LOI Chapter 07 — Collision

Tourist spots that have not been developed usually have few people and are quiet, with almost no other tourists to be seen, but correspondingly, the facilities are extremely basic.

Following the straight path onto the island, the buildings on both sides showed their age—walls mottled, vines entangled, and dim streetlights seemingly transporting them back to the 1990s.

There were hardly any young people on the island. By chance, they encountered a friendly auntie who asked where they were headed. Upon hearing that they were going to the island’s only hotel, she kindly led them there.

In such a secluded place, the hotel’s conditions were unsurprisingly lackluster.

The so-called “luxury king room” was barely 20 square meters. After spreading out the luggage on the floor, there was hardly any space left to stand in the room.

The yellowed bedding also had a musty smell, as if permeated by the humid air, which couldn’t be shaken off no matter what.

The planner girl had reminded them in advance, and Rong Ke had brought a disposable sleeping bag, so he didn’t mind the environment too much.

It was just unknown whether the “Prince” next door could adapt to it.

The filming crew had dinner at the public canteen by the pier. After briefly confirming tomorrow’s shooting schedule, everyone dispersed.

Some went to the beach, others wandered around the island. Yan Zhi seemed to have gone to scout the shooting location in advance, while Rong Ke returned to his room to review the content plan.

He had only received the detailed proposal from Zhuang Kang earlier today.

It turned out that what Yan Zhi called “mild violent elements” was not anything bloody, but rather referred to Rong Ke putting on makeup to look injured.

The cover’s theme was a homeless mermaid. Rong Ke would wear a custom fishtail, almost entirely exposing his abdominal muscles and hip lines, to the point of risking indecent exposure if he was not careful. He’d also wear elaborate pearl jewelry, contrasting sharply with the mottled wounds on his body.

Just looking at the concept art, Rong Ke could already sense how provocative this cover would be.

Rather than selling glamour or promoting commercialism, Yan Zhi clearly wanted to express something deeper. Even Rong Ke, who wasn’t interested in fashion, could see he aimed to redirect people’s attention from fashion to the marine environment.

At the same time, he did not abandon his fashion attitude. At least from the concept art, Rong Ke would be photographed in a very aesthetic way.

Suddenly, Rong Ke’s phone buzzed with a WeChat notification. Glancing over, he saw a message from Yan Zhi.

[Yan Zhi: Can you shower in your room?]

When travel companions ask this, it usually means their own shower has issues, like no hot water, and they’re checking if others face the same problem.

Without much thought, Rong Ke simply replied: [Can]

Within half a minute, a knock on the door sounded. Yan Zhi had a towel over his shoulder and clothes in his hand, and he walked straight into the room past Rong Ke who had opened the door. “I’ll be quick.”

Rong Ke stood stunned at the doorway. “You’re showering here?”

“I just asked you,” Yan Zhi said.

Indeed, the Chinese language was profound and extensive. Rong Ke understood “can” objectively as whether the action could be physically done, while Yan Zhi’s “can” subjectively meant whether it was allowed or not.

“Can’t you shower in your own room?” Rong Ke asked.

“The pipe connection is loose, water won’t go up,” Yan Zhi explained. “The owner said he’d buy a new one to replace it tomorrow.”

Seeing Yan Zhi about to enter the bathroom, Rong Ke closed the door and called out, “Yan Zhi.”

Yan Zhi paused, turning to look at Rong Ke.

Rong Ke deliberately left his sentence hanging, hoping Yan Zhi would catch his meaning. But the other man clearly had no clue, giving Rong Ke a “what’s next?” expression.

Rong Ke gave up and said, “You’re gay, right?”

Setting aside that few men in fashion were straight, Rong Ke’s gaydar had been buzzing since he first met Yan Zhi.

“Yes,” Yan Zhi admitted frankly. “Why?”

What else?

Two men with the same orientation, one coming over to shower late at night – anyone would get the wrong idea.

Of course, given the hotel’s condition, Rong Ke believed Yan Zhi’s shower truly had issues. But in Yan Zhi’s eyes, Rong Ke was still a taken man. Shouldn’t he be more considerate?

