Love Notebook of a Reclusive Beautiful Boy - Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Du Yu spent his days at school rather joyfully; he didn’t talk to others, he just followed Jiang Sheng.

Jiang Sheng assumed he was still adjusting, so he just let him be.

There was only one period in the afternoon, and school was dismissed as soon as it was over.

Old Ma was already waiting outside the school early on. Seeing Jiang Sheng bring Du Yu over, he hurriedly got out of the car to open the door.

He said with a smile, “How were Mr. Jiang and A-Yu at school today?”

“Not bad.” While casually guiding Du Yu into the car with his hand, Jiang Sheng looked toward Old Ma, “What’s wrong? What’s making you so happy?”

Old Ma was indeed in a good mood and said with a smile, “It’s A-Yu’s birthday. Mr. Du came back early today and invited someone to the house to calculate the date for A-Yu.”

“Calculate the date?” Jiang Sheng didn’t quite understand and asked while getting into the car, “Calculate what date?”

Old Ma got into the car and replied, “Calculate an auspicious day! A-Yu’s birthday has to have a well-calculated good day before it can be held!”

Jiang Sheng really didn’t understand this much; he had only ever heard of calculating dates for taking a wife or holding a funeral, but he had never heard anyone say that one calculates a date for celebrating a birthday.

“Isn’t A-Yu’s birthday on the 14th? It’s not being held on that day?”

Old Ma glanced at Jiang Sheng in the rearview mirror and explained, “What Mr. Du is calculating is the date for a grand celebration. On the 14th, it will be celebrated on a small scale at home—celebrating it twice.”

Jiang Sheng let out an “oh” and asked, “Has a date been calculated and decided yet?”

“It hadn’t been decided yet when I left.”

Jiang Sheng nodded his head and stopped speaking.

Turning his head wanting to look at Du Yu, he discovered that Du Yu was looking right at him.

His eyes carried an inquiry, “What’s wrong?”

Du Yu clutched his backpack in his arms, sitting up straight and proper.

Looking at him, his expression was half-understanding, “What did A-Sheng say.”

Jiang Sheng replied to him with a smile, “We’re talking about your birthday. A-Yu gets to celebrate his birthday twice and eat cake twice. Are you happy?”

Looking at Jiang Sheng’s smiling face, Du Yu nodded his head, “Happy.”

“As long as you’re happy.”

Just after entering the villa, Jiang Sheng spotted Du Yanyu.

Beside him was a woman—a unfamiliar face, wearing a light-colored qipao that accentuated her shapely figure, holding coffee and chatting casually with Du Yanyu.

Probably because it was rare for a happy occasion to be organized at home, Du Yanyu’s face beamed with a smile, and he had only spoken a few sentences with her when he saw Jiang Sheng and Du Yu come in.

He called out with a smile, “A-Yu, come over here.”

This woman beside Du Yanyu was Zhong Huiyin.

Today, Yao Xiaohui had gone to Shengxing Church for services, so Du Yanyu had brought her to the Du residence to choose a date together.

In fact, even if Yao Xiaohui were at home, Du Yanyu wouldn’t panic; it would just mean his ears would suffer, that’s all. The ultimate power over life and death in the household rested entirely in Du Yanyu’s hands, so no matter how fiercely Yao Xiaohui threw a tantrum, she wouldn’t dare divorce him.

Du Yanyu smiled as he put his arm around Du Yu, pointing at Zhong Huiyin, “A-Yu, this is your Auntie Zhong. When you see her in the future, you must remember to greet her.”

He was aware that Du Yu wouldn’t understand these words.

It was just that since Zhong Huiyin was present, he always had to show her some respect.

Zhong Huiyin had been with Du Yanyu for seven years, and this was her first time meeting Du Yu.

He didn’t look like Du Yanyu; he looked somewhat like his mother, with gentle eyes and brows, unlike Du Yanyu’s hardened resolve.

Regarding the Du family’s matters, Du Yanyu had spoken to her about them, so she knew very clearly. Toward Du Yu, she naturally felt a great deal of pity.

She glanced at Du Yanyu, “Look at you, not even telling me beforehand. If I had known earlier, I would have brought a meeting gift.”

