Reborn as a comedic artist

"Quick! Show me! Isn't it incredibly impressive...?"

Lin Yiyi jumped up from the stone bench, ignoring her messy hair and clothes, and rushed over expectantly.

This time, she firmly believed that she would be rewarded for all the effort and sacrifice she had made.

After all, Zhao Yufeng's photo was so good-looking, so with my hard work, I'm sure I'll be even more amazing!

However, sometimes choice is more important than effort; if you don't choose the right path, no amount of effort will be of any use.

as predicted.

The moment Lin Yiyi saw the screen, her world collapsed once again.

No, it's pulverized!

In the first picture, she looks like a giant, paralyzed cicada pupa hanging from a tree.

With a ferocious expression and his legs clamped around the tree trunk in an extremely lewd posture, he looked just like a tree thief caught red-handed.

In the second picture, she is lying on a stool, her hair a mess, her eyes rolled back, her mouth half-open, and her face deathly pale.

If you didn't see the background, it would look like a freshly made crime scene; even a forensic doctor would have to do a DNA test first.

The third image... that's practically invaluable footage of human atavism.

Her tongue was sticking out so long, and her facial features were all over the place. If you didn't say it was her, even her own mother wouldn't recognize her. She looked more like a black and white impermanence who had suffered a stroke.

A deathly silence.

Even Wang Shuo, who was filming nearby, couldn't help but turn his head to the side, his shoulders shaking violently, trying so hard to suppress his laughter that he almost suffered internal injuries.

.........................

"The Magician of Light and Shadow—!!!"

A piercing roar echoed through the sky above Jinli, startling a flock of birds into flight, and even causing the hammer in the hand of the vendor selling cannons in the distance to fall from his hand.

Lin Yiyi's hands trembled as she pointed at the screen, tears welling up in her eyes.

"This is the art you're talking about? This is what you mean by breaking through limitations...?"

"Yeah, just tell me, did you break through or not...!"

Cheng Ming was prepared. He took a step back, trying to create a safe distance, his face serious and innocent.

"Miss, please respect art. Look at this picture; although the expression is exaggerated..."

But it is full of vitality, demonstrating the survival instinct of living things in extreme environments.

"Look at this one again. Although the pose is strange, it deconstructs the absurdity and nihilism of human nature."

This is the pinnacle of postmodernism! How can you judge it with worldly eyes?

"I'm criticizing your grandpa...!"

Lin Yiyi completely broke down, her ladylike image utterly destroyed. She rushed forward to grab the camera: "Delete it! Delete it for me!"

"Immediately! Right now! If this gets out, I'll kill myself...!"

Cheng Ming dodged her attack with a swift movement, his face showing difficulty:

"This...this puts me in a difficult position, miss. The photoshoot with the female warrior was free; it was for promotional purposes."

But taking photos of you is a high-end, customized service, and it took up my rest time. More importantly, these photos are the result of my hard work…”

"You want more money?!"

Lin Yiyi stared wide-eyed in disbelief, and tears finally streamed down her face.

"Sigh, I didn't want to talk about money, talking about money hurts feelings..."

Cheng Ming sighed, skillfully pulling out the printed QR code from his pocket; clearly a repeat offender.

"But as you know, just now, in order to find the right angle, I was already injured by the heroine, and being forced to burn my soul for you only made things worse."

In addition, there are compensations for emotional distress, equipment wear and tear, and creative conception costs…

"How much?!"

Lin Yiyi gritted her teeth, ignoring everything else.

Right now, I only have one thought in my mind: I just want these dark histories to disappear completely, and I don't want to look at them for even a second longer.

"Not much, we're old acquaintances, I'll give you a discount." Cheng Ming held up a long, slender finger.

"one hundred..."

"You...you're raising the price on the spot! Last time it was fifty!"

"This is inflation, but it's also an affirmation of my improved artistic level."

