When they were about to head to the neighbor’s place, Zhao Chun suddenly got excited. He grabbed his cara and eagerly gestured, "Yanyan, stand under the pogranate tree in the yard. Uncle will take a picture of you."
ng Shuyan, full of curiosity, obediently stood under the pogranate tree. He placed one tiny hand on the tree trunk, his small body standing perfectly straight. He pressed his small lips together into a tight line, his expression solemn and focused, his bright eyes shining. All he lacked was lifting a hand to salute.
Honestly, at monts like these, one could faintly see a trace of Jiang Jinghuai in him. Tian Sangsang’s heart ached a little as she shook her head, trying to push away the thought. What was the point of dwelling on him?
"Yanyan, give a military salute," Zhao Chun instructed.
ng Shuyan raised his little hand, his big eyes narrowing sharply.
"Yes, yes, exactly like that! So cool! Let’s have another shot!" Zhao Chun clicked the shutter, capturing the scene effortlessly.
Tian Sangsang, observing from the side, added, "Yanyan, smile for the second picture."
At once, ng Shuyan broke into a wide grin, his little white teeth gleaming, his eyes sparkling like black obsidian.
Ai, the transformation was too fast. Son, you truly are such a rcurial little demon.
With a press of the shutter, Zhao Chun captured another shot. Shortly after, the two photos were developed and printed.
"Wow, Yanyan’s getting cuter by the day!" Zhao Chun exclaid.
ng Shuyan ran over with a clatter of steps, shouting excitedly, "Let see! Let see~"
The child in the photograph—wasn’t that him? Such a handso face: big bright eyes, arched eyebrows, rosy little lips, and pearly white teeth. He looked a bit like Dad, a bit like Mom, and even a bit like Chun Zisu. Giggling foolishly, ng Shuyan held up the photo and showed it to Tian Sangsang.
Tian Sangsang took one look and had to admit, it was utterly adorable.
"Why don’t you two take a photo together?" she suggested to Zhao Chun.
"Sure!" Zhao Chun agreed without hesitation, leading ng Shuyan back under the tree.
ng Shuyan obediently stood by his side at his feet, and the two exchanged a soft smile, as if they’d rehearsed it.
Perfect—it didn’t even need a "say cheese."
But Tian Sangsang wasn’t quite satisfied. She arched her elegant eyebrows and ordered, "You two, strike a pose."
"What’s ’pose’ an, Mom?" ng Shuyan asked innocently, pursing his lips.
Zhao Chun patted his little head, replying, "Uncle knows—it ans ’position’ or ’posture.’"
With that, he lifted ng Shuyan into the air. The little guy suddenly soared upward and cheered in delight, sitting atop Zhao Chun’s left shoulder.
Tian Sangsang was startled. They were just supposed to strike a pose—how had this escalated into such dramatic acrobatics? They’d gone straight for an artsy dynamic shot. Impressive.
Zhao Chun looked just like so suave modern leading man. Dressed simply in a crisp white shirt and slate-gray casual trousers, his face was clean and refined, and his features were strikingly handso. He had a refreshing and neat aura about him, the kind of person who would still look good even with a shaved head. And ng Shuyan? He was just downright adorable. Together, their pose seed straight out of a "Dad, Where Are We Going?" episode.
Tian Sangsang squinted critically for a mont. Honestly, at a glance, they looked kind of alike. But she was sure—positively sure—she hadn’t cheated.
Click. The scene was captured in an instant.
"Don’t move! Let’s take a few more shots. Try a couple more poses," Tian Sangsang encouraged.
Zhao Chun looked stumped. "Huh? What other poses? The one I just did is all I know."
ng Shuyan sighed dramatically and spread his arms in exasperation. "That was your pose?"
Tian Sangsang raised her hand and made a peace sign, then pointed it toward her right cheek with an exaggerated eye-roll. "Now this—this is a pose, understand?"
She struck another pose, placing her left hand on her hip and tilting her chin slightly upward with a look of condescending indifference. "Like this."
Then she puffed her cheeks, widened her peach blossom eyes, and blinked once. "Like this."
Finally, she pouted her red lips into a soft pout, widened her eyes even more, and continued to act cute. "And like this."
She frad her face with both hands into a flower shape—adorable. She made heart gestures with her hands in front of her cheeks—sweet as candy—then lifted her hands above her head to form a big heart—utterly playful.
