this new development, Zhao Duo’s future prospects probably won’t be smooth for him.

— — — —