Chapter 15

◎ Advertisement Shoot ◎

On Sunday, Fan Qi woke up early. The shoot was supposed to take the entire day, and by a little after 5:00, she was already having breakfast when her phone rang.

“Hello.”

On the other end, it was Feng Xueming’s voice. “Miss Fan, give me your address. I’ll pick you up now. The shooting location is quite remote, and it’s inconvenient without a car.”

“Your place is probably quite close to the club, right? It’s not really convenient to go back and forth. There’s no need for that. I’ll just take a taxi there,” Fan Qi declined Feng Xueming’s offer.

She took a taxi to the shooting location, a countryside club.

In her previous life, when Fan Qi had just started at an investment bank, her first time accompanying the boss and a client to a countryside club, she thought it would be a rustic farmstay. When they arrived, she realized that a “country club” was anything but rustic—it was an upscale, exclusive place for the wealthy.

The one she was visiting today was just such a club.

Upon arriving at the destination, Fan Qi opened the door and stepped out. Secretary Wang, who hadn’t exchanged more than a few words with her yesterday, rushed towards her with a warm, almost flattering smile. “Miss Fan, good morning.”

Fan Qi smiled back warmly. “Good morning.”

This was just the plight of a working person. Besides, Feng Xueming sending flowers to Xu Miaoyao had nothing to do with her.

“The makeup artist has already arrived. Should I accompany Miss Fan inside?” Secretary Wang asked.

“Please,” Fan Qi said.

Secretary Wang called for a golf cart and accompanied Fan Qi into the club.

As soon as they entered, the view opened up dramatically—lush summer lawns, scattered trees, and white-walled, blue-roofed buildings. In the distance, there was a dock with yachts moored.

“Miss Fan, this club was founded by Mr. Feng’s grandfather, Mr. Liu Xiangnian. The characteristic of our club is its simplicity and elegance, with a strong sense of taste. Mr. Feng has been with Mr. Liu since childhood, and his architectural tastes have extended to his sense of style in fashion.”

This place certainly had more taste than some of the clubs Fan Qi had visited in her previous life, where gold foil was plastered on the walls in an attempt to look grand.

Fan Qi personally preferred minimalist designs, and this place fit her taste perfectly. However, she wasn’t very knowledgeable about these styles and asked, “Is this Nordic style?”

“To be exact, it’s Scandinavian style, a design that developed between the First and Second World Wars…” Secretary Wang explained in detail.

Fan Qi didn’t retain all the technical terms, and she couldn’t tell the difference between this style and simple Nordic style, but the place certainly felt comfortable.

The golf cart brought Fan Qi to a villa, and Secretary Wang led her inside. “This is the guest room of the club, and it’s the main location for today’s shoot.”

The villa’s interior and furniture were all in muted, gray-toned colors, likely within the Morandi color palette.

Secretary Wang led her upstairs to a room, where a woman in her thirties greeted her. “Miss Fan, I’m your makeup artist, Vivian.”

“Hello.”

“I’ll start with your first look.”

“Okay.”

Fan Qi sat down, and the makeup artist began working on her. “I’m curious, Miss Fan, how do you take care of your skin? It looks so good.”

How should she answer that? Fan Qi was fairly lazy with skincare—once she found a brand she liked, she stuck with it. But that was from her past life. In this life, the original owner didn’t have much money, and used various different products. She replied, “I don’t really do much.”

“It’s probably because Miss Fan is young, and your skin is naturally good,” the makeup artist said.

“Fan Qi, are we starting?” her agent entered, complaining, “I finally get a day off, and now I have to…”

“Shooting doesn’t really need you here. Honestly, it wouldn’t matter if you didn’t come,” Fan Qi told him.

Her agent walked up beside her, watching her in the mirror. “Of course I need to come. Anyone who can enter this club is either a wealthy person or invited by one. The club’s membership fee is 100,000 Hong Kong dollars, with a monthly fee of 1,000 Hong Kong dollars.”

This kind of club was a place for business moguls to socialize. Some people might just look around once and then brag about it later.

