First Frost

Wen Yifan retorted, "I'm not afraid—"

Meeting Sang Yan's gaze, she suddenly registered the word "also" in his statement and paused mid-sentence. Subconsciously wanting to save him some face, she forcibly added: "—am I?"

"..."

It had genuinely never occurred to Wen Yifan that Sang Yan might be afraid of this.

After all, Sang Yan always carried himself with an air of fearing nothing, and she distinctly remembered this wasn't his first time watching horror films in her presence.

In her memory, during a PE class in their first year of high school when heavy rain made outdoor activities impossible, their teacher had instructed the class monitor to have everyone stay in the classroom for self-study or watch a movie.

At that time, the classroom computer couldn't connect to the internet, and since only one student had a horror film saved on their USB drive, there was no alternative. However, as most students preferred not to study, despite some objections, they ultimately chose to screen that horror film.

Back then, Wen Yifan sat toward the back of the third group in the classroom.

Sang Yan was at the end of the fourth group, one row behind her, diagonally to her rear.

Having seen the film before, Wen Yifan wasn't paying full attention, occasionally glancing at the projection screen between solving problems. Once, when she looked up, she coincidentally met the ghost's face on screen.

Simultaneously, she heard an exclamation from the neighboring seat.

She turned to look.

It was Sang Yan's male deskmate.

The boy seemed frightened by the scene, leaning back so abruptly that his chair tilted dangerously, as if about to topple. In his panic, he grabbed Sang Yan's chairback to steady himself.

But being heavyset, he ended up pulling Sang Yan down with him.

The two created a tremendous commotion.

The entire class turned to look.

Sang Yan appeared drowsy, seemingly awakened by the disturbance. Irritated, he frowned and stood up from the floor. "What the hell are you doing?"

The boy was still terrified: "Damn, that scared me to death."

"..."

Hearing this, Sang Yan glanced at the screen just as the ghost crawled out of the television. His gaze fixed, his expression completely unchanged: "That's less scary than you."

...

So back then, had Sang Yan been sleeping because he was afraid?

That actually made sense.

Because of Sang Yan's gesture of patting the sofa, Wen Yifan naturally took a seat beside him.

The room was silent except for the film's audio. The faint scent of Sang Yan's shower gel lingered as they watched, mostly in silence, yet his presence remained strikingly palpable.

Wen Yifan poured herself a cup of warm water and continued watching.

But this time, she found it hard to concentrate.

After a while, she realized she wasn't sitting in her usual spot.

The distance between them was also closer than normal.

This proximity inexplicably reminded her of earlier that evening outside the supermarket, when Sang Yan had suddenly appeared beside her.

In an instant.

Everything around them seemed to fade away.

The heavy dampness of the cold rainy night was abruptly replaced by the scent that clung to him. Looking up, through the misty air, her eyes met his—so clear she could count his eyelashes—

Her thoughts were interrupted when Sang Yan leaned over to reach for his water glass.

The distance between them narrowed again.

For some reason, Wen Yifan felt slightly nervous. She abruptly stood up.

Sang Yan looked up at her.

Before he could ask, Wen Yifan said calmly, "I'm going to get some yogurt. Do you want any?""Oh," Sang Yan withdrew his gaze, "I don't want any."

After grabbing a bottle of strawberry yogurt from the fridge, Wen Yifan returned to the living room.

Sang Yan was drinking water, his eyes not on the TV, his expression indifferent. Wen Yifan paused mid-step, changed direction, and habitually sat back in her usual spot—

No longer sitting next to him.

After the movie ended, Wen Yifan casually shared a few thoughts about it, careful not to say anything that might bruise his pride, like telling him not to be scared. She picked up her things and went back to her room.

As she rummaged through her closet for pajamas, her mind wandered, recalling the movie they'd just watched.

And Mu Chengyun, whom she'd seen in the search results earlier.

Wen Yifan's movements slowed as she realized something.

What a coincidence.

Could it be that Sang Yan had seen the search results and deliberately picked this movie to watch?

The next moment, she remembered the voice message Sang Yan had sent after his shower:

"Recommend a ghost film to help me sleep."

Wen Yifan suddenly understood and stopped overthinking.

...

Early the next morning.

