Manager Wang stepped in at the right moment to speak, handing a page of the confirmed authorization agreement to Jiang Kaiwen.
“We've already confirmed it with the crew in advance. We're only borrowing the public imagery of the 'half-moon' and won't touch any plot details. The theme of this magazine issue is rebirth, and we hope it can represent Teacher Jiang's new transition from 《The Hidden Sentry》 to 《The Pivot Bone》.”
Tang Ning also added, “The photographer was only given the final shooting script and public promotional materials.”
Jiang Kaiwen looked down to finish reading the notes, then finally nodded.
Jiang Yue reached out and picked up the half-moon accessory, a cold metallic sensation transferring from his fingertips.
It was different from the jade pendant on Lu Ji.
Lu Ji's was fragmented, while the one in front of him was complete, with clean edges—a visual symbol that had been repolished.
Jiang Yue rubbed his finger pad against the edge of the accessory, pausing for a moment before speaking softly, “This concept is quite interesting.”
Manager Wang smiled. “The creative team also felt you would like this design.”
Pierre then stepped forward, reminding him in somewhat broken Chinese, “We will loosen the cuffs a bit.”
Half an hour later, the studio lights, makeup, hair, and set were all ready.
The reflectors, camera tracks, and fill lights were all set up. The entire shoot was inside the studio, saving them from having to move around.
The three sets of shoots in the studio progressed faster than Jiang Kaiwen had anticipated.
The photographer in charge of this shoot was named Qi Yuan, a relatively famous photographer in the industry. During the shoot, he didn't make Jiang Yue repeatedly strike complicated poses; instead, he captured a single core state for each look.
For the first set with the light gray sweatshirt, the makeup artist touched up Jiang Yue's face with a layer of fresh, natural makeup. The shadows on his brow bone and the bridge of his nose were very light, and his lips carried only a touch of natural color, making his entire face look as clean as if he had just stepped out of the morning light.
The drop-shoulder cut of the light gray sweatshirt was loose and relaxed, yet it didn't look bloated.
Since this was Jiang Yue's first time shooting for a magazine, his movements were a bit stiff at the beginning.
Qi Yuan reminded him, “Teacher Jiang Yue, relax a bit. Just find your most comfortable state.”
Jiang Yue slowly relaxed his body. The lines of his profile softened under the light, and his eyes were so clear that one couldn't look away.
As soon as the first sample photo came out, Tang Ning commented in a low voice, “This one is very good.”
Hearing this, Jiang Kaiwen raised his chin, pretending to be calm. “Oh, it's nothing. Just his usual performance.”
The second set was the khaki casual suit, and his makeup and hair were adjusted accordingly, with his lip color slightly darker than the previous set.
Qi Yuan had Jiang Yue sit by the table, look down to turn a page of a book, and then look up.
The combination of khaki and deep brown made Jiang Yue's skin tone look even cleaner, making him appear more mature.
The suit's shoulder lines were sharp, and the waist was tailored just right.
Qi Yuan didn't rush to press the shutter, instead asking his assistant to move the light a few centimeters to the side.
After taking a few shots, he lowered his camera. “This set is good to go.”
Tang Ning was stunned for a moment. “So fast?”
Qi Yuan was concise. “We've shot enough. If we keep going, we'll lose that feeling we just had.”
Standing to the side, Jiang Kaiwen had originally wanted to ask if they should take a few more shots, but upon hearing this, he shut his mouth.
Before the final set of the shoot, the makeup artist made Jiang Yue's makeup look a bit colder. The lines at the corners of his eyes were deeper, and his lip color was lighter.
The previous set was completely cleared away, leaving only a dark background that seemed to absorb light.
The deep red turtleneck hugged the lines of his neck, and the brown coat had a stiff, sharp silhouette. The dark gold patterns along the edges of the fabric caught the light under the lamps. The entire look instantly shifted from the more slice-of-life texture of the first two sets to a more oppressive, high-fashion state.
The stylist picked up the half-moon accessory, preparing to pin it to the chest of Jiang Yue's coat, but her hand stopped in mid-air.
It wasn't because she didn't know how to do it. Rather, close-up actions like adjusting an artist's collar or pinning a brooch were the easiest for people with ulterior motives to photograph from certain angles and blow out of proportion.
It wasn't as if similar incidents hadn't happened in the industry before.
Furthermore, many artists didn't like being touched by strangers, so she was temporarily unsure whether she should ask first.
Just as she was about to speak, Jiang Yue had already noticed her hesitation. He reached out and took the accessory first. “I'll do it myself.”
After taking it, he pinned the accessory near his heart with his own hands.
The female stylist was taken aback for a moment, then smiled at him, her expression relaxing.
Before this, she had only thought Jiang Yue was good-looking. But after actually interacting with him, she realized he was very approachable and had no celebrity attitude whatsoever, which was rare in the entertainment industry.
Qi Yuan raised his camera again and gave a prompt: “For this set, what we want is the feeling of walking out of an old shell. You can imagine a picture of a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon.”
The shutter clicked.
In the photo, Jiang Yue stood alone against the boundless black background. The deep red turtleneck hugged the lines of his neck, and the half-moon accessory reflected a cold spark of light at his chest.
He didn't strike any aggressive pose; he simply stood there calmly, his gaze candid and firm as he looked back at the lens.
The photo was quickly synced to the monitor screen on the side. Tang Ning took a look and smiled. “Looks like we have our cover.”
Qi Yuan didn't put down his camera, however. Instead, he took a step forward.
“One more.”
He stared at Jiang Yue through the lens. “For this one, Teacher Jiang, take a step forward.”
Jiang Yue lifted his foot.
One step.
The light cast a long shadow behind him, looking like a glowing man stepping out of the darkness.
The shutter clicks quickly grew denser.
By the time the shoot ended, it was already close to dusk.
Jiang Kaiwen followed closely behind Jiang Yue toward the lounge, nagging incessantly, “The exclusive interview is only twenty minutes. Let's make it quick and clean. Once it's over, we'll head back to the booked hotel. Rest early tonight, we have to rush back to the set tomorrow.”
Magazine shoots are generally divided into two parts: the photos and the exclusive interview.
Finishing the photo shoot didn't mean it was over; they still needed to conduct a written interview with the artist, which would ultimately be published together inside the magazine.
Jiang Yue took the mineral water a staff member had just handed him, opened it, and took a sip. “I'll do my best.”
Jiang Kaiwen finally nodded in satisfaction.
Just as the two reached the entrance of the lounge, Tang Ning caught up from behind, holding a tablet.
“Teacher Jiang, Teacher Qi asked me to show you a few sample photos first.”
Jiang Kaiwen curiously leaned in.
On the screen, three photos with completely different styles slid by one after another.
The gray sweatshirt was fresh and relaxed, the khaki casual suit was gentle and quiet, and the last one had been selected as the preliminary cover image.
Jiang Kaiwen watched for a moment and couldn't find any faults with them. In any case, they were all very handsome.
He withdrew his gaze, looked up, and asked, “When exactly will the pre-heating promotion start?”
Tang Ning smiled and replied, “Tomorrow morning at ten o'clock, synchronized across all platforms. The magazine, the brand, and the studio will all coordinate together.”
Having said that, she glanced at the time again. “The interview host is already waiting next door. If it's convenient for you, Teacher Jiang, shall we begin now?”
Jiang Yue handed the mineral water bottle to Jiang Kaiwen to hold and gave an affirmative response. “Let's go.”
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