Melodies and Enduring Affections from the Depths of Time

Chapter One: Notes of Memories

In the studio, the speakers, which usually played melodious or upbeat music, now sat quietly in a corner, like an old friend who had fallen ill. Ah Yu sighed and pulled out her phone, intending to use it as a makeshift music player to liven up the somewhat somber atmosphere.

He casually scrolled through the playlists on his phone, and as his finger swiped, he suddenly saw a familiar playlist—the one Zhong Hua had shared with him. As if possessed, he clicked on the playlist, and the melody of the first piano piece slowly began to play. The notes seemed to possess a magical power, instantly pulling his thoughts back to his university days.

It was a bright, sunny afternoon when Ah Yu and Zhong Hua had a big argument over a disagreement about planning a photography exhibition. Ah Yu was so angry her face turned red, and she turned and left, leaving Zhong Hua standing there stunned. Back in her dorm, Ah Yu sat at her desk, sulking, while Zhong Hua arrived at her dorm room shortly after. He knocked on the door, and when Ah Yu didn't respond, he gently pushed the door open and came in.

He held a Walkman in his hand, walked over to Ah Yu, and without saying a word, silently pressed the play button, and the piano piece began to play. As Ah Yu listened, her anger seemed to slowly dissipate, though she remained defiant and didn't give Zhong Hua a friendly look.

"You still have this song?" Ah Yu snapped out of her reverie, looked up at Zhong Hua, her eyes full of surprise. Zhong Hua was carefully placing the washed strawberries one by one into Ah Yu's usual white porcelain plate. Hearing Ah Yu's words, he smiled and said, "You said back then that listening to this would make you feel better." Lin Wanqing, who was beside him, was biting into a strawberry and teasingly said with a smile, "Some people even have a special playlist on their phones called 'Ah Yu listens to when taking pictures'."

Ah Yu felt a strange feeling after hearing Lin Wanqing's words. He looked at the playlist again. Each song seemed to carry a memory related to Zhong Hua, whether it was something they listened to together while walking on the school playground or something they shared on a bus during a field trip.

Chapter Two: The Light and Shadow of Campus Life

During their university years, Ah Yu and Zhong Hua were both active members of the photography club. They often carried their cameras and wandered around every corner of the campus to capture those beautiful moments.

Once, the school held a campus photography competition, and Ah Yu and Zhong Hua both wanted to submit their best work. They agreed to go to the back hill of the school to take pictures. That day, the sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, creating patches of light and shadow, like a dreamy filter. Ah Yu excitedly held her camera, constantly adjusting the angle, trying to capture that wonderful feeling of light and shadow intertwining.

Zhong Hua, meanwhile, was handing Ah Yu different lenses every now and then, helping him check if the settings were appropriate. Just as Ah Yu was getting into the swing of things, he accidentally stepped on a loose stone, falling forward and nearly dropping his camera. Zhong Hua reacted quickly, grabbing Ah Yu and pulling him back. The two of them lost their balance and tumbled onto the grass together.

Ah Yu's first reaction was to check if the camera was broken, while Zhong Hua looked at Ah Yu anxiously, asking if he was hurt. After confirming the camera was alright, Ah Yu looked at himself and Zhong Hua, both covered in grass clippings, and couldn't help but burst into laughter. The tension from the near-miss vanished instantly. Zhong Hua, seeing Ah Yu laughing heartily, also laughed. Their laughter echoed through the mountains and forests, like the most beautiful melody of youth.

Later, they sat on the grass to rest. Zhong Hua took out his phone and played a cheerful folk song from his playlist. The two of them listened to the song quietly, looked at the beautiful scenery in front of them, and imagined how they would celebrate if they won the photography competition.

Recalling this, Ah Yu's lips unconsciously curled into a smile. He looked at Zhong Hua and found that Zhong Hua was also looking at him, with the same longing in his eyes. Lin Wanqing looked at the two of them like this and said with a smile, "You two, once you start reminiscing, you never stop. Hurry up and eat some strawberries, or I'll eat them all."

Chapter Three: Disagreements and Reconciliation

However, university life wasn't all harmonious and beautiful. Just like the argument over the planning of that photography exhibition, they also had many disagreements.

Once, the club received a commercial photography assignment off-campus: to take promotional photos for a coffee shop. Ah Yu's idea was to go for an artistic and fresh style, using soft lighting and elegant colors to showcase the coffee shop's tranquil atmosphere; while Zhong Hua felt that a more modern contrast of light and shadow should be used to highlight the coffee shop's unique design.

The two argued vehemently, neither able to convince the other, until they were both red in the face. Finally, Ah Yu stormed out, slamming the door behind her, leaving everyone staring at each other in bewilderment. For the next few days, Ah Yu and Zhong Hua didn't speak to each other, only exchanging cold nods when they met.

But deep down, neither of them felt good. After all, they had been through so much together, and arguing over something like this felt like something was missing. Until one day, Zhong Hua happened to see a series of coffee shop photographs in a photography magazine at the library. The series of photographs blended the two styles they had been arguing about, presenting a unique kind of beauty.

He grabbed the magazine and ran to find Ah Yu. He handed the magazine to her and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Look, actually, combining our ideas seems pretty good." Ah Yu looked at the photos, her anger long gone. She also realized she had been too stubborn before, so she smiled and said, "Yes, you have good taste, finding such a good example."

From then on, they understood the significance of their clashes of ideas even more. Although they still had disagreements, they could always find better solutions after calming down. The piano piece that could calm Ah Yu down also played again and again during several minor conflicts, becoming a special melody for their reconciliation.

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