Chapter 73: Photobook Trilogy

Liu Liwa’s plan was detailed but simple. Since this was the first order they were fulfilling, the quality didn’t need to be too high. They couldn’t use their best work right from the start; otherwise, the client’s demands would become higher and harder to satisfy.

So, Liu Liwa stopped Qin Wan’er from looking for colored pigments. For this first season, they would use plain white paper and black ink. Qin Wan’er truly had extraordinary drawing talent. Though Miss Liuyun was a bit flustered, that made her appearance natural. Liu Liwa let her stand there, confused and not knowing what to do. He didn’t ask her to pose or make any demands, aiming for authenticity and naturalness. Qin Wan’er’s brush moved swiftly across the paper, quickly capturing the image of a beautiful woman who was hesitant, shy, and dazed.

Liu Liwa picked up the drawing and examined it carefully. Miss Liuyun in the picture wore ordinary clothes, and her hairstyle and makeup were common. The only difference was her hesitant, shy, and dazed expression. The message this work conveyed to Wen Jun was: a naive, shy girl is waiting for you, loving you, longing for you, expressing affection through her shyness! This was the first season of the entire photobook series—First Love!

Liu Liwa finally nodded with satisfaction, pointing at Miss Liuyun and commenting, “You’re a hit!”

For this first photobook set, Liu Liwa planned three pages with three drawings, meant to present a gradual romantic progression to Wen Jun. Yes, a romantic progression. In this first drawing, Miss Liuyun appeared shy and innocent, like a girl in her first love, bashfully savoring the sweetness of romance.

Everything was based on real dating. The first step was getting to know each other, becoming familiar, holding hands. The second step required a bit more openness and depth. This part needed guidance from Instructor Liu; Miss Liuyun couldn’t manage it alone.

Because Qin Wan’er was present, Liu Liwa couldn’t directly step in and demonstrate with physical adjustments. He had to give a demonstration himself: “This is the second drawing. There are some requirements, and you must remember—this is art, it needs depth!”

Saying this, Liu Liwa turned around, his back to the two women. Slowly, he untied his robe and loosened the strings of his underclothes. The garment slipped off quietly, revealing one shoulder. Gently, he turned his head toward the exposed shoulder, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Slowly and softly, he rested his chin on his shoulder, keeping his face visible to the audience. Before he could complete the pose, Qin Wan’er and Miss Liuyun burst out laughing, laughing uncontrollably. In these times, there were no terms for effeminate men or cross-dressers; men were the pillars of strength, full of masculinity. How could a man act so affected? It was truly laughable.

Liu Liwa grew furious, his eyes wide as he roared, “Be serious, be serious! This is art! I’m telling you, I’m doing all of this for your sake. If the Supervisory Commander isn’t satisfied, I guarantee this will be the last time you laugh so happily!”

At the mention of this, the two women fell silent immediately. Today’s laughter was natural and joyful, but tomorrow’s laughter might be tinged with blood and tears. This thought immediately weighed heavily on their hearts.

Such low spirits would definitely affect the production of the photobook. Liu Liwa changed his tone, saying, “But it’s okay. A brand-new path lies before you now. If you can climb to the Supervisory Commander’s favor through this method, if you can satisfy him, then you can protect your purity and earn silver taels at the same time. It’s a win-win situation.”

“You’re right. We’ll do as you say.” The two women understood the stakes better than he did and immediately agreed.

Liu Liwa nodded with relief. “That’s more like it. Wan’er, you continue preparing to draw. Liuyun, you follow the pose I just demonstrated. Remember to keep it natural.”

Miss Liuyun blushed, gritted her teeth, and resolved to go all out. Slowly, she turned around, imitating his actions exactly. However, her exposed shoulder was smooth and rounded, gleaming with a lustrous glow. Her fair, tender skin was like a freshly peeled egg, so delicate it seemed it might break at a touch, making one want to reach out and feel it. A few strands of her beautiful hair fell over her shoulder, adding to her charm. Her delicate, pretty face slowly turned to the side, her rounded chin gradually resting on her shoulder. Her cheeks were rosy, her eyelashes long, her willow-like eyebrows elegant, and a tassel near her temple gave her a pure, ethereal beauty.

“Good, just like that. Pull the clothes a bit lower, a little more…” Liu Liwa unintentionally voiced the thoughts of a romance film director.

Miss Liuyun ultimately decided on her own to reveal only half of her back—roughly where the horizontal strap of a bra would be in later times—which was just right. She turned her body slightly, mainly highlighting one shoulder and her jade-like face. For her performance, Liu Liwa had to give a thumbs-up; she was a natural model, executing the pose perfectly with just the right amount of sensuality.

Meanwhile, Qin Wan’er wasn’t idle either; her brush moved with skill. However, side profiles required advanced technique, and clearly, her skills weren’t sufficient. Miss Liuyun’s side face in the drawing looked somewhat distorted. But it didn’t matter; she vividly depicted the half-open gown, the smooth back, and the rounded shoulder. The drawing showed a girl in love finally opening her heart, willing to entrust her lifelong happiness to her beloved. Of course, that was the polite way to put it; more plainly, the couple had gotten along well, reached this stage, and the woman wanted to entrust herself to the man—which first involved undressing!

In any case, Director Liu was very satisfied with this drawing. It perfectly captured the girl’s shy yet sweet state of mind as she prepared to give herself to her beloved in exchange for lifelong happiness. This was the second season of the photobook series—Passionate Love!

“Come, now we move to the third season, the final season of this photobook series.” Seizing the women’s heightened enthusiasm, Liu Liwa promptly moved to the next stage. Being an artist wasn’t easy.

The two women stood together, watching Liu Liwa. Their hearts were still heavy. Losing their dignity to please a man felt worse than death. Fortunately, Liu Liwa was the only man present. Despite their heavy hearts and knowing that Liu Liwa was doing all this to protect them, when they saw his next actions, they couldn’t help but laugh again.

Liu Liwa still had his back to them. Suddenly, he placed one foot on a knee-high stool. At the same time, he untied the man’s topknot on his head, letting his long hair fall loosely over his shoulders. Since it hadn’t been washed for a long time, it was somewhat matted. He tossed his head sharply, making his black hair fly. Slowly, he reached toward the leg on the stool, gradually rolling up the robe and the leg of his underpants. His ankle, calf, and knee were revealed bit by bit. Overall, he lifted his neck, his black hair flowing, one thigh quite hairy, as if he were glaring and slapping the table ready for a fight.

He knew this pose wouldn’t look good when he did it. However, if it were Miss Liuyun with her enchanting jade legs, it would be completely different…