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

The next morning.

A private peninsula in Southeast Asia.

The girls had been partying too much last night and hadn't fully recovered, so breakfast was delayed until almost 10 a.m. before they started arriving at the restaurant.

Zhao Yanxi, with her hair disheveled, lazily slumped onto the table.

Wenjing sat down next to her, frowning as she looked at her phone, muttering, "What was Xiaoshu doing last night?"

Zhao Yanxi looked up listlessly and leaned closer curiously: "What's wrong?"

"She used my WeChat Pay to buy a lot of clothes in the middle of the night."

Wenjing asked in bewilderment, "One stroke after another, not only clothes and shoes, but also some other random things."

"Isn't it normal for girls to buy clothes?"

Zhao Yanxi generously stated, "If you like it, just buy it. If you don't want to wear it, you can always choose not to."

Wenjing couldn't understand: "Why buy it if you're not going to wear it?"

"It's nice to just display it." "That's such a waste..."

The two have been best friends for over a decade, but they still don't share the same views on spending.

Wenjing stopped arguing with Zhao Yanxi and lowered her head to send a message to her younger sister.

[Good Luck Xiao Jing]: Why did you suddenly buy so many things last night?

【Good Luck Xiaojing】: Have you tried on all the clothes in the correct size? Don't be too lazy to return them later.

The message has been sent, but there has been no response yet.

Ding Heng walked in at that moment, looking completely at ease.

Long He followed behind him, yawning, "Where did you go yesterday?"

"I'm going out to take care of some errands."

Ding Heng gave a casual reply and pulled out a chair to sit next to Wen Jing.

"What task takes a whole day to complete?"

"Private business." "Tch."

Long He rolled his eyes and didn't press the matter further.

Lin Man appeared, smiling happily.

"Now that things have come to this, Longhe, are you still worried the boss will run away?"

As Ding Heng's trusted secretary, Lin Man was the only one who knew his whereabouts.

What is trust?

This is trust!

Wenjing was still upset about her younger sister's reckless spending.

She showed her phone to Ding Heng: "I don't know what happened to Xiao Shu last night, she suddenly bought so many clothes."

Ding Heng glanced at the bill; all the charges came from the "Intimate Payment" account that Wenjing had set up for her sister.

I just gave the supplementary card to Wenshu yesterday, so Wenshu won't need to spend her sister's money to buy as many clothes as she wants.

But after parting ways with Ding Heng, she deliberately opened Wen Jing's WeChat Pay and bought a bunch of things. Ding Heng could more or less guess what Wen Shu was thinking.

The younger sister-in-law keeps apologizing to her older sister, but when it comes to actually doing things, she always likes to drag her older sister into it.

It seems that only by blending herself with Wenjing's traces can she continue to move forward with a clear conscience.

"Fine, I'll buy it."

Ding Heng reassured her, "It's normal for young women to buy a few more clothes, don't be so strict."

"I ignored her."

Wenjing explained, "I was just worried that she wouldn't try on the size, and it would just end up sitting at the bottom of her closet after we bought it. It's okay that the money was spent, as long as she can wear it."

"When she wakes up, why don't you give her a call and ask?"

"Oh……"

Wenjing put down her phone for a moment and started serving Ding Heng porridge.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Yanxi immediately opened her mouth to signal.

"Ah... Xiaojingjing, I'm hungry..." Wenjing had no choice but to serve her another bowl.

"Xiao Jingjing is the best!"

The girls stopped caring about Ding Heng's departure yesterday and started discussing their future plans.

As originally planned, the group would stay in Southeast Asia for about ten more days, diving and fishing during the day, and having dinner and fun in a different place at night.

By mid-October, everyone had resumed their busy schedules.

Longhe's national and overseas tour has officially kicked off. The team's schedule is extremely full, concert tickets are selling out one after another, and related topics frequently trend on social media.

Although Baima's social media account doesn't make money, at least her followers have increased rapidly. Occasionally, she goes back to the snowy area to do live-streaming sales for her fellow villagers, which can be considered as indirectly realizing her life's value.

