The Old Photo Chapter 1

Translator: MysticRain

01

Zhao Mu has died.

Li Yu spent some money to held a funeral and invited a little disciple of a charlatan to read the scripture, while he, himself carried the rosewood urn and ran to the corner of the funeral hall and be in a trance.
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This was an empty urn, the owner of this urn was still laying in the funeral parlor.
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Li Yu sat on the stool, silently touched the urn that emitted dark light, the rim of his eyes was ashen, his beard was stubbly, and he was dejected like a wreck.
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Up until now, he couldn't dare to believe that Zhao Mu had already left.
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The funeral parlor was very cold and deserted, there weren't many people present. Even if there were people who came, they would only sigh, you can't see how much grief there was in it. This was the first time the little apprentice handled this kind of work, he looked left and right, but n.o.body was in the mood to noticed him, everybody was busy exhibited make-believe grief, or simply showed disdain on their face while pointed at the beautiful young man in the photo. In the end, he had no alternative but ran to Li Yu.

"Uncle, I want to recite the scripture and need the urn to open the light," he shrunk his head, stammered, somewhat afraid of the tall man in front of him that had brought him here without an explanation, "Uncle you need to present the urn to the hall to begin."
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Li Yu was silent for a long time, he then touched the top of the heavy urn in his hand again.
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This was the most expensive urn that he has spent several months of expenses to bought. Based on his and Zhao Mu's little saving, it was simply not enough to buy a good grave, he doesn't know where he could go to borrow it——He was an unemployed man with a criminal record, who would be willing to lend him a large sum of money.

What about a low-quality grave? It's located at the bottom of the mountain. All day long, the sun never reached it, it was like being pinned down by all the graves above, forever unable to turn over.
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The gravestone will be covered with moss. Even if he cleaned it up every day, after he reunited with Zhao Mu, inevitably there will be one day, the name engraved on it will be covered with wet and sticky moss.

At that time, there will be nothing to prove that Zhao Mu had once existed.
Zhao Mu ah……
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Li Yu lowered his head and didn't look at the little disciple.
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"You're such a prideful man, surely you will not like that place," he turned to the urn and softly said, even carried a little smile on his face, "Besides, I hate to let you stay in that place. No matter what is it, you always wanted the best, I'm unable to give you a grave, I'm useless……forgive me, I can only give you an urn, forgive me A Mu, forgive me. I gave you the best urn, a rosewood that cost several thousand yuan, we haven't spent that much money in a long time, all the money is for you……all of it……to give you the best urn, the best……"

He rambled long-windedly at the urn and completely didn't pay attention to what the little disciple had said, the little disciple stood with his legs began to ache, unable to bear it and said, "Uncle, he still hasn't been cremated, this urn is empty."
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Only then did Li Yu stopped, after a long time, he slowly lifted his head.
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"Ah……that's right." He suddenly realized and got up, and moved past the little disciple. He staggered toward the front of the hall, and carefully put down the urn, "Like that……it's like that……still haven't cremated…..still haven't……"
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The man's mental state had already gone off the rails.
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The lover that had accompanied him for 11 years was laying there, ice-cold, and had lost all colors. He watched him being cremated, at last someone began to sobbed for this occasion. Finally, a part of his lover's body was put into the urn in his hand.

The urn was heavy in his hand, the ashes have a considerable amount of weight, but compared to a person's life, yet in the end, it was too light.
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Li Yu brought the urn back home, he put it on the pillow beside him, then lay down on the bed.

Their house was very small, about 20 square meters, everything in the house was very shabby. After all, two poor boys were living in the house, it was already very lucky that young people can have their own house, they wouldn't care so much about other things. Most of the furniture were junks that comes from the second-hand market, only the bed where Li Yu was laying in was different. A double, spring mattress, soft and s.p.a.cious, that was the product of Zhao Mu recklessly spending the reward that was hard to come by.

That day Zhao Mu rejoiced like a child, his peach blossom eyes squinted into a seam, he pulled Li Yu over to lain down on the bed.

"Someone bought my music, someone has appreciated me, I can earn money now." He somewhat incoherently said, "You see, I can buy such a big bed now, just you wait, I will even buy a house, will buy many things, I will take care of you, I will make money."

