Beauty and the Beasts

“I hope nothing will happen.” Brady made the signal of a cross in front of his chest, went to check his companions’ tents to ensure that it was zipped tight, then sat by the fire to keep watch.

Curtis first looked for a big banyan tree as per Brady’s shoot requirement. The banyan tree was fat and lush, with many vines, branches, and leaves at the bottom, making it easier to take a shot from the ground.

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Curtis then picked a prey that wasn’t considered too big and ate it. He then soaked in the water and rested well for the night.

Early morning the next day, he went back energized before the sun came up.

When Brady came out from the tent and saw Curtis, he raised his brows in surprise, saying, “Morning, Ke Di.”

“Morning,” Curtis replied with a pleased expression. Brady was even more surprised.

It seemed that he had a pleasant night yesterday.

“I’m really surprised to see you in such good condition. This is good. Let’s go look for a site for the shooting.” Brady didn’t bring up the topic of “ending the partnership” and spoke as if nothing had happened.

Curtis said, “I’ve already found it. Come with me.”

“Hmm?” Brady was dubious, but he woke up his companions and they went on their way.

Curtis had picked the best path during the night and removed all obstacles along the way. It only took them half an hour to arrive at the banyan tree.

This tree looked like a forest from afar, but upon walking under its crown, one would realize that there weren’t any other tree trunks. The light rays were dark and there was a light white fog on the ground, too. When the morning breeze blew, the place looked like a beautiful and dreamy scene with wisps of silk.

“It’s too beautiful.” Brady praised, at a loss for words. He was immersed in this beautiful scene and only woke up after a while.

“This is an even greater fit than what I expected. Let’s start right away before the fog dissipates.” Brady then added, “Oh my god, it’s really too beautiful. I must film this beautiful scene. If we can’t get a good shot, then we’ll continue tomorrow.”

Everyone immediately started preparations, setting up the equipment, putting on makeup, grasping every single second. They managed to finish the preparations to be able to film at the optimal timing.

Upon picking up the camera, Brady was like a completely different person, emitting a solemn and unquestionable disposition.

He first filmed the scenery, then instructed Curtis to get ready. “Walk over from there first. I’ll take a look at the effect.”

Curtis did as he instructed. The space under the banyan tree was very big. As there was no light, there weren’t many weeds on the ground either. Curtis walked very quickly and finished the distance in just a while.

Curtis’s past works were all done at standstill. He’d either be standing or laying down. It was completely different from a video.

His speed was so fast that Brady didn’t like it at all. He frowned and said, “That’s not right. It’s completely wrong. You should be more sluggish and casual. Walk slower. Let’s try it again.”

Curtis walked again.

This time around, he walked slower. It seemed to have met Brady’s requirement, but it didn’t give off the feeling that Brady had imagined it to be.

“Why? I keep having the feeling that something is amiss.” Brady looked toward Curtis doubtfully. When he saw him unintentionally releasing his real emotions, his doubt immediately dissipated.

Ke Di was the character presented in the magazine he had appeared in. It wasn’t a problem with his image, but that they just hadn’t found the best moment.

Brady lowered the camera and asked, “What do you usually do during shoots?”

“Casual shots,” Curtis said sluggishly.

Brady thought about it for a moment before saying, “Then just move about casually. I’ll decide on the moments to film.”

“En.” Curtis raised his head and looked at the tree crown. He quite liked this big tree.