In the winter of 2003, snow blanketed the entire neighborhood, and the green mountains turned white in an instant.

All kinds of news on television were dominated by headlines about Chang Xue.

“Former ‘Pure Goddess’ Turns Out to Be a Mistress, Hong Kong Tycoon Abandons Wife for Her.”

“Chang Xue Falls from Grace, Cold and Aloof Image Collapses.”

“Chang Xue’s New Film Faces Box Office Crisis.”

…

These various scandalous news stories had a huge impact. After finishing dinner, people gathered around their televisions to watch such news. Chang Xue’s fans couldn’t believe the news and were still trying to clarify things, but Chang Xue herself never made an appearance.

No one knew who was targeting Chang Xue. The public relations efforts ultimately failed. Like a volcanic eruption, the news that Chang Xue had been a mistress spread through every street and alley. Her nearly ten-year “pure goddess” persona ceased to exist, and from then on Chang Xue withdrew from the Hong Kong entertainment scene.

Zhao Zhilan stared dumbfounded at the overwhelming news and various newspapers. She couldn’t help but sigh: “Fate—sometimes you really can’t predict it.”

Chang Xue’s downfall meant that Zhao Xiu’s proudest asset was gone. Instead, against this backdrop, a strange awkwardness emerged.

Zhao Xiu had always been molding Fang Mingjun toward Chang Xue’s image. Now that Chang Xue was forced to withdraw from the entertainment industry, Zhao Xiu probably never wanted Fang Mingjun associated with Chang Xue again.

Bei Yao watched this news, frowning in thought. If Fang Mingjun ultimately didn’t look so much like Chang Xue, that might not be a bad thing for her.

But Fang Mingjun had already moved out of the neighborhood, and now it was winter break. Bei Yao didn’t know what Fang Mingjun’s situation was.

Bei Yao was somewhat worried about her. Although Fang Mingjun was rather aloof, she wasn’t some utterly wicked villain after all. She remembered that Pei Chuan’s family had a mobile phone and landline.

Heavy snow fell outside. Bei Yao hugged her winter break homework and headed to Pei Chuan’s house.

Pei Haobin opened the door, his expression relaxed: “It’s Bei Yao. It’s cold outside, come in quickly.”

“Thank you, Uncle Pei.”

“Xiao Chuan is in his room. I’ll go call him. Your Aunt Jiang isn’t here. Bei Yao, make yourself at home.”

Bei Yao thanked him repeatedly.

Pei Chuan’s home was clean and tidy. Pei Haobin had been a soldier, so everything in the house was arranged neatly and orderly. This was only the second time Bei Yao had been to the Pei family home, from childhood until now.

Pei Chuan didn’t like his private space being invaded, so Bei Yao had always respected this boundary of his.

Pei Haobin was straightforward and hadn’t thought much about it. The innermost bedroom door was suddenly opened by Pei Haobin without warning. Bei Yao turned her head and saw a Pei Chuan she had forgotten about for many years.

Snow drifted outside the window. He sat at his desk, assembling a strange instrument she couldn’t understand.

The young man’s frame was still slightly thin. He sat in a wheelchair with a long black blanket covering his legs.

He turned his head and saw Bei Yao holding her books.

The air quieted for a moment.

This was the first time Bei Yao realized that he didn’t wear his prosthetic limbs at home. Whenever he was in front of people, Pei Chuan always wore his prosthetic limbs, so much so that it made people forget he had never actually gotten better.

The sensor in Pei Chuan’s hand beeped twice. He lowered his eyes, and his fingers with distinct knuckles flicked. It shattered.

Pei Haobin said, “Xiao Chuan, Bei Yao is here. You two play together. Dad has to go out on business.”

Pei Haobin didn’t even have time to change clothes and hurriedly left.

“Why are you standing there in a daze? Come here.”

Bei Yao was extremely embarrassed. She felt as awkward as when she was little. After entering his room, she couldn’t help but soften her breathing.

