Click.
After casually snapping a photo of the quiet flower bed by the roadside, Su Yao lowered her head to glance at the picture on her camera.
Then she looked up at Mu Nanqiu beside her.
Mu Nanqiu was staring off into the distance, her gaze faraway, as if lost in thought.
Su Yao raised her camera and took a shot.
Click.
Hearing the sound, Mu Nanqiu turned and shot Su Yao a “Not listening, huh?” look.
Su Yao smiled awkwardly.
Mu Nanqiu told her not to always take photos of her but to capture more scenery instead.
It wasn’t that Su Yao didn’t want to, but she believed a balanced diet was healthier—meat and vegetables both necessary.
So, one shot of scenery, one shot of Mu Nanqiu.
Using a camera was simple enough, but to capture meaningful, beautiful photos required a bit of technique and some inspiration.
Mu Nanqiu encouraged Su Yao to try more, to record anything she liked, and together they began wandering around the school.
As a freshman, Su Yao had only been at the school a few months.
Coupled with her quiet personality, she rarely explored unfamiliar places.
When she had nothing to do, she would find a spot to sit, only heading to class when the time came.
Her knowledge of the campus layout came mostly from maps saved on her phone.
Mu Nanqiu was different.
She had been at this university for nearly three years.
An experienced guide, she knew the campus like the back of her hand.
Not just that, she had dabbled in photography for a while and had pretty much photographed every place she could reach.
They circled behind the activity classroom building and arrived behind the conference room library.
Few people walked here, and no vehicles passed this way.
The fallen leaves hadn’t been cleared yet, laying a greenish-yellow carpet over the gray-white concrete path.
Looking up, the branches were nearly bare, and the sky hung low and dull, creating a particularly desolate scene.
Click.
Su Yao checked the photo.
It only had trees and sky—felt a bit empty.
“Try including the building next to it,” Mu Nanqiu said.
She took the camera from Su Yao, adjusted the settings, and led her forward a short distance.
She took a photo of the sky, then handed the camera back.
A new picture appeared in the album.
The buildings ahead and on both sides stretched tall and imposing.
The sky seemed unreachable, like a shot taken from the bottom of a well.
Combined with the bare branches and dead leaves, it gave off the unique oppressive atmosphere of winter.
Su Yao thought to herself that if there were snow, it would be perfect.
“The buildings aren’t tall enough, so the effect isn’t great. You try, Yao Yao.”
“Okay.”
Su Yao raised the camera and nodded.
As Mu Nanqiu had said, apart from the comprehensive building—the landmark—the rest of the school’s buildings were only seven stories tall.
Probably to avoid installing elevators.
With so many students, one elevator simply wouldn’t be enough.
After switching back to the shooting screen, Su Yao turned her body, looking for a good angle to snap a picture of the road.
Suddenly, several girls appeared on the screen walking along the path.
She looked up and saw five girls heading their way.
Su Yao quickly suppressed the happy expression on her face and shrank back behind Mu Nanqiu.
“Ah Qiu, we’ve been looking for you.”
The voice was close.
When Su Yao glanced over, the five girls also looked at her.
Startled, Su Yao felt a jolt of fear, but she had Mu Nanqiu with her.
“Anything you need?” Mu Nanqiu’s voice immediately drew all attention.
Su Yao hid behind, peeking cautiously at the girls, who seemed like senior students.
“I feel like controlling the rhythm with the speakers isn’t working well. It’s better if we practice together.”
Mu Nanqiu’s eyes darkened upon hearing this.
Suddenly, Su Yao understood something.
From that sentence, it sounded like Mu Nanqiu had deliberately skipped practice to accompany her.
She felt bad.
If the senior’s performance went wrong that day because of her, Su Yao would blame herself heavily.
So she cautiously said to Mu Nanqiu, “Um… if you’re busy, I’ll go ahead.”
Mu Nanqiu was annoyed but more helpless than anything else.
If there weren’t outsiders nearby, she’d definitely give Su Yao a good scolding.
Watching Su Yao reach to take off the camera hanging around her neck to return it, Mu Nanqiu sighed inwardly but outwardly kept a calm expression.
“Make sure you practice a lot at home. I’m going to check your progress.”
“Okay, senior!”
Su Yao froze for a moment, then nodded quickly.
Mu Nanqiu’s tone was sharp, carrying a hidden warning, but Su Yao didn’t think too much of it.
She just thought her senior was urging her to work hard.
Once Su Yao had walked a bit farther, a girl came close to Mu Nanqiu, smiling with narrowed eyes and curiously asked, “Ah Qiu, who’s that little girl?”
“Just a junior,” Mu Nanqiu replied coldly and crisply with a glance.
“Ohhh.”
She clearly didn’t look like just a junior, but since Mu Nanqiu said so, she’d accept it.
Having suffered a defeat from Mu Nanqiu, she wasn’t angry.
They’d been classmates for three years, so she knew Mu Nanqiu’s temperament well.
Still, she took another look at Su Yao and thought, So Miss Mu actually likes this type, huh?
Retracing their steps, after Su Yao had walked a certain distance, she secretly glanced back.
She saw Mu Nanqiu already surrounded by those girls, heading in the opposite direction.
Su Yao raised her camera, intending to take a picture.
Around Mu Nanqiu were nothing but young, beautiful girls, each stylishly dressed.
Such a cluster of flowers around Mu Nanqiu, a group of lively companions—it looked lovely.
But Su Yao didn’t take the photo.
Opening the album and flipping back, she found the picture Mu Nanqiu had taken of her.
Wearing a bulky black down jacket and a red scarf, flashing a peace sign with her hand, her hair messy from just having taken off her hat.
Her expression was unusually stiff and awkward, an uncomfortable smile facing the camera.
Su Yao thought her face was only moderately pretty, and combined like this, it was the current her.
Though Mu Nanqiu often praised her as cute, Su Yao didn’t dare believe it.
She thought it was just her senior trying to cheer her up.
Looking at the camera in her hand, Su Yao took a deep breath and exhaled a warm puff.
Composing herself, she strode happily toward the classroom.
She had been called out by Wang Jing.
She hadn’t expected to be caught by Mu Nanqiu halfway, wandering and taking pictures.
Then Mu Nanqiu herself got called away for practice.
Time flew by like that.
Su Yao just hoped she wouldn’t get caught by Zhang Li.
Sneaking out of the activity room without asking for leave, not actively participating in class events—students who didn’t care about class honor wouldn’t fare well with teachers who valued it highly.
Su Yao reached the back door of the activity classroom.
The voices inside made her stop.