113. Everyone’s Ideas
Leaves fluttered from under the trees, and the sky gradually burned red with the sunset. On the school swing, Lan Yinuo held the ropes, her toes lightly touching the ground, swaying leisurely.
This photo was captured by Ruo Xiaoxi.
It was a little regrettable that it wasn’t autumn, and there weren’t enough fallen leaves, making it feel like something was missing.
Hearing a click as someone took her picture, Lan Yinuo stopped the swing in surprise, her wide, panicked eyes looking around. She finally saw Ruo Xiaoxi emerging from the bushes.
“Xiaoxi! Why are you taking my picture?!” Lan Yinuo stomped her foot, getting off the swing to grab her.
“Ahaha… Of course, it’s because Xiaonuo is as beautiful as a flower. By the way, Xiaonuo, I want to ask you, if you were to take a picture for a photography competition, what would you shoot?”
“Is it still that photography competition you mentioned signing up for?”
“Yeah… It’s already been a few days, and I have no ideas at all.” Ruo Xiaoxi closed the camera’s lens cap, held it in her arms, and sat on the bench with Xiaonuo.
“So you came to me for this reason? But I don’t know much about photography.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay! Just gather everyone’s opinions! For reference only. Inspiration is obtained by chance. Listening to what others think might give you a flash of insight, right?”
“Is that so…” Lan Yinuo looked down at her camera, then looked up at the distance, pondering.
“If you’re asking me, I personally might choose some cute pet photos? Nowadays, people like to keep pets as companions, and cute pet videos are very popular.”
“Pets? I hadn’t thought of shooting animals…”
“Pets are so cute, don’t you think, Xiaoxi? When I played Sword Three, I liked to find little pets that would jump and frolic around you, treating you as their owner and relying on you. You could even hold them in your arms…”
Seeing Xiaonuo’s longing expression, Ruo Xiaoxi thought she probably really wanted to become a game character.
But real-life pets were a bit less spiritual, not as obedient and cute as in online games. For cute pets, video editing might be better. If it’s just a still photo…
“Ah, ah, of course, that’s just my personal idea. If I were participating, I would definitely choose that—By the way, Xiaoxi, why are you suddenly interested in participating in such a competition?”
“Ah, no, nothing! I just suddenly found it very interesting.” Ruo Xiaoxi smiled broadly. She didn’t want to tell Xiaonuo that whether they had a club or not depended entirely on this competition.
Xiaonuo was only speaking from the perspective of participating for interest, but cute pet photos would definitely be close-ups.
Close-ups would have a natural disadvantage in judging. If they could be combined with a wide shot, it would be perfect, but the main subject of cute pets was the cute pets themselves, so they couldn’t deviate from close-ups.
Taking a wide shot of a cat on a bookshelf, the cat would become merely an accessory, and the focus would shift to the study.
“Okay, thank you for your idea, Xiaonuo. I’ll consider it. Also, our club will definitely be established soon, please rest assured, it will definitely happen!” Ruo Xiaoxi stood up with her camera, promising Lan Yinuo.
“Eh, Xiaoxi?” Lan Yinuo didn’t even have time to respond, only seeing Ruo Xiaoxi’s retreating back.
“Aren’t you going to… chat a bit more?” She slowly lowered her hand, which had been reaching out to Ruo Xiaoxi, and lightly clenched her fist on her thigh. “So the photography competition is closely related to establishing the club, right?”
The more she emphasized something, the more it meant Xiaoxi was worried.
Is establishing a club actually very difficult? Did Xiaoxi encounter some difficulties too…? After all, a club, once established, can exist forever. The procedures must be very complicated, right?
Sigh, Xiaoxi can sometimes be quite clumsy in some areas.
Whether or not there’s a club isn’t that important to me. Wherever Xiaoxi goes, I’ll follow. I don’t want to join the singing club either… because I only want to sing for you.
“Definitely, there will definitely be one…” Ruo Xiaoxi, running away with the camera, kept repeating in her heart.
If it were just her, it would be one thing. She hadn’t known beforehand that establishing a club wasn’t so simple. She could even secretly go home invisibly (she had fantasized about learning invisibility magic).
But she had dragged Xiaonuo into this. If there was no club, Xiaonuo would suffer with Ruo Xiaoxi.
Senior Xia was in the student council. The student council wasn’t really a club. She was already very busy. Even if she nominally joined the Tea Ceremony Procrastination Club, she probably wouldn’t have time to participate, so it wouldn’t have much impact.
But Ruo Xiaoxi was terrified of that scene: seeing Xiaonuo miss out on club recruitment because she failed to establish a club, ending up watching others happily join clubs while she was left writing homework in the classroom.
Absolutely not, no!!! Ruo Xiaoxi was almost crying from anxiety just thinking about it. She couldn’t let the kindest Xiaonuo in the world face such a fate.
She wasn’t even fighting for a dream anymore. She was fighting for Xiaonuo! Charge!
“Photography competition? Oh! I think I’ve heard of it. Someone from our club is participating too. What kind of competition is it that’s so popular? Xiaoxi, you’re participating too?”
