Meng Yan's Transformation

Chapter 628 Zhan Mengyan visits the photo studio again

After counting her heartbeats three times, Zhan Mengyan finally gave up on the idea of ​​borrowing a bicycle.

"It'll be a 30-minute walk, right?" she murmured to herself, looking at the willow tree in front of the teaching building. The tree's shadows sliced ​​the sunlight into golden foil. She walked along the base of the wall, her Feiyue sneakers crunching through the fallen leaves. As she passed the basketball court, she heard cheers, but instinctively bypassed the quietest tree-lined path.

The asphalt road surface was steaming with heat, and the sound of cicadas sang a net that hung down from above.

Zhan Mengyan decided to walk to the photo studio to pick up the photos. She stepped forward, her shoes rubbing against the scorching ground, making a slight "squeak" sound. The shadows of the trees were dappled, but they could not block the sharp edge of the sun. The air was filled with the scorching smell of asphalt and wild grass.

Memories from a week ago vividly surfaced in the sweltering air, carried on the rhythm of my footsteps.

It was a scorching afternoon like this. My sister—the one with a faint jasmine scent and a smile brighter than the sun—took her hand and led her to the photo studio. My sister helped fix her wind-blown bangs, her fingers warm with familiar touch. My sister put her arm around her shoulder, and in the small space, her warm breath brushed against her ear, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor. Her eyes held a barely perceptible flush. The shutter clicked, freezing the smile, and seemingly solidifying a farewell that was about to begin.

At this moment, Zhan Mengyan walked alone on the scorching road, her thoughts drifting far away—her sister had already boarded a train to a distant city to work. Was her sister also enduring the same sweltering heat? Could she find a shady spot under an unfamiliar roof? Her sister always reported good news and never bad. In her dreams, her sister's laughter was still clear and crisp, but Zhan Mengyan knew that behind that laughter lay untold weariness and homesickness. She kicked a pebble by the roadside, and the pebble rolled into the grass, startling a grasshopper. Sister, do you sometimes pause in this foreign land, missing this small county town, missing the times we huddled together in front of the camera?

The glass of the photo studio finally came into Zhan Mengyan's view, reflecting a blinding light. Zhan Mengyan quickened her pace; the heat was still intense, the cicadas still chirped. But clutching the photo receipt, as if carrying a burden of concern for her sister, her steps seemed to carry a heavy, warm weight in this scorching summer afternoon.

The young photographer stood behind the glass door of the photo studio, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead, his gaze fixed intently on the street across—the path Zhan Mengyan and Zhan Yingying had walked a week earlier. He clutched a stack of photos in his hand, his fingertips slightly white with nervousness. These were portraits of Zhan Mengyan and Zhan Yingying taken at his Guangming Photo Studio a week ago, to be picked up today. To the young photographer, the sisters Zhan Mengyan and Zhan Yingying were more than just clients; they were like long-lost friends, and he was now meeting them with a heart pounding with anticipation.

The doorbell rang, and Zhan Mengyan pushed the door open and entered, as light as a breeze. She wore a light blue shirt, her hair was gilded by the sunlight, and her smile was like a summer flower in full bloom.

"Hello, sir! I'm here to pick up the photos!" Zhan Mengyan's clear voice instantly ignited a spark in the young photographer's eyes. He almost jumped up, rushing forward with overwhelming joy. It was as if he had reunited with a long-lost friend: "Mengyan! You've finally come!" His words were filled with excitement, and the photos nearly fell to the ground as he waved his arm. He eagerly handed over the manila envelope containing the photos, his fingertips almost lightly touching the back of Zhan Mengyan's hand, conveying a silent surge of emotion.