Heartbeat of Innocence

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After getting off the plane, they hurriedly rushed to the famous hotel they had pre-booked. It was very close to the Central Post Office, and it was also close to the previously mentioned live house1It was a bar in the previous chapter. I guess the author made a mistake.

Before getting off the plane, Shen Dongyu listened to their itinerary for the next three days.

Tomorrow, they’ll probably get up early and rent two motorcycles to head towards Tan Thanh Beach2This was quite troublesome to translate. The raws had it as 新城沙滩(New City Beach), but when I looked it up Google said it was in Shanghai, Taiwan, and Japan. A friend helped me with this and it’s apparently an ocean area that intersects Shanghai, Taiwan, and some Southeastern countries including Vietnam. Said friend also looked up travel guides to find a beach in Vietnam that matched the setting, so I put this down. , where they could eat some cheap seafood. On the second day, they’ll visit Pham Ngu Lao Street, then go to the live house at night.

When they went to rent the motorcycles the next day, a girl that Li Muxu sent over came to find them. After introductions, they grouped up and went to Tan Thanh Beach together.

The girl’s name was Juliet, and she was of mixed Chinese and German origin. She exchanged contact information with Li Muxu at the airport’s washroom yesterday, and today she and her team would have a performance in Ho Chi Minh City, so Li Muxu asked her to come out and play together.

The early morning in Ho Chi Minh City was quite cool. There were motorcycles everywhere on the street, in colors of all kinds. Some were tall, and some were short. They soon joined the mixture of motorcycles too.

Ho Chi Minh City was once colonized by the French, so Western-style buildings, red churches and governmental office buildings, could be seen everywhere.

After renting the motorcycles, they headed directly for their destination.

Surrounded by the seas, the motorcycles drove in the ocean breeze, causing their thin clothing to billow in the wind, and for the wind to scuttle across their skin.

On the ocean further away, the fishermen that woke up early rode on their own boats, stood on the edge, cast their nets, and started their busy day. The sun, with its warm light in the winter, rose from the sea horizon. The sunrise tinted the ocean waves orange, as well as the mountain forests and cars, making the blue-gray ocean look even more lively.

Shen Dongyu didn’t like seafood, so with Juliet, he stood by the seaside and used her camera to take pictures.

The coconut grove swayed against the wind, and the seawater washed against the skin below the ankles, bringing about a sense of coolness.

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Juliet knew some Chinese, but she couldn’t understand some words that Shen Dongyu occasionally used, so she smiled with wrinkled brows. At this, Shen Dongyu would patiently explain to her, and the two chatted very harmoniously.

“What does Dongyu want to take pictures of?” Juliet gave him the camera expectantly, hoping he would record down the Vietnam he saw or maybe take some photos of himself.

Shen Dongyu looked at the camera, then at the beautiful scenery around him. He was a little confused at the moment, and said with a smile, “I don’t really know what I should take.”

“It’s okay, Dongyu.” Juliet said, “I’ll take it for you, you can tell me your ideas.”

She wanted to help Shen Dongyu take some beautiful photos to bring back to Germany for her friends to see. Because Juliet felt that Shen Dongyu was very handsome, she didn’t know how to tell him her complete thoughts due to the unfamiliarity of the language and the lack of vocabulary. She hoped to completely express it the next time they met.

“Maybe we should stop taking pictures.” Shen Dongyu hesitantly stood on the beach.

“It’ll definitely turn out nice.” Juliet felt that Shen Dongyu probably didn’t have much confidence, so she kept saying words of encouragement.

“I’ll take it with him!” Chen Jingchuan had one hand raised and one hand still holding squid skewers as he walked towards them.

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Shen Dongyu lowered his head and scratched his ear. The sun made his head dizzy, so the eyes that looked at Chen Jingchuan were somewhat confused.

“What is it?” Chen Jingchuan went to Shen Dongyu’s side and asked as he gave him the squid skewers.

