A bad situation can always get worse, which is what happens when the photographer says.

"Pull down his lip with your thumb, Xin laoshi."

Xin Hulei wavers in place for a moment, clearly reluctant, but finally he drags his thumb down Yao Shen\'s lip.

Yao Shen can feel the grooves of his thumb catching on the smooth skin of his lower lip. A part of him is screaming at him to bite Xin Hulei\'s thumb and draw it into his mouth.

He looks up at Xin Hulei, and finds his eyes stuck on his mouth, Xin Hulei\'s own lips open on breathless exhale.

He\'s looking at Yao Shen as if he\'s debating whether to push his thumb past his lips.

An ambiguous charge passes between the two of them, until it\'s broken by the photographer telling them to change positions.

"Now Yao laoshi please lie on the bed. Xin laoshi, put one knee up on the mattress as if you\'re going to climb on top of him."

Yao Shen lets himself drop backwards with an aggrieved sigh. This sucks so much. He wants to strangle the photographer with the strap of his own camera.

He turns to face the camera and arranges his features into a mask of bashful desire -- which doesn\'t even make sense because according to the novel\'s events Xie Huan and Yan Shuyi fucked in every available surface they could find, before the extra chapters. So this blushing virgin act on the wedding night is pointless.

At least the new position affords him the advantage of not having to look at Xin Hulei\'s face.

It doesn\'t spare him from feeling his presence above his body, and remembering the last time they were like this, but with a lot less clothing between them.

---

They cycle through a series of equally suggestive positions, each of them worse for Yao Shen\'s blood pressure.

He thinks things can\'t get worse and then the photographer tells him to sit on Xin Hulei\'s lap.

"Excuse me?" Yao Shen asks. His eyes probably look a little crazy.

"I know laoshi must be tired but we\'re almost done," the photographer says, not at all apologetic.

Gritting his teeth, Yao Shen climbs up onto Xin Hulei\'s lap, supporting himself on his shoulders.

He\'s afraid that if he sits fully on Xin Hulei\'s lap that he won\'t be able to hide how much the close proximity is affecting him. This entire exercise is just one big, cruel reminder of everything Yao Shen will never have again.

"Xin laoshi, pull down the back of Yao Shen\'s robe, exposing his nape to the camera," the photographer says after taking a few shots.

Yao Shen has his back to the camera so he doesn\'t bother hiding his grimace. His position means that he\'s slightly taller than Xin Hulei, and he looks resolutely at a spot above his head.

Xin Hulei wraps a handful of fabric in his fist and tugs it down in a swift move.

Yao Shen can\'t help the shiver that rushes through him at the brusqueness of Xin Hulei\'s touch. He\'s probably growing as agitated as Yao Shen.

"Don\'t squirm," Xin Hulei whispers, through gritted teeth.

How can Yao Shen not, when every second he spends in this position makes his blood run hotter?

Xin Hulei\'s free hand curls around Yao Shen\'s waist, keeping him in place. The careless display of dominance knocks all the air out of Yao Shen.

"Beautiful, hold that," the photographer says, the shutter clicking loudly.

They\'re so close that Yao Shen can count each of Xin Hulei\'s lashes. He starts trying to, but the proximity distracts him once again. There\'s a lot of them, that\'s all he knows.

When the photographer finally wraps the shoot Yao Shen jumps off Xin Hulei\'s lap so fast that he nearly knocks him down the bed.

---

Back in the dressing room, the stylists help him out of the cumbersome wedding robe, and dress him into a slim-fitted red suit, with golden peony buttons, and a phoenix pin affixed to his lapel.

When he heard about the modern and ancient wedding photoshoot he thought the modern version would include the more commonplace black tux, maybe one of them would wear a white tux instead, but that would be it.

Now he can tell the magazine is going for something more conceptual with the modern version being a direct echo of the past.

