Chapter 37
This imperfect yet perfect date ended with a tourist photo.
There was a photo spot in the middle of the amusement park, in front of the castle and the green gables. There were many people there during the day, including those taking wedding photos. But when Zhang Jusong and Xia Zhiheng slowly came out of the restaurant, there were only a few people at the photo spot. A staff member in charge of taking photos smiled conscientiously at every guest who passed by.
Zhang Jusong took another look at the castle, and suddenly his hand was gently touched. It was Xia Zhiheng.
He looked at her: "Sister, let's take a picture, okay?"
Zhang Jusong was a little embarrassed, because she didn't like taking pictures. But the next moment, Xia Zhiheng lowered his eyebrows and whispered, "Ah, if you don't like it, forget it. It doesn't matter."
There was some disappointment in his tone.
She pursed her lips and replied, "Then... just take a picture."
Xia Zhiheng's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he was afraid that she would go back on her word, so he pulled her forward and asked the staff to take a photo.
Facing the black camera again, Zhang Jusong subconsciously tensed his back.
The staff member looked at the frame and said with a smile, "Madam, would you like to smile?"
Hearing the instructions, Zhang Jusong raised the corners of his mouth and smiled.
The smile was obviously a little stiff. The staff member looked at it, hesitated, and said, "Or could you smile more relaxedly?"
Zhang Jusong then pulled the corner of his mouth again, feeling flustered and thinking that no matter how he smiled, it was not right.
Just as I was getting anxious, I suddenly heard Xia Zhiheng beside me say, "It's okay, just shoot it like this."
He smiled and looked at her sideways: "Sister, you look beautiful when you smile, and you look beautiful even when you don't smile. How does the lyrics go, 'You look beautiful when the corners of your mouth turn down'——"
The unexpected words made Zhang Jusong laugh out loud.
At this moment, the staff pressed the shutter button.
"This photo turned out really well." The staff member smiled and handed them the quickly developed photos.
Zhang Jusong stretched out his arm and snatched the photo immediately, refusing to let Xia Zhiheng take a look at it first.
What if... the photo turns out ugly?
Xia Zhiheng was stunned and laughed: "Don't worry, sister, I won't fight with you."
Zhang Jusong didn't care and turned the blank book with the back of the photo to him. Xia Zhiheng simply put his hands in his pockets, smiling, and watched her actions.
After making sure that he couldn't see the photo and had no intention of snatching it, Zhang Jusong held her breath and looked at the photo. Her eyes fell on herself in the photo, and she felt a little nervous.
The night was dim. The girl tilted her face slightly with a smile on her face. Her sight ended at Xia Zhiheng who was beside her.
Looks like... very happy.
At this time last year, the class was holding an activity and taking group photos. Zhang Jusong couldn't avoid it, so he had to take a photo with his classmates. Everyone took the photos for fun, and no one developed the photos. Instead, they just posted them in the class group. Zhang Jusong secretly saved the group photo and stared at himself in the photo for a long time.
When taking that photo, everyone shouted "Cheese", and she followed suit, trying to smile. But in that class photo, her smile was almost invisible, and with her hair down, she looked... a little gloomy and sad.
But now, can she actually smile so happily?
Zhang Jusong stared at the photo, feeling a little surprised. With the help of external objects, she intuitively felt for the first time that it turned out that with Xia Zhiheng by her side, she could smile so happily.
The night wind blew in her face, softly, gently lapping at her face like warm ocean waves.
She held the photo, looked at herself in the captured moment, then looked at Xia Zhiheng who was also engraved in the memory. She felt dazed and a strange feeling came over her.
"What's wrong? Is it a bad photo?"
Her shoulder felt heavy, and Xia Zhiheng came closer and put his head on her shoulder. His fluffy hair brushed her cheek, which was a little itchy.
Why does this guy always like to hang on her? He is 1.8 meters tall, but he likes to act like a big bird leaning on a person, and he insists on snuggling with her, not even feeling hot.
Zhang Jusong glared at him reproachfully but did not move an inch, allowing him to lean on her.
