SB: Chapter 13

 To say that the wig, which cost 8,888, had excellent quality would be an understatement. Even from a close distance, it looked incredibly real. After applying two layers of foundation and lightly filling in his eyebrows, the makeup artist wasn't sure what else to do.

His eyelashes were so thick, it looked like he had applied eyeliner and curled them. Up close, it made people blush and their hearts race. The makeup artist held his chin for a long time, but couldn't find any flaws to touch up.

In the end, she had no choice but to treat him the same way she did with Qi Qiqi, hastily applying lipstick and letting him go.

This was Qiuqiu's first time shooting magazine photos, and he was awkward in front of the camera. He was the only contestant present who wore his clothes neatly. The oversized T-shirt hung loosely on him, making it look like he had borrowed Mr. Qiu's clothes.

Not only that, but he was also particularly bad at posing. When the dark lens was aimed at him, all he knew was to make a V sign. Even Qiqi knew more poses than him!

"When Qiu Qiu first ventured to shop during his college days," he strolled from the east end of the commercial street to the west end only to be stopped eight times by street photographers from various websites, causing him to have a psychological shadow when he sees a SLR camera now.

The photographer guided him through a series of actions like jumping, turning, and striking cool poses, but none were satisfactory. Unwilling to waste such a good-looking face, the photographer thought for a moment and said, "Take off your top and pose with the guitar on your back."

Qiu Qiu: "Can I not take it off?"

The photographer chuckled, "You're not a girl, what are you afraid of showing off?"

Qiuqiu said gloomily, "If my godfather finds out, he definitely won't let me sleep tonight."

The term "godfather" did indeed make the photographer's mind wander for a second, but seeing Qiuqiu's candid expression and his demeanor like that of a child, the photographer self-mockingly thought: "The kid is talking about a legitimate family relationship, but having been in this circle for so long, my mind has become too corrupt. Hearing 'godfather,' I immediately thought of a sugar daddy."

The photographer joked, "Your family's rules are too strict. When you become a big star in the future, you'll definitely be taking swimsuit shots and sexy photos. Nowadays, even men are showing off their bodies. It's unavoidable."

"I don't have time to be a celebrity," Qiu Qiu said, completely unaware that he had just revealed a bombshell. "I plan to finish the semi-finals, take the fifty thousand yuan prize money, and then quit."

  “……”

"I checked the competition schedule, and on the day of the finals, I have two exams. Before that, I also have three essays to submit."

  “……”

"Qiu Qiu sighed, 'Brother photographer, let's hurry up and take the photos. This afternoon, our school has a lecture on 'True and False Compound Words in Different Chinese Language Styles,' and the editor-in-chief of the Chinese Publishing House was specially invited to give it.'"

  “……”

The photographer, assistant, and lighting technician were all baffled, having never seen a talent show contestant so completely uninterested in fame and fortune, and wholly dedicated to swimming freely in the ocean of knowledge.

Because Qiu Qiu refused to undress and didn't know how to pose, the shoot was over in no time. The photographer sighed as he looked at the finished product. In all his years in the industry, he had never managed to turn a swan into a duck before.

Hua Xiang, who finished his makeup earlier than Qiu Qiu, was still striking poses under the flashing lights of another group of photographers. He loved to show off, doing backflips and handstands, drawing exclamations from the onlookers. His five-thousand-dollar dreadlocks flew in the air, making him look like a dancing mop.

Huaxiang started to boast again, "Since I was young, my family has hired a martial arts instructor for me. It costs fifty thousand a month for tuition."

Sitting in the corner, Qiqi hugged his arms, shaking his head as he commented, "If I were him, I would stick all my shopping receipts on my body. How much for the shoes, how much for the belt, how much for the hair..."

Qiuqiu: "So you can also get receipts from doing your hair?"

"...." Qiqi felt a generation gap between himself and this uncle.

Qiu Qiu has always been slow to understand how people should interact with each other. For example, on the eve of the exam week, his classmates asked him how many times he had reviewed, and he honestly replied, "I don't need to review ah, I always memorize the key points of the class after each lesson. At the end of the exam, when asked how many marks he expects to get, he silently calculates and confidently predicts a score within the high eighties or nineties.

Qiuqiu knows that many people accuse him of showing off his grades, but he's just stating the facts. He's well-prepared and does well in exams, so why would he need to make up lies like "I played video games last night and didn't study" or "I think I'm going to fail this time"?

In comparison to himself, Qiu Qiu was completely unaware that Huaxiang was showing off his wealth. He thought that wealthy people always liked to talk about money—just like Fu Ruien, who always reminded him of the 30.05 million yuan he owed.

  

……

After all the individual photos were taken, the staff gathered everyone together for a group photo. Qiu Qiu wanted to keep a low profile and took the initiative to stand in the back row, only to be called out by the assistant director who was supervising the scene: "Qiuqiu, come to the front, and Huaxiang, stand on the side."

Huaxiang, who was originally standing in the middle of the first row, immediately expressed his displeasure: "Assistant Director, why?"

The assistant director replied irritably, "Because you're taller with your hair, and he's shorter."

In fact, Qiuqiu isn't short when looked at individually, but he's very thin. With a waist barely two feet wide, and with the oversized T-shirt tucked into his jeans his narrow shoulders and slim waist were accentuated. Among the contestants, some were chubby, others were muscular, and even Qiqi was as chubby as Michelin Tire. Compared to them, Qiuqiu instantly became a slender bean sprout.