Wen Yifan changed and stepped into the living room, planning to make breakfast. She took out the milk powder from under the coffee table and glanced at the empty sofa nearby, feeling oddly unaccustomed to it.

Based on their cohabitation over the past while, Wen Yifan had observed that Sang Yan's sleep schedule was erratic. His bedtime varied—sometimes early, sometimes late, occasionally even sleeping through the afternoon.

But no matter how late he stayed up, he always woke up early.

Every morning when Wen Yifan left her room, she'd find him lying on the sofa, eyelids drooping as he played on his phone.

Sleepy and bored.

Last time, perhaps because she hadn't lived with Wang Linlin for long, Wen Yifan hadn't felt much.

But now, thinking about how Sang Yan would be moving out in another month, and how she'd have to adjust to a new roommate again, a belated sense of unease crept into her mood.

Not exactly unhappy, but hard to describe.

Wen Yifan blinked.

But maybe it's normal.

After all, they'd spent two months together day and night.

Having gone through this once, parting with future roommates should be easier to adapt to.

Heading to the kitchen, Wen Yifan toasted a few slices of bread in the oven. Returning to the dining table, she saw Sang Yan emerge from the bathroom, seemingly just finished washing up, his face still damp.

As he passed the table, Sang Yan glanced at her breakfast.

Wen Yifan paused and politely asked, "Do you want some?"

"Ah." Sang Yan stopped, pulling out a chair without hesitation. "Thanks."

"..."

Noticing the milk in front of her, Sang Yan tapped the table lightly, as if ordering at a restaurant. "I'll have a glass of milk too, thanks."

Wen Yifan: "..."

Since it wasn't a big deal, Wen Yifan held back and went to the coffee table to make him a cup of milk with the remaining hot water. Just as she was about to pick up the cup, Sang Yan also walked over, grabbing a bag of fruit cereal.

As he tore open the package, he casually took the milk and returned to the table.

Wen Yifan froze for a moment before following him.

They sat side by side.

Their cups placed close together.

As Wen Yifan sat down, she noticed Sang Yan still standing beside her, pouring some cereal from the bag into her cup using the included spoon. She looked up and reminded him, "You got the wrong cup."Sang Yan gave an absentminded "Hmm," as if just coming to his senses, and finally began pouring cereal into his own bowl.

He seemed like he'd just woken up, his mind still foggy, so Wen Yifan didn't pay it much attention. Stirring her milk with a spoon, she took a bite of cereal and then casually asked, "Did you check on the renovation progress?"

"No answer when I called," Sang Yan replied nonchalantly. "I'll go take a look in a couple of days."

Wen Yifan had only mentioned it in passing and wasn't in any particular hurry.

"Sounds good."

Tuesday morning.

As Wen Yifan headed out for work, she idly glanced at her phone while waiting for the subway and happened to see another message from Zhao Yuandong.

Ever since the day she returned from Zhao Yuandong's place, the woman had been persistently sending her long messages. Perhaps too afraid to call, Zhao Yuandong had stuck to texting, using words to justify herself.

Wen Yifan never replied, but seeing them often affected her mood, so she had muted the notifications.

Just as the subway arrived, Wen Yifan tucked her phone away. No sooner had she taken her seat than her phone rang again—the caller ID showed Nanwu. She answered out of politeness. "Hello, may I ask who's calling?"

"First Frost, it's your auntie," Che Yanqin's voice immediately came through, laced with an ingratiating chuckle. "You silly girl, if I hadn't seen you that day, I wouldn’t have known you held such a grudge against me. Let’s talk this through properly. After all, I raised you for so many years, and it’s all just a misunderstanding—"

"..."

Wen Yifan hung up without listening further and blocked the number.

Since starting university in Yihe and later returning to Nanwu for work, Wen Yifan had changed her phone number multiple times. As a result, Che Yanqin had long lost any way to contact her.

Which meant this number could only have come from Zhao Yuandong.

Wen Yifan had no idea how much longer Che Yanqin planned to stay in Nanwu before returning to Beiyu, and the thought irritated her. She pressed her lips together, quickly composed herself, and decided not to dwell on it.

After all, Nanwu was a big city—the chances of running into each other were slim.

