Chapter 28: Reality: Hanging the Painting

Chapter 28: Reality: Hanging Art

Swiftly descending droplets formed a translucent puddle at the pale soles of his feet.

The man had extremely bony ankles, with evenly proportioned toes slightly longer than average, revealing two distinct joints.

Black trousers dripped continuously, while the soaked blue shirt clung to his chiseled chest, creating a stark contrast against his snow-white skin.

Yan Qiling, with his drenched hair, strode toward the beach chair.

The young man silently withdrew his gaze.

The lead photographer called it a wrap, and thus, the crew began to pack up the equipment.

Tuan Mi had already hurried over with a towel, wrapping the man in its generous folds.

The makeup artist also approached to remove the ear decorations.

As soon as he was seated, the makeup artist applied a solution to his mid-length hair, gently removing the extensions strand by strand.

The main character's surname is Zhang. Upon seeing that Yan Qiling was unharmed for the time being, he approached to have a conversation with him:

"Mr. Yan, I have a street photoshoot in Cheng City in a few days. Would you like to come? If you're interested, I can save a spot for you. I feel that you would fit the theme of the shoot perfectly."

Yan Qiling was slightly taken aback, his tone soft as he spoke:

"Apologies, Director Zhang, my schedules are managed through Ding Tai. If you think I'm suitable for the street photography theme, you can forward the proposal to him."

The lead cinematographer, referred to as "Director Zhang," smiled, but the amusement didn't reach his eyes.

"Why is he so strict with you? Mr. Yan, I actually think your style is very versatile, and it's not just limited to magazines."

As if it slipped out casually, he continued,

"Based on industry standards, you have great potential for transformation. You could explore acting in films or commercials, not just being a print model... Well, it would be a waste of your talent otherwise."

Upon hearing this, Yan Qiling seemed to take it in stride, maintaining his politeness without much reaction:

"Thank you for Director Zhang's appreciation, but I'm not well-versed in such matters. It's better left to professionals. I'll pass on the opportunity."

Director Zhang paused briefly before bursting into laughter once more, speaking earnestly,

"It's great if an agent is professional, but you also need to consider your own future and career path."

"Moreover, it's crucial for artists to have their own network... If an agent doesn't have a wide range of connections, many opportunities could slip by."

"Take Lin Jianxiang for example. Back then, you were on the same schedule as Teacher Lin, and he even did supporting roles for you... In this current situation, you should think more about yourself too."

Yan Qiling readily acknowledged his advice,

"You're right. I'll give it serious thought."

Director Zhang chuckled as he took out his phone,

"How about we add each other on WeChat? Previously, we've been communicating through Tuan Mi, which isn't very convenient. If you have any good ideas about the shooting theme, we can discuss them anytime."

Maintaining his smile, the man subtly glanced at the young girl beside him.

Noticing the cue, Tuan Mi promptly stepped forward.

"Thank you, Director Zhang, for your appreciation of Teacher Yan. If there's any work to be done, please let me know. Teacher Yan doesn't have a phone and can't add WeChat."

Director Zhang was taken aback. The man in front of him, still in his makeup, smiled warmly with shimmering glitter under his eyes, like tears from a mythical sea creature.

"I don't usually use electronic devices much, I'm sorry, Director Zhang," he said.

Director Zhang's expression flickered with interest as he turned his gaze towards Ming Yiyang.

"Teacher Yan, who are these two...?"

"My friends. They have some matters to discuss with me, so I arranged for them to wait here."

"Oh, I have a question. Would it be convenient to ask?"

All three looked at him expectantly.

Director Zhang decided to address Ming Yiyang directly.

"Are you interested in shooting for a magazine? I have a fashion shoot this afternoon. Would you like to give it a try?"

The youth flicked his silver eyelashes nonchalantly and replied coolly,

"I'm not interested."

Director Zhang didn't give up and tried persuading him earnestly,

"Haven't you done it before? It's very simple, young people should give it a try..."

"We have an urgent matter to discuss with Teacher Yan."

The youth drew out his words slightly as he strolled over to Yan Qiling, bending slightly with his silver lashes lowered slightly.

His lazy tone held a hint of mockery,

"Right, Teacher Yan?"

Yan Qiling offered an apologetic smile to Director Zhang.

Knowing that continuing the conversation would be inappropriate, and feeling a bit embarrassed after being rejected by two models he had high hopes for, he scratched his nose and said,

"I won't disturb you anymore. Carry on with your conversation."

The unrelated individuals finally left.

Chi Zihe admired the remnants of the other's makeup:

"When do you have time? We'll probably need to discuss quite a few details."

Yan Qiling pondered for a moment and asked,

"Have you both been in Guang City these past two days? Or are you leaving soon?"

Chi Zihe replied,

"We'll be here for the next two days."

Yan Qiling nodded and, with his eyes closed, allowed the makeup remover to glide across his face:

"You can stay at my place tonight. Ding Tai will also come over later. Let's have dinner together and continue our discussion at home."

"That would be great. It's been a while since I've seen Ding Tai; I wonder how much weight he's gained."

Chi Zihe chuckled and patted Ming Yiyang's shoulder.

"I'll leave right away. I have an urgent matter to attend to. I'll leave the young one in your care for now."

Yan Qiling opened his eyes, casting a glance at the tall youth, and gave a polite smile.

"Alright. Make sure you add Tuan Mi on WeChat and get in touch with her when you're free. She'll keep you updated on my schedule."

Tuan Mi promptly dropped the makeup remover and approached Chi Zihe to exchange WeChat contacts.

