IPCFS: Chapter 134

Ji Li became the spokesperson of Natural mineral water, so Director Adolphe gladly agreed to direct the commercial shooting.

After nearly half a month of negotiations, the two parties finally decided on a formal shooting time. In early April, Ji Li arrived in France with his team.

The dressing room was ready early in the morning.

Ji Li stepped into the dressing room and immediately received a warm welcome from Adolphe who was waiting there. “Oh! My little muse, after two years, I finally get to see you again!”

Ji Li was caught off guard by Adolphe’s bear hug and was stunned for a few seconds before greeting him. “Director Adolphe, long time no see.”

Adolphe smiled and let go. He looked Ji Li up and down, his eyes showing obsession. “Ji, you are still so perfect.”

“Your skin is simply amazing! It is so watery that it makes people want to take a bite!”

This wasn’t the first time the two of them had collaborated, and Ji Li quickly adapted to Adolphe’s enthusiastic and exaggerated words. “Director, are we filming the commercial this afternoon?”

“Of course. My team and I have already gone to the location in advance and studied all of the lighting.”

Adolphe poked Ji Li’s chest, confident and expectant. “Don’t worry, I can grasp your beauty! God knows how long I have been looking forward to our second collaboration.”

“Ever since I shot your perfume commercial, other commercial models almost couldn’t catch my eyes at all.”

Over the past two years, Adolphe had sent countless invitations over to Chaoying to shoot advertisements. Without exception, he was rejected. Ji Li was too busy with filming in various crews, and he really couldn’t spare time to focus on two things at once.

The number of rejections was so many that even the Chaoying’s business cooperation department felt embarrassed.

However, Adolphe didn’t feel annoyed at all. He was still looking forward to cooperating with Ji Li again.

“Fortunately, the person in charge of Natural mineral water knew of my intention to collaborate with you and invited me to shoot this commercial. Otherwise, I would’ve had to grab it out of my own pocket if the job was given to another director.”

Adolphe raised his head. His words showed that he regarded Ji Li as the main protagonist of first-class advertisements. In other words, he placed Ji Li on the tip of his heart.

“Director Adolphe, thank you for your appreciation of Ji Li.” Yu Fuya thanked him. “In fact, we’ve also been looking forward to working with you again.”

“Thank you, the beautiful Ms. Yu.”

Adolphe’s assistant approached and gave him a reminder. “Director, I think we should let Ji sit down and do the makeup first. You can take advantage of the styling time to continue to talk.”

“Of course.”

The styling team came up and stuck the predetermined styling drawings on the surface of the mirror. The main stylist observed the length of Ji Li’s hair and asked, “Is it okay if we add some hair extensions that are four or five centimeters in length?”

“No problem.”

Ji Li agreed cheerfully.

Now that he was going to be the brand spokesperson, he had to treat this advertisement with all his heart and create the advertising appearance that Adolphe wanted.

Adolphe moved a chair and sat next to Ji Li. “Ji, have you read the advertising plan that I sent you?”

Ji Li nodded.

The main scene was set in a private castle in France. This castle was found by Adolphe’s team after discussion with the brand.

The Natural mineral water was originally supplied to the royal family, so the filming had to originate from the term ‘mysterious luxury.’ The medieval castle was the most reminiscent of these two terms.

In addition, there was the ‘localization’ of the Natural mineral water to consider. To highlight this point, Adolphe adopted a wonderful idea.

He recruited all types of people from different countries, different genders, and different ages. They would assist Ji Li in completing this commercial advertisement.

The advertising role played by Ji Li this time was an aristocratic prince living in an old castle. He had been pampered since he was a child and never encountered the outside world.

Due to his ‘imprisonment’ in this small place, such a prince was quiet, pure, and desirable.

Finally, one day, the door of this ‘confinement’ was opened. The prince saw all types of people outside the door, and he curiously moved through the crowd.