Besides, since returning to Nanwu, Wen Yifan had never shared her current situation, address, or workplace with Zhao Yuandong. The likelihood of being tracked down again was minimal.

She dismissed it as nothing more than a trivial episode.

Back at the office, Wen Yifan had just settled at her desk when Fu Zhuang sidled up beside her, chattering away. "Yifan-jie, Teacher Zhang quit."

"Teacher Zhang?" Wen Yifan remarked offhandedly. "Why are so many people resigning lately?"

A veteran reporter passing by with a thermos overheard and paused to correct her. "People have always been resigning in droves."

Then he drifted off with an air of Zen-like detachment.

"..."

"Yeah, think about how many have left since we joined. Didn’t Sister Lin quit before the New Year? And then Brother Chen jumped ship not long ago. Our team’s seriously understaffed now," Fu Zhuang continued. "I overheard the director earlier—sounds like they’re hiring again."

Wen Yifan: "That’s good."

"Seems like they’re recruiting both experienced hires and fresh grads." Fu Zhuang grinned. "A classmate of mine heard I was interning at Nanwu Broadcasting and asked me the other day if there were any openings."

Wen Yifan: "Well, now you can give them an answer."Fu Zhuang: "I've already told him, he should come for the interview later."

After exchanging a few more words, they didn't linger on the conversation and each turned to their computers to start working.

After a busy day, Wen Yifan returned home at 10 p.m.

The apartment was pitch black and eerily quiet. Wen Yifan reached out to turn on the light just as her phone buzzed. She checked it—it was a WeChat message from Sang Yan with just three words: ["Back later."]

Wen Yifan replied: ["Okay."]

...

Due to some matters at the bar, Sang Yan didn't return home until 2 a.m. He closed the door quietly behind him. From the entryway, he could see only the hallway light was on, while the living room remained dark.

Sang Yan didn't turn on any lights. He went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of cold water before returning to the living room.

Just as he twisted open the cap—

He heard the sound of a door opening from the direction of the master bedroom.

Sang Yan's brows twitched slightly, and soon enough, Wen Yifan appeared in his line of sight, dressed in pajamas. Without a word, she walked expressionlessly to the sofa and sat down quietly.

"..." Sang Yan found the scene somewhat eerie and studied her. "What are you doing?"

Wen Yifan didn't respond.

Sang Yan asked again, "Can't sleep?"

She let out a vague hum in her throat.

"Then go turn on a light." Sang Yan slouched on the sofa, feeling that something was off about her. "You really didn't have to come out just to greet me—it's pretty creepy in the middle of the night—"

Before he could finish, Wen Yifan stood up.

Assuming she was obediently going to turn on the light, Sang Yan swallowed his words and watched her movements while sipping his water. To his surprise, Wen Yifan seemed to completely ignore his words, turning instead to walk back toward the bedroom.

As if she were in a trance.

Another ten seconds later, the sound of a door closing echoed from the hallway.

"..."

Sang Yan: ?-

Since the next day was her day off, Wen Yifan didn't get up immediately after waking.

She lazed in bed for a few hours.

When the time felt right, she got up, changed, washed up, and prepared to meet up with Zhong Siqiao.

A while ago, Zhong Siqiao had made plans with her to go shopping together on Wen Yifan's next day off. As she reached the entryway and slipped on her shoes to leave—

Sang Yan happened to emerge from the kitchen, locking eyes with her. He stood there expressionlessly, his gaze meaningful, as if waiting for her to say something first.

Wen Yifan picked up her keys and asked, "What time did you get back last night?"

Sang Yan frowned. "You don't know?"

"No," she replied, finding his reaction odd. "I went to bed pretty early yesterday, so I didn't hear when you came back."

"..."

When he didn't respond, Wen Yifan opened the door. "I'm heading out now?"

Sang Yan fell silent, as if pondering something.

After a few seconds, he looked up at her and gave a perfunctory "Mm."

...

Wen Yifan met Zhong Siqiao at the subway station.

Neither had eaten lunch yet, so they first stopped at a nearby noodle shop for a quick meal. While waiting for their food, Wen Yifan pulled out the autograph from her bag and asked, "Do you know this actor?"

