After being dumped by the diva, I was picked up by her arch-enemy.

Chen Hao rode his old shared bicycle, pedaling wildly all the way from the Central Academy of Drama campus to the entrance of Nancheng Hutong.

He specially changed into a clean black polo shirt today, and his huge backpack was filled with all his belongings.

A Sony A7M3, two lenses, a slider, three spare batteries, and a portable LED fill light.

He stopped his car at the entrance of the alley and took out his phone to confirm the address.

Qilin Opera Troupe.

Chen Hao took a deep breath and patted his cheeks.

"Stay calm, Chen Hao. Jiang Shen personally requested your presence; this is a turning point in your life."

He locked the shared bike against the wall, slung his heavy bag over his shoulder, and walked into the winding alley.

Three minutes later.

A vermilion gate came into view.

The four golden characters "Qilin Opera Troupe" on the gate hadn't been renovated yet, but the courtyard was bustling with clanging and tinkling sounds. Chen Hao pushed open the half-closed gate and peeked inside.

Scaffolding was erected in the yard, and several workers were painting.

A tall, slender figure wearing a white T-shirt sat on a stone bench, looking down at his phone.

"Jiang Shen!"

Chen Hao strode into the courtyard, his face crinkling with a smile.

Jiang Yichen looked up and saw Chen Hao carrying that bulging bag, and nodded.

"You're here. Have a seat."

Chen Hao put his bag on the ground, rubbed his hands together, and sat down on the stone bench.

"Jiang Shen, what exactly is this 'job' you're talking about? Shooting a music video? A promotional video?"

Jiang Yichen put down his phone and looked at him.

"Shoot short videos."

Chen Hao was stunned for a moment.

"Short...short videos?"

"Yes." Jiang Yichen's tone was very calm. "Ancient style costume transformation videos, posted on Douyin platform. There are four in total, and we'll try to film them all today."

Chen Hao's mouth was agape, and his mind went blank for a couple of seconds.

Short videos?

Douhai?

He sprinted all the way from the Central Academy of Drama, carrying over ten kilograms of equipment, just to shoot short videos.

Chen Hao's expression was a little stiff.

But soon, he started to imagine things again.

Jiang Shen must have had a deeper meaning in doing this.

I get it! This must be a test of my abilities!

Let's see what level of work he can produce by doing the simplest tasks.

If he can even create amazing short videos, then big productions will naturally fall into his lap in the future.

Chen Hao felt a surge of excitement.

"Understood, Jiang Shen!" He stood up abruptly, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "Short videos, right? Leave it to me! I guarantee I'll produce cinematic quality for you!"

Jiang Yichen was a little confused by his sudden excitement.

But... as long as he can get the job done, that's fine.

"Come on, I'll show you the venue and the costumes."

Jiang Yichen led Chen Hao into the east wing.

As soon as the door opened, Chen Hao's eyes widened.

The four large woven bags had been opened. The clothes inside were neatly hung on the makeshift clothes racks.

A long robe with ink-wash gradient, semi-transparent water sleeves adorned with sequins, a modified python robe in crimson gold, and an extremely stunning black and red phoenix coronet and embroidered robe.

Each outfit carries a strong traditional Chinese style, yet it is completely different from the heaviness of traditional opera costumes. It has a touch of lightness and splendor.

Chen Hao circled the clothes rack twice, his fingers tracing the texture of the fabric, already sketching a design in his mind.

"Jiang Shen, the colors of these outfits are very saturated. If you use a side light when shooting, combined with slow motion to capture the moment the water sleeves are flicked out..."

"Don't rush," Jiang Yichen interrupted him. "Let me tell you roughly what kind of effect we want..."

Although Jiang Yichen didn't know anything about filming, he had watched at least eight or ten thousand viral transformation videos in his previous life, so he immediately began to talk fluently about his ideas.

Chen Hao's eyes lit up as he listened, and he nodded vigorously.

Just then, footsteps were heard in the courtyard.

"Third Senior Brother! I'm ready!"

Meng Lingyu ran out of the room opposite.

She changed into a simple white practice outfit, tied her long hair into a ponytail, and didn't apply any makeup to her face.

But that round little face had fair skin and delicate features.

Chen Hao's eyes lit up again when he saw Meng Lingyu.

"Who is this?"

"My junior colleague, Meng Lingyu. She's filming with me today."

Chen Hao looked Meng Lingyu up and down, and the image in his mind became more complete.

One man and one woman, one strong and one gentle.

Absolutely.

"Okay, let's get started." Chen Hao took out his camera from his bag, attached the lens, and did so quickly.

The next hour is for makeup.

Meng Lingyu honed her makeup skills from a young age in a theatrical troupe. Her makeup techniques—drawing her face, shaping her eyebrows, and applying makeup pieces—were all executed flawlessly.

Jiang Yichen sat in front of the mirror. After Meng Lingyu finished drawing his eyebrows and eyes, he used a pen to draw a stroke of vermilion at the corner of his eye.

The person in the mirror had sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and slightly pursed lips. Dressed in a long robe with an ink-wash gradient effect, he truly looked like a figure from a painting.

