On the second day after arriving in Tokyo, the photography team hurried to start work.
This magazine resource was obtained by Feng Qi for her.
"XL" is a high-end fashion magazine serving elite women, with a circulation ranking at the top domestically and its cover characters are usually popular celebrities.
This time, "XL" chose Tang Li and Deng Xian as partners because they had collaborated before, and due to the recent "Deng Xian’s girlfriend" mix-up on V-blog, the magazine saw a "business opportunity" and decided to have them shoot the next issue’s cover photo.
During the shoot, Tang Li’s hair was still short.
From the beginning, "XL" magazine had no intention of portraying her and Deng Xian as a couple; rather, they wanted to create a "male-male CP" feel, so the clothing they wore was from the same series.
The location for the cover shoot was a Japanese villa courtyard.
In addition to cherry blossoms, there were stone lanterns, ponds, and startled deer contributing to the serene ambiance; moss plants were cultivated at the entrance of the villa.
When Tang Li and Deng Xian sat cross-legged under the eaves, whether it was the cherry trees in the courtyard or the Zen stone, the entire courtyard was filled with an exotic atmosphere, giving off a unique mood, and there was no need for deliberate preparation during the shoot as the aura of self-cultivation was naturally present.
The first photo was of Tang Li and Deng Xian arm wrestling.
Tang Li was dressed in a white T-shirt and an overlying shirt of the same color, with short hair looking fresh, while in contrast, Deng Xian was the epitome of a real man in his light grey shirt, which added a bit more grandeur to his figure.
Then, they changed locations.
On the outer periphery of the courtyard, against a backdrop of cherry blossoms, wearing the same clothing, one leaned against a fence while the other held a DSLR camera, and simultaneously they both suddenly looked towards the camera.
Although only ten photos were taken, it took quite some time.
They only managed to complete five by the afternoon.
In the afternoon, Tang Li changed into a knitted sweater, paired with a simple yet elegant plaid shawl, and Deng Xian wore a black sweater of the same design. This time, the shoot took place in the villa’s living room, where both sat between a sofa and a coffee table with the shawl draped over them, and the camera captured the moment they looked into each other’s eyes.
Before finishing for the day, the photographer suddenly felt inspired and took a few solo shots of Tang Li.
Tang Li sat in a chair, leaning back against the rest, supporting her cheek with her left hand while her right hand casually rested on her leg. A cactus pot was placed on the window sill behind her, adding a touch of green to the plaid shawl, and with her slender figure, she looked like a carefree and gentle youth.
On Saturday afternoon, Tang Li completed all the shoots.
Among them, the photo of her and Deng Xian holding teacups and leaning against a cherry blossom tree, smiling at the camera, was eventually chosen as the cover photo, while the other shots were used in the magazine’s internal pages.
In the evening, "XL" magazine released a shooting blooper animated GIF on its official Weibo.
In less than half an hour, netizens pushed "Deng Xian/Tang Li" to the hot search, and in the GIF, they exchanged smiles, perhaps feeling shy as they then averted their gaze, apparently breaking into laughter during the shoot, and this scene went viral on social media.
[Wu Xinxin]: "Has the national CP of the year been born? [Drooling]"
[I’m very serious]: "Deng Xian is too rough, how can I fancy the little brother?"
[The Boy Who Drives a Tractor]: "Is there any way out? A woman more handsome than a man, no wonder I can’t find a wife!"
Before going to bed, Tang Li received a text from Deng Xian: "I’m going to break up our CP, [Crying] I lost 300,000 followers today!"