Chapter 72

While Nan Qi was swamped with work and had no time to tend to her family, Tang Lian had already grown close to Zhou Ru and Nan Xi, their friendship blossoming at a rapid pace.

She stayed by their side the entire time, crafting a meticulous yet delightfully entertaining travel plan.

Tang Lian pointed out that since Zhou Ru had come to Linxi to visit Nan Qi, she should treat it as a proper vacation opportunity as well. Zhou Ru was swayed by her words and happily accepted the itinerary.

So, after the weekend wrapped up, Tang Lian took them on a comprehensive tour of Linxi’s local customs, culture, and sights.

With a camera in hand, she led the pair through parks, the Linxi City Museum, camping trips, and various attractions. She even took them to the racetrack for some off-road go-karting… capturing countless joyful moments along the way.

They truly turned the whole city upside down.

When it came time to part ways, Tang Lian developed all the photos from their days together into a photo album as a keepsake for Zhou Ru and Nan Xi. She even made plans to visit the Nan Family in Daicheng over the New Year.

Zhou Ru and Nan Xi had an absolute blast. Even on the way to the airport, their faces were lit up with smiles.

After seeing them off at the departure gate, Nan Qi watched the whole scene with her arms crossed. As they stepped out of the airport terminal, she shot Tang Lian a look laced with unclear meaning and said, “You sure get along well with them.”

More like a Nan Family kid than me.

Tang Lian’s eyes curved into crescents. Suddenly, she leaned in close to Nan Qi, her radiant face filling Nan Qi’s vision in an instant. Nan Qi felt a rush of beauty overload and instinctively leaned back, trying to put some distance between them.

As Nan Qi retreated, Tang Lian pressed forward without a care.

With nowhere left to go, Nan Qi found the distance exactly as Tang Lian wanted it.

Helpless, Nan Qi took a few steps back, and Tang Lian finally relented, ceasing her advance.

“Are you jealous?”

“Why would I be jealous?” Nan Qi found Tang Lian’s assumption odd. She didn’t need to cozy up to her family; fulfilling her duty to support her parents was enough. As for familial warmth, she had no interest in chasing the ordinary family dynamic.

Zhou Ru’s unannounced arrival in Linxi had caught her off guard, stirring an indescribable emotion within her. These past few days, Zhou Ru had clumsily shown her care—nothing deep or personal, just whipping up Nan Qi’s favorite meals day after day to spare her from constant takeout. Every evening after work, Nan Qi came home to a family dinner and casual chats about the mundane details of daily life.

The once-quiet house now buzzed with noise every day.

And Nan Qi, who usually cherished her peace and quiet, didn’t find it annoying at all.

With Nan Xi and Tang Lian around too, the clamor doubled, turning their sparse conversations with Zhou Ru into something more frequent, even if just in fits and starts.

Noticing these changes in herself left Nan Qi shocked and a bit uneasy.

But she didn’t resist. She figured she’d just let things take their natural course.

If it ever soured, she’d pull away.

While she’d been buried in work and unable to spend time with her family, Tang Lian had stepped up as their guide around Linxi. Nan Qi was genuinely grateful for that.

“Jealous…”

Tang Lian peered into her eyes, her voice trailing off in a soft, quivering lilt full of smug delight. “Jealous that we all got photos together but Big Sister didn’t? Jealous that Auntie invited me over for New Year? I don’t care—you were right there as a witness, you heard it all. This New Year, I’m going home with you.”

She wheedled insistently for Nan Qi to agree.

What was a simple invitation took on an oddly tender, lingering tone in Tang Lian’s mouth, making Nan Qi hesitant to go along with it.

She picked the safest angle to respond: “I wasn’t with you guys, so no group photos makes sense. And I don’t mind anyway.”

“Plus, Mom invited you, so just go. Buy an extra ticket for yourself when the time comes.”

“Mm, New Year with Big Sister.” Tang Lian looped her arm through Nan Qi’s, squinting her eyes as she nuzzled her face against Nan Qi’s arm. She emphasized the key point in a dreamy voice, muffled like it was veiled in silk—or like a kitten’s paw scratching at Nan Qi’s heart, leaving it tingling with something on the verge of spilling out.

Faced with such easy intimacy, Nan Qi’s body stiffened.

Tang Lian tensed too, waiting for her response while pulling Nan Qi even closer. Half her body dangled off Nan Qi, turning her into a human accessory.

She silently counted the seconds in her head.

Under normal circumstances, with Nan Qi’s tolerance, she’d shake off Tang Lian’s hand in a second, reestablish distance, and sternly lecture her about restraint—warning her not to act on her impulses.

But this time, after half a minute, Nan Qi showed no sign of pulling away. Tang Lian was flattered beyond belief.

She wanted to whoop for joy. That icy heart of Nan Qi’s had finally softened for her!!!

Nan Qi’s body burned hot. She took a few deep breaths, a touch shy over Tang Lian’s natural closeness.

She really liked her, didn’t she? Always seizing chances to create physical contact, whether at home or out—intentional or not, she’d spring little surprises that made Nan Qi’s face heat and her heart race.

At first, Nan Qi had resisted.

But as time passed and Tang Lian’s image sharpened in her mind, she’d naturally memorized her quirks and grown a bit indulgent.

This time, she chose not to push Tang Lian away.

Since Tang Lian liked her so much, she could let her cling for a bit.

