December brought alternating rain and sunshine. The sky remained gloomy, and when the sun occasionally appeared, it would break through a gap in the flowing clouds, casting a beam of light that was neither wide nor narrow. Walking in the sunlight would instantly bake away the damp coldness while stepping under dark clouds would send chills deep into one’s bones.

A professor from the department found Xia Xia an internship at the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Xie Huai would wake up early every day to visit the market and buy ingredients to make breakfast for Xia Xia. He would make either preserved egg and lean meat porridge, or fresh chicken with diced mushroom porridge. Having never cooked in his twenty years of life, Xie Huai followed recipes meticulously, often taking one to two hours in the process.

He would wake up at six, finish cooking the porridge and egg pancakes by seven, and return to the room while Xia Xia was still sleeping.

On sunny days, sunlight would stream through the floor-to-ceiling windows, making the girl’s face glow radiantly.

Xie Huai initially wanted to wake her for breakfast but would often end up climbing into bed to cuddle with her instead.

Xia Xia usually woke up to Xie Huai’s touch in the morning. Young men’s vigor peaked at dawn, but he dared not do anything more—Xia Xia feared pain. After their previous failed attempt, they tried several more times, but either couldn’t find the right position or Xia Xia would cry out in pain.

She would cry until her eyes turned red, and Xie Huai couldn’t force himself upon her, though their routine of kisses and caresses was inevitable.

Xie Huai’s hands were always restless. When he pinched Xia Xia too hard, she would whimper and turn over, only to have her lips sealed by his.

After kissing her for a while, Xia Xia remained in a dreamy state, occasionally responding, but hardly conscious.

Finding it boring, he wrapped her in the blanket and carried her to the living room couch.

Xia Xia’s foggy mind slowly rebooted as she pushed his shoulder, “Let me sleep a bit more, I stayed up late working on research design…”

“You’ll be late if you sleep more.”

Hearing this, Xia Xia instantly awoke. Looking at the clock showing seven-thirty, she forgot about sleeping in and scrambled to get ready.

Xie Huai followed behind her: “Slow down—”

He had just mopped the floor, and Xia Xia’s slippers slipped, nearly falling on the ceramic tiles.

She went to brush her teeth in the bathroom, and Xie Huai followed, clingily hugging her waist from behind.

With a mouth full of foam, Xia Xia mumbled: “Mmm—don’t hug me, I’ll be late mmm—”

“Look at you,” Xie Huai complained, “Classes and work all day, then coming home to write that damn research design and final assignments, how much time do you leave for me?”

Hearing this, Xia Xia felt guilty.

She had indeed been very busy lately, with internship and classes filling her days, and evenings spent reading textbooks and writing final designs. She wanted to finish work and studies before spending time with Xie Huai, but by then he would be too tired to play for long before falling asleep.

Compared to her hectic schedule, Xie Huai has been relatively free lately.

Xu Dalong dealt primarily with familiar customers, some close friends taking goods with just IOUs after signing contracts, or even verbal promises, while he covered the payments. This led to cash flow problems. Xie Huai had brought this up many times, but Xu wouldn’t listen, and eventually, Xie Huai gave up trying to manage him, spending his days leisurely running the farmhouse restaurant.

Xie Huai usually just wrote his final assignments casually and rarely attended classes, spending most of his time watching the store. Bored to death, he would message Xia Xia to bother her, but she had no time to respond. Over time, he inevitably grew unhappy.

“It’s Friday,” Xia Xia finished rinsing, jumped onto Xie Huai’s back, swinging her legs back and forth, and gently coaxed him, “Let’s go on a date after work.”

Xie Huai’s expression finally improved.

Morning traffic was heavy. After breakfast, Xie Huai first took Xia Xia to the Civil Affairs Bureau by electric scooter, then returned to the store.

As a new intern, Xia Xia had much to learn, and she was so busy all morning that she hadn’t eaten even after the cafeteria closed.

She went to buy a boxed meal on the street and noticed an electric scooter store across the road. Something crossed her mind, and she went over to take a look.

At five in the afternoon, Xie Huai had arrived early. He sat among the couples coming and going to register marriages or divorces in the hall, playing on his phone. The staff, annoyed that he was occupying a chair, drove him out. Xie Huai then went to a nearby café for coffee and was on his second cup when Xia Xia finally ran out.