“Can’t do your homework?”

“No.” Bei Yao hugged her “Winter Break Homework” tightly and asked him, “Can you contact Fang Mingjun?”

Pei Chuan raised his eyes and enunciated coldly: “Mind your own business.”

“She grew up with us. Aren’t you worried about her?”

Pei Chuan paused. He found it somewhat funny. Bei Yao thought too well of him. Who was Fang Mingjun? Why should he care about her life or death? However, under her earnest gaze, he instinctively felt he couldn’t say these words to her.

“Do you have her phone number?”

“No.”

“What about her address?”

Bei Yao lowered her head, her face a bit red: “No.”

Pei Chuan glanced at her. She was like a little quail, so embarrassed she wanted to bury herself.

He turned his wheelchair and went to the landline in the living room.

Bei Yao followed closely behind him.

The young man’s fingers pressed several numbers on the landline keys, then met her big eyes looking up at him expectantly as she crouched down. He looked away and said in a low voice: “Hello, Teacher Li, this is Pei Chuan. Could you give me classmate Fang Mingjun’s home phone number?”

“Mm, the reason? When her family moved last time, they left something at my house. I need to notify her to come get it.”

“Okay, thank you, teacher. I’ve written it down.”

He hung up the phone, pressed several more numbers with beeping sounds, then handed the receiver to Bei Yao.

Bei Yao held the phone. The other end connected quickly. It was Zhao Xiu’s voice: “Hello? Who are you looking for?”

“Aunt Xiu, this is Bei Yao. May I speak with Minmin?”

“Wait a moment. I’ll go call her.”

After a long while, when Bei Yao was feeling somewhat anxious, a girl’s hoarse voice came through: “Hello.”

“Minmin, this is Bei Yao.”

Pei Chuan’s dark pupils watched the young girl on the phone.

Her slightly curled long hair cascaded down her back. She wore a light blue cotton outfit. She clutched at the small clasp on her hem, appearing somewhat nervous. Pei Chuan heard her say: “Minmin, the wintersweet tree in the neighborhood bloomed this year. It smells especially fragrant. My mom made sausages that are really delicious. I’ll bring some for you when school starts, okay?”

“…When should we go to the amusement park together? I heard City C built a really big new amusement park. I’ve never been to an amusement park in my whole life. Can you go with me?”

“Don’t cry.” She said gently, “You’re Fang Mingjun, not Chang Xue.”

On the other end, the little girl’s originally cold face was now crying hysterically. She still had a fruit knife hidden in her pocket. When Bei Yao called, she had actually been about to cut herself.

The name Fang Mingjun, over ten years of glory and shame, all seemed linked to Chang Xue. Now that her faith had collapsed, Fang Mingjun felt so terrible she could barely breathe.

However, this phone call let her cry freely and thoroughly.

Yes, she was only twelve years old. She hadn’t been to the new amusement park yet, hadn’t seen what the wintersweet tree at the neighborhood entrance looked like when it bloomed—it had never bloomed before. She was afraid of pain. She was reluctant to die. How much she hoped someone could save her, but she never imagined that person would be Bei Yao—Bei Yao, who had been overshadowed by her all these years because of Chang Xue.

Fang Mingjun was gradually comforted.

Bei Yao hung up the phone and only then saw Pei Chuan’s eyes, infinitely colder than before.

She felt around in her pocket and said softly: “I’m sorry. I used your home phone for so long. I’ll give you money.”

She pulled out a fifty-yuan bill. This was almost all the property in her small treasury.

Pei Chuan laughed coldly: “How generous of you.”

He took the fifty-yuan bill and played with it: “What is Fang Mingjun to you? This is all your money, isn’t it? Or do you treat everyone this way?”

Bei Yao found this baffling.

Fang Mingjun wasn’t anything to her, but she had thought about it for a long time. If she were Fang Mingjun, her mental state would also collapse. If this matter escalated further, it could become very serious. If it weren’t serious, Bei Yao naturally wouldn’t bother with Fang Mingjun, who had never gotten along with her.

