diff --git a/src/image_item.cpp b/src/image_item.cpp
index 32c5598..4013b47 100644
--- a/src/image_item.cpp
+++ b/src/image_item.cpp
@@ -1,34 +1,56 @@
 /*
  * @Author: Uyanide pywang0608@foxmail.com
  * @Date: 2025-11-30 20:32:27
- * @LastEditTime: 2025-11-30 23:07:52
+ * @LastEditTime: 2026-01-14 23:31:41
  * @Description: Image item widget for displaying an image.
  */
 #include "image_item.h"
 
+#include <QImageReader>
+
 #include "logger.h"
 
 using namespace GeneralLogger;
 
 ImageData* ImageData::create(const QString& p, const int initWidth, const int initHeight) {
     ImageData* data = new ImageData(p);
+    data->image     = new QImage();
 
-    if (!data->image.load(p)) {
+    QImageReader reader(p);
+    if (!reader.canRead()) {
         error(QString("Failed to load image from path: %1").arg(p));
         delete data;
         return nullptr;
     }
-    const QSize targetSize(initWidth, initHeight);
-    data->image = data->image.scaled(targetSize, Qt::KeepAspectRatioByExpanding, Qt::SmoothTransformation);
 
-    // Crop to center
-    int x       = (data->image.width() - targetSize.width()) / 2;
-    int y       = (data->image.height() - targetSize.height()) / 2;
-    data->image = data->image.copy(x, y, targetSize.width(), targetSize.height());
+    const QSize targetSize(initWidth, initHeight);
+    const QSize originalSize = reader.size();
+
+    if (originalSize.isValid()) {
+        double widthRatio  = (double)targetSize.width() / originalSize.width();
+        double heightRatio = (double)targetSize.height() / originalSize.height();
+        double scaleFactor = std::max(widthRatio, heightRatio);
+
+        QSize scaledSize = originalSize * scaleFactor;
+        reader.setScaledSize(scaledSize);
+    }
+
+    if (!reader.read(data->image)) {
+        error(QString("Failed to load image from path: %1").arg(p));
+        delete data;
+        return nullptr;
+    }
+
+    if (data->image->size() != targetSize) {
+        int x        = (data->image->width() - targetSize.width()) / 2;
+        int y        = (data->image->height() - targetSize.height()) / 2;
+        *data->image = data->image->copy(x, y, targetSize.width(), targetSize.height());
+    }
+
     return data;
 }
 
-ImageItem::ImageItem(const ImageData* data,
+ImageItem::ImageItem(ImageData* data,
                      const int itemWidth,
                      const int itemHeight,
                      const int itemFocusWidth,
@@ -40,11 +62,12 @@ ImageItem::ImageItem(const ImageData* data,
       m_itemFocusSize(itemFocusWidth, itemFocusHeight) {
     assert(data != nullptr);
     setScaledContents(true);
-    if (data->image.isNull()) {
+    if (!data->isValid()) {
         setText(":(");
         setAlignment(Qt::AlignCenter);
     } else {
-        setPixmap(QPixmap::fromImage(data->image));
+        setPixmap(QPixmap::fromImage(data->getImage()));
+        data->releaseImage();
     }
     setFixedSize(itemWidth, itemHeight);
 }
diff --git a/src/image_item.h b/src/image_item.h
index 01731d1..894c293 100644
--- a/src/image_item.h
+++ b/src/image_item.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * @Author: Uyanide pywang0608@foxmail.com
  * @Date: 2025-11-30 20:31:15
- * @LastEditTime: 2025-11-30 23:08:22
+ * @LastEditTime: 2026-01-14 23:32:58
  * @Description: Image item widget for displaying an image.
  */
 #ifndef IMAGE_ITEM_H
@@ -17,13 +17,23 @@
  * @brief Data structure to hold image information
  *        and can be safely created and passed between threads.
  */
-struct ImageData {
+class ImageData {
     QFileInfo file;
-    QImage image;
+    QImage* image;
 
   public:
     static ImageData* create(const QString& p, const int initWidth, const int initHeight);
 
+    ~ImageData() { releaseImage(); }
+
+    void releaseImage() { delete image, image = nullptr; }
+
+    [[nodiscard]] const QImage& getImage() const { return *image; }
+
+    [[nodiscard]] bool isValid() const { return !image->isNull(); }
+
+    [[nodiscard]] const QFileInfo& getFileInfo() const { return file; }
+
   private:
     ImageData(const QString& path) : file(path), image() {}
 };
@@ -38,7 +48,7 @@ class ImageItem : public QLabel {
   public:
     static constexpr int s_animationDuration = 300;
 
-    explicit ImageItem(const ImageData* data,
+    explicit ImageItem(ImageData* data,
                        const int itemWidth,
                        const int itemHeight,
                        const int itemFocusWidth,
@@ -47,15 +57,15 @@ class ImageItem : public QLabel {
 
     ~ImageItem() override;
 
-    [[nodiscard]] QString getFileFullPath() const { return m_data->file.absoluteFilePath(); }
+    [[nodiscard]] QString getFileFullPath() const { return m_data->getFileInfo().absoluteFilePath(); }
 
