In high school, Zhu Ran got his own smartphone and won first prize in a mobile photography contest, using the award money to buy a digital camera.
Around then, he registered an account and started posting photography works. He mostly did personal creations, taking few commissions, but the bookings exceeded expectations, gradually building his savings.
In his freshman year, he shot a set of photos for a girl in his major that went viral online. She became a campus goddess, and he gained followers rapidly. Bookings surged, even from celebrities and brands. Zhu Ran hustled solidly for two years until his mental state declined, prompting him to cut back on commercial work and focus on personal projects.
This time, a mid-range watch brand booked him for a lifestyle-oriented, story-driven shoot.
The brand’s deposit was generous, and Zhu Ran took it seriously, delivering a theme-fitting shooting plan the next day.
The project progressed quickly. After shooting his two prior clients, the brand confirmed the date.
With Qixi Festival approaching, the brand promoted a gold-and-green retro watch pair, a reissue of a classic model with an old-school chic vibe.
Zhu Ran stared at the pair of watches, feeling they’d looked familiar but couldn’t place where.
They were pretty nice-looking anyway, and not too expensive. With Song Xingchen’s birthday coming up, Zhu Ran decided to buy one as a gift.
The brand PR, Amy, had shoulder-length short hair and wore a light gray business suit—a refreshingly straightforward Hong Kong girl. Hearing Zhu Ran wanted to buy one, she gave him the internal price and smiled. “Looks good, right? Mr. Huo wears this model too.”
“Mr. Huo?” Zhu Ran paused. “You mean Huo Boyan…?”
“You know our big boss?” Amy nodded, pulling up some enlarged social media pics of Huo Boyan. “Our boss has worn this one for years. He liked it so much he acquired the brand five years ago.”
Zhu Ran was a bit surprised. “He wears this model? Not some special custom piece?”
“Nope,” Amy said. “We’re reissuing the exact one he has.”
Zhu Ran was even more surprised. He could afford this watch himself; for someone like Huo Boyan, it was pocket change. Didn’t rich people wear watches costing hundreds of thousands?
But then he thought maybe Huo Boyan was just endorsing it. At that level, he didn’t need material things to flaunt his worth.
As they chatted, the models finished makeup, and the two assistant photographers with secondary cameras were ready. Zhu Ran held the stabilizer, hunting angles to shoot both video and stills simultaneously.
Per Zhu Ran’s plan, the final piece was a three-minute story short film, composed of semi-independent segments: a pair of strangers meeting on Hong Kong Island streets, hitting it off, spending a romantic night, then parting at dawn.
One location was a bar, where the leads were familiar enough for some physical contact.
The male and female leads sat in the exact spot Zhu Ran and Huo Boyan once had. The space was tight, their arms inevitably brushing, and from then on, their hands never parted.
Under the ambiguous lights, the emerald green retro watch lent the scene a humid, sticky South Seas vibe.
Hand in hand, they ran down empty midnight roads, lay on the grass stargazing, shared their first kiss before sunrise, then parted.
The brand project was tougher than expected. The client wanted glamour and luxury yet everyday relatability, plus highlighting the brand’s selling points and value. Zhu Ran had his own principles, racking his brains to balance commerce and art.
The final cut was just minutes long, but Zhu Ran shot all night, then dove into endless editing, color grading, and retouching.
A week later, Zhu Ran delivered the edited film, and Amy handed him the watch he’d pre-ordered. He hadn’t opened it then, but back at the hotel, he discovered an extra high-end men’s watch inside.
Why the extra one? Zhu Ran snapped a photo and asked Amy if it was a mix-up.
“Nope,” Amy replied. “This is from our big boss for you.”
Zhu Ran paused. “Huo Boyan?”
Amy: “Yeah, the president said the big boss loved your proposal.”
Zhu Ran stared at the shimmering watch, unsure what to do. He could accept a phone without guilt, no big debt. But this watch was too expensive—six figures easy at a pre-owned shop.
It might be nothing to Huo Boyan, but with Zhu Ran’s current income, he couldn’t accept such a lavish gift guilt-free. Returning equal value would make him look like a fool. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t keep it.
After much hesitation, Zhu Ran messaged Huo Boyan, trying to politely decline and return the watch.
Huo Boyan didn’t reply right away.
It had been over a week since they’d last met. Though they had each other’s contacts, neither had reached out for some reason.
Zhu Ran waited nearly an hour before Huo Boyan’s call came.
“Sorry, I was in a meeting.” Perhaps from the time apart, Huo Boyan’s voice felt strangely unfamiliar at first.
Zhu Ran shook his head. “I interrupted you. Are you free to talk now?”
Huo Boyan seemed to settle into a chair; his voice relaxed, leisurely. “Yeah, I’m free now.”
Zhu Ran didn’t mince words and repeated his intent to return the watch.
Huo Boyan chuckled helplessly. “Zhu Ran, do you have to be so distant with me?”
Zhu Ran froze. Huo Boyan’s ambiguous tone embarrassed him, but he wouldn’t let himself be led. He persisted, “It’s not about distance. I’ve been paid for my work. Beyond that, I have no standing or reason to accept such an expensive watch.”
“It’s just a watch,” Huo Boyan sighed. “If even this burdens you, what about other gifts in the future?”
Zhu Ran fell silent for several seconds, throwing the question back. “Why are you giving me a gift?”
Huo Boyan laughed, in his usual suave tone. “I saw your video and photos—they’re excellent. This watch is my recognition and reward.”
But Zhu Ran wasn’t convinced, staying silent.
“No need to feel burdened,” Huo Boyan added. “I’d encourage my younger siblings the same way. Zi Lang and Zi Qing have gotten gifts from me too.”
“Huo Boyan,” Zhu Ran’s tone suddenly cooled, “Do you only see me as a little brother?”
Huo Boyan’s expression changed slightly, as if he had sensed something.
But before he could open his mouth, Zhu Ran said crisply and decisively, “I’ll mail the watch to your company. Goodbye.”
