#65: The Photography Exhibition

The next day, the first leg of the photography exhibition officially began.

Shen Yihuan was dressed to the nines for the occasion.

She arrived just after ten o’clock, when the exhibition started. The gallery was already filled with small groups of people, and more were coming in after getting their tickets checked.

The exhibition had been widely publicized, so there was a diverse crowd, from people in suits to those in school uniforms. The hall was quiet, and everyone was focused on the artwork.

When Shen Yihuan woke up this morning, Lu Zhou had already left.

He had a commendation ceremony to attend, starting at 8:30 AM. He had left in his crisp military uniform, looking incredibly handsome.

As Shen Yihuan lay in bed, watching Lu Zhou buckle his belt, she thought, That’s my boyfriend.

Before she entered the gallery, she received a message from Lu Zhou asking if she had left yet. Shen Yihuan replied that she was already at the entrance.

“Yihuan!” a voice called from the doorway.

She looked up. It was Zhou Yishu. She smiled and greeted her. “Why are you here so early?”

“Whose solo exhibition is this, anyway? Only you would be late.”

“The artwork is already all set up, so there’s nothing for me to do,” Shen Yihuan said with a smile.

Zhou Yishu took her hand and examined her carefully. To match the theme of the exhibition, Shen Yihuan had specifically worn the blue dress she wore on the first day she went to Lu Zhou’s camp in Xinjiang.

It was a long, fitted dress with a strong ethnic feel.

It made her look even taller and more slender, and when she smiled, she had a touch of exotic charm.

“Come on, the interview is about to start.”

“Okay.”

Zhou Yishu watched Shen Yihuan stand in front of the camera, confident and beautiful. She looked the same as the Shen Yihuan she remembered, but her demeanor had undergone a complete transformation.

When Shen Yihuan first joined the studio, Zhou Yishu had met her college professor at a dinner party and heard about her great achievements.

She had won many photography awards during college, but she was always so free-spirited, shooting whatever she felt like. As a result, her grades in her professional courses were very average, just barely passing.

But with all the trophies and certificates gathering dust at home, she was a true eccentric.

At the time, Zhou Yishu saw Shen Yihuan quietly working in the studio, taking photos for models and minor celebrities, and felt that the description didn’t match.

Until now.

She was radiant.

Her dark hair and the blue long dress, which accentuated her graceful figure, made her look like she belonged on the cover of a magazine.

When Lu Zhou arrived, Shen Yihuan had just finished her interview and was helping the staff pack up their equipment.

“Are you done?” Lu Zhou approached her from behind.

Shen Yihuan turned around, her eyes lighting up. “You’re here! Weren’t you supposed to be at a commendation ceremony?”

“That finished early.”

Shen Yihuan looked down and saw the military insignia on Lu Zhou’s shoulder. “Did you get a promotion?”

“Yes, to captain.”

Shen Yihuan’s eyes crinkled. “Captain Lu.”

Lu Zhou, in his military uniform, was tall and stood out in a crowd. He attracted a lot of attention in the short time he stood there.

There were many young girls standing nearby, secretly taking pictures of him.

The interviewer next to them saw the situation and looked at Lu Zhou for a moment before asking Shen Yihuan, “Is this the captain of the border guard from that huge central piece?”

“Yes, he is.”

“Well, if it’s not too much trouble, would he also be willing to do an interview?”

Shen Yihuan glanced at Lu Zhou and, without thinking, declined for him. Lu Zhou probably hated being on camera, and with his direct personality, he might not speak much during an interview.

“Then how about a photo?” the interviewer said.

Shen Yihuan nodded. “Okay.”

In the end, they just took a group photo.

A beautiful, charming, and stylish woman next to a strong, tall soldier. A single photo was enough to make people imagine a whole story.

That night, the photo was widely shared online, and various old photos of them were dug up.

Shen Yihuan’s own Weibo account was from a long time ago. She was a fan of celebrities in high school, and her posts were just reposts from years ago. She had never posted about her real life.

The old photos that surfaced were probably thanks to Zhang Tongqi...

Shen Yihuan was lying in bed, looking at them.

One was from a long time ago, in the summer, when she and Lu Zhou went to a breakfast shop and ran into Zhang Tongqi. A fan of Zhang Tongqi had taken a picture, and Shen Yihuan wasn’t wearing any makeup.

