By Saturday, Pingcheng’s first snow arrived. When Ruan Mian got up in the morning, outside was already a vast expanse of white. Small piles of shoveled snow could be seen everywhere in the alley’s gutters and corners. The interwoven overhead wires in the distance were also wrapped in a layer of white. Birds perched on them, and the overburdened wires swayed and shed fluttering snowflakes.

The south didn’t have central heating. Inside the house was tolerable if you didn’t open the windows, but once you opened them, the bitter cold wind was bone-piercingly sharp. Ruan Mian closed the window tightly and put on her coat to go downstairs.

Fang Ruqing and Zhao Yingwei rarely had a weekend off. The two were busy in the kitchen early in the morning. Seeing Ruan Mian get up, Fang Ruqing raised her head and glanced outside. “It’s the weekend today. Why didn’t you sleep in a bit more?”

“Couldn’t sleep anymore.” The living room had a draft. Ruan Mian felt cold from the wind and lowered her head to cough lightly. “I’ll go wash my face and brush my teeth first.”

“Go ahead. Dress warmly.”

“Got it.” Ruan Mian shuffled in her slippers toward the bathroom. At the doorway, she ran into Zhao Shuyang, who had just come out after using the toilet.

The little boy, aside from calling Ruan Mian “sister” once the first time they met, had never called her that a second time. But usually, he especially liked clinging to Ruan Mian. Right now, he tugged at the hem of Ruan Mian’s down jacket, his big eyes blinking twice. “Do you want to have a snowball fight?”

It wasn’t really asking if she wanted to—clearly he wanted to play himself but didn’t dare go out alone.

Ruan Mian’s throat felt itchy. Afraid of infecting him, she made a fist and held it to her lips, turned her head to cough twice, then smiled and said: “We’re about to eat breakfast soon. After we eat, we can go, okay?”

“Okay.” He let go of her hand. “Pinky promise.”

Ruan Mian smiled helplessly, extending her pinky to hook with his little pinky and seal it with a stamp.

After eating breakfast, Ruan Mian went back to her room to change clothes, got her hat and scarf, and took Zhao Shuyang outside to the flat area to play in the snow.

The snow near their doorstep hadn’t been completely shoveled yet. Ruan Mian played with Zhao Shuyang for a while. All ten of her fingers were frozen bright red. In the end, unable to bear it, she stood to the side watching him push snowballs by himself.

Zhao Shuyang was small but strong. In just a few moves, he pushed out two round snowballs. Ruan Mian rubbed her hands together, walked over, and helped him stack the two snowballs on top of each other.

Just as they were getting into the fun, someone nearby called out, “Ruan Mian.”

Ruan Mian turned around at the sound and saw Li Zhi walking toward them. She patted her hands and stood up. “Don’t your school’s third-years have to attend supplementary classes on weekends?”

“The weather’s too cold.” Though that’s what he said, he seemed not to fear the cold at all. Inside his open down jacket was only a thin T-shirt. “What are you doing?”

“Building a snowman.”

Li Zhi raised his eyebrows and smiled, turned his head to glance back. “Is that your younger brother?”

“Mm.” Ruan Mian tucked her nearly numb frozen hands into her pockets and stood beside him at the roadside. “Why did you come from this direction?”

Li Zhi also had both hands in his pockets. “A wall near the internet cafe was crushed by the snow and blocked the road. Didn’t you notice there are more people passing through this way this morning?”

Ruan Mian smiled. “I just got up. Didn’t notice.”

The two stood by the roadside chatting sporadically like this. Zhao Shuyang turned back to see Ruan Mian ignoring him, so he made a small snowball and threw it over. Unexpectedly, it hit Li Zhi, who was talking.

“That—”

“Thump—”

Li Zhi’s words came to an abrupt halt. He raised his hand to brush off the snow on his clothes, glanced at Zhao Shuyang standing in place, somewhat amused. “Does this kid need a beating?”

Ruan Mian felt a bit embarrassed and touched her nose. “Zhao Shuyang, come apologize to the older brother.”

“Forget it, I’m just kidding.” Having said that, this person reached out and grabbed a handful of snow from the rubble piled nearby and threw it at Ruan Mian. After throwing it, he laughed and stepped back two steps. “The debt of the younger brother is paid by the older sister.”

Ruan Mian pressed her lips together, words on the tip of her tongue: “…”

Li Zhi retreated to Zhao Shuyang’s side, put his arm on his shoulder, squatted halfway down, and spoke to him: “Let’s have a snowball fight. Let’s throw snowballs at your sister together, okay?”

The little brat nodded his head vigorously: “Okay!”

Ruan Mian: “…?”

