C33 Character Photographer Competition

After performing several encores, Ye Tian finished her shift feeling quite content, only to realize it was already eleven o'clock— an hour past her scheduled end time. As she fretted over how to get home, she stepped outside and spotted Lu Jingyue by his car, engrossed in a phone call. Catching her eye, he quickly wrapped up the call, flashed a smile, and beckoned her over.

Ye Tian couldn't help but feel his gesture was akin to calling a pet dog, but she obediently approached. Despite her reluctance to get too close, she had no other way home and once again found herself accepting a ride.

Noticing her slightly embarrassed look, Lu Jingyue offered a refined smile. "Come on, I'll take you home."

They got into the car, and soon they were smoothly on their way. Ye Tian braced herself for questions about her part-time job at the bar, but instead, he inquired, "Is the salary from the company not enough?"

Caught off guard, Ye Tian responded with a smile, "It's not that it's insufficient; I just need the money."

As Lu Jingyue navigated a turn, he casually asked, "What do you need all that money for?"

Gazing at the fleeting tree shadows outside the window, Ye Tian felt no need to hide the truth. "For my grandfather's medical treatment," she replied simply.

Lu Jingyue paused, a contemplative look crossing his face, but he pressed no further.

When they arrived at Jinghao Apartment, and as she was about to get out of the car, he offered, "If you're ever in trouble, don't hesitate to reach out to me."

Surprised by his offer, Ye Tian could only smile in gratitude. "Thank you, Director Lu."

The Jinghao Apartment was shrouded in darkness when she arrived. Assuming Gu Qinian hadn't returned, she hummed softly to herself as she made her way into the living room. To her shock, the moment she flicked on the chandelier, she found Qinian's silhouette against the French window, causing her to jump.

"Why are you standing here in the dark instead of turning on the lights or going to bed? Standing there like a ghost, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Gu Qinian turned around, holding a tall glass filled with a dark red liquid. He was silent, his gaze heavy as he watched her.

Ye Tian smirked at the sight. "Haven't had enough to drink yet? You're still going at it. Someone might mistake you for a vampire."

As she turned to head back to her room, Gu Qinian's voice, deep and resonant, stopped her in her tracks.

"Ye Tian, are you in desperate need of money? Or is it men you're lacking?"

His words dripped with irony. Ye Tian's face momentarily tensed, but she quickly broke into a smile.

"Gu Qinian, haven't you always known I'm strapped for cash? Why the pretense of concern now? And as for lacking men, well, if you consider being stuck in a hopeless marriage as being in need, then sure, I'm in need."

Her nonchalant response seemed to infuriate him further, his eyes darkening ominously.

As she reached the foot of the stairs, he spoke again, his voice icy, "Ye Tian, remember who you are. Keep those wild fantasies in check! Otherwise, you have no idea what I'm capable of."

Confronted with his threat, Ye Tian let out a derisive laugh and rolled her eyes, clearly exasperated.

"I've heard these warnings before. Rest assured, I'm too tired to dream up anything fanciful. And as for what you might do, I'd rather not know."

It was just another threat from her grandfather, something she'd grown all too accustomed to.

The taste of being manipulated was bitter, but what could she do besides throw back a few sharp words?

When would this exhausting back-and-forth ever end?

She inhaled deeply, pushing these dismal thoughts aside, and ascended the stairs without looking back. She was too weary from the day's toll to engage in another verbal spar with Gu Qinian.

Meanwhile, Gu Qinian stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, staring at the now deserted staircase, his face clouded with brooding darkness.

...

"Hey, Tian, I've got some big news for you!"

Shang Yuvyuv's voice came through the phone just as Ye Tian had finished her work. She balanced the phone between her shoulder and ear while she cleaned the camera lens.

"You sound really excited. What's the big news?"

Shang Yuvyuv didn't beat around the bush and replied, "The New Photographer Rookie Competition is coming to A City! It's a national event, and the prizes are incredibly prestigious! Are you interested in giving it a shot?"

Ye Tian perked up at the news and eagerly responded, "Absolutely! When do the preliminaries start?"

"They've already begun! Tell you what, swing by the studio after work, and we can go through your work to decide which pieces to enter in the preliminaries."

After a brief moment of thought, Ye Tian agreed with enthusiasm.

At the end of her shift, she asked for time off from the bar manager and headed to Shang Yuvyuv's studio.

Shang Yuvyuv had been eagerly waiting at the door. Upon Ye Tian's arrival, she quickly ushered her into the office.

Ye Tian chuckled, "Why do I get the feeling you're more invested in this competition than I am?"

Shang Yuvyuv gave her a playful glare and guided her to the computer. "I'm doing this for you. Winning an award could skyrocket your value. This is your opening move, and we've got to play it right!"

"Okay, my dear Yuvyuv, when I make it big, the first thing I'll do is spoil you rotten!"

"Get out of here!" Shang Yuvyuv feigned disgust, but then handed her a cup of coffee, and they began to sift through past projects.

Half an hour later, Ye Tian selected a set of her most satisfying works and printed a copy of the competition's rules and regulations. Then, she and Shang Yuvyuv decided to grab a meal together.

They headed straight to a Japanese restaurant, where Shang Yuvyuv didn't forget to remind her between bites.

"Remember, don't flake on the Kawase Group partnership again. If you bail this weekend, I'll have your head!"

Ye Tian grimaced with mock distress, "So it turns out your true love is the Kawase Group, not me!"

"Don't start with me! Do you know how many people are clamoring for a chance to work with the Kawase Group? We've been handed a golden opportunity, and we can't just let it slip through our fingers."

Shang Yuvyuv polished off a sushi roll and added, "Plus, if you nail this deal with the Kawase Group, it'll be a huge boon for your career down the line."

Ye Tian knew she was spot on and enthusiastically bobbed her head in agreement.

The two were thoroughly enjoying themselves when a discordant voice cut in.

"Well, if it isn't Ye Tian. Why aren't you at the bar, selling drinks and singing? Instead, you're here living it up?"

Without even looking, Ye Tian recognized the voice. As expected, when she glanced up, there was Ye Ziyan, sauntering over with sunglasses perched on her nose.

She sneered, "What are you, a lost soul that just won't move on? To think dining on Japanese cuisine counts as living large for you—it seems your life isn't as glamorous as it appears."

Shang Yuvyuv also scowled at her, her words sharp and biting.

"A tabloid-favorite celebrity causing a scene in a Japanese restaurant? Are you looking to add to your collection of scandals?"

Ye Ziyan's face flickered with annoyance, but she quickly recovered, smirking smugly.

"Scandals? Qinian has cleared all that up for me—it was all a big misunderstanding."

She then dropped her voice, peering intently at Ye Tian through her sunglasses.

"Really? You think those exposés could take me down? Ha, don't forget, Qinian is always in my corner. No matter the mess I make, he'll clean it up without question! Ye Tian, you think you stand a chance against me?"