A heartbeat, a lifetime

Chapter 2
Everyone is born alone.

Are you afraid of being alone?

No, don't be afraid--

You just haven't found a way to live with it yet.

When I first met Shen Qinjun, I was Mai Zhendong's photography assistant.

The job of a camera assistant is trivial and humble.Even if I was on the filming site of the famous fashion magazine "V", in fact, I still do the work of serving tea and water every day. If I make a mistake, I will be scolded bloody.

Everyone in the industry calls Mai Zhendong "Mai Dawang". Of course, the main reason is that he is the leading fashion photographer in the industry today; another reason is that under his lens, any star, no matter how big the picture is, has to be obedient ——just to sell his appearance better.

Mai Zhendong was not very old, only in his thirties, he was born with a very tough and angular face, and his hair was short and hard, like steel wire.He is unsmiling, and has extremely high requirements for photography. If the scene, clothing, and makeup are slightly wrong, or even the expressions or emotions of stars and models are not in place, you can see his sunken face on the spot, and the air pressure within a mile is reduced.In order to serve him well, I was really trembling, walking on thin ice.

That day, "V" magazine was going to shoot a blockbuster for star Qin Mou.Qin Mou is a hot actress nowadays, and there are many legends: When she was a sophomore, she was discovered by a niche director in the circle, and made a low-cost youth pain movie, but it was unexpectedly a blockbuster - millions of dollars invested In exchange for nearly [-] million at the box office, it all relied on word of mouth, and then it became an instant hit.It's rare that she doesn't regard herself as a star, she attends classes, takes exams as usual, and wins a national scholarship. Her popularity soars all the way until she graduates from university, and she is able to win slams on the covers of the four major fashion magazines every year.Man is a very strange creature. When a person is much better than himself, there is not even a trace of jealousy, and the rest is only envy and admiration.Gossip magazines can't find anything serious about such a smart, beautiful but clean girl, even in the entertainment industry, there are few malicious slanders.

After all, she and I are still schoolmates.Qin Mou is two years older than me. When I entered the school, she was already a famous figure.After all, in this famous school known for its rigorous academic style, it is really a sensation to have such a well-known star.

As usual, I got to the shoot early.

A detached villa, and a residence with a large rolling lawn and a lush jungle view, is really rare nowadays.I looked at everything around me like a countryman.The terrace, living room, study room, and desk are all in milky white, which shows that the owner here likes a refreshing style; outside the window, the large green lawn is neatly manicured and the scenery is open, reminiscent of Darcy in "Pride and Prejudice" Mr. Pemberley Estate.I took the light meter, checked the ISO value in several places where I planned to shoot, and asked the clothing editor casually: "The rent must not be cheap, right?"

The clothing editor sneered: "Where! The venue was designated by Qin Mou. Look, where can we rent such a beautiful scenery? Besides, he is so rich, who cares about the rent we give?"

"Quick, quick! Qin Mou finished putting on makeup, come down immediately." The staff roared.

There was a lot of hustle and bustle.

After finally waiting for Qin Mou to take a good position, I misplaced the soft light again, and Mai Zhendong's roar could be heard throughout the set.

"Who told you to put it there? If you can't do it, get out!"

The deputy editor of the magazine came up to persuade me, and Mai Zhendong looked at me coldly: "Let her out! Please give me a smarter assistant next time!"

I was very annoyed and walked away. This was not the first time - I was not only scolded by Mai Zhendong, but also kicked out of the studio once before.I didn't dare to go again, so I sat on the ground with my shoulders in my arms, peeping at the situation inside.After work was over, I was still debating whether to go in and help.Unexpectedly, Mai Zhendong came out, as if nothing had happened, and threw a cigarette at me: "Smoking?"

I shook my head.

He looked me up and down, his eyes were gentler: "Yes, just graduated, just like a child."

"Come in." He finished smoking one, feeling much better. "It's not easy to get into this business—sooner or later you have to learn to smoke."

Now that I'm used to being scolded, I stood alone at the door, took out a cigarette from my pocket, lit it, and took a deep breath.

The spicy and bitter taste drives away those tiredness and humiliation at once.I bent down, choking until tears flowed down my face.

A pair of black shoes and dark gray striped trousers appeared at the end of the line of sight.

I looked up and saw a man - I guess he just arrived from some business.The dress was unusually formal, except that the tie had been torn off, and his hands were in his pockets. Although his expression was relaxed, his posture was very straight.

I looked at him cautiously, and glanced over his facial features. His eyes were not too big, but extremely bright; his cheekbones were slightly high, and his eyebrows were well-grown, not too slender, with a natural stroke, slightly Bring out the man's rigidity and fortitude.

It's really my type - if one day, I can take a set of photos of people like him.

Staring at him like this for a long time, I didn't realize that he had walked in front of me until his facial features became clearer and clearer.

I stepped aside hastily, and the cigarette in my hand somehow rubbed against the back of my left hand.

With a chirping sound, one could almost smell the burning flesh.

But I didn't even feel the pain, I just looked at his back.