It\'s all very ambitious for an essay inspired by a show that hasn\'t aired yet. Despite all the controversy, at least some investors must be expecting \'Crimson Promise\' to be a success, if they aren\'t afraid to sink yet more money into it.

Getting the wig on is a very lengthy process that Yao Shen wishes he had less experience with. In the end, one hour alone is dedicated to setting all the hair in place.

When he goes back to the set, they move him over to a different area. This time it\'s an artificial garden, complete with a viewing bridge overlooking a romantic pond.

Xin Hulei is wearing a similar red tux, although his has a dragon pin. Like Yao Shen\'s, his hair is also secured in a high pony tail, highlighting his sculpted features.

As expected, he looks no less devastating in modern clothing, and Yao Shen prepares himself for a renewed session of torture.

---

Yao Shen tries to comfort himself that at least there\'s no bed involved this time.

He should know better than to underestimate the photographer\'s creativity.

"Yao laoshi, sit up on the bridge\'s railing and open your legs so that Xin laoshi can step up between them."

Xin Hulei turns around to look directly at the photographer. "I think it will look better if the two of us just act accordingly to how our characters would."

The photographer tries to argue, but whatever he sees in Xin Hulei\'s eyes makes him give up.

"We\'ll let you know when we\'re done," Yao Shen says, smiling over Xin Hulei\'s shoulder.

His satisfaction is short lived when Xin Hulei wraps one arm around his waist and tips him backwards.

Yao Shen\'s eyes widen in shock. Startled, all he can do is cling to the front of Xin Hulei\'s tux, making the pose look even more compromising.

Clearly, Xin Hulei and the damn photographer are cut from the same cloth!

"How is this any better?" Yao Shen hisses between gritted teeth.

"I don\'t like being told how I should touch you."

The words slam into Yao Shen like a physical blow, leaving him winded. Taking advantage of his disorientation, Xin Hulei pulls him against his chest. He winds Yao Shen\'s ponytail around his hand and uses it to pull Yao Shen\'s neck back, making him look into his eyes.

"In my nightmares I always see your face," Xin Hulei says, bringing his lips next to Yao Shen\'s flaming ear. "But in my dreams too. It\'s driving me insane."

Yao Shen\'s pulse quickens, he can feel the sweat pool at the small of his back. Being this close to Xin Hulei again is testing his limits.

"Have you found a way to see into Yan Shuyi\'s memories?" he asks, keeping his tone low, as Xin Hulei moves him around.

Xin Hulei boxes him in against the bridge\'s railing, his arms trapping Yao Shen on each side. "Have you got yours back?"

Answering a question with a question.

Yao Shen can\'t help smiling fondly at Xin Hulei\'s narrowed eyes.

He loves him so much. This is awful.

Xin Hulei\'s lips fall open, as if he\'s about to say something, but just then the photographer says:

"That\'s a wrap, thank you everyone."

The arms around Yao Shen fall away, and Xin Hulei walks back towards his assistants without another word.

---

In the dressing room, Yao Shen\'s makeup is switched out for something more discreet and less \'editorial\'. The stylists dress him up in some cool streetwear, probably from a brand the magazine is trying to promote.

Yao Shen\'s thoughts are too scattered for him to pay attention to anything going around him. He just lets everyone move him around like a doll until it\'s time for him to go back for the interview.

This time they walk past the set and into a suit of airy offices on the upper floor.

Xin Hulei is already sitting on a sofa when Yao Shen gets there.

Sitting on an armchair across from them is a stern looking woman, who gives him a look from above her half-moon glasses.

"Please take a seat, Yao laoshi," she says, gesturing towards the empty space next to Xin Hulei.

The sofa isn\'t very large, and Yao Shen is pressed up close to Xin Hulei, their bare knees knocking together briefly, before Yao Shen flattens himself against the armrest awkwardly.

Behind the interviewer is a camera mounted on a tripod, filming them.

Noticing his attention the interviewer smiles at Yao Shen tightly before saying, "The video interview will be released as part of our digital edition."

No pressure then.