Everyone was looking at him in a longing and infatuated manner until the prince saw a one hundred year old beggar standing at the end of the crowd, and he stood in front of this person.

……

The reason why Adolphe was called the godfather of advertising was because in addition to his ‘lens aesthetics’, he took into account the ‘advertising creativity.’

The so-called noble prince referred to the mineral groundwater that had, in the past, been sealed up on the edge of the crater i.e. the ‘Natural mineral water’ itself.

In the beginning, it was imprisoned in that area. Even when it was discovered, it was only meant for the enjoyment of nobles.

Later, the door of ‘class’ was opened, and the Natural mineral water was sent to various countries in a ‘localized’ way, which was the definition of these extras in the filming.

Unlike general product advertisements on the market, there was a burst of fierce praise for this one.

Sometimes before an advertisement had even finished, viewers became tired of the overly blunt and exaggerated advertising language.

Adolpha’s advertising ideas didn’t intuitively express the advantages of Natural mineral water, and there was no cumbersome advertising phrase through the process. Instead, this gave the audience enough space for association and exploration.

Most importantly, it had a cinematic feel from the perspective of the lens to the script.

Ji Li chatted freely with Adolphe and affirmed his direction. “Director Adolphe, I like your control of this advertisement a lot. I hope that our cooperation this time can also be recognized by the public.”

“Thank you for your words, my muse. There will definitely be no problems!”

Adolphe’s face turned red with excitement, as if he had received some great encouragement.

He rubbed his hands together and quickly got up. “Little cutie, you slowly finish the styling first. I have to hurry to the shooting location to make final checks. There absolutely cannot be any mistakes.”

Ji Li watched Director Adolphe leave the dressing room before shifting his gaze back.

“Look, the current director is like a kid who just got candy. He is eager to announce to the world that he has found the most beautiful and sweet candy, so he is now busy preparing a beautiful gift box.”

The stylist couldn’t help joking.

There was no doubt that the ‘candy’ that they were talking about referred to Ji Li.

“Ji, can you please sign an autograph for me once the work is over? I really like your role of Lu Yao in Long Island Iced Tea.”

“I thought Qin would come with you too.”

There was no doubt that this was another deeply poisoned CP fan. The love of the overseas fans had always been straightforward and they even dared to mention Qin Yue’s name in front of the main master.

Ji Li smiled helplessly and moved away from this topic. “I can sign an autograph for you now. Thank you for your support.”

Fortunately, Qin Yue was busy with filming and didn’t come. If he really appeared here, the relationship between the two of them really wouldn’t be hidden thanks to the imagination of these CP fans.

The work of adding extensions was time-consuming and laborious. The group stylists were busy for nearly three hours before they were able to complete Ji Li’s overall look for the commercial.

Due to his identity in this advertisement, Ji Li deliberately lengthened his hair by four or five centimeters. His hair was dyed a dark golden color with a one-time dye and was curled up in a subtle and not exaggerated manner.

Thanks to this hairstyle, Ji Li’s face seemed smaller and fairer.

His makeup was deliberately Western-oriented. His eyelashes were deliberately brushed with white dye and had fine rhinestones stuck to them, giving him an innocent fairy feeling.

Combine this with his deep eyebrows, high nose bridge, and seductive red lips, and he was like the most outstanding sculpture in Greece. This made people look at him again and again.

He wore silver-gold royal clothing which complemented his extravagant makeup. He obviously had a Chinese face, but he didn’t seem awkward in the slightest when dressed up as an aristocrat of a Western country.

“Originally, I was afraid that you wouldn’t be used to such styling and makeup. I hadn’t expected it to turn out so great!” The stylist was impressed again.

In the beginning, Ji Li’s two sets of makeup looks for the perfume advertisement were done by him. At that time, the makeup was biased toward simplicity to match the ancient Chinese theme and dance theme.

