FQ chapter 57

Xu Song didn’t have particular preferences for the route, but Meng Zhao was set on hiking. Since the promotional video still needed some scenic shots of the snow mountains, Fan Qing picked a beginner-friendly route that wasn’t too difficult.

The path led past familiar streams, dense forests, grassy slopes, and fluttering prayer flags.

“The same route I walked the first time?” Luan Ye asked.

“Yeah.” Fan Qing smiled. “This one’s suitable.”

Since Luan Ye and Xu Song were carrying lots of equipment, a more complex trail would’ve been tough. This one suited them and made it easy to capture the snow mountains.

It had already been two months since Luan Ye first came here, but the scenery hadn’t changed—the tranquil lake, the lush meadows, and the snow mountains standing quietly in the distance.

By the lake, Meng Zhao and Xu Song were glued together taking photos, bossing Luan Ye around to snap shot after shot from every angle, then checking them one by one.

Halfway through, Xu Song started praising: “Not bad at all. Haven’t shot portraits in years, but the old skills are still sharp.”

“If you two could strike a pose other than the victory sign, I could make them even better,” Luan Ye said. “One’s a photographer, the other’s a magazine director—don’t you have a little creativity?”

Meng Zhao laughed as she scrolled through photos. “It’s called returning to simplicity, you know?”

“Yeah, you don’t know shit,” Xu Song retorted. “If you’re not convinced, why don’t you two take one?”

Luan Ye turned to Fan Qing. “Shall we?”

“All I know is the victory sign too,” Fan Qing said.

The four of them laughed for a long time. Finally, Luan Ye said, “It’s fine, we don’t need to look at the camera.”

Xu Song had already taken the camera and walked off a bit, looking for a good angle. Luan Ye turned back to Fan Qing.

“Like the first time you came—stand on the slope, wear your jacket, lift your head…”

“Looking at the snow mountain?” Fan Qing asked.

“Last time, yeah. This time—look at me.” Luan Ye smiled.

Fan Qing froze for a second, then fixed his gaze on Luan Ye.

They stood in the meadow, the lake below, snow mountains beyond.

The wind blew, lifting a few strands of Luan Ye’s hair, making them sway.

In the distance, Xu Song clicked the shutter.

When they’d had their fun, the four continued uphill to shoot aerials with the drone. Those shots weren’t hard, just required multiple flights.

“After tomorrow, Meng Zhao and I plan to head to the old town, then Lugu Lake. Our holiday’s about over.”

While fiddling with the drone, Xu Song said, “Then we’ll fly straight back to Shanghai.”

“Let Fan Qing see you off,” Luan Ye said.

Xu Song glanced at him. “And you? When are you leaving?”

“About the same time, maybe two days later,” Luan Ye said.

Fan Qing’s hands paused slightly before resuming packing.

He already knew Luan Ye would be leaving, but each time he heard it, his heart still trembled.

“Then let’s just leave together,” Xu Song said. “What are you waiting for?”

“Not the same situation.” Luan Ye chuckled. “I’m waiting to send my boyfriend off to school.”

The mountain air was so quiet that his words rang out clearly.

Fan Qing, listening nearby, immediately turned his head toward them.

All the melancholy he’d been feeling vanished instantly, replaced with shock.

That shock showed vividly on his face, and Luan Ye smiled at him.

“Fine, I won’t play third wheel,” Xu Song clicked his tongue. “You two handle it yourselves.”

“That’s what I think too,” Luan Ye said. “No need for four people to double as lightbulbs.”

They joked as they wrapped up the work. On the way down, Xu Song and Meng Zhao, tired, lagged a few steps behind, chatting together.

Luan Ye and Fan Qing walked in front.

“You’re going to see me off to school?” Fan Qing stared at him. “To Nanjing?”

“Where else?” Luan Ye replied. “Didn’t you test into Nanjing?”

“That’s not what I meant.” Fan Qing took a deep breath, helpless. “I thought you’d leave directly from here…”

“A few days don’t make a difference.” Luan Ye smiled. “I can’t just let you go alone.”

Fan Qing stayed silent for a while.

Grandma couldn’t send him off, and his aunt’s family was busy and couldn’t take time off. They’d only called to say that if he came through Kunming, he should stop by for a meal.

