Chapter 203: Wedding Photos
“It’s a pity you’re giving up on the ‘plus three’ master’s program… I thought we could continue being classmates during graduate school,” Shu Cheng said, her face showing disappointment, after Jiang Xue told her about her final decision after returning to school.
“However, Dr. Qi is an excellent mentor. She cured my chronic illness, so I’m sure you’ll learn a lot from her!”
But Shu Cheng quickly changed the subject. “I’ll scout the ‘plus three’ program for you. If you still want to apply for a master’s degree later, I can tell you about it in detail, and you won’t have to borrow review materials from everywhere.”
Thanks to Dr. Qi’s treatment, the swelling on her face and body had subsided years ago, and there were no signs of recurrence.
After the initial disappointment, Shu Cheng was actually relieved for her friend, who had chosen to work with Dr. Qi after graduation.
“Then, when are you and Xiao Luo planning to get married? Do you still need bridesmaids… I mean, helpers?” Shu Cheng asked, changing the subject. “The ‘plus three’ program doesn’t get busy until after the summer vacation, so if you’re holding the wedding during the break, I have plenty of time!”
“We haven’t decided yet. We’re planning to ask an acquaintance at the Taoist temple to calculate an auspicious date,” Jiang Xue said, then couldn’t help but recall the divination she had received from Taoist Master Xuan Nuo at Mingjing Taoist Temple before the admission scores were released.
—”Admission is no problem, but you might ‘start something but not finish it’ due to some personal circumstances.”
That had been four years ago, and she hadn’t expected it to actually come true.
But Taoist Master Xuan Nuo had also emphasized “everything depends on your own efforts.” She had persisted on this path, so causality had also changed accordingly. The “starting something but not finishing it” probably just referred to not being able to complete the “5+3” program, but the current outcome was still good.
“That works, they’re professionals,” Shu Cheng said, pressing her thumbs together and bowing slightly in the Taoist manner. “Remember to tell me in advance, I’ll definitely make time to attend your and Xiao Luo’s wedding!”
Engagement and marriage both required calculating an auspicious date, but for wedding photos, they just needed to check the photo studio owner’s availability.
During the National Day holiday, Jiang Xue and Xiao Luohan took Teacher Sui’s car to the photo studio for their official wedding photoshoot.
The series of story-driven photos the young couple had taken years ago had brought the studio a lot of business, so the owner enthusiastically presented them with various pre-prepared plans, even offering a significant discount.
“Considering Xiao Luo’s temperament, I’ve prepared both modern and ancient style plans,” the owner said. “Just choose whichever you like, no need to worry about my business.”
They politely thanked her, and after she left, Xiao Luohan opened the ancient style plan.
As expected, it was filled with festive red, reminding her of the “wedding day” that was now a distant memory.
Jiang Xue, who had been observing her expression, seeing her silently flipping through the pages, hurriedly said, “We can also just choose a modern style plan. The owner has a lot of inspiration, and we can add new scenes and interactions!”
Xiao Luohan, however, shook her head with a smile. “It’s alright, it was just a certain person that caused me pain, the colors, clothes, and surroundings are innocent.”
And that person was now dead in both worlds, so there was no need for her to reject the attire meant for a joyous occasion because of his past actions.
“Let’s do both,” Xiao Luohan said after browsing through both albums. “The payment method is still the same?”
Although they had been a couple for years and were about to get married, knowing that their assets would be jointly owned after marriage, they still split the cost, not wanting to burden either side.
Xie Xitong had once commented on this: “Just a little quirk of long-term couples.”
Their actual wedding outfits were still being custom-made by a tailor. For the photoshoot, they rented the most expensive ones from the studio.
Teacher Sui, as always, helped with their hairstyles. Seeing the ancient style plan, she happily borrowed a wig from the studio owner, recreating the length of Xiao Luohan’s hair when she first arrived in this world—with Xiao Luohan’s consent, of course.
“Thank you for letting me fulfill my long-held regret,” Teacher Sui said with a smile while styling the wig. “Although I completely understand the inconvenience of super long hair, I still felt a little sad when you asked me to cut it short back then.”
They had a long-standing teacher-student relationship and were very close, so they didn’t hide their feelings.
Xiao Luohan hadn’t expected such a small matter to still be on Teacher Sui’s mind and couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m happy to help you fulfill your wish.”
Although it was an ancient style plan, the outfits were designed for women. They could both wear long, flowing dresses with trains, or narrow-sleeved, high-waisted robes and pants adapted from women’s riding attire.
And the young couple planned to try both.
The studio’s set design technology had improved over the years. They could even project images onto any surface, simulating horses.
However, the effect of fake horses couldn’t compare to real ones, so Jiang Xue planned to borrow two horses from the racetrack her older sister frequented when it was time for the outdoor shoot.