Another was from photos of military training that Zhang Tongqi’s studio had posted when they were in Xinjiang. One of the photos showed Lu Zhou leading a training session.

She clicked on the comments.

【This is what true love looks like!!!】

【The photographer is so pretty. They are locked in, and I swallowed the key!】

【Now that I see Zhang Tongqi sitting between them, I just want to sing one song, ahhhhhh, “What a pure-hearted woman”】

【They’re alumni of the same high school. My homeroom teacher was their teacher back then. I heard they were together in high school. I believe in love again!】

【How did our high school have a handsome senior like that???】

【Same high school, handshake, fellow alumni. Why don’t we have such handsome guys now?】

...

Lu Zhou came out of the bathroom and saw Shen Yihuan in her nightgown, engrossed in her phone.

He casually dried his hair with a towel. Water dripped down his neck, and the steam from the bathroom made him a little damp, revealing his broad chest and collarbone.

Shen Yihuan heard the movement, turned her head to look at him, and whistled like a hooligan, pointing her phone at him.

“Hey, I’m going to take a picture of you.”

Lu Zhou looked at her, and with a click, the photo was already taken.

He didn’t have much of a reaction and asked unhurriedly, “What are you going to do with that picture?”

“Sell it. Ten dollars for a semi-nude photo.”

Lu Zhou frowned. He walked over, snatched her phone, and sat in the bed. He then pulled Shen Yihuan into the blankets. “What are you looking at?”

“The photo we took at the exhibition this morning. Everyone is praising you. A lot of students from our high school said they’ve heard of us.”

The phone was in Lu Zhou’s hand. Shen Yihuan leaned in close to him, showing him the pictures.

“Where did this photo come from?” Shen Yihuan asked, pointing to a picture of Lu Zhou in his military uniform on the training ground. She remembered she hadn’t taken a picture like that.

“Zhang Tongqi’s studio took it.”

“Oh,” Shen Yihuan said, a bit stunned. She had almost forgotten about that. “Is that why you kicked her out?”

“Not just because of that one picture.”

“You were pretty fierce back then.”

Lu Zhou looked down, not reacting.

Shen Yihuan, nestled against him, looked at a few more photos that had been posted online. Suddenly, she remembered something and sat up. “Tell me! Was it because she bullied me that you were so fierce to her?!”

“You’d let her bully you?” Lu Zhou raised an eyebrow slightly.

When he rushed back, he heard that Shen Yihuan and Zhang Tongqi had gotten into a fight. He was so worried that he ran to the commander’s office immediately.

He saw Shen Yihuan standing there, completely unharmed, radiating an air of untouchability. On the other hand, Zhang Tongqi and her assistant were disheveled, their faces a bit swollen, looking utterly pathetic.

But when he saw Shen Yihuan’s scraped and red elbow, he still got angry.

As a captain, he couldn’t show favoritism in that situation, so he could only drag Shen Yihuan to his room later to apply medicine.

The blunder from Zhang Tongqi’s studio the next day was a perfect storm.

Lu Zhou’s temper wasn’t good to begin with. The men in the army were all afraid of him. It was only with Shen Yihuan that he could be anything she wanted.

Shen Yihuan smiled. “You’re right, she couldn’t bully me even if she tried.”

________________________________________

As the photo of them went viral online, Shen Yihuan’s solo photography exhibition also became a huge success, and she received invitations from other provinces.

Under Zhou Yishu’s leadership, several more exhibitions were quickly organized in other cities.

All the preparations were in full swing.

Shen Yihuan’s name as a photographer also became famous, and she was given titles like “the most beautiful photographer” and “genius girl.”

A few days ago, when Qiu Ruru came to see her, she couldn’t stop laughing about it.

“The most beautiful photographer” was fine, but “genius girl” was completely unsuited for Shen Yihuan.

Xinjiang was the third stop. It was originally the fifth, but Shen Yihuan moved it up a few dates.

It worked out well because Lu Zhou also had to go back.

During the day, Shen Yihuan was in the exhibition hall. Only the Beijing exhibition required an interview, so she didn’t have to follow the schedule for the other cities.