Everyone had assumed he would be heading off to school alone.

Everyone except Luan Ye.

“Touched?” Luan Ye said softly. “If you need to cry, you can hold me. I’ll shield you.”

Fan Qing sighed, pressing down the emotion.

“When are we leaving then?” he asked.

“First stop Kunming,” Luan Ye said. “Rent a car here, then drive.”

Fan Qing understood. “A road trip?”

“Mm. Just the two of us.” Luan Ye looked at him. “You can be my personal guide.”

Fan Qing looked back at him, smiling. “Okay.”

“Make sure to coordinate the paper workshop studio with Li Hongkuo. I need to cancel my rental, send that pile of stuff to Xu Song for safekeeping, say goodbye to the ‘Go See The Mountains’ couple, Xiao Qiao, and the others…”

Luan Ye paused, then laughed. “Kind of troublesome.”

When he had first come running here from America, he hadn’t thought leaving would be so troublesome.

Not the annoying kind of troublesome—rather, the kind you feel reluctant about.

“Once everything here’s settled, we’ll pass through Dali, stay a day, then head to Kunming. Before you go, you should visit your aunt’s family, have dinner with them.”

Fan Qing froze.

He had mentioned that before—but he hadn’t expected Luan Ye to remember.

“You’ll be gone for half a year. Spend some time with your family first,” Luan Ye said.

Behind them, Xu Song and Meng Zhao must have noticed they were talking seriously, because they followed unhurriedly, keeping some distance.

Fan Qing looked at Luan Ye, slowing his steps. “Will you… come with me?”

“Mm?” Luan Ye turned.

“To my aunt’s house. For dinner,” Fan Qing said. “It should just be a meal, nothing more.”

Luan Ye stayed silent for a while, making Fan Qing strangely nervous.

“Or you can wait outside,” Fan Qing added quickly. “I’ll just go up, say hi, then come back down…”

“I’ll go in with you,” Luan Ye said, his smile giving him away. “I’ll just say I’m your friend.”

Fan Qing’s heart settled. He smiled. “Okay.”

It wasn’t the right time to tell the truth. But just having Luan Ye agree to come along had already surprised him.

…..

The day Xu Song and Meng Zhao left, Luan Ye and Fan Qing sent them off at the airport.

“If you’ve got time, come to Shanghai for a visit. It’s not far from Nanjing,” Meng Zhao said with a smile. “Let Xu Song treat you to a meal.”

“That’s too much trouble, such a long way,” Luan Ye replied, also smiling.

“Cut it out with the act. Then you just sit and watch,” Xu Song clicked his tongue. “I’ll treat the college kid.”

Fan Qing chuckled and nodded.

After seeing them off, Fan Qing began packing his luggage, while Luan Ye stayed in the room, rushing to finish editing the promo video.

It wasn’t a heavy workload. All the footage had been shot smoothly, hardly any wasted takes. In the afternoon Fan Qing would stop by the studio, then come back in the evening to keep Luan Ye company.

Together, they worked on the promo video, drank tea, massaged each other’s shoulders, strolled around the village…

It was only when it was time to leave that he realized—what was said to be the longest summer vacation of his life had actually gone by so quickly.

From leading the hike, to meeting Luan Ye, to falling in love, to the paper workshop studio… so many things all mixed together, making these few months feel almost like a dream.

Of course, some memories still felt sharp and vivid.

Like their kisses, hugs, confessions… and Luan Ye, after falling asleep, resting his head against his chest… During this time, he had stopped burrowing under the covers while sleeping. Though he still often woke easily, stirring at the slightest movement, at least he could catch up on rest with a nap during the day.

Editing the promo didn’t take long. Both of them were professionals, already familiar with each other’s style. The footage flowed smoothly, no wasted shots. Approval came quickly. Just two days after they sent it off, Fan Qing saw it posted on the town’s official public account.

The view count was huge. Scrolling through his WeChat Moments, every business owner, villager, and tenant he knew in Xuehu Village had shared it—it was lively.

 

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Author’s Note:

The last chapter was rushed. It felt almost like the ending, but I couldn’t help letting the pacing run away, so here’s a few hundred words of transition to slow things down. This chapter’s a bit short—felt bad about not updating, so I wanted to get it out. I’ll try harder tomorrow.

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