Chapter 29 – Add More
Qiao Huaiyao blinked his eyes lightly, and his heart inexplicably started racing.
He pursed his lips, tilting his head slightly to the other side without leaving a trace, concealing the suppressed smile on his face.
Bai Jinyan noticed Qiao Huaiyao’s small movements, and the smile in the depths of his eyes deepened.
Zhao Jiamo finished chatting with the photographer and walked over, holding the microphone in his hand.
Looking at the two of them on the stage, he was suddenly taken aback.
They were holding hands now, how did that happen in just a moment?
Zhao Jiamo scratched his head.
One of them was on the left, the other on the right, not facing each other, not shoulder to shoulder.
There was even a small gap between them.
Yet, at first glance, there was an atmosphere that seemed impossible to penetrate between them.
“Um… we’re about to start shooting,” Zhao Jiamo patted the microphone, producing a sound that made all the responsible people present turn their attention.
Zhao Jiamo pointed to the left and said, “Lighting technician, check the lighting on the left side.”
The lighting technician controlled the equipment and made a gesture with his hand.
Hearing the sound, Qiao Huaiyao was about to subtly bring his hand back, but as he raised his hand, he felt his palm being lightly brushed.
It was like a gentle rub, a fleeting touch.
Qiao Huaiyao suddenly widened his eyes and looked at Bai Jinyan in astonishment.
However, Bai Jinyan calmly ended his call, seemingly not having done it.
Qiao Huaiyao cleared his throat, unable to help but suspect if he had misinterpreted the situation.
Was it his imagination, or was it just a moment of accidental contact?
Curling his fingertips, Qiao Huaiyao lightly brushed his own palm.
Before he could make sense of it, Zhao Jiamo waved his hand, and the lights all lit up simultaneously.
The previously dim environment was now as bright as day in this small area.
“Get closer to each other,” Zhao Jiamo stood beside the photographer, looking into the lens and then at them, ensuring that the two shots matched.
While Qiao Huaiyao hadn’t moved yet, Bai Jinyan had already sat down beside him.
“Is it too tight?” Bai Jinyan asked.
Qiao Huaiyao shook his head.
“Not really tight, just a bit uncomfortable being surrounded by so many lights.” His unease was mostly due to the unresolved issue from earlier.
“Alright, we’re ready!”
Zhao Jiamo waved his hand, “Look into the camera, let’s try to get it right in one take.”
Shooting quickly would allow time to try different poses and capture more options.
One photography teacher, who had been moving around the set looking for angles, had already taken at least ten shots by the time Zhao Jiamo finished speaking.
Without using the flash, they captured various angles.
This would leave minimal gaps during post-production editing.
Zhao Jiamo looked satisfied with the shots in the lens.
However, raindrops fell on the lens, blurring the entire image.
“It’s raining?” Qiao Huaiyao reached out, palm up, feeling the raindrops.
There was no thunder, just sporadic drops.
“Cut! Pause! Pack up the equipment!”
Zhao Jiamo immediately called for everything to be packed as the rain came earlier than the weather forecast predicted.
The expensive equipment couldn’t come into contact with water or it would be ruined.
Unexpected rain disrupted the subsequent plans, and Zhao Jiamo shouted, “Quick, pack up the equipment.”
The shoot had to be stopped, but at least they had finished shooting.
The rain continued into the afternoon, seemingly forecasted by those few drops, and turned into light drizzle.
Bai Jinyan took off his coat and draped it over Qiao Huaiyao’s shoulders.
Before Qiao Huaiyao could speak, Bai Jinyan led him out into the garden.
“Let’s go back to the car!”
Zhao Jiamo turned around to check the area, ensuring no equipment was left behind, before finally relaxing.
Some equipment might not be too expensive, but some were irreplaceable regardless of how much money one had.
Setting up the equipment was also time-consuming, and he didn’t want minor issues to affect his variety show.
The rain grew heavier.
