Chapter 57.1: Stars

On the day when the Eternal Camera Club photography exhibition was officially launched, Cen Ning got up early.

It started at 9 a.m. Photography enthusiasts and well-known photographers entered the venue. Cen Ning and the others accompanied Yin Li to greet people in the exhibition area. After a busy morning, she finally took time to rest for a while.

Da Bei and Xixi got food for her, but she was a little absent-minded when eating.

“Ningning, are you too tired?” Xixi asked.

Cen Ning: “No, I’m not tired.”

“Then why do you look unhappy?”

“I’m not unhappy, it’s just…” Cen Ning smiled lightly. “I’m just waiting for someone, but I don’t know if he will show up today.”

“Ah, who is it? Is it your boyfriend?”

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Uld Lkdt eked’v eldu kv. “Zlp.”

“Frlyjkdt sq obknb, vseyu kp y hlau kxrsavydv lhldv kd uswa zkql. Ebu eslpd’v bl nsxl? Fs wdynnlrvyczl.”

Uld Lkdt nswzed’v blya svbla rlsrzl cyexswvb Zyd Dkdtgbk, ps pbl iwknjzu lmrzykdle. “Ls, kv’p clnywpl bl byp psxlvbkdt watldv yv osaj. Rv’p dsv vbyv bl eslpd’v oydv vs nsxl shla.”

Dkmk czkdjle. “Eswzed’v kv cl psxlvbkdt pkxkzya vs Mkclv zypv vkxl? Nkjl kd vbl xshklp?”

Uld Lkdt: “Txx… R esd’v jdso.”

“Rq vbyv’p vbl nypl, usw alyzzu nyd’v czyxl bkx. Gqvla yzz, nsxryale vs vblka xyvvlap, swap kp hlau pxyzz.” Dkmk pktble. “Jwv R vbkdj kv kp ps eydtlaswp, Lkdtdkdt. Ps usw osaau?”

Esaau? Xq nswapl pbl oswze cl osaakle, vs vbl rskdv oblal pbl kp xkppkdt bkx lhlau xsxldv yde oydvp bkx vs nsxl cynj pyqlzu kxxlekyvlzu, yde oydvp bkx vs yrrlya kd qasdv sq bla pyql.

“R vawpv bkx.” Uld Lkdt pxkzle zktbvzu, vyjkdt yzz vbl ydmklvu kdvs bla blyav. “Tl nyd pszhl lhlauvbkdt.”

“Mhm, yes!” Xixi patted Cen Ning on the shoulder. “Also, our photography exhibition is not limited to this day, there are still several days to come, maybe he will come back in a few days and make it in time.”

“Mhm.”

In the afternoon, Cen Ning was much more relaxed, because she didn’t have to receive VIPs, she only had to look at the photos exhibited.

Song Ci and Zhang Ziyi came to see her, and they pretentiously commented on a few photos in the exhibition, and Cen Ning rolled her eyes and pulled them back.

“Okay, okay, just take a look. What are you saying?”

“But if I don’t say stuff, how will others think I’m a master?” Zhang Ziyi chuckled. “Today I’m a well-known photographer.”

Song Ci: “Hey, did you say something wrong? I just said that I am a well-known photographer, and you are the little assistant of a well-known photographer.”

Zhang Ziyi: “Go away. Who is your little assistant?”

Cen Ning smiled sullenly. “You two are enough, won’t you be ashamed if you’re heard by others?”

“I’m thick-skinned (TLN: means shameless), so you don’t need to worry about it.” After he finished speaking, Zhang Ziyi looked at the time. “Oh, the exhibition will be closed in half an hour. To celebrate your completion today, I will treat you to whatever you want to eat.”

Cen Ning: “I’m exhausted. I just want to go back and lie down.”

“Tsk, no matter how tired you are, you still have to eat. You must eat.”

Song Ci: “She’s right, I’ll take you back to rest after the meal.”

In the end, unable to withstand the enthusiasm of the two, a few minutes before the end of the exhibition, Cen Ning told Da Bei and walked out with them.

The three walked side by side. Song Ci and Zhang Ziyi were discussing where to eat, while Cen Ning lazily followed. At this time, her body was a little tired, and her thoughts were a little messy. She wondered whether to go back to school or the apartment and then wondered whether anyone liked her work today.

Inadvertently, she glanced sideways.

Suddenly, she saw a person standing by the flower bed not far away. The afternoon sun shone on him, not delicate, not gentle, but dazzling as if it could make her cry in a second.

Cen Ning felt her heart fluctuate violently. After a burst of ecstasy, there was a speechless astringency.

She didn’t move for a moment. She just looked at him like this, looking weary and full of glory.

