Leisurely Traveler with Check-in System

She must understand.

She understands that the blank spaces hidden within his compositions are not emptiness but a breath given to time.

She understands that the light and shadow he captures are not for show, but the gentle touch that falls just right on her brows.

She understands that the images in these films are not static ”beauty” captured by the lens, but flowing, vibrant authenticity that need not be bound by photos.

Her desire to delete them is not a denial of his technique—it’s an extreme acknowledgment.

She knows how good these photos are, good enough to become specimens, but how could a true artistic soul willingly let the fleeting beauty become a cold carrier?

What she wants is not a picture to flaunt.

It is the quiet understanding between them as he pressed the shutter, the fortunate light falling on her hair, the unspeakable resonance itself.

Just as he never insists on exhibitions and collections, she does not insist on the preservation of images.

Delete them, and the beauty remains eternally in that moment, pure, complete, without a trace of excess—this is the highest recognition of his photography skills, understood only by those in harmony, as a steadfast commitment to reality and the moment.

Ha, thinking about it this way, it turns out she outdid him.

But Lu Ye thought for a moment and still shook his head, saying, ”This is not a photo, it is the shape of the light, the trace of the wind at this very moment.”

His fingertip pointed on the camera screen, ”The film doesn’t capture beauty, but your naturally unfurling authenticity in that instant.”

Then he casually said, ”Keep it—as a tangible piece of old memories, not for others, but for the you in the future.”

Jing Chaoyi was beside him, looking somewhat odd, while Liu Li frowned directly, ”What on earth are you chattering about?”

Suddenly, she realized something, and looked at the skinny, tall man with a bushy beard speechlessly, ”Ah? Do you think this photo looks very good?”

The sudden counter-question momentarily froze Lu Ye’s expression.

He certainly never doubted his photography skills, but being questioned so bluntly by someone, with a tone that clearly implied ”I don’t think your photography skills are that great,” he really didn’t know how to respond, feeling a bit awkward at the moment.

And this awkwardness quickly turned into some annoyance, as he had never been humiliated by a model like this before.

What... what does this count as?

Is it that this girl in front doesn’t understand at all, lacking aesthetics, not appreciating photography... or is she playing a little game of hard to get?

He shook his head, his tone cooling down, ”Alright then, if that’s the case, delete them.”

Liu Li quickly leaned over and said, ”You must not secretly keep them, delete them all!”

Lu Ye felt he’d suffered another blow and finally decided not to hold on, quickly deleting the photos in front of Liu Li.

Honestly, he was a bit heartbroken.

At this point, he no longer had the mood to continue photographing, then glanced at Li Younan beside him, sighing slightly, ”Sorry, photography somewhat depends on the mood; I’ll help you take photos next time.”

At this point, he hadn’t realized that Li Younan and Liu Li were a couple, considering they hadn’t talked since he came in; he just took them as two tourists staying in the bed and breakfast.

Li Younan shrugged indifferently, ”Alright.”

Having been struck, Lu Ye planned to head back to his room for a rest, then asked Jing Chaoyi at the counter, ”Does the upstairs have hair dryers? I need to blow my beard after washing my face.”

Jing Chaoyi replied, ”Yes, yes, every room is equipped with a hair dryer.”

Lu Ye nodded, ready to leave when his gaze was suddenly drawn to a corner of the bar—that was a developed photo.

Lu Ye’s gaze fell on that photo, and he couldn’t look away.

It was the very photo just developed by Liu Li, taken by Li Younan.

As an experienced photographer, he could tell at a glance the value of this photo.

His first reaction wasn’t resentment but a sudden contraction of his pupils, his heart trembling.

Hesitating for a moment, he asked, ”May I take a look at this photo?”

Jing Chaoyi casually nodded, ”Sure.”

He picked up the photo, staring fixedly.

The capture of the light and shadow was even more precise than the feeling he honed over a decade, the composition was natural as if it belonged, and he felt even his proud skill of capturing moments seemed like forced practice before this photo.

Instinctively wanting to find flaws, he grew more astonished the more he looked.

From a technical standpoint, the precision of exposure brought warmth to the details in the shadows, this is a natural flow after true resonance between lens and soul, a realm he pursued all his life but never reached, the ultimate unity between man and camera.

Turns out, there really is someone who can use the lens so transparently, turns out, his proud technology is merely the smugness of a frog in a well.

Moreover, he could tell this photo had just been developed not long before.

He looked at Jing Chaoyi, asking, ”May I ask, this photo is...”

Liu Li suddenly came over with a playful smile, ”This photo isn’t bad, right?”

”Did you take this photo?”

Liu Li quickly shook her head, ”My boyfriend took it.”

Then pointed to Li Younan beside her, ”It’s him.”

Lu Ye’s expression froze.

Nobody knew what he was thinking.

And only now did he understand Liu Li’s previous reaction, no wonder after all.

If there’s such a boyfriend, no wonder... her previous reaction was truly from the heart, not feeling there was anything stunning about his photo?

He picked up the photo again for a careful look, saying, ”This is a true master-level piece!”

Liu Li tilted her head, with slight doubt in her tone, ”Master-level piece? Our camera... has about 100 similar ones.”

Hearing Liu Li’s words, Lu Ye fell into petrification, ”100 pieces?”

How... how is this possible, can a master-level photographic work also be produced in batches?