Chapter 254
Only three photos of Xie Mi and Shen Moqing had been released, yet they had already won unanimous praise. Both the live-stream viewers and the on-site staff were full of amazement.
[Although every group’s composition and color are beautiful, this set clearly has more CP vibes. The chemistry and atmosphere between the two are just right.]
[Who understands—Old Xie’s smile is so infectious, and Old Shen gives off that “she’s messing around, he’s smiling indulgently” feeling. A perfect match.]
[Can’t Old Shen just enter the circle for love? Not joking—send these two straight into an idol drama.]
[The shooting process was the most absurd, but the final product is the most stunning. “Xie-burns-the-donkey” never fails to surprise me.]
Of course, where there are compliments, there’s also discontent.
Dragon King Qiu Chengye was the first to object. “Isn’t it just that their background looks better than ours? Taking photos at the seaside can’t go wrong. The program team is clearly biased.”
Director Niu: “?”
Say that again?
That garden set of yours was built with a huge budget from the program, they even rented a five-figure-a-day white horse. Meanwhile, the seaside was completely free. And that’s bias?
Unbelievable!
Director Niu and the staff cursed him silently with their eyes.
“It’s not entirely because of the background.”
Surprisingly, Xiao Jingxi stepped in to defend Xie Mi. “The main thing is that the models have strong expressive power. That’s why the photos are so striking.”
As he spoke, Xiao Jingxi looked at Xie Mi, his eyes soft.
“I remember you used to cry to me that you couldn’t find the right feeling when acting. I’d recommend some films and acting textbooks for you. You must have gone to watch them later, right? Your acting is much better now, especially your eye expressions.”
On the surface, he seemed to be praising Xie Mi, but his words carried another meaning.
By bringing up past experiences only he and Xie Mi shared, he hinted that the radiant way Xie Mi smiled at Shen Moqing in the photos… was just acting.
“Oh, didn’t watch them. And?” Xie Mi cracked sunflower seeds as she looked at him.
The blunt dismissal caught Xiao Jingxi off guard. His smile stiffened, and his expression visibly soured.
[Hahahahahaha I’m dying—Xiao Jingxi, what are you even sniping about? Look who you’re up against.]
[Direct confrontation is the best cure for passive-aggressive shade.]
[Xie Mi: the ultimate anti-shade queen!]
“Seems like one guest has doubts about this set. Then why don’t we look at the last two photos first?”
To prove the program wasn’t biased in its arrangements, Director Niu quickly displayed the fourth photo.
This time, the background changed drastically. Gone was the blue sea and sky of the first three. Instead, under a jagged cliff cave, in the rain, hazy droplets drifted before the lens.
Beneath the rocks, Xie Mi in a white dress stood on tiptoe with exaggerated gestures. A man in a black suit leaned against the cliff, tilting his head, smiling so hard his peach blossom eyes bent into crescents.
The fifth photo—
Shen Moqing joined the quirky posing, letting Xie Mi adjust his arms while he lowered his gaze, smiling with indulgence and helplessness.
Black suit and white fishtail gown intertwined, like a restrained yet burning love.
The moment these two photos appeared, the room fell silent.
So CP chemistry really could be captured this vividly.
Neither of them deliberately posed as lovers. Just the most natural touches conveyed an extreme atmosphere.
Their eyes met. The faint blush on ears. The tiny, unnoticeable expressions.
Love hidden in the tiniest corners of life.
[Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]
[I declare: the fifth photo is legendary! That ultimate ambiguous vibe—one side is a mess of emotions, the other is blissfully unaware. I’m shipping like crazy!!]
[Wait, this was taken while they were hiding from the rain? Damn, it feels so real-life. Completely different from before. No staged photo shoot could reach this level!]
[Finally I understand why the earlier ones didn’t hit as hard—forced acting isn’t love. Real love hides in life’s smallest moments.]
[Alright, everyone here’s a professional CP scholar apparently—you’ve said everything I wanted to say.]
[Program team, just release the raws. The raw photos already feel perfect.]
[So when’s the HQ promo set dropping? Hurry!!]
The photographer, who kept a low profile, smiled in satisfaction at everyone’s reactions. As expected, truly perfect art resonates naturally.
Even Qiu Chengye, who’d been complaining, fell silent. No way he could still blame the background.
“When was this shot?”
Even Xie Mi was confused, nudging the person beside her with an elbow. “Did we even take this set?”
Shen Moqing, who was just about to message the staff for the photos, paused. “When we were hiding from the rain. They must’ve snapped it while we weren’t paying attention.”
“They can do that?” Xie Mi was stunned.
Shen Moqing raised his brows slightly. “It means even the photographer noticed.”
“Noticed what?”
“That Teacher Xie in real life is the cutest.”
[Aaaaaaaaaaaa]
[Old Shen’s secret confession of the day: complete √]
Xiao Jingxi’s expression darkened as he watched their interaction, shadows flickering in his eyes where no one else could see.
After the group photo review, the guests had a short break.
Xie Mi watched videos in her room.
Shen Moqing read in the study.
Liu Woxing worked on his new company in the garden courtyard.
Qiu Chengye lifted weights where Liu Woxing could easily see him.
Yu Jinzhe and Xu Shuangrong mysteriously disappeared.
Meanwhile, Xiao Jingxi stopped Lai Bingxuan in the living room to talk.
Not long after—
Smack!
“You wish! I’ll say it again—I won’t help you chase after Xie Mi!” Lai Bingxuan slapped him furiously, then stormed back to her room.
Leaving Xiao Jingxi, cheek stinging red, alone in the living room.
But he didn’t look frustrated.
Instead, the corners of his lips curled ever so slightly.
“Old Shen, help me with another task. Same deal—split it, you get 250, I get 250.”
After finishing her videos, Xie Mi slid dramatically into the study, yanked up Shen Moqing, who was reading a domineering-CEO novel, and burst into a “social shake” dance.
Shen Moqing: “?”
Didn’t get it, but followed along.
The two flailed their arms and shook their heads at the phone until the music ended. Only then did Shen Moqing ask curiously, “What task was that?”
“Dance a couple’s dance with an opposite-sex guest and record it,” Xie Mi explained while checking the footage.
“So… what we just did counts as a couple’s dance?” Shen Moqing asked, confused but trying to accept it.
“Of course.”
Satisfied with the check, Xie Mi lifted her head confidently and declared:
“Couple’s version of the Social Shake!”
