Chapter 3

At nine o’clock, Sang Ning returned to her apartment. The room had already been tidied up neatly by her. She took off her hearing aid, and the world went as quiet as if her throat had gone hoarse—instantly hushed by more than half.

The windows had been closed all day, making the room stuffy and hot.

Sang Ning opened the windows to let in some fresh air.

The evening breeze was mild, tousling her hair strands. She gazed out the window in a daze, her outwardly calm surface belying the turbulent waves in her heart that had persisted until now.

She had never imagined she would encounter Shen Tingwan again.

After blowing in the breeze for a while, Sang Ning dragged her fatigue to the bathroom for a shower. Only after feeling refreshed did she slip under the covers.

She was accustomed to sleeping on her right side, burying her right ear into the pillow, making the world completely silent.

She had good sleep quality, usually falling asleep quickly and sleeping soundly until dawn.

But tonight was an exception.

The quieter her ears, the more pronounced the ripples in her heart, impossible to ignore.

Sang Ning closed her eyes, her mind filled with the scene of running into Shen Tingwan—her senior staring at her, smiling as she said, “Long time no see.”

It still felt like a dream.

As Yu Shuang had put it, she was like a blank sheet of paper, transparent at a glance, with no secrets to speak of.

Shen Tingwan was her only secret.

She guarded this secret well; no one knew about it except herself.

Unable to fall asleep no matter what, Sang Ning turned on the light again, picked up her phone, and tapped on a familiar profile picture in her WeChat contacts.

Shen Tingwan almost never posted updates, and Sang Ning hadn’t deliberately checked her Moments in a long time either.

Those one-sided heart flutters and cautious affections had, with the passage of time, sunk into the depths of her heart as distant memories. Tonight, they had been unexpectedly stirred up again…

The coffee hadn’t fully metabolized from her system yet, making it hard to sleep.

*

No matter how late she went to bed the previous night, she had to get up on time the next day for work—the eternal sorrow of the working class.

Sang Ning squeezed onto the morning rush-hour subway. Half an hour later, she got off, bought a bacon sandwich and coffee for breakfast at the convenience store downstairs.

This bacon sandwich suited her taste; she’d eaten it for several days straight—convenient. She could be tirelessly devoted to things she cared about, but everything else was kept simple.

By the time she reached the studio door, Sang Ning had finished her sandwich and was holding half a cup of coffee.

The studio’s logo was simple and stylish, a stylized version of the characters for “Weiming.” Yu Shuang explained to outsiders that the name signified being undefined and innovative in style, but really, it was because both of them were too lazy to think of a name.

As soon as Sang Ning pushed open the door, she saw Yu Shuang. “Morning.”

“Morning.” Yu Shuang had just arrived too, her bag only just set on the table. She glanced at Sang Ning. “You didn’t sleep well last night?”

Was it that obvious?

Sang Ning set down her coffee. “A bit.”

“You get insomnia too? That’s rare.” Yu Shuang had always envied Sang Ning’s sleep. She rarely saw Sang Ning lacking energy. Sang Ning wasn’t the bubbly, sunny type, but she had a quiet vitality.

“Maybe the coffee last night was too late.” As Sang Ning mentioned the coffee from last night, the image of the person who made it flashed in her mind again. She also recalled Shen Tingwan’s words, “I hope we have a chance to collaborate.” She heard such polite pleasantries often; it was basic social etiquette.

“Me too,” Yu Shuang yawned. “Stayed up late again last night. Trying to quit coffee.”

Sang Ning didn’t gossip about others easily, but looking at Yu Shuang now, she couldn’t help it. “Then why were you so eager last night?”

“Mainly because your senior sister is so beautiful,” Yu Shuang exaggerated her grin. “Hard to turn down free coffee from a great beauty.”

Sang Ning: “…”

They didn’t chat much longer before switching to work mode. At nine fifteen, the studio’s first client of the day arrived, and Yu Shuang greeted them enthusiastically.

Yu Shuang usually handled most of the client negotiations; she was great at socializing and could charm any client into smiling.

