Wilderness Vegetation Chapter 19

Chapter 19

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Within two days, Xu Yan was added on WeChat by TIDE's chief photographer, Lu Sen. Without any small talk, Lu Sen asked if he was available to visit the studio the next afternoon as they were preparing to shoot the last cover of the year. Xu Yan wasn't intimidated, but to avoid wasting the photographer's time, he sincerely replied: My previous photography has mostly been casual and focused more on landscapes. I haven't done fashion photography before, but I'm willing to learn.

Lu Sen replied with a voice message, likely too busy to type. The background noise was chaotic, clearly from a busy scene. Lu Sen said: "The editor-in-chief showed me your work. To be honest, your photos have a strong personal style, and it will take time to adapt."

"But photography is about the language of the lens, which I'm sure you understand. I find your perspective interesting. If applied to magazine photography, it might have good results. You can come to the studio and give it a try. Your skills are not a problem."

Finally, Lu Sen lazily added, "I think you have more ideas than Xu Nian. I trust my judgement."

With his younger brother being compared, Xu Yan laughed nonchalantly and replied, "Alright, I'll be there on time tomorrow."

At the last photography exhibition, Tang Yunyan couldn't attend due to other commitments. Working at TIDE, Xu Yan was prepared to run into her, so when he saw Tang Yunyan in the studio, he naturally extended his hand and said, "Intern photographer, Xu Yan."

Tang Yunyan had her slightly wavy long hair tied loosely, with very light makeup. Her striking features made her as beautiful as any celebrity Xu Yan had seen, and her mature, natural demeanour was unforgettable.

"Tang Yunyan, you can call me Chloe." Tang Yunyan shook hands with Xu Yan, her smile making her lips look even more beautiful. She said, "Larson showed me your work, and I really like it."

At that moment, Xu Yan had no other thoughts. Whether she was Shen Zhi's ex-girlfriend or whatever Yan Yan or Yan Yan, dwelling on those things seemed petty and boring in front of such a woman. Besides, his relationship with Shen Zhi was already in the past. Xu Yan smiled back and said, "Thank you."

The shoot progressed quickly, with Lu Sen as the main photographer and Xu Yan taking test shots. They worked from afternoon till evening, including individual interviews. After wrapping up, Xu Yan was deeply focused on reviewing the photos Lu Sen had taken. Lu Sen's skill in capturing the essence of people lay in his ability to seize the subtlest expressions and make the subjects in the photos speak – through their eyes and demeanour, you could understand what they wanted to convey without them saying a word.

"How's it going?" Lu Sen handed Xu Yan a cup of hot cocoa and sat down next to him.

Xu Yan nodded, "I feel like I still have a long way to go. I might not even be at the starting point yet."

"That's not true." Lu Sen leaned back lazily, supporting himself with his hands. He tapped the ground with his toes and said, "The starting point is right here. You've already reached it." He had reviewed Xu Yan's photos from today, noting his mature technique and precise composition. However, for TIDE and the fashion industry, Xu Yan's style still needed refinement, given the different style and subjects.

Xu Yan turned to look at him. In the light, Lu Sen's pupils had a unique brown-green hue. With a quarter French heritage, he was tall with delicate features, and his Mandarin was better than most native speakers. Xu Yan couldn't fathom why Lu Sen had ever been interested in Xu Nian. Just as he couldn't understand why, Lu Sen suddenly asked, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Ah?" Xu Yan was taken aback, then honestly said, "No."

"When Xu Nian mentioned you to me, he specifically said my brother is straight. I thought at the time, his brother must be gay or bi." Lu Sen squinted, "When will Xu Nian's brain ever be sharp?"

"Xu Nian is very smart," Xu Yan smiled. "He just lowers his guard around people he's close to and becomes a kid."

"Oh~" Lu Sen's expression seemed understanding, his eyes crinkling with a smile. "That means Xu Nian and I are pretty close."

After packing up the equipment and spending another hour on post-production, Xu Yan left the company. To be honest, he wasn't ready to start working again; this time he was pushed into it. He didn't expect Xu Nian to act so quickly, nor did he expect Lu Sen to agree so easily to take him on. But this opportunity was too valuable, something he loved, so he had to give it his all.

Thinking of this, Xu Yan took out his phone and messaged Xu Nian: Nian Nian, brother loves you.

