Entering the twelfth lunar month, the air in Beijing gradually filled with the atmosphere of the New Year.

Supermarkets began selling Chinese knots, and cheerful red lanterns were hung at the entrance of residential communities.

Office workers in the buildings started planning their trips home.

Chen Xi’s design team finally completed all six episodes of Crescent Moon Town’s animation design before the New Year.

The day-and-night busyness of several months finally came to an end.

On Qin Lie’s side, the Digital Mogao Caves project also finally passed through the chaotic startup phase.

After more than four months in Beijing, Chen Xi finally had time to go see a movie with Qin Lie.

On Saturday, the two of them slept until they naturally woke up.

After getting up, they were delighted to discover that it had snowed heavily again the night before.

Under the clear sky after the snow, Beijing had become Beiping overnight.

Chen Xi wrapped herself in a bathrobe and ran to the balcony, turning back to call excitedly into the bedroom: “It snowed again! Let’s go out and play today.”

Qin Lie poked half his body out of the bathroom, his mouth still stuffed with a toothbrush, his muffled voice carrying a hint of laughter.

“Sure, where should we go?”

Chen Xi thought for a moment, “Let’s go ice skating at Shichahai.”

Qin Lie laughed and agreed.

The two had breakfast and took the subway to Shichahai.

As soon as they emerged from the subway station, golden sunlight along with biting cold wind rushed toward them.

Chen Xi shrank her neck into the scarf Yang Shan had knitted for her and reached up to pull Qin Lie’s down jacket hood over his head.

Qin Lie grabbed Chen Xi’s hand and tucked it into his down jacket pocket.

The Shichahai ice rink in the morning had relatively few tourists.

They rented a double ice sled and galloped wildly across the ice.

In the dead of winter, they went crazy enough to work up a sweat.

After they’d had enough of the ice sled, Chen Xi crouched on the ice while Qin Lie pulled her along as he ran.

Chen Xi laughed as she looked up at the azure sky, exactly like when she used to go wild on the frozen surface of the Dang River as a child.

When they were tired from playing, Chen Xi sat by the river to rest and made a video call to Fan Mingsu.

When the video connected, Fan Mingsu was wearing a wool hat, sitting by the fire stove, peeling roasted peanuts.

Seeing Chen Xi’s rosy cheeks, Fan Mingsu asked with a smile, “Where are you having fun?”

Chen Xi flipped the camera to show Fan Mingsu the lively ice surface.

“I’m ice skating at Shichahai,” Chen Xi said excitedly.

Fan Mingsu ate a peanut and said with a smile, “Not busy anymore?”

Chen Xi nodded.

“My work is pretty much done. What’s left is just modifying the designs as the storyline changes. It won’t be as busy as it was before.”

Fan Mingsu made a sound of acknowledgment and casually flipped the sweet potato on the stove ring.

Chen Xi continued, “Grandma, once Qin Lie finishes arranging the work at hand, we’ll come home for the New Year.”

Fan Mingsu’s eyes brightened, then thinking of something, a flash of guilt suddenly appeared in her gaze.

Chen Xi felt that Fan Mingsu seemed somewhat disinterested and quickly asked, “Grandma, why aren’t you happy?”

Fan Mingsu smiled and glared at her.

“How could I not be happy? Just tell me which day you’ve decided to come back, and I’ll return to Yangjia Bridge early to wait for you.”

Chen Xi nodded and casually asked, “Where’s San Huang?”

Fan Mingsu looked around and said naturally, “San Huang? He’s in the courtyard, I think.”

Chen Xi: “What’s he doing in the courtyard in this cold weather? Doesn’t he love lying by your feet, warming himself by the fire?”

Fan Mingsu: “He was here just now, but now I don’t know where he’s run off to.”

Chen Xi: “Help me look for him. I haven’t seen him in such a long time.”

Fan Mingsu threw the peanuts in her hand onto the stove ring and slowly stood up, supporting herself on her knees.

She muttered, “So much trouble from you.”

She lifted the thick door curtain and walked into the courtyard, calling San Huang’s name.

She searched every nook and cranny but still couldn’t find any trace of San Huang.

Chen Xi, worried about Fan Mingsu getting cold, said with some disappointment, “Forget it, come back inside quickly.”

Fan Mingsu muttered, “That dog, all he knows is running out to play.”

She complained about San Huang while shuffling back into the house.

