Max Level Return—I'll Protect That Fragile One

”Portraits are difficult to capture.” Boss Huo caressed the camera on his chest and answered obliquely, ”Animals, landscapes, everything is simpler than people. Only when taking passport photos or funeral portraits are people easier to understand.”

Xingguang said a bit regretfully, ”I thought you wanted to photograph me, so I specially changed into a pretty dress. If I had known...”

”I’ll take your photo.” Boss Huo suddenly turned, gazed down at Xingguang, and solemnly repeated, ”I want to photograph you.”

Xingguang gave Boss Huo a deep look, then walked past him and continued forward.

She didn’t pose much, relying entirely on Boss Huo’s candid shots.

Nearing noon, the crowd grew, and after seeing all the flowers, Xingguang suggested heading back.

”Let’s go back.” As Boss Huo prepared to turn off the camera, Xingguang suddenly reached out her right hand, ”Let me see the photos.”

Boss Huo hesitated before handing over the camera to Xingguang.

In the car, Xingguang curiously flipped through the photos, discovering Boss Huo had only kept three photos of her.

Yet in each photo, Xingguang was smiling.

Looking at the smiling girl in the lens, Xingguang realized she was indeed someone who loved to smile.

Smiling really makes her look so damn beautiful, no wonder Boss Huo would have feelings stirred.

Turning off the camera, Xingguang touched the somewhat faded body, she said, ”Your camera is quite old, an antique. How many years have you used it?”

”14 years,” Boss Huo said, ”It’s my first camera in life.”

”You’re quite nostalgic.” Xingguang noticed on the camera’s battery case, there was a severely faded cartoon sticker.

Thinking of Boss Huo’s missing sister, Xingguang tentatively asked, ”Isn’t this camera left to you by your sister?”

Boss Huo shook his head, ”No, it was given by a little girl from a wealthy family.”

”Oh, you’re quite popular with little girls,” Xingguang figured Boss Huo surely shared a childhood with that little girl, and curiously asked, ”Without any reason, why would she give you a camera?”

Boss Huo’s lips curled into a subtle smile, ”She was very young then and tore up my summer homework when playing at my house.”

”It was compensation.”

So that’s what happened.

”A book for a camera, Boss Huo never does a losing trade since childhood.”

Boss Huo said, ”It was the day before school started, and she tore up my already completed summer exercise book.”

Xingguang burst out laughing, ”How was it resolved? Did you end up rewriting it overnight?”

Boss Huo shook his head.

”Couldn’t afford a new one,” he said, ”When school started, I was punished by cleaning the toilets for a week.”

Xingguang felt a bit sympathetic towards Boss Huo thinking about the situation.

Such a poor thing.

”Which family’s little girl was so inconsiderate, needing a lesson.” Xingguang calculated the time and said, ”That little girl should be in college now; I hope her graduation thesis defense goes poorly for you!”

Boss Huo looked at her with deep meaning, his voice smiled, ”Isn’t that too harsh? Change to another curse.”

Xingguang went for the fiercest, she said, ”Then I wish her to marry immediately after graduation and have two kids in five years.”

This time, Boss Huo laughed even heartier, ”Sounds good to me.”

”Are we heading straight home?” Boss Huo said, ”The weather’s great today, we could go to the city for a walk.” Cangshan Town is far from the city, Boss Huo, being single, usually didn’t want to venture to the city.

Xingguang had the same thought, ”I want to visit a piano shop.”

Boss Huo then said, ”Doctor Ye’s uncle runs an international piano shop, I can accompany you.”

”Great.”

Sister Lin carried freshly washed sheets to dry in the courtyard, just as a Bentley drove past the gate, windows rolled down.

She caught a hurried glance and instantly recognized the girl sitting in the passenger seat as her new employer.

”Spring’s here.” It’s the season when young creatures’ hearts are stirred.

*

Ye Mingluo’s uncle’s piano shop is near a large shopping district. The two of them went for lunch at the mall then headed straight to the piano shop.

Ye Mingluo knew Xingguang was going to buy a piano, so he informed the uncle by phone in advance.

However, he didn’t disclose Boss Huo’s true identity, only saying a childhood friend from his mother’s hometown was bringing a girlfriend to look at pianos.

Thus, when Boss Qin spotted Boss Huo and Xingguang entering the shop, he warmly embraced Boss Huo and enthusiastically introduced, ”You’re Xiao Huo, right? I’m Ye Mingluo’s uncle, you can call me uncle too.”