73: Chapter 73 A Wonderful Misunderstanding

Lin Yuxi pulled out her phone's memo app, her fingers tapping rapidly on the screen.

Zhang Qi watched her look of concentration, which was almost cute, and smiled. "These things require years of study and hands-on practice. If you just write down a few sentences like this, you still won't know how to shoot when it comes down to it."

Lin Yuxi's fingers paused.

She looked up, a flash of obvious disappointment crossing her clear eyes.

"Then what should I do?"

When these words slipped out, she was taken aback herself.

The natural sense of grievance in her tone didn't match the aloof goddess image she usually cultivated in front of the camera at all.

Zhang Qi didn't take the bait.

His gaze swept around the room, landing on the pile of professional fill lights and tripods, and he already had a rough assessment in his mind.

But he didn't offer to help.

If this were in the past, upon meeting such a beautiful girl with whom he shared common interests, he would have eagerly fawned over her, wishing to show off all his skills.

But the Zhang Qi of now was no longer that Zhang Qi.

He strictly adhered to one principle—never be a simp.

If you need my help, you ask.

I won't come to you voluntarily.

Moreover, whether I help or not depends on my own mood.

Zhang Qi stood up and changed the subject in a casual tone.

"Let's add each other on WeChat; you can just transfer the rent directly via WeChat from now on. I have something to do, so I'll be going."

Lin Yuxi was stunned for a moment.

Just leaving?

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say.

She couldn't just say—don't go, keep teaching me how to shoot videos.

He was her landlord, not her Photography teacher. Why should he keep giving her free guidance?

"Okay, okay."

Lin Yuxi snapped out of it, hurriedly pulled out her phone, and opened WeChat to scan the QR code.

The two added each other as friends.

Lin Yuxi's WeChat profile picture was a photo of her in traditional costume after a transformation, and her nickname was "Xi Xi Doesn't Go Out."

The ten thousand yuan she had previously transferred to Zhou Zhihai had been refunded; she re-edited a transfer, noted "Rent," and sent it to Zhang Qi.

Zhang Qi glanced at it and immediately clicked receive.

Ten thousand yuan didn't even amount to a fraction of his current average daily spending. But rules were rules; he wouldn't be ambiguous about money that should be collected.

"Then I'll be going now."

Zhang Qi nodded at her and turned to walk toward the entryway.

"...Okay."

Lin Yuxi stood where she was, watching Zhang Qi's back as he bent down to change his shoes. Her lips moved, but in the end, she didn't say anything to ask him to stay.

She wasn't the type of person to take the initiative to ask for favors.

But her feelings at this moment were indeed very complicated.

Zhang Qi pushed the door open and walked out without looking back.

The security door closed behind him with a dull thud.

Lin Yuxi stood alone in the living room, staring at the tightly closed door for several seconds.

In the quiet room, only the humming sound of the fill light's electric current remained.

She lowered her head and glanced at the few lines she had hurriedly typed into her phone's memo app just now.

"Low-angle slow motion," "Side lighting to enhance contours," "Camera position changes to increase visual stimulation"...

Just these dry words; detached from Zhang Qi's explanation, she felt confused even looking at them herself.

Zhang Qi was right; this kind of thing couldn't be learned by taking notes.

Lin Yuxi sighed, put her phone back in her pocket, and walked over to sit at her vanity.

But in her mind, the image of Zhang Qi sitting on the sofa analyzing the video just now involuntarily surfaced.

His tone was very casual, even carrying a hint of nonchalance.

But every sentence hit the nail on the head, so precise that it left no room for refutation.

It felt like a master who had been immersed in this field for over a decade, offering a few casual pointers that allowed a novice to suddenly see the light.

She had been making videos for nearly two years, had watched countless tutorials online, and had sought out peers for exchange.

But never had anyone been able to explain problems as thoroughly in just a few words as Zhang Qi.

What was the deal with this new landlord?

His attire didn't look like someone in Photography; he looked more like a business boss.

But that Photography knowledge was clearly not at a level an amateur could express.

