Chapter 96 : Meeting

The evening gala ended smoothly, and Liang Qingqing’s performance was widely praised. On the way back, Tian Fengchun couldn’t stop smiling.

“My friend even asked about you specifically. Next time we should have a meal together.”

“Sure.”

Of course, Liang Qingqing would not refuse such a good opportunity. At the same time, the heavy burden she had been carrying was finally lifted. She realized that, after this test, she had firmly established her position at the provincial broadcasting bureau.

As expected, starting the next day, she was assigned formal duties: handling the broadcast for the Hongfeng Community in the city. Her work hours were from eight in the morning to six in the evening, with Sundays off.

Although the work hours were early and late, in reality, the time spent working was less than three hours a day. In the morning, she read the morning news; at noon, she read quotes from top leaders in the evening, she read excellent articles. If there were any issues in the community, she would be informed in advance to notify everyone through the broadcast in a timely manner.

The rest of the time was flexible, which made Liang Qingqing quite satisfied with the job.

The small broadcasting room could be considered her own independent office comfortable and free from supervision. After completing her work, she would read books to pass the time, including a variety of miscellaneous books, but she spent more time reading textbooks and articles.

She hadn’t forgotten that college entrance exams would be reinstated in two years. If possible, she also wanted to attend university. After all, being a college student was advantageous: not only did it earn respect, but it also broadened one’s experience and provided various benefits and subsidies.

More importantly, getting into university meant she could move to a larger city, and perhaps even return to her previous life in Beijing.

This was the thing she most wanted to achieve since arriving in this world.

Initially, she thought she could rely on Fan Yanxing to achieve this goal, but lately, that idea had become increasingly distant and less important. Although it was tempting to take the easy path and lie back, achieving progress through her own efforts and making a class leap was another form of comfort.

She liked her current family and ….

She wanted everyone to have a better life, without worrying about food and drink.

She wanted to experience the higher views that Tian Fengchun spoke of.

She wanted to create a beautiful future with Fan Yanxing, not to use him with ulterior motives.

She liked Fan Yanxing.

Although she was reluctant to admit it, feelings are not something one can control. It was she who approached him with ulterior motives and fell deeper and deeper, not even realizing when her feelings for him began. By the time she vaguely became aware of this, she was already deeply entangled.

She sighed lightly, closed her book, and her lips curved up slightly as she looked forward to Sunday even more.

Perhaps because she had something to look forward to, time seemed to pass very slowly. When Sunday finally arrived, Liang Qingqing got up right on time, styled her hair into two fluffy braided pigtails in front of the mirror on her desk. Though they looked a bit old-fashioned, they suited the aesthetic of the era.

After finishing everything, Liang Qingqing occasionally sat on the chair, occasionally stepped out to the corridor to look downstairs. Even her roommates noticed her anxiousness and couldn’t help but tease her.

Liang Qingqing’s ears turned red, and she finally stopped pacing back and forth. She settled down in the chair, waiting until she heard the dormitory manager’s call from downstairs:”Liang Qingqing from Room 312, someone is looking for you downstairs.”

At the sound, Liang Qingqing grabbed her small shoulder bag and hurried out. She first stood on the corridor, glanced downstairs, and just happened to meet those familiar, deep-set eyes. When he saw her, a smile spread across his face.

Liang Qingqing’s heart skipped a beat. She tried to act calm and withdrew her gaze, but in reality, she quickened her pace down the stairs. The sound of her small shoes on the steps betrayed her true emotions.

As soon as she reached the first floor, she saw several girls from her floor peering out the door to look at Fan Yanxing, their eyes glued to him. Fortunately, Fan Yanxing seemed oblivious, smiling at her like a fool.

Seeing this, Liang Qingqing’s frown slowly eased. She walked a few steps forward to stand in front of him, blocking the girls’ lingering gazes, and said with a smile, “Let’s go.”

“Okay.” Fan Yanxing nodded, happily following her out.

Although they did not have any particularly intimate gestures, the atmosphere around them clearly indicated they were a couple. Those with tact lost interest and turned to their own affairs.

Sunday was a national holiday, so the streets were crowded with people, and bicycles came and went endlessly. The bustling atmosphere was far beyond what could be compared to Fuzhen Country.

Fan Yanxing had already inquired about the best photography studio in the city, so they went directly by bus. By the time they got on, there were no seats left. Liang Qingqing found a corner to stand in, and he stood in front of her, shielding her from the crowd.

Their eyes met amid the noisy surroundings, and neither of them moved, as if trying to make up for the time apart. He looked down, his eyes filled with sparkling light, his lips curling into a clear smile.

“Qingqing, do you remember what I said I would tell you when we met again?”

Her eyelashes fluttered, and she recalled something, tentatively asking, “Are you going to tell me how you knew our dormitory’s phone number?”

“Memory is so good?” Fan Yanxing widened his eyes in exaggerated surprise.