He spoke so sincerely, his eyes were gleaming with light as if being able to take care of Li Yu was a glorious thing.
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"Turns out, it's all a lie." Li Yu silently thought, "He didn't give me anything. He's dead."

They have held each other and fallen asleep on it countless of times, kissed countless times, made love countless times. Zhao Mu liked the back position, he would hold Li Yu, rub his chest, and kissed him tenderly while fiercely thrust it in.

"I love you." Zhao Mu always lay on his stomach and whispered in his ear, "Really, Li Yu."

Sincere and deeply affectionate, eyes were gentle that it almost shed tears.
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Li Yu covered his face.

There was nothing left.

His little prince.
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Zhao Mu called himself an unconventional artist, he can play many musical instruments. His fingers were white and slender, he very much has the demeanor of an artist, it was a pity that n.o.body appreciates him. His songs can't make money, n.o.body asked about them, furthermore, n.o.body buys them. That kind of extremely dreary music doesn't have a relaxing effect on people, nor contained enough commercial factors that could make the songs popular in the business. He had no fixed job, even having enough food, and clothes were a problem, his whole body was extremely thin and frail.
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A man who almost doesn't have any good points other than his good looks, his mental state also seemed to have a little problem. He had a bad temper and thought highly of himself, Li Yu asked himself, this kind of person, in the end, what good does he had for people to miss?
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But……love.
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Li Yu still remembered, that year, Zhao Mu at the age of 16 carried a violin on his back and secretly climbed up to the window of his house. His face was flushed red as he confessed to him. That afternoon, the weather was not so good, he woke up from his nap, and Zhao Mu's arms were already shaking.

"I like you!" At that time he was clinging onto the window bars, his face was full of childishness, and the tip of his nose was perspiring a little, "Li Yu, I want to be with you!"
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What a useless man, but what can he do?
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The feeling of pulsation was very vivid, the young Li Yu could almost hear the sound of his own blood go against the stream, besides nodded his head constantly with misty eyes, he couldn't do anything else.
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Love ah……

Thus Zhao Mu moved into Li Yu's house.

The period of young love, pure and innocence, there were quarrels, there was laughter, but no matter what, that kind of young and inexperienced feeling carried a bit of caution and at a loss.

They were very poor and doesn't have enough food to eat, Li Yu was an orphan and so were Zhao Mu, they had no financial sources. Everyday Zhao Mu would write songs, he would buy one stack of paper after another. Li Yu would make a fake ID card to pa.s.s for an adult and work as a porter, his body would be covered with ligature marks of hemp rope. For a very long time, it still hasn't disappeared.

"Look at this," the first time he got paid, he has bought half a roasted chicken that was on discount at the supermarket for Zhao Mu, "This is a present for you!"

And because of this little present, Li Yu who originally had beautiful honey-colored skin was scaring with blue and purple ligature marks of hemp rope, as if a rag was forcefully sewed on, unbearably ugly.

Li Yu smiled, the handsome double-edged eyebrows raised, he fawningly presented the roasted chicken in front of Zhao Mu.

But Zhao Mu yet cried.
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The big boy wept in silent, he lowered his head and wolfed down that half a chicken without saying a word. He hadn't eaten meat for a long time, he thought that the roast chicken was very delicious, it was so delicious that he wept.

Li Yu supported his head, shook his legs like a ruffian, and grinned happily while he looked at Zhao Mu with full of satisfaction on his face——Even though he also hadn't eaten meat for a long time.
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Zhao Mu was prideful, he refused to sing on the street to make a living, he thought it was a kind of begging.

"My art is not to beg for sympathy!!" He once angrily said, "No one can insult me!!"

He was prideful like that, think too much of himself like that, but the next day, Zhao Mu took his violin to the subway entrance.

He had a good voice, the sound of his singing was soft as a lover's whisper, he would stand at the subway entrance, singing every day, sometimes he was chased away by the security guards, but most of the time he can earn some money.

Not much, just enough to sc.r.a.pe by.

Apart from bringing Li Yu a lover that had an extraordinary musical talent, he had almost never made any contribution to his life.