Hua Qing's life always revolves around the stage.

After the National Centre for the Performing Arts project ended, she participated in a new traditional dance drama and began preparing for her own dance studio and personal brand.

She didn't like making a big fuss, so Ding Heng rarely appeared in the audience.

After each performance, Hua Qing always receives many gifts from fans. Among the hundreds of flowers, there is always a single, ordinary, and inconspicuous bouquet.

The flowers change with the seasons, but the packaging remains simple, with the card usually only bearing the word "thank you for your hard work." The other actors in the same group would initially ask questions out of curiosity.

"Sister Hua Qing, who sent it this time?"

"Boy friend."

Hua Qing didn't shy away from it, which can be seen as her showing the outside world that she is not single.

As time went on, everyone assumed that she had a boyfriend who was always there but never showed up.

Lin Man is also getting busier and busier.

As Hengbai Capital continued to expand, she traveled back and forth between major cities at home and abroad, often acting more like a real boss than Ding Heng.

That day, after the share transfer procedures were completed, Lin Man picked up the documents and walked into Ding Heng's office.

"Boss, are you really going to give it to me?"

"Otherwise what?"

For Ding Heng now, the concept of worldly wealth is meaningless; it's good enough to use it to appease the foolish fox.

"Boss~" Lin Man called out sweetly.

Even though it's a done deal, it still feels like a dream.

In the past, we relied on the Lin family for many things, but those things were always tightly bound to the Lin family.

Hengbai Capital is different.

This is a position that she truly belongs to, one that she has earned step by step by following Ding Heng.

"The boss gave them so much, how can I possibly thank you?"

"Get to work properly."

"Work is work, and gratitude is gratitude."

Lin Man walked around the desk and came to Ding Heng's side.

She leaned closer, her hair falling over the man's shoulder: "Boss, are you free tonight?"

Ding Heng closed the document: "How are you going to thank me?"

"That depends on how the boss wants to collect it." The office door was gently locked from the inside.

Wenjing and Zhao Yanxi are gradually approaching graduation.

Zhao Yanxi still hasn't formed a clear career goal. Occasionally, she might feel like learning something, but it's always just a fleeting interest.

Ding Heng didn't care about this, but Wen Jing was very anxious.

Perhaps fearing that her best friend would become a useless person with no one to rely on, Wenjing began to try to learn how to manage her own accounts and assets.

Although millions of dollars come and go in my account every day, a stingy streak is still ingrained in my bones, and I still compare prices repeatedly for ordinary expenses.

Life goes on for everyone.

The tour concluded its final show in Changsha the following June.

On the night of the concert.

A large number of fans gathered outside Xingcheng Stadium starting in the afternoon.

Long He sat in front of the makeup mirror, already changed into his first performance outfit.

The stylist adjusted her hair, while the assistant checked the procedures. Everyone tacitly understood that the star of the show was a little nervous. The national tour had been a success, and the overseas shows had also received positive feedback.

Logically speaking, the final performance only needs to be completed normally.

But this is Xingcheng, the place where she grew up, and Long He cares about it even more than in the first game.

"Has Ding Heng arrived yet?"

Longhe asked for the third time.

The assistant quickly replied, "Mr. Ding entered the private room half an hour ago."

"oh."

Longhe looked down at his phone, pretending he didn't care at all.

Less than two minutes later, she asked again, "Where are the others?"

"Don't worry, we've arrived."

This time, it was Yang Sijie who gave the answer.

She walked into the dressing room and saw through her daughter's thoughts: "Don't worry about it. Since Xiao Ding is here, she won't leave halfway." "I'm not worried about that."

Long He stubbornly insisted, "He's an investor after all. Today is the last show, so we have to give him an explanation."

Yang Sijie didn't expose him: "There are still forty minutes left, adjust your state yourself."

"Okay..."

Long He looked at himself in the mirror and let out a long breath.

The concert officially began at 7:30 p.m.