Liang Qingqing rolled her eyes internally but couldn’t help showing a bit of helplessness and a smile in her eyes. “Just tell me!”

As soon as she finished speaking, the bus arrived at a stop, and a new batch of people boarded. Fan Yanxing immediately extended his arms to shield her, keeping her safely encircled and maintaining a respectful distance from others, ensuring she was protected without any awkwardness.

“I have a middle school classmate studying at the Workers-Peasants-Soldiers University here. I asked him to find out about it,” Fan Yanxing explained, while also paying attention to the people around them, adjusting his actions to keep her from being jostled.

“A boy or a girl?”

“Of course, it’s a boy!” Fan Yanxing answered with certainty, as if afraid she might misunderstand.

Liang Qingqing deliberately snorted, “Then why didn’t you say so before? You left it until now to tell me.”

Seeing that she didn’t believe him, Fan Yanxing’s breathing became a bit hurried. He quickly explained, “I just wanted you to think about me all the time and used it as an excuse. Qingqing, believe me, it’s really a boy. No, we should go meet him now.”

“So you were making up an excuse just to make me think about you all the time,” Liang Qingqing repeated, her eyebrows raised, showing no trace of anger or annoyance.

Seeing this, Fan Yanxing realized immediately that she had set a trap for him, just waiting for him to fall into it!

While he let out a breath of relief, his lips curved into a half-smile, and he lowered his voice to say, “Well, as long as the goal is achieved. Someone even said last time that she missed me too.”

The sweet talk, spoken in that particular atmosphere, didn’t seem awkward to her at the time. However, now, in public, hearing Fan Yanxing say it so openly made her feel a bit creeped out, almost wanting to cover his mouth.

When it came to being shameless, she was no match for Fan Yanxing! She could only relent and look for an opportunity to “retaliate” later.

“Alright, alright, just shut up,” Liang Qingqing glanced around, seeing that no one was paying attention to them. She gave Fan Yanxing a stern look, signaling him to stop.

Seeing her almost on the verge of hopping mad, Fan Yanxing smiled and didn’t say anything more.

The bus swayed and finally reached their destination. They got off and, after asking a passerby for directions, walked a bit further before spotting the photography studio. It was a two-story building with glass windows so clean they sparkled, and from a distance, you could see that the inside was covered with all sorts of black-and-white photographs.

When they entered the studio, there were already three or four people waiting. The young photographer told them to find a place to sit and went to help the senior photographer.

This photography studio was an old establishment in the provincial capital, said to have been around since the Republic era. The skills of the photographers were good over the years, and as long as you got your photo taken here, it was almost certain you’d leave a five-star review.

Listening to Fan Yanxing’s introduction, Liang Qingqing remembered the photos displayed at the entrance and agreed that they were indeed well done.

Her gaze fell on the busy shooting area not far away, and she felt a bit of anticipation. After all, no girl could resist a good-looking ID photo.

“We should take several pictures. We can come back every once in a while to take more and make them into an album. When we’re old, we can look back at them.”

Fan Yanxing’s suggestion was exactly what Liang Qingqing had in mind. She nodded and added, “I want to take a separate photo as well.”

“Of course. By the way, after we finish taking the photos, let’s go eat first and then buy something.”

“What do you want to buy?” Liang Qingqing asked. As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed Fan Yanxing gave her a peculiar look, his gaze so intense it seemed as if she had asked an incredibly terrible question.

Liang Qingqing was filled with questions, so she asked again, “What exactly are we buying?”

“Of course, it’s for our wedding!” Fan Yanxing crossed his arms, seeming genuinely frustrated. His chest heaved with each breath, and he turned his head away so she could only see one of his ears.

Seeing this, Liang Qingqing dared not admit that she had actually forgotten. After thinking for a moment, she recalled that Fan Yanxing had indeed mentioned it during their first phone call, but she had thought they would wait until she returned from the provincial capital to buy things, so she hadn’t given it much thought.

Who knew it was for today!

Feeling guilty, Liang Qingqing reached out and subtly tugged at the hem of his shirt, softly explaining, “Of course I remember. I just didn’t expect to buy them today.”

This wasn’t a lie, since the house wasn’t even built yet and the wedding date hadn’t been set, so there was no need to prepare wedding items this early. Was Fan Yanxing being too hasty?

Of course, she didn’t dare say that out loud. Knowing Fan Yanxing’s nature, even if he wouldn’t hold it against her, he would surely stew over it and find a chance to get back at her later.

This guy held grudges and always knew how to make her remember her lessons.

Upon hearing Liang Qingqing’s words, Fan Yanxing’s expression softened a little. He turned his head back to face her and calmly outlined his plan: “We need to get the furniture made by a carpenter in advance, and the major items need to be prepared first ; wedding clothes, pots, pans, and 36 pairs of chopsticks…”

“Can’t we buy these things in the country town?” Buying them in the provincial capital and then transporting them back would be a hassle.

“But I want to give you the best.”

There is only one wedding, and he doesn’t want to do it half-heartedly.