T University’s Academy of Fine Arts had an outstanding architecture department.
Bei Lin was enthusiastic and talkative. While setting up the lighting, he shared quite a bit of college entrance exam wisdom with Fu Yuhan.
Although their province reformed its curriculum every year, the experience of seniors was still useful. Fu Yuhan didn’t talk much, watching Bei Lin set up two large lights and cover them with softboxes while silently memorizing what he heard.
Before long, Fourth Brother and San Mao walked in one after the other. Perhaps stimulated by Wen Yu calling him old the day before, today Fourth Brother had shaved off all the thick beard he’d been growing on his chin for who knows how long. He looked ten years younger and finally had the appearance a man in his early thirties should have.
Fu Yuhan almost didn’t recognize him.
“Don’t be scared.” Bei Lin laughed and patted him. “Fourth Brother only shaves when he’s having a fit… Artists, you know, they all have some quirks. Try to understand. If you really go down the artistic path, you’ll have them too.”
“…Then I probably can never be an artist.” Fu Yuhan said quietly.
“Don’t be modest,” Bei Lin said. “I think highly of you. Trust me, I have an intuition for discovering artists.”
“…”
Fu Yuhan didn’t really want to be discovered.
Time was tight. After a brief greeting, today’s work officially began.
Fu Yuhan ended the small talk and went to change clothes.
The work content was similar to the previous day. With Wen Yu not there today, he was obviously much more comfortable and the shooting went more smoothly.
This shop specialized in original designs, releasing over ten new styles at once. Two afternoons could basically complete the shooting task. Perhaps knowing this, the shop owner came to the abandoned factory before work ended that day.
He was a tall, thin young man who looked somewhat younger than Fourth Brother, with slightly long hair tied in a small ponytail at the back, wearing a leaf-shaped silver earring, dressed in fitted black T-shirt and black pants. He looked more like a “young artist” than Fourth Brother.
He had a roguish air about him, chewing gum as he swaggered in. He first stood next to Fourth Brother watching the shoot for a while, then came over to greet Fu Yuhan during a break between sets: “I heard Old Four found me a very good new model. I didn’t believe he could be better than the last one, but seeing him today… tsk tsk.” He looked Fu Yuhan up and down and extended his hand. “How about it, interested in long-term cooperation?”
Fu Yuhan hadn’t put his clothes back on yet and felt a bit awkward. He shook hands briefly, then quickly withdrew and walked over to pick up the black robe to put on: “…You’re the shop owner?”
“Right, right.” The man smiled. “Look at me, I was so satisfied seeing you that I forgot to introduce myself—I’m Yong Rong, the owner of this underwear shop. I’m older than you, so calling me ‘Brother Rong’ won’t be a loss. What should I call you?”
“Fu Yuhan.”
“Then I’ll call you Xiao Han.” Yong Rong asked with a smile, “Interested in long-term cooperation?”
“If we could cooperate long-term, that would be great of course…” Fu Yuhan pressed his lips together. “But I have classes during the week, only weekends are free…”
“No problem, anyway I—”
“Hold on there.” Before Yong Rong could finish, Old Four interrupted him. He came over with a cigarette in his mouth. “There’s still one set left to shoot. Can you let him change clothes first before talking about future matters? If we don’t finish shooting before dark, tomorrow’s Monday and he won’t come, okay?” He waved at Fu Yuhan. “Go change clothes.”
Fu Yuhan inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief and walked away.
He somehow felt that the shop owner was looking at him with eyes that were a bit… too interested.
As soon as he left, Old Four reached out and tapped Yong Rong’s shoulder: “Don’t be sleazy, this is someone Wen Yu brought over.”
“Wen Yu?” Yong Rong raised an eyebrow. “Haven’t heard that name in a while—but this isn’t the person he’s interested in, right? I remember seeing him once before, and he didn’t look like this.”
Old Four made an “ah” sound.
“Since it’s not him, what’s the relationship?” Yong Rong curved his lips. “This one suits my taste. What’s wrong with teasing him a bit?”
“You better just tease,” Old Four shook his head. “I don’t really want to clean up messes.”
Just yesterday he’d tried probing with one sentence and got shut down by Wen Yu… Old Four no longer wanted to understand what relationship those two had, but he didn’t want to invite trouble.
Wen Yu might be young, but he was a bit crazy.
What normal person would want to provoke a crazy person?
Unfortunately, the person standing in front of him now didn’t seem too normal either. Yong Rong said with a smile: “I’m not messing with Wen Yu’s ‘sweetheart.’ He wouldn’t interfere that broadly, would he? I’ll ask Xiao Han later if he wants to go drinking tonight.”
Old Four rubbed his temples, suddenly feeling that a day-night reversed schedule really did give people headaches.
Yong Rong didn’t really fit in with their group. Old Four only had more contact with him due to work. Originally they’d just planned to have barbecue together after work, but Yong Rong had changed his mind at the last minute and moved the dinner location to a Japanese restaurant.
Old Four found his constant attempts to chat with Fu Yuhan during the meal somewhat unbearable to watch.
One was a client, the other was a friend not to be messed with. Old Four decisively decided to pass this hot potato along.
He sent Wen Yu a message.
Old Four: Yong Rong seems a bit interested in your little friend.
Wen Yu replied quite quickly.
Wen Yu: Who is “my little friend”?
Old Four: Your classmate who came to model. Didn’t I tell you? This shop belongs to Yong Rong.
Old Four: We finished shooting all the clothes today. He said he’d come treat us to dinner, and now he’s hitting on him.
