I'm a senior in high school, and the system says I'm going on a blind date with my childho

Chapter 345 Chasing the Light
At 2:50 a.m., the photo studio park was completely silent, with only a few solitary lights shining in the night.

The dressing room, however, was brightly lit.

The soft light illuminated the space, dispelling the chill of the early autumn morning and the heavy drowsiness.

The air was filled with the slightly bitter aroma of coffee and a faint scent of cosmetics.

Shen Yuan, Li Zhi, and Yang Yishui arrived on time.

Although everyone's eyes showed obvious signs of fatigue, the excitement of chasing the sunrise was like a small flame, stubbornly leaping against the backdrop of drowsiness.

Li Zhi sat in front of the makeup mirror, the warmth of the dressing room warding off the chill of the early morning.

The makeup artist and assistant were already prepared.

They quickly applied a gentle, hydrating face mask to Li Zhi to prepare her for the makeup to follow.

The icy touch made Li Zhi flinch slightly, but he quickly regained his senses.

Looking at her slightly sleepy reflection in the mirror, she couldn't help but smile.

"It feels like I'm still dreaming..."

"What did you dream about?"

Shen Yuan walked behind Li Zhi and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I dreamt that I was taking wedding photos."

As soon as Li Zhi finished speaking, the two looked at each other and smiled simultaneously.

Yang Yishui stood to the side, holding up her phone, trying to capture the scene of work starting in the early hours of the morning.

She rubbed her eyes, her voice slightly nasal but unusually excited: "Getting up at three o'clock to take wedding photos, that has to be you young people, I don't think I could do it."

Zhou Lan appeared at the door of the dressing room, looking energetic and clearly already used to this routine.

"Let's hurry! We'll be in a bit of a rush later!"

She clapped her hands and glanced at the crowd.

"Speed ​​up! We'll change into the first wedding dress right away and get our hair done in the car. We're on a tight schedule; we have to reach the summit before sunrise!"

As she spoke, the pace of the entire dressing room instantly quickened.

The makeup artist began to carefully apply makeup to Li Zhi, her movements quick and steady.

Li Zhi tilted his head slightly in agreement.

Although my eyelids were still a little heavy, the thought of chasing the sunrise brought forth a pure anticipation that flowed like a clear spring.

Shen Yuan was whispering to Yang Yishui on the side.

Li Zhi's base makeup was completed quickly, delicate and clear, concealing some of her tiredness and highlighting the natural radiance of her youthful skin.

"Alright, go change into your wedding dress first, let's hurry!" Zhou Lan immediately gestured as soon as her base makeup was finished.

Li Zhi stood up and, accompanied by staff, quickly walked towards the changing area next door.

While Li Zhi was changing clothes, the makeup artist immediately turned to Shen Yuan: "We'll do a quick touch-up for the boy too."

Shen Yuan sat down on the dressing chair.

Time was of the essence, and the makeup artist's assistant worked with exceptional speed and efficiency.

The whole process took only a few minutes. Almost the instant Li Zhi finished changing clothes, Shen Yuan's makeup and styling were also completed.

"All done!" The makeup artist's assistant put away the tools.

The curtain in the changing area was pulled open, and Li Zhi's figure reappeared.

She had already changed into the main wedding dress prepared for the outdoor photoshoot; it was a simple and pure white trailing wedding gown.

Although her hair hasn't been styled or her veil worn yet, her elegant and refined气质 (qi zhi - inherent quality/temperament) is already immediately apparent.

"Are you ready? Get in the car! It's 3:30 now, and the sunrise is around 6:00. We should make it in time."

Zhou Lan's voice carried an undeniable sense of urgency as she opened the door to the dressing room first.

"Let's go! Let's go!"

Yang Yishui responded immediately, holding up her phone and following Zhou Lan's footsteps, while the camera followed the two who were already fully prepared.

The lights of the black van parked at the entrance were already on. Zhou Lan opened the car door, and the makeup artist and photographer, carrying makeup cases and cameras, were the first to get inside.

"Get in the car quickly! We'll get our hair done on the way!" Zhou Lan's voice was particularly clear in the cold air.

Shen Yuan escorted Li Zhi to the car and carefully helped her lift her skirt and sit in the spacious back seat.

Yang Yishui quickly got into the driver's seat.

Shen Yuan was the last to get on the car and closed the door.

With a low growl from the engine, the van smoothly drove out of the park, merging into the sparse traffic of Hangzhou in the early morning, and sped towards the mountains and the dawn.

Inside the car, the makeup artist turned on the roof light and opened the makeup kit, ready to complete Li Zhi's hair and final makeup during the bumpy journey.