“Oh, don’t worry,” Yan Zhi seemed to finally understand Rong Ke’s concern. “I’m not that kind of person.”

As he spoke, he took off his T-shirt, revealing his well-defined upper body. Leaning against the bathroom door, he asked, “Can I shower now?”

Rong Ke: “…” Fine.

The sound of running water filled the bathroom, with a clear silhouette visible through the frosted glass.

Rong Ke leaned against the headboard, trying to focus on the plan and not be distracted by the shower sounds. Unbeknownst to him, a popular gossip forum was buzzing with new rumors about him:

[Big news: MQ shooting cover on island, someone saw YZ enter RK’s room]

-Looks like RK landed MQ’s New Year cover, must have something going on with YZ

-Too obvious, how else could he get it

-Newbie here, who are RK and YZ?

-Question: which one’s on top?

-Probably RK, YZ is more the pretty boy type

-Reliable source: YZ came out in less than 15 minutes

-Damn, RK’s stamina that bad?

-Then what’s YZ’s deal, no matter how you look at it, YZ should be the one on top

-Impossible, the goddess of beauty couldn’t be done in just 15 minutes, must be RK after all

…

The next day’s shoot aimed to capture the dawn light, so the team arrived at the white sandy beach while it was still dark.

While white sandy beaches in other parts of the country had been developed into tourist attractions crowded with people, this remote island had escaped the clutches of tourism development, offering a pristine beach that provided an excellent location for the shoot.

In a makeshift tent, Rong Ke changed into the two-meter-long fishtail. Two makeup artists worked simultaneously—one applied makeup to his face and body, and the other painted scales on his waist and abdomen to seamlessly blend the skin and fishtail.

The soft brush glided over his skin, making Rong Ke feel a bit itchy.

As the makeup artist kept adjusting the fishtail lower, Yan Zhi, who was standing by, stopped her. “This is good enough.”

The makeup artist stopped, but Rong Ke said. “We can go further.”

“Are you sure?” Yan Zhi said, “Some ‘hair’ might show.”

He put it delicately, using the word ‘hair’.

“I’ve already taken care of that,” Rong Ke said.

Photo shoots were like filming – knowing the costume in advance, Rong Ke had naturally prepared well.

Yan Zhi seemed surprised. Glancing at Rong Ke’s area, he asked curiously, “Do you usually take care of it yourself?”

Both makeup artists paused simultaneously, looking like they had caught a whiff of gossip.

Rong Ke resisted the urge to roll his eyes, silently telling Yan Zhi: Just shut up, will you?

After makeup, the stylist carefully adorned Rong Ke with pearl jewelry sponsored by the brand. His handsome features instantly took on a soft beauty.

Looking at his unfamiliar reflection, Rong Ke felt an unprecedented sense of discomfort.

By now, dawn had broken – perfect timing for the shoot. But only then did everyone realize a problem – how to move Rong Ke into the water?

It was impossible for Rong Ke to hop there himself; it would mess up the carefully arranged fishtail.

The answer seemed obvious –

As the team discussed who should carry Rong Ke, Yan Zhi had already bent down and lifted him in a princess carry.

Suddenly airborne, Rong Ke was stunned for a moment, instinctively wrapping one arm around Yan Zhi’s shoulder.

The next instant, both men’s expressions turned awkward. Rong Ke looked down to see Yan Zhi’s fingers had accidentally brushed against his sensitive spot.

“Sorry,” Yan Zhi looked apologetic, immediately moving his hand. “I rarely carry people, I wasn’t paying attention.”

The touched area flushed slightly red. Rong Ke averted his gaze without responding.

The silhouette photos in the dawn light were manageable for Rong Ke, but as daylight grew stronger, the photographer’s demands for his expressions intensified.

“Give me more, don’t hold back!”

The renowned photographer Yan Zhi had hired was rather ill-tempered. Initially polite to Rong Ke, he gradually lost patience.

“Your home was destroyed, are you this indifferent?”

Rong Ke tried hard to immerse himself in the emotion.

“Too superficial! Deeper!”

Rong Ke’s anxiety mounted.

“What are you thinking? Commit, get into it! Damn it, what a waste of time.”