Zhong Siqiao took it and scrutinized it for a long time. "What does this say?"

"..." Wen Yifan said, "Mu Chengyun."

"Never heard of him.""This was from when I went for an interview earlier. He thought I was his fan, so he gave me an autograph," Wen Yifan explained to her. "I looked it up later—apparently he played the male ghost in Waking Up to See Ghosts ."

"The male ghost from Waking Up to See Ghosts ?" Zhong Siqiao burst out laughing. "That must be some thirty-eighth-tier actor then."

"It was signed specifically for me, so it feels bad to just throw it away," Wen Yifan sighed. "Alright, I’ll just switch to a different notebook."

The two chatted idly for a while.

"Oh, right," Zhong Siqiao suddenly remembered something. "A few days ago, my nephew had a high fever, so my sister-in-law and I took him to the hospital. Guess who I ran into there?"

"Who did you see?"

"I saw Cui Jingyu! We even talked for a bit. She’s married now and already on her second kid." Zhong Siqiao sighed at how quickly time had passed. "The only thing I remember about her is how obsessed she was with Sang Yan in high school—she pursued him so openly."

Wen Yifan had some recollection of her too.

"Hey, speaking of which, there’s something I’ve always been curious about," Zhong Siqiao said. "I never asked you before."

"What is it?"

"Did you really never like Sang Yan back then?"

"..." Wen Yifan froze for a moment. "Why do you ask?"

"Because he was handsome—like, really dazzling. And even though I barely talked to him, I knew he liked you a lot. He seemed to treat you really well too."

Those words, along with the name Zhong Siqiao had just mentioned, sent Wen Yifan into a brief daze.

Her thoughts were pulled back to a scene from the past.

After what Sang Yan had said to Glasses Guy, no one in their class dared to gossip about the two of them anymore, and the ridiculous rumors gradually died down.

Over time, others also realized that Wen Yifan was easy to get along with—just a bit slow to warm up. Because she was pretty and good-natured, more and more people started talking to her, and she began forming friendships with many classmates.

But at some point, Sang Yan’s attitude toward Wen Yifan underwent a noticeable shift. Everything he did was blatant, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and he made no effort to hide it.

Every action was laid bare, out in the open.

Because of this, many classmates would privately ask her if she was really dating Sang Yan.

At the time, Wen Yifan herself wasn’t entirely sure what was going on.

Given Sang Yan’s personality, she didn’t think he’d ever entertain such thoughts, nor would he lower himself to explain them. So whenever she was asked, she’d just laugh and deny it.

Fortunately, the matter only occasionally became a topic of teasing in class.

Somehow, though, the news eventually reached Cui Jingyu from another class.

Most people in their class knew about her because Cui Jingyu often came looking for Sang Yan—bringing him gifts or striking up conversations, her affection for him unmistakably intense.

Even after being rejected by Sang Yan, she never gave up.

When she heard about this, Cui Jingyu came straight to their classroom.

It happened during the long break between classes.

After the morning exercises, students were trickling back into the classroom. Wen Yifan was walking at the back of the group, and as she reached the door, she saw Sang Yan being cornered by Cui Jingyu.Cui Jingyu was pretty and bold, exuding the brightness typical of girls her age. "Sang Yan, I heard from others that you're pursuing the dance student in your class?"

Holding a can of cola, Sang Yan looked annoyed at being blocked. "What's it to you?"

"I'm just curious. They all say you like her." Cui Jingyu laughed, then happened to notice Wen Yifan behind him. "But it's just hearsay. No need to get upset."

Hearing this, Sang Yan glanced at Cui Jingyu before turning his head to follow her gaze toward Wen Yifan.

When he saw her, the tension in his lips eased, curving into a smile.

Sunlight streamed in from outside, casting a faint golden hue over him, as if he were bathed in radiant light. In that moment, Wen Yifan noticed for the first time that when he smiled genuinely, a shallow dimple appeared near the right corner of his lips.

"Seems like this kind of rumor has spread quite a few times. People really have nothing better to do," Cui Jingyu added. "I know it's all nonsense anyway. Just thought I'd mention it casually."

Sang Yan raised an eyebrow, looking at her with his usual infuriating tone.

"Did I say it wasn't true?"