Why is the system taking my request to photograph a cosplayer seriously?

Chapter 267 The Sulking Rabbit and the Kitten

In late April, the weather in Changsha was unpredictable.

The sun was blazing hot in the morning, but a gust of wind blew by in the afternoon, and dark clouds immediately began to gather on the horizon, threatening to pour down rain.

Ding Heng was about to drive to Zhongnan and made a phone call in advance.

"Ding Heng! Where are you? I'm already at the school gate!"

Zhao Yanxi's urgent voice came through the receiver, and Ding Heng looked up at the sky.

"I'll be there soon. Don't wander off; it's likely to rain heavily."

"Okay, okay, hurry up!"

Before she could finish speaking, a muffled clap of thunder sounded from the sky. Zhao Yanxi exclaimed "Oh dear!" and repeated "Hurry up!" before hurriedly hanging up the phone and finding shelter from the rain.

Ten minutes later, Ding Heng arrived and saw Zhao Yanxi standing under the sycamore tree in the distance. She was wearing a milky white JK shirt with a dark gray pleated skirt, and her fair and slender legs were on full display.

But the weather didn't cooperate.

A gust of cold wind swept by, and Zhao Yanxi instinctively hugged her arms and stood on tiptoe to look at the intersection.

Ding Heng parked the car in front of her and rolled down the window.

"Get in the car."

Zhao Yanxi quickly opened the car door and got in.

"It's freezing! It's freezing!"

She rubbed her arms: "What's wrong with the weather? It was sunny this morning!"

Ding Heng's gaze swept over her bare thighs, and he sighed helplessly: "Don't you check the weather forecast? It's raining heavily today, and the low temperature is 10 degrees Celsius. And you're still going bare-legged?"

"They dressed up especially for you—"

Zhao Yanxi acted coquettishly, her tone sweet and cloying.

"I'm telling you—!"

Ding Heng took off his coat and handed it to Zhao Yanxi, who quickly put it on.

The coat was very large, with the hem almost covering her short skirt—a typical boyfriend-style outfit.

She lowered her head to sniff her collar, then smiled with narrowed eyes.

"Ding Heng still smells good."

"Be poor."

Ding Heng started the car, looking straight ahead, and said, "Keep acting up. Don't come crying to me when you're old and have rheumatoid arthritis."

Zhao Yanxi grinned and leaned over to give Ding Heng a quick kiss on the cheek: "Don't worry, Brother Ding Heng will push my wheelchair for me."

Ding Heng didn't respond further and started the car: "Where to?"

Zhao Yanxi took out her phone and swiped a few times: "Chujiang Hotel".

"Why are we going to a hotel?"

"Let's decorate the venue for Xiaojingjing's birthday."

Zhao Yanxi said matter-of-factly, "You haven't forgotten, have you? May 15th was Wenjing's 20th birthday."

Ding Heng then realized what was happening.

Wenjing's birthday is May 15th.

After the May Day holiday last year, everyone was in a state of post-holiday lethargy and hurriedly celebrated Wenjing's nineteenth birthday.

Wenjing didn't say anything, remaining as well-behaved and sensible as ever, always feeling that birthdays come every year and there's nothing special about them.

"She's twenty this year, our little Jingjing is a big girl now!"

Zhao Yanxi began to recount her plan: "I've got it all figured out. A ten-tiered cake, the pink kind, with a castle and a unicorn on top."

Then buy her a princess dress, the kind that's puffy and tulle, paired with crystal shoes—the venue should be decorated in a dreamy style, with balloons, flowers, and lights, all in pink and white tones.

I also made a slideshow, and I took out all her photos from when she was little to now, and arranged them one by one. I'll show them to her then.

After she finished rambling, Ding Heng suddenly asked, "Do you think Wenjing would like it?"

Zhao Yanxi scratched her chin.

"It should—probably?"

Even with Wenjing's best friend, she still felt a little uncertain.

"In my memory, Xiao Jingjing has never had a proper birthday—and no one has ever thrown her a birthday party."

Zhao Yanxi is the only person who always remembers Wenjing's birthday.

She would prepare gifts in advance, sometimes a bracelet, sometimes a pretty notebook she had saved up her allowance for a long time to buy.

But that little gift couldn't really make up for anything.

"Whether she likes it or not is her business, and whether I'm prepared or not is my business."

Zhao Yanxi seemed to be convincing herself: "Twenty is a milestone that should be properly commemorated."

Ding Heng didn't ask any more questions. Large raindrops pounded against the windshield.

The windshield wipers are on the highest setting, swinging back and forth.

Zhao Yan looked out the window at the rain curtain, which suddenly fell silent.

"Brother Ding Heng."

"Um.

""

"Do you think I don't need to do this?"

Zhao Yanxi rarely showed an uncertain expression.

"Won't."

Ding Heng smiled calmly: "You meant well."

"That's good----"

Having gotten the answer she wanted from Ding Heng, Zhao Yanxi breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in her chair.

The car arrived at the Chujiang Hotel, and the two took the elevator to the 27th floor.

