As for Pink-Hair, before Falling in Love, He Insisted That He Wasn't the Possessive Type - Chapter 5

Shang Qingye had just finished his shower. He was wearing a thin, short-sleeved shirt, the collar slightly damp from the water. As he rubbed his wet hair with a towel, he glanced at his phone screen as it lit up with a notification. A message had popped up:

“There’s an order for a wedding shoot over on Xingquan Avenue. Are you interested?”

He picked up the phone and casually replied, “What date?”

The moment he sent the message, his phone began to ring.

“Sister Hua,” Shang Qingye greeted with a smile. A cold, sharp female voice came through the receiver.

“It’s for January 10th. They need both photos and short videos. It’s a big order. Are you coming?”

Holding his phone with one hand and drying his hair with the towel in the other, Shang Qingye paced as he replied, “I already took an order for January 10th, so I can’t make it.”

The woman he called Sister Hua let out a small chuckle. “You brat, you’ve picked up another big one, haven’t you?”

Hearing the teasing in her voice, Shang Qingye laughed. “It’s a jewelry design commission. But if we are talking truly big orders, those only come from you, Sister Hua.”

“You are talented at everything anyway. Heaven’s gift to you.”

After hanging up, Shang Qingye finished drying his hair, threw on a black jacket, and headed out. As soon as he stepped out the door, he saw his grandmother in the courtyard, sorting through red moss.

They lived in an old residential compound, specifically one of those old tube buildings with a shared open space out front. Most of the residents were elderly, and security was non-existent; the guards were essentially just for show.

“Oh, Xiao Ye is going out!” Grandma Wei, who was sitting in the open area chatting, was the first to spot him and called out.

Hearing Grandma Wei, Shang Qingye’s grandmother turned around as well.

Shang Qingye acknowledged Grandma Wei before walking over to his grandmother. “Let me help you, Grandma.”

He squatted down and helped her sort the vegetables. Looking at him, his grandmother asked, “Xiao Ye, will you be home for lunch today?”

“No,” he replied while working. “I have a commission today. Eat without me, Grandma. You do not need to wait for me.”

“Then remember to eat something yourself. Eat well, and mind your stomach.”

“I know, Grandma.”

January 10th.

Yu Qingdu sat in his office, idly playing with the ornaments on his desk, rocking them back and forth. A knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.”

Xu Yue walked in. “The photographer I found should be arriving soon. I have to head to the raw materials factory, so keep an eye on things for me today.”

Yu Qingdu rested his chin on his hand and gave a simple, “Okay.”

“Jiang Yi still hasn’t been found. Jiang Zhiyan is still looking for him,” Xu Yue added just before leaving.

Yu Qingdu nodded. “Tell him not to be in such a rush.”

After Xu Yue had been gone for a while, Yu Qingdu pulled out one of his business cards and toyed with it. He stared at his own name on the card as if lost in thought. A moment later, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

The call was answered quickly, and a male voice came through. “Hey, Brother.”

Yu Qingdu toyed with the card in his left hand and asked in a leisurely tone, “The task I gave you on your birthday, did you do it?”

On the other end, Zhou Hao was momentarily confused. “Task? What task? Brother, did you give me something to do?”

Hearing this, everything became clear to Yu Qingdu. This guy had not handed out the business card at all. The corners of Yu Qingdu’s mouth curled up slightly, but the smile in his eyes was cold.

“You really are something else.”

Recognizing that tone, Zhou Hao knew he was in deep trouble. He swallowed hard over the phone. “Wait, Brother, Brother, stay calm! Let me explain! I was as drunk as a dog that day. I could not remember anything! Brother, I really did not do it on purpose.”

While Zhou Hao was still rambling his excuses, there was a knock on the office door.

Yu Qingdu massaged his temple. “Come in.”

“Boss, the photographer is here.”

The young assistant led the person in.

Yu Qingdu looked up and saw the very man who had just left him speechless standing there in the flesh, less than fifty meters away.

“Fine, I have got it. You can head out,” Yu Qingdu said.

Once the assistant left, Yu Qingdu kept his eyes fixed on Shang Qingye while whispering into the phone with a low laugh, “Nothing is left for you to do,” before hanging up.

Shang Qingye raised an eyebrow at Yu Qingdu. He had not expected the man to actually end up being his boss.

Shang Qingye was still wearing that same black jacket from before, while Yu Qingdu had changed into a cream-colored sweater that made him look harmless.

“Quite a coincidence, Ye-ge,” Yu Qingdu said, standing up and walking toward him.

Shang Qingye’s lips curled into a smirk, giving him the look of a classic bad boy. “Quite a coincidence indeed, Boss.”

As Shang Qingye spoke, Yu Qingdu came to a stop directly in front of him. Staring into Shang Qingye’s eyes, he took the man’s hand and pressed the business card into his palm.

Standing together, they were roughly the same height, though a closer look revealed Yu Qingdu was about two or three centimeters taller than Shang Qingye.

Having done this, Yu Qingdu stepped back.

Shang Qingye raised an eyebrow, looking down at the item in his hand. It was a business card with the name “Yu Qingdu” printed in large letters.

“Yu Qingdu. My name,” Yu Qingdu offered appropriately.

Shang Qingye’s thumb brushed over the Jewelry Designer title on the card. Then, he looked up, pressed his tongue against his upper teeth, and called out with a smile:

“Du-ge.”

Yu Qingdu looked at him and said nothing more. He simply opened the office door and glanced back. “Follow me.”

His tone was like someone training a dog.

Shang Qingye rubbed his left ear, licked his dry lips, and followed.

They arrived at a room. Yu Qingdu opened the door and gestured for Shang Qingye to enter. Once inside, Shang Qingye quietly took in his surroundings.

The walls were light gray. A group of people was gathered near the window setting up the scene, and the props and equipment were all fully prepared.

Just as Yu Qingdu entered, Lao Chen, the person in charge of props, put down his phone with a pale face. Seeing Yu Qingdu, he hurried over and whispered in his ear:

“Boss, today’s model bailed. He said something came up at the last minute and he will pay the penalty according to the contract.”

Yu Qingdu’s expression remained calm. “Understood. Proceed as planned.”

He then turned to Shang Qingye. “Let’s start with the still-life shots.”

Shang Qingye nodded, took his equipment out of his bag, and placed the bag on a clean patch of floor.

He followed Yu Qingdu to the center of the studio, where a low, black still-life table stood. The glass was polished to a brilliant, reflective shine. Resting quietly upon it was a silver bone chain. Two silver branches intertwined and coiled around each other, leading to a small, cage-like pendant. Suspended inside was a fiery red ruby; its shape was odd and irregular, yet it looked exceptionally fitting within the pendant.

Shang Qingye crouched down to begin the still-life photography. Yu Qingdu watched him work in silence, his eyes lowered. After a few moments, he picked up his phone to send a message.

Before long, Shang Qingye finished the still-life shots.

He looked at Yu Qingdu with a smile. “Du-ge, the still-life is done. Now we need the shots with it being worn.”

At that moment, the young assistant who had brought Shang Qingye in earlier arrived carrying a set of clothes. Seeing this, Yu Qingdu nodded to Shang Qingye.

“Fine. Wait for me while I change.”