Cheng Ming smiled and said in a gentle tone, as if coaxing a child, "Of course, you can also choose not to delete it."

However, I will print them out as my representative works and hang them at the entrance of my dormitory for display.

If some random passerby, impressed by my artistic taste, were to share this, the headline would be something like, "On the Diversity of Human Expressions..." You wouldn't want that, Miss..., would you?

"I'll give it to you! I'll give it to you, okay...!"

With a sob in her voice, Lin Yiyi frantically pulled out her phone and scanned the QR code fiercely, as if she were stabbing Cheng Ming in the back.

"Ding—100 yuan received via WeChat."

As the crisp notification sound rang out, Cheng Ming nodded with satisfaction and pressed the delete key in front of Lin Yiyi.

"I deleted them. They're all shredded in the recycle bin, don't worry."

[Special Mission Triggered: Double Success Completed. Target Lin Yiyi's emotional fluctuations have reached their peak (shame, despair, self-doubt). Mission reward: +300 Art Value!]

The system notification sounded in his mind, and Cheng Ming's smile deepened.

"Alright, payment settled, happy cooperation."

Cheng Ming put away his camera and waved to Zhao Yufeng, who was still admiring his own beautiful photos and completely unaware of what was going on:

"Heroine, the green hills remain, the clear waters flow on, we'll meet again!"

After saying that, Cheng Ming grabbed Wang Shuo, who was still in a daze, and shouted, "The wind's blowing hard, let's get out of here!"

......................

The two slipped away quickly and disappeared into the bustling crowd.

The main feature is a ghostly blade that disappears instantly, leaving only a dashing silhouette.

Half an hour!

Lin Yiyi was left standing alone, bewildered in the wind.

"Yiyi, what's wrong?"

Zhao Yufeng finally snapped out of her reverie about her own beauty and looked at her best friend, who looked utterly dejected and still had tears in the corners of her eyes, somewhat bewildered.

"Huh? Where's that handsome photographer?"

How could he disappear in the blink of an eye? I was hoping to ask him for his contact information.

Lin Yiyi turned her head and looked at her teammate, who was still frantically finishing off enemies and even reminiscing about the handsome guy's looks. Her mentality completely collapsed.

"Zhao Yufeng! I'm breaking off all ties with you!!"

With a "whoosh",

Lin Yiyi squatted on the ground and burst into tears. Her cries were so heart-wrenching that they brought tears to the eyes of all who heard them.

"...Waaaaah...!"

"My living expenses... my 150 yuan... that bastard! I'll never trust handsome guys again!"

"...Waaaaah..."

Zhao Yufeng scratched her head, looking completely bewildered, and squatted down to pat her best friend's back:

"What's wrong?"

"So what if the photos didn't turn out well? We'll take them again next time. Oh, don't cry. I'll treat you to hot pot...two meals...?"

On this day, two legends began to circulate in Jinli.

One is a tragic story about a woman nicknamed "Panda Sister" who cried bitterly in the street.

The other one is about a pair of "female and male demons" who terrified countless young girls.

Of course, it was the kind of scam where the man who called himself a "magician of light and shadow" was deceived.

It became an inescapable nightmare for countless female students in the Music Education Department, and... the object they desperately wanted to find.

On the other side, Cheng Ming and Wang Shuo, who had emerged from the crowd, were catching their breath in an alley.

"Old Cheng, you're so mean, really so mean."

Wang Shuo leaned against the wall, laughing so hard he couldn't straighten up: "Did you see the expression on that panda sister's face just now?"

That photo of her rolling her eyes will probably haunt her for life. You're killing her by destroying her spirit!

Cheng Ming straightened his slightly disheveled collar, his expression calm: "Fatty, this is something you don't understand. I'm helping her."

Girls these days are too superficial, too focused on appearance. I'm using art to help her break free from the shackles of vanity, to let her face her true self. That hundred yuan bought her a life philosophy; she got a great deal...

...............