Zhou Yinghuai slept straight through until noon the next day. Fortunately, Director Shen, considering how hard he had worked these past few days, had personally granted him three days off yesterday. Otherwise, having just been promoted to head of the technical department and already being late for work would likely have earned him quite a bit of gossip behind his back.
He didn’t have to work, but Cheng Fangqiu did. Early in the morning, she got up and went to the photo studio by herself.
As soon as she entered, she noticed a familiar figure sitting in the waiting area. The moment he saw her, he instinctively stood up and smiled somewhat awkwardly.
For the past few days, whenever she was working, she had seen him there. Combined with his striking appearance, she had naturally remembered him after a few encounters. So, Cheng Fangqiu smiled back and, as usual, went to the counter to check in with Sun Hongyan. After signing her name, she casually asked, “Does that young man come every day?”
Sun Hongyan didn’t need to ask to know who Cheng Fangqiu was referring to. “No, he comes every other day.”
Hearing this, Cheng Fangqiu nodded thoughtfully and then asked, “There are empty spots inside, right? Why doesn’t he go in to take photos?”
When Cheng Fangqiu arrived, she had specifically glanced into the shooting area. Only Li Taoyuan and Li Zhiliang were inside, with no other customers.
“I asked him earlier, and he said he only wants you to take his photos,” Sun Hongyan said, winking at her before continuing, “Lately, many customers who come because of your reputation are like this. It’s nothing unusual.”
They were used to it.
Whether they came for her looks, her status as the only female photographer, or her skills, as long as it helped the studio’s business, it was a good thing.
Cheng Fangqiu’s doubts were somewhat dispelled. Just as she was about to leave with a smile, she heard Sun Hongyan mutter softly, “But what does he need so many photos for? I’ve never seen a boy who likes taking photos this much.”
Hearing this, a vague idea surfaced in Cheng Fangqiu’s mind.
But upon further thought, it seemed unlikely. Although the young man was tall, she had seen the personal information form he filled out. He was only sixteen this year, about the same age as Cheng Xuejun. In her eyes, he was just a little brother who hadn’t even grown all his feathers yet.
She couldn’t help but laugh at herself, feeling a bit narcissistic.
“Call him in.”
“Alright.” Sun Hongyan didn’t even need to check the information form before calling out to the waiting area, “Comrade Yuan Zheng, you can come in for your photos now.”
As soon as the words fell, the young man jogged over from the waiting area.
“Here for photos again?” Cheng Fangqiu asked warmly.
“Mm,” Yuan Zheng nodded, his gaze quickly sweeping over her face before he lowered his eyelashes, hiding the emotions in his eyes, and obediently followed her into the shooting area.
Li Taoyuan had been discussing with Li Zhiliang the results of learning from Cheng Fangqiu over the past few days, but he stopped talking when he saw them enter.
“Qiuqiu, this kid is set on your skills. I offered to take his photos, but he wouldn’t let me,” Li Taoyuan said, recalling the rejection he had received from Yuan Zheng earlier. He couldn’t help but lean closer to Cheng Fangqiu and tease in a low voice, with a hint of grievance in his tone.
Cheng Fangqiu’s eyes curved into a smile. She was about to comfort him when, before she could speak, a firm rebuttal came from nearby: “I’m not a kid.”
The words left everyone momentarily stunned.
Li Taoyuan awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. He hadn’t expected his casual remark to upset the customer. Thinking of the other person’s status as a client, he immediately apologized.
But Yuan Zheng pressed his lips together and didn’t say a word, leaving the atmosphere somewhat awkward.
Are kids these days really this sensitive?
Having all gone through adolescence, Cheng Fangqiu understood the eagerness of this age group to be seen as adults and their strong aversion to being treated like children. However, Li Taoyuan meant no harm. After all, he was old enough to be Yuan Zheng’s father, so calling him a kid wasn’t entirely inappropriate.
Thinking of how Li Taoyuan had often looked out for her in the past, and considering she was now also an employee of the photo studio, Cheng Fangqiu softly spoke up to help smooth things over.
“Comrade Yuan, I’m really sorry. Master Li didn’t mean any harm. I apologize on his behalf.”
Hearing her words, Yuan Zheng’s face instantly turned beet red, and he panicked inwardly. Had he messed things up? Would she think he was being unreasonable? But he truly couldn’t stand someone calling him a child in front of her.
His face grew redder and redder, and his words became tangled, unable to form a proper explanation.
For the first time, Yuan Zheng hated how awkward he was with words.
In the end, he only said, “Let’s take the photos.”
Regardless, this gave both sides a way to save face, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Li Taoyuan, understanding the situation, tactfully left the shooting area, leaving only Li Zhiliang to assist.
Cheng Fangqiu put on a smile again and calmly guided Yuan Zheng through the photo poses. Since he didn’t take many photos, the session was quickly over.
“Next.”
Yuan Zheng stood in place, looking at Cheng Fangqiu behind the camera. His mouth opened, but in the end, he said nothing. Cheng Fangqiu, focused on adjusting the camera angle, didn’t glance at him at all.
It wasn’t until after the busy morning and during lunch that Cheng Fangqiu received a note from Yuan Zheng, passed to her by Sun Hongyan. It contained only two words:
“I’m sorry.”
Cheng Fangqiu read it softly, her brows furrowing slightly. Why was he apologizing to her? It wasn’t a matter of who was right or wrong. Besides, if he wanted to apologize, shouldn’t it be to Li Taoyuan?
“Are you sure this is for me?”
