As if to set the mood, snow began to fall just as the holiday approached.

Heavy snow.

The few children living at the base went absolutely wild with joy, running in packs across the plaza, building snowmen, having snowball fights. Even the adults who normally kept strict watch over the children were unusually lenient, letting them play and romp freely.

For a moment, life seemed to return to how it used to be.

Chu Huaijin was always dedicated to making people’s lives indistinguishable from before. Not only was he organizing a New Year’s banquet, he’d also cleaned up the theater and arranged performances.

Songs and dances, a flourishing of festivities.

Laugh a little, make some noise — life somehow seemed not so unbearable after all.

In the morning, Bai Youwei opened her eyes, dimly aware that the world outside the window was glaring white. She poked the upper half of her body out of the blankets, her luminous pale skin marked with patches of deep and faint rose-pink…

A strong, firm arm reached over and pulled her back securely.

The sound of Bai Youwei’s bright laughter rose from within the blankets, mingled with affectionate complaints and playful protests. After some commotion, the two finally got up — fashionably late.

Bai Youwei dressed, opened the window, and snowflakes drifted into the room from outside, fluttering gently down.

“What a heavy snow…” She held out her hand to catch the flakes. They touched her fingertips lightly — before she could even make out the shape of the hexagonal ice crystals, the snowflakes had already melted away, leaving only tiny drops of water.

“Everything’s turned white,” Bai Youwei murmured, gazing into the distance.

Shen Mo wrapped his arms around her from behind, his chin brushing against her hair. “Do you like snow?”

Bai Youwei leaned back against him. “…It snows every year, but every time I see it, it still feels fresh.”

Shen Mo’s lips curved into a smile. “Beautiful things never grow tiresome, no matter how many times you see them.”

“How could there possibly be something that never gets tiresome…” She laughed softly. “I think it’s because humans are so forgetful.”

Shen Mo lowered his head, his expression teasing. “Why do I hear a note of resentment in that? Afraid I’ll grow tired of you?”

“Not at all…” She turned to face him, looped both hands around his neck, rose onto her tiptoes, and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “If anyone’s going to grow tired of someone, it should be me growing tired of you. I’m the king — you have no standing to grow tired of me.”

Shen Mo lifted the woman in his arms, his tone affectionate. “Would the king like to put on another layer? We’re going out today — dress warm.”

“I want to wear red!” Bai Youwei slid down from his hold and opened the dollhouse with great enthusiasm. “Let me find you a new outfit too — maybe we can match in couple’s clothes~”

Inside the dollhouse, the weather was still bright and warm as ever.

Bai Youwei stepped inside and called to Teacher Cheng, “No cooking today, Teacher Cheng! We’re going to Shen Mo’s family’s place for dinner. You and Xiao Xin look for some warm clothes — there’s a heavy snowfall outside!”

“It’s snowing?” Cheng Weicai came down from upstairs, exclaiming, “Wonderful, wonderful — timely snow promises a good harvest… Xiao Tan, Xiao Xin, it’s snowing outside!”

Pan Xiaoxin poked his head out from his attic. “It’s not snowing in here.”

“Not in the dollhouse — outside,” Bai Youwei said. Then she remembered something and gave a little cry, turning to Cheng Weicai. “Oh! Teacher Cheng, we do need to cook after all — we can’t show up empty-handed. Let’s make a roast chicken to bring along!”

Pan Xiaoxin’s stomach was already growling. “Weiwei-jie, I want to drink chicken soup!”

“Then we’ll braise one for soup and roast the other to eat.” Bai Youwei picked up a metal spoon and tapped the plates on the dining table — ding ding ding — “Tan Xiao! Get up and go catch a chicken!”

“Me? Go catch it?” Tan Xiao’s voice floated down from upstairs, clearly reluctant. “Old Cheng’s chickens are so vicious! Make the little hand go catch them!”

“It just got a manicure — we can’t dirty those nails now.” Bai Youwei urged, “Hurry up, if you don’t catch the chickens there’ll be nothing to eat!”

Tan Xiao had no choice but to get up and get dressed.

Once everything was arranged, Bai Youwei came back out carrying the clothes she’d chosen and asked Shen Mo, “Should we make a few more and share them with Su Man and Zhu Shu, and also Chen Hui? It’s been a long time since everyone’s had fresh meat.”

Shen Mo paused slightly. “…Chen Hui isn’t here. She went into the labyrinth with Fu Miaoxue.”

—