This was Xia Liang’s first time taking the two women out for fun, so both were extremely excited. Even the usually reticent Xi Yiqian chattered nonstop with Luu Qi in the backseat.
Two hours later, the three of them arrived at their destination: Qingyun Pier, located on the coast of Qingyun City. That’s right—Xia Liang planned to take them out to sea.
As a popular social media hotspot in Qingyun City, the pier naturally attracted a large crowd, especially on a day off. The sea was a brilliant blue beneath a matching sky. Seagulls fluttered overhead, and some were even bold enough to land directly on people.
Luu Qi, struck by an idea, pulled Xi Yiqian toward a nearby kiosk. A moment later, they came trotting back, holding loaves of bread high.
"Bro! Hurry over and take our picture!" ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel·fıre·net
Upon hearing Luu Qi’s voice, the bystanders subconsciously turned their heads, their eyes lighting up at the sight. Although the pier was a hotspot that gathered numerous anchors, including many attractive ones, they all paled in comparison to Luu Qi and Xi Yiqian. Some men, fueled by a surge of hormones, were already preparing to approach them.
Xia Liang ignored the group of men itching to make a move, pulling out his phone with some puzzlement. "Taking pictures is fine, but why did you buy bread?"
Luu Qi rolled her eyes at him. "Never mind that, just take the picture."
"Alright then," Xia Liang shrugged indifferently.
At that moment, a man with glasses and a ponytail, sporting the air of an artist, walked over. "Do you beauties need a picture taken? I can help," he offered, waving the camera in his hand.
It was a Canon EOS R5 full-frame, a professional mirrorless camera. This had cost him five entire months’ salary—a whopping 25,000 Yuan. His heart had ached terribly when he bought it. But the thought of taking pictures of beautiful women in the future was enough for him to steel his resolve. He’d even lived on instant noodles for several months for this.
Now, at this moment, he felt all the hardship had been worth it. Among this crowd, his camera was second to none. He had also noticed others with the same idea, but they all fell silent after seeing the professional camera in his hand.
The artistic man looked at Luu Qi and Xi Yiqian, his face full of expectation. As long as they agree, I can use editing the photos as an excuse to get their contact information. With a little back-and-forth, we’ll get familiar, and then I can offer to do a proper photoshoot for them. And then... Heh heh heh...
However, not everyone would react as he hoped.
Luu Qi completely ignored him, not even turning her head. Only Xi Yiqian, out of politeness, replied, "No, thanks..."
Before she could finish, Luu Qi pulled her away and ran over to Xia Liang’s side. "Bro, didn’t you bring a camera? Why are you using your phone?"
She had seen Xia Liang carrying a camera bag when they got in the car. He had bought it specifically for this trip. He hadn’t expected them to want pictures so soon and was planning to take it out on the yacht.
Hearing this, he nodded immediately. "Okay, wait a minute. I’ll go get it," he said and turned around.
Seeing Xia Liang walk away, the artistic man approached the women again. "My name is Sen Ma, ladies. I heard you want to take some pictures. I’m very skilled—a contracted photographer for the Baidu Image Library. Since your friend isn’t back yet, why don’t I take a couple of shots for you first?" he said, once again brandishing his camera.
Seeing the man shamelessly approach them again, Xi Yiqian, who had a gentler temperament, refused once more. "There’s no need..."
Luu Qi’s brows furrowed. "I already said we don’t need it. How can you be so shameless?"
Rebuffed twice, Sen Ma was beginning to lose face. He stepped aside, his mind churning with unknown thoughts.
After a while, Xia Liang came back over, carrying a camera bag. "Let’s go take some photos."
"Okay!" The two women’s faces lit up with delight, a reaction that made all the men nearby burn with envy.
The three of them walked toward the shoreline, but Sen Ma, unwilling to give up, followed close behind. Soon, they arrived at a fence teeming with seagulls. Xia Liang was just about to take out his camera when Sen Ma sidled up next to them.
"Ladies, let me tell you, with cameras, it’s not just about the photographer’s skill. The quality of the camera itself is crucial, like my Canon here..."
As Sen Ma rambled on, Luu Qi was left speechless. How can such a brazen person exist in this world?
Xia Liang, however, looked at Sen Ma with amusement. "So, you’re saying you know a lot about cameras?"
"A little, a little!" Although Sen Ma’s words were modest, the pride on his face was unmistakable.
"Alright," Xia Liang said with a smile. "Then take a look at my camera. Tell me what you think." As he spoke, he began to take the camera out of his bag.
"No problem," Sen Ma readily agreed.
Of course, he wasn’t being so kind. He just wanted to force a comparison with Xia Liang, to make him realize his camera and skills were inferior. Why would these two beautiful women let him take their pictures then? As for Xia Liang’s camera, he couldn’t believe it would be more expensive than his own. With cameras, only professionals buy the expensive ones. Hobbyists might spend a few thousand Yuan—ten thousand at the absolute most. In his eyes, the camera in Xia Liang’s bag couldn’t be worth more than that.
However, the moment Xia Liang took out his camera, a wave of sharp gasps rippled through the crowd. Even Sen Ma was left staring blankly.
"Holy shit! A Hasselblad H6D-400C!"
"Damn! A real tycoon!"
"Wow! He doesn’t even look like a professional."
"He’s not a pro, so why did he buy something so expensive?"
Ignoring the murmurs rising and falling around him, Xia Liang raised an eyebrow at Sen Ma. "What do you think? Does this camera meet your standards?"
Sen Ma’s face instantly turned a mix of green and purple. As a photographer, how could he not recognize it? The Hasselblad H6D-400C was a camera he dreamed of owning, but its price was a staggering 350,000 Yuan! He could buy more than ten of his own camera with that.
How could Sen Ma possibly stay any longer? He scurried away, crestfallen.
That takes care of one trivial harasser, Xia Liang thought, before turning to the two women. "Alright, come on. I’ll take your pictures."
The two women struck a pose, their faces beaming with delight. Xia Liang had studied up a bit before coming, and while he wasn’t a professional, the two were so naturally beautiful that it was impossible to take a bad picture of them.
After he’d taken more than twenty shots, they tore off pieces from the bread in their hands. They held the pieces up to their lips, and in that instant, Xia Liang finally understood their plan. The two of them tilted their heads back, their hair dancing in the sea breeze. Just then, a passing seagull swooped down and took a bite from the bread.
Xia Liang pressed the shutter, capturing the moment forever.