Chen Xi ended the video call and watched Qin Lie holding a string of candied hawthorn, walking toward her from a distance.

She tugged at the corners of her mouth and suddenly realized she couldn’t quite smile anymore.

Qin Lie walked over and handed the candied hawthorn to Chen Xi.

“What’s wrong?”

He noticed Chen Xi seemed absent-minded.

Chen Xi looked up at Qin Lie. Her expression was calm, but her voice couldn’t help tightening.

“Qin Lie, I think San Huang is gone.”

Hearing this, Qin Lie frowned slightly. “What happened?”

Chen Xi looked at Qin Lie and said quietly, “During this period, every time I video call with Grandma, I never see San Huang, and I have a bad feeling about it.”

Qin Lie sat down beside Chen Xi and put his arm around her.

“You’re probably overthinking it. Last time I saw San Huang, he was just a bit listless, but he was eating and sleeping normally every day, without any problems at all.”

Chen Xi nodded reluctantly, but her heart was still tight with worry.

She suddenly said to Qin Lie, “Let’s go back early.”

Qin Lie nodded, and just as he was about to say something, his phone suddenly rang.

Qin Lie answered the phone, said only a few words before hanging up, then turned to Chen Xi with a grave expression.

“I need to go to FW.”

Chen Xi asked worriedly, “What happened?”

Qin Lie said in a low voice, “FW is releasing the Nebula 9 VR headset at the end of this month. This is a major product in our Nebula series.”

“But just now, Fantasy released a VR headset that’s identical to our Nebula 9 in both appearance and specifications.”

“The core technology inside is only available at FW. We suspect someone at FW leaked commercial secrets.”

Chen Xi: “What should we do?”

Qin Lie: “I’ll go take a look first. For the core technology issue, we’ll report it to the police and file a lawsuit – that’s for later. Right now, the main concern is the Nebula 9, we might have to change the design.”

Hearing this, Chen Xi’s heart sank a little.

This wasn’t a minor issue – who knew how much time and energy it would cost Qin Lie?

But saying anything now wouldn’t help. She stood up with Qin Lie and gently exhaled a puff of white breath.

“You go handle your business. I’ll wander around by myself.”

Qin Lie apologetically hugged Chen Xi, told her to be careful, then left with a rare sense of urgency.

Chen Xi sat by the lake for a while, silently finished eating the string of candied hawthorn, then got up and walked toward the subway station.

She took the subway alone to Niujie and found the Baiji Rice Cake shop that Yang Shan and Han Susu had been thinking about.

Once Qin Lie got busy, the date for returning to Dunhuang became uncertain again.

Chen Xi thought she might as well buy the food first and send it back, so she wouldn’t have to carry so many things on the road.

A long line formed in front of the Baiji Rice Cake shop window.

Chen Xi absent-mindedly joined the end of the line and waited about twenty minutes before it was finally her turn.

Looking at the dazzling array of sweets in the window, Chen Xi wished she could buy a pile of everything to send back.

She bought hawthorn glutinous rice cake, black sesame cloud bean cake, red bean stuffed fried cake, sesame paste rolls, coconut rolls, and steamed cake, leaving the sales window with several large bags full of items.

She turned and took two steps toward the roadside, looked up, and froze in place.

In the long queue, a familiar figure suddenly came into view.

Still tall and straight, gentle and refined, standing on Beijing’s freezing street, smiling at her warmly.

In the cold air after the snow, warmth like spring suddenly bloomed.

“Yuning.”

Chen Xi called out his name in surprise and stepped toward him.

Bai Yuning came out of the line and walked a few steps toward Chen Xi, then suddenly stopped in front of her.

His arms opened uncontrollably, as if from a deep bodily and memory-driven instinct.

But just as he was about to touch Chen Xi, he suddenly stopped, changed direction, and reached for the heavy bags in Chen Xi’s hands.

“Buying so much, can you carry it all?”

He smiled as he took the bags from Chen Xi and helped her carry them.

Chen Xi smiled and said, “It’s okay, I’m strong.”

Bai Yuning looked down at Chen Xi, his gaze complex with mixed emotions.

“It’s been more than half a year since we last met.”

After the initial surprise, his smile carried a hint of melancholy, yet remained warm.

Chen Xi’s nose unconsciously stung a little.

She nodded and said with a smile, “What a coincidence, Beijing is so big, yet we ran into each other.”

