Zheng Xiyu was indeed very obedient.
Tang Tianman rarely came across such a compliant model.
It was the kind of obedience that showed real learning instinct. Whenever Tang Tianman asked her to strike a particular pose, Zheng Xiyu would offer two or three variations on her own.
With such outstanding physical conditioning and sharp wits besides, the shoot should have wrapped up in no time.
But Tang Tianman couldn’t help herself.
She loved photography, and the scene before her had her fingers itching on the shutter.
A training ground bathed in lights amid the dead of night, volleyballs scattered across the floor, and an athlete darting about, leaping high with proud, soaring form.
She had lean, toned muscles, skin aglow with sweat, a beautiful face, and eyes that sparkled like stars.
The sight sparked endless inspiration in Tang Tianman. By the end, she had clambered up the referee’s A-frame ladder, toes hooked on the frame, legs ramrod straight as she captured the volleyball player Zheng Xiyu from an unusual angle.
Zheng Xiyu glanced up at her.
“Hey~~” Tang Tianman waved down at her. “Look at me—I’m taller than you now.”
“Be careful up there.” Zheng Xiyu edged a little closer beneath her.
“I’m good.” Tang Tianman peered eagerly through the viewfinder. “Yeah, that’s the angle. Look right at me—sharpen that gaze a bit.”
As she called out the instructions, she ducked her head out from behind the camera and pulled a fierce expression for Zheng Xiyu to copy.
High above in the brilliant lights, Zheng Xiyu looked up to see a soft, chubby chin and cheeks, paired with eyes comically widened.
Very cute.
Such a tiny thing, perched on the ladder like that, mugging for the camera.
Irresistibly cute.
Just like one of those pufferfish memes on social media that inflate when you poke them.
Zheng Xiyu couldn’t hold back a laugh.
Tang Tianman’s face froze for a split second before she ducked behind the camera again. “Perfect—hold that!”
Zheng Xiyu held the pose for a beat.
“OK.” Tang Tianman checked the playback. It was drop-dead gorgeous.
“OK, OK, OK…” She stared at Zheng Xiyu, all her earlier bubbly, commanding charm evaporating as she stood there mumbling like an idiot.
“All done?” Zheng Xiyu asked.
“Al… almost.” Truth be told, it had been over ages ago.
“Then come on down.” Zheng Xiyu stepped closer and held out a hand.
“I got this myself.” Tang Tianman peered down at her feet. “Why do you keep catching me like that? Listen, don’t underestimate us shorties. We’re small, sure, but we’re nimble as hell!”
Determined to prove her agility, Tang Tianman let go with two rungs still to go and hopped down.
Straight into Zheng Xiyu’s arms.
The girl who’d been off to her left just a second before must have been poised for ages. She caught Tang Tianman perfectly in the crook of her arm the instant she dropped.
Spot-on angle, perfectly measured speed—no jarring impact, just a gentle, enveloping strength.
Curving around her waist and the back of her knees.
A featherlight touch at first, and then her feet touched down solidly on the ground.
Back straight, landing smooth and comfortable. A flawless dismount.
“You…” Tang Tianman stood there in a daze, words failing her.
“Sorry,” Zheng Xiyu said. “Didn’t want you to drop the camera. Those things aren’t cheap, right?”
Tang Tianman: “???”
The tender moment shattered, and Tang Tianman burst out laughing. “So you’re mostly worried about the camera?”
Zheng Xiyu smiled and took a step back.
Tang Tianman spun around to face her. “You’ve got the right priorities, at least. Matches mine perfectly. If it came to it, I’d rather eat dirt face-first than risk smashing my camera.”
“Mm.” Zheng Xiyu nodded, smiling.
Tang Tianman headed back to her bag and started packing her gear away, item by item. “That’s a wrap for tonight. Thanks a ton, junior sister—you saved my bacon. Next time I’ve got a free minute, senior sister’s taking you out to eat.”
“Sure.” Zheng Xiyu agreed without hesitation.
“You’re done training for the night, right? It’s getting late.” Tang Tianman checked her phone. “Let’s head back together. Dorms are closing soon.”
“Mm. You go on ahead; I’ll kill the lights.” Zheng Xiyu jogged off in the opposite direction.
The venue had been renovated later on, so the wiring was a mess. The switch for the overhead lights over this court was all the way inside.
Tang Tianman slung her bag over her shoulder and waited right there.
Even Zheng Xiyu’s jog was a sight to behold—long strides, easy rhythm. She reached the door in seconds, slapped the switch with her palm.
Tang Tianman kept watching as Zheng Xiyu turned and jogged back. At first, their eyes met, but as they drew closer face-to-face, it started feeling awkward, so Zheng Xiyu’s gaze dropped to the floor.
She pulled up in front of Tang Tianman. “All set. Let’s go.”
“Everything off?” Tang Tianman asked. “It’s still pretty bright in here.”
Zheng Xiyu turned and pointed. “Streetlights from over there shine through.”
Tang Tianman eyed the ladder standing forlorn in the dim yellow glow. “Does the volleyball team do trust falls for team-building?”
“Hm?” Zheng Xiyu paused. “Not yet. I haven’t been on the team long.”
“You’d crush it.” Tang Tianman arched a brow and headed for the exit.
Zheng Xiyu fell in right behind her. They parted ways outside Building 9, dorms in opposite directions.
Tang Tianman waved her off. “No need to walk me—we’re both girls.”
“You…” Zheng Xiyu started to raise her hand, holding it at the level of Tang Tianman’s head.
The message was clear. Tang Tianman shot her a withering death glare, and Zheng Xiyu yanked her hand back.
