The Studio

"Welcome to my studio."

An air mingled with high-end aromatherapy and the scent of money washed over them.

This so-called "studio" was an extravagantly luxurious presidential suite.

Beyond the massive floor-to-ceiling windows lay the city's dazzling lights at dusk.

In one corner stood several professional photography lights and backdrop screens, their high price tags evident at a glance.

But what truly sent shivers down Mom's spine was the half-open door to the enormous walk-in closet.

As far as the eye could see, it was packed with garments that challenged the limits of visual perception—

lace dresses as thin as cicada wings, bodycon skirts barely long enough to cover the buttocks, form-fitting latex bodysuits that laid bare every curve... Plus an entire wall of glass cabinets filled with stockings and suspenders in every color and style, alongside dozens of pairs of high heels with terrifyingly tall stiletto heels.

This didn't feel like a studio; it resembled the backstage of a high-end brothel—a fantasy wardrobe crafted solely to please men.

Mom stood frozen in the entryway, staring at the scene before her. For a moment, she didn't know whether to step forward or turn and run.

Shen Yanxi walked over and closed the door behind her.

A soft click sealed off the outside world.

She slipped off her own heels, stepping barefoot onto the plush carpet. Then, retrieving a pair of pristine slippers from the shoe cabinet, she knelt down and placed them gently at her mother's feet.

"Don't just stand there. Come inside."

"Our new life... it's only just beginning here."

Mom's toes curled slightly before finally stepping into the soft slippers.

Her movements were stiff as Shen Yanxi guided her step by step into this opulent space that felt suffocatingly extravagant.

Shen Yanxi, however, seemed to have returned to her own kingdom, her entire body relaxing.

She walked barefoot across the carpet for a few steps before striding straight toward the walk-in closet that made her mother’s heart race. She casually plucked a black lace halter dress from the rack and held it up to herself.

“Lingling, come see. How’s this one?”

She turned back and beckoned to her mother, who was still frozen in place. “Your skin is fair—black will look stunning on you. And with your figure—wow, especially those big boobs—wearing a strapless like this would absolutely steal any man's heart."

Shen Yanxi's words were blunt and explicit, yet her tone was as light as if inviting a best friend to go shopping.

"Yanxi... I... What exactly am I supposed to do?"

Mom finally gathered her courage to voice the question that had been swirling in her mind for so long.

Shen Yanxi casually tossed the lace halter dress onto the velvet sofa beside her, then pulled a pair of semi-transparent black stockings from the wardrobe. The stockings were as thin as a cicada's wing, exuding a sophisticated, alluring scent.

"Didn't I just explain? It's a display of physical aesthetics."

She admired the stockings in her hands without looking up. "Simply put, it's taking photos and videos. But don't worry—it's not that kind of messy stuff. My clients are people of status and standing. They seek taste and artistic sensibility."

She lifted her gaze, her eyes burning as she looked at Mom. "You won't have to do anything—not even speak. Just stand before the camera and showcase your beauty. I'll handle the rest."

"Photos..."

Mom murmured, feeling half the weight lift from her heart, only for the other half to settle like a stone. "Just... photos?"

"Absolutely," Shen Yanxi declared with unwavering certainty. "And the price is substantial."

The words "price is substantial" made Mom's heart skip a beat. She thought of me still in high school, of next month's mortgage payment, of that fixed-term deposit she'd withdrawn early.

Dignity and pride crumbled before the stark reality.

"Then... how are the earnings calculated? Do we sign a contract? What about working hours?"

Mom fired off a string of questions, each pressing concern weighing heavily on her mind.

Shen Yanxi watched her cautious, feigned composure and suddenly found it amusing.

She set down the stockings, walked to the bedside, and picked up a red, form-fitting dress.

The dress was made of scant fabric, its design shockingly bold, with a side slit nearly reaching the thigh.

She tossed it onto the snow-white sheets. That glaring red stood out like a vivid rose blooming in the snow.

Then she turned and looked at her mother, asking in return, "How much do you want?"

The question stunned her mother into silence.

