The next day, the shooting was postponed due to the sudden change in the resort"s schedule. So instead of wasting a day, the artists were called for a pictorial for the movie"s promotion.The entire movie casts were inside the studio when the photographers arrived. These photographers were personally picked by Director Han because of their expertise in photography. Jay Chou was a Taiwanese who migrated in China. He was the head photographer that many magazines and movie promoters wanted for their photo shoots. He owned a famous studio and his models were picked carefully.
He already made a name in the industry which made him even more egoistic and proud. He was known to be really arrogant but he was still respected because of how good he was with his work.
"Thank you for coming at such short notice," Director Han greeted the man who was now taking the cameras from his bag.
"I wouldn"t do it if not for Producer Zhang. I had to cancel my shoot for Louvre Magazine."
"My apologies for that," Director Han nodded apologetically, "I"m really glad you"re here today. Our schedule at the resort was postponed since there has been some misunderstanding."
"What else can I do?" Jay Chou arrogantly dismissed Director Han as he turned to his a.s.sistant photographers, "Let"s get this over with."
"Yes, boss Chou!"
Director Han felt embarra.s.sed as he walked back towards a.s.sistant Director Chua, "He really is conceited," he sighed deeply.
"I told you, Director Han. We shouldn"t have got them," a.s.sistant Director Chua sneered as he looked at the already busy Jay Chou, "If not for his talent, he wouldn"t last in the industry."
"Okay, okay! Since he"s already here, there"s no need to argue about that. Let"s get the artists ready," Director Han motioned a.s.sistant Director Chua to follow him.
Once they reached the dressing rooms of the artists, they immediately told them to proceed to the studio. He really couldn"t let Jay Chou to be p.i.s.sed off.
"Everyone, we will start with the male lead, then the female lead."
"Yes, Director Han!"
Luo Daming wore the university uniform as he walked in the middle of the set. He looked really young like a fresh student in the university. He stood quiet as he waited for Jay Chou to begin.
The lights were already placed on the right spot and the white background stood elegantly at the back. The white floor was clean and spotless. The rest of the crews stood at the side as they waited for the photo shoot to begin.
Since the atmosphere was heavy, everyone stood waiting silently, afraid to make any sound. Jay Chou was known to be very rude and brutal when he wasn"t satisfied with what he saw. He had a very high standard when it came to his photo shoots. He even walked out at some photo shoots if he wasn"t pleased.
No one wanted that to happen. It would be such a waste of time and a bad publicity for the movie. It would surely be a disaster.
"Let"s start and save each other"s precious time," Jay Chou spoke with a serious tone before he signaled his subordinates to place the reflectors in front of the set.
Luo Daming posed and got his photos taken without any problem with Jay Chou. His pictures turned out to be really good.
Director Han nodded his head in satisfaction as he gazed at the photos in the computer screen. He really knew that Jay Chou was indeed one of the best in his field.
When it was Xu Jia Li"s turn, one of the stylists handed her the boots that would match her uniform, "Do I really need to change into a new boots?"
"Yes, Ms. Xu. It"s Director Han"s order."
Xu Jia Li nodded her head. She didn"t mind it at all since it happened most of the time. The crew helped her as she wore it fast before she walked in the middle of the set.
She composed herself as she readied for her turn. She was about to turn her head when a loud reprimanding voice echoed inside the studio.
"Stupid! How dare you wear dirty shoes in the set?! Don"t you know that you should wear a pair of clean shoes?!" Jay Chou kicked the chair on his side. His face was full of annoyance as he yelled, "Get this stupid woman out of my sight!"
****
Xu Jia Li"s face was devoid of emotions as she gazed at Jay Chou. She glanced at the marks left by her boots on the carpeted white floor. She didn"t know why, but suddenly, she had a bad feeling about it all.
The marks were obviously from a black paint. It would be really hard to remove it in an instant.
She moved her gaze to the sole of her boots. And true indeed, it was smudged by black paint which she failed to notice because the crew insisted on helping her wore them.
She scanned the studio, looking for the stylist who gave her the boots. Even though she knew that it was of no help, she tried her best to recall the face of the girl. However, she couldn"t see her anymore as her eyes skimmed through the crowd. She saw the look of dismay in everyone"s faces. She had been in the industry for almost three years and knowing this basic rule was important.
"Mr. Chou, I"ll ask someone to clean it immediately. This is our female –"
Director Han didn"t finish his words when he was cut by Jay Chou, "Is she important? Who is she anyway? Another Liuliang star who doesn"t know the basics inside the studio?"
The studio was immediately filled with buzz from the crews and other artists. They gazed at Xu Jia Li as they held her in contempt. She suddenly looked like a subject under the microscope, opened for everyone"s scrutinizing gaze.
Xu Jia Li remained unperturbed as she stood on her spot. She carefully a.n.a.lyzed the situation. It seemed like the stylist who handed her the shoes wasn"t really a part of the movie crew. It was also timing that Jay Chou was really hard to work with.
"How irresponsible of that woman! This is the reason why I hated working with Liuliang stars!"
Xu Jia Li saw Jay Chou fuming with anger as he took his camera and walked out of the studio. His a.s.sistants and subordinates were left behind as they gathered their belongings.
Director Han gasped in despair as he slumped on his seat. a.s.sistant Director Chua threw Xu Jia Li a disappointed look before he followed Jay Chou.
Everyone inside began to scorn Xu Jia Li. They whispered disparaging words as they began cleaning the white carpeted floor.
"Didn"t she know that this is a carpet? Why did she wear shoes that are really dirty?"
"I think she didn"t mean it. I saw someone –"
"Shut up! What do you know? You"re just an intern."
Xu Jia Li disregarded them as she hurriedly walked outside the studio. She didn"t even stop when Shen Linqin called her. She continued to run outside, determined to talk it out with Jay Chou. She ran fast as she looked for him. She couldn"t let everything ruined because of a misunderstanding.
Once she descended the elevator, she saw a.s.sistant Director Chua talking with Jay Chou. She heaved a sigh of relief as she approached the two. She heard how Jay Chou"s boorish manner totally disrespected the latter.
Her face immediately heated up. She walked towards them and stopped in front of Jay Chou. She bowed her head before she spoke, "Mr. Chou, take a wager with me. Finish the photo shoot. I"ll a.s.sure you that you"ll like what you"ll see. Once you do, I"ll agree to be your studio"s model."
****
A/N: "Liuliang stars" is the term used in China when referring to celebrities that become popular or famous by creating media hype or buzz. They are what they called the glamorous celebrities. Those who depend on their good looks and don"t have many professional skills to boast off yet can command countless fans. They sometimes do not last in the industry.