The photograph showed him radiating light, his determined gaze empowering his relentless movements. This was the first time Xingxing had seen him practice, and the first time in his life that his growth process was being captured by a camera.
Ye Shaoting's parting words echoed in her mind, but her body moved forward, beyond her own control.
"Thank you," Xingxing shyly expressed her gratitude to Ye Ziyu.
The sudden two words surprised everyone present.
He had spoken. Would he be willing to play with them next?
The children secretly rubbed their hands together, their minds already filled with words to confirm their friendship.
But imagination was always beautiful, and reality was not so simple.
Xingxing spoke again, to everyone's astonishment, "I don't like taking pictures. I hope you won't photograph me again in the future."
The photos on the phone became an awkward presence. Deleting them felt wrong, but keeping them felt equally difficult. No one knew what to do.
Sensing Ye Ziyu's dilemma, Xingxing looked at the photograph and said, "I really like this photo. Can you print it and give it to me?"
This one sentence immediately resolved Ye Ziyu's predicament.
"Okay," Ye Ziyu agreed at once.
Xingxing didn't linger any longer. She picked up her practice equipment and left the back garden.
The children had hoped to seize the opportunity to speak a few words with him, but they abandoned the idea.
Di Mingjue approached Ye Ziyu and asked, "Where is your phone?"
Phone?
Ye Ziyu looked down at her palm. "It's here. What's wrong?"
The phone was in her hand, so why hadn't she answered his calls?
Di Mingjue took the phone from Ye Ziyu's hand, exited the photo album page, and looked at the missed calls displayed.
At the same time, Ye Ziyu also noticed them.
"When did it ring? I didn't hear it," Ye Ziyu retorted.
Seeing her expression, Di Mingjue felt both curious and amused. "I'd like to know that too."
Ye Ziyu took the phone back and carefully checked it. She discovered that she had turned on the Do Not Disturb mode. She had activated it during a meeting at Gu Corporation in the afternoon, fearing incoming calls. However, she had been so busy that she forgot to turn it off after work.
After explaining to Di Mingjue, he tapped her forehead. "With you like this, how can I ever feel at ease leaving you alone in a place?"
What if she became confused again one day and was easily tricked? The mere thought made Di Mingjue feel heartbroken.
He looked at Ye Ziyu seriously, recounting his worries at the time, "I almost thought you went to dinner with Gu Xiuyu and planned to come back to check on you first. If you hadn't returned, I would have conducted a carpet search for you in Sijiucheng."
A carpet search?
That seemed a bit extreme.
Ye Ziyu smiled and said, "Is it that serious? I'm not a child anymore. How could I disappear?"
Disappearing was unlikely, but he worried about other men harboring ill intentions towards her.
Mentioning Gu Xiuyu, Ye Ziyu recalled what she saw at Gu Corporation. "Old Master Gu is ill, and it looks quite serious."
"How do you know? Did Gu Xiuyu give you the news?" Di Mingjue's jealousy flared instantly.
Ye Ziyu shook her head and explained, "This afternoon, when I went to Gu Corporation with the person in charge, I encountered Old Master Gu. He looked very weak and coughed a lot. I only learned about his illness from a conversation between him and his assistant."
"Didn't Gu Xiuyu take him to see a doctor?" Di Mingjue asked casually.
He wasn't particularly interested in the Gu family's affairs, as they were rivals in love. Ye Ziyu's attention to them implied a close relationship with Gu Xiuyu.
"Gu Xiuyu isn't at the company, nor is he at home. It seems he had an argument with Old Master Gu last time and hasn't returned since. Old Master Gu doesn't know where he is either," Ye Ziyu informed him.