Attention Sir, I Have Your Heart Handcuffed!

Chapter 276 - 175. You are the only ray of sunshine in my life (Chapter 1 of Part 3).

Unpredictably, they just collided like that.

Though separated by lush flower shadows and ethereal morning mist, she still couldn’t clearly see his appearance. Yet it was enough to discern his ethereal and out-of-this-world aura.

The girl’s shyness made her blush, but she still greeted him openly: "Good morning. The wild roses on your garden wall are really beautiful!"

However, the man dressed in white, sitting among the flower shadows and mist remained silent, barely even moving his eyes.

Red flower shadows, white clothes, black hair... sitting there elegantly, perfect as a lifeless jade sculpture. Or—somewhat like a vampire in movies, disdainful of the world.

Shi Nian could only awkwardly back away, waving goodbye.

Living in these old houses were the upper echelons of the city at that time, either high officials or big businessmen. So maybe that person is just the kind of untouchable type? Maybe he really dislikes being observed by a clueless girl like her?

Shi Nian felt uneasy and deliberately avoided that alley for a long period afterward, not passing through there for quite a while.

Later on, by coincidence, the bus she was on broke down one stop before hers. And the route through that alley was shorter than taking the main road, so she took the alley again as a shortcut.

As she approached the small white building again, she couldn’t help a small tinge of nervousness, cautiously glancing under the flower rack in the yard... there was surprisingly no one there.

She felt a small flutter of excitement, then looked up to carefully study the beautiful building as before. It was at that moment that the door of the small building silently opened, and she saw that white-clothed man sitting coldly under the flower rack again!

She was so frightened she turned and ran like a rabbit.

In her haste, she even dropped her school bag, scattering everything all over the ground. She had no choice but to endure the tingling on her scalp, squat down to frantically gather up her belongings, organize them, and then rushed off again.

Later... winter came, and the semester ended, flowers withered, and from then on, that young man started relentlessly pursuing her, leaving her exhausted, and so she didn’t visit that place for a long time.

When spring arrived the following year, she walked by again and found that the small white building was empty. The courtyard, always clean, was littered with fallen leaves from the previous autumn and winter, unattended.

Had that person moved away? She couldn’t help but feel curious.

Why did he move away? Why couldn’t he always live in such a beautiful house?

Moreover, when would that person return after moving away?

The man in white appeared and disappeared like this, and her heart followed in ups and downs for several years. Yet she never truly saw his face or knew his identity.

.

Shi Nian thought of this and softly sighed: "That person is a mystery to me."

Speaking of this, Shi Nian frowned: "The director’s meaning isn’t that these photos were taken by that person, right?"

She looked up in surprise towards Huangfu Huazhang but saw that Huangfu Huazhang did not shake his head.

"It’s really him? Why would he do this?"

Huangfu Huazhang finally moved his steps, sat down on the sofa opposite the tea table. He gazed at her, his voice softened: "Because he found that when he got accustomed to seeing a girl appear every day, accustomed to having a girl’s smiling face start his day... suddenly, that girl stopped appearing."

"He waited for many days, but she never appeared again; so he decided that if he ever sees her again, he will surely capture her in photographs, so he can look at them in case she never appears again."

Shi Nian was stunned: "Why bother with all this?"

He shrugged slightly: "Why did you rudely intrude into that person’s world uninvited? But once he adjusted to your presence, you suddenly stopped coming? That feeling—never having had it is fine, but once possessed, it’s impossible to give up."

Shi Nian’s heart couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

Such expressions, at her current age, that emotion could truly be called a heartbeat.

She couldn’t help but frown: "...Director, are you saying that his purpose in photographing me was—he has some affection for me?"

He sighed softly, not rushing to speak. Waiting quietly until the soft sigh dissipated in the large room, he spoke.

"More than just some? Ha, you are the only ray of sunshine in his world."

.

With these words, his gaze tenderly fell over her. Shi Nian hurriedly lowered her head.

The Huangfu Huazhang before her now is certainly not the Huangfu Huazhang she knew before, leaving her unsure of how to confront him.