The mobile dressing room began its work, its sights set on the first rays of dawn about to break above the horizon.

The car sped along the highway, the night outside the window gradually faded, and the horizon revealed a faint bluish-gray hue.

The city's outline was quickly left behind, replaced by the silhouette of rolling hills.

Yang Yishui skillfully drove the vehicle off the highway and onto the road leading to Fuyang.

The road gradually narrowed, the streetlights disappeared, leaving only car headlights piercing the pre-dawn darkness, illuminating the swaying shadows of the trees on both sides and the occasional passing fields.

"We're almost there," Zhou Lan said softly, glancing at the navigation.

After driving for a while, the car slowed down at a fork in the road, and a simple guard post and railings appeared ahead.

The guard post was lit up, and uniformed personnel could be vaguely seen on duty.

Yang Yishui slowly brought the car to a stop.

Zhou Lan rolled down the car window, leaned out, and handed a card to the staff member who approached her: "Hello, we are the team that booked a photoshoot for today."

The staff member on duty took the card, examined it carefully under the light of the guard post, checked it against the register in his hand, and pressed the button after confirming that everything was correct.

The railing slowly rose.

"Thank you for your hard work," Zhou Lan said, rolling up the car window.

Yang Yishui stepped on the gas, and the vehicle started again, entering a winding mountain road.

The road was smooth but not very wide, with dense forests on both sides, and only shadowy tree shadows could be seen in the darkness.

The car headlights cast moving spots of light on the mountainside.

Li Zhi, who had already finished decorating, closed her eyes and was taking a break.

As for Shen Yuan, he was fully recovered.

The mountain road twists and turns, with countless bends.

Finally, the vehicle arrived at a relatively open platform area at the top of the mountain.

This place is clearly still under development, but the main environment is already taking shape, with the flat viewing platform and the winding wooden boardwalk clearly visible.

Yang Yishui brought the car to a steady stop and turned off the engine.

The car fell silent, with only the faint chirping of birds awakening in the distant mountains and forests.

"We've arrived," Zhou Lan said first, her voice carrying a hint of relief.

"Everyone, hurry up and get ready before the sun comes out!"

The car door was pulled open with a "whoosh".

The crisp, clear air from the mountaintop rushed into the warm car at dawn, instantly invigorating everyone.

Shen Yuan got out of the car first, and the cold wind made him instinctively shrink his neck.

He immediately turned around and reached out to Li Zhi: "Li Bao, be careful." Li Zhi took Shen Yuan's hand and carefully leaned out of the car.

The temperature at the mountaintop was several degrees lower than in the city, and the chill penetrated her skirt, causing her to hiss softly.

"Are you cold?" Shen Yuan asked in a low voice, while squeezing her hand tighter.

Li Zhi nodded, trying to dispel the chill that made him shiver.

The girl's clear eyes gazed at the increasingly clear bluish-gray hue on the eastern horizon: "It's alright! As long as I can see the sunrise, that's enough!"

The photographer quickly began tidying up the equipment and checking the lenses.

Zhou Lan then opened another box and took out a reflector and diffuser holder.

Zhou Lan looked around and finally fixed her gaze on a relatively open flat area.

"The location will be set over there!"

She pointed to that spot and quickly assigned tasks to her staff.

She then looked at Shen Yuan and Li Zhi: "You two should move around a bit and get used to the temperature!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan gently put his arm around Li Zhi's shoulder and led her to slowly pace around in place, trying to dispel the chill.

Li Zhi nestled against him, but her gaze never left the increasingly bright eastern sky.

The wind on the mountaintop ruffled a few stray strands of her hair and veil that weren't completely secured.

While we were waiting, several other cars arrived.

Clearly, Shen Yuan and Li Zhi were not the only ones chasing the sunrise.

As time passed, the bluish-gray hue on the eastern horizon faded, replaced by a richer, more translucent blue-purple.

It's like a giant velvet curtain being slowly drawn back by an invisible hand.

The lower edge of the curtain has been quietly edged with a bright and dazzling gold and red trim, and the trim is spreading and spreading upwards at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The deep night sky was pushed back by this surging power, and the outlines of the mountains became clearer in the backlight, the undulating lines of the mountains seemed to be breathing silently.

The clouds ignited.

A few wisps of thin clouds near the horizon were instantly dyed a molten gold-like orange-red, and then the clouds above seemed to be thrown into a burning furnace, their edges radiating intense light.

The rosy glow flowed freely across the sky, painting the entire eastern sky into a magnificent, giant oil painting.

In an instant, everyone present sprang into action.

Shen Yuan's photographer set up his equipment.

