First Frost

"Isn't this the same as before? Fine, you're really good at saving me trouble," Sang Yan said leisurely. "Every time you make a wish, it's something I want to do anyway."

Remembering last year's birthday wish, Wen Yifan couldn't help but retort, "Last year my wish was about my work."

"Hmm? You remember wrong," Sang Yan shamelessly claimed. "You said you wanted me to be your boyfriend."

"..."

The two continued walking along the street.

Sang Yan asked again, "Anything else?"

"Are you giving me three wishes?" But Wen Yifan couldn't think of any desires. Staring at his tall, broad back, she pondered for a long while before saying, "Then carry me on your back."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she remembered his stitches had just been removed this morning. "Never mind, I'll—"

Before she could finish, Sang Yan had already bent halfway. "Hop on."

"..."

Wen Yifan looked at him for a moment before climbing onto his back. "Just for a little while then."

Sang Yan straightened up and carried her forward. "Anything more?"

Suddenly realizing he seemed willing to grant her many wishes, Wen Yifan gazed at his profile and smiled, thinking how wonderful it was to be the birthday girl. "Then smile for me."

Sang Yan glanced sideways at her.

Wen Yifan reached out and playfully hooked his chin, her gesture almost like teasing a virtuous maiden. "I want to see your dimples."

Sang Yan gave her a forced smile. "I don't have those."

"Why won't you admit you do?" Wen Yifan was puzzled by this. She poked the spot near his lips where she remembered his dimple being. "They're so cute. I wish I had one too."

"..."

Cute.

Sang Yan's brow twitched. "Wen Shuangjiang, don't use that word to describe me."

Seeing his tough-guy act, Wen Yifan couldn't help but laugh and started pinching his cheeks, trying to coax out his dimples. "Sang Yan, I really like your dimples."

Like a resigned punching bag, Sang Yan let her pinch away, this time tacitly acknowledging the existence of his dimples.

"Is there any part of me you don't like?"

"Good point," Wen Yifan continued making wishes. "Then your dimples can't be shown to anyone else."

Sang Yan paused mid-step, finding this suddenly amusing. "Wen Shuangjiang, how did you become so domineering?"

Wen Yifan's eyes curved into beautiful crescents as she replied slowly but confidently, "Didn't you tell me to make wishes?"

"Fine." Today, Sang Yan was unusually accommodating, as if he had no bottom line when it came to her demands. "From now on, these so-called dimples will only appear for you."

Satisfied, Wen Yifan withdrew her hand with a smile.

Sang Yan asked again, "Anything else?"

Wen Yifan thought to herself.

Just then, they passed by a milk tea shop.

Inside, the currently popular song "You Were Once a Young Boy" by S.H.E was playing.

/Many years ago/You had a pair of clear eyes/

/Running like a spring lightning bolt/

...

/When you fall in love/You're not afraid to give your whole life/

Wen Yifan's eyelashes fluttered as she suddenly looked up at the man before her.

He was gazing ahead, his black hair and dark eyes framing a sharp, angular profile. Though years had matured his appearance, the youthful spirit in his features remained undiminished.Wen Yifan was instantly reminded of the sight of his younger self shoving a basketball into her hands before running off to borrow money for her. Back then, he could swallow his pride to borrow money for her, and now, just like before, he patiently asked her birthday wishes one by one.

Then fulfilled them one by one.

Wen Yifan gradually zoned out, her nose tingling with emotion. For some reason, she turned to look back.

From this angle, she could still barely make out the corner of the café in the distance. It seemed about to disappear completely.

There was no sign of Zhao Yuandong anywhere.

Only at this moment did Wen Yifan's suppressed negative emotions belatedly surge up. Her heart felt hollow, truly realizing she seemed to have completely bid farewell to her past.

As if something had been forcibly ripped from her heart.

On this day of her 25th birthday.

Withdrawing her gaze, Wen Yifan buried her face in Sang Yan's neck.

