Shang Zhitao trudged through the snow toward Luan Nian. She had wrapped herself up tightly, with only her eyes exposed, making the scene somewhat comical.

“The weather is too cold for taking a stroll,” Shang Zhitao said, stamping her feet, her teeth chattering, shivering from the cold. Her feet gently tapped the snow, making sounds as they pressed down.

“Are you short of money to buy a thick down jacket?”

“Ah.”

“Let’s go back.”

“Didn’t you want to talk to me?”

“How can we talk when you’re freezing like this?”

…

Luan Nian started walking toward his lodging, with Shang Zhitao following behind, looking at him. Strangely, he wasn’t wearing much either, but why wasn’t he cold?

The two walked through the deep snow, finally arriving at Luan Nian’s house, but he didn’t stop. Shang Zhitao reminded him, “You’ve arrived.”

“I’ll walk a bit more.”

“Oh.”

Shang Zhitao didn’t want to walk anymore. She already had an endocrine disorder, and if she got colder, her body would suffer. When they reached her heated kang room, she said to Luan Nian, “I’m going in.”

“Mm.”

Luan Nian made a sound and continued walking. Shang Zhitao had already pushed open the door when Luan Nian turned back and stood facing her.

“Still cold?” he asked.

“Better. But the heat in my room is fading.” Shang Zhitao looked into Luan Nian’s eyes. In the past, she feared looking into his eyes the most because she would fall into them. Sometimes when they were entangled in a dim room, those eyes would look at her just before he kissed her. “Let me be straightforward, Luan Nian. If you want to ask why I sold those bags back then, I can answer you now. I don’t like luxury goods, and I don’t like those bags. Those bags made me feel like I was selling myself. If you want to ask why I left without saying goodbye, it’s because I didn’t want to be entangled anymore.” Shang Zhitao saw Luan Nian’s expression. She always knew he wasn’t a bad person; he was just proud, cold, and had difficulty understanding her emotions. Whether this was because he looked down on her or because that was his nature, it caused her pain.

“I knew that if I said goodbye to you, you would say many hurtful things. I didn’t want to hear them anymore.”

Shang Zhitao had her hand on the doorknob. “Is there anything else you want to talk about? If selling those bags and leaving without saying goodbye hurt your self-esteem, then I apologize to you.”

“I just feel that after six years of entanglement, we don’t need to be entangled anymore. Life is long; there are many people worth loving and many things worth doing. Let’s leave it at that.”

“Thank you for all your kindness during those six years. I am incredibly grateful. My wishes for you were in the last message I sent. I wish you all the best.”

Shang Zhitao spoke these words without any hesitation. She had rehearsed them countless times in her mind when she first returned to Ice City. Back then, she felt she shouldn’t have sold those bags or left the way she did, after he said he wanted to talk to her and she agreed. At that time, she walked through the streets of Ice City, wanting to call him countless times. She felt she owed him an explanation because during the years they were together, whether good or bad, Luan Nian was always clear.

Having said it today, she felt incredibly relieved. They owed each other nothing now.

“Finally, I haven’t spent a penny of the money from selling the bags. If you want it, you can tell me your card number. It’s 913,500 yuan in total, and I’ll transfer it to you. If you don’t want it, I’ll find a suitable opportunity to donate it.”

“Do you want it?”

“Keep it.”

Luan Nian said this and turned to leave. Shang Zhitao didn’t say anything more and gently closed the door.

She returned to the heated kang and got under the covers. After a while, she wrapped herself in the blanket to get up for water and saw Luan Nian still walking in circles outside. She never understood Luan Nian and didn’t even know what he wanted to talk about. But regarding Luan Nian, she no longer wanted to seek answers.

Not only did she see Luan Nian walking, but Lu Mi also saw him. She sent a message: “Look, Luke is walking his bird in the freezing snow!”

A moment later, she added: “First iced Americano, now walking in the cold. This guy doesn’t care about his prostate.”

“…Why are you always concerned about his prostate?” Shang Zhitao asked her.

“I’m bored,” Lu Mi replied.

“Do you want to sleep with me?” Shang Zhitao invited Lu Mi. “I have a lot of snacks.”

“Of course.”

Lu Mi was in the room next to Shang Zhitao’s. She wrapped herself in a down jacket and came over. The two sat cross-legged on the heated kang, each with a small bottle of Xiao’er liquor. Shang Zhitao laid out the snacks, and they started eating.

After saying those words today, Shang Zhitao truly felt a sense of time having passed and circumstances having changed. She drank her bottle and Lu Mi’s bottle too, a total of six liang of white liquor. She was slightly tipsy.

Leaning on her hand, she said to Lu Mi: “Lu Mi, I’ve wronged you. I’ve been lying to you all these years.”

“If you want to talk about you and Luke, there’s no need. I’ve known for a long time.” Lu Mi pinched her face. “You were so innocent when you just graduated. You’d blush when standing in front of him. How many times did you two bump into each other in the elevator and, oh my, when I wasn’t looking, you’d steal glances at each other. You thought I was blind!”

Lu Mi giggled, “I just wanted to know if he was good in bed! Many men look strong but aren’t that great. Let me tell you, when I was dating in college, I thought this guy was a titan, but when his pants came off…” Lu Mi pinched her fingers together. “I was shocked. I asked him: ‘Did you forget your equipment at home?'”

