SWG Chapter 24
by VolareThe autumn wind swept through, and the leaves on both sides of the street turned a few shades more golden, closely followed by the pitter-patter of autumn rain.
With the arrival of autumn, the rainfall in the northwest became denser. A slight warming trend was immediately followed by a full day of incessant rain, which significantly impacted the businesses on both sides of the road.
“I’m so done,” Xie Yu said, pushing open the door, shaking off the water droplets while hopping in place. She irritably exclaimed, “This rain is so annoying!”
Ye Min walked over to take her bag. “It’s like this every year, haven’t you gotten used to it yet?”
Xie Yu: “Didn’t you check your Douyin today?” She lightly spat and cursed, “The neighboring Bei City fired rain enhancement missiles, and they hit our area! And she’s gloating about it on Douyin!”
Another person came down from upstairs, half-leaning on the handrail. “Use Douyin less; it just stresses you out.”
Xie Yu rolled her eyes at the person and chuckled. “You know, it’s already 2024. How can anyone not have Douyin?”
“You’re a caveman!”
Ruan Shengyi silently watched her and rolled her eyes.
It was like she couldn’t resist teasing her for even a day. Sometimes, she wondered who was really the boss of this place, and who was the senior apprentice.
Heh.
She suddenly remembered something and coldly asked, “Xie Yu, where are the photos?”
During that week when she was completely lost and didn’t know what to do or say, she entrusted the important task of picking up the photos to Xie Yu. But so much time had passed, and she still hadn’t brought them back.
She had almost forgotten about it herself.
Xie Yu’s eyes darted around, and she chuckled. “Looks like you’re in a better mood, old lady?”
Since she wasn’t targeting their poor glasses anymore and could remember their long-forgotten promotional photos, it seemed like she was doing better.
Ruan Shengyi didn’t answer, just silently watching her.
Xie Yu scratched her head and said, “Xiao Wenyu said she hasn’t had time to design them yet. She’ll send them over when she’s done.”
“Oh.” Ruan Shengyi lowered her head and fiddled with her cufflink, opening and closing it, opening and closing it. She softly said, “Then go put up the posters.”
“You made another poster?! Why waste money?” Xie Yu trotted over. Before she could speak, Ruan suddenly handed her a bag. “Here, stick them on the glass, two of them.”
“Huh?” Xie Yu lowered her head and opened the bag. Her “huh” morphed into a laugh. “Oh, these aren’t posters for our place.”
Ye Min wasn’t usually curious, but upon hearing this, she put down her work and scurried over. “What?”
“Wow,” she exclaimed, completely pulling out the poster and unfolding it. “It’s the one from across the street! I feel like it looks much better than ours.”
Xie Yu: “This looks like the 200 yuan kind.”
Ye Min: “How much were ours?”
Xie Yu: “50, buy three get two free.”
Ye Min: …
Even the good-natured Ye Min stared straight at Ruan Shengyi with a look of grievance, her words implying, “Is it really okay to treat us this differently?”
Favoritism shouldn’t be this extreme, right?!
Even the usually composed Ruan Shengyi’s face flushed slightly. But the topic was stuck there, unable to end, unable to escape, unable to avoid.
Ruan Shengyi lightly coughed, trying to divert their attention, but to no avail.
At worst, she could just make a few more 200 yuan posters. What’s the big deal? Don’t be so stingy.
The air grew increasingly silent and still. After a long moment, before the hesitant Ye Min could speak, a phone call cut through the quiet air.
Ruan Shengyi seemed to see a savior and hurriedly answered the phone. It was Chen Yuexin.
“Hello, Teacher, you said…” She subtly turned her body, clutching the phone as she headed upstairs.
Behind her, Xie Yu abruptly spoke, “Boss, Xiao Wenyu is really a great person. If you can’t get her…” Ruan Shengyi turned to look at her, her eyes filled with shock.
“Then I’m going for her!” Xie Yu suddenly raised her voice. With that, she grabbed the two rolls of posters and ran off, ignoring the drizzling rain outside, and rushed into the rain, grabbing the glue and starting to paste.
Ruan Shengyi lowered her half-raised foot, almost missing the step. She grabbed the stair railing to avoid falling, but still staggered a few steps.
When did Xie Yu and Xiao Wenyu develop such a close relationship?
Chen Yuexin: “Who was that just now shouting about wanting to steal your wife?”
Ruan Shengyi barely steadied herself. “Xie Yu.”
A strange silence fell on the other end of the phone for a moment. “Ah~ she’s finally able to shift her focus?”
Ruan Shengyi: “What do you mean?” It sounded like there was some gossip she didn’t know about? The three apprentices, were they keeping something from her?
Chen Yuexin paused, then returned to her playful tone. “Never mind. Otherwise, you could switch to…”
Ruan Shengyi: “Get lost.”
Chen Yuexin: “Aiya, it hasn’t even been a month, how did you get so close? Aiya, my little apprentice is a sentimental one.”
Ruan Shengyi: “It’s not…”
It wasn’t a matter of time, but a matter of seeing through things, of touching the core.
Even if it was only a week, even if it was only a day, when Xiao Wenyu saw through everything and said those words to her, she was already unable to escape.
It was the first time someone had told her, the former her, that she had grown into a very excellent adult.
But what did this have to do with Chen Yuexin?
“…What do you need?”
Chen Yuexin: …I give up.
Why was it so difficult to get information out of her!
But her student was always aloof. She knew that if she didn’t speak up, the phone call would probably end. She could only temporarily suppress her curiosity and say, “There’s a whiskey festival and training session in Yecheng. Come with me.”
“When is it?”