Her agent stood behind her, still watching the mirror, and said, “I’ve spoken with the company. They said if you want to rest, go ahead, they won’t arrange work for you for now. But, when you’re free next week, you should go to the company and sign the contract. This time, I’ve secured a base salary of at least 6,000, and it’s a three-year contract.”

Once the makeup artist finished applying lip color, Fan Qi said, “No, I’m not renewing my contract for now.”

Her agent’s face turned ugly in the mirror. “Fan Qi, don’t think that…”

“Don’t think what?” Fan Qi’s voice was cold and distant.

The makeup artist continued working, styling her hair.

Fan Qi found big waves troublesome to manage, and since she was up early, she had just tied her hair in a ponytail for convenience. The stylist let her hair down, using oils and hairspray, and with skilled hands, she transformed Fan Qi’s hair into soft, slightly messy curls that gave her a languid look.

“Miss Fan, you can change now.”

For a summer shoot of an autumn-winter advertisement, she was dressed in a floral dress with a light coffee-colored trench coat and paired with a pair of sheepskin knee-high boots.

The stylist was really skilled. Even though Fan Qi never wore floral dresses, she grew to like this one.

After changing, the photographer’s team took Fan Qi downstairs.

Her agent saw an opportunity and quickly caught up with Fan Qi, whispering, “Fan Qi, I’ve found out that Feng Xueming is engaged. Mr. Liu would never let his grandson marry a mainland girl. Don’t end up with nothing on both sides! While you’re still popular, you should make as much money as you can!”

Fan Qi turned her head and frowned as she looked at her agent, who felt strangely guilty under her gaze.

Fan Qi asked, “Why do you think that if I don’t sign a contract, it means I want to cling to a rich man? What makes you think I would be interested in Feng Xueming?”

Just as she finished speaking, a yellow Lamborghini drove up. The driver, Feng Xueming, wearing a polo shirt and sunglasses, exuded a flashy vibe as he parked the car and waved at them.

Upon seeing Feng Xueming, her agent suddenly felt more confident. “What makes me think? It’s because he’s rich, because he can drive a Lamborghini, because he’s better looking than any male celebrity in the entertainment industry. With just these qualities, he’s irresistible to women.”

Fan Qi didn’t pay much attention to what her manager said but did learn one thing: in Hong Kong, a Lamborghini was called a “Limbau Jiani.”

“Don’t worry about my matters,” Fan Qi said.

Her agent suddenly remembered something. “Fan Qi, how did Tang Yuanchao think of having you appear in the opening sequence of his program? What role will you play there?”

The photographer asked Fan Qi to walk across the grass with the morning sun shining on her.

Her manager could only stand at the side, watching Fan Qi under the sunlight. She still looked like the mainland girl he knew, yet somehow, she felt completely different now.

Feng Xueming stood to the side, removed his sunglasses, and didn’t take his eyes off Fan Qi for a moment.

“Feng Shao, you certainly have a good eye for women. When you first mentioned her, I honestly couldn’t imagine how this not-so-smart, glamorous yet slightly worn-out-looking actress could possibly give off the vibe you wanted. But now I see I was wrong. Her image, indifferent and distant, is really the perfect fit,” the photographer commented.

Feng Xueming himself hadn’t expected such a result.

WO’s clothing line focused on simplicity and comfort. He always believed that clothes, like Nordic architecture, should have a noble feeling hidden within simplicity. Perhaps it was because he had just started this brand, or maybe the wrong model was chosen, but he had never been able to fully capture this essence before.

After this set of photos was completed, Feng Xueming walked over and said to Fan Qi, “I told you, you’re the perfect fit. The way you look on camera is fantastic. It’s both noble and unattainable.”

“Cold and noble?” Fan Qi asked.

“Yes, exactly!” Feng Xueming immediately agreed. “That’s the word.”

Fan Qi turned her head and asked, “Do I really have that vibe?”

“No, it’s only when you’re being filmed,” he replied.

“Actually, it’s because you picked the perfect location, and the stylist is amazing,” Fan Qi said.