“Ningning, you decide whether to eat Japanese food or go for steak.” Zhang Ziyi and Song Ci were at a stalemate and turned to throw the question to Cen Ning.

But after asking, she saw Cen Ning staring in another direction as if her soul had come out of her body. Zhang Ziyi was puzzled and followed her gaze.

“F*ck? Why is he…? Hey Ningning!”

Zhang Ziyi didn’t finish her sentence when she saw Cen Ning on her side running forward suddenly. She didn’t make a sound, and like a gust of wind, Cen Ning plunged into the arms of Yan Xingzhi not far away.

“Well… We don’t need to choose between Japanese food or steak. Let’s each go back to our homes and find our mothers.” (TLN: saying that means to leave)

Song Ci glanced at the two people not far away and looked away. “Hey, you don’t want to eat either.”

“I’m not eating anymore. I think Tang Zheng must be back, too.”

“Damn… Zhang Ziyi, do you have any humanity?”

“Hey, what kind of words are saying? Why don’t you scold Ningning? Look at her.”

…

Cen Ning was almost hanging on Yan Xingzhi’s body. She hugged his neck tightly, using so much force as if she was not sure that the person in front of her was real.

Yan Xingzhi rubbed her head and said in a soft voice, “What’s wrong? I came back too suddenly?”

Cen Ning remained silent, and after a while, she let go and looked him up and down. “Are you injured?”

The corners of Yan Xingzhi’s rose a little, knowing that she was worried about him. “No, I’m fine.”

Cen Ning finally let go of her hanging heart. “You left so suddenly, I didn’t know where you went, and I don’t know if it is dangerous, I…”

“Ningning.” Yan Xingzhi comforted, “I’ll be fine.”

Cen Ning lowered her eyes. “Oh…”

The little girl’s anxious appearance made Yan Xingzhi blame himself. Sure enough, the incident in Tibet last time left a deep trauma in her.

“Hurridenly coming and finally managed to arrive before the exhibition closed today.” Yan Xingzhi didn’t want her to be in this state the entire time, so he changed the subject. “I promised that I would come before, luckily I didn’t break the promise.”

“Don’t worry, there are still a few days left anyway.” Cen Ning turned her head. “Look, the exhibition is about to be closed today, and there is no one left.”

“Then I can’t see it. Is it a promise broken?”

Cen Ning pursed her lips and smiled, and her emotions eased. “It doesn’t count as one. It is good since you are back.”

Later, Cen Ning finally remembered Song Ci and Zhang Ziyi who invited her to a meal, but when she turned around, those two, with great insight, had already left.

Now Cen Ning no longer had to think about whether to go back to school or the apartment tonight and directly got into the car of Yan Xingzhi.

After a meal, the two returned to the apartment.

Cen Ning was indeed tired today. It was only seven o’clock after taking a shower, and she fell asleep lying on the bed…

When Yan Xingzhi walked from the living room to Cen Ning’s room, he saw the person who was sleeping soundly by the bed; he paused for a moment and then smiled slightly. Then he stepped forward to cover her with the quilt and silently exited the room.

**

Cen Ning slept soundly but did not sleep until dawn.

When she woke up midway, her mind was a little dazed, the lights in the room were dimmed, and there was no moonlight outside the window, only the faint impression of street lights coming in.

She took a look at her phone. It was 00:40… (TLN: 12:40 am in 12-hour time)

 Did she fall asleep unknowingly when she came back?

Cen Ning got out of bed, didn’t turn on the light, and opened the door of the room directly, following the light from the window.

She glanced at Yan Xingzhi’s room. It was very dark. It was so late; he was probably asleep too.

Cen Ning cleared her throat and went to the kitchen to get water.

She woke up in the middle of the night with a very dry throat. Drinking a glass of water at this moment finally relieved the uncomfortable feeling.

“Why did you wake up?”

Suddenly, a slightly unexpected voice came from behind.

Cen Ning turned around and saw Yan Xingzhi in casual clothes standing at the door of the kitchen. He didn’t look like he just woke up. His eyes were clear, he was neatly dressed, with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a glass.

Cen Ning: “I woke up for some reason. You haven’t slept yet?”

Yan Xingzhi came over and put down the glass. “I have matters to figure out. I’ve been staying in the study.”

“Oh, I thought you were in the room.”

“There’s no one in my room. Why would I stay there?” Yan Xingzhi approached her and smiled silently. “You run back to your room to sleep, there’s nothing I can do about you.”

Cen Ning’s face became hot, and she looked up at him.

He also lowered his head to look at her, with a faint smile in his eyes. But on the night of the reunion, those two dark eyes seemed to have some kind of undisguised ambition.

Cen Ning couldn’t resist his gaze, but she didn’t want to leave either. She hesitated for a while, and said in a low voice, “Then shall I go to sleep in your room later?”