Qin Mou's manager, Li Xin, is considered a well-known figure in the entertainment industry, and when he saw him, he greeted him with a smile on his face.

I saw him smiling gently but distantly, waving his hands to signal not to disturb the shooting, and then standing quietly, looking at Qin Mou on the chaise longue, his gaze was calm.

I looked down at the fresh wound on my hand, and also heard the sound of my heart beating in a daze.

The imprint left by a stranger, ugly but unforgettable.

The light outside the window disappeared, as if someone had stretched the blinds, and the night slowly fell.

That man has been watching Qin Mou's filming. Although he is low-key, he can't hide his charm.

And I kept peeping carefully until I vaguely heard Mr. Mai calling me to pack up the equipment.

It turned out that the filming was over.

While picking up his precious camera, Mai Daji joked: "What? Disappear after scolding you a few words?"

I muttered under my breath, "No."

He reached out and patted my head: "Be smarter next time."

This is a good thing about Mai Daji, he quickly forgets when he scolds someone, and never holds grudges.Especially this time, the result of the shooting was very good, and his mood was even better.The staff cleaned up the props three times, five times and two times, and the scene was arranged into a written interview.I saw the literary director sit down and said with a smile, "Miss Qin, hello."

Qin Mu greeted with a smile.

"Your time is precious, let's talk about your next plan first."

"I just graduated, and I have applied to an ideal university. I will go abroad for a while." Qin Mouyun said calmly, his eyes seemed to pass not far away inadvertently, "I also want to borrow the interview of your magazine, It is officially announced that I will leave the film and television industry for a while.”

No one expected that she would suddenly announce such a decision.The extremely spacious hall was completely silent for three seconds.

I don't know why, I turned my head subconsciously, and saw the man's tense expression, the corners of his lips tightened like a knife's edge, and his brows furrowed.

My heart stopped beating for an instant.

That's a shock, right?
I can tell.

This scene made me feel uncomfortable for no reason. I carried two boxes of lenses and walked outside the house. When I walked past him, I suddenly tripped over the vertical and horizontal wires under my feet.

The moment I fell, my mind went blank: it's over!It's over!Even if there is even a little bit of damage to the precious lens of Mai Dawang, he will never let me go!

Fortunately, a pair of hands stopped me in time. I was still in shock and was still shaking when I said "thank you".

But he looked down at me, frowned in disgust, then looked away, and said coldly, "You're welcome."

I remembered that once Mai Zhendong joked to me that you squatted on the ground that day, looking like a little bastard.

I never noticed it before, but today, facing this young man, the disgust in his eyes was so obvious, I suddenly smelled the strong smell of smoke on my body, and saw the pair of blackened canvas shoes on my feet; Looking back at Qin's impeccable demeanor, he was enlightened: it turns out that the gap between people can be so large; but I live such a rough life.

On the commercial vehicle back to the company, I put my head on the window glass of the commercial vehicle. The slight vibration of the vehicle seemed like an electric current, whizzing through the nerve endings.In the end, the photo of Qin Mou was repeatedly frozen in my mind: the woman in the black and white picture is half covered with a veil, but her eyes are so clear, like a knife like the wind, it can cut into a person's heart in an instant.Such a woman will be everyone's darling.

And you?Bai Xi, what kind of woman do you want to be?
I asked myself.

The voice in my heart said, I just want to be...not lonely.

The two editors in the back seat were talking softly, and I heard a few intermittent exclamations: "It's really him?"

"No wonder you have to quit..."

With a slight movement in my heart, I leaned back.

"It's him, Shen Qinjun of Rongwei. It is said that we have been together for more than two years. My friend is Yuji, and I followed it for a long time before I took pictures. I thought I could get a big headline, but the next day the newspaper was typesetting and was withdrawn again." Come down, saying that it is not good for Qin Mou's image."

"Isn't it? Then why are you so high-profile today?"

"Who do you think this house belongs to? It took us so long to open the iron gate to the inside, and the security is tight, who would know?"

"I, I'm going to Tianya to post a post to break the news."

"Cut, the newspapers have been suppressed, and the news on the Internet will be deleted within 3 minutes."

I woke up as if I had been injected with chicken blood, and I remembered the name by the way: Shen Qinjun.

Back home exhausted, I opened the refrigerator, took a can of beer out, took a big gulp, opened QQ by the way, browsed around, and found that most of the students in college signed their names wailing for working overtime and hard work.

I looked at the wall clock pointing to three o'clock in the morning and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Roewe urgently recruits financial accountants, you can recommend yourself or others.

I suddenly saw a certain signature, and I was slightly startled, why is the name Roewe so familiar?

In the early hours of the morning, my brain was no longer working well, and I managed to squeeze out a thin clue from a mass of paste-like brain cells... Yes, Shen Qinjun, the Shen Qinjun who took over the family business Roewe.

I looked down, my hair brushed my cheek, and saw the ugly scar on my left hand.

In less than half a day, a thin layer of scab had formed, and the fresh tender meat that had not yet grown was hidden underneath.