“Depart on Saturday, for a week. They chose the National Day holiday for the training.”
“…They really know how to pick a time.” National Day. By then, Xiao Wenyu would be back. She had wanted to ask Xiao Wenyu to go out for a walk together.
But Yecheng was far away, and a week was long.
Ruan Shengyi pinched the corner of her clothes.
She didn’t want to go.
Chen Yuexin seemed to see through her thoughts and chuckled softly. “Little girl, you can’t be like this.”
“If you like someone, you should do your own thing well, shouldn’t you?”
Ruan Shengyi: “So, I’m wondering if I should open a bubble tea shop. They’re pretty popular these days.”
Chen Yuexin was shocked. “Haven’t you spent all your money yet? You have that much leisure?”
“…Okay, I’ll go.”
“Hey, that’s right! Teacher will book your plane ticket. Go have fun!”
The phone beeped twice and went completely silent.
Her phone had been this silent for a long time.
Although she and Xiao Wenyu had become good neighbors, she didn’t receive more messages. After all, many questions couldn’t be asked as a “good neighbor.”
For example, if she inquired about three meals a day at fixed times, it would seem annoying and exceed the boundaries of a good friend.
Ruan Shengyi sighed and put away her phone.
*
At the Beishi Photography Exhibition, another person went to a deserted place and took out her phone.
Xiao Wenyu looked at her phone. Apart from a few reporting messages sent to her by Li Wan, the newly hired photography assistant in the store, there was no other news.
As for that Boss Ruan…
Last night, she told her that the customized posters were ready and would be posted today. The two of them chatted for a few words, and that was about the only contact they had in recent days.
Did she really just want to be good friends and good neighbors?
Xiao Wenyu put a hand on her scattered temples, lightly clicked her tongue, and dialed back the phone to Li Wan.
The lively girl quickly answered the phone.
Although she always said that she didn’t want too much noise in her life, but when she saw this lively and reliable girl, she made a decision and settled down.
More importantly, this child also loved photography. They both came to apply, but only this child brought her photography works and only wanted her recognition of her works.
Why did she need to recognize it? When she took out the works, she had already completed her self-sublimation, proved her excellence to herself, and proved her excellence to everyone.
However, after all, not everyone lived as well as Xiao Wenyu and had the strength to pursue what they liked, so Xiao Wenyu gave her a chance, hoping that she could accomplish her ideal.
At least, it would always be so lively and joyous on the phone.
Xiao Wenyu lowered her head and checked her small bag, holding the phone between her shoulder and ear, and said warmly, “Xiao Wan, what did you say you wanted to discuss with me?”
“Teacher Xiao! I want to use your filter parameters, is that okay? I feel like the photos taken with this are really beautiful.”
“Yes, you can refer to the notebook on my desk, try a few more sets, and it’s best to organize a few sets based on your own situation.” Xiao Wenyu said, thinking for a moment, “At least five sets, with corresponding photos, I’ll check when I get back.”
Xiao Wan smiled and said, “Okay, thank you, Teacher, for not hiding your secrets!”
Xiao Wenyu smiled gently, “What’s there to hide? I don’t participate in competitions, I just take photos of everyday life, there’s nothing to hide.”
If you can use these parameters to participate in competitions and get what you want, that means I’m still excellent, and still successful, and that would be even better.
“Teacher, I think you can go to the competition! Look at what you shot for Tonight Intoxicated, paired with those filters, wow, it’s amazing.”
“Tonight Intoxicated is just decorated very beautifully. Did you print it well?”
“Yes, but it’s raining today, I plan to send it over when the rain stops. Is that okay, Teacher~” the girl said coquettishly.
She could indeed act coquettish, after all, she had only graduated for two years and was at the most energetic moment, and also the most like a child.
Xiao Wenyu thought about whether to wait for her to go back and give it to Ruan Shengyi in person, but Boss Ruan had an attitude of just wanting to be her good neighbor…
Taking photos in person was already beyond the norm, if she sent them over again, would the boundaries of this relationship be too blurred.
Thinking of this, she softened her eyes and said warmly, “Then wait for the rain to stop and send it. You can also get off work when the rain stops, remember to be careful on the road.”
“Okay, okay. By the way, Teacher, the Little Flower Fairy asked when she came to pick up the photos today, can she post the process of you going out to take pictures?”
“Yes, if she’s willing, also include the name of the store, and give her a discount.”
“Okay, then Teacher, have fun and take good care of yourself, take more beautiful photos and come back! Bye~”
Like a little fellow, she was still dragging her voice when she spoke, but it didn’t make people feel disgusted at all.
Xiao Wenyu hung up the phone and put a hand on her abdomen.
She didn’t know if this little fellow would be so cute in the future, even if she grew up, she would still drag her voice and play some cute tricks.
At that time, she would be in her fifties.
Time doesn’t allow people to think carefully, even standing here and imagining the future is enough to bring a long sigh.
Xiao Wenyu slowly turned around.
She had originally planned to return to the venue, but the sudden and increasingly loud noise not far away attracted her attention.
Before she could react, a person rushed over with a bag in their arms. She almost purely followed her instinct to reach out and stop them, grabbed the bag strap, and stumbled forward a few steps, half-kneeling on the ground.
But she also grabbed back the bag that wasn’t being held very tightly.
A person rushed to her side, “Girl, are you okay? Can you still stand up? Girl!”
Xiao Wenyu pressed her suddenly tightened abdomen, and her heart suddenly panicked. When the person beside her who wanted to help her shouted to call the police, she tremblingly grabbed her arm and said, “Please, 120, obstetrics…”
The woman looked at her in horror.
…