June 15th was graduation photo day for the Finance Class of 1.
At 9:00 AM, Wen Rou arrived in the classroom wearing her graduation gown.
"Haha, I think I'm a very sincere person. Look at my sincere eyes." Wen Rou stared straight at Cheng Qingcheng, trying to make her case more persuasive.
"Uh, I don't see much of it, though," Cheng Qingcheng said with an innocent expression.
Wen Rou held back a smile. "What are you talking about? They're practically sparkling. Take another close look."
"No way, if I look any longer, I'm going to get dazed. The galaxy in your eyes is enough to make a person lose their soul." At that moment, Cheng Qingcheng felt herself falling under a spell.
"Class monitor, I never knew you were so good at complimenting people."
"You're just as bad. I never imagined that the usually quiet Wen Rou would be so down-to-earth."
"Hey, it's just that the academic pressure used to be so heavy, and my parents kept me busy studying all kinds of things. How was I supposed to find time to mess around?"
"That's why you're the amazing one. You just studied during class and reviewed before exams, yet you still did so well. If you had actually put in real effort, you would have completely crushed the rest of us."
"Not really. You have no idea how long I studied in secret. All the glamour is up front, but behind the scenes, it's sheer misery." Wen Rou gave a bitter laugh, her brows furrowing.
"Hahaha, confirmed by our eye contact—we're the exact same kind of person. Hey, it feels like we're only truly getting to know each other today. We need to keep in touch after graduation! You're so pretty and humorous—just think how much face it gives me to tell people that Wen Rou is both my friend and my classmate."
"Deal! Please take good care of me from now on, future great finance expert." The two of them bantered back and forth brilliantly.
Wen Rou wasn't sure if her past self had intentionally tried to build connections, but entering such a prestigious university meant her classmates were a natural network of resources. Naturally, she had to get on good terms with talent like Cheng Qingcheng. Since the other girl was handing her a ladder, Wen Rou was certainly going to climb it.
"So, speaking of which, are you definitely going to enter the entertainment industry?"
"Yes. Ever since I was little, I've envied those stars who sing and dance. My parents couldn't wear me down, so they finally signed me up to take talent classes. When I grew up, they intercepted all those talent scouts, saying that if my mind still hadn't changed after I graduated from college, they'd let me enter the industry then."
"Oh, your aunt and uncle are so smart! Doing that was the right choice. Back then, you weren't mature yet, and even if you had entered the industry, it wouldn't have done you any good. Now you're graduating from a top university, so you've got a safety net and a fallback plan. Since you really want to get into showbiz, I'm going to give you a surprise this afternoon."
"What kind of surprise? Tell me, let me hear it," Wen Rou asked with curiosity.
"If I tell you now, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore. Just wait for it," Cheng Qingcheng said with a playful smile, making her Siwen, quiet face look all the more lively.
"Fine, I can't wait."
"Then sit at your desk and rest for now. The graduation photos start at 10:00, and I've got work to do. We'll stand together when we take the pictures, okay?"
"Mmm-hmm, I'll wait for you."
Wen Chen: OK
When it was time for the graduation photos, Wen Rou and Cheng Qingcheng stood together, but Wen Rou was a whole head taller than her, so Cheng Qingcheng simply stepped up onto a higher tier of the steps.
Following the photographer's instructions, the class took two sets of photos: one formal and proper, and the other youthful, unrestrained, bold, and lively.
Next came free time. Both Wen Rou and Cheng Qingcheng wanted to leave traces of their youth all over the campus, so they went around taking pictures and making memories in all the spots students frequented.
Mindful of Wen Rou's instructions, Wen Chen had brought his SLR camera with him when he arrived.
They took pictures in the classroom where Wen Rou often had lectures, in the campus pavilion, by the bustling library... and finally, on the sports field where they had once sweat it out. The collection included solo shots of Wen Rou, as well as group photos with Wen Chen and Cheng Qingcheng.
Over the past few years of university, Wen Chen had visited a few times. He wasn't a stranger to the campus; on the contrary, a school with Wen Rou in it felt warm to him, and he also wanted Wen Rou to leave her mark at his own university.
During their photo shoot, many classmates, as well as younger students, came up to take pictures with them. After all, both upperclassmen were extremely famous—one was the campus belle, who during her school years had been as elusive as a mythical dragon, while the other was a formidable figure active in competitions across Beijing universities.
Now that they were graduating, with no word yet on whether they would pursue graduate studies, this might well be their first and only group photo together.
"Hey, you know, I think you going into the entertainment industry isn't a bad idea after all. The feeling of being liked by people is actually pretty nice," Cheng Qingcheng suddenly remarked with a sigh of emotion.
"It must be because the brilliance of your former academic-genius aura was too blinding, which scared the underclassmen away." Normally, Cheng Qingcheng was an even more aloof and unapproachable presence than Wen Rou.
"Haha, it's just that before, I thought acting like that was cool. Now that I've grown up, I actually don't want to maintain a persona anymore—it's too exhausting." Cheng Qingcheng shrugged, speaking with unexpected candor.
"Everyone goes through that phase. I used to be the same way. After experiencing a few months of life as an extra tagging along on film sets, I had a realization."
"What?" Cheng Qingcheng had always assumed this sheltered little rich girl couldn't weather any storms; she hadn't expected her to be capable of enduring hardship. From today on, her impression of Wen Rou was no longer one-sided.
"Well, once I enter the industry, I'll probably have to pull some strings and make use of my backing. Why not use the connections and support you have? Otherwise, as a complete newcomer with no formal background in acting, wouldn't I just be marching straight to the slaughterhouse?"
"Look at that seasoned mindset of yours—I'd almost suspect you were an old hand who's been knocking around society for years. But Wen Rou, you're right to think that way. With your parents around, and with me here too, just go on and make your way in the world with peace of mind." Knowing how stubborn Wen Rou's temper was, Wen Chen was afraid she might act like those brainless characters in TV shows who insisted they wanted to rely solely on themselves. Why didn't they just fly up to the sky, then?
"Hehe, okay, Big Brother!" Wen Rou laughed out loud, her star-filled eyes shining even brighter.