Deep Affection Hidden in Time
Chapter 1: The Tilted Bookshelf
Zhong Hua's bookshelf was in the corner of the studio. It was an old wooden bookshelf with a rustic charm. For some time now, it had been leaning slightly towards Ah Yu. At first, no one paid much attention to it, assuming it was just because the floor was uneven or the bookshelf itself had been there for a long time.
That day, while tidying up her studio, Lin Wanqing frowned at the increasingly crooked bookshelf and decided to have it fixed. When the repairman arrived, he carefully examined the bookshelf and, after some fiddling, removed the books one by one from the bottom shelf. It was then that everyone realized that almost all the books were piled on the side where Ah Yu usually stood, causing the bookshelf to be severely unbalanced and leaning to that side.
"Was that intentional?" Lin Wanqing raised an eyebrow, tapping the bookshelf lightly with her finger, producing a few crisp sounds. Her gaze, filled with inquiry, turned to Zhong Hua. At that moment, Zhong Hua was sitting at a nearby table, holding a soft cloth and intently wiping Ah Yu's camera lens. Hearing Lin Wanqing's words, he paused, then looked up with a faint smile, saying, "He always leans against the bookshelf when looking at photos; it keeps his center of gravity stable."
Ah Yu stood not far away. Hearing this, his heart felt like it had been gently bumped. His face flushed slightly, and his eyes darted away. Yet, as if possessed, he stepped forward and reached out to push the bookshelf. The bookshelf made a soft creaking sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet studio. The sound was like a long-hidden response, tinged with shyness and an unspoken understanding.
Ah Yu and Zhong Hua's story begins a long time ago. It was during their university years when they met in the photography club. Ah Yu loved photography and was always carrying her camera to capture beautiful moments, while Zhong Hua had a strong interest in studying photography techniques and often helped everyone in the club adjust parameters and process photos.
Their first meeting was at the club's recruitment fair. Ah Yu, clutching her beloved camera, stood amidst a group of freshmen, her eyes sparkling as she listened intently to the upperclassmen introduce the club's activities. Zhong Hua, a well-known technical member of the club, was sharing some photography tips on stage. His gaze inadvertently fell on Ah Yu, and seeing her enthusiastic demeanor, he inexplicably remembered this boy with clear eyes.
Later, during a field trip organized by the club, Ah Yu twisted his ankle while hiking. The others were worried, but Zhong Hua, without hesitation, knelt down and carried Ah Yu on his back, step by step, down the mountain. Ah Yu, lying on Zhong Hua's back, listened to his slightly rapid breathing, his face pressed against his back, feeling the warmth of his body. A strange emotion welled up inside him, and he whispered, "Thank you, Zhong Hua." Zhong Hua smiled and replied, "Don't mention it. We club members should take care of each other."
But after that, their relationship seemed to change. Ah Yu would always unconsciously look for Zhong Hua in the crowd, and Zhong Hua would pay extra attention to Ah Yu's every move. Every time Ah Yu raised her camera to take a picture, Zhong Hua would stand silently to the side, watching her focused expression, and the corners of his mouth would unconsciously turn up.
Chapter Two: Shared Interests
As time went by, Ah Yu and Zhong Hua grew closer, and they often went out to take photos together. On weekend mornings, they would carry their cameras and ride their bicycles to the suburbs to find the beautiful scenery of the first rays of sunlight shining on the fields; in the evening, they would wait by the river for the romantic moment when the sunset would dye the entire river surface orange-red.
Ah Yu's photography style tends to capture small details in life; the way a leaf falls, the wrinkles on an old person's face in a street corner—all seem to tell a story under his lens. Zhong Hua, on the other hand, is more adept at photographing grand landscapes; mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas display a magnificent and breathtaking beauty in his photos.
The two often argued about the composition or post-processing of a photo. Once, Ah Yu took a series of photos of the old town, deliberately using dark tones to create a sense of vicissitude and the passage of time. Zhong Hua, however, felt that the photos could be brightened a bit to give them more depth.
"It's too dark here. You can't see many details. What a pity," Zhong Hua said, pointing to some dark areas in the photo.
Ah Yu retorted, unconvinced: "That's exactly the kind of dark feeling we need. The kind of story hidden in the corners needs to be represented by this kind of color scheme."
The two argued heatedly, each sticking to their own opinion, until Lin Wanqing happened to pass by and jokingly said, "You two are almost at each other's throats over a photo, but each has its own merits. Maybe combining them would be even more perfect." Hearing Lin Wanqing's words, the two looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh. Their laughter echoed in the studio, carrying the unbridled joy of youth and a pure love for photography.
Besides photography, they would also study the various functions of the camera together. Ah Yu always had trouble remembering the complex parameters, and she would frantically flip through her notes before each shoot. Zhong Hua noticed this and would quietly compile the commonly used parameters, write them on small cards, and put them in Ah Yu's camera bag.
"With these, you won't have to rush to find the parameters every time, it's so convenient," Zhong Hua said to Ah Yu with a smile.
Ah Yu was deeply moved. Looking at the neatly written cards, he knew that Zhong Hua had put a lot of thought into them. From then on, he worked even harder to learn photography, wanting to improve together with Zhong Hua and create even better works.
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