Li Zhi's long, trailing wedding dress fluttered in the morning breeze, the edges of the white gown seemingly gilded with a flowing golden edge by the increasingly magnificent rosy light.

Zhou Lan quickly tidied up Li Zhi's veil and skirt, which had been blown into a mess by the wind. The makeup artist also rushed over and lightly pressed powder puffs onto Li Zhi's face a couple of times.

"The boy hugs the girl from behind!"

The photographer's voice was calm and decisive. He bent down and leaned close to the viewfinder, his finger already on the shutter button.

"Girls, relax your bodies and lean back slightly! Turn your heads slightly towards the camera! Look into the distance, towards the direction the sun is rising! Imagine you are welcoming a new day, a new beginning!"

Shen Yuanyi gently wrapped her arms around Li Zhi's waist from behind.

Li Zhi turned his head slightly, his clear eyes gazing at the eastern sky that was being completely ignited.

Right now!
A dazzling golden arc of light suddenly leaped out from behind the silhouette of the mountains!
In an instant, a burst of golden light burst forth, dyeing the entire mountain range and the sky a magnificent golden-red!
The warm light poured down as if it were real, instantly dispelling the chill of the early morning.

"Now! Look ahead! Hold on!"

The photographer's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

The sound of camera shutters rang out in rapid succession, like a sudden storm!

"Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap—!"

Every crisp sound greedily captures this fleeting moment.

Backlit, the two figures embracing each other are outlined in perfect silhouettes, while the reflector adds warm details.

The shutter sounds were continuous.

The photographer's body constantly shifts with the camera angle, the lens greedily capturing every frame of the interplay of light and shadow.

"Good! Keep your gaze! Nice! Guy, tighten your arms a bit, yes! Change the angle!"

Zhou Lan and the makeup artist quickly adjusted the angles of the reflector and diffuser.

The rising sun leaps over the horizon, showering the earth with its golden rays without reservation.

The mountain wind whipped at Li Zhi's veil, causing it to flutter and dance behind the girl.

"Li Bao!"

Shen Yuan whispered in Li Zhi's ear, his hands, which were originally wrapped around her waist, loosened slightly and slid down to gently hold her hand.

Li Zhi immediately understood, and almost simultaneously, she gracefully turned around, changing from back to front to face to face.

Their eyes met, and no instructions were needed.

Shen Yuan lowered his head slightly, while Li Zhi looked up.

Their eyes lit up with unreserved smiles.

The photographer keenly captured this natural interaction, and almost instinctively pressed the shutter the moment Li Zhi smiled!
"Crack!"

Photographers surrounded them, capturing the sentiment of them walking hand in hand towards the light from different angles.

As the sun rises higher, the light becomes brighter and more direct.

"Alright, the golden time for sunrise is almost here!"

Zhou Lan glanced at her watch: "Let's hurry and move on! Next location, over there to the viewing boardwalk and pine forest!"

The group quickly packed up their equipment.

Shen Yuan lifted Li Zhi's long train and escorted her along the newly built boardwalk toward the pine forest not far away.

The wooden boardwalk underfoot creaked slightly.

"The light here has a stronger sense of depth, and the green of the pine forest will match the white of the wedding dress perfectly!"

The photographer said excitedly as they walked, "We can capture some shots that show people blending into nature!"

Li Zhi took a deep breath of the pine-scented air, and a smile returned to his face.

She gently lifted her skirt and walked slowly along the boardwalk, sunlight filtering through the pine forest and dancing on her white wedding dress.

She occasionally glances back, smiling at the camera or at Shen Yuan, her youthful energy perfectly blending with the freshness of the mountains and fields.

Time flew by as we focused on the shoot.

They took some interactive photos at several different locations.

The two of them sat hand in hand, running along the dappled sunlight and shadows of the forest path. Li Zhi's clear laughter echoed through the valley, her skirt fluttering in the wind...

It wasn't until Zhou Lan called out, "It's almost eleven o'clock. That's enough for our outdoor shooting this morning. Let's go have lunch first, then change clothes and get our hair and makeup done, and prepare for the afternoon and evening shooting!"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi let out a long sigh of relief, her face flushed with excitement and showing a hint of barely perceptible fatigue, but mostly with satisfaction.

She turned to look at Shen Yuan, her eyes bright: "Are you tired?"

Shen Yuan smiled and shook his head, reaching out to tidy her temples, which were a little messy from the wind: "I'm not tired. How about you?"

"A little bit, but I'm really happy!" Li Zhi nodded vigorously, her smile radiant.

"It felt like I had a beautiful dream."

“It’s not a dream.” Shen Yuan squeezed her hand, his gaze gentle yet firm.

(End of this chapter)