Then she looked at Du Yu and smiled tenderly, “How old is A-Yu this year?”

Zhong Huiyin naturally knew how old Du Yu was this year; she wanted to talk to Du Yu, wanted to hear him reply to her, so she just randomly asked some simple questions, that was all.

Du Yu slightly raised his eyes to look at Du Yanyu. Du Yanyu gave an encouraging smile, “Auntie Zhong is talking to you, A-Yu needs to be polite.”

Although Du Yu didn’t like talking to strangers, when it came to Du Yanyu’s words, he would still listen.

He looked at her, his voice very crisp and clear, “A-Yu is seven years old.”

Du Yanyu and Zhong Huiyin were stunned for a split second.

They had known it long ago, very clearly. The psychologist had told Du Yanyu ten years ago that this child had a massive psychological shadow and might remain trapped within his self-awareness for a long time.

It was just that they didn’t expect this stay would last for ten years.

Hearing it spoken from Du Yu’s own mouth again, Du Yanyu was just a bit unaccustomed to it.

After all, the boy standing in front of him was just as tall as he was, and his facial features had all matured, no different from an adult.

But he said he was only seven years old.

These words caused the atmosphere to instantly turn heavy and solemn.

Du Yanyu’s face, which had been jovial and smiling just now, had now restrained itself, his expression looking a bit displeased.

Zhong Huiyin knew she had asked a question she shouldn’t have asked, so she smiled and pulled up another topic, saying, “What does A-Yu like? Next time I come, Auntie Zhong will bring it to A-Yu.”

What did he like?

Du Yu’s brain capacity wasn’t enough; trying to think of it himself at this moment, he actually couldn’t think of anything.

“A-生 (A-Sheng)…”

He habitually went to call out to Jiang Sheng, hoping he could tell him.

Zhong Huiyin didn’t hear very clearly, “Likes what? A-曾 (A-Zeng)?”

“What A-Yu said is A-Sheng,” Du Yanyu explained.

After saying this, he remembered he hadn’t introduced Jiang Sheng to her yet, so he said, “This is Jiang Sheng, I mentioned him to you once. Du Yu’s bodyguard, who used to work in the Jinpu police force before.”

Then he introduced Zhong Huiyin to Jiang Sheng, “This is Boss Zhong of Xiaolang Pavilion.”

When Zhong Huiyin heard Du Yanyu mention him before, she hadn’t thought much of it, but now seeing Jiang Sheng standing here and seeing his face, she remembered this person’s identity.

She smiled, “How could I not know Mr. Jiang? A frequent guest on the Jinpu newspapers. I don’t even know how many times I’ve looked at your face. This time, it’s rare to see the real person.”

Jiang Sheng said politely, “Boss Zhong praises me too highly.”

Zhong Huiyin glanced at Du Yu, smiled, and said, “I heard from Yanyu before that this child, A-Yu, doesn’t like to get close to people. How long has Mr. Jiang been here? It looks like you get along very well with A-Yu.”

Before Jiang Sheng had time to answer, Du Yanyu, who was beside him, smiled and said to Zhong Huiyin, “Although A-Yu doesn’t understand worldly matters, he still always knows who treats him well. Jiang Sheng is a rare person with a good temper. Du Yu loves to speak more and more now, and all of this is thanks to him.”

Jiang Sheng had heard this kind of praise from Du Yanyu many times.

He wasn’t an obsequious person; on the contrary, he was a composed man of few words. He replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, “A-Yu is innocent and romantic, there are few people who wouldn’t like him.”

Zhong Huiyin let out a laugh, “Yanyu, you really found the right person.”

Du Yanyu’s eyes and brows filled with delight, “Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Come and take a look at the date the fortune-teller just calculated.”

Placed on the tabletop was a large calendar with only one page—the dates for next month.

Three dates were circled with a red pen. Du Yanyu said, “Come look, the fortune-teller calculated three dates. It is auspicious for breaking ground, auspicious for…”

He paused and asked Zhong Huiyin beside him, “How did that fortune-teller put it again?”

Zhong Huiyin replied, “Said it is auspicious for marriage, auspicious for accepting gifts, auspicious for travel, auspicious for offering sacrifices—in short, it’s an excellent day where everything is auspicious!”

