My Manor

"Hey, this kind of thing isn't good!" Seeing Feng Yunchen continue to pose, Jiang Hai couldn't help but whisper beside her.

"What's wrong with it? This is just the beginning. Later, we'll be shooting in the nude," Feng Yunchen responded nonchalantly, making a gesture as she explained to Jiang Hai.

"Do you have to do this? Doesn't anyone in China care?" Jiang Hai asked, almost spitting out his words. Was there no law anymore? When did China become so open-minded?

"As long as you don't show everything, no one will care. Don't ask too much, this is our job. What you're seeing are just the employee benefits!" Feng Yunchen laughed at Jiang Hai's stunned expression.

"Employee benefits? I don't care about that, but still, you're doing this..." To be honest, there wasn't a clear relationship between Jiang Hai and Feng Yunchen. If anything, they were just classmates, or maybe even just a little more advanced than that.

Jiang Hai had originally thought of their relationship as just casual. If she needed help, he would assist her, but if she wanted a position, Jiang Hai would have to think about it.

Feng Yunchen understood this well, so she didn't ask Jiang Hai for any favors. She simply hoped things would stay this way.

Jiang Hai was her support, a fox depending on the tiger's power. Everyone saw the fox's charm but didn't see what the fox had given in exchange for the tiger's strength. To Feng Yunchen, Jiang Hai's jealous expressions were exactly what she wanted.

"What? Are you in love with me?" Feng Yunchen teased, turning around and giving him a light pat on the back.

"Huh?" Jiang Hai didn't know what to say. He felt possessive, but it wasn't like this was his thing to begin with, so he didn't know how to respond.

"Don't fall for me. You can't give me what I want, so all I can offer you is my body. This is my job, and it's my only remaining dignity. So don't fall in love with me." Feng Yunchen's eyes softened as she whispered to Jiang Hai. After she spoke, she turned completely calm.

She pressed her fingers together on the vital points and turned around to continue the shoot.

After hearing her words, Jiang Hai's initial impulse began to fade.

He knew she was right—it was impossible for them to be together. Slowly, his discomfort eased. About half an hour later, the bed shoot ended, and it was time to move to the bathroom.

In the bathroom, Feng Yunchen had already filled the tub with cold water, not hot water, because steam would affect the photos. Cold water was necessary for shooting, though it was freezing. But as Feng Yunchen had said, this was her job.

The girl, her face flushed, was covered with bubbles from the bath gel, strategically hiding areas that couldn't be exposed. Then she began shooting again. Jiang Hai watched her, and honestly, his feelings shifted from displeasure to a slight sense of sympathy. Not everyone was as fortunate as him.

So, he turned up the air conditioning to make her feel a bit warmer. Then, he filled a bathtub with warm water in the guest room next door. After the shoot, he would make sure she could warm up properly. He didn't want her to catch a cold.

Both Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi knew the bathroom temperature would be low, so they worked quickly.

Within about twenty minutes, hundreds of photos had been taken. They needed to pick out more than twenty from them to add to the two sets from earlier, making a total of 76 photos—the total for the set.

"Ugh, so tired!" After Ai Xiaoxi gestured "OK," Feng Yunchen, who had been pretending to remain calm, jumped out of the tub, grabbed Jiang Hai's bath towel, and wrapped it around herself. Her teeth chattered from the cold.

"Come on, I've heated up water in the next room. Soak in it, or you'll catch a cold." Jiang Hai's concern was evident, and Feng Yunchen paused for a moment. She met his gaze and smiled.

She had originally come here for Jiang Hai's attention, knowing that by doing so, Qi Li would leave her alone in China. But now, seeing Jiang Hai's concerned eyes, she felt something she hadn't expected—sadness.

She felt sorry for him, because she was using him.

And she felt sad for herself because she couldn't help but wonder: why hadn't she met this man sooner?

She didn't know if she would still be attracted to him if he didn't have the money, the manor, and the power. But there was no "what if" in this world. The current Jiang Hai was the man before her.

So, she was also sad for herself. A man this good was right in front of her, but she couldn't have him.

Despite the turmoil in her heart, she kept a calm exterior.

She stepped into the bathtub filled with warm water that Jiang Hai had prepared for her. After a comfortable bath, Jiang Hai brought her a bowl of ginger soup, also made for her. Of course, if Ai Xiaoxi wanted it later after her shoot, she'd get some too. But Jiang Hai felt a bit confused thinking about it.

Originally, he thought the photo shoot would resemble those of fashion models—covered up, perhaps a bit sexy with see-through outfits for a red-carpet event. But he hadn't expected it to be this open. Just like last night, Feng Yunchen hadn't shied away from him during the shoot.

Now he wondered—what if Ai Xiaoxi was asked to do the same?

"Okay, it's your turn." As Feng Yunchen drank her ginger soup, she reminded Ai Xiaoxi, who was still hesitant. Hearing this, Ai Xiaoxi felt more conflicted. Should she really undress later?

"Hurry up, it's getting late." The shoot had started at one in the afternoon. After an hour and a half for Feng Yunchen's photos, it was already 2:30 PM. The golden shooting time was from 2:30 to 4:00, so Feng Yunchen urged Ai Xiaoxi on.

Although Ai Xiaoxi was a newcomer, she had already done debut photos, just never anything exposed. She knew about the awkwardness of the shoots, but knowing didn't necessarily make it easier.

"Hurry up!" Seeing Ai Xiaoxi still struggling, Feng Yunchen picked up her clothes, shoved them into her arms, and practically pushed her into the bathroom. A few moments later, Ai Xiaoxi came out.

She had changed into a light yellow wig with a small curl tied with a green hairband on the right. She wore a white shirt, but it was very small, exposing her waist and belly button. The shirt had a green ribbon tied into a butterfly knot across her chest, and she wore a short skirt with a gold inner lining and a green outer layer, barely covering anything. Her legs were clad in knee-high socks with red and black stripes.

"Wow, this custom outfit is perfect for you! Sexy and cute all in one! You're great at COS." Feng Yunchen clapped her hands, admiring Ai Xiaoxi.

"COS? What's that?" Jiang Hai asked, confused.

"Nan Xiaoniao? Haven't you heard of it? Don't you watch anime?" Feng Yunchen was surprised. Wasn't Jiang Hai an otaku? Looking at his confused expression, she realized he didn't know.

"Minami Kotori? Is she from Pirates? Or Naruto? Maybe from Bleach? No... Dragon Ball? Ah, is she from Gintama?" Jiang Hai started guessing.

"You're really a nerd. You only watch comics, don't you? She's from LoveLive—a two-dimensional idol project. But never mind, you don't need to know all that. Just get ready for the shoot!" Feng Yunchen waved her hand, signaling the start.

With Feng Yunchen's experience, Jiang Hai did much better this time. Soon, they had wrapped up the living room and window shots, and it was time for the main part.

"Go to the bed, unbutton your shirt, and lie on your stomach. Take shots from the front and back," Feng Yunchen directed.

Ai Xiaoxi hesitated but eventually followed her instructions, unbuttoning her shirt and lying prone on the bed. When she did, her solid-colored underwear was revealed to Jiang Hai, making her body tremble with embarrassment. She could feel Jiang Hai's gaze, though in reality, he wasn't looking at what he shouldn't. He turned away, but Ai Xiaoxi didn't know that.

"Take off your coat, then unbutton your shirt... No shaking!" After the first few shots, Feng Yunchen issued her next command, but Ai Xiaoxi was already visibly trembling, helpless in the face of her discomfort. Feng Yunchen sighed at her reaction.