He thought that such a gorgeous and aristocratic look from the Middle Ages could only be shown on the bodies of Western actors, but the facts told the stylist—

He was completely wrong.

It was said that true beauty was beyond gender. This was completely verified by Ji Li at this moment!

Baozi wiped the non-existent ‘drool’ from his mouth and felt extremely emotional. “Sister Yu, I have been by Brother Ji’s side for almost three years, but I am always amazed every time he tries a new look.”

“It must be said that he was born to eat this bowl of rice.”

It was said that beauty wasn’t just from the skin. Ji Li was handsome in appearance, even more beautiful in temperament, and refined in acting. All of these qualities were perfectly integrated with his personality.

The more Yu Fuya looked at him, the more she felt it was right that she fought for this spokesperson position.

The last perfume advertisement might’ve won an award, but the audience positioning of Ying’s Perfume meant that it wasn’t highly spread among Western audiences. This was why many people failed to recognize Ji Li during the release period of ‘Long Island Iced Tea.’

This time was different. The Natural mineral water was intended for people all over the world from aristocrats to celebrities and ordinary people.

“Let’s go to the filming location.”

Yu Fuya was suddenly looking forward to the filming. Ji Li would rely on this advertising character to make a big killing in Western countries!

Once Ji Li and the others arrived at the filming location, there were bursts of admiration.

“Oh my god, is this still the same Ji I saw before? This look is completely different from his last advertising look. It is too surprising.”

“He seems to be a nobleman of the last century who has come out of a castle. No, he is God’s leftover pearl during the creation process!”

“I can repeat it 10,000 times. Ji Li is too delicious. I really want to pursue him!”

Ji Li was already immune to these exaggerated praises and approached under Adolphe’s fanatical gaze. “Director, I am ready to shoot at any time.”

“Ji, shall I take you through it once?”

“Yes.”

“The commercial is divided into two parts. The first part is the scene of your activities indoors. The second is the cooperation between you and the extras in the banquet hall after the door is opened.”

Ji Li followed Adolphe to the ‘bedroom’ of the advertisement. Then he became completely stunned by the extremely luxurious arrangement inside.

The black velvet carpet was covered with a lot of jewelry and diamonds. Any random piece was worth a lot. They gave off a dazzling luster under the dim and hazy light.

“Don’t forget that the bottles in the first series of the Natural mineral water were created in collaboration with designers from luxury brands. These are real jewelry provided by the third parties,” Adolphe explained.

The total value of these luxury goods was almost worth the cost of hundreds of advertisements.

Adolphe placed them on the ground so casually. The person in charge of the brand side almost burst into tears on the spot when he saw such ‘waste’ yesterday.

Fortunately, the advertising team promised not to damage the jewelry, which barely calmed the other person’s heartache.

“You will get out of bed later and walk across the thick carpet…”

Adolphe held back his excitement and maintained the professional attitude that an advertising director should have as he carefully explained the content to Ji Li.

“I understand, Director.”

“Okay, I’ll let everyone get ready. We’ll start later.”

“Yes.”

***

30 minutes later, filming officially began.

Adolphe gave an order, and the multiple angle cameras were activated at the same time.

Afternoon light diffused through the colorful window glass, and the refracted halo added a lot of mystery to the entirety of the quiet castle.

The camera slowly ascended along the ancient wooden spiral staircase and went deeper into the corridor.

Drip, drip.

The sound of slow and clear water droplets echoed through the corridor until the camera froze on an ornately carved wooden door.

The door soon opened outwards, and the camera advanced.

The dim candlelight in the room reflected a figure. The other person was quietly leaning against the head of the bed, looking down at a book. His side profile was slightly obscured by his hair and was as tantalizing as a god.

Suddenly, he closed the book and slowly got out of bed with his bare feet. His white, jade-like feet stepped on the black velvet, and it was the ultimate color collision under the camera.

Ji Li walked unhurriedly, trying to find the right foothold with every step. Under his feet were jewelry necklaces and diamond rings.

