Chapter 22#

Endorsement#

Ren Yanfei looked somewhat surprised. “I didn’t expect Mr. Lu to have an interest in photography as well.”

Lu Yan smiled. “I’m just very interested in it. Can’t really call it research. I really like the sense of vitality and warmth in your work, Mr. Ren.”

“Please don’t call me Mr. Ren. Just call me Ren Yanfei or Yanfei. I believe we’ll have a pleasant cooperation today.”

As the two were talking, Gavin walked over and said a few words to Ren Yanfei in English. Lu Yan’s English was excellent, and since the two didn’t seem to be trying to keep their conversation private, he heard them exchange pleasantries in a familiar tone. Gavin asked how things were going, and Ren Yanfei replied that it was very good.

Lu Yan realized they might be talking about him. Feeling it would be inappropriate to eavesdrop further, he took the initiative to walk away.

After a while, Ren Yanfei came over to find him and offered a brief explanation. “Gavin and I met during outdoor activities. We’ve known each other for years. He knew I was a freelance photographer and had seen my work. He thought I was up to the task and invited me to be the photographer for this project. I hope you don’t think it’s too informal. Gavin really values this collaboration with you.”

Lu Yan said sincerely, “Not at all. I trust your professionalism and Gavin’s sincerity as well.”

“That’s great,” Ren Yanfei said with a smile. “Let me first tell you about the theme of this shoot.”

Once he entered work mode, Ren Yanfei became even more spirited. Lu Yan was originally someone who took his work extremely seriously, so he quickly got into the groove.

The shoot was for several sets of print advertisements. Lu Yan had previous experience as a print model and had a strong sense of the camera, making it especially easy for Ren Yanfei to adjust him. Additionally, since Lu Yan had some knowledge of photography, he had no trouble understanding Ren Yanfei’s professional terminology.

The shoot went very smoothly. What was originally planned to take a whole day was finished before lunch.

Ren Yanfei glanced through the photos briefly and gave Lu Yan a thumbs-up. “Excellent! The results are fantastic. I rarely have such an easy time shooting.”

Gavin, who had observed the entire process, also shouted “Good!” at both of them and invited them to have lunch together.

Ren Yanfei shook the camera in his hand. “I’m too eager to get back and process these great shots. I’ll have the final images for you within three days. As for lunch, I won’t join you. I can’t stand that kind of formal dining. I’ll just grab something on my own—much simpler.”

Gavin, apparently familiar with his temperament, shrugged and didn’t insist. Instead, he turned his expectant gaze to Lu Yan.

It was hard to refuse such hospitality. Since the day’s work was already done, and building a closer relationship with a potential future employer was important, Lu Yan accepted the invitation.

Three days later, Lu Yan saw the final images from M Company, retouched by Ren Yanfei. They were indeed excellent. Lu Yan himself was very satisfied, and he believed M Company would feel the same way.

Sure enough, the next day, he received an official letter from M Company expressing their desire to sign a two-year contract with Lu Yan as their spokesperson for the Asian region.

When he received the news, Lu Yan happened to be in Qin Feng’s office. The two exchanged smiles, celebrating the success of their first campaign.

Once the contract was officially signed, this became the first endorsement in Lu Yan’s life.

A month later, M Company would hold a new product launch in S City, where Lu Yan would officially appear as the new Asian spokesperson. Until then, all he needed to do was finish shooting the advertisements for the new season’s products.

The creative concept of the advertisements matched the product’s essence, depicting a business elite shedding the burdens of work and enjoying a domestic, leisurely life. Lu Yan’s performance gave a sense of effortless ease, as if that comfort and relaxation came naturally from within.

The entire shoot took a little over a week, mostly indoors. This saved the trouble and time of traveling around, and the results were very polished. Moreover, the shooting team had been working together for years, so both their tacit agreement (rapport) and professionalism were beyond reproach.

When the sample images were received, the president of M Company’s Asian division expressed great satisfaction, becoming even more pleased with Lu Yan as the new spokesperson.

At the same time, Qin Feng had also selected the first TV drama Lu Yan would star in.

It was a urban romance drama, a genre currently very popular.

The drama had a poetic title: When the Wind Rises. It told the story of a young wandering painter who meets a fashionable woman on the streets of a foreign country. From initial mutual fondness to gradually falling in love through a series of coincidental encounters, they marry recklessly for love. However, after marriage, differences in age, background, finances, and values create growing rifts. Exhausted emotionally, they reluctantly part ways. Years later, the now-successful painter reunites with the woman, who is now married to someone else. They sigh with nostalgia but can only leave each other with a dim silhouette.

The story, as described, is simple and a bit cliché. But with director Guan Minzhi at the helm, it was different. In the television industry, there are never bad stories—only poor execution.

Guan Minzhi was a distinctive director, highly skilled at capturing details and handling emotions with great delicacy. If you merely heard someone recount one of his stories, it would seem very plain. But when you actually watched it, you would easily be moved by those details.

When Lu Yan first read the script, he found it average. However, once filming began, he felt genuinely moved.

The foreign scenes were shot in Barcelona, Spain’s second-largest city, known as the “Flower of Europe” and brimming with medieval charm.