The private room was also very lively.

Several girls held up light sticks, especially Zhao Yanxi, who was even more excited than the fans at the scene.

As the opening music began, the stage rose in the center, and Long He, dressed in his performance costume, smiled and greeted the cheers of tens of thousands of audience members.

One song after another.

The costumes changed several times, the lighting and choreography kept changing, and the atmosphere remained exciting until the very end.

The lights dimmed, leaving only a warm yellow spotlight in the center of the stage. Long He, dressed in a snow-white long dress, sat alone on a high stool.

"The last song."

She held the microphone, her voice slightly hoarse from singing for so long.

"Before I start singing, I want to thank someone I've known for over twenty years."

Cheers erupted instantly.

Long He looked past the audience seats and towards the VIP boxes in the distance.

She jokingly recalled, "He always said I sang terribly when we were kids, and he hardly ever praised me after we grew up. Luckily, I'm a stubborn person and didn't listen to him much, otherwise I wouldn't be standing here now!"

Laughter and screams rose and fell from the audience.

Yan hope put down her light stick and muttered under her breath, "It's the last show, and she's still secretly adding scenes for herself, as if she's afraid everyone won't know she has a boyfriend, right?"

"Yan hope!"

Wenjing gently nudged Zhao Yanxi with her elbow, signaling her not to ruin the atmosphere.

Long He turned to face the audience again and raised his voice. "This song is dedicated to him, and also to everyone who has accompanied me all the way here."

The music started playing; it was an old song from the Longhe Girls' Group era.

It didn't receive much attention back then, and the arrangement and production weren't particularly outstanding.

Ding Heng once told her in the car that he thought all of her songs sounded good.

The song has now been rearranged, shedding the traces of its early idol-driven style, leaving only clean vocals and piano.

Long He closed his eyes and finished his final performance.

The lights in the entire stadium gradually came on, and tens of thousands of spectators gathered like a sea of ​​stars.

As the last note faded, colorful ribbons sprayed into the sky above the stage.

Long He stood up and bowed deeply to everyone.

The tour has now officially come to an end.

Yang Sijie stood in the backstage corridor and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

As a business owner, the project she cared about most was successfully completed. As a mother, her daughter has already passed through the most difficult stage.

Inside the private room, Ding Heng put down his wine glass.

"Let's go."

"Where to?"

Baima turned around, still immersed in the concert.

"Go backstage to pick them up."

Ding Heng stood up, and the other girls followed one after another. The group entered the rest area under the guidance of the staff.

Longhe had just removed her in-ear monitors, her forehead damp with sweat, and she could not hide her fatigue after singing for several hours straight.

However, upon seeing everyone appear, she instinctively sat up straight.

"How did you all get here?"

"Come and see if someone is crying."

Zhao Yanxi leaned in and teased, "The last song you sang was alright, but the thank-you speech felt a bit forced. So what if you've known each other for over twenty years? You keep bringing it up to show off." Long He snorted twice and retorted, "If you're so capable, why don't you start knowing each other from the womb?"

"Just because I met you late doesn't mean I spent less time with you."

Zhao Yanxi, unwilling to back down verbally, eventually hugged Long He with a smile.

"Congratulations, Mr. Long!"

Long He paused slightly, then reached out and patted Zhao Yanxi's hand.

A few months ago, when Longhe first appeared at his residence in the capital, the air in the large apartment seemed crowded.

Now, even when they're crammed into the dressing room, Zhao Yanxi still acts sarcastic and unpredictable, and Long He still doesn't back down an inch, but they no longer truly treat each other as outsiders.

It's hard to explain the changes in detail.

It's nothing more than spending a lot of time together, sleeping together, arguing, and just getting by...

Staff came over to remind them that Longhe needed to go on stage again in ten minutes to take a bow with the team, after which there would be a celebration banquet.

Lin Man checked the time and said, "Alright, let's go first."

