He handed Qin Guan a colorful hardcover book.
"Take a look. It's Tasha's latest illustrations. The book will be available in bookstores soon. Considering her age, there won't be many of those getting published in the future. You were her muse, so it's a gift for you."
Qin Guan took it and looked at it carefully. There was a small farm village and some large letters on the cover. The book's title was "The Summer and Autumn Fairy".
He opened it and saw a green countryside. The colors were so tender that his heart nearly melted.
The protagonist of the story was a handsome young man with a pair of transparent wings on his back. He looked like a fairy from old fairy tales. He was good friends with squirrels and liked to play with a cow on the field. His magic stick could make flowers bloom and corn ripen. The neat haystacks on the field were also his work.
A girl was sleeping under an orange lamplight. She had been blessed by the handsome fairy. The story was composed by a series of paintings portraying the sweet dreams of a girl. In her dreamland lived a perfect fairy.
The book had a sweet, warm style to it. The candy-like colors were refreshing for the readers. The old woman was really good at narrating tales to children.
Qin Guan put the book in his bag carefully before he asked Linn about Tasha.
"My agent received a contract and some money from her. On second thought, I will accept it."
Linn had turned on the camera. "Just keep it. It might be nothing for either of you, but it's still the kindness of an old lady."
Qin Guan nodded and walked over to a chair. "So, Mr. Linn… You are not a very loyal friend. TIME is not paying me anything, but you could at least cover my cab fare."
Linn felt the impulse to throw the camera at him. He realized that the young man was a moneygrabber, but he tried to control himself at the sight of his perfect face.
"No star has ever asked TIME for any money. Just remember all the people who have been on the magazine's cover! Who do you think has gotten reimbursed for their cab fare? I'll give you double… No, five times the fare!"
Qin Guan sat up on his chair awkwardly and switched to working mode. His eyes were sparkling in the camera like a rising sun. Every person and prop around him suffered an eclipse.
After the first click, Qin Guan changed his expression slightly, impressing Linn. He was a professional model after all. Outsiders would not have been able to distinguish between the two expressions, but the pictures were actually quite different.
In one of them, Qin Guan looked like a strict politician, both handsome and bold. In the other, he was smiling warmly like the boy next door.
In two minutes, Linn had finished his job.
"Okay, Qin Guan. Let's call it a day. Wait till your face appears in bookstores!"
Qin Guan stood up when he saw Linn's students gather around him.
Was that it? It was much simpler than a fashion magazine photoshoot.
"It would be a waste to use him only for the portrait, sir. We'll be having a figure photography exhibition this year!"
Qin Guan and Qu fled in defeat. Photographers were so greedy!
The fairy was widely welcomed by the readers. Thanks to Tasha's talent and fan base, the book started selling like crazy.
By the time Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei walked to the nearest bookshop, there were only a few books left. The shop assistants were restocking the shelves, as kindergarten students were about to be dismissed. Parents always came to the store to select a bedtime story for their kids around that time. Tasha's books were their favorite.
Taking advantage of his height, Qin Guan seized a book from the shelf and opened it, striking a naughty pose at the cashier. It was the same pose as the fairy's in the illustrations.
He looked so silly that Cong Nianwei felt like crying. She forced a smile at the cashier. "Keep the change!"
Then she pulled Qin Guan away without looking back.
Dear everyone, here is the new book of Kiki, my lovely editors. Welcome to read, thanks. https://www.webnovel.com/book/10628956105083205/Ashes-To-Ashes