The moment she swiped her card and pushed open the door, Zhao Yanxi froze on the spot.

The living room was filled with things she had sent in advance—balloons, ribbons, banners, a half-finished cake stand, and the white princess dress she had carefully chosen.

At that moment, several hotel staff members were carrying things out one by one.

"Wait, wait, wait!"

Zhao Yanxi rushed over and stopped the staff who were about to move the cake stand.

"Who gave you permission to move them?!"

"it's me."

Before the staff could speak, a familiar voice came from inside.

Wenjing walked out of the master bedroom, dressed in an ordinary T-shirt and casual pants, her face bare.

Zhao Yanxi's eyes widened: "Xiao Jingjing? You, what are you doing here?"

"I had the hotel open the door."

Wenjing glanced at the things piled up by the door and sighed softly, "Yanxi, what are you doing? Gathering so much stuff—"

Zhao Yanxi's face turned pale and then flushed.

How did you know?

"You used my instant payment method to buy things!"

Wenjing was both amused and exasperated.

Apart from the pocket money Ding Heng gave her, the money she earned in the stock market basically covered her and Zhao Yanxi's daily expenses.

Zhao Yanxi choked.

"Then—can't you just pretend you don't know?"

"What are you pretending for?"

Wenjing squatted down and stuffed the scattered ribbons back into the bag: "You know I don't like crowds. Aren't you afraid of embarrassing me by making such a big fuss?"

Zhao Yanxi snapped, "What's embarrassing? It's your birthday, you're turning twenty, it only happens once in a lifetime!"

"Birthdays come every year."

"How can that be the same?"

"What's the difference?"

"The past is the past, the present is the present, and we don't lack the money."

The two of them talked back and forth, their voices gradually getting louder.

Wenjing sighed helplessly, "Yanxi, I know you mean well. But I really don't like that feeling—being surrounded by a group of people, with everyone staring at me and waiting for my reaction. You know me, I've been like this since I was little—"

"So you plan to live like this for the rest of your life? Not even cut a cake on your birthday? Not even grant a wish?"

Zhao Yanxi grew increasingly anxious, her tone becoming more forceful, leaving Wen Jing speechless in rebuttal.

The situation reached a stalemate for a moment.

Ding Heng leaned against the door frame and didn't say a word from beginning to end.

His gaze swept over the piled-up decorations in the living room, and he could tell that Zhao Yanxi had indeed put a lot of thought into it.

She probably really wanted Wenjing to experience being a princess.

Even if it's just for a day—just to make a show of it.

"Alright."

Ding Heng walked over and patted Zhao Yanxi on the shoulder: "If Wenjing doesn't want to, don't force her. Just take everything away."

Zhao Yanxi bit her lower lip, looking somewhat aggrieved.

Wenjing didn't say anything, and silently went to stand next to Ding Heng.

The three remained silent, the atmosphere delicate.

In the end, it was Ding Heng who broke the deadlock.

"Let's go back first and talk about it then."

After going downstairs and getting into the car, Zhao Yanxi sat in the passenger seat, and Wen Jing sat in the back seat.

Neither of them spoke.

The car drove out of the hotel and merged into the traffic.

When I got home, Lin Man was sitting cross-legged on the sofa dealing with emails.

Hearing the door open, she looked up and keenly sensed that something was wrong.

"What's wrong?"

She put down her laptop and stood up.

"fine."

Ding Heng changed his shoes and went inside.

Zhao Yanxi changed her shoes silently, without saying a word, and ran upstairs.

Wenjing followed behind her, her steps heavier than usual.

Lin Man looked at Ding Heng, her eyes questioning.

Ding Heng briefly recounted what had happened, and Lin Man sighed softly after listening.

"Yan hope meant well."

"I know."

"Being quiet isn't wrong either; that's just her personality. She doesn't like being put on the spot."

"I know that too."

"Boss, since you already know, how come—"

Lin Man didn't dare to finish her sentence.

Logically, Ding Heng should have tried to persuade him at this point.

However, from another perspective, this is a matter between Wenjing and Zhao Yanxi. Ding Heng's involvement in persuading them would only distort the situation.

After all, it wasn't a big deal, and the two girls weren't the type to make trouble unnecessarily.

In the evening, Zhao Yanxi took the initiative to knock on Wenjing's door.

The door opened a crack, and Zhao Yanxi poked her head in, her expression a mixture of guilt and stubbornness.

"Xiao Jingjing, let's go out for dinner today."

"oh----"

Zhe Jing stood up and followed her downstairs.

The two men walked up the stairs one after the other until they reached the corner, where Zhao Yanxi suddenly stopped.

"Little Jingjing".

"Um?

"sorry."

Zhao Yanxi said sincerely, "I was too presumptuous. I didn't ask if you wanted it before making all the decisions. I just wanted to make things easier for you; after all, a birthday is a happy occasion—"

"Yan hope".

Zhe Jing interrupted, "You don't need to say that. I know you're doing this for me."

Are you still angry?

"I'm not angry."

"You clearly have it."

"Hmm—then there's a little bit."

The two men looked at each other and burst out laughing at the same time.

