BSS - Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Gu Ninglu's eyes lit up in an instant. She snatched up her car keys and said to Deng Chuan, "Great! Come on, let's go to my studio right now."

The two left Luckin. Gu Ninglu's white Porsche Cayenne was parked in a temporary spot not far away. Once they got in the car, the gazes that had fluttered over like butterflies, drawn by the luxury vehicle, were firmly blocked out.

It was a luxury car, but Gu Ninglu drove very properly. She didn't slam on the gas or weave through traffic, and even when overtaking, she dutifully flashed her high and low beams three times. Her studio wasn't far from P University, located on the second floor of a storefront on a street corner in the bustling, flashy district of Sanlitun.

There was no elevator. The stairwell was very clean, and as they walked up one after the other, their footsteps echoed crisply.

Once inside, Gu Ninglu flicked on the lights with a click.

Bright incandescent lights illuminated the small space. There were a few potted plants, fabrics piled on a workbench, and half a vest pinned to a nearby mannequin.

"Come in."

Gu Ninglu gestured casually. "Take a look around," she said. "I'm just going to tidy up the inner room. You can come in for the photos in a bit."

Deng Chuan asked her, "The photos... is it just the two of us?"

"Just the two of us." Gu Ninglu nodded affirmatively and smiled at Deng Chuan. "I'll be the photographer."

Seeing Deng Chuan return her gaze with a clear, objection-free smile, Gu Ninglu's eyes flickered. She seemed to want to say something but swallowed her words, turning and entering the inner room.

Deng Chuan's gaze swept around the studio before she found a chair and sat down. Outside, the city lights were just beginning to glow, and it was still quiet. On her phone, a message came from Xu Wei, saying the teachers were out for a dinner party tonight and she might be back late, so she wouldn't call.

Deng Chuan replied with an "Okay." She then proactively reported her own whereabouts, saying she was also out.

Xu Wei didn't reply, probably because she was at the dinner and couldn't check her phone.

Before long, Gu Ninglu finished tidying up and called her into the room.

The room had been set up like a photo studio, with a large, solid-colored backdrop. A row of clothes hung on a metal rack, and a curtain was hung to the side, creating a space for changing.

Gu Ninglu ushered her in, closed the door, and turned on the air conditioner.

"Let's make this quick. After the shoot, I'll treat you to dinner." She gave Deng Chuan a captivating smile, pleased to see Deng Chuan return it with a perfectly appropriate one.

Deng Chuan stood where she was, waiting for Gu Ninglu to give her the clothes so they could hurry up, finish the shoot, and get dinner.

Unexpectedly, after waiting for a while, Gu Ninglu was still just looking at her leisurely.

Deng Chuan's eyes widened. Gu Ninglu's eyes widened too.

After a long moment, Gu Ninglu feigned a sudden realization and said innocently, "Go on, take your clothes off. Those outfits are a bit tricky to put on. I'll help you."

Deng Chuan immediately refused. "No."

"Are you shy?"

Deng Chuan stared at her fixedly without speaking.

"Have you never been to a public bathhouse?"

"Never."

"Well then... how about we get over that psychological barrier right here?"

An uncomfortable silence followed.

Deng Chuan pressed her lips together, her gaze slightly lowered. It looked like she would turn and leave if Gu Ninglu insisted. Gu Ninglu sighed silently to herself and gave up.

Her eyes darted around, and she smiled brightly. "Look how nervous you are. I was just teasing you. I put the clothes inside. Go on and change."

Seeing that Deng Chuan was still eyeing her defensively, she raised her hands in a gesture of surrender, emphasizing, "I swear, I won't peek."

Her bare arms were fair and slender, and the lines they formed when raised were beautiful. Unfortunately, Deng Chuan didn't spare them a second glance, simply turning on her heel and slipping behind the curtain.

Gu Ninglu hadn't been lying; the clothes she designed were not easy to put on. After Deng Chuan had changed, she could clearly feel that some adjustments were needed. Thinking of the way Gu Ninglu had been staring at her earlier, Deng Chuan hesitated for a moment, comforting herself internally that it was just a part-time job that would be over after the photos. She pulled back the curtain and, just as she expected, saw Gu Ninglu's gaze land on her.

Deng Chuan embodied the outfit even better than Gu Ninglu had imagined. She stared intently, her eyes drawn to Deng Chuan's bare feet, her faintly visible waist, and the flowing vest that rested on her straight shoulders.

Enduring her gaze, Deng Chuan walked all the way to the solid-colored backdrop and nodded calmly at Gu Ninglu. "Senior Sister Gu, do you see anything that needs adjusting?"

"Adjusting?" Gu Ninglu drew out the word, walking over with unhurried steps. She let down Deng Chuan's low-tied hair, gently tugged at the clothes on her body, then squatted down to adjust the angle of the pant legs.

She stepped back, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "That's good. Stand in a relaxed pose, and tone down your expression. No need to smile."

Under the incandescent lights, Deng Chuan's black hair and fair skin looked exceptionally pure. The serenity in her features merged with this purity, and as it registered in Gu Ninglu's eyes, she thought in a daze: She really is perfect for this.

The camera's flash went off again and again. Gu Ninglu stared at the display screen for a moment, then gestured to Deng Chuan with her chin. "Change your pose. Turn halfway to the side. Give me some look in your eyes."

As a model, Deng Chuan was very composed. After picking up the camera, Gu Ninglu's expression also grew serious. The shutter clicked for a while before Gu Ninglu signaled for her to relax and lowered her head to check the photos.

She looked for a moment, said it was good enough, and beckoned to Deng Chuan. "Come see for yourself how they turned out."

