Chapter 644 - 643: High-End Version

"Su Li, darling, these are all qipaos. And even though they’re all qipaos, each one is different and absolutely gorgeous. You have to take lots of pictures and wear every single one! If there isn’t enough time today, we can go for another full day tomorrow. You’ve got to take at least a few hundred photos."

"And this wedding gown! Let me tell you, it’s a bit complicated to put on, but it’s stunning once you’re in it. You have to wear all these earrings and accessories, you really do. It’ll be so, so beautiful. If you don’t know how to get it on, I can come along and help you."

Wu Qihua rambled on and on, but Su Li quickly declined. "No, no, that’s okay! I can manage on my own."

’Wedding photoshoots are supposed to be exhausting. If I make my future mother-in-law run around with me all day just to help me change, I’ll definitely be struck by lightning!’

Wu Qihua didn’t understand Su Li’s hesitation. When Su Li refused her offer, the disappointment in her eyes couldn’t have been more intense.

"Fine, fine. You can get dressed yourself, then. But remember, you have to take pictures in all of them! And you must go to these two locations. The winter scenery there is beautiful; it would be a real shame to miss it."

"Oh, and remember to have the photographer print extra photos. Get at least three sets of prints made. Pick the very best ones and have them enlarged. They look even better that way..."

Su Li: "..."

’This isn’t quite how I imagined it would be.’

But even so, faced with Wu Qihua’s enthusiasm, all she could do was nod.

’Her future mother-in-law really is the most fashionable and modern mother-in-law ever.’

Once they finally left the Wu family home and got into the car, Su Li calmed down. She glanced at the cases on the back seat, her expression hard to describe.

’Well, let’s put it this way,’ she thought. ’If my original plan for the photoshoot was the standard edition, then with Wu Sheng and Wu Qihua’s input, it’s instantly been upgraded several tiers to the deluxe edition.’

"If we can’t finish today, we can just find another time to do the rest," Wu Sheng said from the driver’s seat, completely agreeing with Wu Qihua.

Su Li said, "...Let’s just try to finish today. We can work a little later tonight if we have to. We can take some of the shots in the studio."

"They have a lot of scenic backdrops there, too."

Wu Sheng nodded. "That works. Whatever you want."

The corners of his eyes crinkled with a smile, as if he couldn’t be happier. Seeing him, Su Li couldn’t help but smile back.

"I was worried you’d find all this annoying," she admitted, "so I was thinking we should try to make it as quick as possible. After a full day of this, our faces are bound to be stiff from smiling."

Wu Sheng tilted his head. "Why would I? I’ll be fine. I’m just worried you’ll get tired."

A sweet warmth spread through Su Li’s heart. "I won’t."

After they met up with the photographer, the hectic day of shooting began.

The cases of clothing Wu Sheng brought made the photographer look at them in a new light, and his attitude became much more courteous.

After all, one look at the clothes told you they belonged to a family with a deep heritage. That, combined with the presence of Su Li and Wu Sheng themselves, made it clear to anyone with half a brain that they were major clients. They absolutely couldn’t afford to offend them.

Since they were adding more locations to the schedule, the price doubled on the spot, much to the photographer’s satisfaction.

And so the photographer’s wife, who was deft with her hands and good with words, assisted them for the entire shoot.

She helped Su Li change and did her hair. She was dedicated and skilled, which made everyone happy.

Every time Su Li emerged in a new outfit, Wu Sheng’s eyes would light up. The photographer didn’t even have to ask him to smile; a grin would naturally spread across his face, and his gaze would be completely fixed on her.

Wu Sheng was strong and quick-witted. He could effortlessly lift Su Li or carry her on his back, mastering any pose they tried. This gave the photographer a flood of ideas, and combined with Wu Sheng’s own creativity, the photos became more than just beautiful—they were imaginative.

The atmosphere was so wonderful that Su Li, surprisingly, didn’t feel tired at all.

After a short break for lunch, it was time for the main event: the wedding gown photos.

