Chapter 1

Qin Yuan came out of the airport and went directly to the parking lot to pick up her car, then drove straight to the studio.

The streets were brightly lit.

Qin Yuan parked her car downstairs at the studio, just as the lights inside the studio turned off. She opened the car door and got out. As she was about to lock the door, Zhou Tong, who was inside, saw her and exclaimed in surprise, “Qin Yuan Jie, you’re back?!”

Qin Yuan locked the car door, took a camera from the backseat, and walked out from the shade of the trees. “Mm, why are you still here so late?”

Zhou Tong opened the door and turned on the lights. She knew that Qin Yuan must have something to do coming to the studio at this hour. She had only joined the studio after the New Year, and in the three months since, Qin Yuan rarely came to the studio. Zhou Tong had only seen her a few times and barely exchanged a few words with her.

Qin Yuan walked to the door, stood under the white incandescent light. She was tall and slim, with a stunning figure and captivating beauty. Zhou Tong was a little excited. “I had some work left unfinished, so I stayed late.”

Qin Yuan poured herself a cup of water. Noticing that Zhou Tong still had her bag on her shoulder, she took a few sips to moisten her throat before saying, “You can go home, no need to worry about me.”

Zhou Tong put her bag down and hesitantly asked, “Can I stay and help?”

Qin Yuan glanced at the time. It was already 10 PM. Having someone to help would allow her to finish sooner and rest earlier. She handed Zhou Tong a portable hard drive. “Sort the photos from April by shooting date and put them into folders.”

Zhou Tong took the hard drive, squinting with a smile. “Okay.”

Qin Yuan looked at her a little longer, her expression softening. “How old are you this year?”

“Twenty-two, just graduated last year.”

“How many jobs have you had?”

“...Six, six jobs.” The young girl awkwardly gave an honest answer and quickly defended herself, “But I really like this job, and it’s the one I’ve been doing the longest. I think I can do it for a long time!”

Qin Yuan raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have to be nervous. I was just asking casually.”

It’s common for new college graduates to change jobs frequently, so it wasn’t anything strange.

Although Qin Yuan was young, seeming to be only two years older than Zhou Tong, she gave off a distant vibe. Since the studio was hers, Zhou Tong was genuinely afraid of saying something wrong and being fired. As Qin Yuan went upstairs, Zhou Tong was left feeling anxious, thinking she should have lied instead.

Qin Yuan paid no mind to the young girl’s thoughts and entered the darkroom to develop the photos.

By the time she finished, two hours had passed.

She looked up at the line of photos drying. There wasn’t much color in the images, because the area was so barren. The skin of the people there was dark, rough, and cracked, even the children’s skin. 

Qin Yuan pursed her lips and frowned, then walked out.

She turned off the lights and went downstairs, only to find that Zhou Tong was still there.

“Why haven’t you left yet?”

Zhou Tong shook her head and quickly handed over the hard drive. “I’ve finished sorting them.”

Qin Yuan took it, noticing that Zhou Tong’s computer was still on. She pulled out a chair and sat down. “It’s already past midnight, you should go rest. You don’t want to be tired for work tomorrow.”

She opened her email and sent the photos and materials to He Cong’an. When she turned around, the young girl was still standing behind her.

Zhou Tong couldn’t help but ask, “What place are those photos from?”

Qin Yuan closed her laptop. “Yunnan.”

Zhou Tong sighed. “I’ve heard that there are a lot of poor places in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, but I didn’t expect it to be this poor...”

She had never imagined that someone like Qin Yuan, a rich and beautiful woman, would go to such a poor place and take so many photos. When Zhou Tong was a sophomore, she had attended Qin Yuan’s photography exhibition, but those photos were nothing like these. Looking at Qin Yuan, she felt that she was very different, very special.

Qin Yuan picked up her camera and packed up her things. “There are even poorer places.”

Zhou Tong asked, “Have you been there?”

