After He Took Off His Hearing Aids

The aloof, warm-hearted top student Chen Jiashu x the lively, sunny Lu Zhaozhao

The first time Lu Zhaozhao met Chen Jiashu, he was looking down and petting a cat. No matter how she greeted him, he didn't even raise his eyes to look at her. She assumed this local boy didn't welcome her.

But that was fine. She'd try harder!

On her first night staying over, she hummed a popular short-video song to lull herself to sleep. When he came over to warn her, she was shocked. Was the soundproofing in her room really that bad?

Little did she know that to Chen Jiashu, who wore hearing aids, she was like a human radio station.

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Chen Jiashu, the legendary top student at No. 8 High School, had an aloof image as solid as an iceberg.

He never looked around during Monday assemblies and never responded to greetings in the hallway.

Until Lu Zhaozhao picked up a metal device that had fallen out of his ear and held it up to ask him:

"Hey, top student! Those Bluetooth earbuds of yours are pretty stylish. Can I try them?"

That night, Lu Zhaozhao looked up what kind of earbud it was. When "hearing aid" popped up, she dreamed of slapping herself in the face.

"Nice one, Lu Zhaozhao. That's a joke to die for."

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Later, Lu Zhaozhao noticed that Chen Jiashu was getting quicker and quicker at taking out his hearing aids.

"Hey, Chen Jiashu, don't you dare tune me out!"

So she launched a sound-wave assault.

While he worked on equations, she read out recipes.

While he practiced calligraphy, she sang "I Love China."

Then one stormy night, she saw him having an attack of tinnitus. The figure curled up on the sofa dug his fingernails into his palm. She suddenly fell silent, then tremblingly leaned toward his left ear.

"Chen Jiashu, how about letting you control the radio station from now on?"

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Later, Chen Jiashu became Lu Zhaozhao's volume control.

Only once, when someone openly mocked Chen Jiashu for his disability, Lu Zhaozhao reached out and removed his hearing aids for the first time, then launched into a furious tirade.

The world fell silent, but Chen Jiashu could clearly hear Lu Zhaozhao's heart pounding as she argued on his behalf, her face flushed with anger. He watched her lips move.

"Our Chen Jiashu may not hear clearly, but he's still better than a filthy person like you!"

"Zhaozhao, I can hear your heartbeat."

His ears rang, but his heart was keen.

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Mini-scene:

Lu Zhaozhao: "Chen Jiashu, you took out your hearing aids again, didn't you?"

Chen Jiashu (calmly pretending to sleep): "I'm asleep. I can't hear you."

Lu Zhaozhao (suddenly leaning close to his right ear):

"I ate all the strawberry ice cream in the fridge, hehe."

Chen Jiashu (suddenly opening his eyes and smacking Lu Zhaozhao's bottom):

"Lu Zhaozhao, I can't hear clearly. I'm not deaf!"

Theme: Love can overcome misfortune