Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Mother Wang pulled Yun Li upstairs and opened the door to Jiang Shiyu's room. "Young Master A Yu's room still looks like it did in his youth. If you feel bored and can't sleep, feel free to look around," she said.
"Thank you, Mother Wang," Yun Li replied.
After Mother Wang left, Yun Li sat in the room. The space no longer held the scent that belonged to him, but everywhere she looked, there were remnants of his presence. Any drowsiness she had felt vanished.
She casually observed her surroundings; the room was spacious, with a bed larger than the one in her own room. The decor was simple, with gray curtains still hanging. A bookshelf was filled with many books, and as Yun Li approached, she realized they were his high school textbooks.
On the desk lay a photograph of a seventeen-year-old Jiang Shiyu alongside Grandpa Jiang, a picture of the director with him. She pulled out the computer chair and sat down, leaning forward on the desk to squint at the photo.
In the picture, Jiang Shiyu looked youthful and rebellious, his hair cropped short, eyebrows slightly raised, and a carefree smile playing on his lips. He stood behind his grandfather, who was also smiling in the photo. At that time, Grandpa Jiang appeared younger and more vigorous.
Yun Li remembered vividly what seventeen-year-old Jiang Shiyu was like; his youthful energy seemed like it had been just yesterday. He would take the director out for walks and race him—loser had to forgo a chicken leg that night.
She recalled it was autumn; the road was lined with tall, flourishing sycamore trees whose branches intertwined above them. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. As leaves fell and danced in the wind, one landed perfectly atop his head. He felt it and shook his head, watching as it fell away to join others on the ground.
Yun Li's school, Jiangzhou Dance Academy Affiliated School, was conveniently located in Shanggu District; it took her ten minutes to ride her electric bike to Fuxing Road. From Monday to Thursday, she stayed at school but would ride home on Friday afternoons after classes. Sometimes Yun Zheng would come to pick her up.
However, she always declined his offers because only on Fridays could she see Jiang Shiyu. She had learned over the years that he liked to take the director out for fun around two in the afternoon.
As she slowly approached where he had just been on her electric bike, she bent down to pick up a leaf and tucked it into her backpack. She later framed it; when asked about it, she would say it was special and that she liked it.
That leaf traveled with her from Affiliated High School to Jing Wu before finally being placed in a storage box in the warehouse.
Each time she dared not get too close; she could only watch him from afar as he ran by. Yet afraid of being noticed by him, she always wore a pink helmet and looked down whenever he passed by.
When he ran past her, he stirred up a breeze that carried his scent—fresh minty notes. Later on, she understood why he smelled of mint; he smoked and used mint-flavored gum to mask the odor. Over time, that minty fragrance naturally clung to him.
Once he ran far away, Yun Li dared to lift her head and look at his back. This was how a year passed through three seasons; in winter, Yun Zheng would come to pick her up. It was too cold to ride a bike in winter, and the ground was slippery, which made Yun Zheng uneasy.
As Yun Li gazed at the photo, her thoughts drifted back, and she turned to look at the bookshelf. Jiang Shiyu had just finished his tests and rushed back to accompany his grandfather. After getting off the plane, he took a taxi home.
He noticed a black Volkswagen sedan in the yard. Guests had arrived?
Jiang Shiyu walked up the stairs, opened the door, and saw three pairs of unfamiliar shoes at the entrance. One pair was black leather shoes, another was a pair of women's high heels that looked like something a woman in her forties would wear. The last pair was beige loafers.
So there really were guests. When did the old man make friends with a family of three?
With one hand in his pocket and a casual gait, Jiang Shiyu ambled about, tilting his head back and twisting his neck. Suddenly, he came face to face with Deng Ting, who had just emerged from the kitchen.
Jiang Shiyu was startled and stood up straight; his previously carefree demeanor vanished in an instant. He greeted her properly, saying, "Hello, Auntie."
Deng Ting had never seen Jiang Shiyu in person, but Old Jiang had shown them pictures, so she recognized him immediately. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity and surprise as she said, "You must be A Yu! Your grandfather often talks about you. You’ve grown into quite a handsome young man!"
Comment 0 Comment Count