I thought of Shen Qinjun again, his eyebrows, eyes and facial features could not be said to be perfect, but they were truly the type I like.

In this life, it is not easy to find someone you like.

I don't ask for possession, but it's always a good thing to have a few more glances.

It’s like I’m obsessed with the moment when I press the shutter, so I rejected several offers after graduation and insisted on working as a photography assistant, but I never expected that I could call the wind and rain like a big shot, I just like the feeling of eternity in an instant.

I decided, I want to see him a few more times.

I know that this obsession came out of nowhere.

But I don't care.

I clicked on the headhunting brother's profile picture, and typed a line: Senior brother, I'm Bai Xi, and I want to send my resume to Rongwei.

Unexpectedly, there was an echo the next day.

My brother Yuan Ruojun, who was in the photography club with me for two years in college, called me and immediately asked, "Are you serious?"

"I'm serious." I explained, "Brother, you know that I have good grades. At that time, I was dizzy after graduation and insisted on doing photography. Now that I have suffered a lot, I want to change my ways."

The brother pondered for a while, then said slowly: "Even you have touched the south wall, and you are planning to turn back. The last romantic poet in the world has fallen."

It sounded a bit like a sigh, as if it was sad.

But no one knows that I gave up this job I love just to pursue another...even more unrealistic romance.

I silently said "hmm".

He smiled and said, "Okay, senior brother understands. You should prepare well for the interview. With your strength, it will be fine."

When running between the studio and the magazine, I never cared about what I wore, as long as it was comfortable.Caps, plaid shirts, ripped jeans.Now, I'm going to throw away all this casualness, put on a dull and rigorous suit, sit in front of the interviewer, and try to make myself behave decently.

Unexpectedly, my academic qualifications and grades made the other party very satisfied.The interviewer only has one last question: "Miss Bai, I still remember you..."

I was startled, frowned slightly, and looked at the woman sitting opposite me.

I vaguely remember that it was the recruitment season before graduation. While waiting for the reply from "V", I also sent out many resumes, including Roewe's school recruitment.

Speaking of which, that school recruitment was the hottest recruitment I have ever experienced.

The organizer rented the auditorium of our school, but the graduates from other colleges and surrounding cities still crowded the huge venue.Roewe has always been adhering to the principle of "pragmatic and efficient", and arranged five rounds of written tests and interviews in just a few days.It is said that tens of thousands of resumes were received from the Internet and on-site, and a total of 44 people entered the final round.

I applied for a financial position, and I was a little dazed as I sat among a bunch of nervous but arrogant competitors to show that I was "different".

I was assigned to the first group. After the teamwork was finished, I made a presentation, and then I sat down there, staring blankly with my mobile phone and a bunch of documents.

When it was the turn of the next group, I got up and left the room, and one of the interviewers smiled at me, "Bai Xi, your project structure is very complete, I appreciate it."

I stopped, "Thank you."

"Welcome to Roewe." She held out her hand to me.

I'm a little surprised, I've never heard of Roewe giving a verbal offer, so lucky, I just received it?
Unfortunately, even with such great love, I can only refuse.

Because just now, I received a text message from "V".

To this day, I still remember when I rejected HR, the other party's surprised tone, "Bai Xi, you should know that Roewe ranked first in the satisfaction survey of fresh graduates with employers last year, right?"

"I... heard about it."

"Then why did you refuse?"

"I'm really sorry, I found a job that I'm more interested in."

Now, come retribution.

It was still the same HR who appreciated me very much. At this moment, she was looking down at my resume and asked suspiciously: "At that time, you said that you found a job that you were more interested in... did you go to this small company?"

I did make up a company, and my resume stated that I worked in the financial department there for half a year... This made me a little guilty, half-lowered my head, and said "um".

Her eyes were sharp and clear, and she said lightly: "Sorry, Miss Bai. Although we are all very satisfied with your professional quality, Roewe does not hire dishonest employees."

"How can there be dishonesty?" I walked into the elevator, feeling a little resentful in my heart. Who doesn't have some water in their resume these days?

I stretched out my hand to press the door close button, and watched the cold and hard iron door slowly close, but out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a figure in the distance.

Reflexively, I stretched out an arm and stuck it between the two doors.

My elbow was in severe pain, but I didn't care about anything else, I just stood there stupidly, looking at the man's back.There were people around him, maybe it was because he was talking while walking, the walking speed was not fast, which only made people feel calm and relaxed.

Is there such a thing as love at first sight in this world?Or called, predestined relationship in previous lives?
I never believed it before.

But now, my mind is uncontrollably sketching the line of this man's face, and those not-so-big but narrow, long and deep eyes.I even gave up my job as a camera assistant in a fever and came here for an interview.

Does this count as bewilderment?
I stared blankly at the figure disappearing from sight at last, as if exhaling my last breath, I became depressed, I still passed Rong Wei.And Shen Qinjun are even more out of reach.

"Bai Xi! You actually absent from work?" Mai Zhendong was smoking a cigarette on the set, looking at me coldly.

I shrugged my shoulders and said nothing.

(End of this chapter)