They’d have to separate once they reached the car anyway; she couldn’t keep it up.

Nan Qi pressed her lips together, striving to keep her expression calm and unruffled. But Tang Lian’s lithe form kept leaning into her arm, rubbing against it and stirring a faint heat in Nan Qi’s own body. It left her embarrassed, her eyelashes fluttering as she tried to ignore the soft, fragrant sensation.

Her voice came out slightly hoarse: “A bit heavy.”

“You’re weighing me down like this. I can’t walk properly.”

She quietly nudged Tang Lian to mind her posture.

“Oh.” Tang Lian tilted her chin up to study Nan Qi’s face, catching a hint of bashfulness beneath the feigned coolness. Her mood sweetened like honey.

She eased off her weight, content to simply hold Nan Qi’s arm while still nuzzling her cheek against it, savoring this rare indulgence. “Then I’ll be lighter.”

They drove home in high spirits.

Gazing at the streetlights flashing by the window, Tang Lian chattered away at Nan Qi, who responded to every remark.

A sudden idea struck her. “Hey, it’s still early, and you’re free from work today. Want to come to my place? I can dye your hair for you.”

“I mentioned doing a one-time platinum shade before, and I bought the dye right away. It’s all ready at home.” The more Tang Lian talked, the more feasible it seemed. Excitement and mischief danced in her eyes and at the corners of her brows, making her glow with energy—her face more vibrant than spring blossoms.

No one, not even the most aloof person, could resist being swept up in her infectious enthusiasm.

“Sure.” Nan Qi thought it over briefly and agreed.

Back at the complex, Nan Qi followed Tang Lian straight to her place.

Tang Lian had her sit on the sofa, then flashed a mischievous grin. “Hang tight first. Before we dye your hair, I’ve got something to show you.”

Nan Qi asked what it was.

Tang Lian just told her to wait.

Curiosity piqued, Nan Qi had no choice but to oblige.

She didn’t have to wait long.

Tang Lian dashed to the bedroom and returned with a photo album, handing it over.

The moment Nan Qi glimpsed the cover, she recognized it.

It was just like the one Tang Lian had given Zhou Ru and Nan Xi that morning!

Nan Qi took the photo album and flipped through a couple of pages, exclaiming in disbelief, “You printed two copies?”

Tang Lian nodded with a beaming smile. “Bet you didn’t expect that.”

“You never mentioned it…”

“Some things lose their magic if you spill them ahead of time.” Tang Lian was thrilled with her reaction. Leaning in close to Nan Qi’s ear, she added with loaded meaning, “But this one’s for Big Sister, and it’s not exactly like the one for Auntie and Nan Xi. Take a close look—you’ll find plenty of Easter eggs~”

With that, she watched Nan Qi’s delicate earlobes for two seconds as they flushed pink, then covered her mouth and stepped back, leaving Nan Qi some space.

Nan Qi touched her earlobes, weighing the album in her hand. It was indeed much thicker than the other one.

She leisurely flipped it open and began browsing the photos amid Tang Lian’s eager anticipation.

The first few pages held no surprises—just shots of the three of them checking in at various spots.

But toward the back, every page featured photos of Nan Qi herself: solo shots and ones with Tang Lian, all carefully sealed in plastic and tucked into the binder.

Nan Qi’s heart grew faintly warm. She recognized some of the photos—ones of her and Tang Lian together—and there were even more that she had no idea when Tang Lian had taken.

Some were reflections of their shadows in the elevator car, their silhouettes captured side by side. Others were from the day they had met at Tongdu Snack Street, when Tang Lian had secretly tried to link her shadow’s fingers with Nan Qi’s. There were also shots of them together in the accessory shop, both wearing matching deer-antler headbands…

Her solo photos were even more varied.

One showed her working from home, laptop balanced on her lap as she handled emails. Another captured her excitement upon finding a long-out-of-print DVD while browsing Tang Lian’s collection. There was the moment of her rolling down the car window, waiting for Tang Lian to approach. And one of her, utterly famished, slurping soup straight from the bowl…

Through Tang Lian’s lens, she appeared utterly adorable and radiantly beautiful, her face alive with emotions Nan Qi had never noticed in herself before.

Tang Lian had taken the shots so casually, yet every single one was stunning, each subtly revealing the warm, joyful mood she must have felt in that instant.

Nan Qi hadn’t realized it until now: in Tang Lian’s eyes, she was so vibrant and multifaceted.

She pored over them slowly, as if committing every image to the deepest corners of her heart. When she finally reached the end of the album and closed it, she pressed it firmly against her chest.

She could hear the blood surging through her veins.

Warm. Torrential.

For the first time, she truly felt cherished.

She had taken photos of Bo Ranying for years, but it had never occurred to her that she, too, could become the endless scenery in someone else’s frame.

The mindset of capturing others was so different from being the one captured.

For a long, long while, she couldn’t find the words to express what she felt.

Tang Lian didn’t press her, didn’t urge her to share.

In that moment, a profound resonance bloomed between them.

Tang Lian could sense how much Nan Qi cherished the album.

Time seemed to stretch on forever, leaving delicate footprints dancing through the room.

Nan Qi handled it with the utmost care, all her swirling emotions condensing into a single sentence of gratitude. “Thank you,” she said to Tang Lian, “for giving me this beautiful, wonderful version of myself.”

Tang Lian merely smiled softly, her gaze clear and warm. “I’m just glad you like it.”