As the year drew to a close, the festive atmosphere in Pingchuan City grew increasingly vibrant.
Along with the lively New Year spirit came the release of final exam results.
At eight in the morning, class monitor Jiang Yan dropped a bombshell in the class group chat—the school-wide final exam ranking list.
Zhou Wan clicked it open.
First place: Jiang Yan, 704 points.
Second place: Zhou Wan, 702 points.
Once again, they were the only two in the entire school to break the 700-point mark.
Zhou Wan continued scrolling down, carefully examining each name. Suddenly, her finger paused, her gaze fixed on one particular line. She pressed her lips together, her eyes curving into a smile.
380th place: Lu Xixiao.
Out of five hundred students in the science track of their grade, he had improved by over a hundred places.
Zhou Wan immediately screenshotted that row of results and sent it to Lu Xixiao.
He didn’t reply until the afternoon—with a voice message.
His voice was still hoarse, as if he had just woken up, carrying a hint of laughter: "Teacher Zhou taught well."
From the first day of winter break until New Year’s Eve, Zhou Wan practically lived in the library. After quickly finishing her winter vacation homework, she buried herself in preparing for the approaching Physics Competition. Jiang Yan occasionally came to the library too, and the two of them studied together.
Meanwhile, Lu Xixiao, with nothing else to do, would sometimes wait for her outside the library in the evening, and they would go to dinner together afterward.
Because of this, Jiang Yan and Lu Xixiao crossed paths a few times. Though Jiang Yan didn’t like him, he had no right to say anything to Zhou Wan about it, and Lu Xixiao completely ignored Jiang Yan.
New Year’s Eve.
Grandma went to the market early in the morning and bought some paper window decorations and "fortune" characters.
Zhou Wan didn’t go to the library that day. Instead, she stayed home to help Grandma clean, put up the window decorations, and hang the "Fortune" characters. The house was transformed, vibrant and red, full of vitality.
In the evening, they cooked hotpot at home.
Outside the window, neighbors in the community were setting off firecrackers and fireworks with their children, creating a lively scene. The sky was constantly lit up with brilliant colors, shining through the window and illuminating everyone’s faces.
Grandma was in high spirits and, for once, drank a little warm rice wine.
Zhou Wan clinked her glass with Grandma’s and said with a smile, "Grandma, I wish you good health and a long life in the new year."
Grandma smiled back, "Then Grandma wishes our Wanwan health and happiness. You’ve been working so hard lately preparing for the competition—may you achieve great results."
"I definitely will." Zhou Wan rested her chin in her hands, her eyes brimming with warmth and shining brightly. "Grandma, you’ve never been to B City, have you?"
"Grandma never had the chance to go."
"If I win first prize in the competition, I’ll get direct admission to a university in B City. Then I’ll take you there with me on a plane." Zhou Wan looked out the window and said, "I’ve heard that city is enormous, full of people and skyscrapers."
"Alright then, Grandma will be waiting for Wanwan to take me there."
After dinner, Grandma watched TV for a while. The warm rice wine made her drowsy, and before long, she couldn’t stay awake any longer and went to her room to sleep, skipping the tradition of staying up late.
Zhou Wan returned to her bedroom as well.
She didn’t turn on the light—the glow from the fireworks outside was enough to illuminate the room.
She simply stood there, quietly watching the scene outside the window.
The world outside was so lively, it felt as if they existed in two separate realities.
After a while, Zhou Wan took out her phone.
[Zhou Wan: Lu Xixiao, Happy New Year.]
[6: Happy New Year.]
[Zhou Wan: What are you doing?]
[6: Nothing much.]
Zhou Wan paused: [Didn’t you go home?]
She had asked Lu Xixiao earlier what he was doing for New Year’s Eve.He said that every year everyone would return to the old house to celebrate the New Year with Old Mr. Lu.
[6: I'm leaving.]
[6: Had a fight with my dad.]
[Zhou Wan: Where are you now?]
He didn't answer that question, only asked: [Can we call?]
Zhou Wan went to close her bedroom door and replied: [Yes.]