The celebration banquet was reserved for the team and partners; a group of women going there would only draw attention. Ding Heng, representing the investors, staying behind was enough. The girls said goodbye to Longhe one by one, until only Ding Heng remained, and the once lively dressing room immediately fell silent.

Seeing that the man hadn't reacted for a while, Long He finally couldn't help but speak up.

"The investors watched the entire performance and didn't have any feedback?"

"Quite a success."

"this one?"

"Tickets sold out, the team ran smoothly, and subsequent business negotiations went well."

Ding Heng said in a serious tone: "From an investment perspective, the project can be considered a complete success."

Longhe stared intently, intently.

She was clearly dissatisfied with Ding Heng's perfunctory answer: "I asked you how the concert went."

"good."

"Ding Heng!"

Long He's throat was already tired, and raising his voice immediately made it uncomfortable. Ding Heng considerately handed him some warm water: "Don't get excited, protect your voice."

"snort."

Long He pouted and took a sip of warm water to calm himself: "At least you have some conscience as an investor."

"Of course, I'm counting on your voice to make money for me."

Ding Heng smiled and said, "Since the project has been successfully completed, how about you give out some rewards?"

Long He immediately became alert: "What reward?"

"We'll talk about it when we get back."

"Can't we say this here?"

"There are many people."

"roll……"

Longhe's cheeks began to feel hot.

She knew Ding Heng wouldn't say much seriousness. And yet, the man's hand moved down her shoulder, gently caressing her waist, clearly already thinking about the so-called reward.

Just then, the door to the dressing room opened, and Sister Zeng's gaze swept over the two of them without any change in expression.

"Long Hehe, get ready to go on stage last."

After giving her instructions, Sister Zeng immediately turned and left, not daring to linger for even a second.

Long He quickly pushed Ding Heng's hand away: "You didn't let go even when someone came in?"

"Sister Zeng knows that perfectly well."

"Knowing is one thing, but you should at least be more discreet about it."

"When we were little, you rode on my back in front of my mother, and you never seemed to mind."

"How can that be the same?"

Long He looked embarrassed and urged, "Hurry up and go out, I need to change my clothes."

Ding Heng didn't provoke her again and slowly left the dressing room.

...The victory celebration banquet was arranged by Ding Heng at the Chujiang Hotel restaurant.

Longhe took off his performance costume, changed back into a comfortable and loose shirt and trousers, and was already quite drunk within half an hour of sitting down.

Just as she was about to toast everyone again, Ding Heng replaced the wine in front of her with warm water.

"You don't want your voice anymore?"

"It's the last game, a little bit won't hurt."

"You were just complaining about being tired!?"

Ding Heng was adamant and forbade Long He from continuing to drink.

Seeing this, everyone started making a fuss again, and the bolder ones even dared to tease Longhe.

The relationship between the two has long been an open secret within the team, and even fans now know that Longhe has a rumored boyfriend.

However, her boyfriend's identity remains a mystery, and not a single photo of him has been released.

Midway through the banquet, the host handed the microphone to Ding Heng, hoping the investor would say a few words.

Ding Heng initially didn't want to accept, but the commotion around him forced him to finally say something simple: "Forget the formalities, everyone has really worked hard lately. I've already discussed the project bonuses and subsequent leave with General Manager Yang, and they'll all be doubled! Have a good meal and drinks tonight!"

The banquet hall immediately erupted in screams and applause.

No amount of empty words can compare to the value of money!

The celebration banquet lasted until late at night.

Yang Sijie stayed behind to handle the aftermath, while Long He put on his hat and mask and followed Ding Heng out of the hotel through a side door.

……

A black sedan drove into the night in Changsha.

Long He sat in the passenger seat, pulled his hat brim down, and leaned back wearily in his seat.

"Please take me back to get my luggage first."

"Have your assistant pick it up tomorrow."

"Where will I stay tonight?"

Ding Heng glanced at her but didn't answer. Long He quickly realized she had asked a pointless question, so she simply closed her eyes to rest.

After driving along the main road for a while, Long He stood up and looked out the window: "Did you take the wrong turn?"

