Chapter 37 "Teacher Chu, you can't be partial~"
Zhou Ai almost staggered back to his small main bedroom, closed the door with a light "bang" and leaned his back heavily against the cold door, barely supporting his somewhat weak body.
In the small space, the only sounds were his heavy and disordered breathing and the beating of his heart like a drum, which pounded against his eardrums and made his chest numb.
He raised one hand and subconsciously touched his left chest. Even through the thin fabric of the sweatshirt, he could clearly feel his heart beating wildly at an unprecedented, intense and almost out-of-control rhythm.
In the darkness, the corners of Zhou Ai's mouth rose up uncontrollably little by little, and a huge and silly smile silently opened his mouth.
An indescribable feeling of shame mixed with inexplicable excitement bubbled up in his chest like boiling bubbles.
He actually... just ran away like that?
Like a little boy, he ran away with a red face and a thick neck when his ears were touched?
This is simply the darkest and greatest shame in Zhou Ai's life!
But……
His mind uncontrollably replayed the scene just now—Chu Yi's slightly frowned brows, the hand he extended with worry, the instant touch of those cool, soft fingertips against his burning earlobe, and the slightly reddened earlobe and evasive eyes when Chu Yi apologized later...
"Hold!"
Zhou Ai cursed softly, raised his other hand, and rubbed his short silver-gray hair randomly, making his hair, which was already a little messy from taking a shower, look even more like a ball of grass.
It's so fucking embarrassing!
But also... it's so fucking exciting.
Chu Yi, that guy, usually looks cold and professional, as if he doesn't want strangers to approach him.
Who knew that when sleeping in private, he would wrap himself up like a "nest" that looks super cuddly?
And that incredibly soft pajamas, and that defenselessly exposed collarbone...
Stop! Don't think about it anymore!
Zhou Ai shook his head violently, trying to get rid of the images and thoughts that were becoming increasingly out of control. If he continued thinking about it, he was afraid that his face, which had just cooled down, would explode again.
He took several deep breaths, trying to calm his still pounding heart, but to little avail.
The throbbing feeling was a hundred times stronger than when he sang the most exciting song at a concert with tens of thousands of people.
Zhou Ai slid down the door panel and sat on the ground, not caring whether the ground was cold or not. He bent one leg, casually rested his arm on his knee, and unconsciously pressed his pounding heart with the other hand.
In the dim light, he looked down at his empty hands. His fingertips seemed to still retain the heavy weight of the kettle, and... earlier, when Chu Yi stuffed the hair dryer and thermos into his hands, that brief but clear touch.
So, did Chu Yi give him the same cup on purpose?
Worried that he caught a cold, I gave him medicine, a cup, and even...just now I wanted to confirm whether he had a fever?
Zhou Ai felt like a detective, desperately trying to dig out a little bit of possible special concern from Chu Yi from those fragmentary, perhaps even insignificant details.
Thinking about it, he couldn't help laughing softly, buried his face in his arms, and shrugged his shoulders slightly.
It's over.
Zhou Ai thought.
He seems really...seriously ill.
—————
It rained all night in the mountains last night. The sound of the rain hitting the wooden windows became an excellent lullaby.
Perhaps it was the effect of the cold medicine, or perhaps it was the fatigue from days of sleep that finally hit him, but Zhou Ai slept exceptionally soundly, and even the hard couch beneath him seemed to become much softer and more comfortable.
He was awakened by the faint sounds of conversation and laughter outside the window.
In a daze, he heard Zhou Jiashu's clear and slightly excited voice: "Teacher Chu, Teacher Chu, how about this? Is this angle okay?"
Then came Chu Yi's highly recognizable, cool and steady voice, which seemed a little gentler than usual: "That's fine. Stand a little closer, yes, a little to the side."
Zhou Ai rubbed his swollen temples and sat up in bed. The heaviness from the cold had subsided a lot, but his throat was still a little dry.
He lifted the quilt, walked barefoot on the slightly cool floor, walked to the window, and pushed open the old wooden window with a "creak".
The moist air, scented with earth and grass, instantly rushed in, refreshing my heart. Last night's rainstorm seemed like just an interlude, and now the sky outside the window was bright and clear.
The sunlight penetrates the gradually dissipating morning mist, casting a soft golden edge on the layers of terraced fields.
Zhou Ai opened the window and recognized Chu Yi standing on the edge of the field at a glance.
Chu Yi was holding a black camera, half squatting, with the lens aimed at Zhou Jiashu who was posing in front of him.
Zhou Jiashu was wearing a simple white T-shirt, smiling brightly in the sunshine, and adjusting his posture according to Chu Yi's instructions.
What surprised Zhou Ai was Chu Yi's outfit today. He wore a black crew-neck sweatshirt and light blue jeans.
The most special thing is that he is wearing a cool white hat on his head, which is rare and neatly gathers his black hair.
The morning breeze in the mountains was still cool, and it made Chu Yi's exposed ears and nose tip slightly red, as if they were stained with a thin layer of rouge, which inexplicably weakened the sense of alienation in him and added a bit of softness.
Chu Yi seemed completely immersed in the filming and was unaware of the gaze coming from the window behind him.
Seeing that the sun was rising higher and the light was changing rapidly, he directed Zhou Jiashu to walk to a higher ridge.
I held the camera and slowly moved along the edge of the wet field, raising it from time to time to take pictures of the scenery.