Noticing her movement, Sang Yan looked over: "What? Still haven't decided?"

Only then did Wen Yifan realize she wasn't as indifferent as she appeared. Her eyes grew moist, tears slowly dampening his neck, cool against his skin: "Sang Yan."

Sang Yan paused: "What's wrong?"

"Besides you," Wen Yifan hooked her arms around his neck, suppressing the tremble in her voice, "no one loves me anymore."

"..."

At some point, they had left the bustling streets behind.

Under the dim streetlights, Sang Yan stopped walking. In the interplay of light and shadow, his face became indistinct as he stared intently at Wen Yifan on his back, his eyes dark and unreadable.

His voice was soft, barely audible: "I only love you."

From the first flutterings of youthful affection until now, and every moment in the future.

I will only ever love you.

"..."

Wen Yifan lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes through her misty vision.

"Wen Shuangjiang," Sang Yan raised his brows with a smile, tilting his head up to kiss her chin before saying slowly and earnestly, "make another wish."

Wen Yifan's voice was still thick with emotion: "What?"

Under the vast night sky, the streets were bathed in warm breezes. The surroundings were utterly silent, devoid of other people, as if the world contained only the two of them.

They looked only at each other, as if no one else could exist between them.

Make another wish.

Besides me.

There will be many others who love you-

After First Frost passed, it seemed to take the summer heat with it, ushering in winter in Nanwu City. As time passed, Sang Yan's wound gradually healed, leaving only a faint scar.

Wen Yifan researched numerous scar removal methods and spent days trying them out before finally managing to fade his scar somewhat.

Before they knew it, the year was drawing to a close.

Returning to the station after an interview, Wen Yifan was called in by Gan Hongyuan from the suburbs. The gist was that since the annual party was approaching and her resume mentioned ten years of dance experience, she should prepare a performance to bring honor to the "Transmit" program team.

Wen Yifan was caught off guard: "Director, I danced for ten years, but it's been nearly ten years since I last danced."

Gan Hongyuan smiled cheerfully while holding a thermos and sipping tea: "No problem, something is better than nothing. Besides, it's all just for fun. We don't have many young women here—mostly older men who aren't particular about performances."Wen Yifan tactfully said, "But I don't have time to practice, and it's been ages since I worked on my basics. Plus, I have a pile of follow-up reports to handle..."

Gan Hongyuan nodded understandingly. "You don’t need to pitch any topics to me for now. Just focus on preparing the performance. Make sure it’s not too festive—our team needs to stand out, got it? Something more artistic."

"..."

Wen Yifan tried several more excuses, but Gan Hongyuan dismissed them all.

In the end, she was practically forced into taking on the task.

Returning to her seat, Su Tian leaned over curiously. "What did the director want? Something about the annual party?"

Wen Yifan glanced at her. "Did he talk to you too?"

"Yeah, but I don’t have any special talents. I shot down every suggestion he made." Su Tian, who was utterly unsuited for this, grinned. "Last year, Sister Lin took charge of it voluntarily. This year, the director must be scrambling to find someone. I saw him approach several people earlier—looks like you’re the chosen one."

Wen Yifan rubbed her temples.

"Don’t worry, just wing it. You saw last year’s party—hardly any performances were worth watching. It’s just for fun." Su Tian tried to console her. "Plus, there are prizes and stuff. Oh, you could invite Sang Duck King to come along."

At that, Wen Yifan straightened slightly.

Su Tian teased, "Who knows? Maybe he’d love to see you dance."

Wen Yifan looked at Su Tian, as if struck by a thought. The frustration on her face vanished, replaced by a faint smile. She propped her chin on her hand and licked her lips. "Hmm, I’ll think about it later."

...

When she got home, Sang Yan wasn’t back yet. She took a shower first, and by the time she stepped into the living room, she heard him sending a voice message: "Your brother here is a 90s kid, thank you very much."

"..."

Hearing that, Wen Yifan immediately knew who was on the other end.

