Yu Qing immediately chimed in, “Reply to him—say yes, say yes!”
Wen Yang glanced at Yu Qing awkwardly, thought for a moment, and then responded to Fu Xingzhou.
Wen Yang: Okay, thank you, President Fu.
Yu Qing shrugged, holding her coffee cup as she walked back to her desk. “I knew you’d reply like that. Just so you know, I’m not free. You know how difficult that client who wants the new Chinese-style design is—I’m still negotiating with him.”
Wen Yang walked over with a smile and showed her the tickets. “Are you really not going?”
Yu Qing shook her head and stared at her computer without moving.
She wasn’t going to ruin her best friend’s chance to get to know a man. Even if she wanted to go, she had to keep a cold face and firmly refuse. Wen Yang hovered around her for a while, but Yu Qing remained unwavering.
At that moment, Tao Li walked over with freshly printed blueprints. Seeing the tickets in Wen Yang’s hand, she curiously asked, “Sister Wen, what are those?”
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Nw Hbyd yzps ypjle, “Typ vbl aldshyvksd yv Twy Ww pvyavle?”
Eld Zydt: Zlp, Ya. Nw.
Nw Hbyd: R’zz qkde vkxl vs nblnj kv swv. R byhld’v plld bkp rzynl ulv.
Wen Yang chuckled. “Alright, I’ll wait for you to come by.”
Lu Zhan sent a series of ellipses in response—a silent expression of helplessness.
A polite and well-mannered woman who didn’t try to climb social ladders was rare in their circle. If it were someone else, they would have definitely tried to gain more resources.
Wen Yang, meanwhile, stared at Lu Zhan’s long list of demands, eyes wide. He really had a lot of requirements. She even started to wonder if his house could actually accommodate all of them.
Yu Qing leaned over for a glance and, with experience, advised, “Ignore the extras. Just focus on his most important needs, or else you won’t even be able to design the blueprint.”
Wen Yang nodded.
Got it.
The Next Morning
When Wen Yang woke up, surprisingly, Yu Qing was already gone.
She had woken up quite early today—just past 7 AM. After washing up, she came out to find breakfast on the table—soup dumplings—along with a note.
The handwriting was unmistakably Yu Qing’s.
“Eat well, enjoy the exhibition, I’ll focus on work.”
Alright.
Yu Qing really wasn’t going.
Wen Yang poured herself a glass of milk and ate the slightly cooled soup dumplings. The weather was beautiful today. Sunlight poured in through the window. It was nearing winter, and there was a crisp chill in the air. In Nancheng, winter always arrived late.
She reached her hand outside to feel the temperature, then chose a light-colored base layer and a light-colored shirt, paired with trousers. She grabbed her camera and a dumpling-shaped handbag before heading out.
The Exhibition
This wasn’t the first time this venue had hosted an exhibition. Wen Yang had been here several times before, each time for a different theme.
Today’s theme was “The Four Seasons.”
Perhaps because winter was approaching, the changes in Nancheng’s seasons were reflected in the flowers and subtle shifts in the weather. The theme was very fitting.
After submitting her ticket, Wen Yang entered the exhibition hall.
The Four Seasons.
There were countless subjects one could capture landscapes, people, moments. Each frame depicted the beauty of seasonal transitions. Some photographers had spent years in a single location, documenting its transformation from spring’s growth to summer’s flourishing, from autumn’s harvest to winter’s dormancy—creating entire series of images.
It was still early, so the exhibition wasn’t too crowded.
Wen Yang stood in front of many photographs, quietly observing.
Meanwhile, at Qingzhou Group’s Top Floor
A high-level meeting was underway, discussing the Kangyuan Camera project. The evaluation team handed Fu Xingzhou a thick stack of documents, tracing Kangyuan’s history back to its very beginnings.
Especially the founder of Kangyuan.
To put it bluntly, this man had simply ridden the wave of the times, catching the right moment to soar to success. But Kangyuan lacked longevity—after a short period of prosperity, it failed to sustain itself.
However, the founder was different. Even now, with Kangyuan on the verge of collapse, he still refused to give up.
Recently, he’s been driving for a ride-hailing service just to keep the company afloat.
Even the manager of the evaluation department found this person fascinating. Wouldn’t it be better to just sell Kangyuan as a package deal at this point? Yet, he stubbornly held on.
But Fu Xingzhou had decided to invest.
It was as if Kangyuan had saved the galaxy in its past life.
The discussion was coming to an end.
Jiang Yue pushed open the door, walked up to Fu Xingzhou, and whispered something.
Fu Xingzhou nodded.
Once the meeting officially ended, he got up, unfastened the button on his suit jacket, and walked out. After a few minutes in his office, he emerged with a set of car keys and headed downstairs.
At the front desk, an employee was secretly munching on a piece of bread while avoiding the security cameras. But when she saw the boss walking past, she nearly choked. She quickly hid the bread behind her back and stood up straight.
It wasn’t until Fu Xingzhou had completely left that the receptionist finally reacted.
The boss is wearing a white dress shirt today? So handsome.
A black sedan pulled away from the entrance—not a stretched version, but a sleek coupe. The car arrived at Nancheng’s Photography Exhibition Hall, and Fu Xingzhou parked in a spacious spot.
He climbed the steps and entered the exhibition hall.
Inside the Exhibition
There were more people now, though the hall wasn’t crowded. A few visitors stood scattered in front of each photograph. The exhibition space, with its unique design, had polished floors that reflected the soft lighting.
Turning a corner, he immediately spotted Wen Yang standing in front of a light-and-shadow photograph.
She was dressed casually, her hair tied up in a bun, with a few loose strands framing her face. A camera hung around her neck, and her all-white outfit made her look especially pure and delicate. She was focused, lost in the moment.
