PSMD – Chapter 166

July had arrived, and the preliminary round of the photography competition Qiu Yang had entered had begun.

According to the organizers, the preliminary round wasn’t screened by professionals but by a group of netizens.

These netizens usually had some understanding of photography and needed an invitation code from the organizers to access the website and view the entries. Since there were many photos entered, the ones displayed on the webpage changed daily, as did the groups of people viewing them.

The preliminary round was ongoing. Out of the many entries each day, only two could advance to the semi-finals; the rest were directly eliminated.

Qiu Yang had been following the competition’s progress. Of course, she was nervous, but she also knew worrying wouldn’t do any good.

Especially since some contestants had already posted screenshots of notifications from the competition’s super topic: “Hello XX, we regret to inform you…”

Basically, if you were eliminated yesterday, you’d receive a notification today, but those who advanced to the semi-finals wouldn’t be told yet.

This made Qiu Yang’s nerves tense up every time she logged onto the website. After the preliminary round ended in July, Qiu Yang still hadn’t received an elimination notice. A number was blinking in the upper right corner of the webpage. When she clicked it, she saw the notification congratulating her on passing the preliminary round.

August 1st was a Sunday. Qiu Yang was checking the news at home.

She let out a little scream, then ran into Shen Ningruo’s arms, her eyes sparkling: “Good news, good news!”

Shen Ningruo wrapped her arms around her waist and kissed her chin: “You passed?”

“Yep!” Qiu Yang hooked her arms around Shen Ningruo’s neck. “How did you know that’s what I was talking about?”

Shen Ningruo squeezed her waist: “I know everything you’re thinking.”

“Congratulations, Xiao Yang.”

“We’re going to see Uncle today, right? Let’s tell him the news?” Qiu Yang raised an eyebrow. “He’ll definitely be happy when he knows.”

“Okay.” Shen Ningruo naturally had no objection, especially since it was indeed good news.

At four in the afternoon, the two left the house and headed straight for the hospital.

A month had passed, and Shen Yuankai looked more haggard and weaker than before. He was also thinner, with his finger joints somewhat protruding.

When Qiu Yang and Shen Ningruo arrived, he was watching TV, a melodramatic drama playing. He was watching with relish. Seeing them enter, he immediately smiled: “You’re here.”

“Dad.”

“Uncle.”

Shen Ningruo placed the thermos aside: “Today, Xiao Yang made you your favorite mushroom and chicken soup. Eat some fruit too to get your vitamins.”

“Okay.” Shen Yuankai sighed with emotion, “Xiao Qiu’s cooking is better than mine.”

Shen Yuankai had also studied cooking over the years. Hearing this, Qiu Yang instinctively denied it: “Uncle, please don’t say that. Although I haven’t eaten your cooking, Ruoruo said before that your food is also delicious.”

Shen Ningruo unscrewed the lid of the thermos and interjected with a smile: “It’s just my cooking that hasn’t improved.”

Every weekend, Qiu Yang would cook something at home for Shen Yuankai and bring it over.

Shen Yuankai nodded after hearing Shen Ningruo’s words: “Indeed, you’ve never had much talent in cooking. When you were little, your teacher asked you to go home and cook a meal for your parents and then write a short essay. I remember your essay was very well written, but it deviated from the actual situation.”

“You clearly almost blew up the kitchen, but in the essay, you wrote that you paid attention to safety, prevented danger, and that your parents were very touched after eating.”

Shen Ningruo, whose cover was blown: “…”

“You remember all that?”

There weren’t many happy memories of the family’s past, but they weren’t entirely absent either.

Qiu Yang listened from the side, her eyes curving into smiles: “Writing essays, you know, it was all about making things up back then. I wrote similar things when I was a kid too.”

She had already set up the table for Shen Yuankai.

“Exactly.” Shen Ningruo placed a bowl of mushroom and chicken soup on the table, then put a spoon and chopsticks beside it. “Dad, eat it while it’s hot, drink more soup.”

“Alright, Dad knows.”

The melodramatic drama was still playing, but the audience had become Shen Ningruo and Qiu Yang. They sat on chairs watching the TV, occasionally responding to Shen Yuankai and chatting with him.

After Shen Yuankai had eaten enough, Qiu Yang spoke as if she had just remembered: “Oh, right, Uncle, the photos I took before passed the preliminary round.”

“That’s great,” Shen Yuankai said with a smile.

Shen Ningruo got up to clear the dishes and heard Qiu Yang say: “The doctor said you can occasionally be discharged from the hospital. The semi-finals are in September and will be held at an exhibition hall in Yuncheng. Are you interested?”

Shen Yuankai had been cooped up in the hospital and was getting bored. He had no objection: “Yes, I want to go.”

This suggestion wasn’t something Qiu Yang came up with suddenly, but something she and Shen Ningruo thought of together in the car.

But just a week before the semi-finals were scheduled to begin, Shen Ningruo and Qiu Yang had just finished showering when they received a call from the hospital.

Shen Yuankai had passed away.

His condition had actually never been very good. The doctor initially said he could live for at least three or four months, and at most half a year, but now it was still a few days short of three months.

The moment she received the call and heard the news, Shen Ningruo couldn’t bear it at all. Qiu Yang saw her face and knew exactly what had happened, and her nose immediately stung with tears.

