Chapter 149
"Lu Lingrui\'s case has been closed," Xiao Mubai said as he tossed the towel back into the basin and rolled down his sleeves, continuing to speak while he busied himself.
"The trial was held yesterday. Those two were sentenced to death, and the rich kids involved were given prison sentences ranging from five to twenty years. Their backers were also prosecuted one by one."
Lu Lingchuan had put in so much effort to finally get those two beasts sentenced to death.
He had thought Shen Nian would be happy to hear this result, considering how fixated she had been on Lu Lingrui\'s case for so many years.
But contrary to expectations, her facial expression didn\'t change much.
Sensing Xiao Mubai watching her, Shen Nian merely tugged at her lips and nodded, "Mm, that\'s good."
And that was it.
She was unusually calm.
Xiao Mubai looked at her in surprise.
"I thought you\'d be very happy," he said.
What she needed most right now was happiness.
"I am happy," Shen Nian looked at him earnestly. "Today is indeed a good day. I want to go out for a walk."
She paused, then asked tentatively, "Is that okay?"
"..." Xiao Mubai initially wanted to say it was too cold outside and it would be better to stay indoors, but then he thought about her depression.
The doctor had said that for depression, treating the mind was more important than treating the body.
Getting out and about might make her feel better mentally.
"Alright," he gently agreed to her request. "Your IV drip is finished anyway. How about I take you for a walk?"
"Mm."
Xiao Mubai took Shen Nian out of the hospital. Since she was still a patient, they couldn\'t go too far, so he just took her for a stroll around the hospital grounds.
They had no specific destination, just wandering aimlessly, going wherever their feet took them.
Xiao Mubai supported her, his movements gentle.
"There\'s a photo studio over there," Shen Nian spotted the shop\'s sign from afar.
Xiao Mubai followed her gaze and nodded, "Yes, there is."
"It\'s been so long since I\'ve had my photo taken," Shen Nian murmured, suddenly struck by a new idea. She turned to look at Xiao Mubai. "I want to go in and have a photo taken."
"A photo?" Xiao Mubai was surprised.
"Mm."
"Okay."
He could never bring himself to refuse her requests.
Let alone taking a photo, if she had asked him to buy the entire photo studio right then and there, he wouldn\'t have hesitated.
They pushed open the door and entered. The shop assistant at the entrance immediately came over to greet them.
"Welcome! Are you two here for wedding photos?"
Xiao Mubai and Shen Nian looked so well-matched—a sunny, gentle, handsome man and a delicate, gentle beauty—that it was no wonder the assistant mistook them for a couple.
"No," Xiao Mubai smiled and denied it, then looked at Shen Nian.
Shen Nian asked the assistant, "Do you take ID photos here?"
The assistant was taken aback for a moment, then nodded, "Of course we do. Red, blue, or white background—which would you like?"
Shen Nian thought for a moment, then said, "White background, please."
"Certainly," the employee nodded. "Please follow me to choose your outfit first."
"Okay." Shen Nian followed the employee.
Feeling Xiao Mubai\'s gaze on her constantly, Shen Nian knew what he was thinking, so she explained without waiting for him to ask.
"I\'m changing jobs," she said. "So I need to take new ID photos for my resume."
Xiao Mubai was stunned for a moment.
Changing jobs, leaving Lu Lingchuan.
So, had she really let go?
The assistant led Shen Nian to choose clothes. For white background ID photos, dark-colored clothes were needed to avoid clashing with the background and maintain contrast.
"These are all suitable for white background ID photos. Just choose one you like."
Shen Nian selected very carefully, pausing when she touched a dark checkered shirt.
She picked up the shirt and held it against herself, then turned to look at Xiao Mubai, asking, "Does this look good?"
"It looks good," Xiao Mubai praised without hesitation. "You look good in anything."
Shen Nian smiled happily. "Then I\'ll go with this one."
Wearing just a shirt would certainly be cold in late December. While Shen Nian was changing, Xiao Mubai asked for the remote control for the air conditioning in the makeup room and photo studio, turning it on in advance.
Scanning the shop\'s payment code, Xiao Mubai generously entered 500 yuan. As he input the payment password, he explained, "She\'s still ill, I\'m afraid she might catch a chill."
After the payment was successful, Xiao Mubai showed the page to the shop assistant. "This is for the electricity. Thank you for your trouble."
This "thank you for your trouble" touched the female assistant\'s heart. She looked at him with starry eyes, full of admiration. "Young man, your girlfriend is so lucky."
She had seen many boyfriends being considerate to their girlfriends, warming their hands, buying them snacks, but never had she seen someone so attentive to this degree.
Hearing this, Xiao Mubai smiled gently. "I hope your words bring good fortune."
When they returned, Shen Nian had already changed clothes. She was sitting in front of the makeup mirror, with the makeup artist doing her makeup.
Shen Nian was already very fair-skinned, so she didn\'t need foundation. However, her face looked haggard, so the makeup artist helped her conceal a bit, then applied some blush and lipstick to improve her complexion.
Every time the makeup artist looked up, she noticed through the mirror that Xiao Mubai was staring at Shen Nian. He was watching very intently, so the makeup artist naturally assumed they were a couple and joked,
"Does she look good?"
"She looks good," Xiao Mubai replied with the same two words.
ID photos couldn\'t have heavy makeup, light was enough. Shen Nian\'s features were very soft, perfectly suited for this kind of natural, light makeup—the epitome of the unattainable dream girl for many men.
After the makeup was done, the staff set up a white background. Shen Nian sat in front of the white backdrop.
Her hair was loose, with the sides tucked behind her ears, revealing her eyebrows and ears.
"One, two, three, look at the camera."
She looked straight ahead, with a faint smile on her lips.
The camera focused on Shen Nian\'s face, then froze the image.
After the photo was taken, it was time for editing.
Shen Nian was naturally beautiful, which saved a lot of time in this aspect, but the photo editor still diligently worked on the details.
Shen Nian stood beside him, watching attentively.
"Nian Nian," Xiao Mubai called her.
"Hm?" Shen Nian was still focused on the computer screen.
"What kind of work do you want to do in your new job?" Xiao Mubai asked her.
Hearing this question, Shen Nian finally looked up at him.
After giving it serious thought, she shook her head and said, "I haven\'t really considered it yet, but I\'ll probably have to change careers."
She pointed to herself and added, "The business world has no place for a useless person like me who can\'t even drink."
Many times, collaborations between companies are sealed after several rounds of drinks. Her alcohol allergy meant she was destined to struggle in this industry.