Bai Jinyan held an umbrella, his arm around Qiao Huaiyao’s waist, bringing him under the umbrella.
The rain blurred their vision.
“Are you cold?” Bai Jinyan’s voice mixed with the rain, making it less distinct.
Qiao Huaiyao shook his head, “Brother…,” his voice suddenly stopped, and there was a ‘click‘ sound behind him, a clear sound indicating the camera’s shutter had been pressed.
He instinctively turned to look behind, seeing Zhao Jiamo raising the camera, capturing another shot under the umbrella.
As they returned to the car, Zhao Jiamo happily flipped through the pictures on the camera, “Hey, today wasn’t in vain.”
The rain was annoying, but not entirely without benefits.
Despite the weather, they managed to capture quite a few unexpectedly good shots.
The car’s air conditioning hadn’t been on the entire time, and it was a bit chilly when they got in.
Bai Jinyan pulled Qiao Huaiyao’s coat closer, not letting him take it off.
The drive back was smooth, prioritizing safety in the heavy rain.
To facilitate further shooting, Zhao Jiamo had also booked a room in the hotel where Bai Jinyan was staying.
The rain came and went quickly, so by the time they arrived at the hotel, it had already stopped.
Only stepping out of the car revealed the light drizzle.
The weather forecast predicted more rain later in the evening.
Qiao Huaiyao thought that tonight’s military training was probably canceled.
There was no way they could have military training in heavy rain; it was much tougher than usual.
After a day of shooting, Qiao Huaiyao was getting tired.
“Brother…”
Seeing that Bai Jinyan’s clothes on his right shoulder were still slightly damp, Qiao Huaiyao’s voice faltered, his eyes widening.
He couldn’t help but recall that Bai Jinyan had been sitting on the left when he got in the car earlier and had deliberately concealed something.
After waiting for a moment and seeing Qiao Huaiyao standing there in a daze, not speaking, Bai Jinyan asked, “What’s wrong?”
Qiao Huaiyao didn’t explain further, instead saying, “I’ll go buy something. Brother, you can go back.”
After speaking, he turned and ran into the night.
He remembered seeing a store on the way here.
It wasn’t far from the hotel.
After a short walk, he found the 24-hour pharmacy at the corner, just as he expected.
The attending staff stood up, “Hello.”
“Hello, give me a box of cold medicine,” Qiao Huaiyao requested.
The staff member handed him a commonly used box, asking, “Is this okay?”
Qiao Huaiyao nodded, “Yes.”
After buying the medicine, Qiao Huaiyao didn’t head back directly but also went to the adjacent small convenience store.
The presidential suite had a small kitchen, not too large, existing mainly for the sake of having one.
It was rare for people to cook in a hotel like this.
After buying everything, when he walked back into the hotel room, a staff member approached him, “Hello, Mr. Qiao.”
The staff member smiled and said, “This is room 709’s key card. Your brother asked me to give it to you.”
Qiao Huaiyao took the key card, saying, “Thank you.”
The staff member replied, “You’re welcome, please come in.”
When Qiao Huaiyao took the key card, he thought that Bai Jinyan probably had something to do and couldn’t open the door for him, so he left the key card in advance.
Upon entering the room, he heard the sound of running water from the bathroom.
Qiao Huaiyao placed the key card on the table.
This kind of hotel didn’t require a key card for water and electricity to function.
With his understanding of cooking, he knew that ginger tea only needed ginger and brown sugar to make, and then it needed to be boiled.
After boiling it, he took a sip.
It was slightly spicy and mildly sweet.
Bai Jinyan didn’t like things too sweet, so the brown sugar was used sparingly, and ginger was added for warmth, which made up the majority of the drink.
When it was just about right, Qiao Huaiyao turned off the stove and poured himself a cup of the ginger tea.
Bai Jinyan had just walked out of the bathroom when he saw Qiao Huaiyao approaching with a cup in his hand.
“Brother!”
Qiao Huaiyao handed him the ginger tea, “Drink this.”