-    [[nodiscard]] QString getFileName() const { return m_data->file.fileName(); }
+    [[nodiscard]] QString getFileName() const { return m_data->getFileInfo().fileName(); }
 
-    [[nodiscard]] QDateTime getFileDate() const { return m_data->file.lastModified(); }
+    [[nodiscard]] QDateTime getFileDate() const { return m_data->getFileInfo().lastModified(); }
 
-    [[nodiscard]] const QImage& getThumbnail() const { return m_data->image; }
+    [[nodiscard]] const QImage& getThumbnail() const { return m_data->getImage(); }
 
-    [[nodiscard]] qint64 getFileSize() const { return m_data->file.size(); }
+    [[nodiscard]] qint64 getFileSize() const { return m_data->getFileInfo().size(); }
 
     void setFocus(bool focus = true, bool animate = true);
 
@@ -75,4 +85,4 @@ class ImageItem : public QLabel {
     void clicked(const QString& path);
 };
 
-#endif  // IMAGE_ITEM_H
\ No newline at end of file
+#endif  // IMAGE_ITEM_H
diff --git a/src/images_carousel.cpp b/src/images_carousel.cpp
index 3dc7e3f..260e8f4 100644
--- a/src/images_carousel.cpp
+++ b/src/images_carousel.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * @Author: Uyanide pywang0608@foxmail.com
  * @Date: 2025-08-05 01:22:53
- * @LastEditTime: 2025-12-01 01:43:00
+ * @LastEditTime: 2026-01-14 23:50:49
  * @Description: Animated carousel widget for displaying and selecting images.
  */
 #include "images_carousel.h"
@@ -93,7 +93,10 @@ void ImagesCarousel::_onImagesLoaded() {
         // Focus the first image
         if (m_currentIndex < 0) {
             m_currentIndex = 0;
-            focusCurrImage();
+            // Ensure the layout events are processed
+            QTimer::singleShot(0, this, [this]() {
+                focusCurrImage();
+            });
         }
     }
 
@@ -145,7 +148,7 @@ ImageLoader::ImageLoader(const QString& path, ImagesCarousel* carousel)
     setAutoDelete(true);
 }
 
-void ImagesCarousel::_insertImageQueue(const ImageData* data) {
+void ImagesCarousel::_insertImageQueue(ImageData* data) {
     if (!m_noLoadingScreen) {
         _insertImage(data);
         return;
@@ -156,7 +159,7 @@ void ImagesCarousel::_insertImageQueue(const ImageData* data) {
     }
 }
 
-int ImagesCarousel::_insertImage(const ImageData* data) {
+int ImagesCarousel::_insertImage(ImageData* data) {
     // Increase loaded count regardless of success or failure
     Defer defer([this]() {
         emit imageLoaded(getLoadedImagesCount());
@@ -270,7 +273,7 @@ void ImageLoader::run() {
         QMetaObject::invokeMethod(m_carousel,
                                   "_insertImageQueue",
                                   Qt::QueuedConnection,
-                                  Q_ARG(const ImageData*, data));
+                                  Q_ARG(ImageData*, data));
     });
     {
         QMutexLocker stopSignLocker(&m_carousel->m_stopSignMutex);
@@ -340,7 +343,7 @@ void ImagesCarousel::focusCurrImage() {
     }
     auto item = getImageItemAt(m_currentIndex);
     if (!item) {
-        warn(QString("Failed to get item at index: %1").arg(m_currentIndex));
+        error(QString("Failed to get item at index: %1").arg(m_currentIndex));
         return;
     }
     item->setFocus(true, m_animationEnabled);
@@ -428,4 +431,4 @@ void ImagesCarousel::_onItemClicked(const QString& path) {
 void ImagesCarousel::onStop() {
     QMutexLocker locker(&m_stopSignMutex);
     m_stopSign = true;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/images_carousel.h b/src/images_carousel.h
index 762ced6..a8ba6fe 100644
--- a/src/images_carousel.h
+++ b/src/images_carousel.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * @Author: Uyanide pywang0608@foxmail.com
  * @Date: 2025-08-05 01:22:53
- * @LastEditTime: 2025-12-01 01:36:04
+ * @LastEditTime: 2026-01-14 23:26:32
  * @Description: Animated carousel widget for displaying and selecting images.
  */
 #ifndef IMAGES_CAROUSEL_H
@@ -121,8 +121,8 @@ class ImagesCarousel : public QWidget {
     void appendImages(const QStringList& paths);
 
   private:
-    int _insertImage(const ImageData* item);
-    Q_INVOKABLE void _insertImageQueue(const ImageData* item);
+    int _insertImage(ImageData* item);
+    Q_INVOKABLE void _insertImageQueue(ImageData* item);
 
     void _enableUIUpdates(bool enable);
     int _focusingLeftOffset(int index);
diff --git a/src/utils.h b/src/utils.h
index 595010b..3e7757a 100644
--- a/src/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils.h
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+/*
+ * @Author: Uyanide pywang0608@foxmail.com
+ * @Date: 2025-11-30 20:59:57
+ * @LastEditTime: 2025-12-07 06:08:18
+ * @Description: THE utils header that every project needs :)
+ */
+
 #ifndef UTILS_H
 #define UTILS_H