"Hah! Hah! Hah!"
In the dark, cramped space, Qi Li was panting heavily.
With his right hand, he pressed firmly against the collapsing concrete slabs above his head, while his left hand tightly held the blonde girl's hand beneath him.
The girl tilted her head back, her golden hair spilling around her, her gaze locked intimately with his.
Their eyes met, brimming with an affection so thick it seemed almost tangible.
"Cut!"
A sudden voice shattered the darkness.
In an instant, brilliant lights flooded the area around Qi Li.
Crew members swarmed in—some touching up his makeup, some fixing the girl's messy hair, while others hurried forward to redress the "rubble."
As for the collapsing slab of concrete...
Qi Li casually tossed aside the foam block above his head. Instantly, the towering ceiling of a massive soundstage and rows of layered green screens came into view.
"Fantastic work, Bronze! That look in your eyes just now—wow, it was utterly captivating!"
Adam Burke, the director in charge of this commercial shoot, came bounding over with animated gestures, heaping praise on Qi Li before adding, "Of course, if you could drag out that lingering pant at the end just a little longer, it'd be absolutely perfect."
Qi Li let the makeup artist work on his face and held his hands out with a helpless shrug. "It's been a long time since I've experienced what running out of breath even feels like."
"A perpetual motion machine in bed, huh?" Adam Burke said, dripping with envy.
Hearing this, the female makeup artist clamped her thighs together and couldn't resist shooting Qi Li a sultry wink.
Qi Li had no interest in plain-looking women.
The blonde girl nearby, on the other hand...
Adam Burke walked over to her side and began meticulously giving notes: "Hey, Chloë, that look in your eyes was a bit too fiery just now. This isn't the third act; you and Bronze have only just met. Keep it subtle. I need to see that gradual progression—from strangers to the spark of attraction, layer by layer. Got it?"
"No problem," Chloë Moretz, the female lead of the commercial, nodded, though her gaze kept flitting over to Qi Li.
"All right! Everyone get ready, let's go again!"
Burke clapped his hands loudly to the room, turned back to his monitor, and casually slapped a female assistant's ass along the way.
Qi Li and Chloë Moretz took their positions once more.
"Sorry about that. Your eyes are just too mesmerizing," Moretz said, taking Qi Li's long, powerful hand once again. She looked up, her eyes shimmering with light.
Qi Li smiled faintly. "Should I tone it down a bit, then?"
"No need for that." Moretz pouted at him. "You have to trust my professional skills."
"Action!"
Moments later, Burke called out the command, and the cameras rolled again.
Moretz hadn't lied.
As a professional actress, she proved that commercial acting was well within her comfort zone.
After that, the second act—a shot of them strolling hand in hand across a vast lawn—and the third act—a reunion on the red carpet—were filmed without a hitch.
The commercial concluded under the glare of flashing cameras, where Moretz, dressed in a striking crimson evening gown, produced a pair of sunglasses and intimately put them onto Qi Li.
Indeed, the commercial Qi Li was shooting was an advertisement for sunglasses.
Following the Campus Showdown, his popularity had skyrocketed once more. Many brands that had previously been in a wait-and-see phase hesitated no longer, handing him several commercial endorsement deals all at once.
This time, for instance, he had become a brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton, shooting a major promotional campaign for their new sunglasses line.
As for why it wasn't their ready-to-wear apparel...
The image of a superhero clad in their battle suit was simply too deeply ingrained in the public consciousness.
In the past, luxury brands had tried signing top-tier superheroes to endorse apparel, but the results had been abysmal, forcing them to abandon the idea altogether.
Accessories like sunglasses, leather goods, perfumes, and watches, however, performed remarkably well.
The shoot wrapped up.
Still in her evening gown with her exquisite makeup untouched, Chloë Moretz walked up to Qi Li on her own initiative, her bright eyes shining with an invitation:
"I have a house just twenty li away. Bronze, could you give me a lift? I've been dying to know what it feels like to fly."
It was still early, and Qi Li had always been a helpful, dutiful superhero.
So, beneath Moretz's expectant gaze, he readily agreed and swept the glamorous star into a bridal carry.
Amid her brief, excited gasp, the two shot straight into the sky, disappearing beyond the horizon in the blink of an eye.
However, their arrival at the destination ended up being considerably later than a normal flight would take.
Not only that, but Moretz's red evening gown was thoroughly wrinkled.
She didn't mind in the slightest. Once her feet were back on the ground, she rose onto her tiptoes and gently nibbled Qi Li's ear with her crimson lips:
"Actually... I have a superhero suit of my own, you know."
Puzzled, Qi Li felt it necessary to verify the claim with his own eyes.
Before long, Moretz emerged wearing an adult version of the Hit-Girl costume, strutting out with graceful confidence.
Qi Li instantly understood.
The girl hadn't lied; it truly was a classic superhero look.
Looking at it now, it was nothing short of pure childhood nostalgia.
Of course, when it came to childhood nostalgia, no one could compare to the renowned little witch herself, Lady Hermione Granger.
After watching the Race of the Century, Qi Li had spent most of his recent days immersed in various commercial shoots and promotional events.
While raking in the cash, he refreshed his familiarity with Hit-Girl's close-combat prowess and also helped Emma Watson—who had caught wind of his schedule and specially dropped by the set—fulfill a fantasy she had talked about for ages.
"Harry, we can't do this."
"Don't worry, Ron will never know."
"Then..."
"Haha! Didn't expect this, did you? It's me, Voldemort!"
"Voldemort?! How could it be you? No... if you've got the guts, face me in the sky!"
"Broomless Flight!"
"..."
Qi Li found himself wondering why every girl seemed so obsessed with taking to the skies.
Could it be that they felt freer to let loose up there?
In any case, he gave Ms. Watson a thorough lesson in aerial combat.
His only regret was that Saoirse Ronan hadn't been around.
Just like that, Qi Li had assumed his days ahead would carry on in this unremarkable, pleasant fashion.
Until, two or three years down the line, he would naturally take his place as a member of the Super Seven.
If he could boost his strength along the way to a point where no one could kill him, all the better.
Yet reality often moved faster and far more violently than he had envisioned.
"Let's go get Chinese food."
Kate felt that as Qi Li's girlfriend, never having tasted Chinese cuisine made her downright remiss in her duties.
As it happened, Qi Li had just pushed through an uninterrupted, exhausting week of work and was looking to unwind properly, so he gave an easy wave of his hand and readily agreed:
"Chinatown it is, then."
Chapter 49