Chapter 1696: Taking It Again

Lin Luoxue's smile held a hint of unnaturalness; she had enjoyed the sensation while doing it, but laying it all out like this stripped away its beauty.

"You really speak so plainly."

"Haven't I always been this way? I've always said exactly what's on my mind."

Lin Luoxue said, "I thought that with Gu Yixin leaving, you would surely be heartbroken."

"Habitual thinking is harmful, good classmate. You all assume that since my parents died early and I am alone, I must seek death and life in matters of love, grieving deeply and unable to recover for a long time. But am I only just starting to date? Have I never liked a girl before?"

"When feelings last too long, they become as bland as water; when one experiences too many relationships, one becomes dull. I just said that no one is indispensable to anyone else; even the most passionate love is not a necessity. I thought you understood this principle."

Wang Yan leisurely exhaled smoke and sipped tea, relaxed and comfortable, exactly as he had always been.

"Yes, I should have understood." Lin Luoxue let out a long sigh, then looked at Wang Yan with feigned annoyance, "You are so heartless; if you aren't sad, then don't be sad, but why drag me into it? If I didn't know you meant no harm, I'm afraid I would have burst into tears."

"Go ahead and cry; I'll seize the opportunity to show tenderness toward a beauty, and we can deepen our feelings even further."

However, before Lin Luoxue could say more, Wang Yan had already stood up and gone over to photograph people.

The most difficult aspect of portraiture lies not in the shooting itself—lighting, composition, and exposure are the three basic elements—but truly in guiding the subject to evoke emotion, and this expression of emotion often lies in the subtle movements of the face combined with varying states of the eyes.

Ordinary people lack this sense of belief, so the photographer must guide them; thus, one must constantly correct subtle movements, making the subject restrain habits that affect the image, and under all these conditions, photographing a single person can take a very long time.

Wang Yan let people brew their own emotions, though sometimes he would also capture candid shots...

Seeing Wang Yan busy once again, Lin Luoxue was speechless and choked up; she played with her phone on the side, occasionally glancing over at the bustling activity...

Time always flies swiftly when one is busy, and before one knew it, it was already evening.

Wang Yan packed up his things, grabbed a bottle of mineral water to drink, and walked over to Lin Luoxue: "Let's go out to eat; what do you want to eat?"

"How do you usually eat?"

"Whatever."

"Then let's do whatever." Lin Luoxue nodded, "I'll leave everything to your arrangement."

So the two went out and randomly found a restaurant.

"Did you really just come here randomly?" Lin Luoxue looked at the understated yet luxurious scene inside the restaurant, and a confident smile once again hung on her face.

"You might not believe it if I say it, but I started from the west end of this street and ate my way through shop by shop; today just happened to be this shop's turn. Perhaps this is fate; since you came to bring warmth, I shouldn't treat a good classmate poorly."

Lin Luoxue propped her chin on one hand, her long hair cascading sideways, and said, "It seems I never paid attention to your life before; I'm quite curious—did Gu Yixin notice? She basically never talked about you in the dormitory."

"Everyone has their own things to do; I like taking photos, she likes making money, and she also has to participate in club activities and the like. Besides, there's nothing noteworthy about my life; it's just grabbing a camera and hitting the streets. If I happen to reach mealtime, I start eating at one shop and eat my way down the entire street."

"Don't you check reviews or anything?"

"People's tastes differ; one only knows if something is delicious after tasting it oneself."

"You make a good point," Lin Luoxue said, "In the mouths of many people, I am not a good girl; everyone who pursues me spares no effort in assuming the worst malice about me, yet they still pursue me."

"So you remain single to this day, chatting happily with me, my good classmate." Wang Yan smiled as he poured water for her, "Dazzling men flash through your life, offering you warm greetings and meticulous care; some profess love with words, others express affection with money, making it hard for you to sustain deep feelings—maintaining a relationship for three to five months is already a record-breaking feat for you."

"You are very skilled at ruining others' good moods, always saying something unpleasant just when others are chatting happily," Lin Luoxue coquettishly complained.

"Then let's transform unhappiness into appetite and eat a bit more."

The two chatted messily about mostly school-related matters; Lin Luoxue also mentioned Lu Qiaochuan's previous pursuit of her and recounted how Wang Yan had previously opposed Lu Qiaochuan's proposal for a band performance.

All sorts of things piled up, an endless topic of conversation...

After finishing their meal, they returned to the studio.

Everything happened naturally; as soon as the door closed, the two were already embracing and kissing, just like scenes from romantic TV dramas—spinning around, clothes loosening, until finally they rolled onto the bed.

The cold air from the air conditioner in the room could not cover the scorching heat of the couple's entanglement, nor could the bustling traffic on the night streets mask the sounds of great joy born of satisfaction, indulgence, fusion, and sublimation...