When they came downstairs, they were already holding hands again, chatting and laughing.

Lin Man leaned against the door, glanced at the door, and then looked at Ding Heng.

"Is that enough?"

"Alright."

Ding Heng shrugged: "I told you it wasn't a big deal."

After dinner, Ji Kang stayed in the living room and chatted for a while until around ten o'clock, when Ding Heng gave him a meaningful look.

Lin Manli stood up and stretched: "I'm sleepy, I'm going upstairs to sleep first—Yan hope, want to come along?"

"Walk."

Zhao Yanxi also stood up sensibly and went upstairs with Lin Man first.

Only Ding Heng and Zhe Jing remained in the living room.

Zhe Jing leaned back on the sofa, holding a cup of cold tea, her gaze fixed on the view outside the window.

Ding Heng sat down next to Bing.

"How did you count them?"

"It's nothing."

Zhe Jing shook her head, not looking at him.

Ding Heng didn't urge him, and sat quietly.

After a moment of silence, Zhe Jing finally spoke.

"Ding Heng".

"Um.

""

Do you think I've changed recently?

"In which aspect?"

"that is----"

Wenjing blamed herself, "My temper has become terrible, and I get angry at the drop of a hat—I used to be like this, but now—it seems like I'm becoming more and more ungrateful."

The little white rabbit rarely showed such an expression, and was blaming herself for getting angry with Zhao Yanxi today.

"This is not called ignorance of wrongdoing."

Ding Heng reached out and gently rubbed the little white rabbit's head: "That's called having a temper. Having a temper appropriately is a good thing; it shows you're starting to care about yourself."

Zhe Jing raised her head and met Ding Heng's gaze.

"What?"

"real."

Ding Heng withdrew his hand, his tone firm.

He could sense that Zhe Jing had been under a lot of pressure lately. In the past, Xiao Bai Tu would never have gotten angry with Zhao Yanxi over something like this.

After all, everyone knows that he is both cowardly and reasonable, acting in the girl's best interest.

"I'm probably a little nervous because Xiao Shuzhen is taking the college entrance exam."

"I know."

"I'm worried she won't do well on the exam."

"Didn't you make significant progress in the mock exams?"

"Progress is progress, but what if—"

Before Zhe Jing could finish speaking, Ding Heng had already gripped her hand tightly.

"Your sister is smarter than you and more capable. Don't worry about her all the time and make yourself too tired."

Zhe Jing gave a soft "hmm" and didn't say anything more.

Ding Heng spoke again.

"Anything else?"

"What number?"

"Besides Zhe Shu's matter, is there anything else?"

Zhe Jing let out a breath. She should have thought of this long ago. She couldn't hide it from Ding Heng and said frankly, "Ding Heng—I've told my family the truth."

Ding Heng's expression remained largely unchanged: "Confess what?"

"Confess our secret."

The sound of the silence was almost blown away by the river breeze outside the window.

Last week, I accompanied Xiaoshu back to Zhou. Her family asked about us, asking if I planned to get married after graduation. I said I wouldn't.

Ding Heng remained silent, waiting and continuing.

"I told Mother Fu that I was just one of the women around you. There would be no wedding, no recognition."

Wenjing raised her head, and the light illuminated her eyebrows and eyes clearly.

Ding Heng asked softly, "What kind of reaction did you have at home?"

"There was little reaction."

Zhe Jing smiled bitterly: "My dad was furious at the time and slammed his fist on the table. But my mom calmed him down. She said, 'As long as I'm doing well, that's all that matters. Whether I get married or not is unimportant.'"

Ding Heng remained silent for a few seconds.

Overall, it was pretty much as he had expected.

Although such things may sound shameful, as long as the benefits are great enough, one is naturally not afraid of being ashamed.

What does it matter whether you get married or not?

As long as you live a good life, what does fame matter?

Are you sad?

Ding Heng asked.

Zhe Jing shook her head, then nodded.

"It would be a lie to say I'm not sad."

"Foolish idiot—"

Ding Heng reached out and pulled Zhe Jing into his arms.

"Ding Heng".

"Um.

""

"Do you think that my family is overly snobbish and materialistic?"

"Won't."

Ding Heng rested his chin on his head: "Just being impulsive. Who doesn't want to live a normal life?"

Zhe Jing didn't speak, but buried her face even deeper.

After making the vow, Ding Heng released Wen Jing.

"Zhe Jing".

"Um?

"Let me accompany you out for a walk during the May Day holiday to help you relax."

11

Zhe Jing blinked: "No need, right?"

Among the girls, she now spends the least time alone with Ding Hengxing, and is the least competitive and unassuming, even less so than Hua Qing, who is far away in the capital, who is more proactive in "obedience".

Ding Heng sighed and smiled, "You've been too tired lately, you need to relax. Go somewhere quiet, I'll stay with you for a few days."

"But----"

"No buts."

Ding Heng's tone left no room for negotiation: "If you feel awkward about the two of you, I'll call Yan hope along too."

Zhe Jing hesitated for a few seconds, then finally nodded gently.

"it is good."

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