"No, I'm just here to help you digest your food."

Ding Heng didn't explain further and accelerated forward.

Compared to when they were children, Xingcheng has changed a lot in the past ten years.

The road has been widened again, and the old shops on both sides have been replaced by bright and tidy chain stores. Many things from my childhood memories have disappeared.

The car passed an old residential compound, the site of their former kindergarten.

The courtyard wall has been repainted, and the old tree at the entrance is still there, its trunk much thicker than it was more than ten years ago.

Long He exclaimed in surprise, "This place hasn't been demolished yet!"

"Soon."

How did you know?

"I looked at the government's plans a while ago." Ding Heng let slip a few weeks ago that he planned to set up some investment projects in his hometown, and many messages immediately came to him.

Long He looked over again and suddenly remembered that when they were children, he and Ding Heng always liked to climb over the lower part of the courtyard wall.

Once, she landed and lost her balance, scraping a large patch of skin off her knee on the concrete.

Ding Heng carried her home, and on the way, she repeatedly threatened him not to tell Yang Sijie that she had secretly climbed over the wall.

"That time I fell down while climbing over the wall, did you secretly tell my mom?"

"no."

"How did she know?"

"Long He, do you think you're good at lying?"

Long He remained silent.

Indeed, she couldn't lie, at least she could never fool Ding Heng.

The car continued forward and soon passed the neighborhood where the two of them had once been elementary school.

The school has been renovated; the exterior walls and teaching buildings have all been changed. The small shop that used to sell spicy skewers at the entrance is long gone, replaced by a 24-hour pharmacy. "I quite liked those spicy skewers."

Longhe was a bit of a disappointment.

"It's long gone."

"Do you remember how we used to save our breakfast money to eat this?"

"Remember."

"I always pick the leftovers, and you end up eating them."

"You're only finding out now?"

"It's your own fault for not being picky."

Longhe retorted confidently, "Besides, you seemed to enjoy it quite a bit."

Ding Heng really didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

From childhood to adulthood, Long He had always been willful in front of him, but Ding Heng was willing to indulge her.

This has been the case for over ten years. The car drove past the school and then circled around to the river bridge.

The city lights are reflected on the river, and the tall buildings in the distance are completely different from what they were doing when they were children.

Long He gradually understood that Ding Heng planned to drive back to the places where the two of them had lived in the past.

She couldn't help but want to remark on how fast time flies, but then she felt it was too cliché.

We've known each other for so long that many memories have become part of our daily lives, and there's no need to bring them up specifically.

Long He closed his eyes again.

As the excitement from the victory celebration gradually faded, she began to feel truly tired.

Today's concert marks the end of a tour that has lasted for several months.

Similarly, she should deliver a satisfactory answer to her stubbornness over the past two decades.

After driving for another ten minutes or so, Longhe suddenly remembered something.

"Ding Heng".

"Hmm?" "The reward you mentioned backstage..."

"You finally remembered?"

Longhe tried to negotiate, saying, "I'm really tired today, how about we give you the reward another day?"

"No, you can't."

Ding Heng's attitude was firm.

Just as Long He was about to curse, he realized that the car had already left the main road and slowly turned into a quiet side road by the river.

The road is lined with trees on both sides, with only a few dim streetlights in the distance.

The car eventually came to a stop in a dense grove of trees.

Longhe sat up straight, alert.

Why did you park your car?

"Give out the rewards."

"Here?" "Hey! You, someone who's been sexually harassed, think you can pick and choose where?"

A slight clicking sound came from the car door as it locked.

The car windows and sunshades rose slowly at the same time, completely blocking out the outside lights.

Ding Heng unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over to the side.

"Don't be nervous, brother."

"Who's nervous?"

"Then cooperate obediently."

"roll……"

Long He raised her hand to press against Ding Heng's chest, but then slowly tightened her grip on his collar.

More than twenty years have passed, and she has never been able to resist Ding Heng.

A breeze swept through the treetops, and the city lights remained bright.