They were randomly discarded on the ground by their owner as if they were worthless gadgets. However, they still stubbornly exuded an eye-catching brilliance, trying to attract the attention of others.

The cameraman saw this scene and couldn’t help holding his breath.

His nervousness wasn’t for these jewels that were likely to be trampled on but for the nobleman played by Ji Li.

In his heart, the current Ji Li was more precious than these jewels. He was afraid that if the other person wasn’t careful, he would be hurt by these obstructing jewels.

Ji Li straightened his toes and slowly swept a path for himself. He walked over to a small carved table in the candlelight and sat down on the edge of the table with one hand lowered casually.

He felt thirsty, so he picked up a glass cup full of water. The water swayed against the transparent glass wall, and the reflected light played with the dancing candlelight on his face.

The nobleman spotted these dazzling lights and shook the water cup in his hand like he found it funny. Then he glanced at the camera that had always ‘peeked’ at him.

At this moment, all the jewels were eclipsed. They were far more inferior than his occasional glance which could transform thousands of thoughts.

He was obviously a cameraman with over ten years of experience, but he always couldn’t hold back his heart. Fortunately, he had auxiliary equipment on his body, so he didn’t let the camera equipment fall to the ground.

Too strong.

It was obviously just a light look, but the aura was strong enough to make people bow down.

The nobleman played by Ji Li seemed to have discovered his embarrassment, and an innocent smile appeared on his face. Light and shadow fell on his slender eyelashes as he closed his eyes.

Only then did he move the cup to his luscious red lips to drink the sweetness in the cup. The movement of his small Adam’s apple was very attractive.

The camera quickly zoomed out according to the script.

The floor was covered with diamonds and jewels, the nobleman drank lazily, the murals, candlelight, gauze curtains, and what looked like oil paintings from the revival period in the distance… everything was the pinnacle of luxurious seduction.

These shots fell on the monitor and made everyone watching, including Adolphe, dumbfounded.

It was amazing.

Ji Li’s face was too advanced! The more gorgeous it was, the more attractive it became! He was born to belong to the big screen. It was simply overkill when filming an advertisement.

The sense of luxury and sophistication that the advertisement wanted to convey was refined in every detail by Ji Li. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that even every strand of hair was full of an immortal feeling.

It was a type of nobility that didn’t belong to this world.

“Too perfect! He feels completely different from Lu Yao.”

“God, Ji made this glass of water look like something I can’t afford to drink.”

“Be sober. The first scene was originally prepared for the aristocratic series of the Natural mineral water. It is normal that we feel unworthy of drinking it.”

Adolphe heard the discussion of the team members, and his eyes were filled with satisfaction. “Okay, let the extras get ready. I think we can start filming the next scene soon.”

An impeccable Ji Li, and an impeccable performance.

If this continued, he would really lose his job as the advertising director!

Ji Li came down from the bedroom on the second floor. “Director Adolphe, is my condition okay?”

“Of course, my little cutie.” Adolphe reviewed the scene for Ji Li while also taking the opportunity to record a video. “But I want to make up a few more close-up shots. Just now, the scene was restricted, and there was no time to capture it.”

Ji Li nodded and easily agreed.

The group quickly got back to work. Under Adolphe’s orders, they shot one scene after another of content that didn’t exist in the script before they entered an intermission.

“I think Director Adolphe is using public matters for his own personal gain. It is clear that he can’t stop filming Ji Li!”

“Agreed!”

This was indeed the case.

Inspiration would come to him every time he filmed Ji Li.

Adolphe didn’t refute their comments and happily sent several videos to Qin Yue.

“Qin, your baby is so cute. I specially took some videos for you. You can buy me a drink next time.”

“I can’t help but want to hug him and hold him tightly!”

“He is really my muse~”

***

At 2:30 p.m., filming of the second scene began. This second scene was connected to the first scene, but there was a spatial transition.

