HCB Chapter 326 Wedding Photos
Chapter 326 Wedding Photos
November 9, 1998, 8:00 AM.
Jinan, Lixia District.
Ling Yun stood in front of the mirror, wearing a dark gray suit. The suit was custom-made, the material was excellent, and the cut was perfect, but something felt off. The tie was too tight, uncomfortable around his neck. The shirt collar was a bit stiff, digging into his chin. The shoes were new, and he wasn't used to wearing them yet; the heels were a little chafed.
An Shiyu came out of the bedroom.
She wore a white wedding dress, a long, flowing gown embroidered with delicate patterns. Her hair was styled in an updo, revealing her smooth neck, and she wore pearl earrings. She stood there, looking at herself in the mirror, then at Ling Yun.
"How is it?" she asked.
Ling Yun looked at her.
The wedding dress was very white, making her face appear even whiter. Her eyes were bright, sparkling under the lights. She smiled slightly, a little nervous, a little expectant.
"It looks good," he said.
An Shiyu smiled. "Really?"
"Um."
She came over and straightened his tie. It was tied perfectly, but she insisted on fixing it again.
"You've lost weight," she said. "Your suits are a little loose."
Doorbell rang.
An Shiyu ran to open the door. Standing outside were the photographer and his assistant, carrying large bags of equipment.
"Miss An?" The photographer was a man in his thirties with long hair tied in a ponytail. "We're from a photo studio, here to take your wedding photos."
"Please come in, please come in." An Shiyu ushered them in.
The photographer entered the room, saw Ling Yun, and nodded. "Mr. Ling, is that right? It's an honor to meet you."
Ling Yun nodded. "We're all ready, let's begin!"
The photographer looked around the living room. "Let's start indoors today. The lighting here is good; we can take a few pictures."
The assistant started setting up the equipment: reflectors, lights, cameras, one by one.
An Shiyu sat on the sofa, letting the makeup artist touch up her makeup. The makeup artist was a young girl, patting and applying powder to her face.
Ling Yun stood to the side, unsure of what to do.
"Mr. Ling," the photographer called to him, "please sit down with the bride."
Ling Yun walked over and sat down next to An Shiyu.
The photographer crouched behind the camera, looking through the viewfinder.
"The bride should move a little closer to the groom, yes, a little closer, good. Where should the groom put his hands? On the bride's waist. Yes, like that. Smile."
Ling Yun smiled.
The shutter clicked.
"One more. The bride leans her head on the groom's shoulder. Yes. The groom looks at the bride. Yes, just like that. Smile."
Click.
"Okay, let's change the pose. The groom stands up, and the bride sits. The groom stands behind the bride, with his hand on her shoulder. Yes, smile."
Click.
After shooting for more than twenty minutes, the photographer looked at the photos and nodded.
"We're almost done with the indoor scenes, let's move on to the outdoor shots."
At 10 a.m., the group arrived at Daming Lake.
The sun was shining brightly, casting shimmering light on the lake. Willow trees drooped along the shore, their leaves turning slightly yellow, rustling softly in the breeze.
An Shiyu stood under a willow tree, the train of her wedding dress spread out on the grass. She held onto the tree trunk with one hand, the other hanging at her side, her head slightly tilted as she looked at the camera.
The photographer crouched three meters away, camera in hand, shouting, "Okay, like that, don't move. Bride, make your eyes a little gentler. Yes. Groom, stand over there, a little further away, looking at the bride."
Ling Yun stood five meters away, looking at An Shiyu.
He didn't know where to look. Her face? Her dress? The camera? The photographer told him to look at the bride, so he looked at the bride.
The shutter clicked away.
"Okay, let's change locations."
Next stop, a pavilion by the lake. Then, on a stone bridge. And next, beside a small boat.
Every time they changed locations, An Shiyu had to re-pose. Standing, sitting, leaning, walking. Ling Yun cooperated with her, standing beside her, behind her, and opposite her. He stood exactly as the photographer instructed.
The sun was getting stronger. The suit fabric was thick and not breathable, and my back was already sweating. My tie was still on, making my neck uncomfortable. My leather shoes were rubbing against my heels, and every step hurt.
An Shiyu didn't seem tired. She changed poses, expressions, and angles, cooperating with the photographer again and again. Sometimes when the photographer said, "One more shot," she would take another one, smiling more naturally and with a gentler look in her eyes.
