Chapter 68

Chapter 68: You Stand on the Bridge Watching the Scenery (New) Jiang Shixu paused mid-step, frowning at her, then his gaze shifted to Gu Zechuan standing behind Xu Jingxuan. He spoke slowly, "Gu Zechuan, where's your gentlemanly conduct?" Xu Jingxuan froze. She stared at Jiang Shixu in disbelief. Gu Zechuan's expression darkened slightly as he looked up to meet Ruan Chutang's calm gaze. Chu Tang probably never forgot about him at all—she'd just been putting up a front. If he helped another girl across the river right in front of her, would Chu Tang get jealous? With that thought, Gu Zechuan reached out to support Xu Jingxuan, his tone gentle. "Jingxuan, don't be afraid. I've got you." Xu Jingxuan lowered her eyes and hissed through gritted teeth, in a voice only the two of them could hear: "What are you doing? I wanted Shixu to help me across." Gu Zechuan replied, "He won't help you, so you're just going to stand in the middle of the river?" "That's still no reason for you to help." "Fine, have it your way." Gu Zechuan suddenly let go of Xu Jingxuan's hand. "Ah—" Xu Jingxuan let out a sharp cry, nearly stumbling into the river. Instinctively, she grabbed tightly onto Gu Zechuan's hand. "Just help me across first." Gu Zechuan gave a cold laugh, rolling his eyes inwardly. Seeing that Xu Jingxuan was fine, Jiang Shixu stopped paying her any mind and turned to continue forward. The group walked on with frequent stops, and soon it was evening. The red sun sank in the west, weary birds returned to the forest, and the sky was draped in a thousand miles of brilliant sunset clouds—gorgeous as a painting. The setting sun was infinitely beautiful. There was a spot with an excellent view where the sunset and clouds were fully visible. Qin Yan was the first to stop and take photos. Those who came up behind him also stopped to capture the moment. Chen Yuanyuan, panting heavily and leaning on her trekking pole as she trudged up to this spot, was caught on camera by Qin Yan. Qin Yan held his DSLR, grinning with an infuriating look. "A 4K ultra-HD meme has just been born." Chen Yuanyuan gritted her teeth. "Qin Yan, delete that!" "Not a chance. Something this entertaining—I'm keeping it to savor later." Chen Yuanyuan found a large rock and sat down, looking up to admire the sunset clouds spread across the sky. "I'm too tired to bother with you right now, Grandma's exhausted. Just wait until we get back—I'll deal with you properly then." Chu Tang and Jiang Shixu arrived at this spot. The lingering glow of the setting sun gently spilled onto their faces and bodies, gilding them in a soft layer of warm orange light. Even Jiang Shixu's cold, sharp features softened by a few degrees. "Tsk tsk, what a perfect match." Qin Yan aimed his lens at this strikingly handsome couple bathed in the sunset's glow and pressed the shutter. In the photo, Chu Tang squinted slightly as she watched the setting sun, while Jiang Shixu stood beside her, gazing at her with focused, adoring eyes. Qin Yan brought the photo over to show Jiang Shixu. "Tsk tsk, look at that look in your eyes. Even I'm getting butterflies. How does that poem go? 'You stand on the bridge watching the scenery, and someone watching you from above the tower.'" Zhou Zheng'an chuckled. "Oh? You can recite poetry now?" Qin Yan shot him a glance. "I know famous poems like that. Sure, I was a bit of a slacker back in school, but you can't really think I never learned anything." Chen Yuanyuan let out a mocking laugh. "People with the least literary talent love showing off the most." "Tsk." Qin Yan said with dissatisfaction. "What nonsense are you spouting, you little brat? Can't you save me some face out here?" Jiang Shixu took Qin Yan's DSLR and admired the couple's photo, his eyes full of appreciation. "Your photography lessons weren't wasted. Well taken. Send it to me later." Qin Yan held up two fingers. "This much." Chen Yuanyuan looked disgusted. "You're selling photos too? Look at that shameless merchant face of yours. How embarrassing. Don't tell anyone you're my brother." Qin Yan: "Shut up. What would a little girl like you