Pei Chuan pinched the bill between two fingers and applied gentle force. It went into the trash can.

Bei Yao instinctively exclaimed “Ah!” and crouched down to pick it out. The temperamental young man had already pushed his wheelchair toward his room.

“Pei Chuan, Pei Chuan…”

The room door slammed shut before her eyes.

Bei Yao looked at the tightly closed door in front of her, feeling somewhat aggrieved for the first time. After all, she was only twelve years old, still at an age that needed coaxing. She often didn’t understand why Pei Chuan got angry, just as she didn’t understand how to make this deep-thinking young man happy.

Bei Yao made every effort to yield, giving him everything she thought was good. But perhaps these things were like this bill—if he disdained them, he would throw them in the trash in a heartbeat.

She blinked, feeling like crying. In the end, she didn’t knock on his door but left the Pei family home, closing the door behind her.

Bei Yao stepped through the snow, leaving small, cute footprints with each step.

Behind the curtain on the fourth floor, Pei Chuan looked down at her.

Was she already impatient with him?

So he, Fang Mingjun, or Chen Hu and Li Da—in Bei Yao’s heart there was no difference between any of them.

Pei Chuan had heard her comforting Fang Mingjun. Heaven had given her a soft, sweet voice. When she spoke gently to comfort someone, it melted hearts. However she had once comforted him was exactly how she comforted Fang Mingjun today, and in the future it might be Chen Hu, Li Da, or anyone else.

He knew this anger arose without reason, even seemed neurotic, but he couldn’t control that mocking feeling welling up from the bottom of his heart.

As if someone were saying, “Look, Pei Chuan, in her eyes you’re nothing but a pitiful child who needs help.”

Pei Chuan clearly shouldn’t be angry. He was just a cripple who shouldn’t have any friends anyway. But that day at the corner when he heard Chen Hu and Li Da’s conversation, a seed had been planted silently in his heart.

Boys usually weren’t as precocious as girls, but before Pei Chuan had even entered his second year of middle school, he had vaguely and innocently realized that his feelings when facing Bei Yao were different now.

And she didn’t know. She knew nothing at all.

He watched the small footprints in the snow gradually move farther away, his pale fingers gripping the wheelchair armrest tightly.

~

Bei Yao opened her little notebook, which deeply hid secrets she couldn’t tell anyone from childhood until now.

Her future self hoped she would be a little better to Pei Chuan, even better. Bei Yao understood the principle of remembering kindness received for a thousand years. She locked the little notebook in a brand new small box so no one could open it.

Before long, spring arrived. City C grew cold quickly but warmed up quickly too. Bei Yao soon changed out of her thick cotton coat and put on light spring clothes.

The happiest person about spring’s arrival was undoubtedly Hua Ting. She was surprised to discover that all the girls in class, like herself, were starting to develop. It was as if the spring breeze had gently blown, and the girls’ chests gradually swelled. She was no longer the only special one. Now, without Bei Yao saying anything, Hua Ting walked with her back straight.

Bei Yao was also just starting to develop. The small buds sometimes hurt a bit. She was very careful not to bump them.

Hua Ting asked in a low voice by her ear, her face red: “Yaoyao, have you gotten your period yet?”

“No.”

“Oh, I got such a fright when I got it recently. I almost cried, thinking I had some terminal illness.”

“No, that means you’re growing up.”

Hua Ting asked her: “What are you doing? Stringing so many beads together.”

“Making a safety knot.” The young girl’s pure features were gentle. She smiled and said, “Pei Chuan’s birthday is coming soon.”

Late spring was Pei Chuan’s birthday. Although his temper had been very strange lately—he was no longer willing to walk home with her after school, and after losing his temper last time he hadn’t proactively made up—she wasn’t angry at him.

“Pei Not Happy” was already this “petty.” If she were petty too, that would be terrible!