The nobleman played by Ji Li got up and pushed open the door of the room. After connecting the scenes in post-editing, the closed palace door would be opened.

People of different nationalities, gender, and ages stood outside. This was the first meeting of ‘nobility’ and ‘ordinary people’ and it also represented the opening of the second series of the Natural mineral water.

Ji Li finished filming the opening scene in the original room and moved to the large banquet hall on the first floor of the castle.

“Three, two, one, action!”

Adolphe gave the order, and the crouching staff members immediately opened the ornate and heavy door.

Bright and dark lights blended in an instant, revealing the magnificence of the banquet hall to the world. Gorgeous murals, rose windows, and brilliant, colorful glass all revealed the smell of money.

The extras from all over the world entered. Before they could express their amazement, they were shocked by the noble at the banquet table.

This was the brightest central point in the whole room.

The nobleman played by Ji Li stood there. As if helped by a divine light, everything about him was beautiful. He wasn’t an elegant nobleman but was more like an angel who had fallen to the world.

He was so clean, pure, and beautiful that people didn’t dare to defile him. Everyone stopped moving, their eyes showing an obsessive light. They didn’t dare take a step forward.

The extras hadn’t received systematic training, and it was difficult to express the look that the director wanted in a short period of time. However, right now, everyone’s eyes were surprisingly consistent.

They all looked at Ji Li in the light with a type of longing and affection that radiated from the heart. There were no falsehoods.

In front of the monitor, Adolphe watched the scene and sighed deeply at Ji Li’s charm as an actor.

He finally saw with his own eyes an aura that was being used as a boundary.

After one or two seconds of absolute silence, Ji Li took the lead in choosing to approach. He explored everyone with curious eyes.

From a tall and thin white-skinned woman to a short and fat black man. From a cute young child to a kind old woman. Everyone was a living individual.

Ji Li held a cup of water that hadn’t been drunk in his hand. Water droplets occasionally overflowed from the cup as he walked.

Drip.

It submerged everyone’s feet and it made people want to touch the skin-friendly moisture and smell the pure fragrance.

Ji Li walked to the last row and saw the last person.

It was an old beggar who was hunched over and trying to hide herself. She wore tattered clothes, and her long gray hair was a mess. There was even dirt on her face that hadn’t been wiped off.

Such a dirty beggar and holy noble formed two distinct extremes under the camera.

Ji Li’s curious eyes faded away. He showed a clean smile as he slowly handed over the cup of water in his hand without the slightest bit of arrogance or disgust.

It was the simplest action of friendship, equality, and sharing, and it transcended dignity, gender, age, and country.

The old beggar slowly reached out to take the cup of water and smiled.

***

The same cup of water showed two completely different feelings in Ji Li’s hands. The former was expensive and unattainable, while the latter could be enjoyed by all living beings.

The person in charge of the brand side witnessed this process and gave full marks to Ji Li, the spokesperson.

Ji Li’s excellent performance brought the filming to a successful conclusion. Before he could finish work, he was surrounded by three layers of people.

No matter whether it was the extras or the staff members, they all wanted to take photos with him and have signed autographs. Of course, they couldn’t post such precious group photos publicly before the advertisement came out.

Adolphe looked back at the footage taken today several times, and the smile on his face could directly ascend to the sky.

His phone vibrated silently. The message sent to Qin Yue an hour ago finally had a reply. It was probably because the other person had just finished with work.

“Adolphe, please remember your duties as the director, and don’t do anything other than work.”

“Remember, he is my lover.”

“Adolphe, don’t hold him.”

The seemingly understated sentences almost gave off the super sour smell of vinegar from the other end of the screen.

Adolphe was stunned for a few seconds before he shrugged and said to himself, “Qin? A gentleman?”

No, this was clearly a possessive maniac.

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TL: Advance chapters are available over on my Patreon. You can go check out the details on my Patreon page.

Proofreader: Azure