Chapter 10: Wet

After filming started, Yi Yi brought in the internationally renowned female photographer Ah M. Ah M was the chief photographer of the fashion magazine “E.T. Magazine,” with a style that was extremely sexy and fiery—and very hard to book.

Cheng Jinzhi and Rong Si arrived right on time. The moment she entered the studio, Cheng Jinzhi felt wrapped in a wave of stuffy heat. She took DC’s fan. Ah M was already there, wearing a patent leather pencil skirt with a zipper slit, a long-lens DSLR slung backwards over her shoulder, and an unlit cigarette dangling from her lips. Cheng Jinzhi fanned herself and glanced at the cabinet air conditioner in the corner—it wasn’t even on.

“Go, turn on the AC.” Cheng Jinzhi snapped the fan shut and said to DC beside her.

“Hold on.” Ah M said. “For today’s shoot, I need you two glistening with sweat.”

…Glistening. More like greasy.

By then DC had already reached the AC. Cheng Jinzhi shot him a look telling him not to bother. The studio belonged to the photographer; they had to listen to her.

DC nodded, understanding. He withdrew from the AC and went to Ah M, apparently wanting to discuss today’s shooting plan. Ah M had no interest in DC’s talk. Squinting, she raised her DSLR and took a shot of Rong Si a few steps away. Rong Si seemed to sense the candid shot—she tilted her head, looking at Ah M in the distance. Ah M raised her camera and quickly snapped another. So decisive—DC was stunned. This was faster than a paparazzo’s reflexes.

“Full nude. Clear the set.” Ah M took the cigarette from her lips.

“Huh? Going nude before we even shoot? No need for exposed nipples, right?” DC asked hurriedly. He knew this photographer’s style was always fiery. He’d had some objections initially—after all, in the East, the aesthetic favored subtlety and restraint.

“Then you shoot.” Ah M gave DC a sidelong glance.

“No, no, you shoot.” Offend Ah M, and Yi Yi would skin him alive. Yi Yi had been trying to book Ah M for a long time. Ah M’s coming this time was doing Yi Yi a favor—and promoting her magazine on the side.

DC slunk back to Cheng Jinzhi’s side. “M-sister says full nude.”

“My ears aren’t deaf.” Cheng Jinzhi glanced at DC. “Go on out. Clear the set.”

“Got it. If you need anything, just call. I’ll be waiting at the door.” DC said.

“Keep your eyes peeled and don’t peek in.” Cheng Jinzhi tapped DC’s eyelid with her fan, then tossed the fan into his hand.

Cheng Jinzhi glanced at Rong Si. Rong Si’s expression was unchanged.

“Ladies, strip.” Ah M held the camera in one hand and patted the bed with the other.

The bed was very classical, leaning toward Republic-of-China style.

Taking off clothes—Cheng Jinzhi wasn’t embarrassed. In summer, she wore little anyway, and the room was stifling hot. Within a minute, she was naked. She turned to look at Rong Si. Rong Si was facing away from her, undressing. Rong Si’s skin had been fair, almost pale before; after military training, it looked healthier, with a bit of color. Rong Si took off her pants first. Her legs were straight and long. Then she swept her hair to the nape of her neck, her fair neck appearing and disappearing. Her shirt fell to the floor quickly, revealing her shoulders. She reached behind herself, long fingers on her bra clasp. As if sensing the gaze behind her, Rong Si tilted her head.

Rong Si looked back. Cheng Jinzhi quickly averted her face and climbed onto the bed as if nothing was wrong.

Rong Si unclasped her bra and slowly slipped off her underwear. Rong Si’s underwear was ivory-colored, perfectly matching her skin tone.

Once fully undressed, Rong Si turned around, her expression unchanged. At Ah M’s gesture, she climbed onto the bed too.

The bed moved, and Cheng Jinzhi’s ears turned red. Worse, Rong Si crawled slowly to her side, like a cat that looked languid yet held absolute predatory intent.

“Miss Cheng, you’re on top?” Ah M saw Cheng Jinzhi not moving, seemingly frozen.

“Huh?”

“Sit up.”

Cheng Jinzhi propped herself up on her upper body and was immediately stopped by Ah M. “Yes, like that. Tilt your head back. Miss Rong, push Miss Cheng’s hair all behind her.”

The ends of Cheng Jinzhi’s long hair had a slight inward curl. The studio was too stifling, and strands of hair clung to her chest. Rong Si reached up and lifted her long hair, the motion very gentle. Rong Si’s stirring made Cheng Jinzhi uneasy—she could feel Rong Si’s slightly cool fingertips brushing over her shoulder.

“Miss Cheng, you have a great sense of the camera.” After two shots, Ah M said approvingly.

“Miss Rong, cup Miss Cheng’s face with one hand.” Ah M changed lenses, kneeling in front of the two as she did so, shooting up at their expressions. “Miss Rong, closer.”

Rong Si had already draped herself halfway over Cheng Jinzhi. The moment Rong Si drew closer, Cheng Jinzhi’s breath caught.

So hot.

The studio was way too hot.

“Miss Rong, emotion. Bring out the emotion.” Ah M lowered the camera and made a gripping gesture over her own chest, as if pulling out her heart.

