This was the first time Su Xingyu admired a swordsmanship duel up close. She couldn’t understand the techniques or intricacies involved, only knowing that the two in the arena were so pleasing to the eye, each move seemingly imbued with some peculiar rhythm, akin to a beautiful dance. Around the clearing, many people also in white swordsmanship attire sat quietly, serene and focused. Unconsciously, Su Xingyu raised her camera; this match was too captivating to look away from, drawing her to photograph it. At this moment, she had long forgotten her earlier argument with Ouyang Yi, ignoring rules and prohibitions. For now, it was imperative to capture all the beautiful scenes. Her hand was steady, pressing the shutter repeatedly, capturing each shot perfectly. Ouyang Yi moved like a giant white eagle, advancing and retreating, and amidst the sword light and shadows, he glanced at her, a smile suddenly appearing on his handsome face, dimming the world. "Watch closely!" he suddenly shouted, no longer entangled with his opponent. With a flick of his wrist, the slender sword like autumn water gleamed with chilly light, moving almost too fast to see, forcing his opponent to retreat repeatedly, from the center of the clearing into a corner blooming with violet flowers. The violet flowers were in full bloom in the height of summer. The opponent clumsily defended, staggering among the flowers. Ouyang Yi’s long sword transformed into a stream of light, sealing off all escape routes for the opponent. The slender blade swept through the flowers, and in an instant, time seemed to slow, the blade slicing through petals with a slight chill, causing large clusters of violet flowers to shatter in the cold, petals bursting forth like a celestial maiden scattering flowers. Amidst the fragmented flowers, Ouyang Yi stood steadily, his white robe like snow, the long sword in his hand angled downwards, pointing directly at the opponent’s throat! While his opponent lay in a patch of flower debris, their long sword having flown several meters away, leaving them powerless to retaliate. Through the viewfinder of her camera, Su Xingyu watched this scene, her heart pounding. She forgot to breathe, forgot everything, as if the entire world consisted only of those scattered flowers in her lens, time stood still, and the years froze. After an indeterminate time, she put down the camera and heard thunderous applause. It was the white-clad swordsmen sitting around the clearing applauding, paying the highest tribute to Ouyang Yi’s breathtaking swordsmanship. With graceful gestures, Ouyang Yi sheathed his sword and reached out to the person he had defeated, offering them a hand up. The opponent took his hand to stand up and cupped their fist: "Mr. Ouyang, your swordsmanship is extraordinary. I wholeheartedly accept my defeat." Ouyang Yi smiled slightly: "You’ve done quite well yourself." The opponent self-deprecatingly said, "Yes, it’s said that anyone who can last more than thirty moves against Mr. Ouyang is considered quite good. It seems I’ve barely done that. However, that is not my goal—" as the opponent spoke, their gaze suddenly became resolute, staring straight at Ouyang Yi, saying earnestly, "One day, I will defeat you." "I look forward to it." Ouyang Yi still smiled. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel·fıre·net He turned and walked towards the edge of the arena, placing his sword back into its scabbard and handing it to a middle-aged man in a hemp robe: "I’m sorry for damaging your flowers, Mr. Ge." The man named Mr. Ge chuckled: "If you have flowers to break, break them while you may. It is an honor for our establishment to receive your instruction. What are a few flowers in comparison?" Ouyang Yi exchanged a few humble words, bid farewell to Mr. Ge, and walked along the edge of the clearing towards Su Xingyu. Su Xingyu stood at the edge, looking up at him: "I didn’t expect your swordsmanship to be this good." Ouyang Yi returned to his usual lazy and somewhat flippant demeanor, smiling as he looked at her: "Do you admire me, fall in love with me?" Her response was Su Xingyu’s indifferent face. She lowered her head, turning on the screen of her camera, browsing through the photos she had just snapped. Ouyang Yi leaned in to look with her, crowded next to her petite figure despite his height of nearly 1.9 meters, seemingly unconcerned with the effort it took. "This one looks good. "This one is nice too... "I look very handsome from this angle. "Xingyu, your candid photography skills are impressive. Capturing the essence of a master like me so charmingly, it will undoubtedly woo a large number of girls." Su Xingyu finally couldn’t take his noise anymore and shut off the camera screen with a snap: "I’ll go home and select the photos before sending them to you. Yes, yes, you are the most handsome, satisfied now?" Ouyang Yi looked at her, an innocent smile on his face: "Su Xingyu, little beauty, you’ve used me and are now casting me aside, that really breaks my heart. Why go home in broad daylight? Since I helped you such a big favor, why not accompany me for a meal, have some tea, and give me some proper thanks?" "Who was it that said to wait for him, only to stand me up?" Ouyang Yi blinked innocently, then laughed: "Did you really think capturing that set of photos was purely accidental?" "...What do you mean?" Su Xingyu suddenly sensed something amiss. Ouyang Yi’s tall figure leaned casually against a cluster of bamboos by the low wall, posing alluringly: "Su Xingyu, little beauty, didn’t you notice? It wasn’t that I intentionally stood you up. In fact, when you texted me to reject photographing in the Martial Hall, I started making arrangements, moving the arena to this outdoor clearing, a public area that doesn’t require any membership to view. When I came looking for you and chatted all that nonsense, including making you wait... it was all to buy time." Time to prepare the new venue so she could walk along the path alone. Su Xingyu suddenly realized: "You..." But she could only say the word "you" and nothing more. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions. Although Ouyang Yi could be slightly frivolous at times, he was thoughtful and considerate ever since they met, ensuring there were no loose ends even when helping others. She sighed and said, "Thank you." "What are you thanking me for?" Dappled sunlight shone through the bamboo forest into his eyes, sparkling as he regained his joy, flashing a bright smile, "Is everything fine now? The Martial Hall regularly holds events in this clearing to attract public attention. Moving the competition venue here doesn’t violate any rules, and your photos are genuine candids, not staged. This set of photos can definitely enter the finals without issue, and this supermodel of mine looking so dashing will surely help you win first place!" Su Xingyu nodded this time: "Yes, this set of photos has a high chance of winning." Indeed, the timing, location, and people all came together perfectly. Not only was Ouyang Yi’s swordsmanship exceptional, but his physique and looks were perfect. More importantly, his performance in front of the camera was astonishing, deserving of being the world’s most expensive male model. With his level of skill, participating in a small regional street photography contest was like a giant crocodile entering a school of small fish—completely overwhelming.