Hua Ting snorted: “Why are you so good to him? He’s not good to you at all.” She hadn’t seen Pei Chuan being particularly good to Yaoyao.

Bei Yao finished threading the beads: “He’ll be better when he grows up.”

“You talk as if you know.”

She didn’t know, but that didn’t prevent her from being good to him.

The girls in class were all changing in various ways, but Fang Mingjun had suddenly become thin. Now Fang Mingjun’s appearance actually overlapped with the person in her memory—thin, with high cheekbones. In just one winter, Fang Mingjun suddenly no longer resembled Chang Xue.

She wasn’t pretty anymore. She had a withered air about her, but instead gained some human warmth.

The atmosphere around Fang Mingjun was awkward for a while, but Fang Mingjun herself acted as if she didn’t care.

Hua Ting rested her chin in her hand: “I didn’t like her before, but now she’s quite pitiful. Chang Xue did something wrong, but she didn’t.”

Bei Yao nodded in agreement.

“You know, before, people were still discussing whether the school flower was Fang Mingjun or Shang Mengxian. This semester when Fang Mingjun came back, everyone definitely thinks it’s Shang Mengxian. Where does Fang Mingjun still look like a school flower?”

Shang Mengxian? Bei Yao found this name very familiar.

Bei Yao had started school a year early, so many people and events around her were different. She racked her brain trying to recall distant memories and finally discovered there was indeed such a person.

In her previous life, she had been two grades below Shang Mengxian.

When she was in her third year of middle school and had completely become pretty, someone had quietly told her: If you had looked like this back then, the school flower position definitely wouldn’t have gone to Shang Mengxian. You’re infinitely prettier than her!

However, Bei Yao, whose face still carried a young girl’s childishness, sighed. Whether she was pretty or not wasn’t important. She should first celebrate Pei Not Happy’s birthday.

~

In late spring and early summer, Shang Mengxian of the second year took on the title of school flower.

The fourteen-year-old girl had a clear and beautiful appearance, with a touch more allure than her peers. Fang Mingjun’s downfall benefited Shang Mengxian the most. Recently, her desk drawer was stuffed full of love letters.

“Shang Mengxian, I told you, what is that Fang Mingjun? She just looked a little bit like a celebrity. Now the celebrity has fallen from grace, and Fang Mingjun is so skinny she’s ugly as bones. That Ge Bo who used to like her now pretends not to know her when he sees her. Hahaha, you don’t know how funny it is.”

Shang Mengxian put down her mirror and also laughed.

“But you know,” her friend said, “Ge Bo told me that in their former first year class seven, everyone liked Fang Mingjun, but there was one person who never even looked at Fang Mingjun properly, always keeping a cold face.”

Shang Mengxian was somewhat interested: “Oh? Who?”

“Pei Chuan from their class. I heard that boy doesn’t have legs—his calves are prosthetic limbs. Do you know what prosthetic limbs are? They’re made to look like real legs and installed so he can walk.”

Shang Mengxian’s expression showed a trace of disgust.

“But this cripple actually looked down on Fang Mingjun. Don’t you think that’s funny? Do you think he looked down on her with disdain, or didn’t dare to like her?”

At this age, girls’ topics of interest had gradually transitioned from snacks and games to who liked whom and who had feelings for whom.

Shang Mengxian said contemptuously: “Probably because Fang Mingjun didn’t have enough charm. She acts so arrogant all the time. Want to bet I can make that Pei Chuan confess to me?”

Her friend covered her mouth laughing: “Of course I believe you. You’re so pretty. What if that disabled boy becomes desperately in love with you?”

Shang Mengxian also laughed. That afternoon after school, she didn’t go home first but waited on the road where Pei Chuan walked after school.

Passing by the brilliantly blooming pomegranate flowers on campus, Pei Chuan instinctively glanced at the rock where Bei Yao often sat.

Small flowers of summer bloomed all around. He saw a shadow behind the flowers.

