Chapter 532: Chapter 532: Rising Through Looks

Fixing her makeup, she also had to attach elf ears.

This issue’s theme was elves. The costumes were already hung up: a dreamy green, semi-transparent sequined dress with a skirt that flared outward, barely covering the thighs.

Outside, the set was arranged with a floral swing.

When Mei came in to describe how ethereal the dress looked with the swing, Xie Qingci crossed his arms in front of him, slightly bent over, and stared attentively at Yu Xia in the mirror.

His gaze was so focused that Mei could hardly continue her description. She stepped aside to give him a full view of Yu Xia.

Her hair was styled in voluminous seaweed curls, and after changing into the outfit, Yu Xia spun around once in front of Xie Qingci.

"Does it look nice?"

He nodded without hesitation, "It looks very nice."

The dress was a bit short, and somewhat see-through.

Her long, slender, fair legs were exposed, and once she slipped into silver transparent high heels, visually, it extended her legs by an entire meter.

Yu Xia quite liked this outfit, waving a prop stick like a magic wand, she twirled and pointed it at his chest.

"Transform!"

Xie Qingci chuckled indulgently and took the long cloak handed over by Mei, draping it over her and protectively guided her outside.

Several studios were adjacent outside, and the artists from the previous shoot were still around. Seeing them pass by, two men instinctively followed Yu Xia’s exposed legs with their eyes.

Xie Qingci’s expression turned a bit cold as he wrapped the cloak more tightly around her, possessively crossing his arm over her waist.

As soon as those men’s gazes touched his arm, they conscientiously turned away and greeted them nonchalantly.

Xie Qingci spoke quietly to Yu Xia, without responding to others.

"Your stomach will be starving; we’ll eat after the shoot."

Yu Xia moved his hand away, "Who let you touch my stomach? If I eat before the shoot, when I sit down, it’ll be unappealing. People might think I don’t maintain my body properly."

"I think it’s perfect."

She rolled her eyes at him, "You don’t represent the vast online audience."

"But I’m the most familiar with your body, no contest."

"You..."

"We’re here." The coordinator interrupted their conversation.

The studio ahead had been cleared; the floral swing was decorated with real flowers, and there were flower petals scattered on the carpet, contributing to a dreamy vibe.

Yu Xia followed the photographer’s guidance to sit on the swing, closing her eyes and leaning against the ropes, the flower branches gently brushed her cheek, perfectly complementing the petal decorations at her eye corners.

The coordinator, arms crossed, stood next to Xie Qingci, nodding contentedly as he smiled and asked, "How about it, isn’t she beautiful? She’s very expressive. The sales of her queen-themed set last time set a record and it’s still being imitated. How’d you win over this queen?"

Xie Qingci looked at the person on the swing and said, "With my face."

The coordinator appraised him up and down, "You’ve got the looks. But she doesn’t only go for appearances; we had a director who was handsome too, and she ignored him for six months."

"She only likes my face."

"...that works too."

Look at how proud he is, emphasizing it as if people wouldn’t know he has nothing more than his face to offer.

Their conversation was unbeknownst to Yu Xia, the studio was stifling, and with several poses to shoot, she started sweating after a while.

Maintaining a pose wasn’t as simple as it sounded, she had to tighten her muscles like exercising, and after a while, she felt some soreness.

Seeing her nose tip sweating while still smiling for the camera, Xie Qingci frowned, worried she hadn’t recovered well and might fall ill again in the heat.

So, he slipped into the makeup assistant group, holding a small handheld fan with one hand to cool her and wiping her sweat with the other, naturally and nonchalantly, while the people outside watched playfully.

"They really are affectionate, such attentive care."

People who’d interacted with Yu Xia several times shook their heads, "All her boyfriends have been this caring, nothing surprising."

"But this one seems different, Yu Xia seems like a...little girl in front of him."

"They’re in an older woman-younger man relationship, Yu Xia is obviously the dominant one, where do you see her as a little girl?"

"Women’s intuition, she seems very relaxed around Xie Qingci."

They discussed openly, Mei stood silently by, silently agreeing with the coordinator’s statement.

Yes, yes! Yu Xia is different with Xie Qingci! They’re the sweetest couple in the world!

Amid internal tides surging and surfaces calm, Mei stood by listening to others laud her OTP, while also managing to take the clothes He Ci handed over.

"Standing here for what? Don’t you know to get her a garment to cover up later?"

He Ci pocketed his cool sunglasses, saying, "Don’t act like I don’t know, once my Xiaxia steps out, eighty percent of the men here stare at her. Some people, even when their flirty partners are beside them, have the gall to look at passing beauties. I have to cover her exposed legs tight, no one else is qualified to see those insured beautiful legs."

He did this from time to time so those buzzing flies would be wise enough to disperse.

But today Mei realized something else—

"He, why hasn’t there been a rumor between sis and you, given she has rumors with anyone else? Clearly, you’re the closest man to her, and care for her so much."

Not letting anyone see her beautiful legs, aside from those she knew, that’s possessiveness!

And proximity allowed for natural advantages.

He Ci was so shocked by her outrageous statement, his eyebrows seemed to fly off.

"Did you have a brain transplant overnight? You think those thoughts and ship this wicked OTP? Don’t sully my monetary relationship with her with rumors and emotions!"

This world, relationships sustained by money are sturdier than dating; he can forever bear tolerance for this job and Yu Xia, driven by the prospect of home-buying income.

Mei was about to ponder further.

"But don’t you think relationships like these—"

"Xie Qingci’s coming, why don’t you tell him?"

Mei zipped her lips like a clam.

He Ci mocked her, "I think you’re too high on shipping OTPs lately, fantasizing about writing fanfic to split up the main couple. Beware, if it reaches our male protagonist, the next Chapter will see him chatting to Yu Xia and you getting fired as the plot."

"..." Mei looked complexly at Xie Qingci walking over, unable to see how his demeanor could relate to pillow talk.

Xie Qingci noticed her strange gaze, asking as he passed by, "What?"

He Ci said, "She wants to ship... mmmph!"

With quick reflexes, Mei covered his mouth, grinning, "Just thinking you two are particularly well-matched on camera."

Whatever he believed, Xie Qingci stopped to give her a heartfelt "thank you."