A Truly Troublesome Child

Qí City

Evening

Yang Zhi and Ding Yuerong bought groceries and headed home together.

Along the way, they passed a dental clinic. Ding Yuerong stopped at the entrance, unwilling to leave for a long time.

Yang Zhi turned back and asked, "Senior Sister, what's wrong?"

Ding Yuerong replied, "I just remembered what you told me back in college."

Yang Zhi raised an eyebrow slightly, thought for a moment, and then smiled faintly, "Are you talking about getting braces?"

Ding Yuerong said, "Yeah. In college, my teeth were crooked, and I was often ridiculed, which made me lose all my confidence. Luckily, I met you, Yang Zhi."

Yang Zhi teased, "Really? Am I that important?"

Ding Yuerong took a deep breath, looked up at the clinic's sign, and said, "In my heart, you are a very, very important friend."

The truth was, Yang Zhi had been too gentle back then.

At that time, Ding Yuerong had been advised to get braces and was very worried. She told Yang Zhi, "I don't want to get braces. My teeth aren't that crooked."

Yang Zhi asked, "But didn't the doctor suggest it?"

Ding Yuerong replied, "Yes... but... I'll definitely look incredibly ugly with braces."

"Not at all. With braces, your smile will just sparkle, and in my eyes, you'll be very, very beautiful."

Yang Zhi said this with a slight smile.

Ding Yuerong was deeply moved by her words and decided to get braces for orthodontic treatment.

In fact, she had been very insecure about her appearance since childhood. As society developed, appearance anxiety became more severe. Fortunately, Yang Zhi had been by her side all these years, offering encouragement.

So, she wasn't a saint who would help any friend in trouble just like that. It just so happened that the friend in trouble was Yang Zhi.

Yang Zhi had changed her so much, giving her immeasurable gentleness and healing.

The little moments they shared, the beauty and happiness of their past times together, were the reasons she was willing to take care of Yang Zhi's Grandma without expecting anything in return.

Night gradually fell.

"Ah... let's go, I'm hungry," Ding Yuerong said, sounding a bit tired.

Yang Zhi looked at her and chuckled, "Yeah, me too. Let's go back quickly."

Ding Yuerong commented, "Yang Zhi's cooking is incredibly delicious. I wonder which lucky young man will get to marry you in the future."

Yang Zhi asked, "Is that so?"

Ding Yuerong nodded. "Yeah. Unless he's exceptionally outstanding, I don't think he'd be good enough for you."

Yang Zhi... she smiled faintly, remaining silent.

After returning home and finishing dinner, the two women got busy with their own tasks.

Ding Yuerong had a lot of work at her company; she was a career woman, ambitious and hardworking.

Yang Zhi was also busy organizing the insights she gained from her classes that day.

Just then, her phone buzzed with a WeChat video call.

Holding a pen in her right hand, she picked up her phone with her left and looked at it.

"Hmm? It's Ding Yebai."

Without a second thought, she answered.

Ding Yebai was momentarily stunned when he saw Yang Zhi on the video call, dressed in casual everyday clothes.

Her fair, unadorned face was already breathtakingly beautiful.

Seeing that he was silent for a long time, Yang Zhi spoke, "Why aren't you saying anything? Is it frozen?"

Ding Yebai cleared his throat and said, "No. Uh, Yang Zhi, I wanted to ask you a question."

Yang Zhi replied, "Okay. Ask away."

Ding Yebai turned the camera to show the cloze passage he was working on, then explained his question and his thoughts to Yang Zhi.

After listening, Yang Zhi nodded and said with satisfaction, "Yes, you got it right. That's great."

Ding Yebai smiled happily. Seizing the lingering excitement, he quickly sent her the scenery photos of Jinghuai he had taken the previous day.

There were blue skies, white clouds, sunset glows, trees, and so on – over ten photos in total!

Yang Zhi was taken aback when she saw the photos, as she had been expecting the next question just moments before.

Ding Yebai asked, "Yang Zhi, look, isn't the scenery of Jinghuai I took yesterday beautiful?"

Yang Zhi didn't reply. She opened the photos and scrolled through them one by one.

"Mmm..."

"How was it?"

"..."

"..."

Why isn't she saying anything?

Ding Yebai scratched his head, feeling a bit strange.

He still thought those photos he took were really good.

Sister Yang Zhi must be the type of person who likes landscape pictures.

After a while...

"I just finished looking."

"Mmm... how was it?" Ding Yebai felt a tiny bit nervous. Countless voices in his head were saying [Praise me for taking good pictures!!!] [Praise my photography talent!!]

In the video, Yang Zhi was beautiful and elegant, her eyes filled with gentleness and joy.

"To be honest, after seeing these photos, it felt like I took several deep breaths of Jinghuai's fresh air."

"Huh???"

"Haha~ Actually, what I wanted to say is that you took them beautifully. Through your photos, I can feel that the world through your eyes is incredibly beautiful. You really are a very gentle person."

Bang--!!!!!!!!

Here we go again.

After speaking, she gave that signature Yang Zhi smile.

Heart attack!!!

How could... how could anyone look at a face like that and not be moved?!

The key thing was that it was obviously natural, her emotions pouring out from within, not something she thought about for a long time to please him.

What a natural charmer, Sister Yang Zhi.

Ding Yebai moved his phone aside and, after silently reciting "The wise do not fall in love" 30 times, re-entered the frame.

Adopting a cool demeanor, he said, "Thank you. I just thought they were particularly beautiful and wanted to share them with you."

Yang Zhi nodded; she had already started looking at her report manual.

Ding Yebai: "Because you're the first person, I was a little nervous."

Yang Zhi stopped writing: "Huh? I'm the first person to see these photos?"

Ding Yebai: "Yeah. Ah... I just happened to be looking for you for a question, and then I suddenly remembered, so I sent them over on the fly, just to ask..."

Yang Zhi didn't think about it in any other way, only feeling a bit honored.

"Ahaha~ Then I really am lucky."

"..."

"And thank you again for the photos. I still like our Jinghuai water towns the most. I just arrived, and I already want to go back quickly."

Ding Yebai stared at her smiling face, his cheeks involuntarily flushing red again.

He knew deeply that if they continued chatting like this, his cool image would be ruined. So, he immediately spoke his next line: "Ahem... um, it's nothing, Sister Yang Zhi, you should get back to work. I need to study too."

Yang Zhi: "Oh, okay."

Ding Yebai: "Good, goodnight."

"Ah?" Yang Zhi blinked, then lowered her eyes and smiled helplessly and indulgently, "What time is it now..."

What a troublesome child.

Ding Yebai glanced at his watch, feeling ridiculous. His mind raced, and he nervously said, "Then... I'll say goodnight early."

Yang Zhi: "Alright." She flipped through her book and softly said, "Study hard and get some rest. Goodbye."

"Mhm."

With that, she hung up.

Ding Yebai leaned back against his chair, lazily gazing at the ceiling, and said, "No wonder my sister said you have your own unique charm. It's true, you've got me completely smitten-- not a chance!"

"Calm down!" He abruptly sat up, straightened his back, and forced himself into study mode.