So inexplicable.

The three of them started fighting. The air was full of flying snowballs. Ruan Mian couldn’t withstand the firepower from two people and voluntarily surrendered.

After playing for more than half an hour, Li Zhi built a large snowman with Zhao Shuyang on the flat ground. Ruan Mian contributed her red hat.

Seeing this, Zhao Shuyang also insisted on tying his scarf around the snowman’s neck.

After tidying up, Li Zhi took out his phone from his coat pocket and said to Ruan Mian: “Stand over there. I’ll take a photo of you two.”

“Huh?”

“As a keepsake.”

Ruan Mian smiled helplessly. “Alright then.”

She and Zhao Shuyang stood on either side of the snowman. The sky occasionally had snow drifting down. Li Zhi raised his phone, looked at the screen, turned his head and said: “Your expression looks like I’m holding a knife to your neck forcing you to take the photo.”

Ruan Mian was naturally afraid of cameras. Hearing him say this, she couldn’t help but laugh. Li Zhi was quick—he pressed the photo button.

Old-style cameras still had that loud “click” sound when taking photos. The snowman, the child, and the brightly smiling girl were all frozen in the frame along with the sound.

Li Zhi showed her the photo.

Ruan Mian looked at it and praised: “You took it quite well.”

“I’ll send it to you when we get back.” Li Zhi put away his phone and raised his head to look at the distant sky. After they were silent for a while, he spoke: “Ruan Mian.”

“Mm?” Ruan Mian raised her head to look at him.

He turned his head to look over, his tone rarely serious. “Smile more like this from now on.”

Ruan Mian was stunned for a moment. Her gaze met his for a while, then she lowered her head and avoided his eyes, not responding.

Li Zhi lowered his eyes, his foot grinding apart a snowball nearby. “In this lifetime, just living is already hard enough. Some unimportant things—don’t take them to heart. Don’t make yourself so tired. Be happy.”

Ruan Mian stared at the spot he’d stepped on. After a long time, she finally nodded.

Li Zhi didn’t say anything more. Later he received a phone call and left.

Not long after he left, Ruan Mian also took Zhao Shuyang home. A bit later, Li Zhi said on QQ that he’d already sent the photo over.

Old-style phone QQ couldn’t receive images. Ruan Mian went to the study on the second floor and used the family computer. During the process of receiving the photo, Li Zhi sent a message.

[Li Zhi]: Can I post the photo on my profile?

Li Zhi liked photography. His profile had many photos he’d taken. Ruan Mian didn’t refuse. After that, he sent another message.

[Li Zhi]: I’ll pay you a modeling fee later. I have something to do, so I’m logging off.

[Ruan Mian]: No need to trouble yourself. You go ahead and take care of your business.

[Li Zhi]: [Auto-reply] Mm

Ruan Mian looked at the auto-reply on the screen and laughed, clicking the mouse to close the page.

After dinner that evening, Ruan Mian went to the study to look up information. She left QQ running on the computer. After finishing her research, she browsed through her profile feed and saw a photo set Li Zhi had posted an hour ago.

All nine photos were portraits.

Men, women, old and young—all walks of life.

She scrolled down and in the likes section below, she saw a familiar avatar. Ruan Mian instantly felt her heartbeat skip. Holding the mouse, she clicked on the avatar and entered Chen Yi’s profile.

Chen Yi didn’t often post updates. His most recent one was from three months ago. He’d shared a photo—it was an orange tabby cat.

Also visible in the frame was a hand in the upper right corner. The finger lines were clear, the knuckles distinct. On the side of the index finger near the tiger’s mouth was a small mole.

Ruan Mian recognized it as Chen Yi’s hand and had saved that photo at the time. Now, as usual, she browsed through from beginning to end. When leaving, she habitually deleted the visitor record.

After doing all this, Ruan Mian was about to log out of QQ when Meng Xinglan sent her a message asking what time she was leaving home tomorrow.

Ruan Mian suddenly had an indescribable feeling. Her previous agreement was only because she’d been troubled by various emotions at the time and couldn’t make the right decision.

She thought for a while and replied to Meng Xinglan’s message, saying she had something come up and wouldn’t be going.

She couldn’t be this despicable—meeting that girl in such an underhanded way when everyone else knew nothing.

Later, Ruan Mian learned from Meng Xinglan that the date that day was ultimately forced to be canceled due to the sudden heavy snow.

And Chen Yi apparently reached some kind of agreement with Sheng Huan. She no longer came to Class 1, and the breakfast and milk tea were no longer delivered either.

Everything seemed to have returned to its original position.