The more Lin Yuxi thought about it, the more she felt something was off, and at the same time, the more curious she became.

She opened WeChat and turned to Zhang Qi's chat box.

The bare chat page had nothing on it except for that ten-thousand-yuan transfer record.

Lin Yuxi's fingers hovered over the input box for a long time.

She typed a few words, then deleted them.

She typed a few more words, then deleted them again.

Finally, she threw her phone aside, leaned back in her chair, and covered her face with both hands.

"Ah—so annoying."

She muttered in a muffled voice.

Someone who was usually extremely socially anxious was now racking her brain trying to figure out how to naturally strike up a conversation on WeChat with a man she had known for less than half an hour.

In the hallway.

Zhang Qi came out of the doorway of 1202 and was preparing to walk toward the elevator lobby.

Ding.

The elevator door opened.

A woman wearing a Chanel tweed suit, stepping in a pair of black stilettos, walked out of the elevator car.

It was Sun Yiyao.

She was in great shape today. The early autumn suit was well-tailored, outlining her exquisite figure just right.

The classic tweed fabric paired with a matching A-line skirt revealed a section of fair, straight calves.

Around her neck hung the gold safety buckle Zhang Qi had bought for her, standing out prominently against the neckline.

The makeup on her face was exquisite but not heavy, and she looked very elegant.

Compared to the girl in the red hotel a few days ago who wore work clothes and was ordered around by her supervisor, she was like a completely different person.

As soon as Sun Yiyao exited the elevator, her gaze collided with Zhang Qi standing in the hallway.

Her eyes lit up instantly.

"Brother Qi!"

Sun Yiyao walked over quickly, the surprise on her face impossible to hide.

"Why didn't you tell me in advance that you were coming to see me!"

There was a hint of complaint in her tone, but even more joy.

"I went out to handle my resignation today, had lunch outside, and went shopping for a while. It's a good thing I came back, otherwise you would have had a wasted trip."

Zhang Qi looked at her sparkling eyes and the corners of his mouth tugged slightly.

This was a wonderful misunderstanding.

But he didn't explain.

No need.

"Since you're back," Zhang Qi said in a flat tone, "come out for a walk with me."

"Okay!"

Sun Yiyao agreed quickly and crisply, and after saying that, she took a step forward, pressing her whole body into Zhang Qi's arms.

Her soft body pressed tightly against his chest, and a pleasant scent of perfume drifted into his nostrils.

It wasn't that strong, pungent smell of synthetic fragrance, but a light, slightly sweet floral scent.

Sun Yiyao looked up at him, her large, bright eyes filled with reliance and fawning.

Zhang Qi reached out to put his arm around her waist, and the two walked into the elevator side by side.

The elevator door closed, and the car began to descend.

"Did you finish handling your resignation?" Zhang Qi asked casually.

"Yes, I did."

Sun Yiyao leaned on his shoulder, her tone relaxed.

"My supervisor even tried to keep me, saying we could still cooperate in the future if there were good client resources. I rejected it directly."

When she said this, she carried a sense of satisfaction, as if she had turned the tables to become the master.

Before, at that red hotel, she had been harassed by her supervisor and had to lower herself to smile every day, all for that base salary of a few thousand yuan and occasional commissions.

And now?

Zhang Qi gave her fifty thousand yuan in pocket money every month, plus a luxury house that would be transferred to her name in five years.

The annual income from that job didn't even add up to the cost of one of Zhang Qi's meals.

"Now that you aren't working, is there anything you want to do?"

Zhang Qi asked in the elevator, his arm around her waist.

He wasn't just asking casually.

Sun Yiyao was only twenty-two; she couldn't just stay holed up in the apartment waiting for him every day.

He needed to find something for her to do; after all, his fishpond would be very large in the future, and if these women were to pester him every day with nothing to do, it would feel quite boring.

Moreover, he had another plan in mind—if he invested in some business for Sun Yiyao, he wondered if this money would count as his own consumption and whether it could trigger the system's cash-back.

This was something he had to try.