Xiao Zhanyuan was eager to see Xiang Yu's childhood photos, the ones he hadn't seen before, but felt too shy to ask. He just picked up the photo frame on the desk, looked at the picture, smiled, and then glanced at Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu felt a bit uncomfortable under his gaze and said awkwardly, "Why do you keep looking at me? We've known each other for ages. It's not like you've never seen me as a kid before."
"Well, I haven't seen you at this age, and I haven't seen you when you were younger either. I want to know what you looked like as a child," Xiao Zhanyuan said, looking at her with innocent eyes.
Helpless, Xiang Yu took out two black-covered photo albums from the bottom drawer and handed them to him. "Here, take a look." Xiao Zhanyuan accepted them but held onto her wrist. "These are your photos. Aren't you going to tell me about your glorious past?"
Feeling the atmosphere grow a bit ambiguous, Xiang Yu felt even more uncomfortable. She gently pulled her wrist free and said, "You can look through them slowly. I'll make you some tea. Or do you want a Coke?" Without waiting for his answer, she walked out, talking to herself, "Coke it is then."
Xiao Zhanyuan flipped through Xiang Yu's albums. The first album was from her early childhood. In nearly every photo, she had a wide, bright, and exceptionally cute smile. Most of the photos had the date, location, people, and occasion written neatly next to them. The handwriting was strong and clear, simple yet filled with love. The second album only had photos, without any dates or notes. After the age of ten, there were far fewer photos of Xiang Yu, and in those few, her smiles were much rarer. This was the Xiang Yu he knew, like someone shrouded in morning mist, ready to disperse with the wind. But she had clearly been such a cheerful girl, once bright and radiant like the warm sun. A sharp pang pierced Xiao Zhanyuan's heart.
It was quite a while before Xiang Yu came back in, carrying a full glass of iced Coke which she handed to Xiao Zhanyuan. "Finished looking?" She asked with a knowing calmness in her eyes.
Xiao Zhanyuan put down the album, took the glass from Xiang Yu, and took a sip of the Coke. The fizz from the ice-cold Coke made his nose tingle, and he squinted, pausing for a moment. "Xiang Yu, you smiled a lot as a child." He put the glass on the desk, grabbed her hands, pulled her close, and looked down at her. "Why don't you smile as much now?"
Xiao Zhanyuan's gaze was deep and serious, even a bit obsessive, making Xiang Yu's hair stand on end. For a moment, she felt like he was the Xiao Zhanyuan from a previous life, and alarm bells went off in her mind. She tried to pull her hands away, but Xiao Zhanyuan held on tightly. Unable to break free, she anxiously said, "What's gotten into you?"
Xiao Zhanyuan remained motionless, staring at her. "Xiang Yu, I like you. You've always known that, haven't you?"
A sense of absurdity welled up in her. Was it possible that no matter what she did, her entangled fate with Xiao Zhanyuan was inevitable? Xiang Yu thought to herself but was unwilling to accept it. "I don't know, Xiao Zhanyuan. Please let go of me, okay?" Her voice was urgent but kept low.
Xiao Zhanyuan looked at her for what felt like a long time—so long that Xiang Yu felt cold sweat soaking her back. Finally, he let go of her hands, exhaling deeply, his tone light and slightly mocking. "Oh? Xiang Yu, you don't know?"