I'll wait for you amidst the romance of nature.

Looking at Yang Sisi's face, which seemed intent on making things difficult for me, I took a deep breath and then wrapped my arms around her waist from behind. This time, I held her tightly and whispered in her ear, "If I didn't have the awareness of being a scoundrel, we wouldn't have finished shooting this set of photos until tonight... Don't complain to me, this is something we're doing to dedicate ourselves to art, and besides, we're being paid to do it."

After saying all that, I turned to Coach Ma, who looked dejected, and said, "I was a little reserved just now, but I've figured it out myself. I just treat her like an inflatable doll, and think about the woman I've loved. That way, my expressions and movements will definitely be on point."

"Aren't you afraid I'll beat you to death? You're the one who's inflatable!"

As Yang Sisi spoke, she placed her hand at a very discreet angle and pinched me hard. I endured the pain while recalling the happy moments I shared with Lu Jia. I was conflicted. I hated her for abandoning me so heartlessly, yet I also felt I owed her so much over the years. I hadn't been able to give her a sense of security, nor had I provided her with sufficient material support. Yet, for a period of time, she devoted the best years of her youth to me with unwavering determination.

It's really hard to weigh the gains and losses over the years, and love itself shouldn't be weighed either. Besides, I know very well that I still love her deeply, and it's even more regrettable that our relationship of the past few years has been destroyed in an instant.

Under the influence of this emotion, a lot of tenderness welled up in my heart. I felt like I had become a warm man. Then I adjusted my strength and gently hugged Yang Sisi in the most comfortable position.

At this moment, Coach Ma shouted "Good!" several times and told us to keep our current posture and expressions. Then, the sound of the shutter clicking was heard. I couldn't see what kind of picture was presented in the lens, but I was enjoying it very much. It was as if I had grasped the last bit of youthful energy and merged into the distant Cangshan Mountain and the nearby Erhai Lake, while the sunlight fell on us at a perfect angle.

At this moment, even Coach Ma became adorable!

……

Coach Ma said that the photos were a great success, which gave us a lot of confidence and inspired Yang Sisi to propose taking a set of artistic photos with Erhai Lake as the backdrop on the cliff. She said that such photos would have a grander, more cinematic feel.

Coach Ma is an art fanatic, so of course he wouldn't object to such an idea. Only the makeup artist was worried about our personal safety and advised us to give up the idea.

Yang Sisi nonchalantly pulled me along, then searched along the cliff edge for the best vantage point to capture the view of Erhai Lake seamlessly. While I was grumbling to myself, I said to her, "300 yuan isn't worth all this effort, is it? Just do what you need."

"Even if I hadn't taken this job, I would have asked a friend who does travel photography to take a set of photos of me around Erhai Lake. It's a kind of ritual, you wouldn't understand even if I told you!"

"Then go and film it yourself. Let Coach Ma give you more close-up shots. I won't interfere."

Yang Sisi stopped and looked at me with a particularly contemptuous gaze, saying, "Are you even a man?"

"That cliff is so high, it's terrifying to look at! I'm not like you, I have the responsibility of supporting my family. If I fell, how would I explain it to my parents?"

"If you really fall, you won't need to explain yourself!"

Yang Sisi dragged me forward again, with Coach Ma and the others following behind. Finally, the two stopped at an extremely secluded spot with an excellent view. Yang Sisi said to Coach Ma, "This is it. Michael and I will stand next to this tree later, and you can see if we can get a different effect."

I glanced instinctively in the direction she was pointing and felt my legs go weak. Next to the tree she mentioned, there was barely a square meter of space to stand, and below was a sheer drop. To be honest, I have a mild fear of heights, and besides, this was the job I'd taken. If something happened, even if I lost my life, it wouldn't be enough to explain to Lao Huang and her parents. So, for any reason, I couldn't let myself and her risk our lives.

But Yang Sisi didn't care about the potential dangers at all. She lifted the hem of her skirt and walked towards the tree ahead of me, stepping on the uneven rocks.

At this moment, Tie Nan gave me another push and said, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and follow her to keep an eye on her. She's wearing high heels; if she twists her ankle, it'll be terrible!"

I didn't have time to think about anything else and hurriedly followed Yang Sisi's footsteps, but every step I took was filled with trepidation...

I finally caught up with Yang Sisi, then grabbed her arm and complained, "Do you know how I feel right now?"

"So what if you're a coward? I'm not afraid, do you, a man, really need to be this scared?"

"Besides having a sense of ritual, it's also good to maintain a sense of awe in everything."

"You're such an old man, I can't see a trace of youthful passion in you... Look, there are clearly other people's footprints there, and they weren't afraid, so why should I be afraid?"

I focused my attention and saw that there were indeed human footprints next to the tree. I couldn't help but sigh, "No wonder the population has been declining for the past few years; there are just so many people who are afraid of dying!"

As we spoke, Yang Sisi and I finally stood beside the tree. Coach Ma wasn't idle either; he climbed a tree about twenty meters away from us, found the perfect angle, and, holding his camera, exclaimed to Yang Sisi and me, "This spot is absolutely perfect! Sisi's dress blends seamlessly with the water, making the entire Erhai Lake her skirt… You two quickly strike a pose and try to get it right in one take."

"What pose are you going to strike this time?"

"Michael, support Sisi and let her half-lie in your arms, then kiss her in a mock kiss."

What is borrowing?

Coach Ma paused for a moment, then explained, "It's a scene you often see in TV dramas. You turn to the side and block her view. When I'm filming, you just need to make it look like you're kissing, not actually kissing her."

I recalled seeing a similar scene in a movie or TV show, so I tried to imitate it. I bent down and lifted Yang Sisi up, then made a kissing motion, keeping our lips about ten centimeters apart. But even in that suggestive distance, her breath became clearer and clearer to me…

Just then, Coach Ma's voice came from the other side. He called out, "Sisi, step back a little bit. There was a gust of wind just now, and the hem of your skirt didn't quite reach the seawater."

I glanced back and instinctively swallowed. At that moment, Yang Sisi and I were no more than fifty centimeters from the edge of the cliff. For safety reasons, I shouted to the horse instructor, "We can't retreat any further! If we do, we'll both be dead!"

Yang Sisi looked back, then grabbed my arm and used it to stand up. She then said to Coach Ma, "Ignore him. We're about 50 centimeters behind. Will it be enough for me to back up another 30 centimeters?"

"That's about it... Give it a try, but be careful. If it really doesn't work, I can fix it with post-processing."

Yang Sisi nodded, then grabbed my arm again. At that moment, I finally sensed her tension, but I didn't know why she was so determined to risk her life to take the perfect photo. Perhaps it was her pursuit of freedom and perfection, while my mindset was truly outdated compared to hers; I simply couldn't accept such a challenging act.

I knew this wasn't the place to argue, so I could only cautiously cooperate with Yang Sisi, inching backward. But the next second, my worst fears came true... As Yang Sisi took her last step back, it seemed she stepped on a pebble. She suddenly tripped and fell backward sideways...

Terrified, I didn't have time to think or weigh the situation. I instinctively reached out my left hand to protect her. But that gesture caused me to lose my balance... In that terrifying moment, my right hand gripped the nearest tree branch tightly, transferring all my weight to it. With a series of screeching sounds, Yang Sisi and I barely managed to regain our footing...