Pei Chuan slowed his steps. He walked past there, waiting for the girl to follow.

“You’re Pei Chuan, right?” A light, playful voice came from beside him.

His brow furrowed imperceptibly, and only then did he realize the person was an unfamiliar young girl.

Shang Mengxian caught up, her gaze covertly sweeping over Pei Chuan’s calves, concealing the expression in her eyes.

“My name is Shang Mengxian. I’m from second year class one. I heard they’re building a small park near your place? Can you take me to see it?”

“No.”

The smile on Shang Mengxian’s face stiffened for a second. Her eyes held disdain, but thinking that the person who sneered at Fang Mingjun would in the future fawn over her like a lap dog, she suppressed the impatience in her heart.

“That’s okay. Going by myself is the same.” She intentionally or unintentionally walked in front of him.

In summer, she wore an extremely short skirt, exposing her long, beautiful legs.

Shang Mengxian’s top was a bright rose-red short sleeve, revealing half her shoulder. She had an allure that girls her age didn’t possess. Shang Mengxian was certain he would be attracted to her, her steps elegant yet casual.

On Pei Chuan’s expressionless face appeared a trace of extremely faint mockery.

~

After school, Bei Yao first went to the school store. The red beaded safety knot she made was very pretty, but just giving it like that didn’t seem quite right. After thinking it over, she spent three yuan to buy a gift bag and carefully placed the safety knot inside.

Bei Yao hurried as fast as she could, jogging to the pomegranate flowers, but Pei Chuan was already gone.

“He still won’t wait for me.” She sighed softly, shouldered her little backpack, and mustered her energy to quicken her pace on the road home. On this road from middle school to home, a new park was recently under construction. They said it would take another two years to complete, which infuriated the neighborhood children. There was a regret called “schools always renovate after we graduate,” and the same applied to parks.

By the time the park was finished, the teenagers would all be off to high school.

Wild flowers bloomed romantically along the road. Under the summer sunlight, Bei Yao fanned herself with her small hand. Her steps were hurried. Before long, she raised her eyes and saw Pei Chuan’s back.

His spine was straight, and because his pace wasn’t fast, he looked more composed.

The young man was handsome and refined, but a young girl was following beside him. Bei Yao froze and stopped, hugging the gift. Cicadas chirped noisily in the trees. Bei Yao wiped the light sweat from her forehead and sat down on a rock under a cypress tree.

She watched them walk away.

She held the safety knot in her arms. For the first time, Bei Yao doubted whether the words in that little notebook were true.

Would this ice-cold Pei Chuan, as the notes said, cherish someone like his own heart and liver? She was now twelve years old mentally. Although she had a few years of memories, she wasn’t yet at the age of first love. Pei Chuan had a new friend now, and she looked like a very pretty girl. She was sincerely happy for him.

After Bei Yao had rested enough, she slowly walked back along this road.

Pei Chuan didn’t know Bei Yao was right behind him. He thought she had gone home early.

Shang Mengxian beside him was talking: “Your Teacher Zhang speaks with an accent, right? Her tone rises at the end?”

Pei Chuan glanced at the old residential building not far away and gave a faint “Mm.”

His fingers casually fiddled with the lock clasp on the iron gate beside him. The door opened easily, the iron gate jingling.

Not hearing him speak the whole way, suddenly hearing his response, Shang Mengxian was delighted, so much so that she didn’t notice Pei Chuan’s action. She thought smugly, “Isn’t he paying attention to me now? What’s with the aloof act?” She probably spent the whole walk secretly looking at her. Shang Mengxian smiled, just about to speak, when suddenly a ferocious, barking mangy earth dog charged out from the neighborhood.

This dog charged recklessly and in a flash reached the iron gate.

If the door had been closed it would have been fine, but unfortunately the door had been “unconsciously” fiddled open by Pei Chuan. That dog rushed out, raising its head and barking.

Shang Mengxian screamed in fright: “Go away, stupid dog, get lost.”

