Chapter Fifty-Four: This Is a Warm City

Tang Zhichu no longer argued with Huang Zejun about whether the photo was good or not. Instead, he took the photo and walked away.

Huang Zejun, puzzled, followed him. It was a noodle shop, and the couple sat across from each other, leaning forward, smiling warmly as they conversed intimately.

Tang Zhichu walked over at a leisurely pace. Huang Zejun, unsure of his intentions, stopped to watch.

“Hello,” Tang Zhichu greeted first.

The couple was a bit wary; the woman said nothing, and the man looked at Tang Zhichu. “Hello?”

“I’m learning photography,” Tang Zhichu explained softly. “Just now, we captured a candid shot of you two, bathed in sunlight. I thought it was especially beautiful, and I’d like to give it to you, if that’s alright!”

The couple didn’t respond immediately, clearly processing Tang Zhichu’s words.

He added, “It’s free, not a sales pitch. I just think it would be a shame not to give you this photo—it’s really lovely.”

With that, Tang Zhichu handed the photo over.

Gradually, the couple relaxed. The man smiled, “Really? Thank you.”

The woman took the photo, glanced at it, and her face lit up. She quickly showed it to her boyfriend.

After looking at the photo, the man’s smile grew even wider. He grabbed Tang Zhichu’s hand. “Thank you! Thank you! Wow, it’s really nice. I thought… ha ha ha.”

He kept looking at the photo, as if studying his own image with new appreciation.

Tang Zhichu smiled. “Then I won’t disturb you further. May you always love each other like this. Goodbye!”

Before the couple could react, Tang Zhichu exited the noodle shop.

Huang Zejun stood at the entrance for a long while before Tang Zhichu called him back to his senses, and they left together.

Huang Zejun felt a touch of emotion. He remembered that when he first learned photography, he must have had similar intentions.

To capture beauty, to make it meaningful.

Tang Zhichu randomly snapped another photo and handed it to Huang Zejun.

Huang Zejun shook his head. “No, the angle’s wrong. It’s seriously backlit, and the focus is off.”

Tang Zhichu gestured invitingly, as if to say, if you think you can do better, go ahead. And Huang Zejun did.

The subject was a woman with a backpack, standing at a bus stop, seemingly waiting for a bus.

She seemed to notice she was being photographed, so she stepped deeper into the shelter and sat on the bench.

Huang Zejun printed the photo and showed it to Tang Zhichu.

Tang Zhichu had to admit it was better than his own. In the photo, the woman pressed her hands against the straps of her backpack in front of her arms, leaning forward to gaze towards the street beyond. Her simple ponytail hung down.

The sun was shining in the direction she looked, making her appear as if she was not merely waiting for a bus—the atmosphere was perfect.

Even Huang Zejun nodded approvingly. “This one’s not bad.”

Tang Zhichu smiled. “Such a good photo—shouldn’t you return it to its rightful owner?”

After thinking it over, Huang Zejun stepped forward.

Inside the bus shelter, the woman was typing on her phone.

“Honestly, I think two perverts secretly took photos of me. Both looked decent, especially the tall one, but I didn’t expect him to be so creepy!”

“Where are you? Is it crowded?”

“I’m waiting for the bus. There are a few scattered people.”

“Bus stop? Then what’s there to be afraid of? Maybe you’re mistaken. Don’t be one of those typical girls.”

“I’m not lying! I really was photographed, and the guy even smiled at me.”

Her fingers flew as she chatted excitedly. Judging by her expression, she seemed not scared at all, but rather a little thrilled.

“Hello.”

The woman immediately put away her phone and looked up. Standing before her was the man who had taken her photo.

“You… hello.”

Huang Zejun recalled Tang Zhichu’s earlier conversation in the noodle shop and spoke.

“Sorry to bother you. I saw your state just now and couldn’t resist snapping a photo. I thought it looked especially beautiful. May I give you the photo?”

The woman was dubious—was that really the reason? Wasn’t he just captivated by her looks?

Yet, the way he handed over the photo seemed sincere.

She accepted it.

On seeing the photo, she was momentarily stunned, then blurted, “Damn!”

Huang Zejun had never deliberately approached someone like this before and suddenly felt nervous. As soon as she took the photo, he said, “I won’t disturb you further. I hope you have a wonderful day.”

He left, mimicking Tang Zhichu’s manner.

Walking back to Tang Zhichu, Huang Zejun felt oddly unsettled.

He had taken a photo for a stranger, printed it out and given it to her—by rights, he had done something for someone he didn’t know.

Yet the feeling in his heart was warm, as if he himself had been helped.

He walked up to Tang Zhichu, who was sitting on the edge of a flowerbed, and after a pause, said, “Bro, don’t mess with me. I can’t send you my texts, too.”

Tang Zhichu’s face darkened.

Just as Tang Zhichu was about to scold him, the girl appeared behind Huang Zejun.

Huang Zejun sensed someone behind him and turned. The girl held two yogurts in her hands, her cheeks slightly flushed. She handed them to Huang Zejun, thanked him, and immediately ran back toward the bus stop.

Halfway there, she turned and waved, calling out loudly, “Thanks! I’m here as a tourist—this is a warm city. Goodbye!”

Huang Zejun plopped down beside Tang Zhichu, the photo printer between them.

Tang Zhichu didn’t bother with Huang Zejun’s joke, and spoke first. “What do you think of this approach?”

“What approach?”

“Aren’t you in the influencer business?”

Huang Zejun snapped back to reality, almost resenting Tang Zhichu for pulling him out of that simple, beautiful feeling.

But Tang Zhichu’s words gave him pause.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt there was something to it. He suddenly clapped his hands. “Brilliant.”

He looked at Tang Zhichu in admiration. “How did you come up with this?”

Tang Zhichu replied, “Instead of nurturing others, it’s better to step forward yourself. After all, no one understands you better than you do.”

Huang Zejun was taken aback. He was suddenly moved. It was clear Tang Zhichu knew he was currently embroiled in a lawsuit with his biggest asset—a top influencer under his company.

So, Tang Zhichu was learning photography to guide him?

Huang Zejun sighed, “Zhichu, I concede. No wonder you’re so impressive.”

Tang Zhichu shook his head. “I’m talking business.”

Huang Zejun collected his thoughts. “If it’s about documenting moments like this, I believe it’s a great angle—offering free street portraits to strangers. Most importantly, this approach will always have content, and you yourself are healed in the process. If you expand it, you could make it about different age groups or cities. Busy people don’t have time to get a good photo of themselves—it’s a real spiritual need. The whole theme is positive energy…”