?Chapter 66: 066 Terror   Chapter 66: 066 Terror                                   “Mm-hmm, I believe you,” Nan Qing nodded in agreement, but before Fu Han could heave a sigh of relief, Nan Qing was already smiling and speaking again, “Just during the time we’ve been staying here, I’ve seen you two embrace countless times, no, and kiss several times too.”


    Fu Han’s eyes reddened in distress, “It was all him forcing me, I…”


    “Once might be force, but several times can’t be, right? Many times you clearly could have dodged.” Nan Qing leaned against the door from afar, looking at Fu Han as if she was watching someone from another world, “To reject someone, you must do so with both actions and words. If it’s just actions, it’s easy for people to misunderstand as ying hard to get.”


    Fu Han spent the whole night pondering over Nan Qing’s words. Her heart had never changed, yearning for freedom; yet, as Nan Qing said, her behavior with He Xing was still too ambiguous.


    Although not once did she willingly partake, the reurring incidents inevitably gave others the impression that she was calcting and crafty, stringing He Xing along.


    Indeed, the reason she couldn’t sleep tonight had something to do with He Xing, but it wasn’t what Nan Qing thought.


    She unceremoniously refused the organizers of Walk the World, but considering the previous inte controversy, she felt it necessary tomunicate with He Xing about it in advance, so both were prepared.


    …


    Life returned to tranquility, and the next evening, He Xing found anotherme excuse to visit apartment 2501. This time, however, Fu Han had wised up. As soon as he arrived, she dove into her studio and, for good measure, locked the door from the inside.


    Later on, ording to Nan Qing, He Xing wandered around the apartment by himself for a while, then left before long.


    During this period, Fu Han was busy preparing for the Walk the World Photography Competition. Although the final round required only one photo, based on Luo Qinghe’s advice, it was best to have several valuable photos prepared before the finals.


    She hade to a decision – since she wouldn’t withdraw from thepetition, she had to give her best performance and ideally win the championship. It was another way for her to prove herself.


    Thus, Fu Han took a leave from herpany and spent each day leaving early and returning home after dark. In a rather short period, she had scoured almost every corner of City A.


    Sometimes, Luo Qinghe would call her, and they would both grab their backpacks, carrying DSLRs, and traverse hills and rivers.


    Their mode of interaction was veryfortable for Fu Han. Luo Qinghe often stayed quiet for half a day, and the few times he spoke, his words were impactful. With him, there was no need to struggle for conversation topics, and silence never felt awkward.


    With Luo Qinghe’s guidance, Fu Han felt her photography skills markedly improved right before her eyes.


    She had expressed her gratitude to Luo Qinghe, but he didn’t take it to heart, merely saying he was helping her because of her rtions with Su Cheng.


    Fu Han rarely argued with Luo Qinghe, but she resolved that if she really won a prize, she would make sure to properly thank him.


    During this time, there were still people insulting her online, but she no longer bothered with negativements.


    She always kept in mind what Nan Qing had said, “Since you didn’t use He Xing and Luo Qinghe for backdoor deals, you have nothing to fear if you are true to yourself. Just work hard, don’t mind the rest.”


    …


    The day of the Walk the World Photography Competition finals approached quickly, and Fu Han had almost fully recovered her hand. Although she couldn’t carry a DSLR for hours on end like before, she was much better than when she was first injured and couldn’t leave the hospital.


    A few days earlier, Jiangshan Gallery had already be quite lively. Paparazzi gathered searching for the best shooting spots as the venue was being set up.


    Early in the morning, Su Cheng was waiting downstairs for Fu Han to pick her and Nan Qing up.


    He Xing had told Fu Han a few days earlier that he would be busy and advised her to head to thepetition venue by herself. He would arrive before it started.


    When Fu Han and her group got there, the vast Square in front of the Jiangshan Gallery was already filled with many people, mainly paparazzi with cameras raised.


    As soon as she appeared, many started yelling, “Quick, take pictures, that’s Fu Han!”


    Click, click.


    After a cascade of shes, Fu Han finally entered Jiangshan Ruhua with the help of Su Cheng and Nan Qing.


    They found a quiet corner to settle in, and Fu Han looked at them apologetically, “I’m sorry, it seems I’ve caused trouble for you both.”


    “Why say that?” Nan Qing pped her shoulder dismissively, “If you really feel sorry for us, then just do your bestter, and don’t disappoint us.”


    “Don’t say that,” Su Cheng protested in concurrence, “Fu Han is already amazing just by participating in thepetition. It doesn’t matter if she ces or not.”


    As time ticked by, thepetition was about to start when a group of people dressed in ck suits appeared. Among them was Luo Qinghe.


    Fu Han immediately realized that they were today’s judges.


    The final began quickly. The works of the fifteen contestants were erged and disyed on the pre-built stage for the judges to score one by one.


    Out of a perfect ten, Fu Han’s work scored nine. Only two contestants scored higher than her, a result that was quite decent, at least to a level she could ept.


    The next part was the live photographypetition where each participant received identical props. They were to take photos without any edits, and the best work, as judged by the same scoring system, would emerge.


    Themittee allotted half an hour for the photography session. Fu Han eyed the bright red apple, lemon, and kiwi before her, wondering how to arrange these vibrant colors to create apelling photograph.


    He Xing, seated in the VIP section, had never taken his eyes off Fu Han. With such proximity, he saw every expression on her face clearly.


    He left the VIP area and walked toward Fu Han. The audience seating erupted with calls of astonishment; it seemed people recognized them from the online incident.


    Fu Han turned at the sound, and instinctively stepped back to create distance between them, guarded as she inquired, “What are you doing here?”


    He Xing was about to whisper in Fu Han’s ear when her stepping back surprised him. He also took a step back and in a voice that only they could hear said, “The organizers gave you these three items not to use them all in one shot, but to choose. It’s up to you which one you decide to use.”


    A spark of insight shed through Fu Han’s mind; she remembered Luo Qinghe saying something simr. She nced toward the judges’ section, her gaze locking with Luo Qinghe’s in mid-air.


    Luo Qinghe sat squarely amidst the panel of judges, donning a sharp suit. It was the first time she saw him so formally dressed, as if he had shed his youthful naivety and suddenly matured into a formidable man.


    To be fair, he did look striking.


    “Hey, I’m talking to you, did you hear me?” He Xing tapped Fu Han’s arm, his handsome face clouded with an ominous storm.