After adding each other as friends, Chi Zihe, like a concerned parent, patted Ming Yiyang and began his parting instructions.

"Then listen well to Teacher Yan and don't cause any trouble. We'll go eat something delicious tonight."

Ming Yiyang spoke with a regal and aloof demeanor.

"Hurry up and leave."

Chi Zihe laughed heartily and strode away.

Watching him depart, Yan Qiling's gaze returned to Ming Yiyang, seemingly genuinely intending to take care of him.

"There are still four hours of filming left this afternoon. Would you like something to drink?"

Experiencing this person for the first time in the real world, Ming Yiyang felt a peculiar sensation, as if meeting an online friend in person for the very first time.

From the Realm of No Return, to magazines, and now, to this very moment.

The subtle barrier between them seemed to have been breached by something.

With his makeup removed, Yan Qiling returned to the image Ling had of him. His deep blue contact lenses were gone, revealing two jet-black eyes that sparkled like obsidian, identical to what Ling had seen in magazines.

They were not the mismatched, heterochromatic eyes – one red and one blue – that he had seen before.

...Could it be that this man wore colored contacts even when entering the Wuji Realm for the sake of appearance?

It was an absurd speculation, but considering it was Yan Qiling...

One could only say that anything was possible.

Ming Yiyang cast his gaze down and said,

"There's no need."

-

The next shooting location was in a elaborately decorated studio.

Tuan Mi took the initiative to enter the passenger seat, busily replying to the continuous chat messages on WeChat with his head lowered, barely uttering a word throughout the journey.

His reticent and efficient demeanor contrasted starkly with his cutesy nickname.

Yan Qiling and Ming Yiyang were seated in the backseat.

With a click, Ming Yiyang fastened his seatbelt and leaned in, fixing the other with a direct gaze into his eyes.

They were black, an unbroken and pure black, an unusually common yet rare color.

Yan Qiling remained still, calmly returning the intense stare.

The young man brazenly caressed the smooth wrist of the man, a rare hint of astonishment flickering across his face.

Yes, it's warm?

The calloused fingertips, a result of years of wielding a blade, rubbed repeatedly against the flesh beneath his palm.

His hands were much warmer than the average person's, so in the Realm of No Return, he was often chilled by Yan Qiling's corpse-like temperature whenever they touched.

But this time, though the man's body temperature was low, it still fell within the range of normal for a human.

It was the kind of coolness that came from air conditioning, refreshingly pleasant to the touch on a sweltering summer day.

"How is it? Are you satisfied with the feel?"

The man asked with a teasing smile.

As always, the smile didn't reach his eyes, only thinly coating his face in a flawless, impeccable grin.

No matter how many times he saw it, Ming Yiyang could never get used to this man's fake smile.

Letting go, he straightened up in his seat.

"It's decent. You seem more human now than when you were inside. Back then, it felt like touching a corpse."

Both of them understood what "inside" referred to.

"Maybe my body temperature is just too low."

The man slightly rolled up his sleeve, covering the spot Ming Yiyang had just touched with his own palm. He maintained a proper posture throughout, resembling a living human template.

"I didn't expect you to know Zihuo. How is his company doing? How's the business running?"

"Reasonable enough, it allows us mere laborers and our partners to sustain life."

Inhabitually reaching for his cigarette case, the young man suddenly remembered that the person sitting beside him was a peculiar quit-smoking enthusiast.

He paused, not retracting the cigarette case but instead, with a hint of curiosity and a nonchalant smile, offered it to the other person.

"Care for one?"

"No need."

The other party didn't look at him, maintaining their usual guarded demeanor:

"I've told you many times not to smoke in the car."

"Truly consistent, aren't you?"

The young man pretended not to hear, skillfully tapping the bottom of the soft-pack cigarette with his middle finger. The cigarette shot out from the opened corner.

Just one, not more, not less.

He lowered his head, putting the cigarette between his lips. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other person reaching out.

The intention was clear without words.

He smiled, bothering to push away that hand:

"I'm not smoking, just holding it for a bit. Do you mind?"

The man with his deep black eyes gazed at him intently for a long while before finally retracting his hand back to his abdomen, pretending not to have seen anything as he turned his gaze out the window, seemingly uninterested in engaging further.

Ming Yiyang couldn't help but smile, disguising it with a light cough. He then asked,

"I thought you wouldn't enjoy a job that puts you in the spotlight. Yet, here you are doing this."

"I indeed don't prefer it," Yan Qiling admitted unexpectedly, his profile illuminated by the intermittent sunlight filtering through the tree branches as he faced the window.

"But photography is different," he countered.

Leaning back in his chair, the young man looked at him with amusement, "How so? Isn't it all about relying on your looks?"

Yan Qiling laughed softly.

A faint golden glow shimmered in his irises, casting a warm luster like pearls upon his rare genuine smile.

"Whether it's acting or modeling for advertisements, whatever it is, it captures someone else's essence," the man said, turning his head to reveal an almost flawless profile that danced with the interplay of light and shadow.

"But with photography, no matter the subject, it captures me," he continued, a hint of arrogance and subtlety melting on the petals of his lips. He resembled an antique painting reinterpreted for modern times, priceless yet stylishly intriguing.

The young man removed the cigarette from between his teeth, his gaze unwavering.

He wandered like a traveler in an earthly art gallery, unexpectedly stumbling upon a perplexing black canvas that captivated his soul.

He studied it meticulously, suddenly catching a glimpse of a few inches of radiant splendor concealed within its depths.

Though fleeting, it was potent enough to dwarf the illumination of half a city's lights.