Chapter 13

Song Ke looked at the photos in her camera and felt like crying.

"What do I do? They look awful. I followed the settings from that TikTok video, so why are they no different from my usual shots?"

Zhang Xingchen rested one hand on his forehead and leaned on the railing, feeling like today's outfit was a complete waste.

The two had specifically changed into ancient-style COS costumes to capture good photos in Bailing Gorge. They both knew ancient costumes were complicated, and even though Bailing Gorge stayed cool in summer, layering multiple garments was unbearable.

If the photos had turned out well, that would've been fine—but the result crushed them.

"If I'd known this would happen, I'd have just paid a photographer."

Song Ke let her hand drop, her face filled with gloom.

"Hmph, it's all that TikTok videographer's fault. When we get back, I'm going to roast him alive—he said if you follow his settings, anyone can take stunning photos."

Zhang Xingchen took the camera from Song Ke and scrolled through each photo—backlit, mediocre, nothing like what they'd imagined.

"It's not his fault. We just thought it was too simple. If adjusting settings alone could produce good photos, then photographers wouldn't be worth anything." Song Ke was gloomy, but didn't blame anyone else.

Looking at the beautiful scenery around her, her mood gradually improved.

At that moment, she suddenly saw a handsome… big brother walking over, holding a camera and shooting into the distance. His posture and the smile on his face as he reviewed the photos clearly showed he was very satisfied.

Song Ke nudged Zhang Xingchen's arm, signaling her to look over.

Zhang Xingchen turned and stared, stunned for a moment, then realized—she leaned close to Song Ke and whispered, "Ask him to take photos for us?"

Song Ke immediately nodded: "Based on my years of experience, his shooting posture, and his handsome face—I'm almost certain he knows photography."

Zhang Xingchen smirked: "If I didn't know you were a total looks-based idiot, I'd believe you."

"So, do you want to try it or not?" Song Ke didn't care about the "looks-based idiot" label.

"You ask him."

Although Zhang Xingchen was carefree around Song Ke, she couldn't muster the courage to approach a stranger man and ask him to take photos.

"Hmph, coward!"

Song Ke tossed her head and walked toward him.

Qin Yun was checking his system panel; the first task requirement had been fully completed, and the three photos had been marked by the system. Qin Yun compared them back and forth and confirmed that among similar photos, these three were indeed the best.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from beside him.

"Hey, handsome, can I see your photos?"

He turned and saw a petite girl dressed in ancient-style COS attire—she was clearly cosplaying someone, her makeup meticulously done; just looking at her, she was very pretty, though what she looked like without makeup was anyone's guess.

A short distance away was another COS girl, likely portraying a male character—both seemed quite young.

"What did you say?" Qin Yun asked.

Song Ke pointed at his camera and repeated: "Hey, handsome, can I see your photos?"

This time Qin Yun heard clearly. He handed her the camera: "Sure, go ahead. Who are you two cosplaying?"

"Can't you tell?" Song Ke asked, puzzled. "I'm Zhao Ling'er, and she's Li Xiaoyao."

"Uh…" Qin Yun lied, "Now that you mention it, I remember—it really does look like them."

"Hehe, right? I thought so too."

Song Ke grinned proudly, then bent to look at the camera's viewfinder—but the moment the first photo appeared, her mouth opened slightly in shock, and an involuntary exclamation slipped out.

"So beautiful."

"Hehe, thank you," Qin Yun smiled. With his current photography skills, if he prepared properly and focused, the results would be even better than this.

Zhang Xingchen, who had heard Song Ke's voice from afar, couldn't resist any longer. She slowly shuffled over, forced a smile at Qin Yun, and leaned in to look at the camera.

Then…

"So atmospheric."

"This shot is incredible—perfect timing!"

"This could easily be used as promotional material for Bailing Gorge."

When they saw Qin Yun's earliest shot of Xia Qingqing, their eyes lit up. Though they couldn't take photos themselves, they still had basic aesthetic sense—the moment when light streamed down from a narrow slit in the sky, merging person and landscape into one, was simply perfect.

The two looked at each other almost simultaneously, then nodded firmly.

"Hey, handsome, could you take photos of us? We'll pay you, okay?"

Qin Yun paused, took the camera back from Song Ke, and pointed at Zhang Xingchen's DSLR: "Aren't you carrying a camera already?"

Without a word, Zhang Xingchen opened her photo gallery and showed each one to Qin Yun.

After seeing their photos, Qin Yun immediately understood why—their shots were worse than tourist snaps, truly a waste of the outfits they'd worn.

"No problem. As for payment, forget it."

Qin Yun agreed generously.

…

Many people think photography is just pressing a shutter button—and they're not wrong.

But when to press that shutter is extremely precise. Leaving aside professional equipment, the skills a photographer must possess are beyond what ordinary people can imagine.

First, operating the equipment is essential—nine out of ten ordinary people can't even handle basic camera functions, let alone anything else.

Second is mastering light and composition. Light is the most critical element in photography: how to control and arrange natural light, how to set up artificial light, how to use light to create depth, how to break compositional rules—all of it.

Then there's mastering shooting in various scenarios: photographing people, capturing their posture and gaze; photographing landscapes, finding the best natural lighting…

Only after understanding and mastering all these can one truly become a qualified photographer.

And Qin Yun, on top of this foundation, was even higher—so photographing two girls' COS shots was extremely simple for him.

Under his direction, the two followed without hesitation, moving in perfect sync, while he followed his inspiration to capture fleeting moments.

They changed backgrounds five times, used up one battery, and took over a hundred and fifty photos. Seeing the fatigue on their faces, Qin Yun finally suggested stopping.