These peaceful days didn’t last long before final exams arrived as scheduled. Ruan Mian had made a lot of progress on the last monthly exam. This time she was in the third exam room, while Chen Yi remained steadfastly in the first exam room.

On exam day, Pingcheng was still snowing heavily. All along the way were umbrellas of various colors, adding several bright touches to this vast white snowy day.

After the last English exam ended, Class 1 students had to return to the classroom for a class meeting and to get their winter vacation homework. Ruan Mian returned to the classroom together with classmates from the same exam room.

In the classroom, Zhou Hai was directing several boys to go move homework and test papers. Having just finished the exam, the desks and chairs in the classroom were in chaos.

Ruan Mian was pulled by Meng Xinglan to sit at her spot. Chen Yi and Jiang Rang were standing right beside them. There were people all around—she could only hear his voice.

…

“Not in Pingcheng this year.” Chen Yi said.

Jiang Rang leaned against the desk. “Going to your grandfather’s?”

Chen Yi made a sound of acknowledgment, moved a step to the side to let other classmates through, and said quietly: “Probably coming back after New Year’s.”

“Alright then. I was hoping to hang out with you.”

Chen Yi glanced at him. “Your dad should be coming back this year for New Year’s, right?”

“Yeah—” Jiang Rang cursed. “Hang out my ass. If he comes back, it’ll be lucky if I can even leave the house.”

Chen Yi smiled mockingly, bent sideways to hook up the backpack that was about to fall and placed it on the desk. The hood of his down jacket lightly brushed past the girl’s head.

He didn’t notice that her entire body tensed up in that instant.

After Zhou Hai finished distributing homework and test papers, he gave some routine reminders about holiday safety issues, finally smiling: “Wish everyone a happy New Year.”

The students below responded in chaos: “Congratulations and prosperity! Bring out the red envelopes!”

Old Zhou smiled cheerfully: “Alright, when you come back to get your report cards, I’ll prepare a red envelope for each of you.”

A boy chimed in: “Bullshit, Old Zhou. After getting our report cards, what mood will we have to want red envelopes? It’ll be great if we can go back and have a peaceful New Year.”

Perhaps because the holiday was approaching and it was near the New Year, even until the class meeting ended, the atmosphere in the class remained lively and noisy. Before leaving, Meng Xinglan made plans with Ruan Mian to go shopping in a couple days. “This time you’re not allowed to stand me up again.”

Ruan Mian smiled. “Okay, I won’t.”

Meng Xinglan winked at her. “Then I’ll go find Liang Yiran first. We’ll contact each other on QQ later.”

“Okay.”

Students in the class gradually started leaving. Ruan Mian gathered her things and also walked out from the back of the classroom. All along the way was lively noise.

Walking into the first-floor lobby, a voice suddenly appeared beside her: “How many books from the reading list I gave you earlier haven’t you finished yet?”

Ruan Mian was startled. The books she was holding in her arms all fell to the ground. Fortunately, she hadn’t walked outside yet. The lobby was all marble tile flooring, and the book pages only got slightly soiled.

Chen Yi slung his backpack over his shoulder and bent down to help her pick up half of them. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Ruan Mian wiped the dirt from the covers and gathered them together again. “I wasn’t paying attention while walking.”

He pulled out a tissue from his pocket and handed it over, then asked again: “How many books from the reading list I gave you have you read?”

“I’ve read—”

“Chen Yi!”

Ruan Mian had just opened her mouth when a louder voice from beside her drowned out her voice. She turned her head to look back.

It was Sheng Huan.

The girl was wearing a denim jacket and short skirt, beautiful makeup on, standing there with a dazzling, captivating smile.

Chen Yi also saw her. A flash of irritation crossed his brows, but he still said to Ruan Mian: “You go back first. I’ll find you on QQ later.”

Ruan Mian’s breathing caught. Enduring the sudden ache in her nose, she said: “Okay.”

Chen Yi nodded and turned to walk over there.

Ruan Mian watched his retreating figure, blinked her eyes, and couldn’t help calling out: “Chen Yi.”

The boy stopped, turned his head to look at her. “What is it?”

Ruan Mian smiled at him, almost about to cry. “Happy New Year.”

—

Author’s Note: —Next Mei You Ren Xiang Ni – Chapter enters VIP, still updating at 9 o’clock, 10,000 words update, don’t fatten me up/humble//weary lighting cigarette/—

Next book will be “Indulgence” or “Tonight I Love You,” you can bookmark my collection, also requesting author favorites qwq—

Putting up the synopsis.

1. “Indulgence”

[Synopsis content about Season Huai’an and Chu Ning]

2. “Tonight I Love You”

[Synopsis content about Zhou Baihe and Yu Bai]

Thanks for liking it.