The number of people who came to see the exhibition in Xinjiang was even greater. It was an exhibition that documented this land, its wind, its soil, its snow, and its people.

For other stops, Shen Yihuan had set a limit on the number of people who could enter each day, but not for this one. Everyone who wanted to come could enter at any time.

And yet, in the crowded hall, there was a profound silence. Everyone was focused on the experience.

This was exactly what Shen Yihuan had wanted.

It was March, and Xinjiang was still very cold. Shen Yihuan pulled her down jacket tighter and took a taxi to the bus station. She then bought a ticket to the military camp near the border.

Lu Zhou had just walked into Commander Feng’s office.

“Commander,” he said, giving a military salute.

“Come in,” Commander Feng said, gesturing to a chair with his chin. “How’s your wound?”

“It’s healed.”

“You’re a major now. It’s not easy to get to this rank at your age. What are you planning to do now?”

Normally, military ranks were adjusted every four years, but for someone like Lu Zhou, who worked in the dangerous border region, his rank rose faster due to the continuous missions and accumulated merits.

Lu Zhou didn’t have much of a plan for himself. “Whatever is assigned.”

“What’s assigned is that in three months, after all the handover ceremonies are complete, He Min will take over your position as captain, and you will be transferred back to Beijing.”

Lu Zhou was a little stunned.

Commander Feng continued, “There’s a military project in Beijing that needs someone with combat experience to lead it. If you’re willing, it’s yours. Anyway, you’re getting married soon, so being in Beijing will save you from having to take time off to visit your spouse.”

“Okay,” Lu Zhou nodded. “Commander, has my marriage application been approved?”

“I knew you were here for that, you rascal!” Commander Feng pulled open a drawer and threw a file bag at him.

Lu Zhou caught it.

“When’s the wedding?”

Lu Zhou smiled. “We haven’t discussed it yet, but as soon as possible.”

“You have to change that temper of yours, I’m telling you! You’re just like your father! Can that girl even put up with you?”

Lu Zhou just stood there without answering, a smile on his face that he couldn’t hide.

“I’ll be sure to invite you over for a drink when the time comes.”

He walked out of the office and went downstairs. On the training ground, the sound of the team counting off echoed. A thick layer of snow covered the grass.

He leaned against the wall, took out his phone, and called Shen Yihuan.

First, he heard the background noise of a thick local accent, and then the girl’s voice came through.

He asked, “Where are you?”

“Checking my ticket for the bus. I’m about to head to your place.”

“Don’t come. I’ll come get you,” Lu Zhou said, walking toward the garage.

Shen Yihuan said, “It’s so far. You’ll have to make two trips.”

“You get motion sickness on buses, right? Don’t take it. After I pick you up, I’ll take you somewhere.”

Only then did Shen Yihuan get out of the line and wait at a seat in the bus station.

She had forgotten that she was prone to motion sickness on buses. She rarely took them. The last time was for a school field trip.

She went to a convenience store and bought a sandwich and some oden. She sat alone, eating.

After she finished, she bought another one of the same and had it heated and packaged. Lu Zhou arrived shortly after.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Remember the hotel where you stayed the first time you came here?”

“Yes, I do.”

“We’re going to the owner’s place.”

“Are we eating?” Shen Yihuan handed him the sandwich she was holding. “Did I buy this for nothing then?”

“No.”

They got in the car. Lu Zhou ate the sandwich Shen Yihuan had bought before they set off.

She had been busy with the exhibition for the past few days, often working late into the night. With the heater on in the car, she quickly became sleepy. Lu Zhou parked the car on the side of the road and reclined her seat.

“Sleep.”

...

When she woke up again, she was still in the car, with a blanket over her. A window was cracked open, and the heater was still on, but there was no one else in the car.

Shen Yihuan sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked outside.

It was pretty dark.

Her vision slowly cleared.

The car was parked in front of a small, old cabin. Two red lanterns hung from the eaves, tattered by the wind and not lit. Only a light bulb in the center of the room was glowing.

She opened the car door.

Lu Zhou was sitting at the entrance with another man. They heard her, stood up, and draped the blanket back over her. “You just woke up. Be careful not to catch a cold.”

Shen Yihuan rubbed her eyes and looked up at the little shack in front of them. “I thought you said we were going to the hotel owner’s place?”

