Qin Zixin took out her phone and aimed it at the distance to snap a picture, but the camera on her self-assembled phone was truly dreadful. The resulting image was visibly blurry, even on the poor-quality screen.
She turned to look at Liu Wenjin, who was biting his lip so hard his forehead was beaded with sweat. Tang Manwen had already noticed Liu Wenjin’s discomfort, and she gently squeezed his hand, offering a silent comfort.
“Fatty, give me your camera… Huh? What’s wrong? Can’t hold it in?”
Liu Wenjin was panting heavily.
“Don’t even say the word ‘hold’ to me. I’m afraid I won’t be able to.”
“Ugh, how disgusting. Clench tighter. If it comes out, I’m posting about it on your school’s forum.”
Qin Zixin immediately perked up, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
The thought of her cousin’s boyfriend publicly shitting himself on a cable car, while certainly mortifying for him, was absolutely hilarious to her. If Liu Wenjin truly couldn’t hold it, she’d tease him about it until he graduated from university.
“You’re a goddamn animal!”
Liu Wenjin wanted to curse further, but he felt he was truly on the verge of losing control. The surge of anger only exacerbated the pressure, making him feel as though it would all come out. His face paled, and he froze, daring not to move. Qin Zhifeng watched with an amused smile, finishing his cigarette. After stubbing it out on the windowpane, he casually flicked the butt outside.
“Liu Wenjin, take a deep breath, don’t exhale immediately. Hold it for a few seconds, then slowly release it.”
“I feel a bit better. How much longer until we reach the summit?”
“It’s a scenic cable car, so still several minutes. Sit up straight, bend your knees, feet flat on the floor, leave some space between your legs, lean forward with a straight back. Engaging your abdominal and lower back muscles can help suppress the urge.”
Liu Wenjin obediently followed the instructions, and this time, he genuinely felt much better.
“Brother Feng, you’re truly my brother!”
Qin Zhifeng didn’t reply, simply smiling as he pulled another cigarette from his pocket. Liu Wenjin, finding his smoking posture quite cool, watched him with eager eyes.
“Brother Feng, can I have one too?”
“Do you smoke?”
“No.”
“Wait until we reach the summit and you’ve taken care of things. Otherwise, if you choke on a puff, you probably won’t be able to hold it in.”
Hearing this, Liu Wenjin sat perfectly still and obediently in his seat.
“Fatty! Give me your camera!”
Qin Zixin lifted her head, and seeing that the immediate fun was over, she returned to her original demand for the camera.
“You goddamn— Fine, fine, take it! Look at your family; your brother and sister are both proper people. How did you turn out like a dog?”
Liu Wenjin was utterly disgusted. If the wretched girl were openly antagonistic, it might be tolerable, but spending time with her, Liu Wenjin always felt she didn’t see him as a man. While Qin Zixin’s attitude towards him wasn’t exactly distant, Liu Wenjin found it unsettling in every way. How could such a beautiful woman have such a venomous personality?
“Fatty, what are you yapping about? How do I adjust this?”
“Figure it out yourself. I don’t have the energy to deal with you right now.”
Liu Wenjin’s voice trembled. Qin Zixin chuckled softly, then lifted the camera. It was substantial, especially with the zoom lens attached, giving it considerable weight. Qin Zixin fumbled with various buttons for quite a while before finally managing to turn it on.
[The System, this thing isn’t cheap, is it? I’m almost tempted to buy one.]
[What would you buy it for? To climb mountains and take pictures every day? Or do you think your photos could sell for money?]
Qin Zixin paused, a flicker of uncertainty in her expression.
[I actually might be able to! If I wear a mask and take some pictures, there are so many simps online. I could just show a little skin, and those idiots would definitely pay!]
[Are you out of your mind?! Is that something you should be doing?]
[It’s just selling photos! It’s not like it’s anything else. Besides, even if I don’t sell them, others will just secretly take pictures anyway, so I might as well make some quick cash.]
Qin Zixin felt a bit indignant, bickering with The System in her mind while her hands remained busy. She adjusted the zoom lens for a while, setting the distance to its closest point. She snapped several photos of Tang Manwen, who was sitting opposite her, but when she checked the album, they were all blurry.
[Don’t pull this kind of stunt with me. If you dare to do this, can you guarantee you won’t get caught? A pretty high school girl auctioning revealing photos online—isn’t that just being a prostitute? Do you think you’d still have a good life if others found out you were doing something like that? Do you think you’re living too easily?]
[I won’t do it, I was just saying it casually. You get so worked up over a casual remark? Why isn’t this camera taking clear pictures?]
[The lens needs to be focused at least a meter or two away. Don’t handle it too roughly; this lens costs tens of thousands. If you break it, your mother will have to pay for it.]
Qin Zixin’s hands trembled at the mention of the price.
[My mom would kill me, wouldn’t she?]
[Then why are your hands so restless?]
Carefully, Qin Zixin turned with the camera in hand. The scenic cable car had already crested Tangshan Mountain and begun its descent, revealing the full panorama of Anji Lake. The dark water appeared bottomless, and the sky was overcast, hinting at impending rain. Glimmers of silver occasionally reflected off the water’s surface, stretching towards the distant mountains. Patches of mist in the peaks obscured parts of the ranges, lending the scenery a hazy, ethereal quality.
“Brother, look! The pier here has been repaired. Should we rent a boat and have some fun?”
Qin Zhifeng lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled smoke through his nose. Hearing Qin Zixin’s words, he glanced out the window.
“I don’t mind, but first, let’s find Liu Wenjin a place to take care of his business.”
“Hmph, what place? Anywhere in the mountains will do. Fatty already said there are toilets everywhere in the mountains.”
Liu Wenjin immediately grew anxious.