Wen Yu: …
“…Really, I think you’re particularly suitable. If you want to find work, I’m also planning another menswear shop targeting young people. You could try that too when the time comes.” Yong Rong raised his sake cup. “Come on, let’s drink to that first—”
The conversation was suddenly interrupted by a phone ringing. Yong Rong glanced at the caller ID and immediately glared at Old Four: “You tipped him off?”
Fu Yuhan: “?”
Old Four wasn’t afraid of him and looked back frankly: “I don’t want to get involved in your problems. Can you solve it yourselves?”
“Tsk.” Yong Rong pursed his lips, smiled and said “sorry” to Fu Yuhan, put down his wine glass, and answered the phone: “Hello?”
The other end was very quiet, making Wen Yu’s cold, low voice particularly clear: “Are you sick?”
“You’re the one who’s sick.” Yong Rong shot back. “Haven’t seen you in years and you open with insults. That’s your level of class.”
“You picking targets without considering the owner is what’s really classless.” Wen Yu snorted coldly. “You’re touching my friend?”
“The whole city is your friends, you really manage a lot. Talk to me like this after you inherit the family business, otherwise do you think I’m afraid of you?” Yong Rong hung up with a snap and turned off his phone.
He raised his wine glass again with a smile: “Come on, Xiao Han, finish this drink, let’s talk about specific work content…”
Fu Yuhan instinctively felt something was wrong.
But work… indeed, this shoot was just part-time, and no matter how much money he could earn, it was limited. If he could get long-term shooting work, he wouldn’t have to worry about expenses in the short term.
He suddenly gained some understanding of the pain of adult socializing.
Fu Yuhan twitched his mouth, clinked glasses with Yong Rong, and drained the cup in one gulp.
Sake tasted light but had a strong aftertaste. After just a few cups, Fu Yuhan felt his face getting hot.
But Yong Rong was in high spirits, constantly pulling him into conversation. The underwear shop released new items once a week, and Yong Rong planned to have Fu Yuhan shoot all these products—he just needed to come on weekends. There was no problem with timing, so Fu Yuhan agreed directly.
The problem was on Fourth Brother’s side—the shooting locations had always been found by Old Four himself based on the style of that week’s new releases. He had several regular spots and occasionally discovered new locations, but Yong Rong offered to help him contact photography studios. Over this, the two even argued a bit.
After some unpleasantness, Old Four got up saying he was going out for a smoke. Bei Lin and San Mao followed to console him, leaving only Fu Yuhan and Yong Rong at the table.
“That’s Old Four’s problem… he’s stubborn about small things. I’m helping him contact studios and saving him time, why refuse? Doesn’t he shoot in studios every autumn and winter anyway?” Yong Rong shook his head, filled both their glasses, and raised his cup to Fu Yuhan with a smile. “Forget him, let’s drink.”
“Studio setups are different… Fourth Brother probably has other requirements?” Fu Yuhan instinctively defended the photographer. He lowered his gaze and said softly, “I think I shouldn’t drink anymore.”
“Not giving face?” Yong Rong looked at him disapprovingly. “There’s not much left in this bottle. We’ll finish it and not order more, okay? Old Four said you’re a senior this year, so you probably don’t have many chances to go out and play. Big brother will take you upstairs to sing karaoke later, and if it gets late we’ll just find a nearby hotel…”
“I need to go home.” Fu Yuhan interrupted him. “Tomorrow’s Monday, I have to go back to school.”
“Oh right, I’m a bit high, confused. Then we’ll send you back after singing…”
Can’t we just not sing?
Fu Yuhan somewhat speechlessly drank this cup too.
After all, he was the paying boss. Fu Yuhan thought sitting in a KTV for a while wouldn’t hurt.
“But I can’t sing.” He declared in advance.
“No problem, your Fourth Brother is a mic hog.” Yong Rong said. “The rest of us four can play dice—ever played ‘Liar’s Dice’?”
Fu Yuhan shook his head.
This school bully really wasn’t very competent—he had less experience than some so-called “honor students.”
“But I’ve heard of it.” He added.
“Then no problem, I’ll explain it to you later and you’ll get it.” Yong Rong said. “Let’s play for two hours, then send you back. Won’t delay your school tomorrow, okay?”
“Fine.” Fu Yuhan had no objections.
Old Four argued with people about “artistic differences” every day. After smoking one cigarette, he calmed down and returned to his seat.
The Japanese food on the table was mostly finished. He thought they were about to disperse, but unexpectedly Yong Rong suggested going to sing karaoke.
“Xiao Han is going too?” Old Four turned back somewhat surprised.
Before Fu Yuhan could speak, Yong Rong answered first: “Just agreed with him, we’ll break up before 12, won’t delay his school. See if you’re going. If not, let Bei Lin and San Mao stay to play dice—playing dice is the same with or without you anyway.”
“Damn, can’t I play?” Old Four got angry. “Don’t you know, I Zhang Old Four was the pure K dice king back in the day—”
Fu Yuhan didn’t hear the rest of the trash talk clearly as a wave of drunkenness hit him, making his brain momentarily dizzy.
He was actually a bit sleepy, but couldn’t leave.
He propped up his face to suppress a yawn and took out his phone from his pocket, wanting to scroll through it casually.
Unexpectedly, he saw an unread message on WeChat from his helpful desk mate, Student Wen.
Wen Yu: Where are you guys?
Fu Yuhan didn’t think much and sent a location, squinting as he typed a reply.
Fu Yuhan: Are you coming to play?
Fu Yuhan: Fourth Brother says you know this shop owner too.
The name above the chat box showed “typing…” for maybe two minutes.
But in the end, Wen Yu only replied with four words.
Wen Yu: Mm, I’m coming over.
##
(advanced chapters available on kofi)
