Love Notebook of a Reclusive Beautiful Boy - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The frame was shattered; no matter how heartbroken Du Yu was, it was of no use.

Before dinner, Du Yanyu instructed Jiang Sheng to take Du Yu to the photo studio to pick out another one.

Old Ma drove the car all the way to the studio.

On the plaque above the door were five gold-leafed characters: “Red Star Photo Studio.”

Jiang Sheng had heard of this studio before. It was an old brand, opened during the late Qing Dynasty. It was said that among their ancestors, someone had the honor of photographing Empress Dowager Cixi in the palace though whether it was true or false, no one knew.

However, to be able to establish such deep roots and stand firm until now through such war-torn eras was truly not easy.

Recently, several robberies had occurred, and quite a few people had died.

This had left the people outside in a state of panic; the flow of people on the streets had decreased by more than half, though fortunately, this finally alleviated the problem of traffic congestion.

The Red Star Photo Studio before them was clearly not much affected. Through the wide-open doors, many people could be seen gathered inside.

As soon as Du Yu got out of the car, he suddenly stood still in front of the car door.

Jiang Sheng asked him softly, “Why aren’t you moving?”

“Brother…”

Du Yu stared blankly ahead, murmuring softly.

Jiang Sheng froze for a moment, lifted his eyes to look at the studio, and turned to ask Old Ma in the car, “Did Du Li used to come here often to take photos?”

Like Fang Ma, Old Ma was an old servant of the Du family. Although it had been ten years, he had a deep impression because in the past, whenever Du Li took photos, he would come here.

“Yes, the Eldest Young Master used to come here often.”

Jiang Sheng turned back and patted Du Yu’s shoulder. “Shall we go in first?”

After saying that, he added his name, “A-Yu.”

To be honest, he really wasn’t used to saying his name every time he spoke a sentence, but if he didn’t call him, he feared the boy wouldn’t listen.

Du Yu looked toward the studio, his innocent face gazing at the main entrance. “Brother…”

He called out again and tilted his head to look at Jiang Sheng, his face full of pure innocence, without a trace of impurity.

He seemed to be telling Jiang Sheng that he and Du Li had been to this place.

Jiang Sheng responded softly, “I know. Brother has been here before, right?”

Du Yu’s large eyes blinked, and then he nodded his head.

Jiang Sheng glanced at the surroundings. “Then does A-Yu want to go inside and have a look?”

Du Yu tilted his face up and nodded again.

It was fortunate that Jiang Sheng’s mother and Xu Shaokang had mostly ground away his past impetuous temperament; additionally, he felt great pity for Du Yu’s experiences. Otherwise, an ordinary person really wouldn’t have such a good temper.

In the studio lobby, a female employee was idling. Seeing someone arrive, she hurried forward with a smiling face. “Good afternoon, sir. What kind of photos would you like to take?”

Jiang Sheng replied, “Not taking photos. I’m here to buy a photo frame.”

The smile on the employee’s face diminished by a few degrees. She led Jiang Sheng and the others inside, walked to a glass counter, and brought out a large box. “What kind do you want? Glass or wooden?”

Because the previous one was glass, Jiang Sheng didn’t really want Du Yu to buy another glass one. However, he wasn’t the one in charge of this matter; what he thought could only remain a thought.

He said, “Bring out a few of each to look at.”

The worker took out a few and placed them on the counter. In truth, the styles were all similar; there wasn’t much of a difference.

Jiang Sheng asked Du Yu softly, “How about it, A-Yu? Which one do you want?”

Du Yu had a bewildered expression and looked up at Jiang Sheng.

Jiang Sheng’s gaze was questioning. “Why are you looking at me? Which one do you want?”

As he spoke, he held up a glass frame and a wooden frame for him to see. “Does A-Yu want this one, or this one?”

Du Yu looked at them, extended a finger, and pointed at the glass one. “…Brother…”

Perhaps from spending more time with Du Yu, these fragmented words were enough for Jiang Sheng to understand his meaning.

He wanted one exactly like the one Du Li had picked before.

Although, according to Jiang Sheng’s status, he shouldn’t interfere in such matters—he should give Du Yu whatever he wanted. Du Yu was, after all, different from ordinary people. Jiang Sheng thought to himself: what if it breaks again next time, and Du Yu mindlessly reaches out his hand to grab it…

He decided to try and persuade him. “A-Yu, this one breaks easily. Break—do you know?”

He bent down slightly to be at eye level with Du Yu.

Du Yu’s pure eyes just looked at him like that.

“If it breaks, your hand will hurt…”

He lightly pressed Du Yu’s hand.

Du Yu felt the pain; his brow instantly furrowed, and his hand shrank back.