Xie Huai had lost his patience: “Young Master has never waited so long for anyone in this life.”

Xia Xia ran over panting: “Sorry, the sister training me stayed late specifically to teach me things, she stayed so I couldn’t leave early.”

She had run all the way and was sweating, with hair strands sticking to her face.

Xie Huai deliberately maintained a cold expression. Xia Xia poked his waist: “Brother Huai?”

Xie Huai remained expressionless: “Century Plaza is one kilometer away. Carry me there on your back and I won’t be angry.”

Xia Xia weighed her options, figuring that an angry Xie Huai would be harder to appease, and obediently let him climb on her back.

Xie Huai, completely lacking basic boyfriend standards, actually lifted his feet off the ground to let her carry him.

After just a dozen steps, Xia Xia was wobbling and panting. She negotiated: “Brother Huai, can you put your feet down?”

“No.”

“But…” Xia Xia whined, “You’re so heavy, you’ll crush me. If you crush me, there won’t be anyone for you to kiss and cuddle with tonight.”

Xie Huai: “Being delicate again?”

He said: “I’ve been holding back so long, one more day won’t matter.”

Xia Xia fell silent, then wheedled: “If I call you husband, will you put your feet down?”

Xie Huai was tall with long legs, hanging on the 1.6-meter Xia Xia like a giant plush bear dangling from a small, swaying tree.

Before Xia Xia could cry tired, he was already having trouble hanging on.

He frowned, deliberately putting on a troubled expression: “Hmm, alright.”

Xia Xia’s voice turned sweet: “Husband, I’m so tired, please get down?”

Xie Huai’s ears twitched, and their tips turned red at her words.

He got down from Xia Xia’s back and held her hand as they walked slowly in the winter sunset.

Xia Xia told him about interesting things that happened at work. A couple had come to the Civil Affairs Bureau for a passionate divorce, arguing heatedly despite the staff’s attempts to mediate. Just as they were about to process the paperwork, their child called complaining about being hungry after school, and the two sheepishly went home to cook, vowing to return next week for the divorce.

Xie Huai laughed heartily and told her about the day’s income at the store, tomorrow’s reservations, and how Grandmother Liang made braised pork at noon, so tender it melted in the mouth, and Liang Yuantai specially drove over for lunch.

After the last trace of dusk disappeared into the clouds.

Xie Huai held her hand as they walked from sunset to starlight.

Days passed peacefully, as usual, the seemingly calm surface of life rippling with beautiful light because they had each other.

This was the life Xia Xia had always dreamed of, not particularly earth-shattering or thrilling, but this warm, happy feeling was something she had only seen in dreams before.

They had a hotpot buffet for dinner, sixty yuan per person. Afraid of not getting her money’s worth, Xia Xia stuffed herself with tripe until she collapsed in her chair, unable to move, and still asked Xie Huai to get her a bowl of brown sugar jelly.

When they finally left, Xie Huai had to support her.

Xia Xia touches her slightly protruding belly under her clothes: “Brother Huai, do I look like a reincarnated hungry ghost?”

Xie Huai suppressed a laugh: “Not too bad.”

“Did I embarrass you?”

“No.”

“Will you stop liking me because I eat so much?”

“No.”

Xia Xia pushed her luck: “Then carry me?”

She pouted, complaining pitifully: “I ate too much, can’t walk.”

Xie Huai: “…”

Xia Xia lay on his back, looking at movie tickets on her phone.

Century Plaza was bustling with people, couples cuddling together was common, but they were the only ones where the boy carried the girl in public.

Xia Xia wasn’t satisfied with any of the movies she looked at. She felt something cold on her cheek and looked up to see fine snowflakes falling from the sky.

South City hadn’t seen snow in five years, and pedestrians stopped to look up.

The orange warmth of the streetlights sparkled brilliantly, making the snowflakes luminous, as if edged in gold.

“It’s snowing,” Xia Xia was briefly stunned, then smiled gently, “Brother Huai, it’s snowing.”

Xie Huai smiled too.

The phone in his pocket had been vibrating for a while. He answered; it was Qiao Ru calling.

Qiao Ru’s voice was choked with tears, and crying, and the peaceful night atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Xia Xia sensibly got down from his back.

