After Sharing Senses with the Paranoid CEO, the Infamous Starlet was Forced into Pampering Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Soul-Stirring

Xia Mu gently soothed Xiatian, rubbing his eyes as he slipped into his slippers to open the door. The manager was standing outside, squinting at Xia Mu with a disdainful click of his tongue:

“The company was already planning to give up on you. I really don’t know what kind of dumb luck you have. Despite being dragged through the mud like this, a brand specifically requested you to shoot the promotional posters for this season’s new arrivals.”

“What?”

Xia Mu found it hard to believe as well.

“I’m surprised too; I don’t know what they see in you. You haven’t forgotten those modeling classes the company paid for, have you? Cover that wound on your head; don’t go embarrassing the company at the shoot tomorrow.”

“A print shoot? Where is the location? Hong-ge, you aren’t planning to sell me to Northern Myanmar, are you?” Xia Mu looked at Zhu Yunhong suspiciously, not believing a word he said.

“Have you f*cking slept yourself stupid? Northern Myanmar? I’d sooner sell you to a Gold Master, though with those bare butt photos everywhere, I doubt any Gold Master would want you now. Behave yourself and manage your skin condition. The flight is at ten tomorrow morning; don’t you dare mess this up.”

Zhu Yunhong finished speaking and slammed the door again with a loud “bang.” Xia Mu pressed his lips together, feeling that the earthquake photo had become a stain he could never wash away.

Lying back on the bed, Xia Mu stared at the ceiling in the dark. He had forgotten to ask Zhu Yunhong what he was shooting tomorrow. He even had to take a plane to the set? But if it was print modeling, it should be for some clothing promotion.

Xia Mu still had doubts about whether the shoot was real. At a time like this, brands were all trying to distance themselves from him; how could one come looking for him? Could their boss be a fan of his? Probably not.

Without a phone or a clock in the dorm, Xia Mu had no idea what time it was. His stomach was a bit hungry, so he washed his face and stepped out of the dorm.

There wasn’t much left in the company cafeteria. Xia Mu saw the clock on the wall pointing to 8:00 PM. He grabbed a quick bite and went back.

Shower, face mask, skincare.

The next morning, Xia Mu was dragged onto a plane by Zhu Yunhong. After a four-hour flight, they landed around 2:00 PM.

Winter in Sanya was still warm, and the sunlight was piercing.

Xia Mu instinctively used his hand to shield his eyes. His fair skin seemed to glow under the sun. His long lashes cast shadows over his mesmerizing eyes, the corners of which tilted slightly upward—one look was enough to stir the soul.

Zhu Yunhong used to say that Xia Mu’s eyes looked affectionate even when he was looking at a dog; while he was still young, he should go lure a few Gold Masters so the other artists in the company could live off him.

Xia Mu put on his sunglasses. Because it was a bit hot, he took off his jacket and draped it over his arm, his slender fingers unfastening the top two buttons of his collar. This revealed the clear lines of his collarbones, a look of effortless, languid temptation.

Since it was a temporary schedule, no fans were there to meet the flight. But as Xia Mu stood there, some fansites for other artists thought he was a star they didn’t recognize and quickly snapped a few photos.

Xia Mu maintained a smile throughout, practicing a gentle demeanor to the extreme. In truth, he wasn’t really putting on an act; Xia Mu was usually like this, he just held it for a bit longer.

Zhu Yunhong walked beside Xia Mu. No matter how much he disliked him, he had to admit that the boy was a natural clothes-hanger; if he pivoted to modeling, he might actually do well.

However, Zhu Yunhong couldn’t understand why a massive brand like EK would choose Xia Mu. The gap in status was anything but small. But then again, with Xia Mu’s backside all over the internet these past two days, could it be that someone in EK’s upper management had taken a fancy to him?

Moreover, it was a brand that specialized in underwear, which made Zhu Yunhong think even more.

That was why he hadn’t told Xia Mu who the brand was or what the shoot involved. Knowing Xia Mu’s temperament, he might not agree to be an underwear model, so Zhu Yunhong had taken the liberty of signing the EK contract first. That way, Xia Mu couldn’t back out even if he wanted to.

Zhu Yunhong stole another glance at Xia Mu. He noticed that the forehead wasn’t wrapped in gauze anymore, but had a discreet bandage instead. With his hair covering it, it was almost invisible.

“Perform well. You’re the most famous artist in the company right now. Don’t let my training go to waste.”

Xia Mu didn’t speak. Zhu Yunhong didn’t care; he walked to the side to converse with the EK staff members who had come to meet them.

Xia Mu greeted them one by one. The creative director for the shoot sized him up for a long time, seemingly still not understanding why the company wanted Xia Mu for the new product launch:

“Time is tight. The marketing department requires us to submit the final edited photos by the day after tomorrow at the latest. So we need to head out now for hair and makeup; is that alright, Mr. Xia?”

“Just call me Xia Mu. I’ll follow your arrangements.” Xia Mu replied with a smile.

Between the travel and the makeup, two hours passed. The director arranged for cars to head to the beach immediately, explaining to Xia Mu as they went:

“The best time for sunset shots is after 5:30. We’ll do some test shots first to see the effect.”

However, once they reached the beach, inside the temporary fitting room, Xia Mu saw the “clothes” he was supposed to wear for the shoot.

Before he even had time to notice the brand, Xia Mu looked at Zhu Yunhong—who hadn’t had time to leave yet—with a look of pure horror:

“This is… an underwear shoot?”

“Yeah, this is EK. I don’t need to introduce their reputation, do I? You should know the status of the stars who have endorsed EK. This is a hard-won opportunity; don’t go picking and choosing. Being used by EK is your honor.”

Zhu Yunhong waved his hand dismissively and left Xia Mu alone in the fitting room.

Xia Mu’s hand shook, and the underwear he was holding nearly fell onto the sand.

An underwear model?

He had just been hanging on the trending searches because of his backside for ages, and now they wanted him to shoot underwear posters.

Xia Mu pressed his lips together, looking at the pairs of underwear laid out before him. He was so embarrassed his ears had turned deep red. He felt as though he would never escape the “backside” theme in this lifetime.

But they were already at the set. If he refused to shoot now, he’d definitely be exposed for acting like a diva, and then no brand would ever dare use him again.

Just then, the director called out from outside: “Xia Mu, you haven’t changed yet, right? Is it convenient for me to come in and talk to you about the content of this shoot?”

His nose felt a bit stingy. Xia Mu wanted to rub his eyes, but since his makeup was done, he could only blink rapidly: “It’s convenient.”

The director pointed out the new products for the shoot and the points of attention before leaving the fitting room to Xia Mu:

“We’ll be waiting for you outside.”

At the best vantage point outside the shooting area, Li Yanzhou lay languidly on a beach chair. His deep gaze flickered toward that temporary fitting room from time to time.

A mix of impatient waiting and faint anticipation intertwined in his heart.

Li Yanzhou had seen the EK new arrivals in the contract. He couldn’t help but imagine what Xia Mu would look like wearing them.