Soon, a call came through.
When she answered, she could hear wind and the mixed sounds of firecrackers on his end—he was definitely outside.
Zhou Wan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. On a day like this, she didn't want Lu Xixiao to be alone. If he could be with his friends, it wouldn't be too lonely.
"What are you doing?" His voice was hoarse.
"Nothing, just sitting." Zhou Wan frowned slightly. "Do you have a cold?"
"It's fine." Lu Xixiao said, "Watching TV with your grandma?"
"No, Grandma's already asleep. I'm sitting alone. Lots of people outside the neighborhood are setting off firecrackers—I'm watching."
Lu Xixiao was quiet for a few seconds, then said softly, "Zhou Wan."
"Hmm?"
"Do you want to see snow?"
Zhou Wan paused. "I checked the weather forecast—it won't snow for the next seven days."
He chuckled. "Do you want to see snow?"
"...Yes."
The moment she said that word, Zhou Wan's heartbeat suddenly quickened.
She suddenly remembered what Lu Xixiao had said to her long ago—
"Don't know if it'll snow this year."
"It won't. It's a warm winter." "Do you like snow?"
"Yeah, don't you?"
"Too noisy."
"I think it's pure."
"Then let's go see snow at the end of the year."
"You said it won't snow this year."
Then, Lu Xixiao glanced sideways at her, his youthful features filled with the bold arrogance unique to his age. He said, "If I say I can make you see it, then you'll see it."
On the phone, Lu Xixiao laughed.
At the same time, Zhou Wan finally clearly distinguished the background noise on his end—the crackling of firecrackers gradually overlapping with those around her, accompanied by her increasingly pounding heartbeat.
Zhou Wan's heart leaped violently. She stood up and leaned against the window.
She saw, not far away, behind all the lively scenes, Lu Xixiao sitting alone under a tree, a faint red glow between his fingers, looking completely out of place with the entire world.
Yet continuously approaching and overlapping with Zhou Wan's world.
Even at this moment, Zhou Wan still found it hard to believe.
She even wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her, making her see Lu Xixiao.
"Lu Xixiao, where are you?" Her voice trembled with breathlessness.
He still didn't answer, but it was as if he had guessed Zhou Wan had already seen him.
The young man's voice was magnetic and calm, detached from all the surrounding noise. The world contained only the two of them, and his words were meant only for her.
He said, "Zhou Wan, let's go see snow."
...
Zhou Wan was smart and rational, but in that moment, she didn't stop to think about how Lu Xixiao could possibly make her see snow when the weather forecast said it wouldn't snow. Instinctively, she grabbed her coat and ran downstairs.
She pulled on her coat while quickly descending, not even having time to zip it up.
As if afraid of making Lu Xixiao wait even one second longer.
Reaching the open space in the neighborhood, neighbors greeted her, but Zhou Wan didn't have time to respond to each one, dashing out toward the main road.
Sure enough, Lu Xixiao was sitting there.
Hearing the hurried footsteps, he looked up, saw Zhou Wan, and smiled.
"Why do you look like a little madwoman?" He reached out to smooth her disheveled hair.
Zhou Wan looked up at him, panting heavily.Getting into the taxi, Lu Xixiao urged the driver to hurry to Pingchuan Station.
Outside the window, trees flashed by rapidly, leaving only blurry, barren silhouettes.
They had been running the whole way. After getting out of the taxi, Lu Xixiao grabbed Zhou Wan's hand and dashed to the ticket counter.
The young man gasped for breath as he asked for two tickets to City K.
The ticket seller informed them that high-speed and bullet train tickets for the Spring Festival had long been sold out, but they were in luck—two standing tickets for a regular train had just been returned.
"We'll take them," Lu Xixiao said, paying for the tickets and receiving two pale blue, K-series green train tickets from the seller.
Just then, the station announcement blared, urging passengers for train K83 to proceed to the boarding gate immediately, as it was about to close.
The ticket seller shouted at them to hurry.
The station was unusually crowded on New Year's Eve.