Sang Ning wasn’t as tactful in negotiations, but her work had its own style, and she was sincere, so her success rate was high. In this line of work, the portfolio spoke for itself.

Several ordinary, busy workdays passed.

At noon, Sang Ning finished a shoot and came out to find that the takeout Yu Shuang had ordered had arrived. She’d asked Yu Shuang to get her a portion too.

Yu Shuang was on the phone and handed Sang Ning the takeout bag.

Sang Ning took it and poured herself a glass of water.

“Sure, Sister Wei.”

“No problem this week.”

“Let’s see when specifically?”

…

After hanging up, Yu Shuang grinned, the aroma of food making her suddenly hungry. She sat down to eat too.

Watching her, Sang Ning asked, “Landed another one?”

“Yeah. It’s your senior sister’s…” Yu Shuang trailed off midway to sip her soup.

Sang Ning’s chewing slowed slightly.

Yu Shuang took another leisurely sip of soup before continuing, “Her friend’s coffee shop. Last time, she mentioned needing promo photos, and she reached out to me.”

“She said this week.” Yu Shuang asked again, “You go, or me?”

Sang Ning said softly, “Either’s fine.”

“Let me check my schedule.” Yu Shuang opened her phone’s memo app and scrolled. “I’m not free; this week looks packed…”

Sang Ning: “Then I’ll go.”

“You sure you can handle it? I remember you have a lot on your plate too. Don’t overdo it.” Yu Shuang thought for a moment. “We could push it to next week; Sister Wei is easygoing.”

Both of them were considerate toward friends and never took advantage of anyone’s good nature, so they worked well together and hadn’t had any conflicts since starting the business.

Sang Ning smiled faintly. “I can manage.”

“Alright, then you coordinate with Sister Wei.”

Following the studio’s process, they collected a deposit first, then discussed shooting details with the client before proceeding.

Sang Ning added Wei Xue on WeChat and chatted online first. Wei Xue didn’t have many specific demands, but Sang Ning still asked in detail—from style to setup, clarifying all requirements. The more thorough the prep, the smoother the shoot.

After finalizing details with Wei Xue, the shoot was set for Friday afternoon.

Friday was clear and cloudless, with ample light—perfect for photography.

In the afternoon, Sang Ning arrived at the coffee shop with her gear. It was nearly soft-opening; the interior was fully set up, with several new servers bustling about.

Sang Ning looked around; only Wei Xue was there.

Wei Xue was as enthusiastic as that day. “You’re here.”

“Sister Wei, let’s get started.” Sang Ning greeted her with a smile too. Wei Xue was the same age as Shen Tingwan, two years older than her. Since Yu Shuang called her Sister Wei, Sang Ning followed suit.

“Want to rest first?” Wei Xue eyed the heavy pile of photography equipment Sang Ning had brought.

“No need.” Sang Ning prepared to dive into work.

“Alright, go ahead.”

The shoot went smoother than Sang Ning had expected. Wei Xue was undoubtedly one of the best types of clients—minimal interference, and when she had ideas, she expressed them precisely and efficiently.

The afternoon light created unique shadows, yielding results with more surprises than anticipated.

Sang Ning held her camera for over two hours straight. Wei Xue got tired just watching and brought her a glass of lemon water. “Have something to drink.”

Sang Ning thanked her and took the cool glass. The lemon water was refreshing and invigorating.

For convenience at work, Sang Ning had tied up her long hair into a low bun at the back of her head. Her skin was fair, and she had a lazy, quiet demeanor—cool and aloof when not smiling, warm and soft when she did.

Wei Xue noticed her ear. “Do you listen to music while working?”

Sang Ning answered smoothly, “It’s a hearing aid.”

Wei Xue paused, then said, “Sorry.”

Sang Ning was nonchalant. “No worries; it’s often mistaken.”

Being stared at curiously, misunderstood, pitied, or treated differently was daily life. It had taken her a long time to fully accept reality: she was flawed and could never live like a normal person, no matter what.

