"All done." Zhong Hua suddenly spoke, assembled the camera, and pressed the shutter button against the light, producing a crisp "click" sound.
Ah Yu looked up and saw him handing her the camera, palm up, the band-aid glistening white under the light. "Want to try it?"
Ah Yu took the camera; it was heavy, still warm from Zhong Hua's hand. He pressed the shutter button towards the window of the repair shop, and the night outside rushed in, condensing into a deep blue in the viewfinder. "Thanks." He put the camera into the desiccant box next to him, and as he turned around, he found Zhong Hua staring at the empty milk cup in his hand.
"Shall I heat up another cup for you?" Ah Yu asked.
Zhong Hua shook his head, got up to tidy up the tools on the table, the tweezers and screwdriver clinking together with a soft crackling sound. "No need, go back to sleep." He closed the parts catalog. "Have you finished your report?"
"Not yet," Ah Yu stretched, her bones cracking softly. "It'll probably be dawn by then."
Zhong Hua put the tools into the drawer, then paused, saying, "I'll stay with you."
Ah Yu paused, then turned to see that he had already turned off the maintenance room light, leaving only the corridor light on, casting a long shadow behind him. "You don't need to..."
“I just need to organize the project data,” Zhong Hua interrupted him, her tone casual. “Sister Lin needs it tomorrow.”
Ah Yu didn't refuse again. When he returned to the office area, he sat back down at his computer, the cursor still blinking in the document. Zhong Hua sat down at the workstation opposite him, opened his laptop, the screen light reflecting on his face, his expression focused.
After an unknown amount of time, Ah Yu finished typing the last word and let out a long sigh. He rubbed his aching shoulders and looked up to find that the screen opposite him was dark. Zhong Hua was asleep, slumped over the table, his arm under his chin, his face buried in shadow, his breathing very soft. Morning light had somehow crept in through the curtains, gilding the tips of his hair.
Ah Yu got up, quietly took a blanket, and covered Zhong Hua with it. The blanket was knitted by Lin Wanqing; it was off-white and had a soft, fluffy texture. Just as he tucked the blanket in, Zhong Hua suddenly stirred, his eyelashes fluttering, but he didn't wake up.
Ah Yu returned to his seat and looked out the window at the gradually brightening sky, the clouds tinged with a pale pink. He picked up the camera on the table, pointed it at the morning light outside the window, and pressed the shutter. The soft "click" sounded particularly clear in the quiet studio.
Perhaps some warmth, like the light of dawn, doesn't need to be spoken, yet it always illuminates each other's path just right.
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