It took Su Li a full half hour to get into the gown and have her hair and makeup done, but every second was worth it.

When Su Li appeared before him in the red wedding gown, Wu Sheng’s breath caught in his throat. He forgot to breathe, forgot everything. His world narrowed until there was only Su Li.

Su Li was already feeling shy, and under Wu Sheng’s intense gaze, her face instantly turned crimson.

She was truly more delicate than any flower.

The photographer, watching from the side, immediately captured the candid moment without a word.

The photographer snapped away excitedly, while his wife watched from the side, unable to hide the envy in her eyes. Who wouldn’t want to wear the most beautiful, most magnificent wedding gown? And the one Su Li had on, not to mention the accessories in her hair...

Any single piece was extraordinary. They were made of real gold and silver! Never mind the craftsmanship—the golden beads alone were astonishing.

’To be willing to use all this just for a photoshoot... Comparisons are truly the thief of joy.’

But sighs were just sighs, and the photographer’s wife remained very professional.

Su Li wasn’t even sure how she got through the photoshoot in the brilliant red gown. Wu Sheng’s gaze was so fiery it almost seemed to burn her. The moment they finished, she practically fled for her life.

Since her hair was already styled, Su Li changed into a period costume for her next set of photos, transforming into a classical beauty.

Su Li’s features already had a certain classical grace, and in the costume, she looked ethereal and so beautiful it was breathtaking.

Wu Sheng changed as well. Although his costume was a little short and the wig on his head was rather comical, his handsome face was more than enough to cover for these flaws. In fact, he made the clothes and wig look several times more impressive.

When Wu Sheng saw Su Li, he was once again unable to look away. And when Su Li saw Wu Sheng, she couldn’t tear her eyes away either.

’Oh my god,’ she thought. ’He’s just... too handsome.’

’So handsome it should be illegal.’

With such a handsome man and a beautiful woman, every shot was a winner. The photographer, who should have been exhausted by now, found that he wasn’t feeling tired at all.

Qipaos, period costumes, the brilliant red wedding gown, a student uniform, casual daily wear, and even some ethnic minority outfits—they efficiently shot in every single one.

They rushed to four different locations over the course of the day. By the time they finally finished, they headed back to the studio just as it was starting to get dark.

They still had three more sets to shoot, but these would be done inside the studio.

After running around all day, their stomachs were growling.

Wu Sheng treated the photographer and his wife to another delicious meal. Once they had eaten their fill and rested for a bit, they started again.

The outfits for the studio shoot were a special kind of uniform.

Much like how camouflage would become popular in later years, military-green attire was all the rage in this era. Just wearing a replica was enough to make a person puff out their chest with pride.

She put on the military-green replica uniform, fastened a belt, tied her hair into two braided pigtails, put on a cap, slung a yellow canvas bag over her shoulder, and slipped on a pair of rubber shoes. Transformation complete.

When Su Li appeared in front of Wu Sheng, he couldn’t stop himself from letting out a laugh.

"PFFT—Su Li, you... the way you look..."

Su Li fiddled with her pigtails. "What? Is it weird?"

"Not weird at all. It’s just... amazing. You look great." Wu Sheng had already changed into his matching outfit.

His was incredibly handsome, too. Su Li was stunned.

"Let’s take a lot of pictures in these," Wu Sheng said, grinning as he pulled Su Li over.

With an outfit like this, the background had to be suitably formal. They posed in front of backdrops depicting "The East is Red" and other representative architecture of the era.

You couldn’t be goofy while wearing clothes like these. The only acceptable poses were sitting upright and proper or standing perfectly straight.

The photographer, excited, snapped away. CLICK, CLICK.

Besides that, they couldn’t forget the sailor-stripe shirts. They were very stylish and very fashionable for the time.

Anyone who owned an outfit like this was the envy of all their friends, who would borrow it just to take pictures.

The moment she put on the sailor-stripe shirt, Su Li immediately pulled Wu Sheng into a "March Forward" pose.

It was the classic photo pose of the era!