Otherwise, with his current shooting momentum, he wouldn't have ended so soon.

The three found a spot, gathered around, and admired the original images in the camera. Though these photos hadn't been edited, each one, under Qin Yun's control, already carried strong feeling.

But he had seen online COS photos, where post-processing was extremely advanced, with almost no facial details left. Still, that was normal—no one wanted to see their own enlarged pores in photos.

"Wow… amazing… waaah… Keke, you're so beautiful."

Song Ke stared at the photo of herself, her ancient-style skirt fluttering in the wind, the background the sheer cliff of Yixiantian, light and shadow falling on her face, even the shadows of her eyelashes clearly visible.

"This shot is so cool—how could I look this good?"

"I never knew I was this beautiful. Good heavens, the boys in my class must've been so happy every day."

"So full of character—I don't even want to do post-processing. This raw, unfiltered feeling is addictive."

Listening to the two kids unabashedly praising themselves, Qin Yun's forehead darkened. Are kids today all like this?

"Big Brother Qin, you're so amazing. We've taken so many photos, but yours are the most beautiful." Song Ke looked up at Qin Yun with worship in her eyes.

Zhang Xingchen even clutched his chest, looking utterly heartbroken: "After having Big Brother Qin, how could I ever accept those ordinary people again… sigh…"

"Hey, hey, you two, that's enough." Qin Yun couldn't take it anymore. "You're way too forward."

Over the past hour and a half, they naturally exchanged names and basic information. Both were high school sophomores from a school in Baoding, taking advantage of the last few days of summer vacation to take photos at the scenic spot.

They weren't professional COSers, just enthusiasts, but occasionally took on gigs online.

Thinking back to his own high school days, Qin Yun realized today's youth were far more mature.

"Search for the camera's Wi-Fi—I'll send you the photos."

Modern cameras can directly transfer photos to phones—it's incredibly convenient.

Without hesitation, they connected to the camera and began transferring.

"Big Brother Qin, are you here on vacation?" Song Ke rested her chin on her hand, looking sweet and innocent.

Qin Yun shook his head: "No, I'm traveling."

"Isn't that the same thing?" Zhang Xingchen looked up, puzzled.

"Naturally not." Qin Yun smiled. "Vacation means having a clear checklist—you care more about completing your mental goals. Like this Baili Xia—on vacation, you'd rush through the whole area, snapping photos for the record. But traveling isn't like that."

"Traveling has no tasks—it values the authenticity of the present moment. If I were just ticking off a checklist, do you think I'd spend so long taking photos for you?"

Both stared wide-eyed, their expressions filled with admiration. Most people, faced with two beautiful girls looking at them like that, would already be floating on cloud nine.

But Qin Yun wasn't most people—he'd always been in Class Five in high school.

"Big Brother Qin, where are you from? Will we never see you again? I really hope you're from Baoding—then we could always find you to take photos."

Song Ke was utterly awed by Qin Yun's photography skills, but the thought that he was just a tourist from Hebei made her feel a pang of disappointment.

"I'm from Zhejiang. If you ever travel there, come visit Zhoushan."

At parting, they added Qin Yun's WeChat—no matter if they'd ever contact him again, they added him first.

After saying goodbye, Qin Yun continued deeper into the scenic area. So far, he'd only covered one-fifth of the vast Baili Xia.

…

The next day, Qin Yun stood before the Yugu Dong Spring, watching the clear water flow endlessly, fish surging out of the spring—beautiful to behold.

But he'd heard a tour guide say what they were seeing now wasn't even the real spectacle—the true wonder occurred only around Guyu each year, lasting about ten days, and if you missed it, you had to wait another year.

Even so, Qin Yun found it astonishing.

Also, the cave formations inside Yugu Cave—the stalactites like stone flowers, cloud basins, stalactite tubes, and stalagmites—were all things he'd never seen before, leaving him spellbound.

He didn't forget the system's check-in task. Standing before the Yugu Dong Spring, he pulled out his phone and took a selfie. The moment he finished, the final requirement on the system panel lit up, and a long-awaited system notification came.

【Congratulations, Host! Check-in successful. Random reward granted: Climbing Skill +1】

【Climbing Skill LV1: Paths as if ruled by a straightedge, turning stone into road, treading every cliff and ravine】

In an instant, textures and patterns of all rock types, their stress logic, every climbing technique, and how to generate force flooded his mind. Within a minute, he understood climbing completely—for him now, no matter the rock face, he could step onto it effortlessly, scaling even the most extreme routes as if walking on flat ground.

But the most important change was in his body. In the previous three skill acquisitions, his body had changed slightly—but this time was different.

His limbs and back began to heat up, muscles trembling rapidly, a strange force reshaping his body—not just elevating his theoretical mastery, but synchronizing his physical form to match.

The skill reception in his mind took only a minute, but the bodily transformation lasted nearly fifteen minutes before completing.

When it was done, Qin Yun stared, dumbfounded.

He spread his fingers—his knuckles' flexibility far surpassed before; he felt this hand could snap his own old bones. Raising his right arm, he clearly felt his biceps and triceps tighten—not into bulky gym-muscle blocks, but into streamlined, compact definition, every inch of muscle precisely tuned, ready to exert or release at will.

Most dramatically, his waist and abdomen had changed. He straightened his back and instantly felt powerful core tension—the flab accumulated from years of sitting had vanished, replaced by dense, deep core muscles—not sharp, visible abs, but stabilizing muscle groups anchoring his center of gravity.

And his balance was astonishing—he felt he could stand on the tip of a protruding rock and automatically adjust his center of gravity, as steady as Mount Taishan.

Feeling these bodily changes, Qin Yun marveled at the system's incredible power.

"So… I'm this awesome!"