After the round of recruitment interviews ended, Qiu Xi no longer participated in the club interviews of her three roommates. On normal days, besides classes, she was preparing for the preliminary rounds of a speech competition.
So, when she had free time, Qiu Xi would go to the teacher's office for a cup of tea.
However, on this day off, Qiu Xi planned to go out because it was time for Hua Linglong's belated birthday party.
Thinking she had ample time, the two had made an appointment with the photography studio a few days prior to take photos.
Before leaving, Qiu Xi went online to look up necessary equipment for photo shoots. She spent most of the day preparing before setting off.
She also brought the birthday gifts from her parents and her girlfriends, planning to first have a princess-themed birthday photoshoot, and then take photos with Hua Linglong as close friends.
Finally, they set off. To save time, the two agreed to meet directly at the photography studio.
After getting out of the car, Qiu Xi, across a wide road, saw Hua Linglong walking towards the entrance of the photography building and hurried over.
She quickly reached Hua Linglong from behind and called out, "Linglong, I'm here."
Turning her head, Hua Linglong looked a bit surprised. It was indeed a timely meeting. "Perfect, let's go in together."
"Let's go."
After the two entered, they discovered the photography studio was quite large, and there were many people taking photos.
Led by a staff member, the two finally found the correct room.
Then came the makeup, hairstyling, and dressing up. These alone took a considerable amount of time.
Next was the photoshoot. The photographer barked instructions from the side, followed by the clicking of the shutter.
Initially, they were a bit reserved, but then Hua Linglong kept talking and chatting beside her, and Qiu Xi gradually got into the mood. It also helped that she was good-looking, which could salvage her appearance on camera.
After taking photos of herself for half the day, Qiu Xi felt utterly drained.
Finally, following the makeup artist, and with Hua Linglong getting her styling done too, they started taking couple photos.
The two were already as familiar as could be. With the photographer guiding them, Qiu Xi felt no pressure posing with her close friend.
After spending the entire day, the two finally emerged from the photography studio. Seeing the text.
Stepping out of the studio, Hua Linglong began to complain, "Taking photos has worn me out so much. When we have time later, I must call the other two and let them experience it too, to see how much effort is needed for beautiful pictures."
"I haven't even said anything yet. I took photos for twice as long, and now I can't straighten my back. I feel like going on strike," Qiu Xi truly felt the pain, having sacrificed so much for a photo shoot.
Qiu Xi now just wanted to find a place to sit down and recharge. "No, I need to find a place to recover quickly."
Hua Linglong, also eager to rest, said, "Then you look properly, and we'll decide where to go."
"I originally wanted to go out and have some fun with you, but now I'm so tired, it's better to just find a trendy cafe to sit down."
"Let's go, let's go. We can talk about having fun after we rest."
"Then let's go to that one up ahead."
"Okay, let's go."
The moment they walked into the shop and sat down, taking a sip of milk tea made Qiu Xi feel utterly comfortable.
"Let's just rest here for a while," Hua Linglong said, looking at the menu beside her.
"Mm."
So, the two ordered a pile of delicious food. When it arrived, they started eating and chatting.
"We still have to wait a while for the photos, but I'm already getting impatient," Hua Linglong said, starting to talk about the photos they had just taken during their break.
"Yes, we do have to wait."
"Are we still going out to play later?"
Qiu Xi glanced out the window. "I don't think so. It's getting a bit late. Let's just stroll around the shops and then head back."
"That works too. Let me rest first."
"No rush, take your time. Let's eat well and rest well." Reading.
"Haha~ Alright~"
Then, they spent their time happily eating and drinking in the shop, and after finishing, they lingered for a while longer before walking out.