Rong Ke was indeed uncomfortable wearing pearl jewelry. He felt incredibly awkward, unable to get into the right mindset no matter how hard he tried.

The photographer paused the shoot and went elsewhere for a smoke. Yan Zhi, wearing flip-flops, waded into the shallow water and crouched before Rong Ke. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Rong Ke said, slightly furrowing his brow. He hated wasting others’ time due to his lack of professionalism.

As a makeup artist approached to touch up, Yan Zhi waved them away. He adjusted Rong Ke’s fishtail himself, then removed the pearl hair clip and repositioned it behind Rong Ke’s ear. “Do you know what style we’re going for today?” he asked.

Rong Ke admitted he didn’t know. He just felt awkward.

“The current trend is gender ambiguity,” Yan Zhi explained.

Rong Ke caught on: “Androgynous style?”

“You could say that,” Yan Zhi continued. “But the popular androgynous style deliberately minimizes gender characteristics to blur the line between male and female. That’s not what I want. I want to retain all gender elements, let them clash, and achieve a new balance.”

“If your masculine features weren’t pronounced, wearing such beautiful jewelry would overwhelm your presence, turning you completely soft and beautiful.”

“But if you were too tough, leaving no room for imagination, this jewelry would look out of place on you.”

“You blend perfectly. Your striking features and beautiful muscles achieve the balance I want with the pearl jewelry.”

“Not everyone can pull off this style.” Yan Zhi cupped Rong Ke’s face, drawing him close until their noses nearly touched. “Trust me, Rong Ke, you can absolutely carry this off.”

After saying this, Yan Zhi shuffled back to the shore in his flip-flops, signaling the makeup artist to continue.

Rong Ke sat silently in the water, recalling the confidence he’d seen in Yan Zhi’s eyes. His discomfort instantly vanished.

It was the first time he’d heard someone deconstruct fashion. He realized fashion wasn’t untouchable; it could be expressed in precise language.

Understanding how to interpret it, he now knew how to express it.

The subsequent shoot went incredibly smoothly. After completing the mermaid-themed cover, Rong Ke changed into other outfits for the inside pages.

This shoot was sponsored by top international luxury brands – undoubtedly secured through Yan Zhi’s connections. Though it was Rong Ke’s first time wearing haute couture, the clothes seemed to be made for him. Even the initially critical photographer praised his expressiveness.

Photo shoots were no less demanding than filming. The session continued until dusk before finally wrapping up.

After a busy day, the staff went to the public canteen to play cards and chat. Unfamiliar with them, Rong Ke returned to the hotel after removing his makeup.

He had just finished showering when he received a message from Yan Zhi: [Want to grab a drink?]

Upon reflection, Yan Zhi probably wasn’t close with the MQ team either, likely alone in his room like Rong Ke.

Rong Ke replied with a simple “Sure.”

They met at the door of Rong Ke’s room. Yan Zhi had changed, looking fresh – clearly, his room’s plumbing had been fixed.

“Where should we go for drinks?” Rong Ke asked.

“The beach?” Yan Zhi suggested.

“Okay.”

The two of them left the hotel and leisurely walked towards the beach. However, not long into their walk, Yan Zhi touched his pocket, saying, “Wait a moment. I forgot my phone. There might be work messages.”

The post-production team was likely working overtime by now, and there might be some matters needing Yan Zhi’s attention. Rong Ke, unusually patient, replied, “Alright.”

The small road was deserted, quiet enough to hear the electric hum of streetlights.

As Rong Ke idly scrolled through his phone under a streetlight, a dark figure suddenly approached, grabbing his wrist and dragging him into a pitch-black alley.

The figure wore a mask and baseball cap, but Rong Ke instantly recognized Jiang Si.

“Did you sleep with Yan Zhi?” Jiang Si removed his mask, asking bluntly.

Rong Ke frowned, “What are you talking about?”

“Someone saw Yan Zhi enter your room last night.”

–

Meanwhile.

Yan Zhi returned from the hotel to the path where they had parted but found no sign of Rong Ke.

It had been barely five minutes – where could he have gone?

Looking around, he confirmed this was indeed where they’d separated.

Yan Zhi stood still, doubting himself. “Did I get lost again?”