A glimr of amazent flashed across Zhao Chun’s dark eyes, but mostly he looked overwheld—half shocked, half horrified. He had three thoughts: Tian Sangsang looked stunning like this; won were truly terrifying; and weren’t these poses only for won? No way he was doing them!
But before he could voice any objections, ng Shuyan tugged on his large hand and shook it enthusiastically, his laughter ringing like a bell. "Mom’s so cute! Chun Zisu, I wanna do that! Let’s learn from Mom!"
Zhao Chun: Can I refuse? Can I decline?
He cast a pleading look at Tian Sangsang, silently begging for help.
"You seem excited, Zhao Chun. Your eyes are practically sparkling," she teased with a grin. "Well, let’s begin. Did you morize all the poses earlier? It’s a seven-shot series."
Zhao Chun winced, furrowing his brows deeply. The first pose he struck looked like he’d bitten into a bitter lon.
But as soon as ng Shuyan broke out into peals of laughter, Zhao Chun found himself forgetting all about how feminine the poses were. Without a trace of embarrassnt, he struck the entire set of poses. Once the session was over, Zhao Chun said with a cheeky smile, "Yanyan, do you want to take pictures with your mom too?"
ng Shuyan’s eyes lit up as he beckoned with his hand. "Mom, co quick! Let’s take a set together~"
No, son, don’t drag your mom into this!
It was clear that ng Shuyan had beco totally hooked on taking pictures and was thoroughly enjoying the entire process.
In truth, during their younger years, everyone was into these silly poses. But as people got older, they started labeling those sa poses as foolish. Of course, it all depended on one’s looks. If you were good-looking, it was endearing; if not, it was just plain stupid. Oh, and by the way, another word for "stupid" is "cute."
While Tian Sangsang was willing to strike poses, she wasn’t thrilled about being photographed. After all, that would leave solid evidence.
Zhao Chun, however, was anything but considerate. "Co on, Sangsang. Don’t waste Yanyan’s well-intentioned request."
Tian Sangsang grinned, flashing a row of pearly teeth.
Zhao Chun’s knees almost buckled—but clearly, he wasn’t as scared anymore. Back in the day, Tian Sangsang’s blackened aura, combined with her starkly white teeth, had been a startling contrast. He still had nightmares of her towering figure, complete with bear-like strength as she carried him in a princess hold. Those mories had left him deeply scarred. Especially that eerie, chilling smile of hers.
But now, Tian Sangsang’s smile was undeniably beautiful. Her arched brows and crescent-shaped eyes were stunning, utterly enchanting. Not even the slightest trace of fright lingered. On the contrary, she could easily dazzle soone dizzy. Moreover, she was no longer taller or heavier than him, and there was no longer any fear of being carried in a princess hold. So what was there to be afraid of?
Zhao Chun took a deep, calming breath, collecting himself.
"No way, Yanyan," Tian Sangsang suddenly said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
ng Shuyan’s little lips quivered, and his face fell as if he’d just been turned down.
"We’re mother and son, so we need to take parent-child photos. We’re not like you and Chun Zisu. Besides, doing the sa set of poses twice gets boring. Here, let Mom teach you new poses."
Instantly, ng Shuyan’s mood brightened again.
Zhao Chun was dumbfounded.
Scanning the surroundings, Tian Sangsang’s eyes landed on the stone bench. She picked up ng Shuyan and placed him on top of it, her excitent palpable. "Here, hug Mom’s waist."
Zhao Chun glanced over. The result was a sweet scene of a son hugging his mother, his little head nestled in her embrace, his eyes sparkling like stars. The tenderness was heart-lting. Then ca new angles: ng Shuyan standing on the bench kissing Tian Sangsang’s cheek, her returning the gesture; holding him tightly in her arms; piggyback poses; Tian Sangsang cradling his small body as he stood on the bench. A whole loving sequence of shots.
The woman in the photos radiated warmth and gentleness. Zhao Chun found himself montarily stunned. Truthfully, Tian Sangsang had felt weighed down earlier, her heart heavy and bitter. But as she held her son’s soft, small body while they posed together, she suddenly realized that, ultimately, children are the best thing in life. The kid’s father? Pfft—who cares?
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