“Nothing.” Shen Dongyu opened his dry lips and took a bite of the roasted squid, then chewed and talked at the same time, “It’s just a little hot.”

“Then I’ll block it for you.” Chen Jingchuan lifted the hem of his shirt and covered the top of Shen Dongyu’s head. It blocked the scorching sun, but it didn’t feel any cooler, and just looked funny.

Shen Dongyu looked back and could only see the fabric of Chen Jingchuan’s shirt, so then he looked towards whatever profile he could see of Chen Jingchuan and Juliet chatting.

Under Chen Jingchuan’s thin shirt covering and the sunlight that no longer glared, Shen Dongyu could clearly see Chen Jingchuan’s exquisite jawline and well-defined nose bridge.

While talking to Chen Jingchuan, Juliet had already captured this scene.

When Shen Dongyu heard the sound of the shutter, he looked at Juliet in astonishment. His cheeks were flushed; who knows whether it was from the heat or some other reason. “What did you take?”

“My skills are still decent. It’s a very artistic group photo.” Juliet walked up with the camera, next to Chen Jingchuan, and showed the photo that was just taken with Shen Dongyu for everyone to see.

“It is pretty good.” Chen Jingchuan commented objectively.

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“Right? You can keep it, then in the evening it can be washed out and made into a postcard at the post office.” Juliet said.

“Okay.” Chen Jingchuan was very willing.

And Shen Dongyu only stared at the people in that small square, not replying with anything.

Li Muxu and the vendor at the street barbecue stand cooked some more food. He was very passionate about food instead of having an interest in beautiful views and girls. Even with Juliet, they only maintained an alright relationship. Chen Jingchuan at first thought they would be in a relationship.

They stayed at Tan Thanh Beach until dusk, then the group boarded their motorcycles to return to the city. Under Juliet’s strong avocation, they went to the post office to wash the postcards and send them back to China.

The streets were filled with an antiquated style, surrounded by a noisy city. Every place was brimming with the breath of life.

They went to Pham Ngu Lao Street ahead of schedule and found an uncrowded restaurant with decent decoration. As soon as they sat down, the boss came over and poured each person a cup of iced tea.

After eating, they wandered around some more before going back on the same route to return the motorcycles.

While Li Muxu and Chen Jingchuan returned the motorcycles, Shen Dongyu and Juliet waited by the streetside. The streets at night were full of people, and the jumbled music from various bars that they couldn’t understand yet held a familiar sense of rhythm.

Under the not-so-blue sky, Juliet asked a question that frightened Shen Dongyu.

“Does Dongyu like Jingchuan?” Juliet asked directly and suddenly, not giving Shen Dongyu any preparation.

He was a bit slow to respond to this sudden question. After a while, he realized why Juliet was so sure about it without him explaining.

“I can see it, it’s just that none of you have realized it yet.” Juliet explained to him.

“I didn’t notice it myself either.” Shen Dongyu said honestly.

“Really?” Juliet said, “Then maybe it’s because of the experience that I gained from my friends.”

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Juliet’s answer was a little funny.

“En.” Shen Dongyu didn’t know what to say either, so he forced out a reply.

That night, Juliet bid farewell to them and gave the camera to Shen Dongyu before leaving. When he lay in bed at night and looked through the photos, he realized that most of them were photos of himself that Juliet had taken.

Shen Dongyu understood something, but he also didn’t seem to understand. He could only hold his chin and use different perspectives to ponder about Juliet’s black Sony3The camera, if that wasn’t clear.

 

TL: damnn Juliet really caught on quick

1It was a bar in the previous chapter. I guess the author made a mistake2This was quite troublesome to translate. The raws had it as 新城沙滩(New City Beach), but when I looked it up Google said it was in Shanghai, Taiwan, and Japan. A friend helped me with this and it’s apparently an ocean area that intersects Shanghai, Taiwan, and some Southeastern countries including Vietnam. Said friend also looked up travel guides to find a beach in Vietnam that matched the setting, so I put this down. 3The camera, if that wasn’t clear