Ling Yun looked at her and wondered how she could not be tired.
It's 2 PM, lunchtime.
They ate at a small restaurant. An Shiyu was still wearing her wedding dress and couldn't change, so she just sat there. Ling Yun took off his suit jacket, loosened his tie, and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Are you tired?" An Shiyu asked.
"good."
An Shiyu smiled. "You look exhausted."
"It's not that I'm tired, but I feel a bit rushed and flustered."
"We still have outdoor scenes this afternoon," An Shiyu said, "at Thousand Buddha Mountain. To accommodate someone as busy as you, we'll try to finish filming in one day."
Lingyun paused for a moment while picking up food with her chopsticks.
"besides?"
"Yes. There's another outfit I need to change into," An Shiyu said, "that red Chinese-style dress."
Ling Yun nodded and continued eating.
Four o'clock in the afternoon, Thousand Buddha Mountain.
An Shiyu changed into a red Chinese-style dress, with a shorter skirt for easier movement. Her hair was still up in a bun, but she wore a pair of red earrings instead.
The photographer found a hillside with a distant view of Jinan in the background. As the sun began to set, the light softened, becoming golden, and bathed the two people in its glow.
"Okay, bride and groom, stand here," the photographer directed. "Bride, arm in arm with groom. Yes. Look at each other. Smile."
Ling Yun looked at An Shiyu.
She looked at him too. The setting sun shone on her face, illuminating her eyes. She smiled slightly, the corners of her mouth turning up to reveal a hint of her teeth.
The shutter clicked.
"One more picture. The groom kisses the bride. Yes, on the forehead."
Ling Yun bent down and gently kissed her forehead.
The shutter clicked several times.
"Okay, change positions. The groom carries the bride. Yes, lift her up. The bride wraps her arms around the groom's neck. Smile."
Ling Yun bent down and picked An Shiyu up. She was lighter than she looked, so it wasn't difficult to lift her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, looked at him, and her eyes crinkled into crescents.
The shutter clicked several more times.
"Okay, put it down."
Ling Yun put her down. She stood there and straightened his shirt collar.
"Are you tired?" she asked.
"fine."
She smiled. "You're all wet."
Ling Yun looked down. His shirt was indeed wet, especially the back, where the color was a bit darker.
"It's alright," he said.
"Just a few more pictures," An Shiyu said. "Hang in there."
Ling Yun nodded.
At six o'clock in the afternoon, the sun set.
The photographer looked at the photos and nodded in satisfaction.
"That's enough," he said. "These photos from today are enough to choose from."
An Shiyu breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally, filming is over."
Ling Yun also breathed a sigh of relief.
Back in the car, Ling Yun took off his suit jacket and completely untied his tie, tossing it onto the back seat. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
An Shiyu was standing next to her, looking through photos on her laptop.
"This one looks good," she said. "This one's not bad either. Your expression looks a bit stiff in this one."
Ling Yun didn't speak.
"Look at this picture," she said, turning the computer around. "We both look quite natural smiling."
Ling Yun glanced at the photo. In it, two people stood in the sunset, looking at each other and smiling. He didn't know what he was thinking at the time, but their smiles certainly looked natural.
"Hmm," he said.
An Shiyu turned back to the computer and continued browsing.
"Are you tired?" she asked.
"A little."
She smiled. "I'm tired too, but I'm happy."
Ling Yun looked at her.
She looked down at the photos on her computer, a smile playing on her lips. The setting sun shone through the car window, casting a golden glow on her face.
He recalled that throughout the day, she had changed into more than a dozen outfits, posed in hundreds of ways, and walked all day with a smile on her face the entire time.
He didn't speak.
It was already dark when I drove home.
An Shiyu collapsed onto the sofa as soon as she entered the room, not wanting to move.
"I'm exhausted," she said.
Ling Yun sat down next to her.
She leaned closer and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Lingyun," she called his name.
"Um?"
"Thank you."
Ling Yun looked down at her.
"What are you thanking me for?"
"Thank you for spending time with me today," she said. "I know you don't like taking pictures, but you stayed with me the whole time."
Ling Yun didn't say anything, but gently kissed her forehead.
She closed her eyes, a smile still playing on her lips. After a while, her breathing became even. She had fallen asleep.
Ling Yun sat there and gently tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.