Xu Nian replied instantly: Gross!

Xu Yan walked slowly to his car parked in the outdoor lot. With the New Year just half a month away, he had to visit home this weekend. Xu Yan wasn't timid about most things, but he genuinely felt guilty towards his parents. There were better ways to handle things back then, but in his youth and arrogance, he chose the worst option.

There were only a few cars left in the parking lot. Xu Yan reached his car and saw Tang Yunyan’s back from three spaces away. She was talking to someone leaning against a car. Xu Yan hesitated whether to greet her. When she heard his car unlock, Tang Yunyan turned her head, and Xu Yan waved, "Chloe, I'm off work."

"Take care on the way," Tang Yunyan smiled, "Thanks for your hard work today."

"No, not at all, I..." Xu Yan hadn't finished speaking when the wind lifted Tang Yunyan's scarf, revealing a familiar face behind her. Though he didn't want to admit it, Xu Yan miserably realised he could recognise Shen Zhi even if he were turned to ashes.

Shen Zhi had been leaning against the car. Hearing Xu Yan greet Tang Yunyan, he straightened up. The next moment, their eyes met. Xu Yan paused for a second, then said, "I should be going, see you," and got into his car. Shen Zhi didn't even have time to see his face clearly.

Tang Yunyan turned back to see Shen Zhi’s slightly dazed expression, his eyes following Xu Yan's departing car. She, being very perceptive, knew long ago that someone like Shen Zhi could never offer true love – Tang Yunyan smiled faintly, "I was wondering why you suddenly came by, you didn’t tell me your boyfriend was my colleague."

Shen Zhi instinctively placed his hand on the car door handle, but Tang Yunyan noticed he seemed dazed, like a precise instrument suddenly malfunctioning, stuck in a bug program – that feeling of being halted. Tang Yunyan asked, "Not going after him?"

"Whatever happened between you two, the most important thing is to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings." Tang Yunyan adjusted her coat. "Shen Zhi, I guess you’ve been indulged in your relationship these past few years, you’ve been spoiled."

Shen Zhi frowned lightly, "I don't know."

"It's not that you don't know, you're just used to it." Tang Yunyan decisively opened the car door for Shen Zhi and pushed him inside. "Drive carefully, there are speed limits in the city."

Xu Yan drove slowly, thinking back to the scene he had just witnessed – winter night, cold wind, streetlights, a handsome man, a beautiful woman. Anyone would think it looked like a TV drama. Tang Yunyan had been back for just over a month, and coincidentally, he had just rolled out of Shen Zhi's life, as if fate had cleared the way for the lost lovers to reunite. Xu Yan mused that now that Shen Zhi had finally got his Yan Yan back, the next step would be falling out with his family over his reluctance to get engaged, a dog blood plot that could probably run for forty episodes in the prime-time eight o'clock slot.

He hummed an out-of-tune song, glanced in the rearview mirror, and noticed a car following him with its bright lights on, making it hard to see the licence plate. But he recognised the car, it was Shen Zhi's. Not knowing what the situation was and being too lazy to care, Xu Yan continued driving steadily, adhering strictly to traffic rules until he reached the entrance of his building complex.

Shen Zhi's car still followed, entering the underground garage right behind him. The security booth was practically ornamental, letting in cars without checking – but it was understandable for an old complex. Xu Yan wound through the garage to his parking spot, turned off the engine, opened the door, and got out.

The garage was empty and quiet. Shen Zhi also got out of his car, standing across the aisle watching him. Xu Yan squatted to tie his shoe, then stood up and walked towards Shen Zhi, eyes fixed on his face. Shen Zhi's Adam's apple visibly bobbed, unsure of Xu Yan's intentions. Xu Yan stopped in front of him, took out his phone, and pressed a few buttons, showing it to Shen Zhi. The screen displayed the call interface with three glaring numbers: 110.

"The car camera recorded you following me all the way. If I take this to the police and say you were stalking me, it counts as solid evidence." Xu Yan said calmly, "I don't know what you mean by this, but I don't like it at all."

———

The author has something to say:

Xiao Yan: I still remember you threw away my Snoopy last time. Today, I'm going to take this opportunity to call the police.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: June 24, 2024 by Angel

Edited: June 27, 2024 by Angel