novelraw Chapter 106 He Can't Do It
Chapter 106 He Can't Do It
The birdcage was very large, more than two meters high.
With just one glance, Wen Shumu understood the theme the photographer wanted to capture.
A caged bird.
Ling Suyu looked around, and finally his gaze fell on the birdcage. Looking at the cage that could be squeezed out between the bars by turning sideways, a hint of doubt flashed in his clear, icy blue eyes.
Clearly, the marshal, unlike his wife, had no idea what was going on.
The photographer approached. She was a young female Alpha, wearing a stylish leather jacket, with short hair past her ears and seven or eight earrings.
Her style of dress was flamboyant, but she was quite humble in her dealings with others. After greeting them, she introduced herself and said, "I am Zhai Lu. It is an honor to work with you two."
Wen Shumu nodded in response, then hesitated for a moment before asking, "Professor Zhai, did you get the inspiration for this topic from me?"
The fact that he was imprisoned by the Wen family for 17 years is now common knowledge.
Zhai Lu didn't hide anything and said seriously, "Yes, your experience inspired me to create this work. I believe I can present a great piece, but if you mind, we have prepared other sets."
She knew this topic was risky and was worried about offending Wen Shumu, so she prepared a backup plan.
Wen Shumu lowered his eyes slightly, seemingly considering the matter.
After hesitating for a moment, Zhai Lu stepped forward and whispered his thoughts in his ear.
Wen Shumu, who had been looking down, gradually brightened up after hearing this: "Are we shooting now? Shouldn't we do the styling first?"
He followed Zhai Lu's words and imagined the filming scene. For example, he imagined himself locked inside, scrutinized by his brother's sharp eyes, his gaze moving from his hair down to the chains wrapped around his ankles, tracing every inch of his skin. Or, he imagined himself separated by the bars of the cage, his chin lifted by his brother's grip, their eyes meeting in an ambiguous exchange…
Zhai Lu's idea was to capture a close-up of the marshal's wrist, which was wearing an expensive watch, while he was pinching his chin, so that the watch would be included in the shot. This would meet the brand's needs and satisfy his own creative desires.
Since Wen Shumu was willing, Zhai Lu immediately had the stylist take the two of them to change clothes.
Ling Suyu remained detached from the situation; he showed no interest in anything related to art, and only agreed to take photos because he sensed that Xiaomu wanted to go.
It wasn't until Ling Suyu saw Wen Shumu wearing only a long, wide white robe that reached his calves, entering the birdcage with great interest, and closing the small door behind him that she realized the theme of their filming.
Alpha, dressed in an elegant haute couture suit, stood in the corner with a luxurious silver watch on his wrist that gleamed coldly, his eyes shifting between light and shadow.
Wen Shumu was still putting chains on his ankles. He wasn't very good at fastening them, so Zhai Lu's assistant came forward to help him fix them.
With everything ready, Zhai Lu picked up his camera and instructed, "Mu Mu, sit down on the ground first and hold onto the railing with both hands. Marshal, stand by the cage and make eye contact with each other."
She deliberately used an intimate nickname in the hope of helping Wen Shumu maintain a more relaxed state.
Wen Shumu followed her instructions and posed for a while, waiting for Ling Suyu to come over.
All eyes were focused on the black-haired marshal in the corner.
Seeing that he still didn't move, Wen Shumu tilted her head and whispered, "Husband?"
The soft call finally roused Ling Suyu, and he took a step towards the magnificent gold-rimmed cage.
The shutter clicked rapidly the moment the camera stopped at the edge of the cage.
Wen Shumu looked up and met Ling Suyu's gaze, only to find that it was somewhat different from the scene he had imagined.
Before he could figure out exactly what was different, Zhai Lu gave him satisfactory instructions for the next step, instructing the marshal to reach out and pinch Wen Shumu's chin, making a scrutinizing gesture.
Upon hearing this, Wen Shumu slightly raised his chin and moved his face closer to the railing to make it easier for Ling Suyu to move.
Zhai Lu squinted with one eye, moving closer to the camera's viewfinder.
The next second, she raised an eyebrow and a look of surprise appeared in her eyes.
Ling Suyu did not do as she said.
In the minds of all the staff present, he was supposed to display the arrogant and domineering aura of a top Alpha.
However, the truth is that instead of standing high above, he knelt on one knee, keeping eye level with Wen Shumu.
He didn't casually pinch the chin of the caged person as Zhai Lu had described. Instead, he placed his hand on the Omega's hand that was gripping the bars, applied a little force, and led the slender white hand away from the bars, through the cage, and to his own side.
Zhai Lu gazed at the scene in the camera, the handsome Alpha lowered his head, his blue eyes filled with melancholy, and reverently placed a kiss on the back of the Omega's hand.
A beam of light pierced through the darkness and fell on the two of them.
Despite the somber theme of a caged bird, Zhai Lu inexplicably felt a sense of...untouchable sacredness.
Wen Shumu lowered his eyes to look at his hand that had been kissed, and a glimmer of light gradually appeared in his eyes.
Zhai Lu remained silent for a while, then sighed softly and pressed the shutter with a faint smile.
This photo is a thousand times, ten thousand times better than she originally imagined.
The ones who can truly save a caged bird are not those in positions of power who treat it as a plaything.
Physical freedom is not complete liberation.
Only genuine, healthy love and compassion can make a caged bird willingly turn its weakness into a sharp sword, cutting through all its constraints.
Ling Suyu opened the door, untied the chains from Wen Shumu's feet, and carried him out.
Zhai Lu walked over, popped up a projector connected to the camera, and showed them the photos.
Wen Shumu wrapped his arms around Ling Suyu's neck, looked up at the photo, and remained silent for a long time.
Zhai Lu was still a little uneasy. Although she was personally very satisfied, she really couldn't figure out Wen Shumu's thoughts.
Wen Shumu suddenly raised his hand and slowly reached out towards Ling Suyu's face projected in the air, then stopped just before touching it.
He pursed his lips and lowered his hand: "I have a request, but it will be a hassle for you."
"Tell us! We'll try our best to meet your needs."
Wen Shumu said solemnly, "Could you send this photo to me only, and not to the brand? I'm willing to pay for it."
He didn't want to use the GG poster as a watch.
Zhai Lu was taken aback for a moment, then laughed heartily: "Of course, no need to pay anything. You're my muse. Without your collaboration, I wouldn't have been able to take such great photos."
"Well, it's still early, let's just use the backup plan." Zhai Lu clapped his hands, signaling the staff to take them downstairs for makeup changes.
Wen Shumu wasn't wearing shoes, so Ling Suyu held him the whole time.
After thanking Zhai Lu, Ling Suyu led him back to the dressing room and gently placed him on the sofa.
After Wen Shumu sat down, taking advantage of the moment when only the two of them were in the dressing room, she asked softly, "Brother, why didn't you do it the way Teacher Zhai said?"
Ling Suyu did not answer immediately. He turned around, took out a wet wipe from the table, sat down next to Wen Shumu, and moved Wen Shumu's legs onto his own.
He lifted Omega's bare feet and gently wiped away the light dust that had settled on the soles.
Once he was certain that the feet had regained their former fair and clean appearance, Ling Suyu slowly spoke, "I know what effect she wanted, but I can't achieve it."
"I can't be a caged bird."
Her icy gaze was calm, yet it held a complex mix of emotions that were impossible to dispel.
"If I had to play a role here, I could only be the one who destroyed the birdcage."