Lu Xixiao pulled Zhou Wan along as they sprinted through the throngs of people.
Zhou Wan looked up at him—his loose black hair bouncing lightly with each step, his breath forming white puffs in the cold. His jacket was unzipped, and as he ran, the zipper clinked rhythmically against the stainless steel railings.
They made it through the ticket check just in the last few seconds. The ticket inspector yelled at them to keep running—the train was about to depart.
They dashed all the way and managed to board just as the doors were closing.
Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao leaned against the train door, catching their breath.
Zhou Wan hadn't exercised like this in a long time. The cold air made her throat feel as if it were stuffed with icy cotton, but she couldn't help smiling.
Everything that had just happened felt a bit like an elopement scene from a movie.
Leaving everything behind without a second thought, heading together to a new city.
Lu Xixiao glanced sideways at her. "What are you smiling about?"
Zhou Wan shook her head, still grinning.
"Aren't you afraid I might sell you off, just following me onto the train like this?" Lu Xixiao asked.
Zhou Wan met his gaze with a smile. "No, I'm not."
The carriage was packed, mostly with migrant workers carrying large bags and luggage, heading home for the New Year. A train attendant pushed a cart, hawking sunflower seeds, popcorn, and mineral water. The compartment was filled with a mix of smells, and there wasn't even a proper place to stand comfortably.
Yet Zhou Wan felt happy.
It had been a long time since she had felt this joyful.
Lu Xixiao positioned Zhou Wan on the inner side, shielding her from the bustling crowd and the carts being pushed back and forth.
The green train advanced through the dark night.
Compared to high-speed and bullet trains, the regular train was much slower.
Zhou Wan was used to going to bed early. Though still excited, her eyelids grew heavy and gradually became too difficult to keep open.
"Sleepy?" Lu Xixiao asked, watching her.
Zhou Wan forced her eyes open. "A little."
Lu Xixiao bought a blanket from the train attendant and spread it on the floor. "Sit here and rest for a while."
They sat down side by side. Zhou Wan tried to stay awake a bit longer, but soon she fell asleep, her head tilting and coming to rest on Lu Xixiao's shoulder.
Lu Xixiao, a night owl and a light sleeper, couldn't doze off in such a noisy carriage.
He wrapped an arm around Zhou Wan's shoulders, letting her lean against him. From his angle, he could only see the girl's delicate, upturned nose.
The train's heating was on, so it wasn't too cold.
But people tend to get chilly when asleep, so Lu Xixiao carefully took off his jacket and draped it over Zhou Wan.
Zhou Wan stirred slightly in her sleep but was too tired to open her eyes.
She dreamed, and at the end of her dream, she saw Lu Xixiao—a cigarette dangling from his lips, standing carefree and bold beneath her apartment building.
…When Zhou Wan woke up, she was dazed for a long moment before realizing that everything that had just happened wasn’t a dream. She really had, quite suddenly, boarded a train heading north with Lu Xixiao to see the snow.
The crowded carriage had quieted down, and those without seats had settled on the floor to sleep.
Suddenly, Lu Xixiao’s voice sounded beside her ear.
“Awake?”
Zhou Wan paused, tilting her head up to see Lu Xixiao’s face up close.
He seemed tired too—the creases of his eyelids were deeper, making him look weary and exhausted, his voice laced with a lazy drawl.
“Aren’t you going to sleep?” Zhou Wan asked.
“Can’t sleep.”
“What time is it?”
“Three in the morning,” Lu Xixiao said. “We’re almost there.”
Three in the morning, yet here she was with Lu Xixiao on a train to an unfamiliar city.
All of it lent an air of mystery and romance to the journey.
“So it’s already the New Year?” Zhou Wan’s eyes suddenly brightened.
“Mm.” Lu Xixiao chuckled softly, one arm still draped over her shoulder, pulling her close. His voice was deep and magnetic as it resonated beside her ear, “Happy New Year, Wanwan.”
“Happy New Year,” Zhou Wan echoed, using the nickname his friends called him. “A Xiao.”