Don’t chase what you can’t reach; don’t yearn for the impossible. Being content made life less troublesome. This gradually became her life motto.

Wei Xue glanced at the camera on the counter. “Can I try it?”

Sang Ning: “Sure.”

“So heavy.” Wei Xue picked up the camera—it weighed a ton. Looking at Sang Ning’s slender, slight frame, she asked, “Not tired after shooting so long?”

“You get used to it.” Sang Ning smiled. Photography was both mental and physical labor; they often joked they were photography laborers.

They chatted idly during the break.

Sang Ning didn’t volunteer personal details, but if asked, she answered mildly. Like when Wei Xue asked how she got into photography.

“Not my major. Joined the university’s Photography Society and got hooked.”

Wei Xue thought for a moment. “Shen Tingwan was in it too, right? I think she mentioned it.”

Hearing “Shen Tingwan” still made Sang Ning sensitive. “Yeah, that’s how I met senior sister in the club.”

Shen Tingwan had been vice president back then. Sang Ning later learned she’d been dragged in by friends and didn’t participate often.

Wei Xue browsed the photos on the camera. “You’re so good; straight-out shots look amazing.”

“Thanks.” Sang Ning rarely met clients so generous with praise right away—probably Wei Xue’s connection to Shen Tingwan. With that in mind, she said seriously, “Feel free to share any ideas or suggestions.”

Wei Xue kept looking. “None; you’re the pro. Too good.”

A few days later, she sent Wei Xue the final edits. Wei Xue expressed interest in long-term collaboration; she clearly liked them.

That afternoon, Yu Shuang returned from fieldwork, ravenous like a starving ghost. She tore into a bag of cucumber-flavored chips for energy and offered some to Sang Ning.

Sang Ning declined; Yu Shuang ate alone.

After a bit, Yu Shuang said, “Sister Wei’s shop has a party tonight; she invited us…”

It had only been a few days, but Yu Shuang was already calling her Sister Wei so affectionately. “You two got close that fast?”

“Of course. Friends of rich ladies are rich ladies too. Gotta be enthusiastic, build those relationships—future big clients.” Yu Shuang’s mind was all business.

She asked Sang Ning, “You coming?”

Sang Ning paused.

Yu Shuang casually urged, “Come on, come on.”

Sang Ning replied, “Okay.”

“Wait, you’re actually going?” Yu Shuang was surprised now; she’d thought Sang Ning would decline. She usually avoided crowds.

Sang Ning: “…”

Yu Shuang made the call. “We’re going!”

After work that evening, they headed straight over—not empty-handed, so they bought a bouquet from a flower shop.

Wei Xue’s soft-opening was a hit, thanks to many friends’ help. That night, she gathered them for a celebration; she loved crowds and thrived on such events.

Shen Tingwan had arrived a while ago. Wei Xue organized the gathering, and many were her old acquaintances.

“Why back in the country working?”

“Was planning to anyway. Grandma’s not doing well; needs company.” As Shen Tingwan spoke, her idle gaze drifted outside the glass wall.

The night was alive with neon lights and bustle. A slender figure cradling a large bouquet walked calmly through the evening breeze, at odds with the surrounding clamor.

Sang Ning and Yu Shuang entered together, drawing quite a few gazes.

Shen Tingwan was there, seemingly straight from work in a sharp black-and-white outfit that made her stand out effortlessly among the crowd.

Sang Ning glanced briefly before looking away. Social scenes used to intimidate her, but years in the workforce had made her more poised. She walked to Wei Xue and presented the flowers. “Sister Wei, congrats.”

Wei Xue: “Thanks. Sit wherever.”

They arrived late; few seats left.

Sang Ning headed toward one, but Yu Shuang beat her to it.

Yu Shuang sat next to a stranger girl, deliberately leaving the seat beside Shen Tingwan for Sang Ning—Sang Ning was slow to warm up and more comfortable with familiars.

Sang Ning turned to look.

Shen Tingwan smiled at her lips, amiably yielding the empty seat beside her.