Long Huojin picked her up from work every night just after she closed. It did not occur to her that she would not only grow accustomed to him driving her but also, to waiting for him, expecting it.
If someone had told the old Xue Guangli about being his friend, she would have laughed in their face.
In the morning, Xue Guangli visited Song Entertainment to do a shooting of her clothes for catalogues. She had begun to assist the director on how the dresses should be worn and fitted. It became stressful as the day went on.
In mid-shoot, she got a surprise visit from Song Ren.
"Ren? What are you doing here?" Xue Guangli asked. It was unusual of Song Ren to be anywhere besides her office or the hospital.
Song Ren looked at the models around the room and smiled. "I've never modelled before but my brother, Song Sheng, told me about the shoot."
"You're going to model?" Xue Guangli asked.
Song Ren straightened her back, holding her chin high. She did not have the experience, but she had the face for it. Song Ren had long jet-black hair that ended at her waist; she had gold-flecked eyes and porcelain skin. Xue Guangli could imagine the attention she would bring for Summer-Autumn.
So Xue Guangli grabbed her hand and hastily brought her into a change room. She arranged Song Ren to go for a sly-but-formidable look that she often exuded.
Song Ren went into character and modelled each dress she wore, well.
Soon after, Xue Guangli heard whispers from behind her, but she ignored it, only focusing on the shoot. Then Song Ren rose suddenly from her position and walked passed her.
Xue Guangli turned and found Song Ren speaking with Long Huojin.
What the hell is he doing here?
Xue Guangli approached the two of them. "Ren, can we get back to work," she said. Long Huojin glanced at her, but Xue Guangli ignored it.
Song Ren then said. "All right. I invited Long Huojin to join me for the couples shoot."
"What?" Xue Guangli said.
Song Ren didn't answer, locking arms with Long Huojin smiling and left to find the photographer, leaving Xue Guangli momentarily stunned.
On their way, Long Huojin asked. "What are you doing?"
Song Ren maintained her smiled. She then whispered, "Go along with it."
"You're up to something," Long Huojin said.
"Am I?" she responded.
The photographer was surprised to have Long Huojin come by as a surprise guest.
Rumours began to fill around the room, but they were all quickly shut down by the fact that Song Ren was already happily married. However, that only stirred even more scandalous rumours that annoyed Xue Guangli at how people exploded things out of proportion.
Xue Guangli decided to keep herself busy by working on other things when Song Ren and Long Huojin returned.
Song Ren wore a gold-satin dress that hugged the curves of her hips, shaping the lines of her body; she wore a golden headband that looked the sun with sharp edges pointing out.
Long Huojin wore a deep-black jacket over the same-coloured buttoned-up waistcoat the tightened around his stomach. His hair combed neatly, and the darkness of his clothes sharpened the blue in his eyes.
Together, they looked like day and night, and it caught everyone's breath.
The photograph was eager to snap photos, but just when they reached the stage, Song Ren staggered and fell. She held onto her stomach; her face had gone pale. "I don't feel well. I need to sit down and rest."
The photographer then said, "But how could we proceed? The shoot has to finish today."
Song Ren kept a hand to her stomach. "What about Guangli? She could step in for me."
Xue Guangli stilled, gaping at Song Ren.
"We would have to change the entire set, then," said the photographer.
Afterward, the photographer sent Long Huojin back to the changing department.
Xue Guangli was taken to the department, too, and she glanced at Song Ren nervously. Song Ren stuck up her thumb for good-luck.
Xue Guangli was familiar with modelling; she had done it since she was a child. But she had never done a couples shoot, and though it was just acting, she couldn't help but feel nervous.
In the changing room, she changed into a dress that was one of her mother's old designs for the Autumn season before they spent an hour doing her hair and makeup.
After the completed look, Xue Guangli glanced at herself in the mirror and was stunned. She knew how the dress looked, but she never imagined it would look good on her. It flared out with leaves entwined in at the bottom, and it trailed all around her.
But she didn't expect her makeup to be flawless. The makeup artists contoured and highlighted her cheeks to look sharper, more defined; she wore a nude lipstick, and they placed a crown of leaves and twigs over her long, wavy hair. Her hair pinned over the curves of her ears, but they left some of her front strands loose.
When she stepped from the changeroom, she walked carefully down the hall with the train of her dress trailing behind her.
Down below, Long Huojin was standing; his lips parted open. He was adjusting his cufflinks when he stretched out a hand to help her descend the stairs.
Xue Guangli took his hand, and he led her towards the center. He wore something similar from before but instead of black; he was wearing all white, bringing out the black in his hair. Together they looked like ice and fire.
"Have you done this before?" Xue Guangli asked him without looking.
"No," he responded. "But I've been told I had the face for it."
She laughed.
The set was beautiful, and the photographer began to direct them to do standard shots. Long Huojin sat on a stool with a foot propped on the lower half of the chair whereas Xue Guangli had to put on arm over his neck and her other hand on his shoulder.
Xue Guangli felt awkward and stiff. The photographer kept telling her to loosen her nerves, to be more natural, but she couldn't.
Long Huojin then began to sing lowly, horribly out of tune and began to make a complete fool of himself. Xue Guangli gaped. "Stop it," she said. Feeling embarrassed, she tried to cover his mouth, but he laughed and moved her hands away to continue. Her cheeks burned.
He stopped when he felt her relax, so he caught her hands, and Xue Guangli leaned in for their positions, and photos snapped.
They kept changing positions, and Xue Guangli unconsciously let herself loose. Long Huojin maintained an expressionless composure, but his handsome face had done it all for him.
As each photo snapped, Xue Guangli gradually roamed her hands around the upper-half of his body. His shirt and waistcoat began to become dishevelled, but according to the photographer, it looked perfect and natural.
"Now I need you to look at each other for the next couple of shots," yelled the director.
Long Huojin turned, and they both had to improvise their postures and expressions.
Xue Guangli moved closer to him, looking down as he sat on the stool. She planted a hand on his chest, and he held her forearm gazing up at her.
Xue Guangli met his eyes, and he looked at her gently. Beneath his winter-blue eyes, she saw something like yearning and desire staring back at her; it stunned her how well he performed.
Her eyes dropped to the hollow of his throat, the bob of his Adam's apple. Her gaze lingered and stopped at his mouth, at the seams of his lips. It hadn't occurred to her what it would feel like to taste them. Long Huojin had a reputation for rejecting women, but it didn't stop throwing themselves at him.
At past events, she had seen Long Huojin during many occasions; he was a big presence in her life. They would pass each other in the halls, never stopping to speak. She would see girls kiss him, tasting him as if he was something that quenched their needs.
"Perfect!" yelled the photographer, snapping her out of her daze.
Xue Guangli took a step back from Long Huojin, trying to compose herself. What was she thinking?
"Xue Li," said Long Huojin. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," Xue Guangli said, smiling grimly.
Afterward, they finished, other pairs of models went into their shoots, and Xue Guangli left to change into her casual clothing.
Long Huojin was leaning against the entrance. "Where is Song Ren?" she asked.
"Her husband came to pick her up," he said.
Xue Guangli nodded. "Then what are you waiting for?" she asked.
Long Huojin turned to face her, "You," he said.
Xue Guangli glanced away shyly and followed him to the car.
Inside, she called out his name, "Long Huojin."
Long Huojin turned to face her.
"Can you help me on my fathers case?"she asked.