After the call ended, Shen Ningruo was distraught, her tears falling in large drops: “My dad is gone.”

“Xiao Yang…” Her voice was filled with grief, “I don’t have a dad anymore.”

Qiu Yang hugged her, crying along with her: “Let’s go to the hospital, Ruoruo.”

The news came so suddenly, neither of them was prepared at all.

Shen Ningruo and Qiu Yang both took leave from work to handle Shen Yuankai’s funeral.

These few days were very long for Shen Ningruo. Although summer hadn’t passed yet, she felt very cold. She didn’t eat much either, quickly losing several pounds, and because she was constantly crying, she looked very haggard.

After the burial ceremony was held at the cemetery, Shen Ningruo sat alone in front of Shen Yuankai’s grave for a long time.

According to her father’s dying wish, he was buried in the same cemetery as her mother.

Qiu Yang waited for her in the car outside the cemetery. The old man selling flowers at the entrance was still there.

She remembered coming here before, and the old man had mentioned that Shen Yuankai often visited. Now, Shen Yuankai was no longer in this world.

Qiu Yang sighed heavily again.

It wasn’t until six o’clock that Shen Ningruo came out of the cemetery. She walked as if floating, her eyes somewhat vacant.

Qiu Yang quickly got out of the car and opened the passenger door, but saw Shen Ningruo first went to the old man selling flowers. She ran over too.

Shen Ningruo squatted in front of the old man, tears streaming down again.

“Girl.”

“My condolences.”

The old man’s voice was heavy: “I will go and offer flowers to him.”

“Thank you,” Shen Ningruo looked at him blurrily. “Grandpa, did he ask you to pass anything on to me?”

The old man nodded: “Yes, even if you hadn’t come to find me, I would have contacted you.”

“He asked me to tell you that his wish for your safety and health all these years has never changed. He hopes you and Miss Qiu can live together safely and healthily for a lifetime.”

Shen Ningruo’s shoulders shook. Qiu Yang squatted down and put her arm around her.

After a few minutes, the two got into the car.

Shen Ningruo kept her eyes closed the whole way. Qiu Yang didn’t disturb her until the car drove into the underground parking lot. Only then did she wake Shen Ningruo: “Ruoruo, let’s go home and sleep.”

Shen Ningruo hadn’t rested well these past few days, and the dark circles under her eyes were particularly noticeable. Several friends had been urging her to sleep more, but she hadn’t had the time. Qiu Yang was finally relieved to see her sleeping and didn’t want to wake her, but this couldn’t go on.

Shen Ningruo immediately woke up with a start, her voice a little hoarse: “Are we there?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go home.”

Shen Ningruo nodded. She was still a bit disoriented and went home with Qiu Yang.

Fortunately, the sleepiness lingered. Shen Ningruo hadn’t eaten either. She slept from around 6:50 PM until 11 AM the next morning before waking up.

Qiu Yang was already up and busy preparing lunch. Seeing Shen Ningruo come out of the bedroom, she immediately walked over with concern: “How are you? Are you feeling unwell?”

Shen Ningruo’s face was unnaturally flushed: “A little dizzy, maybe I have a fever.”

Qiu Yang first felt her forehead, then took a thermometer from the medicine cabinet, and then went to get Shen Ningruo a cup of hot water.

Shen Ningruo did have a fever. This was the second time Shen Ningruo had been sick since they met.

Qiu Yang gave her fever medicine.

Shen Ningruo lay down on the sofa, holding Qiu Yang’s wrist, and spoke weakly: “Xiao Yang.”

“I’m here.”

Shen Ningruo looked at her: “I want mushroom and chicken soup.”

“Okay, I’ll make it for you right away.”

“I miss my dad too,” Shen Ningruo said, her eyes turning red. “I had a dream when I was sleeping. I dreamt he told me he’s very happy now, that he’s seen my mom, and he told me to live well.”

Qiu Yang took a deep breath: “Yes, Ruoruo, you must live well.”

“Okay.” Shen Ningruo released her hand and gave Qiu Yang a smile. “I will live well with you and not let down their expectations.”

After a week, Shen Ningruo’s appetite finally improved a bit. At least she was eating more. Although her weight hadn’t immediately returned to its original number, Qiu Yang was much happier seeing her like this. During this time, Yao Yao and Qin Yu, Shen Ningruo’s childhood friends, both visited, and each time they came, they commented on how much Shen Ningruo had lost weight.

The next day was the start of the photography competition’s semi-finals. The semi-finals would last for a week and would be judged by professional judges; others would not have the right to vote, only to view the exhibition.

Considering that Shen Yuankai had passed away, Qiu Yang was afraid Shen Ningruo might cry at the exhibition hall, so she didn’t go to the exhibition and just waited for the results.

A total of fifty photos advanced to the semi-finals. There was only one first prize, three second prizes, ten third prizes, and the rest were consolation prizes.

The results came out quickly.

Qiu Yang won second prize. In addition to a 10,000 yuan prize, her photo also earned the right to be displayed in the exhibition hall.

The organizers also announced the rankings on Weibo. Compared to the first-place winner, Qiu Yang’s photo was liked by more people, and her followers increased.

After asking Shen Ningruo, Qiu Yang also posted a few extra photos of Shen Yuankai she had taken—

【He will also thank you from heaven for liking this set of his photos.】