Hua Xiang's hair was so out of place that the faces of the contestants behind him were obstructed. He reluctantly moved to the corner, pressing his hair down as he went.

Group photos are the most challenging to take, especially in shows like this talent competition. Each person needs to look good and showcase their unique features. With someone sneezing here, someone blinking there, and occasional pose changes... It took over an hour just to get through one group photo.

Finally, it's time to wrap up. Everyone is anxious to head back.

Qiu Qiu was the most anxious one. He was still looking forward to attending the lecture on "True and False Compound Words in Different Chinese Language Styles". It was a super popular lecture, and if he arrived late, there wouldn't even be standing room left; he'd have to buy a hanging ticket. He was in such a hurry that he didn't even bother to remove his makeup. He just threw on his clothes and rushed out.

Hua Xiang was sharp-eyed and saw that he was in a hurry, so he took the initiative to say, "I remember you came by train, which direction are you going, I'll give you a ride?"

Qiuqiu was overjoyed. "Thank you, thank you! I'm going back to A University. Is it on your way? If not, just drop me off at the subway station."

Hua Xiang slapped his thigh: "Oh my god, what a fucking coincidence, we're alumni!"

Qiuqiu was also very surprised. After all, meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land is said by the ancients to be one of life's four greatest joys. He did not expect that one of the top ten contestants is actually his classmate. However, with Hua Xiang's "exceptional" appearance,he shouldn't have gone unnoticed.

"Are you also from A University?"

Hua Xiang: "More or less."

Qiuqiu didn't understand. How could someone be "more or less" of an alumni?

Hua Xiang replied proudly, "I'm from A University's affiliated High school."

"...... How old are you?"

"Twenty."

"Senior year of high school?"

"Senior year of high school."Hua Xiang admitted with rare embarrassment."I'm an art specialty student, it's harder to take the examination ......"

As they chatted and walked along, Qiuqiu recounted his academic journey. He had been in the top class in primary school, the key class in middle school, and the advanced class in high school... Finally, he stepped into the university gates without taking the college entrance examination. Although he hadn't taken the exam himself, he had heard of its rigor, especially for students in the arts, which was fraught with challenges.

On the way from the studio to the parking lot, the two of them grew closer because of their "alumni" connection.

Hua Xiang is an open-minded person, and he said happily, "Qiuqiu, I've noticed a fundamental difference between you and other top students."

"What's the difference?"

You don't discriminate against underachieving students."

Once they became more familiar, Hua Xiang couldn't stop boasting. He showed Qiuqiu his gold necklace and diamond watch. As soon as they entered the parking lot, he pulled out his BMW car key and swung it around. The logo on the key was enormous. Hua Xiang tossed it back and forth, mentioning that it was his 20th birthday gift.

As he kept talking, he suddenly realized there was no one behind him to agree with him. Turning around, he noticed Qiuqiu had stopped walking and was staring in the direction of the road.

Following his gaze, Hua Xiang looked over and saw a luxurious silver-gray sports car roaring down from the end of the road, kicking up clouds of dust and drawing the attention of countless people.

Hua Xiang was so envious that his mouth watered, "Oooh, Aston Martin, really rich ah ...... don't know if I can get my dad to buy me one when I get into college." He saw Qiu Qiu still staring at the car motionless, so he asked him as a matter of course, "You also like cars?"

Qiu Qiu shook his head, with a little blush on his face: "I only know famous cars like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen……" "There are not many boys like him who know nothing about cars.

"Then what are you looking at?"

"Oh... That car seems to be here to pick me up."

  “……？？？？”

As soon as Qiuqiu finished speaking, the Aston Martin drove past them.

Hua Xiang: "...Instead of hoping for it to pick you up, you might as well hope to turn into Cinderella yourself. Then you'll have a fairy godmother to conjure up a pumpkin carriage for you."

Qiuqiu remained silent, clutching the guitar strap tightly as he stood by the roadside, eagerly watching the direction the car drove off. His lips curved into a smile, and the dimples on his face were deep enough to hold a jar of wine.

Hua Xiang pulled him back. "Okay, stop looking. You don't have to act so much. I won't laugh at you."

However, Qiuqiu stubbornly remained by the roadside, even saying to Hua Xiang, "You don't need to send me back. Someone is coming to pick me up."

Just as Hua Xiang was about to forcefully pull his delusional schoolmate away, something unexpected happened—the luxurious, expensive, cool, high-end Aston Martin sports car actually came back, driving back in the sunlight. It slowed down gradually and eventually stopped in front of them.

The window rolled down, and Fu Ruiren, sitting in the driver's seat, squinted his eyes and looked at Hua Xiang, who had a head full of mop strips.

Being swept by that cold gaze, Hua Xiang's hand trembled, and he quickly let go of Qiu Qiu's clothes.

Qiuqiu had long forgotten about his classmate behind him and, like a cat chasing after a ball of yarn, excitedly pounced toward the car. He asked, "Godfather, where did you go just now? I've been waiting for you here for five minutes."

Fu Ruiren casually took the guitar from him and placed it in the back seat, saying helplessly, "There was a traffic accident up ahead, so I had to make a U-turn, which took a while."

Melon-eating passerby Hua Xiang:"......" Shit, it turns out that his new friend really has a fairy godfather huh?