“Take care, then,” she said instead.
Tang Tianman pressed on, jabbing a finger into Zheng Xiyu’s arm. “Don’t go thinking senior sister needs protecting just ’cause she’s a Little One. I’ve got a whole year on you around here. Anyone gives you trouble, you come find me.”
“Got it.” Zheng Xiyu was the picture of compliance.
“See ya!” Tang Tianman backed up a couple steps and waved. “Hot shower, then bed.”
Zheng Xiyu didn’t budge.
Tang Tianman retreated two more steps. “Something else?”
Zheng Xiyu’s lips parted twice.
Tang Tianman halted, fixing her with big, round eyes.
Zheng Xiyu gestured vaguely toward the training hall and finally spoke up. “Were you thinking about doing a trust fall…?”
Tang Tianman froze.
Zheng Xiyu waved her hand again. “If you want to try it, I’m game. I won’t let you fall.”
Suddenly, Tang Tianman felt flushed all over.
Embarrassment. Shame. Mortification.
That team-building question earlier? Yeah, she’d been fantasizing about exactly that.
But it was just a private thought—as long as it stayed in her head, no one would know.
Except freaking Zheng Xiyu knew.
She knew that catch had felt amazing.
Knew Tang Tianman wanted another.
Knew she wanted more and had been fishing for excuses, dropping hints to flesh out the fantasy.
Tsk.
Fuck.
She was done for.
Tang Tianman bolted. The narrow street had no traffic or lights; she sprinted across, through the school gate, around the corner—and vanished from Zheng Xiyu’s view.
Zheng Xiyu pressed her lips together, lingered another half minute, then turned for home.
Tang Tianman ran straight back to the dorm.
She figured personal auras really were contagious. Zheng Xiyu was an athlete, and after just two days of knowing her, Tang Tianman’s legs had fallen in love with running.
Her brain? Not so much.
She slumped into the desk chair, catching her breath for a good while. Was it her heart hammering from the sprint, or the heat crawling up to her ears?
Li Tong had been eyeing her slyly ever since she burst in.
Propped up with a book she was pretending to read—no page turned in ten minutes.
Ruan Ruan cut straight to it. “How’d the shoot go?”
“Super good! Amazing! Perfect!” Tang Tianman lit up at the memory, swiveling to grab her camera. “Zheng Xiyu’s a genius. She’s got this cool indifference to the lens but picks up on it sharp as a tack. Natural as a pro model, pure and unpolished.”
“Tch.” Li Tong smacked her lips over her book.
Tang Tianman ignored her, fired up her laptop, and started transferring the photos.
Once the upload finished, Ruan Ruan climbed down from her bunk and joined her.
They huddled at the desk picking shots, their praise turning into a full duet.
“Too gorgeous!”
“Damn, check out those lines!”
“This one’s eyes—I’m done for.”
“Fuck, she should be our school’s spokesperson.”
“Need cash? She could model on the side.”
“Not deleting a single one—the keeper rate’s insane!”
Li Tong craned halfway off her bed. “That good, huh?”
Tang Tianman spotted a killer close-up and swung the screen around.
Li Tong squinted from across the room, then whooped with a grin. “Whoa, junior sister’s a stunner!”
“See? You only get the face.” Tang Tianman gazed at Zheng Xiyu’s form amid the play of light and shadow. “No appreciation for true artistic beauty!”
“No need for the shade!” Li Tong flopped back down. “What’s unartistic about a pretty face? Lights-out soon—you won’t get to ogle then.”
Tang Tianman glanced at her battery. “Laptop’s fully charged.”
Ruan Ruan tilted her head. “Pulling an all-nighter on edits?”
Tang Tianman rubbed her hands together. “Too pumped right now. I’ll crash when the energy dips.”
She browsed through the photos once more, and then the power cut out in the dormitory, plunging everything into darkness.
After finishing her evening routine, Tang Tianman hugged her laptop onto the bed and propped up a small table inside her covers to keep working.
Soon, the night grew deep and still.
Ruan Ruan and Li Tong had both fallen asleep. The only sound in the room was the occasional click of the mouse.
The laptop screen glowed softly, illuminating Zheng Xiyu in its light.
These were RAW-format photos, which could be magnified many times over to reveal details the naked eye often missed.
Like the faint bruises hidden beneath smooth skin.
Or the rough skin on a forearm, fingers thickened with calluses.
Zheng Xiyu was only eighteen this year.
A year younger than her, yet so clever, kind, patient, and steady.
As Tang Tianman stared at the photos, countless stories flickered through her mind. In the dead of night, she felt like crying.
She rubbed her eyes and clicked on Zheng Xiyu’s Little Kitten profile picture. She typed: Does practicing ball wear you out?
She paused for a long moment, then deleted it character by character.
After hesitating for what felt like forever, she finally sent the simplest message—the one she most wanted to say:
—I’m editing the photos. You’re really beautiful.
Her phone buzzed. Zheng Xiyu replied in an instant:
—Haven’t slept yet?
Tang Tianman jumped, her heart skipping a beat.
With Zheng Xiyu’s healthy vibe, she didn’t seem like the type to stay up late.
Tang Tianman clutched her phone. Suddenly, her waist felt stiff from sitting, so she rolled over and sprawled facedown in her covers.
Cupping the phone in both hands, she typed rapidly:
—You haven’t slept either.
—Can’t sleep.
Zheng Xiyu shot back.
Tang Tianman was just about to ask why when the next message arrived.
—Would you mind dating?
Tang Tianman froze, her eyes locked on those three words: dating. A strange feeling washed over her entire body.