Xie Huai’s expression was grave. Qiao Ru’s words were unclear, with only a few words intelligible in each sentence.

After some time, his expression froze, his voice slightly hoarse: “Hu Shurong ran away?”

Xia Xia’s lips parted in shock.

She had heard about Hu Shurong from Xie Huai before; he was the head of underground lending in Zhang City, and Xie Zhisheng had borrowed money from him back then.

In Xia Xia’s weekly reporting emails, Hu Shurong was a name that was never omitted.

Those emails were sent out but never received any response, like stones sinking into the sea.

Xia Xia wrote without fail every week, thinking she would have to write for years, and was stunned to hear this news.

Qiao Ru’s voice was excited and barely controlled: “No one came to collect money last month, I thought they got the time wrong, only today did I hear…”

The woman’s gentleness and calmness were scattered by the sudden joy, her words jumbled, each syllable carrying indescribable happiness: “Xiao Huai, he ran away.”

Xie Huai came to his senses and said calmly: “Mom, don’t stay home alone recently, go stay with Grandmother or Uncle. Don’t touch the money I sent you either. Hu Shurong has such deep roots, he wouldn’t just leave like that, he’s probably just temporarily avoiding investigation. Even if he wanted to run, he wouldn’t give up the money. I’m worried he might come back to cause trouble once he catches his breath.”

“I’ll come home before New Year,” Xie Huai said, “Be careful when you’re alone.”

Qiao Ru fell silent as if awakened by Xie Huai from an unreachable dream.

She stopped sobbing, her voice returning to its gentle tone, though traces of broken water sounds from her recent crying could still be heard.

“Xiao Huai,” she said softly, “If Hu Shurong left, bring that girl home for New Year.”

Xie Huai hung up the phone and turned to see Xia Xia’s eyes clear and bright, looking at him with sparkling, watery pupils like stars.

Xia Xia didn’t speak, just smiled sweetly. Her stomach wasn’t bloated anymore, and she suddenly pulled him back the way they came.

Xie Huai worried she might fall and pulled her: “Slow down.”

“Did he leave?”

“Don’t know, he might come back.”

Xia Xia’s eyes curved into crescent moons, her teeth neat and white: “Is everything going to get better?”

Xie Huai was bewildered: “I don’t know.”

Xia Xia stood on tiptoe, covering his eyes with her warm palms: “Close your eyes.”

Xie Huai closed them, and Xia Xia removed her hands: “Only open them when I say so.”

The girl ran far away. Xie Huai stood on the quiet path, and for a long time, only heard the whimpering wind and the rumbling of car engines on the road.

Snowflakes fell on his face, wet and cool.

He called softly: “Xia Xia.”

Xie Huai opened his eyes, and Xia Xia wasn’t beside him.

A pink electric scooter drove up from the distance, and Xia Xia excitedly waved to him from afar.

“Whose scooter?”

She stopped in front of him, grinning: “I spotted it during the day, and since I just got paid, I bought it for you. You’ve been riding that scooter for two years, time for a new one.”

Xie Huai: “How much was your pay?”

“Two thousand.”

“How much was the scooter?”

Xia Xia laughed carefreely: “Two thousand five hundred.”

She hung the scooter key on Xie Huai’s keyring, blinking her eyes innocently to look cute and sincere: “I have no money for food this month, I’ll have to rely on Brother Huai to support me, will you?”

Xie Huai didn’t answer, looking at the scooter: “You think this color suits me?”

“No,” Xia Xia scratched her head, “But pink was cheaper.”

Xie Huai smiled: “Well since you’ve already bought it, I could dump you anytime. If you want me to support you, you’ll need to show some sincerity.”

Xia Xia counted on her fingers: “I can do your laundry, cook for you, do housework, and provide some special services.”

Xie Huai raised an eyebrow: “What services?”

Xia Xia fidgeted without speaking.

Xie Huai hugged her, and she hugged his waist in return.

She didn’t mention the previous topic again, nor did she discuss the impact of that phone call from Xie Huai’s mother.

She was quiet and well-behaved, nestled in his arms like a lazy cat sunbathing.

Xia Xia nuzzled her head against his chest, then looked up with eyes full of brilliant stars.

“Brother Huai, everything will be alright.”