43 The Cathedral Church

The assistant brought them their takeaway lunchboxes. Sister Xue took two and handed one to Qin Guan.

Qin Guan sighed at the box in his hand. The white foam plastic material was so unhealthy [1].

Opening the box, he sighed again. At that time, lunchboxes were really made with care.

As a chain lunchbox business, Lihua Quick Meal had initially started as a small kitchen before it began its hard journey through the capital, equipped with only a couple of phone lines and a few delivery men.

It cost only ten yuan for a whole box of rice, a portion of meat fried celery, chicken leg stew and a fried egg. Taste aside, that price was quite reasonable.

Sister Xue talked with Qin Guan while she ate, “Did you decide about what Professor Li told you last time?”

Swallowing the celery in his mouth, Qin Guan answered, “I could only do part-time jobs. What's the difference between signing a contract and not signing one, anyway? Aren’t you afraid of destroying your reputation?”

He swallowed another mouthful of rice before he added, “Plus, after signing the contract, you can only work for one person. I won't have that much spare time. You might starve because of me.”

The sinister smile of a businessman formed on Sister Xue’s face. She waved her index finger in front of him and said, “No, no, no. I could make more money by working just for you.”

Qin Guan thought while he ate. He waited curiously to hear her explanation.

“Don’t you know that, Qin Guan? Models are divided into different classes like merchants in the market.” She excitedly picked up a cigarette. Then she remembered that she was in the studio, and just kept it between her fingers.

“The levels of models, from bottom to top, are Untrained, C, B, A, A+ and Top Models. Their value and income depend on their level. You know you are at the bottom now as an untrained model. I can only get you small gigs, like third-rate poster shoots and exhibitions. T stage shows are monopolized by the big talent agencies. Unless you’re a top model, you can only dream of performing on a T show.”

Qin Guan swallowed the last mouthful of rice and asked, “Why you are so confident about me? I’m only a greenhorn doing part-time jobs.”

Sister Xue suddenly lay flat on the sofa helplessly. “If Professor Li says you can do it, then you should be able to. I’m a little afraid, in fact.”

Qin Guan laughed and patted her on the shoulder. “I’ll talk with Professor Li next time I see her. I’ll think it over.”

After everyone finished lunch, the assistants packed up all the costumes and props and carried them to their car. They followed the studio car to Xizhimen in a formidable formation.

The site was the Xizhimen Cathedral Church, which was quite close to Qin Guan’s college. People always called it the Western Church. It was one of the four cathedral churches in Beijing, located at 133 Xizhimennei Street in the Xicheng District. Being the newest and smallest out of the four churches, it was the only one that hadn’t been built by the Society of Jesus.

The car arrived at the entrance of the church. They arranged the equipment and props, and folded out the chairs and dressing table into their proper places. The old guard opened the gate for them, the key quivering in his hands.

Before he left, he reminded everyone, “You have only one afternoon. Be careful and don’t cause any damages inside.”

Qin Guan got out of Sister Xue’s car and observed the church carefully. In his past life, he had lived in the capital for so many years, yet he had never visited it.

He walked slowly to the main gate. The Lady of Mount Carmel Church, was a Gothic building with independent clock towers. On the entrance wall, Qin Guan found a stone tablet with the history of the Western Church carved on it.

The tablet inscription read as follows.

Tablet Record of the Rebuilding of the Lady of Mount Carmel Church

May our holy religion always protect the common people. In thousands of years, our church has experienced both prosperity and hardship. Fortunately, the Lord's mercy and spirit were always with us. May the Lord continue to be with us...

The surface of the building was covered in thick ivy. The whole church looked impressive compared to the buildings surrounding it. The front north wall was connected to the original north wall, and the Cerro San Cristobal was indoors. It was actually the only indoor Cerro San Cristobal in Beijing.

The mottled clock tower had collapsed, leaving only one octagon abutment at the second floor, north of the main body of the church. Visitors could feel the aesthetic of the broken, ancient building.

The photographer put his equipment into place. First, they would take the outdoor photos.

Qin Guan wore an orthodox wedding costume with white gloves. The ancient double-row European-style cuffs were shining bright under the sunshine.

He gently put his hand against the wall of the church. The white glove and pied cyan bricks created a sharp contrast, like a scroll travelling through time to show people a picture of times past.

Qin Guan looked calmly ahead, picturing the future. He seemed to be waiting for his lover in the silent afternoon.

There was a lot of light and wind, so the photographer had to change his angle several times. It took longer than the indoor shooting, but Qin Guan still finished the photos easily.

There were only two series of indoor photos left to shoot.

They waited until the female model had finished her photos at the front door of the church, and then the assistant pushed the ancient, squeaking gate open and they entered the church. Qin Guan was surprised by the scene inside. What a sharp contrast!

With its tall Corinth pillars and pinnacle windows, the inner part of the church was grand and gorgeous. Rows of wooden benches were shining with paint. The European relieves on the pillars and their colourful glaze were unparalleled in beauty.

The long aisle was covered with a red carpet. Qin Guan and the female model were standing by the benches, one in front, the other in the back, their heads turned as they looked at the photographer. The white pillars, red benches and black curtains behind them added a mysterious atmosphere to the whole picture.

They adjusted their expressions and smiled at the lens at the photographer's request. The photos were finished without trouble.

In the last series of photos, Qin Guan had to kiss the girl's hand in front of the sacrificial altar. He bent his tall figure and touched his lips to the back of the girl's hand, which was covered by a lace glove. Through the lens, the picture looked quite beautiful. Four golden praying vases were around them. The white sacrificial altar and round vault looked intimidating.

Wearing a black swallow-tailed costume, Qin Guan kissed the bride carefully and sincerely. His long, straight legs and slender waist made women crazy.

The photographer was quite satisfied. The models are very dedicated to their work. They do whatever I ask them to. The sample photos are ready for the customers. Beauty is our priority. A nameless model who insists on displaying their charm and features would look ridiculous in these photos. Customers would not be interested in that.

In China, the material of throw-away lunchboxes used to be white foam plastic, which was harmful to people’s health. About 20 years ago, it was changed to more healthy materials nationwide.