With the moon high in the sky, Lin Luoxue leaned wearily against Wang Yan's chest: "What relationship do we have now?"

"Partners!"

Wang Yan, as usual, had his post-coital cigarette and toyed with his treasure, answering very decisively.

Lin Luoxue was certainly not the type to rush into defining a relationship; rather, she was the type uncertain about relationships, and her question now stemmed precisely from her caring.

"Although I expected it, hearing you say it so directly is truly saddening," Lin Luoxue's words carried a hint of bitterness.

"You are being unfair to me. I remember that overseas returnee who opened the Western restaurant; if you had been with him, it would have basically amounted to being kept. I could tell that although you didn't think highly of him, I could also see that you weren't entirely resistant."

"You don't need to say anything; I understand your meaning. This has nothing to do with money; it's about mutual play, with money merely being an accessory. Since that's the case, why are you treating me this way now? Is it because I'm young, or because our relationship is quite good?"

Wang Yan's words were very blunt, making Lin Luoxue somewhat uncomfortable, but she did not argue or quarrel with him, because after all, it was the truth.

"See, you've ruined the good mood again," she coquettishly chided, tapping Wang Yan's chest with neither light nor heavy force.

"I ask, you answer," Wang Yan applied slightly more pressure with his hand, "Many problems arise from poor communication; speaking one's mind instead of bottling things up can resolve a large portion of issues, making life better and tomorrow brighter."

"You are the one who doesn't speak your mind; it was just like at the beginning with Bi Shisan—he didn't remember you, yet you didn't say anything, so you could only sulk in silence, while Bi Shisan was completely unaffected. It was entirely your own doing."

Lin Luoxue pounded him even harder: "Hateful! Must you bring up Bi Shisan at a time like this?"

"You are overthinking it; I am merely stating facts."

The fact was that the two had spent more than half a month in loving harmony, inseparable as glue and lacquer every day, adding several degrees of charm to the already youthful and beautiful Lin Luoxue, leaving her fully satisfied in both body and spirit...

Time slipped away swiftly, and once again it was the season for the start of the school year.

It was the same scene as when Wang Yan and the others were freshmen: new students arrived at the school slightly early with their parents to register, volunteers helped the newcomers with registration and sign-in, and some students from relevant majors who had returned early filmed news broadcast videos, frantically completing their holiday assignments.

By the time everyone started school, these students from the Television Photography class were already seasoned veterans familiar with the rules.

In the final exams, Wang Yan once again took first place, while Xiao Haiyang barely passed, scraping by the cutoff line to advance to his sophomore year...

When Wang Yan dragged his suitcase to the dormitory, he happened to see a female classmate walking out of Room 616, immediately followed by Yu Hao appearing at the doorway.

"What's the situation?" Wang Yan asked, pretending ignorance while making the appropriate normal reaction.

"I don't know," Yu Hao shook his head, "She just walked in directly, delivered Xiao Haiyang's bag, sniffed Xiao Haiyang's bed, and then left. There's definitely something going on! Wait, Old Wang, why are you looking at me with that kind of expression?"

"Because anyone can see there's something going on; you don't need to act as if you've discovered some earth-shattering secret."

"Hateful, I'm just shocked! Don't you know that Xiao Haiyang has always liked Zhong Bai? Now suddenly a girl appears; do you think Xiao Haiyang has finally figured it out and decided to stop stubbornly pursuing Zhong Bai?"

Before Wang Yan could open his mouth, Yu Hao continued talking to himself, "But this is actually quite good. If you ask me, you deserve great credit for this, Old Wang; the wedding photos you took for his ex-girlfriend previously were too good. Xiao Haiyang was secretly watching them alone late at night and crying; perhaps after crying all his tears dry, he finally figured things out."

"You're gossiping too hastily; just wait for Xiao Haiyang to arrive and ask him directly."

However, just as Wang Yan was about to leave, he heard Yu Hao say, "Old Wang, I heard Gu Yixin went abroad..."

He spoke cautiously, afraid of upsetting Wang Yan.

"Mm, she left not long after summer break started." Wang Yan patted his arm. "Thanks for your concern, but I'm really fine. Think about it: I'm young and rich; how could I seek death over a relationship?"

"That's not certain. Matters of the heart have little to do with money; liking someone is just liking them."

"Didn't realize you were a pure-love warrior, Brother Hao."

Yu Hao quickly said, "We're talking about your situation, don't turn it on me."

"There's even less to say about my situation. Gu Yixin has already left; her whole family emigrated. What good would saying more do?"