Rong Si looked up at Cheng Jinzhi. Cheng Jinzhi propped herself on her slender arms and made an innocent lip-biting expression. This simple pose was repeated dozens of times, and Cheng Jinzhi’s upper body was about to give out.

After a few poses, both of them had broken into a light sweat.

“No good.” Ah M shook her head while looking at her camera. “Miss Rong, your expression is too bland.”

As she spoke, Ah M looked at the clothes on the floor. She tapped her chin with her fingers, as if an idea had struck. She turned into the back room and brought out costumes from 《Girls’ Fortress》. “Miss Cheng, Miss Rong, sorry to trouble you—put your clothes on first.”

Rong Si set her feet on the floor, took the clothes, and handed them to Cheng Jinzhi. At Ah M’s direction, Cheng Jinzhi knelt on the bed to dress.

“Miss Rong, don’t treat this as a studio. Treat it as a film set.” Ah M said. “Pretend this is a scene. You’re coming in to see Weicheng.”

Rong Si put on the clothes. With her back to the camera, she spent a few seconds building her emotion. When she turned around, she was Miss Jia.

This scene felt familiar. By the time Rong Si walked over, Cheng Jinzhi had just put on her own clothes. Rong Si reached out and grabbed Cheng Jinzhi’s wrist. Cheng Jinzhi looked up, startled, at the burning desire in Rong Si’s eyes. Rong Si was in character—and so fast, so effortlessly.

Rong Si’s hand slid up from Cheng Jinzhi’s wrist, trailing along her skin, up to her neck, then gently gripping it. Snapping back to herself, Cheng Jinzhi followed the script of that scene: she extended the tip of her tongue, curled up the corners of her mouth, leaned close to Rong Si’s face, and licked Rong Si’s lower lip. Both their faces were damp with sweat, strands of hair pasted to Rong Si’s exquisite cheeks. Cheng Jinzhi raised a hand to brush the hair from Rong Si’s cheek.

Rong Si grabbed the back of Cheng Jinzhi’s neck, bowed her head, and bit Cheng Jinzhi’s lower lip. What followed was a storm of frantic kissing.

“Tear it off.” Ah M’s voice was excited too; she shouted it.

Rong Si began unbuttoning Cheng Jinzhi’s clothes while kissing her. With a ripping sound, the clothes were torn from Cheng Jinzhi’s body. Cheng Jinzhi clung to Rong Si’s neck, her face drunk with passion—and cursing inside. This scene didn’t require clothes to be torn at all. On set, Rong Si had many little actions that deviated from the script, and Yi Yi never called cut. He watched happily, saying Rong Si was gifted, that she knew how to sculpt a character. Why didn’t Yi Yi praise her improvisation skills? Who could stand a scene partner who never followed the script?

Soon, Rong Si pressed Cheng Jinzhi down onto the bolster, making it easier for Ah M to frame the shot.

Rong Si’s hands were a little cold. Cheng Jinzhi could feel them—the studio was sweltering, yet a shiver ran through her heart. Maybe it was Rong Si’s eyes. In her eyes, there was none of the usual calm and restraint, only desire. Cheng Jinzhi tightened her legs.

No way, right? This was her mortal enemy. Why did her body go weak the moment the other touched her?

Hold it together.

Cheng Jinzhi flipped over and sat on Rong Si’s stomach. She interlaced their fingers and pinned Rong Si’s hands to the bolster. “Don’t move.”

Her eyes held a smile, as if Weicheng had possessed her. She pinched the hem of her own clothes and slowly, above Rong Si, stripped them off. Then she wrapped her arms around the back of Rong Si’s head.

“Pause here.” Ah M was clearly worked up, her whole body excited. “Great. Moving on.”

One shoot finished, and both of them looked like they’d been pulled from water, soaked through. Ah M was clearly in the zone—the original one-hour plan stretched to three or four hours, and in the middle, she’d even stripped off her own clothes.

“You two go shower first. Then we’ll head out for a late-night snack.”

“Okay.”

“Mm…” In her past life, Cheng Jinzhi would’ve probably said: I’ll pass, I’m exhausted. Only later did she deeply understand: before the finished photos existed, whether they were beautiful or ugly was in the hands of the photographer doing the retouching.

The backstage bathroom was a bit crude. If she hadn’t been completely drenched, Cheng Jinzhi wouldn’t have had any desire to shower here. She turned on the showerhead and tested the water temperature—she had to adjust it herself. Cheng Jinzhi felt like she was back in her cramped twenty-to-thirty-square-meter rental.

She’d just gotten the temperature right when a body pressed against her back. The newcomer was taller than her, also naked, giving Cheng Jinzhi a start. Damn it. She shouldn’t have had her back to the door. The other’s skin was smooth and silky, and Cheng Jinzhi felt herself clench.

“Are you thinking about it?” The person breathed into her ear.

A clear, cool voice. Rong Si’s voice.

“N-no.” Cheng Jinzhi stammered.

“You’re wet.” Rong Si’s voice was husky, with that demon that bewitched hearts crawling out of her throat again, making Cheng Jinzhi’s ears tingle.

Cheng Jinzhi tightened her long legs, trying to squirm out of Rong Si’s embrace. In her fluster, she knocked the showerhead, and the water pressure surged, spraying Rong Si directly in the face.