Yan Yan’s promise to meet after the New Year didn’t necessarily mean right after the Lunar New Year’s Day, but this didn’t stop Orange from being filled with anticipation. When would it be? Why hadn’t Yan Yan contacted him yet? He thought about it whenever he had free time. The eighteen year old boy was excited and his thoughts were transparent. Whenever fans mentioned Brother Yan during his livestreams, he would smile.
Sometimes, when his teammates were causing trouble, and he was about to argue with them, seeing a question about Brother Yan in the barrage would instantly calm him down. Even teasing remarks about Brother Yan would get a response.
“Brother Yan doesn’t usually livestream during the New Year. There’s nothing special this year.”
“He’s celebrating the New Year at home, with his family. Stop kidding, who spends the New Year with netizens?”
That might be what he said, but deep down, he wished he could spend the New Year with Brother Yan.
Thinking of Yan Yan, Orange checked his phone during a gaming break and happened to see Yan Yan’s Moments post. Normally, if Yan Yan was celebrating the New Year at home, it wouldn’t matter, but now he was out having fun without contacting him… Orange’s emotions surged and his face darkened on the livestream. He didn’t think twice before messaging Yan Yan.
The message was sent, but Yan Yan didn’t reply for a while.
Orange exited Moments and sent a private message: [Brother Yan, why aren’t you replying?]
The chat window displayed “Typing…” for a while before Yan Yan responded.
Yan Yan: [I’m not ignoring you, will come find you in a few days.]
Orange felt slightly happier. He continued, asking: [Brother Yan, are you celebrating the New Year in Hainan with your family?]
In fact, this question was a bit invasive; it wasn’t appropriate to ask about someone’s real-life matters without them volunteering the information. However, the young man didn’t consider these things too much; he just had a suspicion and asked.
Yan Yan: [Something like that.]
Yan Yan thought about it, legally, Zhuang Yiyun was considered his family.
Orange scrolled through Yan Yan’s Moments photos again. Just like usual, Brother Yan didn’t show his face, and there was no sign of his family either. But suddenly, Orange noticed a photo of a meal. Judging by the portion, it didn’t look like a family outing.
He suddenly felt uneasy. The phrase ”something like that” seemed problematic. How could someone be half considered family? It either was or wasn’t. So, he wasn’t celebrating the New Year with his family.
He didn’t dare ask further, feeling depressed.
He couldn’t help but think that Brother Yan wasn’t as close to him as he used to be. Did Brother Yan have someone else around him now?
Yan Yan, who indeed had someone by his side, locked his phone screen. His mood was somewhat complex.
Orange was so cute. He had taken the initiative to contact him, and he should have been happy. So why did he feel so uninspired?
Well, whatever. Relationships should develop naturally. The most important thing was, he had only promised to meet Orange, and they hadn’t defined their relationship. Why did the other person ask a question that made it sound like he was cheating?
Yan Yan was puzzled as well as shocked. Did Orange really think that spending time with Zhuang Yiyun meant they were a sweet couple? To the extent that he was implicitly not allowed to have ambiguous relationships with others?
Ridiculous!
He glanced over at Zhuang Yiyun not far away. He was gazing at the scenic platform, and several girls nearby were stealing glances at him. Wherever he went, he became the center of attention.
He was a dignified single man. Except for the added burden of a useless marriage certificate, he had no restrictions. He could go out with anyone he wanted, touch anyone he wanted. Why did it feel like he was sneaking around?
Thinking of this, Yan Yan impulsively raised his phone, swiped the camera open, and took a picture of Zhuang Yiyun.
Looking at the photo in his gallery, this man looked good even in candid shots. He was handsome from every angle.
Zhuang Yiyun sensed his gaze and walked over to him. Sitting down next to him, Zhuang Yiyun said, “We might not be able to see the sunset today due to the weather. I’d like to wait one more day. Is that okay?”
“What if I say no?” Yan Yan’s recent mental turmoil made his mood less than pleasant, and his tone was a bit impatient.
Zhuang Yiyun nodded in response, “Then let’s wait until tomorrow morning and try our luck in the east.”
Yan Yan’s mood was slightly soothed. “Here is fine,” implying that they could stay another day.
“Thank you.”
People don’t always act based on logic; most of the time, they rely on their experience and intuition. After agreeing with Zhuang Yiyun, Yan Yan followed him out of habit to scout the area. They explored the expansive gardens of the hotel.
There was some gain, but it wasn’t very exciting-they found a bar in the garden. The server said there would be a singer performing in the evening and Yan Yan decided they should go and check it out.
They also discovered a specific spot in the garden set up for bridal photoshoots. There was a flower arch, a pure white swing, a lush green lawn, and a giant double heart sculpture. There was a couple taking selfies and kissing under it. Zhuang Yiyun and Yan Yan suddenly walked in, catching them off guard.
The girl was shy and wanted to run away, but her boyfriend held her firmly and came over to talk to Yan Yan. “Could you take a picture of us?”
“Sure, although I’m not that skilled.”
“That’s okay, thank you.” The boyfriend was sincere and warm, his face brimming with happiness. The girl, although shy, cooperated, showing that they were deeply in love.
Yan Yan raised his phone, capturing an ordinary composition, and then clicked the shutter. Zhuang Yiyun couldn’t stand it so he raised his photo and took a few pictures of the couple and even guided them on their poses.
After taking the photos, Zhuang Yiyun took the initiative to say, “Leave me your email, I’ll send them to you later.”
The young couple thanked him profusely, and Zhuang Yiyun nodded reservedly before leaving.
Once they were out of sight, Yan Yan was curious and asked to see the photos. Zhuang Yiyun handed him the camera.
