Her heart skipped a beat as Yun Li looked up, meeting his gaze.
For a few seconds, his restrained and calm expression shifted slightly. His hand, which had been brushing snowflakes off her, paused before gently pressing against the back of her head.
Before Yun Li could react, he pulled her lightly into his embrace.
The air was damp and cold, the chill seeping into her exposed skin until her cheeks had long lost sensation. Yet now, Yun Li felt as though she were wrapped around a warm stove, heat radiating from their pressed bodies.
She tilted her chin up, catching sight of the clean lines of his ear.
Against her ear, she could hear his heartbeat.
It seemed... rather fast too.
Yun Li buried her face in his chest and returned his embrace. Feeling her response, Fu Shize tightened his arms slightly, as if holding something immensely precious.
She didn’t notice how much time had passed when they finally pulled apart, but the flush from the cold on her cheeks seemed to have spread to the back of her ears.
Fu Shize looked down at her, his hand naturally sliding down her arm.
Even through her thick coat, Yun Li could feel the movement of his fingers before he took hold of her right hand.
Familiar with Nanwu Airport, he led her to the parking lot, opening the passenger door for her before settling into the driver’s seat. Leaning over naturally, he fastened her seatbelt.
"Are you heading straight home?" she asked.
Fu Shize replied, "It’s still early."
His tone suggested he planned to spend more time with her, lifting her mood. Sitting in the passenger seat, she idly scrolled through her phone. Many in her social circle had posted videos of Nanwu’s first snow, mostly filmed from their own homes.
Casually, she asked, "Where do you live?"
Fu Shize answered, "My parents live in North Mountain Maple Forest. I usually stay at South River Garden."
North Mountain Maple Forest?
Yun Li had seen housing reviews for North Mountain Maple Forest on E-Station—it was a famously upscale neighborhood in Nanwu. Silently, she searched for South River Garden on her phone. Located in the city center, it was an older complex from the nineties, but its prime location and access to top-tier education and medical resources made it incredibly valuable.
"..."
She fell quiet for a moment, thinking of her own background. Her family had struggled financially when she was young, and it wasn’t until Yun Yongchang opened his driving school that their situation improved.
Even then, the house in West Fuling had only been fully paid off a few years ago.
Yun Li didn’t feel the thrill of dating someone from wealth. Instead, the economic disparity between their families weighed on her slightly.
She didn’t want too large a gap between them.
But it seemed unavoidable.
She began calculating her earnings as a Content Creator over the years. While not substantial, given the current trend, she could save a decent amount by graduation. After working for another two years post-graduation, she might barely scrape together a down payment. It wouldn’t be much, but it wouldn’t be negligible either.
...
The airport was in a relatively remote area, the roads flanked by pristine white snow. Snowflakes landed on the windshield, only to be swept away by the wipers. Fu Shize kept his eyes on the road as he placed his phone beside Yun Li’s leg.
"Check tomorrow’s temperature."
Yun Li opened the weather app on her own phone, but Fu Shize said, "Use mine."
"?"
Puzzled but unquestioning, she picked up his phone and turned on the screen.
The lock screen was a photo of them together.
So it wasn’t the weather he wanted her to see.
Her lips curved as she unlocked the phone.
The car stopped at the apartment building, and Fu Shize followed her upstairs. Warm air rushed over them as they stepped inside.Before leaving, Yun Li had left the air conditioning on, worried that Fu Shize might feel cold when he arrived. Now, she too felt stifled by the heat and loosened her scarf, hanging it on the coat rack.
She removed her fitted overcoat, revealing the sleek black high-neck dress underneath. She had bought it when she first arrived in Nanwu. With her slender waist, the dress had fit perfectly at the time, so she had taken it home.
The person beside her watched quietly.
Yun Li walked to the window, intending to crack it open for some fresh air. Before her hand could touch the latch, a sudden warmth enveloped her from behind. Fu Shize pressed against her back, wrapping his arms around her from behind.
He had taken off his coat, leaving only a thin layer of clothing. Compared to their previous embraces, Yun Li now felt as though the heavy barriers between them had melted away. She could even distinctly feel the contours of his muscles.