Ceasing further small talk with Yu Hao, Wang Yan returned to Dormitory 618 to tidy his bedding. After a whole summer unoccupied, the bedding had grown damp and needed airing; outside on the flower beds and up on the rooftop terraces, quilts and sheets were hanging out to dry everywhere...

Meanwhile, Yu Hao returned to the dormitory: "Thirteen, do you think Wang Yan isn't sad at all?"

"Perhaps he is sad, but he controls it very well. After all, the strong can always suppress their emotions, never letting emotions sway them, much less affect their state. So no matter how sad he is, he absolutely will not show it."

Bi Thirteen said calmly, "Moreover, Wang Yan's parents died early; he has lived alone all these years, so he is actually better adapted to separation and loneliness. That is why we always see him so cloud-light and breeze-gentle, as if no difficulty could knock him down. Because only those who have adapted to loneliness are truly strong."

"I was even calling him heartless and unrighteous." Yu Hao remained unconvinced.

"That is why you are not one of the strong."

Bi Thirteen tilted his head in a killing move...

Once everyone had arrived at school and finished tidying up, the students gathered in their classrooms in the teaching building for a class meeting.

Wang Yan and Bi Thirteen sat in the first row; behind them were Yu Hao and Xiao Haiyang, the two muttering about the female classmate who had previously gone to the dormitory to deliver a bag to Xiao Haiyang.

Xiao Haiyang firmly insisted he did not know that madwoman, while simultaneously declaring that his heart still belonged solely to Zhong Bai, his devotion unchanged. He even said that once Zhong Bai arrived, he would pour out his longing to her, saying, "I miss you so much."

"I miss you so much, Lu Qiaochuan!"

Reality dealt Xiao Haiyang a heavy blow; before he could speak to Zhong Bai, Zhong Bai had already bestowed all her ardor upon Lu Qiaochuan.

"Wow~" Yu Hao, cheeky and gloating, remarked, "It seems their relationship has made a new breakthrough; why do I smell the sour stench of love?"

Zhong Bai and Lu Qiaochuan made no attempt to hide; amid the jeering of their fellow students, the pair sat together whispering.

"Are you secretly filming, Wang Yan?" Bi Thirteen asked, puzzled, seeing Wang Yan holding his phone pointed at Xiao Haiyang and Zhong Bai.

"What secretly filming? I'm just sending a short video to a friend so she can see the liveliness of our class."

"This 'she'... is a girl, right, Old Wang?" Yu Hao leaned closer. "You're not being loyal at all; Xiao Haiyang is heartbroken, and you're... don't tell me you are?"

Wang Yan wore an expression of pure disgust: "You'd better have eight lives in the future; otherwise, prying into others' privacy like this will surely end badly for you."

"Dying in a melon field would still be worth it. You're still chatting with Haiyang's older sister; you're not actually planning to become Haiyang's brother-in-law, are you?"

"Not necessarily." Wang Yan smiled.

Fortunately, at this moment Xiao Haiyang remained immersed in sorrow and did not notice their conversation.

Ever since filming the wedding of Xiao Haiyang's ex-girlfriend earlier and thereby meeting Xiao Haiyang's elder sister, Xiao Yu, the two had added each other on WeChat and had been chatting continuously until today.

Xiao Yu graduated from a top-tier university, a proper highly-educated woman.

Of course, the highly educated also share universal traits; after all, everyone's baseness is the same. In the final analysis, it still boils down to those same matters.

The two chatted about everything under the sun, from vulgar flirtations to high-level topics like international situations, social contradictions, economic development, and artistic aesthetics; truly debating five thousand years of history and conversing across East and West, their discussion could be described as blazing hot.

And since Xiao Yu's thinking is relatively open, if they continued chatting like this, while Wang Yan might not become Xiao Haiyang's brother-in-law for a lifetime, becoming one for a day or several posed little problem...

After the students had been lively for a while, Ye Jiping walked in with a grinning mouth. He scanned the students, lingering his gaze notably on Wang Yan's side for a few extra moments; once the classroom fell silent, he cleared his throat twice and began to speak.

"Another holiday has passed, and upon reopening, you students are now sophomores... Perhaps you have already noticed that classmate Gu Yixin is absent; she applied to study abroad and is now already in America, on the other side of the ocean."

Swish, swish, swish; gazes like laser beams, the students turned their attention toward Wang Yan.

"I'm doing fine, thank you all for your concern." Wang Yan stood up and waved to everyone.

"Alright, alright, Wang Yan is doing just fine; if you keep staring at him like that, he won't be fine anymore." Ye Jiping then continued, "With classmate Gu Yixin gone, our class has gained a new student. Classmate Xu Lianqiao, please come in."

As Ye Jiping's voice fell, a female classmate with flowing long hair walked in from outside; it was precisely the young lady who had previously delivered the bag to Xiao Haiyang...

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