“Yes, yes. If it were Xiaomei and An’an, what would you two consider?”
“This… let me think.” Xiaomei rested her chin on her hand, pondering.
An’an, on the other hand, quickly came up with an answer. She raised her hand and said to Ruo Xiaoxi, “If it were me, I’d shoot what I like: people or scenes that are full of vitality!”
“Full of vitality…?”
“That’s right, Xixi, don’t you think a vibrant photo is very attractive? A photo is a still image. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it could give a sense of overflowing life force, or burning youth?”
“I see… So, using stillness to highlight motion can also be used in photography? I learned something.” Ruo Xiaoxi nodded slightly.
“My turn. As for me, I’d shoot myself,” Xiaomei said, surprising both girls.
“Xiaomei! You’re really conceited, taking pictures of yourself!” An’an immediately shouted from the side. Xiaomei quickly pressed her shoulder, forcing her down.
Ruo Xiaoxi chuckled awkwardly, saying with high emotional intelligence, “Xiaomei is indeed a girl who loves beauty!”
Hearing this, Xiaomei seemed to feel a little better.
That’s right, I’m a girl who loves beauty, not a conceited idiot as someone said!
If you can’t speak properly, don’t speak at all!
“I see, so changing a few words can make a girl happy? I learned something.” An’an, who was almost pinned to the ground, said thoughtfully.
Various facial cleansers and toners were arranged in the bathroom, seemingly all belonging to Xiaomei. Xiaonuo also brought some, but kept them in her bag, occasionally taking them out to use.
An’an brought nothing. Her personality seemed a bit careless, and she had a medium-short haircut.
But in reality, she wasn’t careless at all. She was the dorm leader and would voluntarily start cleaning every day. She also helped out with daily duties. And she seemed to have a good relationship with Xiaomei. Lan Yinuo and Ruo Xiaoxi went to the cafeteria as a pair, and they also went as another pair.
“My reason for choosing this is also simple: because I’ll dress up beautifully, then find an angle to capture a beautiful moment of myself. All the scenery before my eyes, the unchanging mountains, the endless flowing rivers, no matter how long you look at them, are they as precious and beautiful as a girl’s fleeting youth?”
“Throughout history, countless literary figures have admired and praised the graceful beauty of women, overshadowing flowers and sinking fish, even heroes find it hard to resist beautiful women. Beauty and appearance are aspirations that can drive people crazy. But in just ten short years, youth and beauty will gradually fade. We can only lament the fleetingness of beauty, and that rivers never flow back east…”
“Photos are for recording and preserving a period of time. A girl’s youth is the best treasure in this world, as splendid and fleeting as fireworks! So if I’m going to record anything with a camera, I will definitely prioritize myself! Xiaoxi, what do you think?”
“Master, I’ve seen the light!” Ruo Xiaoxi raised her camera, first bowing to Xiaomei.
This was definitely a self-respecting, self-confident, and beautiful girl. The kind who radiates warmth and light.
“Sigh, what she said makes sense, but life always has regrets. Xiaomei is good in every way, except her bust size is a bit unsatisfactory. Otherwise, she’d truly be a picture of beauty!” An’an, with her usual bluntness, added.
Yes, everything she said was good, but why is this big beauty an A-cup?
Xiaomei, who was giving a passionate speech, suddenly felt as if she had been struck by lightning from behind. Her forehead darkened.
“An’an! You! You’re not that big either! Of course I know I’m flat-chested, don’t you think I can use padding?!”
“Among us in the dorm, Xiaoxi has the biggest chest. Of course, I don’t look as good. But I’m still slightly better than Xiaomei. What’s the use of padding? In the end, you’ll still be revealed!”
“Y-you’re not marrying me! I’ll beat you! For worrying about me unnecessarily! For worrying about me unnecessarily!”
And then they started fighting, arguing over everything from trivial matters like eating a bite of fried dough stick at breakfast to serious issues like not wanting to go to the bathroom with Xiaomei after class.
Ruo Xiaoxi, standing aside, was dumbfounded.
She even wondered if they were really just classmates who had known each other for two weeks. Their fighting and hitting each other’s sore spots were like skills honed over decades as childhood friends.
Click. Anyway, Ruo Xiaoxi secretly took a picture of them.
She wouldn’t use it for the competition. She’d just hang it in the dorm for public execution. What An’an said about using still life to contrast movement must be like this.
When the teacher walked in and saw the photo, Oh, it’s clearly a very lively dorm.
And when Ruo Xiaoxi walked out of the dorm, they were still arguing over whether to call Ruo Xiaoxi “Xiaoxi” or “Xixi.” Xiaomei favored “Xiaoxi,” and An’an favored “Xixi.”
An’an absolutely refused. The dorm already had “Nuo nuo” and “An’an.” If there was another “Xixi,” wouldn’t she be isolated? So it had to be “Xiaoxi”!
Ruo Xiaoxi rubbed her forehead. Headache.
I’m outta here.
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