Chapter 106: Looking Through the Photo Album

After chatting for quite some time, only a few of them remained in the living room. Wen Jiu guessed that Mr. Gu and the others must still be working overtime.

Mrs. Gu seemed to notice Wen Jiu’s curiosity and smiled as she explained, “Jiu Jiu, your Uncle Gu, as well as your eldest brother and sister-in-law, are still working overtime. They’ll be back soon.”

Wen Jiu nodded in understanding. Work at the end of the year was bound to be busy.

Gu Zehuai had been quietly sitting beside the sofa the entire time. If Grandmother Gu and Mrs. Gu hadn’t mentioned him in their conversation, he would have been utterly invisible.

With the others still at work, Mrs. Gu stood up and took a photo album from the drawer under the TV cabinet.

The moment Gu Zehuai saw it, he immediately understood what his mother intended and tried to stop her, “Mom...”

“Hm?” Both Grandmother Gu and Mrs. Gu shot him a sharp look, instantly silencing him and making him sit obediently to the side.

At this moment, Gu Zehuai felt utterly pitiful and helpless. He had hoped Wen Jiu would speak up for him, but seeing her eager expression as she looked forward to browsing the album, he knew there was no chance.

Stepping past the sofa, Gu Zehuai tried to find some familial warmth from Gu Yulin on the other side, but Gu Yulin ran excitedly over to Mrs. Gu, saying, “Grandma, I want to look too!”

Mrs. Gu patted his head, “Alright, Yuyu can look together.”

Gu Zehuai was left alone in the same spot.

Those photos in the album...

Mrs. Gu turned, placing the album in the center of the group, and smiled at Wen Jiu. “There’s still plenty of time. Jiu Jiu, let me show you what Zehuai looked like as a child. He was adorable.”

Wen Jiu was intrigued, wanting to see what Gu Zehuai looked like when he was young. “Alright.”

Opening the album to the first page, they saw a newborn baby, eyes closed, unclothed.

“This was Zehuai when he was just born, so cute back then.”

Wen Jiu glanced at the photo, then turned to look at Gu Zehuai, unable to connect the two in her mind.

Next came photos of the infant swaddled in blankets, plump and undeniably cute.

Unable to resist, Wen Jiu exclaimed, “He’s so chubby and adorable!”

Gu Yulin echoed her, “I didn’t know Uncle was so cute when he was little!”

Grandmother Gu smiled and patted Gu Yulin’s head, “Yuyu was adorable both as a child and now.”

The little one, praised for his cuteness, instantly blushed.

The following photos recorded Gu Zehuai’s growth from one to three years old, each one causing Wen Jiu to marvel at his cuteness.

Seeing Mrs. Gu about to turn the page, Gu Zehuai wanted to stop her but was powerless.

Those were the photos he didn’t want Wen Jiu to see!

Mrs. Gu seemed to notice his discomfort, glanced at him, and with a slight movement of her fingers, turned the page.

What caught Wen Jiu’s eye first were several photos of a little girl, dressed in a dress with pigtails. Wen Jiu only glanced at them and praised, “This little girl is so delicate, just like a porcelain doll.”

Grandmother Gu and Mrs. Gu both burst into laughter, while Gu Yulin looked utterly confused—who was this little girl?

Only Gu Zehuai, upon hearing Wen Jiu’s comment, silently closed his eyes without saying a word.

Seeing everyone’s reaction, Wen Jiu finally realized what was happening.

“Is this Zehuai?”

Mrs. Gu’s smile was so wide it could not be contained. “Of course it is.” She continued, “Back then, I desperately wanted a daughter, but for health reasons, I couldn’t make that wish come true. So I could only dress Zehuai up as a little princess in a dress.”

Gu Zehuai pressed his hand to his forehead—this was his greatest embarrassment!

When Pei Yi and Lin Youqi happened to discover this, they laughed at him for ages.

Wen Jiu looked from the photos back to the man sitting across the sofa, unable to suppress her laughter.

From ages three to seven, most of the photos showed Gu Zehuai in sports jerseys, playing soccer or basketball, and group shots from spring and autumn outings. A few still depicted him as the little girl in dresses.

As Wen Jiu browsed, she felt a pang of regret—how wonderful it would have been to know Gu Zehuai earlier.

Then again, she thought, now is not too late; it’s just right.

As the photos progressed, Gu Zehuai’s expression grew colder, increasingly resembling his present self.

There were many photos from his high school days, but the one that left the deepest impression on Wen Jiu was of Gu Zehuai in a sports jersey, fingertips resting on a basketball, smiling at the camera with unrestrained joy.

The only peculiar thing was that the photo was incomplete.

Clearly, it had been cut in half, leaving only Gu Zehuai visible in the frame.