Chapter 40 The Courage to Change Destiny

The butterfly fluttered down on the grass and flowers.

Shen Jixing sat at the stone table next to the fountain. Something bit and pulled at his drooping trouser legs: "Is this the puppy you raised?"

The girl looked down and suddenly looked embarrassed.

"Doudou, sit down."

The previous instructions were completely ineffective. The little yellow dog bit Shen Jixing's trouser legs and licked and rubbed them. A slight blush of embarrassment appeared on the girl's face.

"Mr. Shen, I'm sorry. Doudou really likes some... beautiful things."

She pretended to bend down to hug the puppy.

Shen Jixing scanned the thick bandage around her wrist: "Forget it, it doesn't matter."

The girl withdrew her hand and hid silently.

Shen Jixing didn't ask anything, but just poured a cup of flower tea calmly: "Beautiful things?"

"I, I don't mean to say that you are not a human being..."

“…”

The girl quickly explained: "Doudou likes beautiful things. He likes flowers, butterflies, fountains, crystal balls, the starry sky at night, and clean eyes..."

"Do you like Fang Sigan?" Shen Jixing asked indifferently.

Ruan Jia: “…………”

Thinking of how Doudou would bark like crazy every time he saw Fang Sigan, and leave excrement on his shoes as a souvenir.

The girl shook her head slightly.

Fang Sigan beat Doudou when she was away, and Doudou never liked him.

But Ruan Jia said nothing, even though they broke up.

She would not slander Fang Siqian in any way.

"A pet's personality follows its owner." Shen Jixing glanced at the short-legged little yellow dog running over with a flower in its mouth, "Maybe you taught it what beauty is."

Ruan Jia was startled, her eyes seemed to be slightly red.

"Mr. Shen, you are looking for me." She asked in a gentle voice, "What is it?"

Shen Jixing said "hmm" lightly, took out a photo from his pocket, and slowly pushed it across the lime-colored tabletop.

“Did you take this photo?”

Ruan Jia lowered her eyes and fingernailed her transparent nails, not daring to look up.

She actually guessed which photo it would be.

The passionate kissing photo that has been on the hot search for a long time, although her profile is blurred, it is not difficult for Actor Shen to get the uncensored photo.

Or maybe, it was the photo taken on a rainy night that made Fang Sigan a top-tier star and changed his fate.

All from her hands.

She is also the protagonist.

"No, I don't..." But she would still protect Fang Siqian.

When Ruan Jia's eyes fell on the photo, they froze for a moment.

Neither.

It's a very ordinary photo.

The albizzia trees are blooming luxuriantly in the wilderness, their branches covered with clusters of pink flowers, which are blown by the hot spring wind, shaking off a rain of flowers all over the sky.

There stood a thin figure under the rain of flowers.

Ruan Jia didn't notice at all at that time, but the background was surprisingly familiar.

"Is it you...?"

She looked at Shen Jixing in shock.

"Yeah." Shen Jixing nodded lightly, a thin mist covering his eyebrows and eyes. His tone was light and casual, "I have always wanted to find the photographer of the photo, but she has never appeared in any public occasion."

Ruan Jia slowly lowered her eyes. How could a photographer not want to appear in the public eye?

It was Fang Sigan who didn't want her to show up.

"It wasn't until yesterday that I saw this photo in the archives," said Shen Jixing.

"What information?" Ruan Jia asked blankly.

She once shared these photos on Weibo, but quickly deleted them completely.

Shen Jixing was silent for two seconds: "I asked someone to check the dirt on Fang Siqian."

"……oh."

That was a little embarrassing.

"Want to hear the story of this tree?" Shen Jixing pushed the scented tea in front of her.

For some reason, Ruan Jia had never met Shen Jixing before, but this cold and aloof person was surprisingly calm and gentle to her.

She guessed it was because of the photo.

"I know a little bit about it," Ruan Jia said. "This tree is the oldest flower tree, but it had been dry for many years. When it suddenly bloomed, it attracted countless people to come and see it. Photographers from all over the country went to take pictures of the magnificent scene... I was one of them."

After saying this, she looked a little stunned.

It's been a long time since she called herself...a photographer.

Since I met Fang Siqian.

"Yes." Shen Jixing said, "This wasteland was originally a man-made ski resort. I don't know why this tree was preserved, but flowers and trees cannot survive the winter. Even after the ski resort was demolished, it never grew again."

Ruan Jia's eyes were slightly red: "It's so pitiful."

The trees are good, the ski resort is bad.

No, it's the people who built the ski resort who are bad.

Shen Jixing chuckled and said, "I've wanted to see a tree of the Chinese albizzia tree for a while, but there are no other trees of the Chinese albizzia tree in Langan City, only this one that has become a dead tree."

Shen Jixing occasionally went to water it.

I recall someone once said that the flower language of the Albizia Julibrissin is——

Husband and wife live in harmony, love each other forever, and remain loyal until death.

The albizzia tree outside the piano room was planted by him and his mother, and has witnessed all his happiness, separations, joys and sorrows.

“The day I gave up, it blossomed.”

Just that one grand scene.

From then on, it completely became a dead tree.

Even plant experts can't figure out why it suddenly blooms.

"Perhaps, plants are sentient," Ruan Jia said softly. "The pomegranate tree in my hometown only produces one big and sweet fruit a year, but when I was a kid I wanted to eat two."

"I kept begging it to bear two fruits. It really did bear two fruits that year, but it died on the day the fruits were ripe."

"Grandma said it used up all its nutrients and finally produced two fruits for me."

The girl is very sensitive and meticulous, and she will remember even a plant for a long time.

She said, "Perhaps that grand scene was opened just for you, Mr. Shen."

Shen Jixing looked at her quietly and said, "Thank you."

"It really gave me the courage to change my destiny."

Ruan Jia was stunned... Change her fate?

Shen Jixing didn't plan to say more: "It's a pity that the blooming was too short-lived. I am very grateful that you helped me record it. Perhaps this is the meaning of photography, even a moment can be forever."

It's like a stone falling into the sea of ​​my heart.

It creates ripples.

There seemed to be tears in the girl's eyes.

The meaning of photography is that a moment can also become eternity.

As the sky gradually darkened, Shen Jixing did not linger any longer. Ruan Jia looked up at him and asked, "Did you come here just to ask about this photo?"

Isn’t it because of... Fang Siqian?

Shen Jixing stood on the lawn in the sunset, with the crystal clear fountain behind him. He curled his lips and chuckled:

"Maybe he's not worth my special trip."

The water color was reflected in Ruan Jia's eyes. She seemed to open her mouth to say something, but finally she closed it with a stammer.

Until a thin and slender hand placed a piece of information in front of her.

"Photographer Ruan."

"I think everyone should have the courage to change their destiny."

This was the original intention of his trip.

The talented young female photographer who suddenly disappeared should not be buried in the long river of darkness.

Give up your life three times for one person.

"If you change your mind, you can always contact me."

Shen Jixing paused before leaving, tilted his eyes and said to her softly:

"I hope that next time, you will appear in front of me instead of me looking for you in the crowd."

The slender and dignified figure disappeared into the dusk.

Like a dream she woke up from in the afternoon

Ruan Jia gently opened the file bag, and photos fell out. She picked them up and looked at them puzzledly, her eyes widened and her fingers trembled slightly.

These are——

Photos of Fang Siqian hanging out with other girls.