The Strategic Photoshoot

Zhou Yi was abruptly pulled back to reality by Jiang Chen’s business-like directive. A shiver ran through her, and she instantly composed herself, forcing her attention away from her earlier panic and the lingering, embarrassing warmth in her palm. She began to feign admiration for the cafe’s ambiance, carefully observing as Jiang Chen had instructed.

The ceiling lights cast a warm but insufficient glow, and several seemed to be faulty. While the solid wood tables and chairs were undeniably sturdy, their style was antiquated, and their arrangement felt somewhat cramped.

As Zhou Yi scanned the room, she mentally filed away each detail.

Jiang Chen’s gaze, however, was primarily fixed on the cafe’s actual patrons.

Those tables of elderly regulars, averaging over fifty years old, mostly ordered simple black coffee or tea. Their tables were almost devoid of food, indicating a prolonged stay.

Evidently, their average spending per person wouldn’t be very high.

Aside from Zhou Yi and Jiang Chen, no other young faces were visible in the entire establishment.

“Have you two decided?” the auntie inquired, appearing beside them with a small notebook in hand, her arrival unnoticed until now.

Jiang Chen set down the menu, his expression shifting to a perfectly amiable smile as he met her gaze. “A hot latte. Hmm…” He then looked at Zhou Yi, posing a silent question with his eyes.

Zhou Yi, who hadn’t properly glanced at the menu, hastily pointed to the first item. “I, I’ll have this one, a hot Americano.”

“Alright, one latte, one Americano,” the auntie confirmed, jotting it down. Then, as a matter of routine, she added, “Would you like any pastries? We have homemade cookies.”

“No, thank you,” Jiang Chen politely declined.

The auntie nodded, then turned and headed towards the bar.

With their order placed, the initial phase of their cover seemed to have been successfully navigated.

Jiang Chen now leaned slightly forward, resting his elbows on the tabletop and subtly closing the distance between them.

“Observe the service flow and any visible non-operational areas,” he instructed. “Note the staff’s movement patterns, their efficiency, and the specific types of sounds emanating from the bar.”

Zhou Yi studied his profile, so close to her. The teasing expression he’d worn earlier, when he’d flirted outside the door, was entirely gone, as was the ambiguous warmth from his touch. All that remained was a look of professional discernment.

‘Understood.’ She steadied herself, making a concerted effort to detach her focus from her jumbled emotions and compelling herself to embrace the role of an observer.

In unspoken accord, both retrieved their phones, unlocked their screens, and began lightly tapping on their memo applications. They appeared no different from the typical cafe patrons engrossed in their devices.

After approximately ten minutes, Jiang Chen set his phone aside, took a sip of his latte, and then, with a seemingly casual air, surveyed the entire cafe once more. His gaze then settled on Zhou Yi.

“Next, we require more compelling visual material,” he announced. “Relying solely on text to describe the spatial layout and intricate details simply won’t have enough impact.”

Zhou Yi also lowered her phone, watching him expectantly for his next words.

Jiang Chen leaned back slightly, then continued in a serious tone, “We need to take some photographs.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi found no fault with the idea and immediately nodded. “Alright.” She then reached for her phone, preparing to stand and capture the surroundings.

“Wait,” Jiang Chen interjected, gently placing a hand on her wrist. “You won’t be using your phone, nor will you be taking the pictures yourself.”

“Huh?” Zhou Yi stared at him, a look of utter bewilderment on her face.

“It’s you,” Jiang Chen stated, indicating her with his eyes. “You’ll be the model, won’t you? Since we’re meant to be playing a couple, isn’t it perfectly normal for a boyfriend to photograph his girlfriend?”

He gave his own phone a slight shake. “You’re responsible for striking poses in various corners, and I’ll handle the photography, capturing all the necessary details along the way.”

“Here we go again?” she muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

“It’s the most efficient method,” Jiang Chen asserted, already standing and adjusting his phone camera.

“A couple exploring a shop and taking photos is entirely reasonable. If you cooperate by moving to a few different spots, I can naturally incorporate the hall’s corners, the lighting, and even unoccupied areas into the shots.”

Zhou Yi observed Jiang Chen, who had seamlessly transitioned into ‘director mode’, and acknowledged the logic in his words.

While his suggestion undeniably placed her in a conspicuous position, it was, at present, the most natural, efficient, and discreet approach.

“Fine…” she finally conceded, grumbling softly, ‘I wasn’t planning on keeping this face today anyway.’

Upon hearing her resigned murmurs, Jiang Chen almost failed to suppress a laugh. He swiftly covered it by scrolling through his phone.

‘She must never discover that, beyond the project’s requirements, I harbored a tiny, almost imperceptible… ulterior motive when proposing this plan.’

Even now, he remained perplexed by the fragments of memory that drifted into his mind, seemingly from a parallel dimension.

What puzzled him even more was what Zhou Yi had experienced during this period to undergo such a profound transformation.

These questions perpetually swirled in his mind, fueling his desire for a clear understanding.

Recently, however, he had inadvertently stumbled upon a peculiar pattern.

Whenever he had physical contact with Zhou Yi, the scattered fragments of memory would, like pieces of an activated puzzle, automatically fall into place one by one, allowing him to slowly reconstruct complete memory scenes.

This sensation was wondrous, instinctively drawing him closer to her, making him want to understand more, and also to… touch more.

Yet, he understood the importance of not rushing.

Therefore, a subtle strategy was required. Much like the current situation.

Zhou Yi stood, resignedly pulling her scarf down just enough to reveal her entire face. Then, she subconsciously swept a few strands of bangs away from her eyes.

Only after clearing her hair did she realize the gesture was perhaps too ‘girlish,’ her hand freezing awkwardly at her temple.

Jiang Chen observed her fleeting stiffness and chagrin, yet pretended not to notice her actions. He had already raised his phone, the lens now aimed at her.

“Just be natural, as if it’s a regular visit to a shop. First, go to that spot by the window, with your back to the bookshelf.”

Zhou Yi moved to the window, where sunlight streamed through the glass, bathing her in a soft, luminous outline. She stood awkwardly, her body slightly stiff, unsure of where to position her hands.

“Don’t be so stiff,” Jiang Chen’s voice came from behind the lens. “Just be natural; look over here.”

Zhou Yi turned her head, meeting his camera lens. Through the screen, Jiang Chen watched her. “Give me a smile?”

She forced out a strained, rigid smile.

Jiang Chen lowered his phone and stepped closer to her. He gently poked her tense cheek with his index finger. “You’re looking even more suspicious like this. Just… imagine you’re actually on a date with me.”

Zhou Yi:

‘[Help! How am I supposed to get into character for this?! Dating a bro… if I’m going to imagine anyone, it should be someone as ethereal as Liu Yifei!]

She quickly closed her eyes, trying desperately to replace Jiang Chen’s all-too-familiar face with the cool, otherworldly beauty of a celestial fairy. She fantasized about enjoying a peaceful moment with a goddess in a cafe…

‘…No, wait, why did the celestial fairy automatically get replaced by Jiang Chen halfway through loading?!’

‘Unbelievable! Even my imagination is breaking down?!’

She snapped her eyes open, her gaze colliding with Jiang Chen’s once more. Her face flushed, and she immediately averted her head.

Jiang Chen smiled silently, choosing not to press her further, and raised his phone again.

Through the lens, that sight of her with reddened ear tips and wandering eyes… was strangely adorable.