Why did the system take my request to take photos with a cosplayer seriously?

[Progress of severing emotional ties: 0%]

Four percent.

Ding Heng secretly let out a breath.

It finally moved.

Sure enough, we were on the right track!

What amazed me ten years ago?

Back then, he was playing house with Long He every day, imitating the Young and Dangerous movies. He didn't have time to watch a bunch of kids dance.

But no way.

Hua Qing's shell is too hard.

It can't be knocked open or smashed.

To find a breakthrough, you have to make up some lies.

"I can't forget you because of your dance"—this plot is a bit far-fetched, but it's still much better than "a rogue lusting after a beautiful woman".

And so far, the results seem to be quite good!

For a woman like Hua Qing, who appears tough on the outside but is soft on the inside, once you find even the slightest opening, things will be much easier...

The car continued its journey through the night and finally arrived at Hubei University.

Ding Heng parked the car on the side of the road and turned off the engine.

"I go first."

Hua Qing gave a soft "hmm," reached for her seatbelt, and prepared to sit back in the driver's seat.

With a "click," the seatbelt buckle popped open, and a large hand reached out and gently pressed down on Hua Qing's wrist.

Hua Qing turned her head, and Ding Heng's face was inches away from hers.

"Senior, is it inappropriate for couples to kiss?"

Ding Heng slowly approached, his breath brushing against Hua Qing's face.

It was warm, with a hint of minty coolness; it was the gum he had just chewed.

Hua Qing closed her eyes.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

At the last moment, she still raised her hands and placed them against Ding Heng's chest.

"Can we wait a little longer?"

Ding Heng stopped just centimeters away from Hua Qing, his eyes filled with amusement.

"Since you're still not willing, we won't force you."

After saying that, he turned around, pushed open the door, and got out of the car without the slightest regret or lingering attachment.

Goodnight, senior.

Ding Heng closed the car door, made a few footsteps, and disappeared into the night.

Hua Qing sat motionless in the passenger seat.

Much later, she noticed a tube of ointment lying quietly on the driver's seat.

It had no packaging, no label, and was exactly the same as the one Ding Heng gave her last time.

Hua Qing picked up the ointment, her heart filled with turbulent emotions.

Shock, disorientation, wariness, regret... and a touch of bitterness she had never experienced before.

In short, it's a long story.

On his way back to his dormitory, Ding Heng kept his eyes fixed on the system interface in his mind.

【Azure Cold Sword Immortal: Hua Qing】

[Current Status: A Fairy Who Has Lost All Her Cultivation Power]

[Progress of romantic entanglement: 10%]

[Progress of severing emotional ties: 0%]

[Ding! The progress of the romantic connection has exceeded 10%, and the stage goal has been achieved!]

[Rewards: 1000 Divine Merit Points, +6 to Constitution, and the skill "Sword Heart Clarity" is officially activated!]

As the tasks become more difficult, the corresponding rewards also increase.

As for the use of the skill "Sword Heart Clarity", just like the "Dragon's Might" that was unlocked last time, Ding Heng dared not test it casually for the time being, for fear of causing any trouble.

Pushing open the dormitory door, three heads turned around at the same time.

"They're back! They're back!"

Liu Chiwang was the first to jump up: "Old Ding, confess and you'll be treated leniently!"

Qian Pu chimed in, "Who's that Hanfu-clad beauty? Tell us quickly!"

Ding Heng tossed the keys on the table and calmly walked past them toward his bed.

"A senior from the school next door came to see me about something."

"Senior?" Liu Chiwang looked incredulous. "Just a senior?"

"if not?"

Do you think I don't know who she is?

Liu Chiwang chuckled and answered his own question: "Hua Qing, right? From the School of Music and Dance at Hunan Normal University, known as the number one classical beauty at the foot of Yuelu Mountain."

Ding Heng raised an eyebrow: "How do you know everything?"

"Of course!"

Liu Chiwang puffed out his chest smugly: "My intelligence network covers the entire Yuelu Mountain University Town. As soon as she appeared at the entrance of our teaching building today, several people recognized her, and the photo has already spread throughout the group."

He took out his phone, swiped it a few times, and shoved it in front of Ding Heng.

Sure enough, it was a photo of Hua Qing waiting for him at the door, and it was quite clear.

Qian Pu leaned closer, his face full of envy: "Old Ding, you're eating so well?"

"What are you eating?" Ding Heng slapped his hand away. "Don't overthink it. Our relationship isn't at that level yet."

Liu Chiwang and Qian Pu exchanged a glance, revealing an "I understand, I understand" expression.

"temporary."

Liu Chiwang emphasized his words.

"It hasn't come to that."

Qian Pu repeated.

The two of them chuckled together.

Ding Heng ignored them and picked up a towel to wash up.

"Oh, right."

Liu Chiwang suddenly remembered something: "Bai Zhiya from our class is planning to make some moves when school starts."

Qian Pu asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Liu Chiwang clicked his tongue and said, "She signed up to speak as a freshman representative, and I heard she's also applying for a position in the student council. It's only been a few days since the start of the semester, and she's already putting on quite a show."

Chen Mo rarely spoke up: "It seems you're determined to become a campus celebrity."

Qian Pu shook his head and said, "You don't understand, do you? We journalism students, this is called getting into the zone early, accumulating experience, building a persona, and graduating straight to the top."

"I've got you all figured out."

Liu Chiwang smiled and teased.

The group chatted idly before heading off to wash up.

Ding Heng was the first to finish washing up, climbed into bed, and leaned against the headboard.

The bed curtains were drawn, creating a small private space.

He took out his tablet and opened the photos he had taken that day.

From the moment Hua Qing stood there in a daze in front of her dance dress, to every moment when she started dancing.

He flipped through the photos one by one, selected dozens to import into his photo editing software, and began retouching them.

The stylus glides lightly across the screen.

Correct skin tone, adjust lighting and shadows, and crop the composition.

Ding Heng meticulously edited the dance scene, in particular.

The crimson and gold-red brocade skirt stood out even more against the dark background.

Finally, try to bring out Hua Qing's contradictory yet charming temperament little by little by capturing those unintentional glances in her eyes—dreamy, intoxicated, stubborn, vulnerable...

Ding Heng worked until 2 a.m. and created a new folder called "Hua Qing".

Then I opened Hua Qing's chat window and sent all the photos in a package.

The file transfer will take about five minutes.

【Flower Sea Sunny Day】: Your photography skills are quite good.

Ding Heng couldn't help but laugh again.

Even when she was trying to praise someone, Hua Qing's writing still had a cold, detached quality.

The scariest thing is that she may be completely unaware of it and even think that she has high "emotional intelligence".

[Ding Heng]: Thank you for the compliment, senior. I like these two the most.