“Guess what he said?”

“He said, ‘But many girls have told me it’s impressive…'”

Both of them burst out laughing.

Lu Mi asked her: “How was he? I’ve never slept with him, but you might as well give me a review so I can understand.”

Shang Zhitao pressed her lips together, her finger covering her mouth, suddenly remembering her time with Luan Nian. He was always dominant, always wanting to lead, but she was truly happy.

“How was it?” Lu Mi asked her.

Shang Zhitao nodded with a blushing face: “Mm, really good. Really, good.”

“Damn!” Lu Mi clapped her hands. “I knew it!”

“What about Will?” Shang Zhitao asked Lu Mi. “You two have been together for several years. Why don’t you have plans to get married?”

“Will is too old-fashioned, and his whole family is old-fashioned. Plus, they don’t like me.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m from a demolition resettlement household!”

“Bullshit!”

Shang Zhitao slammed the table and stood up. “What’s wrong with being from a demolition household!”

Lu Mi pushed her back down. “Goodness, you’re formidable now. I can’t mess with you.”

The alcohol took effect, and Shang Zhitao fell asleep on the heated kang. The next day, she got up to gather the clients. Not one was missing, and all were safe. There was no seat for Luan Nian on the bus. Shang Zhitao threw the keys to Fu Dong: “Take Mr. Luan safely to Ice City. I’ll lead the team back.”

And so she left.

She remembered what she said last night. If she had to travel back in the same car with him, it would be too awkward. This was better. Once back in Ice City, she would continue her life, and he would return to Beijing, or possibly America, and they would never meet again.

Life is just a series of farewells. She had experienced the most painful loss before, so this time she felt it wasn’t a big deal.

She returned to Ice City and first went to her parents’ home to pick up Luke.

Luke was now a middle-aged dog and didn’t love running and jumping with endless energy like before. Shang Zhitao didn’t worry about him rushing forward when walking him.

She brought Luke home and started brewing medicine. The doctor said she needed to drink it every day for twenty-one days. Fearing premature aging, Shang Zhitao obediently followed the doctor’s advice and decided not to take any more jobs before the New Year. Health was more important.

Her phone rang once. She opened it to see a bank card payment notification: 2,000 yuan. The sender was Luan Nian, with the note “car collision.”

Shang Zhitao sent him a message saying, “Thank you.”

Luan Nian didn’t reply.

After a while, she received another message. Shang Zhitao looked at it while drinking her medicine. It was another payment notification. Sender: Luan Nian, 20,000 yuan, note: “bar.” He had said he would treat all the clients to drinks, and Lu Mi had misunderstood, asking her to advance the payment.

“Received. Thank you. I checked the bill; it was over 10,000. I’ll return the excess to you.” Shang Zhitao returned the extra money to him.

A little later, there was another payment notification: 2,000 yuan, note: “ride there.”

After another while, one more: 3,000 yuan, note: “return ride.”

Shang Zhitao felt this could go on endlessly, so she called him: “Luan Nian, stop transferring money to me. Taking you there didn’t cost that much, and I don’t want your money.”

“Then what do you want?”

“I don’t want anything. I want us to settle accounts and be done with it.”

“Mm.”

Shang Zhitao hung up, but Luan Nian called back. She answered and heard him say: “Shang Zhitao, do you resent me for giving you those bags? Do you feel like you were selling yourself?”

“Did you leave without saying goodbye because you thought I would say hurtful things?”

“Then you overthought it. I don’t have any hurtful words. I’ll settle accounts with you. I’m as happy as you are. I also wish you all the best.”

Luan Nian hung up.

Perhaps it was during his last trip to America when Dr. Liang told him: “It’s been so long since Flora left. If you can move forward, then move forward. If you can’t move forward, then pursue her persistently. When your father chased me back then, he was quite shameless.”

At that time, Luan Nian didn’t want to pursue Shang Zhitao. He felt there was nothing to pursue; the past was the past.

But when he passed by the tea room and heard Lu Mi talking to a colleague, saying, “Thankfully Flora covered for me, otherwise I would’ve been fired,” his heart ached just a bit.

So he came.

And now he was preparing to leave again. Without even seeing Luke.

After his red dragon fish died, Luan Nian thought about raising something else and even considered getting a dog. Those puppies were all cute, but when Luan Nian reached out his hand, he remembered Luke at two months old, like a little snowball rubbing against his pants. He also remembered Luke marking his territory at his home, urinating several times fiercely, chewing up his sofa, and having diarrhea in his house.

And Luke, sitting in front of him, was arguing with him.

In the end, he didn’t get another dog. Because he felt that if Luke saw him with another dog during his lifetime, Luke would die of anger.

He put on his coat and left the hotel, wandering on the streets of Ice City. Without realizing it, he arrived at the tavern. Luan Nian stood outside and looked in. The tavern was busy and lively.

After watching for a while, he pushed the door and went in.

Da Zhai still remembered him and came to greet him: “It’s Taotao’s former boss! Sit here! What would you like to eat? It’s on me.”

“Just a couple of small dishes.”

“Wait a moment, young man.”

Da Zhai asked the kitchen to cook and brought over some peanuts. She sat across from him: “What’s your surname, boss?”

“My surname is Luan.”

Da Zhai’s hand, which was warming the wine cups, paused for a moment. Then she asked, “What’s your name?”

“Luan Nian.”