Du Yanyu held Du Yu’s shoulders, “A-Yu, come look, which day do you want to spend your birthday?”

He took turns pointing at the three numbers on the calendar: 8, 16, 28.

Du Yu naturally had no idea; this concept of dates was something he completely did not comprehend.

Staring at the calendar for a long while, he just didn’t speak.

Du Yanyu knew he didn’t understand. In fact, he originally wanted to try letting him make a choice, but seeing that he didn’t speak for a good while, he could only try to ask him. Pointing at the 8th, he asked, “How about this day?”

Du Yu looked at it and nodded his head, “Good…”

He switched to another date, “Then how about this day?”

“Good…”

“Then this one?”

“Good…”

Everything was good to him, and celebrating it at any time was also good.

Du Yanyu saw that he had made some progress these past few days, so he became somewhat impatient, wishing to eat a full meal in one bite, hoping that Du Yu could point at a date and tell him, Dad, I want to spend my birthday on this day.

But wasn’t that thinking too much?

The corners of his mouth slowly drooped down.

Zhong Huiyin patted his shoulder, “Alright, A-Yu is just easygoing. These three days are all exceptionally good days, so won’t celebrating it on any day be the same? I think the 8th is quite good—wealth coming from all eight directions, good health, and everything going smoothly.”

As she spoke, she went to ask Jiang Sheng beside them, “What does Mr. Jiang think?”

Jiang Sheng didn’t have any opinion and smiled faintly, “They are all quite good.”

Zhong Huiyin tilted her head, saying to Du Yanyu, “How about the 8th then?”

“Then let’s make it the 8th. Will you have enough time to prepare over on your end?”

Zhong Huiyin smiled, “Everything has long been almost fully prepared, we are just waiting for the birthday star.”

After this matter was locked in and settled, Zhong Huiyin planned to head back. Du Yanyu wanted to keep her for a meal, but he was turned down by Zhong Huiyin.

It was rare for Du Yu not to be in a hurry to return to the attic. Since Yao Xiaohui wasn’t around, the house was filled with a harmonious and good atmosphere.

Auntie Fang prepared some afternoon tea snacks, pushed the dining cart over, cut a portion of cake, and handed it to Du Yu, “Just freshly made, A-Yu come quickly and taste it.”

Du Yu liked sweet foods. Holding the cake, he sat down in the sofa and started eating.

Jiang Sheng sat to one side. Auntie Fang smiled and also cut a portion to hand to Jiang Sheng, “Mr. Jiang should also taste a piece.”

Jiang Sheng didn’t particularly like eating these cloyingly sweet things, so he declined, saying, “No need for me, give it all to A-Yu.”

Auntie Fang replied, “What is Mr. Jiang being polite for? There is plenty of it here, how could A-Yu ever finish it all?”

The hand holding the cake was insistently sent in front of Jiang Sheng, “Have a taste.”

Jiang Sheng smiled, “Really no need, I…”

Before his words were finished, he saw Du Yu blinking his eyes, his dark and bright eyes looking at him, his face innocent and obedient, extending his hand, with a bit of cream scooped up on the spoon in his hand.

He copied Auntie Fang, his voice soft and sticky: “A-Sheng… taste…”

Looking at the spoon extended right to his mouth, Jiang Sheng was stunned for a moment.

Auntie Fang laughed from the side, “A-Yu is truly good to Mr. Jiang. Mr. Jiang should just taste it, it’s freshly made and very sweet.”

Looking at Du Yu’s obedient face, Jiang Sheng lowered his head, went along with the spoon, and took a bite.

The mellow, sweet, and rich flavor of the cream permeated his entire oral cavity.

As expected, it was very sweet.

He swallowed it down and smiled, “Thank you, A-Yu. It’s very delicious.”

The corners of Du Yu’s mouth lightly turned up, the arc of his smile wasn’t large, smiling faintly, looking somewhat cute.

He lowered his head, wanting to scoop up another spoonful for Jiang Sheng, but suddenly a maid walked over, “Mr. Jiang, Mr. Du is calling for you to go to the study room.”

“Understood.” Jiang Sheng smiled faintly, “A-Yu eat by yourself.”