She didn’t dare move, staring blankly at the window as her heartbeat quickened naturally.
Their translucent reflections shimmered on the glass. Snowflakes drifted diagonally with the wind, falling in flurries. The distant sky was pitch black. Yun Li’s gaze lowered, and only then did she notice the two miniature snowmen she had deliberately built before leaving.
They sat on the windowsill, nestled close to each other. She had woven two red strings to serve as scarves for the snowmen, and fresh snow had gathered around their lower halves. Fu Shize followed her gaze, his expression softening as he tightened his hold on her slightly.
He rested his chin on her shoulder, his cheek lightly brushing against hers.
The contact sent a tingling, electric sensation through her. Just as she was about to pull away, his face nuzzled gently against hers.
Slowly.
Up, down, up, down.
The snow would never cease, just as these stirring emotions would never fade.
Though not a single word had been spoken since they entered the room, in that moment, Yun Li understood. He had come back to watch this first snow with her—Nanwu’s first snow, and the first snow of her life.
The moment lingered for several minutes. When the quiet reunion ended, Fu Shize leaned back onto the sofa. On the coffee table sat the fish tank he had left behind when he departed. Yun Li had bought an oxygen pump and decorative lights for it, and now the fish darted energetically inside.
Yun Li hadn’t forgotten the strawberries he had mentioned the night before. After washing them, she arranged them on a plate and placed it in front of him.
“I bought these from a vendor who owns a strawberry farm. They should be very fresh,” Yun Li said as she sat beside him.
He didn’t seem particularly eager to eat them, leisurely examining the plate for a while before picking up one strawberry—only to place it atop another.
It wasn’t until he had moved all the strawberries from the top layer that Yun Li realized he was inspecting the ones underneath.
After looking, he fell silent.
“Are you searching for something?” Yun Li asked, puzzled. She picked up a strawberry and took a bite—it was crisp and sweet. Fu Shize closed his eyes briefly, letting go of whatever had preoccupied him, and casually ate one.
For once, he seemed troubled by something. Suddenly, he asked, “Where’s the scarf?”
Yun Li froze. She had rushed to finish it over two days, but the result was so poorly knitted that she had hastily turned it into a short scarf, planning to give it to Yun Ye later and weave a new one for Fu Shize when she had more time.
“It’s done, but it’s a bit ugly. I sent a photo to Yun Ye,” Yun Li said, retrieving the scarf from her room. It was plain gray, with uneven stitches. She handed it to Fu Shize, who glanced at it briefly before setting it aside.
Her tone was unsurprised. “He said it was ugly, as expected.”
Yun Li showed Fu Shize the chat history between her and her brother. His eyes flicked over the messages before he looked away.
He didn’t eat many strawberries—just two, as if trying to distract himself.His family had called him several times in a row, so Fu Shize didn’t stay long at Yun Li’s place. As he was about to leave, he suddenly said to her, “I’d like to take some strawberries back with me.”
Yun Li got up and went to the kitchen to fetch a resealable bag for him, faintly hearing the sound of Fu Shize packing his things.
There was still more than half a box of strawberries left. After packing them, Yun Li placed them in his bag.
After he left, Yun Li received a message from Yun Ye, who still sounded reluctant:
Fine, though it’s a bit ugly, you can still bring it back for me. I’ll grudgingly accept it.
Yun Li replied: Take it or leave it.
The scarf she had stayed up late knitting hadn’t achieved the desired effect, and Yun Ye’s disdainful expression left her feeling somewhat frustrated. She considered just throwing it away. Getting up to look for the scarf, she couldn’t find it anywhere.
Unsure where she had put it earlier, Yun Li rummaged through the cabinets again.
A few minutes later, her phone vibrated—a message from Fu Shize:
Accidentally put the scarf in my bag.
Yun Li: “…”
…
The next day was the last working day of 2016. When Yun Li arrived at EAW, the experience center was still crowded with students from Nanwu No. 1 High School—likely their last visit for the year.
The youthful high schoolers filled the place with vibrant energy, their chatter drowning out the usual background music.