Deng Chuan walked over to her side but didn't lean in for a closer look. She just said, "They're great. As long as you think they're suitable, that's all that matters."

"Alright-" Gu Ninglu took a deep breath as if a great task had been accomplished. She set the camera aside and said, "I'll transfer the money to you later. I'll also email you a copy of the photos once they're ready. Send me your email and bank account number."

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you." Gu Ninglu swept her hair back, the diamond bracelet on her wrist sparkling. "Go get changed. I'll treat you to dinner."

Deng Chuan didn't really want to have another meal with her but couldn't think of a good reason to refuse, so she could only say, "Thank you, Senior Sister, but I don't usually eat dinner."

Gu Ninglu gave her a surprised look. "Are you on a diet?"

"No, it's a habit," Deng Chuan said, her expression unchanging.

"Alright then." Gu Ninglu didn't press her. She nodded. "I'll drive you back to school then."

The narrow stairwell was still quiet, but the outside had grown lively. The sounds of music and voices vibrated against their eardrums. Gu Ninglu found it noisy and frowned. She glanced at Deng Chuan, feeling instinctively that she didn't fit in with this place at all.

The two of them got in the car. As Gu Ninglu turned in the direction of the university, she asked Deng Chuan, "Junior Sister, do you go to bars?"

Deng Chuan said, "Occasionally."

Back in high school, one of Pei Qingyu's art studio teachers worked part-time at a quiet bar in the evenings, and they would sometimes go hang out there.

Gu Ninglu fell silent. Deng Chuan didn't mind; the topic had conveniently died. She was happy for the peace and quiet, trying her best to ignore the glances Gu Ninglu kept sending her way, whether intentionally or not. She turned her head to watch the stream of traffic outside the window.

The buildings shimmered with brilliant colors, and indistinct figures moved under the treetops. The office buildings were all lit up, each and every window closed. What's burning, Deng Chuan wondered, the lights, or the people?

Her phone vibrated. She came back to her senses and looked down to see that Xu Wei had finally found a moment to reply, telling her to be safe.

Deng Chuan couldn't help but smile as she replied: I'm done with the shoot and on my way back to school now. Don't drink too much at your dinner. Let me know when you get home.

Xu Wei replied quickly: Okay.

She added: I didn't drink, but I have to take a colleague home later, so I might be late.

Deng Chuan replied with an "Okay" and sent a sticker of a kitten rolling around.

Before Xu Wei could reply, Deng Chuan suddenly remembered the question Gu Ninglu had asked her and typed curiously: Have you ever been to a public bathhouse?

Xu Wei replied quickly: I'm not very comfortable with them.

She added: You'd better not go either.

Deng Chuan replied obediently: I won't, of course I won't.

Xu Wei immediately explained: I just don't think those places are very sanitary. If there's an option for a private bathroom, it's better to choose that.

Deng Chuan sent a sticker of a kitten nodding repeatedly and played along seriously: You're right, I can't accept it either.

Xu Wei didn't continue the topic. She wrote: Okay, my colleague drank too much, I'm going to check on them. You be safe.

Deng Chuan had been looking down at her phone, chatting, and Gu Ninglu had noticed. Just then, they stopped at a red light. She pulled the handbrake and watched the numbers flash ahead, saying nothing.

In her peripheral vision, she finally saw Deng Chuan put her phone away. Gu Ninglu spoke leisurely, asking, "Do you usually just live in the dorms?"

Deng Chuan didn't understand what Gu Ninglu meant. School had just started; where else would she live if not the dorms? She could only answer, "Yes."

Gu Ninglu smiled. "I have quite a few empty residences on hand, all family investments. The B&Bs and hotels in Beijing are a mixed bag. If you guys ever need a place to stay when you're out, you can ask me."

Deng Chuan raised an eyebrow but didn't refuse outright, only saying, "Thank you, Senior Sister."

They arrived at the university shortly after. Deng Chuan got out of the car, said goodbye to Gu Ninglu, and turned to walk onto campus.

There were quite a few students coming and going on campus. Deng Chuan had been busy since noon, and only now that things had quieted down did she realize she was famished. She detoured to the supermarket on her way, thinking of buying something to eat.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she walked through the supermarket doors, Liang Xue and Chen Mingzhang came walking toward her. It was a head-on encounter, impossible to avoid. Liang Xue called out to her, "Deng Chuan!" She didn't call her "Junior Sister" anymore, intentionally using her name to close the distance between them.

Chen Mingzhang also smiled and nodded at her.

Deng Chuan smiled back and greeted them, "Senior Sister Liang, Senior Brother Chen."

Liang Xue asked her, "You've met my friend, right? How did it go?"

Deng Chuan said, "We've already finished the photos."

Hearing this, Liang Xue looked quite happy and seemed about to ask her more, but Deng Chuan, realizing her lie to Gu Ninglu about not eating dinner could easily be exposed—the more she said, the more likely she was to slip up—took the initiative to excuse herself. "Senior Sister, I should get going. My roommates are waiting for me to bring something back."

Liang Xue didn't think much of it and nodded understandingly. "Alright, you go on then." After a thought, she added, as if not quite finished, "I'll treat you to a meal some other day to thank you for your help."

Deng Chuan could only politely refuse again. "Thank you, Senior Sister. We'll definitely have a meal together when there's a chance."

After finally managing to say her goodbyes to the pair, Deng Chuan walked into the supermarket. Unexpectedly, she had only gone a few rows down the bread and snack aisle when she saw her three roommates, browsing together.

At the same time, her phone vibrated. In the dorm group chat, Li Mingtang had asked: We're at the supermarket, do you need us to get you anything?

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