Xia Zhiheng smiled and stretched out his hand, poked the girl's face in the photo, and said, "So cute."
"No way." Zhang Jusong found his little look a little funny and suddenly pinched his face.
Caught off guard, Xia Zhiheng's beautiful puppy eyes widened slightly. After reacting, he even lowered his head and moved closer to her to prevent her from getting tired from raising her hands.
Even though he was being squeezed and flattened, he still insisted, "Obviously, it's very cute!"
Xia Zhiheng really liked this photo and printed out an extra copy.
After taking the photos, the closing music started and the two walked out along the road.
Zhang Jusong asked in confusion: "What do you want two photos for? Don't you already have one?"
"Hang one up, and keep one in the album." Xia Zhiheng smiled shyly, "I... have an album just for you."
"ah?"
Zhang Jusong staggered for a moment and said, "What do you mean?"
Xia Zhiheng said, "We took some photos together when we were little, sister, did you forget them? I kept them all."
His eyes sparkled: "Do you want to see it? I brought it to City A, and there are some photos of you when you were a child. They are so cute!"
Zhang Jusong was stunned for a moment, a little reluctant, but seeing how happy Xia Zhiheng was, she couldn't bear to spoil his fun, so she said, "If there's a chance, we can do it."
But she didn't realize that Xia Zhiheng would always create opportunities for her even if there were no opportunities, let alone such a small matter.
The next night when they went to the library to study together, Xia Zhiheng brought a small green photo album.
The leisure area on the first floor of the library is filled with the aroma of instant coffee.
The conversations of the students sitting next to me were measured and not very loud, a buzz floating in the orange-red light of dusk.
Xia Zhiheng turned to the first page and said, "Look, the camphor trees in the camphor garden were only this tall back then."
In the color photo, little Zhang Jusong rides a four-wheeled children's bicycle, one foot on the ground, the shiny black leather shoes shining in the sun. Behind her is little Xia Zhiheng looking up at her with eyes full of admiration. Behind the two children, their mothers stand on the left and right, with fluttering skirts. In her memory, there is only the label of "mom", but looking at it now, she suddenly realizes that her mother was so young, carefree and innocent at that time.
Seeing the smile on the young woman's face, Zhang Jusong felt like he was drinking a cup of latte, which was very slightly bitter.
"This seems to be the only photo we took when we were little." Xia Zhiheng turned to the next page, which was a solo photo of her. Looking at the red scarf tied on the front of her school uniform, it was probably when she was in elementary school. She was standing on the podium, her chin slightly raised, beautiful and proud.
Xia Zhiheng said: "This was the end-of-term commendation meeting, the day you won the school's three best students award. My mother happened to be there, and she brought a camera, so she took a picture."
The next photo was taken when she participated in the district's children's singing competition. She won the championship that time and pinned a tacky ribbon on her shoulder.
After seeing the photo on the next page clearly, Zhang Jusong clenched his hands on his knees into fists silently.
In the stills, the girl in ancient costume raised her eyes slightly, her eyes tearing up. It was an unforgettable sight. It was the only movie in which she had made a cameo appearance.
It was beautiful, but that was a long time ago.
She stared at the tiny bit of sunset glow in the photo. Now, she felt like she was drinking a cup of authentic American coffee, without sugar, but with an endless bitter aftertaste.
Xia Zhiheng was originally smiling, but when he looked up and saw her quiet, he stopped smiling and asked, "What's wrong? Are you unhappy?"
"No." Zhang Jusong curled his lips, propped up his forehead with one hand, and said calmly, "I've been in class for a whole day, and I feel a little dizzy."
This was not a lie, she was indeed a little tired after a whole day of classes.
Xia Zhiheng put away the photo album and cleared the table. "Lie down and rest for a while?"
"good."
Zhang Jusong bent down and buried his head in his arms. His eyes were still open and he saw a tiny crack left on a small tile.
It seems that things are always like this, flawless at first, but gradually develop cracks, and the past becomes a beautiful moment preserved in a photo frame.
Will this cracked tile miss its flawless appearance when it was first out of the kiln?
She thought in a daze.
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