Just then, the train’s announcement system crackled to life, drowning out Lu Xixiao’s soft laughter.
—“Attention, passengers. The train will soon arrive at Station K. Those disembarking at Station K, please prepare your luggage. We wish everyone a Happy New Year.”
Around them, the rustling sounds of people gathering their belongings filled the air.
A few minutes later, the train came to a stop at Station K.
A green-lit sign cast a dim glow as Lu Xixiao took Zhou Wan’s hand and led her off the train.
K City was much colder than Pingchuan City. Even indoors, a biting chill seeped through. Lu Xixiao draped the clean side of the blanket over Zhou Wan’s shoulders to shield her from the wind.
Nearby, a mother reminded her husband to pull up their child’s collar to keep the cold out.
The child, woken by the jostling journey, began to wail loudly, the piercing cries cutting through the late-night silence.
The father soothed him, saying they would be home soon and promising to grant him a New Year’s wish if he behaved.
Between sobs, the child asked, “Can I get a Transformers toy then?”
The father laughed softly. “Of course, but you have to stop crying now.”
The child immediately fell silent, tears forgotten.
Zhou Wan’s lips curved into a faint smile.
Following the crowd, they passed through the ticket check and made their way out.
From a distance, Zhou Wan could already see the world outside blanketed in white—thick layers of snow covering rooftops, tree trunks, and cars, as if the entire city had been draped in snow.
It was the first time Zhou Wan had ever seen such heavy snow. Her steps grew lighter, almost skipping as she hurried forward.
“Wow.”
She ran to the railing, gazing at the snowy landscape before her.
It was far more spectacular than even the heaviest snowfall she could recall in Pingchuan City.
Lu Xixiao didn’t care for snow.
So instead of looking at the snow, he watched Zhou Wan.
Her entire being radiated an irrepressible excitement.
“Lu Xixiao.”
“Hmm?” His tone was uncharacteristically gentle.
Zhou Wan thought of the child and his father from earlier.
She smiled and asked, “Do you have a New Year’s wish?”
“I want to kiss you.”
Such a direct statement made Zhou Wan freeze. She stared up at him, stunned.
Lu Xixiao met her gaze, his eyelids drooping slightly as he looked down at her. The faint amusement in his eyes gradually deepened into something more intense. Then he took a step forward, his hand settling on Zhou Wan’s slender waist to pull her closer. Instinctively, she leaned back until her back pressed against the railing.She could feel the overwhelming pressure and sense of invasion radiating from Lu Xixiao.
Reason told her that Lu Xixiao was dangerous right now, and she should push him away.
She also knew that if she reached out to push him, Lu Xixiao wouldn't force her further—at most, it would just take some time to coax him later.
But this voice of reason only screamed loudly in her mind; she couldn't move her feet or lift her hands.
Perhaps it was because the day was too cold.
Perhaps it was because the unfamiliar city had muddled her thoughts.
Or perhaps it was simply because she really liked Lu Xixiao.
Lu Xixiao only gave her a few seconds to refuse.
Then, with an irresistible force, he lifted Zhou Wan's chin, leaned in, and kissed her lips.
The first kiss felt somewhat flustered and panicked.
Zhou Wan even forgot to close her eyes. She saw snowflakes falling all around, saw Lu Xixiao's dark eyelashes, and her heartbeat raced so fast it felt like it would leap out of her chest.
Lu Xixiao's arm wrapped around her waist—her waist was narrow, with slight curves on either side. The sensation sparked ten thousand indecent thoughts in Lu Xixiao's mind.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he gently nibbled her lips with his teeth, venting and easing his tension.
Eventually, Zhou Wan only felt breathless. She tried to push Lu Xixiao away to get a breath of fresh air, but he pinned her hands behind her back, rendering her immobile.
Leaning over her, he kissed her slowly, sometimes licking, sometimes biting, as if determined to mark her thoroughly with his presence.
"Zhou Wan."
His voice was hoarse as he pecked her lips repeatedly, whispering softly, "I like you so much."
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