Qin Yuan paused for a moment, lowered her head, and her voice grew softer. “I’ve been there, but only halfway.”

Zhou Tong was confused. “What do you mean, halfway?”

Qin Yuan didn’t answer, instead saying, “Turn off the lights and lock the door. Let’s go, I’ll give you a ride.”

Zhou Tong noticed her calm expression and didn’t ask any more questions. She obediently turned off the lights and locked the door.

The next morning, before Qin Yuan had fully woken up, He Cong’an’s phone call came in, and he immediately asked, “Why didn’t you say anything when you got back? Every time you return, I only find out from your email.”

Qin Yuan hadn’t had enough rest lately, and she was irritated by being woken up. “Can’t you call a little later?”

He Cong’an’s tone softened as he heard her frustration. “Alright, alright, my apology.”

Qin Yuan grabbed a handful of her hair and simply hung up, turning off her phone.

She didn’t wake up again until the afternoon. She called He Cong’an back and also made a call to her agent.

After being busy for over half a month, she had almost finished shooting the photos she had scheduled. She received a call from He Cong’an. “How about lunch together? I have something to discuss with you.”

Qin Yuan replied, “Sure.”

They agreed to meet near her studio, which was also close to He Cong’an’s company. He was five years older than her, and they had known each other since they were children. He ran a news website and was its head. Every time Qin Yuan returned from a trip, the donation drives she organized usually went through him.

Qin Yuan was now the head of the Anyi Foundation, though the public didn’t know because she had never appeared in person. It was always her parents who handled things on her behalf.

To everyone else, she was just a moderately famous photographer.

The two of them had worked well together in the past two years, at least that’s what He Cong’an thought. Whatever Qin Yuan needed, he was able to provide.

It had been a month since they last met. Qin Yuan hadn’t changed much. He Cong’an stirred his coffee and asked, “Where are you planning to go next?”

Qin Yuan replied, “I don’t know.”

Every year, she would take a few breaks to visit impoverished areas. The time was uncertain, and the destinations were never planned in advance.

He Cong’an smiled. “Next time, I’ll go with you.”

Qin Yuan looked up at him, her voice calm. “No need. You know I don’t like having anyone accompany me.”

He Cong’an furrowed his brows, his gaze lingering on her right hand. On the back of her snow-white hand was a tattoo—tendrils of a Gesang flower spreading from her hand to her slender wrist. After that tattoo had been etched onto her skin, she had become someone who preferred to go it alone.

He tugged at the corner of his mouth and said, “Your foundation has been reported on our website too many times. People are already saying that our website is scamming money. Let me go with you next time and make an appearance. It’ll look a lot better. Or... you could make an appearance yourself?”

If the netizens knew that the documentary photos of those poor mountain areas came from Qin Yuan, the daughter of the Best Actress and a film mogul, it would surely spark a lot of buzz and would be hugely beneficial for the Anyi Foundation.

Qin Yuan remained silent for a while. She knew what He Cong’an was suggesting. Finally, she said, “I’ll think about it.”

He Cong’an was stunned. “Think about what?”

Qin Yuan replied, “Whether or not I’ll make an appearance.”

He Cong’an: “…”

When they parted ways, He Cong’an called out to her and said, “It’s not your fault. Don’t always take the blame for everything. Nobody expected it.”

Qin Yuan looked at him quietly and said, “I know. I’m not blaming myself.”

He Cong’an was furious. This woman, when she was stubborn, was more terrifying than anyone else.

At the beginning of May, Qin Yuan finished the photos she had been working on and visited the foundation. The person in charge, Old Yuan, said, “Girl, there was a problem with the items we sent to Shaanxi last time.”

Qin Yuan asked, “What happened?”

Old Yuan sighed. “There was a heavy rain. The truck overturned and fell into a ditch. The clothes were soaked in sewage, and even the extracurricular books couldn’t be saved.”

Qin Yuan paused. “What about the people?”