While screaming, she hid behind Pei Chuan, wanting to push him to deal with the mangy dog.

A flash of coldness crossed Pei Chuan’s eyes. Just as he was about to step aside, he saw Bei Yao in the distance holding a gift bag.

His body suddenly froze.

This road was the one he and Bei Yao took home. Bei Yao had always been somewhat afraid of this earth dog at Grandma Zhou’s house that barked wildly at anyone it saw. Grandma Zhou felt affection for Bei Yao and had specially installed an iron gate for this reason.

The old woman had specifically told Bei Yao and the other neighborhood children not to open the iron gate’s lock clasp. Her dog was fierce—it wouldn’t be good if it bit someone.

But Pei Chuan had just opened it.

He didn’t know how much Bei Yao had seen, but a chill rose from the soles of his feet. Pei Chuan concealed his own baseness, but he had to admit that from a very young age, he had long since lost the quality of kindness.

His father’s kindness and justice—the price was his pair of legs.

The dog barked twice and was about to pounce. Shang Mengxian’s panicked screaming was piercing. It was May, early summer, yet he felt frozen in place as if by someone, without the strength to dodge.

Bei Yao ran toward them.

She couldn’t even care about the gift anymore. She picked up pebbles from the ground and threw them at the dog: “Go away, don’t bite people.”

Her hands were trembling. She hit the dog, and the earth dog yelped and turned to bark wildly at her.

Bei Yao grabbed a handful of pebbles, not caring about accuracy, desperately throwing them at the dog’s body.

She stood in front of him, trembling as she yelled at the dog: “If you don’t leave I’ll hit you!”

The dog finally ran back through the iron gate with its tail between its legs.

Bei Yao wasn’t as tall as Pei Chuan. She stood on tiptoe to fasten the iron gate properly.

“Pei Chuan.” The young girl’s voice was anxious. “Did it bite you? Does it hurt anywhere?”

Pei Chuan’s dark pupils looked at her. After a long while he said in a low voice: “No.”

Bei Yao frowned at the girl behind him who was bigger than herself. She looked somewhat familiar—was it Shang Mengxian from the second year? Bei Yao was somewhat angry. When she walked over, she had seen the moment when Shang Mengxian pushed Pei Chuan out. Although she understood Shang Mengxian’s frightened state of mind, she couldn’t forgive her for doing this.

Shang Mengxian was also about to have a breakdown. She had originally just planned to seduce this cripple a bit and then dump him, but who could have expected a dog to charge out on the road? Thinking of her screaming image just now, Shang Mengxian wanted to bang her head against a wall.

She said quickly: “I’m going home first today.”

Bei Yao and Pei Chuan walked home together. She was unhappy, even her almond eyes drooping listlessly. Pei Chuan lowered his eyes and looked at what she was carrying in her hand, asking her, “What are you holding?”

“This? It’s a birthday gift for you. Pei Chuan, happy birthday! Congratulations on growing another year older!”

He took it, saw no unusual expression on her face, and understood she hadn’t seen anything.

Bei Yao hesitated: “Pei Chuan, that new friend of yours isn’t good at all. She tried to push you out.”

He neither confirmed nor denied: “Mm.”

“Don’t play with her anymore, okay?” When saying this, she was very anxious, because after all that was Shang Mengxian, the school flower acknowledged by all the boys. Although in another year or two, she might be even prettier than Shang Mengxian, right now she was just a little girl with baby fat.

Pei Chuan said in a low voice: “Okay.”

She thought she had “won him over,” coughing lightly with a bit of shyness.

The setting sun stretched her warm shadow long. With childishness, she went to step on tree shadows.

Pei Chuan put both hands in his pockets, watching her back.

If he didn’t tell her, she would never know in her entire life that he was a poisonous snake, not a lamb. She so rejected people with malicious intentions. If one day she knew he was no different from Shang Mengxian—even more malicious—what would she do?