She grabbed a yogurt from the fridge and sat beside Sang Yan just as he sent another infuriatingly long voice message: "You’ve been beating around the bush this whole time. At least give me a reason why you don’t agree. If it’s about age, there’s nothing I can do—after all, your boyfriend is a bit on the older side."

Wen Yifan sipped her yogurt silently.

She had no idea how someone with Sang Yan’s personality had survived this long.

Once he finished sending the message, she asked, "What’s going on with Zhizhi?"

Sang Yan replied lazily, "She wants to bring Duan Jiaxu home for New Year’s, but my parents aren’t too keen on them being together."

"Huh?" Wen Yifan suddenly felt a pang of empathy. "Why don’t they agree?"

Sang Yan didn’t seem to think it was a big deal. "Dunno. Probably because he’s too old."

Wen Yifan grew even more concerned. "Duan Jiaxu and I are around the same age, right?"

Sang Yan was unapologetic. "We’re 90s kids."

"..."

Wen Yifan couldn’t fathom his definition of "old."

Then, Sang Yan turned to look at her, as if seizing the moment to ask, "Wen Shuangjiang, come home with me for New Year’s?"

Having just heard about Sang Yan’s parents’ stance on Duan Jiaxu, Wen Yifan was especially apprehensive.

"What if your parents don’t agree either?"

Sang Yan raised an eyebrow. "No need to worry about that."

Wen Yifan: "Why not?""They don’t have high standards for me finding a partner," Sang Yan said casually, seemingly unbothered by the low bar. "As long as it’s a girl."

Wen Yifan didn’t think someone like Sang Yan would have any trouble finding a girlfriend, but his mother had apparently been setting him up on blind dates, as if worried he’d never get married.

She wasn’t sure why that was the case.

But she didn’t pry further and earnestly agreed, "Then I’ll pick out some gifts later. Do your parents have any preferences?"

"Hmm? You don’t have to buy anything," Sang Yan said, lips curving as if in a good mood. "If you want to, I’ll go with you."

"Okay." Wen Yifan relaxed a little, hesitating over whether to mention the company event but unsure how her performance would turn out. She decided to check his schedule first. "By the way, are you free on the evening of the 22nd?"

"Not sure," Sang Yan replied. "Why?"

"Nothing, just the company’s annual party." Wen Yifan lowered her eyes, keeping it vague. "We can bring family."

Sang Yan caught on immediately. "You’re performing?"

"..." Wen Yifan had no idea how he guessed but feigned composure. "Yeah, a duet with Su Tian. You can come if you want to watch."

Without much thought, Sang Yan drawled, "Sure."

The day before the annual party, Wen Yifan happened to be off work. She had planned to rest well that night and practice her dance after waking up, but Sang Yan kept her up until dawn.

Wen Yifan didn’t want to move a muscle.

Half-asleep, she could hear Sang Yan’s phone buzzing incessantly.

Later, perhaps to avoid disturbing her, he got up and left the room. She barely managed to open her eyes to glance at him for a few seconds before sleep pulled her back under.

Not long after, she heard knocking at the front door.

She buried her head under the pillow, waiting for Sang Yan to answer it.

But the knocking persisted for over a minute.

Wen Yifan’s irritation peaked, frustration bubbling inside her as she dragged herself out of bed and left the room. She glanced around expressionlessly, hearing the shower running in the bathroom.

She walked to the door and opened it. "Who is it?"

A delivery man stood outside. "Your order."

Her brain barely functioning, Wen Yifan just wanted to grab it and go back to sleep. She took the bag, shut the door, and carelessly dropped it on the dining table before returning to Sang Yan’s room to sleep.

Some time later.

She heard Sang Yan come out of the shower. He pushed the door open, the overwhelming scent of sandalwood clinging to him as he sat beside her and asked, "Who was here earlier?"

She yanked the covers over her head, ignoring him.