How much? She didn't know.

All she knew was she needed money—urgently needed it to cover immediate expenses.

Her mother's mind raced, calculating household costs and the highest salary an average office worker could realistically earn.

Taking a deep breath, she blurted out a figure that felt astronomical to her yet somehow reasonable: "F... five thousand? A month?"

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Was this figure too high? Too ungrateful?

After all, it was just taking a few photos.

Yet Shen Yanxi paused for a second before bursting out laughing.

"Five thousand? Per month?"

Shen Yanxi laughed until tears nearly streamed down her face. She walked up to her mother, extended her index finger, and gently tapped her mother's forehead. "My dear sister, are you trying to send a beggar away, or insult yourself?"

She pulled out her phone and her slender fingers flicked rapidly across the screen.

Almost simultaneously, her mother’s phone buzzed in her pocket. The screen lit up, revealing a WeChat transfer notification.

— "Shen Yanxi" has transferred ¥20,000.00 to you.

Her mother’s pupils instantly contracted.

Twenty thousand!

She snapped her head up, staring at Shen Yanxi in disbelief.

" This..."

"A deposit."

Shen Yanxi's expression was as calm as if he'd transferred not twenty thousand but twenty yuan. "This is just the down payment. Once you finish the shoot tomorrow, I'll settle the remaining balance in full."

Mom was utterly petrified.

Twenty thousand yuan!

That sum equaled her entire base salary from a year of grueling work as a coach for the provincial team!

Yes, without team achievements or bonuses, this was all she'd take home after a full year's work!

And now, Shen Yanxi had transferred it as a "deposit" without so much as a flicker of an eyelid.

Mom felt as if she'd been knocked senseless by a giant pie. She'd even forgotten to ask how much this so-called "balance" would be.

Because just these twenty thousand yuan were enough to solve all her immediate problems—the mortgage, utilities, my tutoring fees, and living expenses for the next several months...

She clutched her phone tightly, its cold casing now burning hot in her hands, feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds.

"What? Think it's too little?" Shen Yanxi raised an eyebrow.

"No... it's not too little..."

Mom's voice cracked as she asked, "How... how long will I have to shoot?"

"No shooting today. We'll just try on some outfits first, get a feel for things."

Shen Yanxi spoke, then began selecting outfits with renewed enthusiasm. "The official shoot is tomorrow afternoon. Just one session—two or three hours, and we'll be done."

Just one session?

A few hours of photos could net her a fortune she’d never dared dream of?

"Boom—"

Shen Yanxi’s bombshell shattered her mother’s rationality and defenses.

What’s a few photos? It won’t cost her a single ounce of flesh.

Just this once. Once she gets the money, she’ll never do it again.

Mom told herself this in her heart.

Shen Yanxi laid out several sets of selected clothes and shoes on the bed, then turned back to confirm one last time with her mother: "So, what do you say, my champion? Will you do it or not? Give me a definite answer."

Mom's gaze lingered on the jarring number flashing on the phone screen, then swept over the revealing "outfits" on the bed, finally settling on Shen Yanxi's piercing eyes that seemed to see through everything.

Finally, Mom nodded.

"I... I'll do it."

Hearing this, Shen Yanxi's face immediately lit up with a radiant smile. She stepped forward, affectionately linking her arm through her mother's, resting her head on her shoulder just like they did in college.

"That's more like it! Bestie, would I ever do anything to hurt you?"

"Trust me, this is absolutely the best decision you'll ever make!"

She pulled her mother toward the bed, pointing at the skimpy outfits with high spirits. "Come on, let's pick out tomorrow's 'battle armor' first. We'll shoot a high-quality portfolio session tomorrow, then send out the samples. Once your name gets out there, it won't be us chasing clients—they'll be lining up, money in hand, begging for a meeting with you!"

Listening to Shen Yanxi's words, Mom was completely overwhelmed by the two-thousand-yuan "deposit" she'd just received.

She couldn't bring herself to ponder what exactly Shen Yanxi's vision of the future truly entailed.