At this moment, a pure white butterfly flapped its wings and flew over, just in front of Chu Yi.
Chu Yi's attention was immediately drawn to this unexpected little creature. His eyes lit up, and he quickly raised his camera, following the butterfly's trajectory with the lens, his body slightly turning, trying to capture this lively moment.
He turned with the butterfly, adjusting the focus and tracking it intently through the viewfinder.
However, when his camera passed by the direction of his own stilt house, the picture in the frame froze instantly -
A cold white butterfly happened to fly by, blurring into a hazy and dreamy spot of light in the foreground.
Behind it, in the open wooden window frame, Zhou Ai was leaning lazily against the window with his arms folded.
He seemed to have just woken up, his silver-gray hair was a little messy, and his face still had a bit of laziness from just waking up, but he tilted his head, and looked straight at the camera with precise and unreserved eyes.
impartial.
The angle is just right.
It was as if he had been there for a long time, waiting.
At this moment, the sun finally rose completely from under the mountains, and the grand and brilliant light poured down in an instant, illuminating Zhou Ai's impeccable face without reservation.
The light made his cold, fair skin almost transparent, outlining a clear outline. His peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly under the strong light, but were still so deep that they seemed to be able to absorb a person's soul.
Chu Yi's heart skipped a beat, and the moment those eyes looked at him through the lens, he pressed the shutter button as if possessed.
“Crack.”
The slight "click" sound of the shutter seemed to ring in Chu Yi's heart, making his eardrums buzz.
He subconsciously moved the camera away from his eyes and looked towards the window in panic, like a child who had been caught doing something bad.
However, Zhou Ai, who was standing at the window, did not seem angry, and even his posture did not change.
He just continued to fold his arms lazily, leaning his head against the window frame. His pair of penetrating peach blossom eyes accurately caught the fleeting look of helplessness on Chu Yi's face from a distance.
The sunlight danced on his silver-gray hair. The corners of his mouth slowly curved into a playful arc. His voice was hoarse from just waking up, but it clearly penetrated the moist morning air and slowly floated over:
"Teacher Chu, taking pictures... do you want to pay?"
Chu Yi: “…”
Sure enough, he knew.
With Zhou Ai's sensitivity to the camera, which she had acquired through her years of experience in the entertainment industry, how could she not have noticed what happened just now?
After a brief moment of embarrassment, Chu Yi instead developed a kind of calmness, as if he had given up everything.
He raised his head, trying to maintain his composure, even with a hint of self-righteousness, and replied, "You broke in on your own."
"Break in?" Zhou Ai raised his eyebrows, deliberately misinterpreting his meaning, with a more playful tone, "Break into where? Into your camera? Or..." He dragged out the tone, and his eyes swept across Chu Yi's red ears meaningfully.
Chu Yi choked at his words, his ears reddening for a moment. He pursed his lips, not wanting to argue any further, and simply said, "If you don't like it, I can delete it." As he spoke, he made a move to operate the camera.
"No." Zhou Ai immediately stopped him and shook his finger. "Wait a moment."
After saying this, he abruptly retreated from the window without waiting for Chu Yi's reaction. A rustling, slightly hurried noise came from the room, as if someone was washing and changing clothes as quickly as possible.
Chu Yi stood there, holding the camera with the "evidence" still on it, looking at the empty window, stunned for a moment.
Zhou Jiashu had already run to a higher ridge of the field and was waving excitedly at this side.
A few minutes later, just as Chu Yi adjusted his mentality and raised his camera again, preparing to take the third set of photos of Zhou Jiashu on the ridge of the field, a gray figure nimbly stepped onto the ridge and broke into his viewfinder without saying a word.
Zhou Ai changed into a new outfit. He wore a thin, stealth-grey Arc'teryx jacket, zipped only halfway up to reveal a white short-sleeved shirt underneath, and a pair of sharp black sweatpants.
He had obviously taken care of himself as quickly as possible. His silver hair was no longer messy, and it was casually styled. His face still had a fresh look as if it had not yet dried with moisture.
He suddenly yet naturally inserted himself between Chu Yi and Zhou Jiashu, leaning slightly sideways, facing Chu Yi's camera, a smile on his lips, and a matter-of-fact request in his tone: "Teacher Chu, can you take a picture of me too?"
"Oh! Brother Zhou!" Zhou Jiashu next to him shouted excitedly first. He didn't feel disturbed at all. Instead, he couldn't wait to take out his mobile phone and show it to Zhou Ai.
"You have no idea how amazing Mr. Chu is at taking photos! Look at him! The photo he just took of me is amazing! The composition and lighting are amazing! It's even better than the one my team took!"
Zhou Jiashu chattered while showing the photos on his mobile phone, praising Chu Yi's skills.
Zhou Ai cooperated by looking down at Zhou Jiashu's mobile phone screen, his gaze lingering for a moment on those photos that indeed captured the sunshine, fields and youthful vitality. Then he raised his eyes and looked again at Chu Yi who was holding the camera and seemed a little helpless, and said slowly: "The eyes of the masses are sharp, Teacher Chu can't be partial to some and ignore others."
Chu Yi looked at Zhou Ai in the camera, who was posing confidently and waiting for him to take the photo. He then looked at Zhou Jiashu next to him, who had a look on his face that said, "Take a photo of him quickly, take a photo of him." He suddenly felt a headache.
It seemed like he had... dug a hole for himself.
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