Meng Lingyu herself changed into a black and red phoenix coronet and wedding robe, with a gold flower ornament pasted on her forehead.

The originally lively little girl instantly gained a more dignified and noble air.

Chen Hao, holding his camera, watched intently, swallowing hard.

These two faces are wallpaper-worthy images, any frame of them could be captured.

"Action!"

The first video is titled "Red-Clad Ladies".

Jiang Yichen, dressed in an ordinary white shirt, stood under the old locust tree in the courtyard. Sunlight filtered through the branches and fell on him; everything seemed unremarkable.

Chen Hao shouted, "Let's go."

Jiang Yichen reached out and blocked the camera.

cut.

When the scene reappeared, she was dressed in a long ink-wash robe, her features as beautiful as a painting.

He raised his hand and flicked out his flowing sleeves, the semi-transparent gauze drawing a smooth arc in the air.

It was perfectly timed to the crucial beat of the drum, "Though in a humble position, I dare not forget my duty to the country!"

Article Two, "Puppet Show".

This is a shot of Meng Lingyu.

She was wearing a denim jacket, had her hair in a high ponytail, made a peace sign at the camera, and smiled, revealing a small canine tooth.

Transition.

When she reappeared, the phoenix crown swayed slightly on her head, and her long water sleeves fluttered between her fingers.

A classic orchid finger gesture, accompanied by a slight tilt of the head.

The collision of girlish charm and classical elegance creates a wonderful chemical reaction.

Article 3, "Wujiapo".

Jiang Yichen appeared alone. His casual attire consisted of a black sports vest, revealing his well-defined forearms. After the scene change, he changed into a modified crimson-gold python robe, with a red mole between his eyebrows and a sharp gaze.

He casually picked up a prop folding fan, unfolded it with a snap, and the fan covered half of his face.

Only his deep eyes were visible, staring directly at the camera.

Article 4, "The New Drunken Concubine".

This one features two people in the video.

In casual clothes, the two stood side by side. Jiang Yichen, hands in his pockets, tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at the camera. Meng Lingyu stood on tiptoe, reaching for his hat.

The visuals are light and lively.

Then the scene transitions.

Jiang Yichen wore a black robe with wide sleeves, and his hair was tied up with a jade crown. Meng Lingyu, on the other hand, changed into a pale yellow modified high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with hair ornaments dangling in her hair, the pearls and jade swaying gently as she walked.

The two stood facing each other. Jiang Yichen leaned slightly forward and extended his hand. Meng Lingyu took his fingers in hers.

A standard opening gesture in traditional Chinese opera, with flowing water sleeves.

The filming went very smoothly, and all four videos were completed by the end of the day.

As the sun sets, the light in the courtyard has turned a warm orange-red.

Chen Hao sat on the stone bench, replaying the footage from his camera over and over again, becoming more and more satisfied with each viewing.

He looked up and gave Jiang Yichen a thumbs up.

"Jiang Shen, I'll take the footage back and edit it. If things go smoothly, I can give you a rough cut tomorrow."

Jiang Yichen took his phone out of his pocket.

"Thank you for your hard work. Let me tell you about the payment. It's 1,000 yuan per video, 4,000 yuan in total for four videos. Send me your Alipay account number, and I'll transfer it to you today."

Chen Hao paused as he was packing up the equipment.

One thousand yuan apiece?

To be honest, this price is far from enough to hire a professional team.

But who is Chen Hao?

He was a poor student with a monthly living allowance of two thousand yuan.

Four thousand yuan is equivalent to two months' worth of his food expenses.

And this is only the first time we've collaborated.

Chen Hao's mind started to wander again.

We'll offer a base price for our first collaboration to see how he performs. If the cut turns out well, the price will definitely increase in the future.

When Jiang Shen starts making music videos, documentaries, and movies, won't his remuneration increase exponentially?

Chen Hao grinned, his smile appearing exceptionally genuine.

"Jiang Shen, there's no rush for the money. Please watch the finished product first, and pay me only if you're satisfied."

"No need," Jiang Yichen shook his head. "It's only right to get paid for work. Send me your account number."

Chen Hao stopped refusing and promptly sent over his Alipay account.

Ding.

The notification sounded when the funds arrived.

Chen Hao glanced at his phone screen: four thousand yuan, not a penny less.

He carefully stuffed the camera into his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and walked towards the courtyard gate. After taking a couple of steps, he turned back and solemnly said something to Jiang Yichen.

"Jiang Shen, you can rest assured! I will definitely edit these four videos for you."

After saying that, Chen Hao strode away and disappeared into the depths of the alley.

Meng Lingyu removed her makeup and ran over carrying a bowl of mung bean soup.

"Third Senior Brother, have a drink. You've been busy all day."

Jiang Yichen took the bowl and took a sip.

"Are you tired?"

Meng Lingyu shook her head, her eyes shining.

"Not tiring! It's fun! It's like acting in a play, but you don't have to memorize lines."

She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then leaned closer and asked in a low voice.

"Senior, will anyone actually watch this video?"

Jiang Yichen finished the last mouthful of mung bean soup in his bowl and looked up at the darkening sky above the courtyard wall.

"Just wait and see."