“Girl, you don’t remember me?” The man sitting next to Lu Zhou stood up.

He was a tall man from Xinjiang, with medium-length hair and a beard.

It was the owner of that hotel.

Lu Zhou explained, “This is where they live on their days off.”

The owner brought another chair out from the house. It was very short, only up to her knees. In the empty space in front, he had built a simple stove out of rocks, where he was burning wood shavings and a few other things.

Shen Yihuan reached out her hands, getting closer to the warmth.

“You must be hungry. I’ll get you something to eat.”

“You don’t have to,” Shen Yihuan quickly said. “Don’t bother.”

The owner was very friendly. “You came all this way. You must be hungry. I’ve known Captain Lu for a long time, so don’t be shy.”

When he came back out, he was holding something wrapped in a thick layer of mud and threw it directly into the fire.

“What is that?”

The owner poked the fire with a tree branch. Lu Zhou answered, “A sweet potato.”

“Oh,” Shen Yihuan leaned forward to look. “I’ve only read about roasting sweet potatoes directly in a fire. I’ve never tried it myself.”

The owner laughed. “It’s so fragrant when you roast it this way. The sweet potatoes from around here are naturally sweeter than the ones from outside. You’ll have to try it later.”

Soon, the owner took the mud-wrapped sweet potato out of the fire.

Shen Yihuan took a bite. It was indeed very sweet.

Lu Zhou sat next to her, looking down at her holding the sweet potato. The bottom half was still covered in dirt, and her hands were a bit dirty. She was carefully eating it, a tiny bite at a time.

He reached out and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “Does it taste good?”

Shen Yihuan tore off a piece of the skin and held it out to Lu Zhou’s mouth. “It’s delicious. Have a bite.”

The owner sat on the other side of the fire, watching the two of them being so affectionate. It was hard for him to imagine that Lu Zhou was capable of such a thing. He poked the fire with a stick a few more times, took out the two remaining sweet potatoes, and handed one to Lu Zhou.

Lu Zhou waved him off, pointing at Shen Yihuan. “She can’t finish hers. I’ll just eat her half later. You eat yours.”

The sweet potatoes in Xinjiang were big.

“But there are more,” the owner said, putting the rest on the pile of rocks. As he ate his, he suddenly asked, “When are you two getting married?”

Shen Yihuan’s eating stopped. She slowly looked up and turned to look at Lu Zhou.

Lu Zhou leaned back in his small chair. “Soon.”

“Did your marriage application get approved?” she asked.

“Yes. The commander just gave it to me today.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You were already asleep when you got in the car,” Lu Zhou said, wiping the corner of her mouth. “It’s in my car.”

Shen Yihuan was full after a few more bites. Lu Zhou naturally took the rest and finished it without wasting any. With dirty hands, he went inside to get some napkins.

The owner finished his sweet potato, his arm resting on his knees. “Captain Lu’s wound should be healed by now.”

“Yes.”

“That mission, his wound was so serious. He really put his life on the line.”

Shen Yihuan was stunned. “You know about that?”

“How could I not? He went rogue, right? He got shot and fell down. Luckily, I was on my way out that night and ‘found’ him.”

Shen Yihuan didn’t know anything about how he had gone rogue that day or what had happened. She had asked Lu Zhou, but he had just glossed over it and didn’t give her any details.

That day, Lu Zhou had been shot. He was trapped between two sides. It was a miracle that he managed to escape in the blackout. The place was close to the hotel owner’s house, so he went directly there.

The hotel owner was so terrified when he saw him that he called the town clinic. He spent the entire night helping the doctor stop the bleeding and bandage him up.

Because of the severe blood loss and lack of proper blood transfusion equipment, Lu Zhou was in a coma for a few days.

Not long after he woke up, he saw Shen Yihuan’s tracking device show that she had arrived in Xinjiang.

Lu Zhou didn’t have time to say anything. He had to rush to Shen Yihuan’s location, and the hotel owner couldn’t even stop him.

...

The hotel owner rubbed his hands and sighed. He said to Shen Yihuan, “Captain Lu would happily give his whole life for you.”

Shen Yihuan had just heard the hotel owner’s story about what had happened that day.

Lu Zhou came out after washing his hands inside and saw the girl crying again, unable to stop.