know?" Jiang Shixu wasn't annoyed in the slightest. A playful smile surfaced in his eyes. "Two hundred thousand?" Qin Yan shook his head. "This is the century-defining photo of you and Sister Tangtang. You're offering just two hundred thousand for something this good? Final price—two million! When you two get married, you can even put it up on the big screen. Look, look how well it turned out—the atmosphere, the lighting—absolutely perfect!" Chu Tang couldn't take it anymore and laughed. "Brother Qin Yan, you really are a profiteer. Two million for one photo? Who jacks up the price like that on the spot?" "Deal." Jiang Shixu didn't hesitate. "Send it to my email. WeChat compresses the image quality." Qin Yan's face lit up with joy as he gave Jiang Shixu a thumbs up. "Now that's what I call decisive! I like dealing with straightforward people like you!" Chu Tang watched, dumbfounded. Her lips moved slightly, but in the end, she said nothing. Whatever. It wasn't her money he was spending, so let him do what he wanted. Chu Tang looked at the beautiful sunset before her, feeling utterly refreshed—as if even her heart had opened up. She squinted her eyes, spread her arms wide against the wind, and shouted out with joy. The exhaustion of the past several days dissipated in that moment. Chu Tang felt an unprecedented sense of ease. Chen Yuanyuan let out a shout too. The girls' excited voices echoed through the valley, startling a few birds into flight. Xu Jingxuan was utterly exhausted, climbing up the slope while gasping for breath. When she heard Chu Tang and Chen Yuanyuan yelling at the top of their lungs, she frowned in displeasure, her expression full of disdain. Yan Man beside her rolled her eyes and complained, "That idiot Chen Yuanyuan said I don't know how to behave in public. Is screaming and yelling her idea of proper behavior? All that noise—where's the elegance of a young lady?" Wang Siyao said, "Manman, don't lower yourself to her level. Anyone who can hang out with Ruan Chutang can't be anything good." With one sentence, Wang Siyao put down both Ruan Chutang and Chen Yuanyuan, earning laughter from Xu Jingxuan and Yan Man. Over here, Zhou Xueluo suggested, "The scenery is so nice—let's take a group photo together." "Yeah, yeah!" Chen Yuanyuan stood up from the rock. "Qin Yan, you take the photo for us." Qin Yan wasn't keen on it. "How can a group photo be complete without me in it?" His gaze swept over to Xu Jingxuan, and he handed his DSLR camera to her. "Sister Jingxuan, how about you take the photo for us?" Qin Yan was carefree and hadn't noticed Xu Jingxuan's feelings for Jiang Shixu. He only assumed her clinging to Jiang Shixu earlier was out of sibling affection. Chen Yuanyuan grabbed Qin Yan's hand and took the camera back. "No." The camera still had photos of Tangtang and Jiang Shixu together. With Xu Jingxuan's temperament, who knew what tricks she might pull. If the camera got broken or lost, the photos would be gone—and so would the two million. Qin Yan was confused. "Why not?" Chen Yuanyuan muttered "pig brain" under her breath, then said, "Just don't let them take it. I brought a selfie stick—let's use our phones instead." "Can a phone's resolution compare to a DSLR?" "Not as good, but it's not bad either." Chen Yuanyuan took out her selfie stick and set up her phone. "Xueluo, Tangtang, come stand next to me." Zhou Xueluo and Chu Tang walked over and stood on either side of Chen Yuanyuan. Jiang Shixu stood beside Chu Tang, Zhou Zheng'an stood beside Zhou Xueluo, and Qin Yan shrugged and walked over to stand beside Jiang Shixu. Chen Yuanyuan extended the selfie stick and raised it up, smiling. "One, two, three—cheese!" The three girls smiled brightly, all flashing peace signs, while the three men merely lifted the corners of their lips in faint smiles. The picture was harmonious enough. Chen Yuanyuan took several shots. The girls changed their expressions and poses several times, but the three men kept the same expressions and stances throughout. Xu Jingxuan watched from the side, jealousy burning in her eyes. Why didn't they call her over for the group photo?