She gently clenched her fists: "But I was very young at that time. Junior high, between 13~15 years old; even in high school, I wasn’t yet 18."

"That’s right," he replied, his gaze still fixed on her face, yet he slightly raised his chin, showing a touch of aloof detachment: "That’s why he could only restrain his heart, could only secretly watch you from afar through the window. Even if he accidentally bumped into you in the morning fog, he couldn’t reveal the slightest bit of emotion, he could only look at you coldly. Then, let you awkwardly flee in embarrassment."

"...Because he was a full ten years older than you; because he was a cripple who could only sit in a wheelchair and couldn’t stand or walk. Also because he was afraid if he talked to you, you would call him ’uncle.’"

Shi Nian was startled again.

Ten years, ten years!

Shi Nian covered her mouth, staring at him blankly: "How did you know about that person’s subtle mindset, Director?"

He looked at her steadily, not blinking even once during the entire exchange: "Shi Nian, you already have the answer in your heart, don’t you?"

Shi Nian tightly clutched the paper bag, "That person, could it be you?!"

.

The man who was always so aloof and noble couldn’t bear to meet Shi Nian’s eyes in that moment. He propped his hands on his cane, tightly closing his eyes.

After a long while, he sighed almost as if to himself: "At this moment, I really don’t want to admit it... because it makes me feel very embarrassed. I feel like I’ve never encountered such an embarrassing moment in my life."

"Shi Nian, I’m afraid of being despised by you. To you, the me from back then who was so ’old,’ so disabled, so cold... I really don’t want to admit it. I’d rather just be the person you know now, at least we’re both adults, at least I can walk normally now, at least I have the courage to talk to you voluntarily."

Shi Nian was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, staring at him in a daze: "How could this be?"

He finally reopened his eyes, and blush seldom gathered on his cheekbones: "I’ve asked myself many times as well, even asked the heavens: how could this be?"

Shi Nian stood up awkwardly: "Director, thank you for sharing so many stories with me today. I think I need to digest it all. May I take these photos with me?"

Seeing she was about to leave, the expression on his face gradually turned cold. The blush on his cheekbones also slowly disappeared.

He was once again the cold and noble William Ford, sitting upright on the sofa, raising his face toward her, his gaze also turning icy.

"No. Although you are the person in the photos, these pictures are the most precious memories of my life, and I won’t allow anyone to take them away."

"If you feel like I’m infringing on your portrait rights, you can take me to court. After all, these are mine, and I absolutely won’t let go."

Shi Nian bit her lip in embarrassment.

It wasn’t necessary to be too concerned, but the thought of her childhood photos remaining in the hands of this stranger... that feeling was indeed a bit strange.

So she sat down again: "Director, you’re joking. I wouldn’t go to court, because even if I did, I couldn’t win against you, could I? So why don’t—" her eyes sparkled mischievously, "why don’t we play rock-paper-scissors?"

Huangfu Huazhang was caught off guard, raising his long eyebrows high before letting out a "chuckle".

As he looked at her again, his eyes were already like a tender, shimmering sea.

"You always catch me so off guard."

With a sigh and a wry smile. Yet in his tone, it was full of—indulgence.

Shi Nian was so nervous that her breathing was somewhat difficult, cautiously observing his expression: "Then how about this, we print another set of these photos. I’ll take the originals, and leave you with the reprints, okay?"

"No." He looked up at her: "I want the originals."

Shi Nian had no choice but to step back: "If you keep being so domineering, I’ll really have to call you ’uncle’?"

Huangfu Huazhang’s lips pressed into a thin line.

Shi Nian lowered her head with a smile: "Fine, I won’t call you that. On one condition—at least give me one original photo from each year, okay? After all, this is part of my life too, how about it?"

Her appearance was charming, unconsciously using a coquettish tone to negotiate with him... This feeling was both new and familiar to him, like a dream.

His heart softened uncontrollably, and he finally nodded reluctantly: "Alright."

－

[Third update today, second update in the morning]