“Am I not amazing?” The photographer teased.

Her agent, standing at the side, said, “Fan Qi, you really don’t have good judgment. This photographer usually works with…”

He named a few of Hong Kong’s top stars, implying that the photographer was incredibly skilled.

Fan Qi smiled. “Mr. Zhang, I apologize! I didn’t expect to have the honor of being in the lens of a master like you.”

“Miss Fan, you’re unique. You’ve completely stepped out of your previous style and delivered a completely different kind of charm,” the photographer complimented.

Fan Qi lowered her head with a slight smile. “Thank you for the compliment.”

Her manager walked over and continued to ask, “What role did Mr. Tang offer you?”

“Could it be as a stock market goddess?” Fan Qi joked.

Her manager opened his mouth to respond but paused. He remembered how she had walked across the grass earlier and wondered—was she serious?

The stylist then changed Fan Qi’s look. This time, her makeup was slightly heavier, with orange lipstick, her hair styled into an updo, and she was dressed in a suit with trousers.

This shoot was focused on portraying the aura of a professional woman.

The entertainment industry’s chaos is obvious, but the finance world, in the past, was more discreet, with corrupt figures hiding behind a respectable façade. Fan Qi had seen plenty of this and knew how to embody that vibe. After gaining some fame, she had developed a slightly arrogant, “I’m the best” attitude. Combining that with her innate aura, she gave off an intimidating presence that even the photographer hadn’t expected—too strong, almost oppressive.

Her manager watched her in the suit and trousers. If she was going to play a stock market goddess, he truly believed it. If she did, Fan Qi would definitely become a star in the entertainment industry.

Next, Feng Xueming’s Lamborghini appeared in the shoot, depicting a scene of a beautiful woman driving to travel, showing elegance and ease.

WO also had evening wear, and the final shoot would be in the grand banquet hall of the club.

Fan Qi wore a black cocktail dress as she rode the golf cart to the club. When she arrived, she stepped out of the cart, and the photography team had already reached the banquet hall. Feng Xueming and her manager accompanied her.

A second golf cart arrived behind them, and two people got out. Upon seeing them, Feng Xueming greeted, “Mr. Jiang, Mr. Lin.”

Fan Qi recognized one of the men—a round, shiny face with a big belly like a watermelon. She vaguely remembered that he was the wealthy businessman, Mr. Lin, who had asked the original owner to accompany him that evening. Could this man really be considered a “collector of female stars”?

Fan Qi had no intention of greeting him. According to the original owner’s memory, this man was in the toy export business, and in her previous life, stocks related to that industry were the least worth investing in. Even the concept of the “second-child economy” was weak and unappealing.

She waited for Feng Xueming to finish greeting them and was about to turn to continue forward when she heard Mr. Lin’s voice behind her: “Miss Fan, we’re old acquaintances, yet you don’t even greet me?”

Fan Qi turned around, seeing Mr. Lin’s chubby face with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. She smiled and said, “Mr. Lin is such a big boss, I thought someone like me, a small-time person from the corners, would never catch your attention. How could I dare to approach you casually?”

“Miss Fan is truly a chameleon. In Golden Lotus Memories, you used your alluring eyes to captivate souls. But now, wearing a gown, you have the aura of someone unattainable.” He stepped closer, whispering in her ear, “Don’t be fooled by Feng Xueming’s looks. This little brat doesn’t have much money, and he’s stingy. Working with him isn’t worth it.”

The word “work” was double entendre. With so many people around, and given his status as a wealthy businessman, Fan Qi couldn’t slap him. Yet, her expression remained unchanged, and her smile never wavered: “It’s not about fearing ignorance, but fearing that some things just can’t be compared. When put side by side, it’s clear who’s better. People aren’t pigs—weight doesn’t equate to value. The oil on your face could fill a car’s engine, don’t you find it disgusting? You should cherish those girlfriends who have a good appetite, even if they’re just after the money.”

“Feisty, are you?” Mr. Lin stepped back and looked at her.

“Just honest,” Fan Qi raised an eyebrow and smiled before turning around.