As usual, Yun Li was assigned to help at the experience center. Standing by the glass railing on the fifth floor, she looked down at the sea of students below, moving around like irregular pixels.
Her gaze shifted, landing on a girl with a high ponytail in the crowd. Taller than her peers, her fair, makeup-free face stood out. She chatted with a group of girls, her demeanor earnest, attentive, gentle, and polite.
Yun Li watched for a while, finally understanding why Yun Ye had fallen for her. She secretly took a photo and sent it to Yun Ye.
It was still broad daylight, so Yun Ye probably wouldn’t see the message yet.
She didn’t know how long she had been staring when a voice suddenly came from behind: “What a coincidence.”
Turning around, Yun Li saw Yin Yucheng.
She paused. “Here to have fun?”
Yin Yucheng walked over and followed her earlier line of sight. “My sister’s grade is here for an outing. I just came along for the fun.”
After a closer look, he spotted Yin Yunyi and her group. “Were you looking at my sister?”
Not wanting to admit it, Yun Li said, “No.”
Yin Yucheng didn’t call her out and pointed in a direction. “She’s over there.”
“She really is a lovely girl,” Yun Li said sincerely.
Yin Yucheng smiled. “She’s alright.” After a moment, he added, “Yun Ye must be pretty great too, considering you’re quite good-looking yourself.”
“…”
It was the first time a guy she wasn’t close to had complimented her face-to-face, leaving Yun Li at a loss. Forcing small talk, she said awkwardly, “I noticed your sister helping others carry things and queue up. She seems very kind.”
Yin Yucheng didn’t deny it. “Our parents taught us from a young age to be helpful, so I’m the same way.”
Sensing he was indirectly praising himself, Yun Li agreed, “Seems your parents raised you well.”
Yin Yucheng said, “Since we’ve run into each other, why don’t you go say hello to Yunyi?”
Afraid of not knowing what to say, Yun Li was about to refuse when Yin Yucheng urged, “It’s fine. Just meet her. I’m sure she’d love to see you too.”"Alright." Yun Li had no choice but to agree.
The two walked downstairs to meet Yin Yunyi and noticed she had taken off her coat, leaving only a sweater and an undershirt. When Yin Yunyi saw Yun Li, she smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "Hello, sister." The corners of her lips curled up. "Yun Ye looks a lot like you."
Yun Li replied, "Many people say we look alike."
Yin Yucheng glanced at her thin figure and asked, "Why aren't you wearing your coat?"
Yin Yunyi looked around to make sure her classmates weren’t nearby, then whispered, "I lent it to a classmate."
He frowned. "Then you’re only wearing two layers—won’t you be cold?"
Yin Yunyi answered, "It’s pretty crowded indoors here, so it’s not too cold."
Having previously confiscated her bracelet and considering she was someone Yun Ye liked, Yun Li couldn’t just ignore her. She spoke up, "I have a spare coat in the break room. If you don’t mind, you could wear it for now?"
"No need, sister," Yin Yunyi smiled politely. "I don’t mind, and you’re not wearing much either. You should make sure you don’t catch a cold."
"It’s fine, it’s just a spare I keep in the break room." Yun Li wasn’t used to conversations like this and waved her hand dismissively. "I’ll go get it for you."
Returning to the break room, Yun Li opened her locker and took out the coat, carefully checking it to make sure it was clean.
As she turned to head back to the experience hall, she noticed Fu Shize standing behind her.
He asked flatly, "Where are you going?"
"Yun Ye’s crush is from Nanwu High School—she’s here too." Yun Li shook the coat in her hand. "She lent her coat to someone else, so I’m giving her this one in case she gets cold."
"Hmm," Fu Shize leaned against the doorframe. "Is she alone?"
"No, her brother’s with her. I ran into him first, then went to say hello to her."
"Hmm."
Seeing him blocking the doorway, Yun Li tugged at his hand with a smile. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll go ahead?"
"Hmm." Fu Shize stepped aside.
As Yun Li walked out, she heard his voice behind her: "I’ll come with you."
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