“When did I ever say that?”
“Just now, when we were climbing the mountain! Sister, look at him, he talks nonsense, his words are like farts.”
“Damn it, can you stop talking about shit, pee, and farts? I’m genuinely in pain from holding it in.”
Liu Wenjin’s face alternated between pale and flushed.
“Fatty, I know many animals in the wild use the scent of their droppings and urine to mark their territory. So, what if you unleash a huge one and scare away all the animals from that area?”
“You goddamn—!”
“You two, stop bickering like idiots. You’re not composed at all.”
Tang Manwen had been smiling throughout their exchange. While she found their silly squabbling amusing, she decided it was time to intervene.
As soon as the cable car reached the Anji Lake station and came to a stop, Liu Wenjin leaped out, his backside protruding as he dashed away in a blur.
Qin Zixin stared intently at him. The moment he thought he’d run far enough and began unbuckling his belt under a tree, Qin Zixin immediately raised the camera and aimed it in Liu Wenjin’s direction.
She adjusted the focus, and on the camera’s display, Liu Wenjin’s pale, tender backside was glaringly obvious, its whiteness far too eye-catching against the surroundings.
“Brother, come quick and look at Liu Wenjin’s butt!”
Qin Zixin giggled, pressing the shutter button repeatedly. Qin Zhifeng leaned over, but after a quick glance, he averted his eyes.
“Don’t always pick on him. Did he eat something that upset his stomach? Fried fish?”
“No way! We all ate it and didn’t get stomach aches. Sister, did the tea you brewed have something to make you poop?”
Tang Manwen’s face stiffened. She tried hard to recall, then shook her head.
“Are you talking about things like lotus leaf or senna leaf? I have them, but I definitely didn’t add any. I might take a little of those when I’m regulating my system, but not often.”
“Then what about that damn fatty… holy shit, it’s spraying out!”
Qin Zixin exclaimed in astonishment, her finger pressing the camera’s shutter button even faster.
“Xinxin, what kind of fetish is this? Oh, you… I don’t even know what to say to you.”
Tang Manwen furrowed her brows, unable to comprehend Qin Zixin’s actions.
“It’s not often I get to see that damn fatty in such a predicament! I’m going to call him.”
Qin Zixin laughed as she spoke, pulling her phone from her pocket, finding Liu Wenjin’s number, and dialing. On the camera screen, Liu Wenjin was still ‘unloading,’ his expression one of indescribable relief.
The phone rang. He stood up slightly, pulled out his phone, and answered the call.
Qin Zixin had a crystal-clear view of the entire scene through the camera’s zoom lens.
– Liu Wenjin: “Hello? What are you up to now?”
– Qin Zixin: “Hurry up, put some effort into it! We’re waiting for you. Yes, yes, just like that!”
On the screen, Liu Wenjin looked utterly bewildered. He peered around, seeing nothing but trees.
– Liu Wenjin: “You’re asking for a beating, aren’t you? What on earth are you talking about?”
– Qin Zixin: “I said to push harder! Oh my god, you’re squatting too low, your clothes are dragging on the ground. Are you even going to wear them later?”
– Liu Wenjin: “What? Where are you? Holy shit! Where the hell are you?”
– Qin Zixin: “By the cable car. I can see everything clearly.”
– Liu Wenjin: “You’re full of shit! I walked so far!”
Qin Zixin watched Liu Wenjin’s face on the screen, which had turned as red as pig’s liver. She doubled over with laughter, her ample chest bouncing uncontrollably. Qin Zhifeng stole a glance, then quickly looked away.
– Qin Zixin: “Did you forget your camera is with me?”
– Liu Wenjin: “Holy shit! How can you be so evil?! Damn it, are you even human? Damn it, you just wait!”
– Qin Zixin: “Your ‘West Coast’ N-word shirt has shit on it! It’s so dark, what on earth did you eat? So disgusting. Sister, come look!”
Qin Zixin spoke on the phone without any reservation, while Tang Manwen covered her mouth, stifling laughter. However, she had no desire to glance at the scene; it was simply too foul.
“Xinxin, stop it. What you’re doing is too perverse.”
Qin Zixin remained noncommittal to the evaluation, content as long as she was having fun.
– Qin Zixin: “Fatty, hurry up! What’s wrong with your camera? I haven’t even taken many pictures, and it’s already saying the SD card is full.”
– Liu Wenjin: “Holy shit! You filmed me taking a dump and filled up the memory card? Are you even human? Are you that desperate? Damn it, I give up.”
On the screen, Liu Wenjin was looking in Qin Zixin’s direction, but his gaze was completely unfocused. He wasn’t particularly spirited to begin with, and now he looked even more like he had a pair of dead fish eyes on his face.
– Qin Zixin: “Oh my, you’re still looking this way, not even trying to hide. Really now.”
– Liu Wenjin: “What’s the point of hiding? Can you promise not to watch me wipe my butt?”
– Qin Zixin: “No, I can’t!”
– Liu Wenjin: “Exactly! Watch all you want, then see how I deal with you later! Holy crap! I didn’t bring any toilet paper!”
Qin Zixin laughed until tears streamed down her face. Hearing her bell-like laughter through the phone, Liu Wenjin let out a long sigh. He felt a pang of injustice; this whole trip had been nothing but suffering.
– Qin Zixin: “I found your toilet paper! It’s in your bag. You truly are pathetic.”
– Liu Wenjin: “You know I’m miserable, yet you still use my camera to film me?”
– Qin Zixin: “Well, what should I do? Should I ask Qin Zhifeng to bring you the paper?”
Liu Wenjin was utterly numb. He decided this outing had been a grave mistake.
– Liu Wenjin: “Damn it, I’ll just use my shirt.”