Not pressing further, Sang Yan got up and left again, returning shortly after. Spotting something, he wrapped his arms around her through the blanket and asked, "Hey, Wen Shuangjiang. You mad?"

Wen Yifan had had enough. She pulled the blanket down. "I want to sleep."

"That thing was ordered by Duan Jiaxu for—"

"Sang Yan," Wen Yifan cut him off firmly, "If you disturb my sleep again, I won’t talk to you for a week. Got it?"

"..."

After a pause, Sang Yan raised a brow and chuckled. "Since when did you start copying my lines?"Wen Yifan burrowed back under the covers, turning her back to him.

"My sister's back in Nanwu. I'm heading out to pick her up," Sang Yan said, unsure how this girl's morning grumpiness could be so intense. His voice involuntarily softened. "We'll go out for lunch later."

As if she hadn't heard a word, Wen Yifan completely ignored him.

Watching her like this, Sang Yan inexplicably felt an itch in his hands. He chuckled lowly, pulling the covers off her with an infuriatingly casual air, dragging her into his arms for a bold kiss.

Sensing she was about to erupt, he immediately tucked her back in.

As if nothing had happened.

With a completely unrepentant expression, Sang Yan drawled, "Alright, sleep tight. I'm heading out."

...

After that, Wen Yifan tossed and turned for a while, unable to fall back asleep. Sleep-deprived and irritable, she finally got up and happened to see a message from Sang Yan: [Let me know when you're awake.]

Wen Yifan had absolutely no intention of responding.

After freshening up, she noticed the takeout on the table and the note on the receipt:

—My boyfriend has a fever and hasn't been reachable for three days. I'm out of town and can't return. Please make sure he wakes up to eat. Thank you.

"..."

This takeout seemed to have been ordered by Sang Yan. What did he mean by this note?

Was he worried she wouldn't wake up?

Wen Yifan didn't dwell on it too much. She took the food to the couch, turned on the TV, and started watching a popular drama. As she ate, her phone buzzed occasionally.

She glanced at it but still didn't reply.

Halfway through her meal, there was a sound at the front door. She went to open it and was surprised to see Sang Zhi. "Zhi Zhi, what brings you here?"

"My brother told me to come up," Sang Zhi said, spotting the note on the takeout and pointing at it with a somewhat guilty expression. "Sis Yifan, are you mad at him because of this?"

At this, Wen Yifan silently wondered if her anger was that obvious. She looked back at the note and soon felt confused. "No, I'm already eating..."

Sang Zhi sighed in relief. "I thought you might've misunderstood that he was cheating on you."

A few seconds of silence.

Wen Yifan suddenly realized that the note did indeed make it seem that way. She lowered her eyes and asked slowly, "Oh... does this imply cheating?"

"..."

After chatting with Sang Zhi a bit more, and noticing it was almost lunchtime, Wen Yifan didn't want the girl to go hungry. She headed to the kitchen to make some noodles. Sang Zhi followed her and mentioned, "Sis Yifan, my brother said to go downstairs and eat together. Aren't we going?"

Wen Yifan replied gently, "I've already eaten. Do you want to go out?"

Sang Zhi blinked. "I'd rather eat what you make."

Soon, there was another sound at the door. Sang Zhi went to open it.

Sang Yan walked in, dressed in a black windbreaker with matching pants, looking as effortlessly cool as ever with his broad shoulders and long legs. Seeing him like this, Wen Yifan was reminded of how he'd mercilessly disturbed her sleep that morning—and his utterly unapologetic attitude.

Pursing her lips, Wen Yifan had no desire to speak to him.Noticing the two of them in the kitchen, Sang Yan casually asked, "What are you two doing?"

Sang Zhi replied, "Sis-in-law is making noodles for me."

Hearing the term "sis-in-law," Wen Yifan turned her head and locked eyes with Sang Yan for two seconds. Then she looked back at Sang Zhi and, recalling the receipt's contents, deliberately reminded her, "Don't call me that. Your brother's a cheater."

Sang Yan: "..."