They started with the indoor bridal chamber set, using prop knives to split a prop gourd, pouring clear water from a wine pot into it, and drinking the “ceremonial wedding wine.”
“Xiao Luo, lift the gourd a little higher… yes, just like that! Just pretend to drink, tilt your head to the right… good, stop!”
“Xiao Xue, lift your chin a little… wait, let me loosen a strand of hair, hold it between your lips… yes, perfect!”
They moved from the table to the edge of the bed, and the owner even wanted to take some “wedding night” photos—the subtle kind. The wedding dresses in this set were meticulously designed, with both inner and outer layers, and the bed in the bridal chamber set had curtains, which added to the atmosphere whether they were drawn or not.
However, she was struggling with who should be the one leaning against the pillows.
But the young couple didn’t think this was a problem. They could just switch, like they did with the outfits.
“If you don’t mind, then I’m fine with it,” the owner said, relieved after hearing their response, and then, taking advantage of the fact that they were regular customers and Teacher Sui wasn’t around, whispered, “When Sui Sui and her partner came for their photoshoot, I designed a very suggestive pose! But Sui Sui refused, so I had to give up.”
“So… your design was for Teacher Sui to be…?” Jiang Xue gestured downwards.
“Wrong, the other way around,” the owner clicked her tongue. “I even considered her usual ‘passive’ role, so I reversed it, thinking the effect would be quite good, but she was the one who ‘bristled’! I really don’t understand…”
Jiang Xue and Xiao Luohan exchanged a look, silently deciding to bury this in their memories and not mention it to Teacher Sui or Dr. Qi.
The bed in the simulated bridal chamber was very soft, and as soon as Jiang Xue lay down, she was reminded of the bed in that hotel room.
Under the soft, warm light, she watched as Xiao Luohan slowly approached, reaching out to her as instructed by the owner.
The bed curtains were initially drawn back, but after they were closed, Jiang Xue’s breathing quickened.
As if some invisible force was flowing between them, their breaths mingling, their hearts racing.
When it was Xiao Luohan’s turn, Jiang Xue placed her hands on either side of her head, the previous sensation not dissipating, but intensifying, like boiling water.
…She felt that she might need to splash cold water on her face after this scene.
After finishing the “wedding night” scene, the owner checked the weather. “The outdoor horse riding shoot will have to wait a few days. The weather isn’t good, and the lighting is poor. I can’t achieve the natural lighting effect I want with post-production. Let’s finish the indoor scenes first. I’ll need a few assistants for the outdoor shoot.”
The modern style plan didn’t require long hair, so Teacher Sui, oblivious to what she had missed, returned from her stroll and started removing Xiao Luohan’s wig, replacing it with a veil embroidered with white roses.
While Xiao Luohan was having her hair styled, Jiang Xue, who had just washed her face, stood beside her, watching.
“So? Do you want to kiss her?” Teacher Sui asked, still treating them casually. “Xiao Luo’s lips are perfect for lip gloss, so soft and pink. The modern style isn’t as reserved as the ancient style, so if you want, you can ask to take some kissing pictures.”
Jiang Xue: …
She did want to, and while waiting, she had even been imagining the scene, but being asked so directly by an older acquaintance made her blush. She coughed lightly, about to refuse,
But Xiao Luohan’s gaze stopped her.
So they did kiss during the photoshoot.
The owner loved this kind of genuine interaction, not just posing. She felt that their expressions were perfect, the subtle blush on their ears and cheeks adding to the charm, and she couldn’t help but take several pictures from different angles.
“Can you get a little closer? Like holding the back of her head,” she suggested.
Jiang Xue paused, then instinctively did as she was told, only to find that Xiao Luo had also done the same, their noses bumping awkwardly.
The owner couldn’t help but laugh, quickly capturing the moment, then transferring these funny pictures to their USB drive, swearing that she wouldn’t keep copies on her computer.
Jiang Xue, after all, was a university student about to graduate, so during the subsequent intimate poses, her expression and heartbeat had returned to normal, calmly accepting the owner’s detailed instructions.
After finishing the two indoor sets, removing their makeup, and leaving the studio with the unedited photos and Teacher Sui, it was already past 3:00 PM.
“I heard Xiao Xue is stressed recently, do you want to go to the riverbank and shout?” Teacher Sui asked on the way.
“What riverbank?” Jiang Xue hadn’t heard of this. “Sure, I don’t have any other plans today.”
Teacher Sui drove towards the deserted outskirts of the city, stopping half an hour later by a reservoir dam.
“When I was young, I liked coming here alone, shouting or throwing stones, to de-stress,” she said, looking at the water. “It wouldn’t disturb anyone, and usually, no one would come to such a deserted place.”
She paused. “…If you do encounter someone here, it means you’re on the same wavelength.”
