It turns out that a story had been quietly unfolding since so early on.
"Then why didn't you say so sooner?" Ah Yu's voice was a little choked up.
“I’m afraid you’ll find me annoying,” Zhong Hua said, lowering her head and stirring the soy milk in her bowl. “I’m also afraid that if I tell you, we won’t even be able to be friends anymore.”
Ah Yu looked at him and suddenly felt his eyes well up with tears. He remembered the shock he felt when he found that unnamed folder on Zhong Hua's computer—it was full of his photos: his profile with a camera in hand, his back as he squatted by the lake, even a picture of him dozing off in a meeting. Zhong Hua said they were "snapshots taken casually while shooting scenery," but the angles of those photos were clearly those of someone who had been watching him closely.
He remembered the typhoon day when Zhong Hua held an umbrella for him, while he himself held Lin Wanqing's floral umbrella, swaying from side to side in the wind, yet still protecting his camera bag; he remembered Zhong Hua's old notebook, filled with his frequently used photography parameters, the handwriting ranging from neat to messy, as if he was in a hurry to tell him; he remembered the belated Polaroid photo taken by Qinghai Lake, with obvious creases on the edges, clearly having been repeatedly handled...
It turns out that all the details concealed his uncomprehended intentions.
“Zhong Hua,” Ah Yu sniffed, trying to make her voice sound normal, “I like you too.”
Zhong Hua suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with disbelief: "What did you say?"
“I said, I like you too.” Ah Yu looked into his eyes and said, word by word, “Maybe… even before you liked me.”
He should have realized it much earlier.
I found myself feeling uncomfortable when I saw Zhong Hua getting close to others; I found myself subconsciously looking for him; I found that my camera had unknowingly accumulated many photos of him—photos of him bending down to fix his camera, photos of him drinking water from a cup, and photos of him squinting in the sunlight.
He was just too timid to admit it or think about it too much.
Zhong Hua's eyes slowly reddened. He looked at Ah Yu, opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything. After a long while, he finally reached out and gently took Ah Yu's hand, which was resting on the table. This time, he held it very lightly, as if holding some fragile treasure.
"So... are we together now?" Zhong Hua's voice trembled slightly.
Ah Yu smiled and nodded, then gripped his hand tightly in return: "Yes, we're together now."
The door to the breakfast stall was pushed open, and a chilly wind rushed in, causing the condensation on the windows to swirl. Lin Wanqing walked in, rubbing her hands together, and said, "It's so cold outside. Luckily, I was smart enough to bring a scarf."
She saw the two hands clasped together at the table, raised an eyebrow, but didn't say much. She simply pulled out a chair and sat down: "Are you two done chatting? I just saw a stall outside selling candied hawthorns, a super big skewer, want to go buy some?"
“Okay,” Ah Yu said with a smile.
Zhong Hua nodded and stood up: "I'll go buy it, you guys wait here."
As he walked away, Ah Yu watched his retreating figure, feeling a warmth in her heart. Lin Wanqing nudged his arm and said with a smile, "Well done, you've finally figured it out."
Ah Yu's face turned slightly red: "Actually... I should have understood a long time ago."
“That’s right,” Lin Wanqing sighed. “Let me tell you, last time Zhong Hua went to the store at three in the morning to queue up for you to get a limited edition camera lens. He caught a cold for several days because of the cold, but he didn’t dare to tell you. He said he caught a cold by accident.”
Ah Yu was stunned, feeling a mix of emotions—a bittersweet feeling—as if something had struck her heart.
There were so many things he didn't know.
It turns out that someone had taken his hobbies as their own business.
A little while later, Zhong Hua returned with three strings of candied hawthorns and handed them to A Yu and Lin Wanqing. A Yu took one, took a bite, and the sweet and sour taste spread in her mouth, just like her mood at that moment.
"Shall we go take pictures of the old locust trees in the alley this afternoon?" Ah Yu looked at Zhong Hua, her eyes sparkling. "I checked, the sun will be out this afternoon, the light and shadow will definitely be beautiful."
“Okay.” Zhong Hua nodded with a smile. “I’ll carry your camera bag for you.”
"No need, I can do it myself."
"Listen to me." Zhong Hua naturally took his camera bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Your hand is fine now, don't tire it out."
Lin Wanqing watched from the side, smiled and shook her head, then took out her phone and took a picture of their backs as they walked out of the breakfast stall side by side. In the photo, the sunlight fell on them, casting long shadows that were close together, as if they would never be separated.
The afternoon sun was lovely, casting dappled shadows on the ground through the branches of the old locust tree. Ah Yu held up her camera, took a few pictures of the tree's shadows, then turned around and pressed the shutter on Zhong Hua.
In the photo, Zhong Hua stands under a tree, sunlight falling on his face. His lips are slightly upturned, and his eyes are filled with a gentle smile as he looks at the camera.
"Why are you taking pictures of me?" Zhong Hua walked over and leaned closer to look at the photos in the camera.
"Because you're pretty," Ah Yu said with a smile, her tone natural and without the slightest embarrassment.
Zhong Hua's ears turned red again. He scratched his head, took the camera, and snapped a picture of Ah Yu as well. "You look good too," he said.
Lin Wanqing sat on a stone bench not far away, watching them take pictures of each other, humming a song and peeling an orange in her hand, like a satisfied spectator.
The sun slowly began to set, and the shadows gradually lengthened. Ah Yu put away her camera and looked at Zhong Hua: "Shall we go have dinner? I know a hot pot restaurant that's amazing."
“Okay,” Zhong Hua nodded, “It’s my treat.”
“No, this time it’s on me,” Ah Yu insisted. “Consider it… a celebration of us being together.”
Zhong Hua smiled and conceded, "Okay, I'll do as you say."
They walked side by side in the alley, their shadows stretched long by the setting sun, nestled close together. Ah Yu's hand would occasionally brush against Zhong Hua's, but neither of them flinched away; instead, they drew closer and closer.
When they reached the alley entrance, Zhong Hua suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at Ah Yu. "Actually," he said, "I also have..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com