Bai Yuning also smiled, saying softly, “Yes, what a coincidence.”

Chen Xi glanced at the queue behind him and asked, “Are you also buying New Year goods for your family?”

Bai Yuning nodded. Looking at Chen Xi, he suddenly said, “Chen Xi, I got married last week.”

After saying this, he lowered his head apologetically and pushed his glasses with some embarrassment.

The vows he had made to her still echoed in his ears, yet now he was already someone else’s husband.

Chen Xi’s eyes widened slightly. Though surprised, she still said sincerely, “Congratulations.”

To say she felt no melancholy would be a lie.

But by now Chen Xi had long understood that her feelings for Bai Yuning began with liking and ended with liking.

This relationship ultimately had nothing to do with life and death, or with a lifetime together.

Now standing before him, the slight moisture in Chen Xi’s eyes was more like seeing a long-lost family member.

She would always cherish the warmth he carried.

Seeing Bai Yuning’s pale expression, Chen Xi quickly added in a natural tone.

“I heard from Auntie at Li Guangpeng’s wedding that you were dating someone, from your hospital, right?”

Bai Yuning nodded.

Chen Xi said with a smile, “That’s wonderful.”

Bai Yuning looked at Chen Xi without speaking.

It was wonderful.

After meeting his current wife, he finally understood how unsuitable he and Chen Xi were for each other.

Chen Xi was an untamed wild horse. He loved her to exhaustion but could never find his bearings.

His current wife depended on him, admired him, and followed him.

She let him truly taste the feeling of being high-spirited in love.

But even so, every moment with Chen Xi had been carved into his heart, becoming part of his life.

The two stood facing each other in silence on the desolate winter street.

Chen Xi pointed to the increasingly long queue and reminded him, “Go queue up quickly, or you’ll have to wait even longer.”

Bai Yuning looked toward the other end of the intersection and said, “My car is parked not far away. Let me drive you back.”

Chen Xi shook her head, “No need, I just called a taxi.”

She glanced at her phone and said, “It’ll be here soon.”

She took the bags back from Bai Yuning, smiled at him one last time, and said softly, “I’ll go then.”

She turned and walked step by step toward the roadside.

“Chen Xi.”

Bai Yuning’s voice suddenly came from behind.

Chen Xi stopped and turned to look at Bai Yuning.

Bai Yuning stood not far away and suddenly said, “When you have time, bring Qin Lie along and let’s have dinner together.”

Meeting Chen Xi’s calm gaze, he finally gave up that hint of pretended relief.

Chen Xi was momentarily stunned, reading many unspoken words in Bai Yuning’s complex gaze.

Like: Don’t you want your repair shop anymore?

Like: Wasn’t your bottom line staying in Dunhuang?

Like: Why wouldn’t you compromise for me just once back then?

But she didn’t know where to begin. With him, she always seemed to be like this – not knowing where to begin.

Chen Xi just nodded and said, “Mm, we’ll arrange something when we have time.”

Just as she was about to leave, she heard Bai Yuning suddenly ask, “Are you happy here?”

In his deepest memories, Chen Xi loved riding her motorcycle through Dunhuang’s old streets.

She wasn’t outstandingly beautiful, but her spirit was intoxicating.

The Chen Xi in his soul had flowing hair and went her own way.

Although he couldn’t enter her world even with all his effort, he was still fascinated by this unique woman in the world.

She should be herself – his former girl, with light in her eyes, whom no one could confine.

Chen Xi stared at Bai Yuning in a daze. Cold wind blew through the winter street, blowing into a mysteriously opened crack in her heart.

Through that crack, she saw a small patch of barren desert.

That had once been her oasis. Every day she was away from Dunhuang, a poplar tree quietly disappeared from that oasis.

What was her repair shop like every day?

How big was Yang Shan’s belly now?

How did Han Susu’s parents come around?

Did Qin Zhan cause any trouble when he went home?

How did Liu Boyang and Xiao Min fall for each other?

How was Grandma’s health after winter began?

San Huang was so old – how much time did he have left?

All those missed moments disappeared bit by bit from her oasis, leaving only an empty desert.

Chen Xi looked at Bai Yuning, her gaze flickering.

He had never before said a single word that struck her heart.

But now on this strange street, he gently struck her heart.

Chen Xi suddenly realized – she wasn’t happy at all.