Chapter 22: No Lewdness Allowed

"No, Reba, don't close your eyes. The emotion is still off. Make your gaze a bit more fierce, with a sense of control."

"Lean forward, lower your body. Your expression can be more pleased, with a hint of satiation."

Chen Man stood behind the camera, guiding Dilraba into the right state of mind.

Inside the studio, aside from two camera assistants, all other staff members had been cleared out.

"No need to take off your shoes," Chen Man said, quickly stopping her as she saw the heels dangling from Dilraba's toes.

"Just keep the heels on and press over him. Yes. The theme for this issue is 'Decadence'; the clash between sneakers and high heels is a key highlight in terms of emotional expression."

"Reba, do you see the tie around Jingyi's neck? Give it a tug, show more dominance!"

As Chen Man spoke, Dilraba’s gaze naturally shifted toward Gu Jingyi.

Gu Jingyi lay on the bed, the light from the backdrop striking him at an angle. His facial contours were sharply defined by the interplay of light and shadow, his features appearing crisp and keen in the darkness.

His jawline was chiseled, his brow bone rugged. He curled his lips slightly, a hint of irrepressible arrogance playing about them.

A sudden warmth surged in Dilraba’s chest, her heart hammering in an instant.

She couldn't help but recall the look he had given her earlier—seductive, yet tinged with a playful cynicism.

It was a stark contrast to his earlier gentleness; there were so many contradictions in Gu Jingyi.

It was like a fierce wolf dog standing in the distance, baring its fangs at her, when in reality, it desperately wanted to come over and lick her palm.

The more she thought about it, the more restless she felt.

A scene flooded her mind: the location remained the same—the bed before her—but the positions had shifted. Gu Jingyi, wearing sneakers, leaned over her, pinning her down. One of his hands gripped her wrist, guiding it toward his abdominal muscles.

He looked bewitching and charming, the kind of person who makes you want to draw closer even when you know it's a trap.

In her fantasy, her hand slipped a bit too far, touching a place it shouldn't have.

Gu Jingyi’s expression shifted, his body suddenly stiffening. He looked fierce, as if he wanted to bite through her throat, but in the end, all that landed on her skin was a wet, ticklish sensation.

*Oh my god, so intense.*

Dilraba shook her head in a panic. *What am I thinking? I’m someone who isn't even considering settling down until after I'm thirty.*

"Teacher Reba, I'm ready..."

His hot breath brushed against her ear, both provocative and alluring.

Gu Jingyi looked up, smiling as he reminded her.

"Don't call me 'teacher,' speak properly..."

It was too terrifying. Just the thought that she had been harboring such impure ideas about a boy six years her junior made Dilraba’s ears turn bright red, blooming like rouge.

***

It was all Mi Jie’s fault for always sharing such strange things...

Dilraba straightened her expression, but Gu Jingyi caught a slight tremor in her voice.

It was faint, but he noticed it.

"Alright, alright, let's continue."

Gu Jingyi smiled, not giving it another thought.

The shoot continued, but Chen Man, behind the lens, felt something was still missing.

Dilraba’s presence was being eclipsed by Gu Jingyi; it didn't feel like a match of equals.

"Cut, Reba's emotions aren't quite right. Let's take a break and readjust."

Chen Man called for a stop, and Gu Jingyi prepared to sit up.

"Gu Jingyi, don't move. You and Reba keep brewing the emotion; just rest where you are."

After saying this, she led the team out. The vast studio was left to just the two of them.

Dilraba moved back, glaring at Gu Jingyi as she said, "Get up already. Why weren't you this well-behaved just a moment ago?"

"If I were too well-behaved, how would Teacher Reba be able to get into character?"

"You... I'm not talking to you anymore!"

Hearing him call her "Teacher Reba" again, Dilraba turned her head to the side.

She pouted, refusing to look at him.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore."

Gu Jingyi sat up on the edge of the bed. He turned to face Dilraba, meeting her eyes levelly.

"Since Teacher Reba won't talk to me, then I'll talk to Reba-jie. Actually, for a cover shoot like this, you can use a substitution method. You can think of me as your family member, or a character from an anime you like."

Dilraba looked up at Gu Jingyi; she felt as if she had grasped something.

Only this time, the protagonists were her and Gu Jingyi.

"Come on, imagine it. We aren't shooting; all these sets are illusions. Only I, beside you, am real. We are writing our own story, and everything else is just noise."

His voice was magnetic and clear, the inflection at the end of his sentences sounding inexplicably tender.

In a daze, the Gu Jingyi before her began to blur. Dilraba felt as if she were in a pure romance anime; the man beside her was no longer Gu Jingyi, but her lover.

Dilraba closed her eyes, gently savoring the feeling.

When she opened them again, her gaze toward Gu Jingyi was complex, yet perfectly aligned with the emotions required for the magazine shoot.

Chen Man walked back in, standing behind the camera to adjust the parameters.

***

Standing under the lighting panel once more, Dilraba gradually understood the emotions she needed to convey.

The studio wasn't entirely quiet; the subtle hum of machinery and the soft murmurs of the crew adjusting equipment drifted over from time to time.

Dilraba turned a deaf ear to the chaotic sounds. Now, she saw only Gu Jingyi.

She and her beloved lover were writing a poem of love together.

And all else was merely clamor.

She was like the heroine in an anime, having returned home after a gala. Watching her lover lie on the bed, she spoke of the interesting things from the party in a relaxed, cheerful tone. His Adam's apple bobbed with every movement, looking incredibly sexy.

The gaze Dilraba fixed on Gu Jingyi warmed as if embers were gathering in her eyes, and the beauty mark beneath her left eye flickered along with her expression. From Gu Jingyi’s perspective, it looked like a silently burning flame.

Then, their faces drew closer and closer. Dilraba leaned down, smoothing out the slightly open collar of Gu Jingyi's shirt and buttoning it one by one.

There were only two buttons, but for some reason, Dilraba’s hands suddenly trembled. Her fingertips flickered, and her nails left a faint mark on Gu Jingyi’s sturdy chest muscles.

The light scratch on his chest was inexplicably erotic.

Gu Jingyi didn't dodge; he reached out and ruffled Dilraba’s hair. It was as if he were encouraging her, and the gesture ignited a competitive spark in Dilraba.

Dilraba, who had been struggling clumsily with his tie, suddenly froze.

She glared at him fiercely, then suddenly grabbed his wrist.

With her other hand, she gripped his tie and pulled him forward.

Gu Jingyi followed the momentum, leaning in. Just before their lips could meet, he tilted his head and kissed Dilraba on the ear.

This scene, full of tension yet restrained, made Chen Man’s eyes sparkle with excitement behind the camera.

"Cut! Perfect, wrap!"

They had been busy from the afternoon until the middle of the night. The Harper's Bazaar crew began packing up the equipment and clearing the stage, while both artists prepared to head home.

"You worked hard today. A pleasure working with you."

After changing into her own clothes, Dilraba greeted Gu Jingyi. The cool moonlight falling on her shoulders gave her an air of ethereal beauty.

"A pleasure working with you, too."

Gu Jingyi smiled, exchanged contact information with her, and turned to leave.

Standing in place, Dilraba watched his back, the scenes from the shoot playing over in her mind.

Especially when she tugged on his tie and Gu Jingyi leaned in—when he cooperated and looked at her, there had been a flicker of playfulness in his eyes.

As if he had been coaxing her like a little girl...