Lu Yan played the young wandering painter, sketching portraits of passersby on Barcelona’s streets—subjects ranging from people to landscapes. His lively, handsome face bore the stubborn pride typical of youth, while his tightly pressed lips and focused eyes added an air of mystery to his silence. The locals were all quite friendly to this handsome Eastern boy, and the city, full of artistic atmosphere, was kind and welcoming to him. Yet none of it could soothe his youthful passion and restless soul, all buried beneath his calm exterior.

A gentle breeze blew, scattering a pile of sketches. The young painter quickly put down his brush and chased after them. As if by fate, the last sketch landed beside a pair of dainty feet in high heels, with bright nail polish. Just as the young painter was about to pick it up, a fair, delicate hand, accompanied by long hair falling softly, gently retrieved the sketch and handed it to the slightly stunned painter. Along with it came a radiant smile. “You draw really well!”

Captivated by that radiance, the young painter took the sketch absentmindedly. Even after she turned and walked away, he forgot to say thank you.

This was the first encounter—or rather, the first serendipitous meeting—of the male and female leads in the drama. Director Guan was extremely strict about details: the angle of entry, the way the wind lifted the hem of the skirt, the direction in which the sketches scattered… Everything had to be aesthetically pleasing. The male lead didn’t even have a single line of dialogue; all emotions had to be conveyed through expression and movement. As a result, even an actor as accomplished as Lu Yan had to reshoot several times.

However, when they reviewed the footage together after wrapping up for the night, Lu Yan couldn’t help but admire Director Guan’s eye. The scenes were indeed highly aesthetic, and even the fatigue from multiple NGs melted away. Lu Yan believed such scenes would surely move the audience.

Over the next few days, the male and female leads kept running into each other in various settings: a street-side café, in front of the cathedral’s murals, during a festival parade… From initial surprise to knowing smiles, and finally, amid the surging crowd of celebration, no one knew who reached out first to hold whose hand. They firmly clasped each other’s hands, ran out of the crowded throng, and embraced tightly as the church bells echoed.

The progression of emotions—from nothing to something, from shallow to deep—was like a jar of wine slowly fermenting, its fragrance growing richer over time. And the subtle, ambiguous romance before everything was made explicit was like strands of cotton thread, tugging at the heart and making it impossible to let go.

The female lead was played by Zhao Tian’er, a tall, radiant beauty. However, her beauty was not of the sweet and charming type; rather, it carried a hint of aggressiveness. In previous idol dramas, she had always played the malicious female supporting roles who bullied the protagonist, almost becoming typecast.

In person, she was cheerful and straightforward, exuding a mature, confident vibe that matched her looks. This drama was her first time as the female lead. She played a sophisticated, fashionable white-collar worker who, in a foreign land, engages in a heart-wrenching romantic relationship with the young wandering painter—a classic “older woman, younger man” love story.

Thanks to the dedication of the actors and the hard work of the entire crew, all the scenes in Barcelona were completed three days ahead of schedule. Pleased with the savings in budget and the quality of the footage, the director generously granted all cast and crew a day off to freely explore this famous city, known as the “Pearl of the Iberian Peninsula,” before heading back.

Everyone cheered, praising the director’s wisdom, and then scattered like birds to plan their one-day tour of Barcelona.

Lu Yan was also delighted. It was his first time in Barcelona, and he was curious about this renowned city. Although he had visited a few scenic spots during filming, it had been for work, leaving little time for sightseeing. With a rare day of leisure, he certainly didn’t want to miss the opportunity.

The next morning, he woke up early and wasn’t surprised to see many crew members already preparing to head out. He declined Zhao Tian’er’s and several others’ kind invitations to join them, and also gave his assistant, Song Hui, the day off. Lu Yan decided to explore on his own.

He didn’t have any specific destination in mind. Barcelona had many famous attractions, and it was impossible to see them all in one day. Lu Yan didn’t like the rushed, checklist-style tourism either. He was more interested in the local exotic atmosphere. Besides, Barcelona was world-famous for its architecture, and the various buildings scattered everywhere each had their own unique charm. He didn’t necessarily have to crowd into the popular spots.

So Lu Yan strolled leisurely through the streets of Barcelona, stopping whenever something caught his interest. He would pause to examine things closely, and even engage in simple conversations with locals in his less-than-fluent Spanish, which he found quite enjoyable.

As the sun rose higher, Lu Yan began to feel hungry. Without being too particular, he sat down at a random street-side restaurant and ordered some local delicacies to try.

Lu Yan wasn’t much of a foodie. His life experiences from childhood had taught him to prioritize eating for sustenance. However, he was happy to try different cuisines when circumstances allowed, finding simple surprises and excitement in whether the food pleased his palate or not.

With plenty of time to spare, he savored his meal leisurely on the foreign street until someone sat down across from him.

At first, Lu Yan didn’t pay much attention. Small street-side restaurants like this had high customer turnover and limited seating, so sharing tables was common. But he noticed that this diner hadn’t ordered anything, and he felt a gaze fixed on him. Finally, he couldn’t help but look up from his food.

He had to admit, he was a little taken aback.