“You’ve captured them so well. Your future partner will be extremely jealous when they see this photo. If you give up science, you could try working in a bridal photography studio. I heard photographers make good money.”
“What, afraid I won’t be able to support you?”
“What a joke, when did I ever need you to support me? I paid for this trip!”
“Yes, yes,” Zhuang Yiyun nodded. “That’s true.”
Yan Yan looked at him and frowned. Even though Zhuang Yiyun was agreeing with him and stating facts, it strangely sounded like he was speaking sarcastically. Odd, wasn’t the one who paid the boss?
After leaving the bridal photoshoot area, they discovered a wooden pathway in the garden. The pathway extended downwards, leading to the rocky coastline below the hotel.
Growing up in an inland city, Yan Yan’s memories of beaches were limited to popular tourist spots with soft white sand and clear blue seas. This was his first time seeing a coastline like this.
It was only three to four meters wide, and was more of a rocky beach than a sandy one. The shore was full of pebbles, and the unpolluted seawater was crystal clear, revealing red stones underneath, resembling gems. Not far away, the sound of seawater crashing against the rocks echoed, it was surprisingly noisy yet providing a serene feeling.
There was not a soul on the beach. Along the narrow coastline, one end had an octagonal pavilion, while the other end had a stack of rugged rocky mountains.
Both of them felt suppressed by this tranquility and ended up standing still.
Suddenly, sunlight pierced through the thick layers of clouds, casting its brilliance everywhere. Following that, the sea breeze dispersed the clouds, revealing the true form of the sunset. The setting sun appeared like a veiled beauty, even the thin clouds couldn’t conceal its unparalleled beauty.
‘So beautiful…’ Yan Yan unconsciously took a few steps towards the sea, and didn’t even notice when his feet touched the water.
Zhuang Yiyun raised his camera, preparing to capture the sea sunset they had planned to watch the next day. However, what he ended up photographing was Yan Yan’s free and unrestrained figure under the setting sun.
When they returned from watching the sunrise, Yan Yan belatedly remembered the photos and asked to see them. This time, Zhuang Yiyun didn’t give them to him, just saying, “I’ll show you tomorrow.”
“What? Dr. Zhuang, made a mistake and needs to Photoshop it?” Yan Yan teased him but didn’t take it seriously. Zhuang Yiyun’s photography skills were there, such a beautiful sunset couldn’t turn out bad.
After dinner at the hotel restaurant, they went to a bar in the garden to listen to some songs, but it didn’t excite them much. They returned to their rooms and separated as they were not sharing a room this time.
Zhuang Yiyun returned to his room, inserted the memory card from the camera into his computer, and looked at the nearly hundred photos of Yan Yan taken in the half-hour of the sunset. All of them were of just one person. There were distant shots, close-ups, partial shots, full-body shots, and he carefully browsed and selected them, doing basic retouching.
The next morning at six, when Yan Yan was still deeply asleep, Zhuang Yiyun drove out alone. He went to the city center of Changjiang and waited for the photography studio to open. He printed out a photo. When he returned, Yan Yan was having breakfast in the restaurant. Seeing him coming in so late, Yan Yan teased him, “You woke up at ten, Dr. Zhuang, you’ve fallen.”
Zhuang Yiyun didn’t respond and quietly ate his breakfast, filling his stomach which was empty after having been awake most of the night.
Because they had already photographed the sunset, they didn’t linger. After breakfast, they packed their bags and checked out.
At the check-out counter, they coincidentally met the couple from yesterday. The young man was more enthusiastic than yesterday. He came up to thank Zhuang Yiyun, saying that they would print the photos and hang them by their bedside when they got back.
After the young couple left, the two who had checked out walked out of the hotel lobby. Yan Yan looked at Zhuang Yiyun with teasing eyes, “Tsk tsk, Dr. Zhuang’s photography skills are impressive. Shouldn’t you send me the photos taken yesterday as well? I could get them printed and hang them in my room.”
“No need.”
“Hmm?”
Zhuang Yiyun opened his camera bag and handed Yan Yan a photo he had developed that morning.
Yan Yan was puzzled. He took it, and opened it. Surprisingly, it was his own photo. It was taken yesterday at the seaside, with the most dazzling and soft light. The setting sun had turned his hair into a true golden color. He raised his eyes to the sea, and droplets of water clung to his eyelashes, reflecting a pure and clear world, merging completely with yesterday’s beautiful scenery.
It was beautiful. He had never seen himself like this before. It was a kind of beauty beyond appearance, as if someone had captured the soul beneath all the hustle and bustle. The soul that was pure and gentle, making him almost unable to believe it was himself.
The moment he saw the photo, his heart pounded wildly and he stood rooted to the spot.
He looked at it quietly for a moment, then turned it over and saw the words that had been covered by Zhuang Yiyun’s thumb.
“Miracle—Captured at Hainan, Changjiang”
In Yan Yan’s mind, there was a sudden flash of lightning and a clap of thunder. In an instant, all external sounds were drowned out, leaving only these few strokes of words.
“Do you like it?” Zhuang Yiyun asked him, finally bringing him back to reality.
He didn’t answer whether he liked it or not. He felt that a simple “like” was not enough to respond to this piece of work. He just carefully put the photo away in his bag.
After they set off, because Zhuang Yiyun took the initiative to let Yan Yan continue driving as he had spent most of the night awake. Not long after they started, he fell asleep, so he didn’t know that Yan Yan had briefly stopped at a service area while he was asleep.
Yan Yan couldn’t help but secretly take a photo of those two lines of words, setting it to be visible only to Zhuang Yiyun, and posted it on his Moments.