Old Yuan said, “The driver was injured. He’s in the hospital, but he’ll be fine after some rest. It’s nothing serious.”

Qin Yuan stayed silent for a few seconds. “That’s good.”

“Right now, the roads are slippery, so the items can’t be sent over. The company we used saw that the driver was injured and the truck was damaged, and now they’re making a fuss and demanding compensation.”

“Handle it as you see fit. Contact another company, one that’s more reliable.”

“I’ve already shortlisted a few. Wait here, I’ll show you.”

“This one.” Old Yuan handed over a sheet of paper.

Qin Yuan glanced at it, and Old Yuan pointed to the last one. “This company also does charity work. They don’t charge for transportation.”

Qin Yuan was surprised. “Free?”

Old Yuan nodded. “Yes, I checked. They’re quite reliable, but we’ll need to pick a good day.”

Qin Yuan glanced at the note: Two trips per week.

“Then it’s this one. I’ll contact them myself.”

Qin Yuan booked a ticket to Xi’an. Before she left, she went to the studio and told her agent about her upcoming trip to Shaanxi. “Let’s schedule the shoot for mid-month. I’ll be back no later than ten days from now.”

The agent was critical of her spending nearly ten days every month on this unpaid and exhausting work. “Dear, can’t you return a few days earlier? You don’t have to handle these things personally, do you?”

Qin Yuan smiled. “I like it.”

The agent: “…”

Qin Yuan grabbed her camera and was about to leave when she ran into Zhou Tong at the door. The young girl’s eyes brightened. “Qin Yuan Jie, can you take me with you? I participated in charity events during college too.”

It was the kind of work where you just accompany the elderly in nursing homes, sweep the floor, that sort of thing...

Qin Yuan glanced at her. “No.”

“Ah?” Zhou Tong looked disappointed. “Why not? I... I can pay for my own expenses?”

“Still not possible.” Qin Yuan gently refused.

Zhou Tong followed her, still eager to go, and pleaded, “Qin Yuan Jie, I can help carry your luggage or run errands for you. I’ll make up for the work when I get back. You’ll be bored going alone...”

Qin Yuan suddenly turned around, her voice even more indifferent. “Stay put.”

Zhou Tong stood frozen in place.

After Qin Yuan walked away, a colleague, Xiao Chen, came over and patted her on the shoulder. “I’ve been here for three years, and every time Qin Yuan goes to the mountains, she goes alone. She never takes anyone with her, even when she goes abroad.”

“We’ve asked her before, but she doesn’t take anyone.”

“Yeah, we want to go too and see the world, but she probably thinks it’s too much trouble to bring people along.”

After hearing her colleagues’ words, Zhou Tong felt a bit more at ease.

Qin Yuan arrived in Xi’an around 2 p.m. Before she left, she was told someone would be picking her up at the airport. She looked around at the people holding signs but didn’t see anyone there for her.

She pulled out her phone and called the number she had been given, explaining the situation. The man’s voice was cheerful. “Sorry, Miss Qin. I’ve got something urgent and can’t leave. I asked Brother Lu to swing by and pick you up. Wait a moment, I’ll call him and check the situation.”

Qin Yuan hung up the phone and walked outside the airport.

The sun was very bright, the sky a clear blue, and she squinted against the sunlight.

Two minutes later, her phone rang. Qin Yuan glanced at the unfamiliar number, answered, and asked directly, “Where are you? If you’re busy, just give me the exact address, and I’ll take a taxi.”

There was a brief pause on the other end, then a deep, husky voice responded, “Parking lot, black Jeep.”

He then gave her a license plate number.

Qin Yuan took note of the number and dragged her luggage toward the parking lot. The black Jeep was easy to spot, as the car was covered in mud splashes that had dried in the sun, making it look even dirtier.

She knocked on the driver’s side window, and the man rolled it down. “The car’s unlocked. Get in.”

Then, his gaze paused for a moment.

This woman was as white as snow, and under the sunlight, she was almost blinding.