Fu Xingzhou observed her for a few seconds before walking over and standing beside her, gazing at the same photograph.
Wen Yang liked this particular light-and-shadow shot because it was taken in Nanan. The photographer had used a gray-tone lens to capture the walls of a school campus.
It wasn’t her school—she had attended No. 2 High School, while No. 1 High School was next door.
She had taken a similar shot before, back when she used a second-hand camera with a faulty lens. The poor-quality lens had black specks, so she had also adjusted her photo to grayscale. But in the end, her version looked more like an old, worn-down pedestrian bridge about to be demolished.
Wen Yang pulled out her phone, opened her cloud album, found the old photograph, and held it up close to compare it with the exhibition piece.
Fu Xingzhou lifted his gaze, watching her compare the images.
So, she had taken a photo of the same scene before.
His voice was cool and clear. “Where was this taken?”
A familiar voice came from behind her. Wen Yang turned, momentarily stunned to see Fu Xingzhou standing there. She hesitated for a moment before answering, “The campus wall of the school next to mine.”
“Nanan?”
She nodded and smiled. “My old camera wasn’t great, so the photo ended up with some specks.”
Fu Xingzhou glanced at the wall-mounted photograph, then back at her. “It’s nice. Each has its own atmosphere.”
Wen Yang smiled.
Was that a compliment?
Actually, she had always liked that imperfect photo of hers.
“President Fu.”
She was about to ask him why he was here—was he also interested in photography? But before she could voice the question, she suddenly realized something and chose not to ask.
Fu Xingzhou hummed in response, waiting for her question. But instead, she shut her mouth and turned her gaze back to the photographs.
A faint smile appeared in his eyes.
He said, “I came to keep you company.”
Even though she hadn’t asked, he gave her an answer anyway.
Wen Yang’s ears heated up slightly. She replied, “Thank you, President Fu.”
She walked toward the right side of the exhibition hall—that was where the main section of the exhibit was, focusing on the landscapes of Nancheng.
Fu Xingzhou wasn’t wearing his usual suit today. Just a dress shirt, with his sleeves casually rolled up and his top button undone, making him look more relaxed.
As they walked side by side, Wen Yang occasionally took a step ahead of him.
Since they were both wearing white shirts, they almost looked like a couple.
Fu Xingzhou suddenly asked, “How old were you when you first became interested in photography?”
From that Nanan pedestrian bridge photo, it was clear she hadn’t just picked up the hobby in recent years.
Wen Yang answered softly, “Around twelve.”
Fu Xingzhou continued, “What sparked your interest?”
Wen Yang lifted her gaze and met his eyes for a few seconds before saying, “It was during my rebellious phase. Back then, I wanted to escape from home, to be free. I thought being a photographer would be great—living freely, unrestrained.”
Fu Xingzhou raised a brow. “I never would’ve guessed you had a rebellious phase.”
Wen Yang’s ears instantly heated up. She smiled and turned her head away helplessly.
It was true—no one would have thought she had a rebellious phase. In reality, it had been short-lived, just a period when she desperately wanted to leave home and not be controlled by Zhu Yun.
After a moment of thought, she turned back and asked, “What about you? Did you have a rebellious phase, President Fu?”
Fu Xingzhou met her gaze and nodded slightly.
“Of course.”
“And what did you want to do during your rebellious phase?”
His voice was calm. “Photography.”
Wen Yang was taken aback.
Her eyes, already beautiful, reflected her surprise clearly.
They stopped in front of one of the large photographs. Fu Xingzhou continued, “I played around with it for a while.”
Wen Yang blinked. “No wonder you knew about the Kennedy Town shooting spot.”
A faint smile surfaced in Fu Xingzhou’s eyes.
“Mm.”
The Photography Exhibition
The displayed works were all scenes from Nancheng—from Qingzhou Group’s headquarters to a five-star hotel, to the bustling streets, night markets, flower stalls, bus stops, subway entrances, and double-decker buses.
Each season was captured vividly:
- Spring blossoms
- Summer’s golden hues
- Autumn leaves, rich and warm
- Winter’s serene whites
Even a single fallen autumn leaf was brought to life under the photographer’s lens.
Wen Yang had lived in Nancheng for more than two years.
She knew the city was beautiful, but not as beautiful as it appeared through these photographs. Seeing these images, she realized there were so many places in Nancheng that could be framed and captured.
Fu Xingzhou, on the other hand, remained indifferent. Having grown up in Hong Kong, he didn’t hold particularly deep feelings for Nancheng.
Yet at this moment, his gaze settled on the woman in front of him, who was leaning in to examine the photographs closely.
His steps faltered slightly.
Wen Yang moved from one piece to the next, far more focused than the other visitors. Sometimes, she would take a step forward and stare at a photo for a long time. Other times, she would lean in to get a closer look.
Fu Xingzhou stood a few steps behind her.
Silently accompanying her.
The Final Photograph
This exhibition space was larger than the previous ones.
At times, Wen Yang moved ahead, and only then would Fu Xingzhou follow.
After they had seen everything, they arrived at the last and largest photograph—a stunning capture of Nancheng’s crepe myrtle flowers, taken right at the bus stop in front of Zhongmao Mall.
Wen Yang glanced at it and found it familiar, though she couldn’t immediately recognize the location.
Fu Xingzhou only gave it a brief look. Then, he glanced at his watch and asked her softly, “What do you want to eat for lunch?”
Wen Yang was caught off guard.
As they walked past the photograph, she turned to look at him. Fu Xingzhou met her gaze, waiting for an answer.
After a moment of thought, she said, “President Fu, don’t I still owe you a meal?”
Fu Xingzhou’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “You do.”
Wen Yang smiled. “Then let me treat you today.”
Fu Xingzhou nodded. “Alright.”
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