Sun Hongyan nodded, which only deepened Cheng Fangqiu’s confusion. She casually tossed the note into her bag and focused on eating. Working at the unit had its perks—even lunch was provided by a state-run restaurant.
After eating, she and Sun Hongyan dozed off at the counter for a while before starting their afternoon shift.
The number of people coming to the studio for photos decreased in the afternoon, and by the end of the workday, they could leave on time.
As soon as she stepped out of the studio, Cheng Fangqiu spotted a tall man standing by the bicycle parking area. Her peach-blossom eyes immediately curved into crescents, and she bounced over to him, her tone cheerful.
“Why are you here?”
Zhou Yinghuai reached out to steady her, withdrawing his hand only after she was balanced. His voice carried a hint of joy. “I came to pick you up after work.”
“Did you rest well?” Cheng Fangqiu looked Zhou Yinghuai up and down. His beard was neatly shaved, the redness in his eyes had faded, and he looked refreshed, with none of the exhaustion from the previous day.
“Yes, I had a good sleep and feel much better now,” Zhou Yinghuai nodded. He then explained his day. “After getting up in the afternoon, I went to the guesthouse to talk to my parents. We agreed they’d come over for dinner tonight, and I also called Beijing.”
Cheng Fangqiu nodded. “We really should have called earlier. Last time, I wanted to ask if Mom and Dad had received the photos and things we sent, but I kept getting caught up with other things and forgot.”
At this, she stuck out her tongue sheepishly. “But it’s not too late now.”
“Let’s go home, or we might not make it in time.”
“Okay.”
When they got home, Ding Ximei and the others had already mostly finished preparing dinner. After the family ate, they went to the phone room downstairs. This was the first time the elders from both families had spoken over the phone, so there was some nervousness, but thanks to the buffer of the phone line, the conversation went smoothly.
After exchanging greetings, the phone was handed to Cheng Fangqiu.
“We received them, Qiuqiu. You put so much thought into it, and we all love it.”
Liu Suhe first said a few words about the gifts Cheng Fangqiu had sent, then added, “That boy Zhou Yinghuai must have stumbled upon some incredible luck to marry such a beautiful daughter-in-law into our Zhou family. It’s like our ancestors’ graves are smoking with good fortune.”
Knowing she was pretty was one thing, but being praised, especially by her mother-in-law, was another. Cheng Fangqiu considered herself thick-skinned, but Liu Suhe’s words almost made her want to bury her head in the ground from embarrassment.
This was too much enthusiasm! She was almost overwhelmed!
“I heard from Yinghuai that you’re working at a photo studio now? If it’s too tiring, would you like to switch to a more relaxed job?”
Cheng Fangqiu quickly shook her head. “No need, Mom. It’s great now, and I’m very satisfied.”
“If there’s anything you need, you must tell us. Your dad and I have quite a few connections in this area. We’re far away now and can’t take care of you directly, so we want to do whatever we can for you.”
Liu Suhe was afraid Cheng Fangqiu would be too polite with them and emphasized this several times.
Cheng Fangqiu felt a bit embarrassed. Were these really the same strict and impartial parents of the male lead from the book?
Her mother-in-law’s words practically spelled out that if she wanted, she and her father-in-law would use their connections to fulfill any of her needs, whether it was changing jobs or positions…
Their attitude was even warmer than toward their own sons.
But she could also tell that Liu Suhe’s words were completely genuine. She truly liked her daughter-in-law, which made Cheng Fangqiu feel warm inside, and her favorability toward this mother-in-law she had never met skyrocketed.
“If we need anything, we’ll definitely speak up. Don’t worry, Mom and Dad.”
After chatting for a few more minutes, Cheng Fangqiu handed the phone to Zhou Yingchen. He still had studies in Beijing and couldn’t stay in Rongzhou forever. After discussing his return time with Liu Suhe, he hung up.
The next day, while everyone was free, Cheng Fangqiu took the whole family to Hongmeng Photo Studio to take a family portrait.
“Oh dear, I just had blood drawn at the hospital the other day. Does my complexion look okay? Will it look bad in the photos?”
In recent years, Ding Ximei and Cheng Baokuan had only spent money on taking photos of their two children as keepsakes. It had been a long time since they had taken photos themselves, so they were a bit nervous and unsure.
“Mom, you’re so beautiful. You’ll look good no matter what,” Cheng Fangqiu teased with a smile.
Ding Ximei’s ears turned red, and she couldn’t help but give her a playful glare.
“Besides, you have to trust your daughter’s skills. There’s no such thing as an unflattering photo under my camera,” Cheng Fangqiu said, patting her chest to reassure Ding Ximei that everything was in her hands.
Ding Ximei had both beauty and grace. With a little guidance, the photos turned out stunning. Cheng Fangqiu, being a lover of beauty, took many shots of her. When Li Taoyuan even asked for a photo of Ding Ximei to display in the studio window, Cheng Fangqiu didn’t refuse. After asking Ding Ximei’s opinion, she agreed.
A beautiful mother should be shown off to everyone.
After taking individual photos of everyone, Cheng Fangqiu asked Li Taoyuan to help take several family portraits. This was their first family photo, so it held special significance. Cheng Fangqiu planned to have them developed in various sizes to keep in her wallet.
Good times always pass quickly. Three days after taking the photos, Ding Ximei and the others left Rongzhou, followed by Zhou Yingchen. The once lively home was suddenly left with just her and Zhou Yinghuai.
Looking at the empty house, Cheng Fangqiu felt a bit unaccustomed to it and took a few days to adjust.
Just as she was still immersed in a sense of loss, a piece of news brought by Xu Qiqi instantly lifted her spirits!