His handsome face also slightly changed color because of the pain, his gaze looking at Jiang Sheng weakly.

“Does A-Yu hurt?”

Jiang Sheng used very little force, only pressing the edge of the palm where there were fewer wounds. His goal was merely to let Du Yu feel the pain, and that was enough.

Du Yu lifted his hand and brought his palm to his mouth, blowing on it several times in a row. He looked up at Jiang Sheng, a hint of pitifulness in his voice, very faint.

“It hurts…”

His appearance was heart-wrenching. He was the least capable of acting cute or acting spoiled, because no one could withstand it.

Jiang Sheng was tempted to laugh by this action. He really was afraid of pain—did he think blowing on it would make it stop hurting?

Truly the thoughts of a child.

After explaining it to him this way, Jiang Sheng again held the two frames before him and asked, “So, which one does A-Yu want now?”

Du Yu’s blowing action stopped. He hesitated.

He was very conflicted, not knowing which one to choose.

He was very afraid of pain.

If it broke, his hand would hurt.

But he also really wanted to buy one identical to the one Du Li had chosen.

After a long while, he slowly extended his finger and pointed to the glass frame.

Jiang Sheng felt a bit helpless.

After all that, he still wanted this one.

This child really was stubborn.

Du Yu’s expression straightened. Although his hand still hurt, his expression clearly tightened a bit. Enduring the pain, his clear gaze looked at Jiang Sheng, and his childish voice told him, “A-Yu is not afraid of pain…”

When he reached the final word “pain,” his voice clearly lowered, and his eyes lowered as well. His long eyelashes drooped; from Jiang Sheng’s angle, his slightly soft face looked like a beautiful porcelain doll in a cabinet.

Jiang Sheng didn’t know what to say.

He had only pressed lightly just now, and the boy had cried out in pain.

And yet he wasn’t afraid of pain?

This pale and weak explanation was like “plugging one’s ears while stealing a bell”—it didn’t have a shred of credibility.

But he had given all the advice he could. Since he was so stubborn, he could only let him have his way.

The only thing he could do now was to keep a good eye on him and protect him well.

“Then this one it is.” He placed the glass frame on the table. “How much?”

“This is a newly arrived batch, no bargaining ten dollars.”

It was somewhat expensive; such frames in an ordinary photo shop would only cost one or two dollars. However, an old-brand shop like this specialized in fleecing the wealthy.

Anyway, the money wasn’t his, and before they left, Du Yanyu had specifically instructed that it must be something Du Yu liked.

This bit of money was nothing.

Jiang Sheng handed over the money, took the item, and was about to lead Du Yu away.

Du Yu held out his hand for Jiang Sheng to see, wearing an innocent and simple expression, murmuring a repetition, “It hurts…”

He had no other intention; he simply wanted to tell Jiang Sheng that his hand hurt.

If one didn’t look at his face and only listened to his voice, it wouldn’t seem like much.

But because his voice naturally carried a childishness, and he drew out the end of his words when he spoke, to the ears, it sounded as if he were acting spoiled.

Jiang Sheng thought to himself: just a moment ago he had vowed to tell him he wasn’t afraid of pain, yet now he had forgotten what he just said.

Jiang Sheng held his wrist. He really wasn’t using any strength, and he couldn’t understand why Du Yu kept crying out in pain.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

He lowered his head and looked up to ask Du Yu softly.

Du Yu nodded, his eyes bright and sparkling, repeating, “It hurts…”

He couldn’t take off the gauze right now, but Du Yu kept crying that it hurt.

Jiang Sheng thought about it and had no choice but to imitate Du Yu, gently blowing on his palm.

When Du Yu blew on it himself, he blew slowly, and the airflow wasn’t fast, which resulted in the air being a mixture of cold and hot.

His palm was injured and already had a burning sensation; encountering warm air only prevented the pain from subsiding.

But when Jiang Sheng blew for him, he blew quickly. The airflow was fast, so the wind produced was cool.

The cool sensation blowing on Du Yu’s palm was very comfortable.

Jiang Sheng blew for a while and noticed that Du Yu was staring at him intently, his beautiful eyes not blinking once, with a faint smile on the corners of his mouth.

That was an unconscious smile because his palm felt comfortable.

“What is it? Does it still hurt?”

Jiang Sheng looked up and asked.

The corners of Du Yu’s mouth curved; the arc wasn’t large, and the smile was very shallow.

Many times, even he himself didn’t know he was smiling.

He didn’t answer Jiang Sheng’s question. He obediently held out his hand, his palm close to Jiang Sheng’s lips almost about to touch them. His childish voice carried a trace of seemingly nonexistent coquettishness as he whispered, “Want more…”