She flipped open the diary, hoping to unearth some memories of Liang Sheng.
The first page left Gu Yuqi utterly perplexed. It was covered in a dense scrawl of just two words: Liang Sheng. She turned to the next page—still Liang Sheng. She flipped through more than ten pages, and without exception, every one was filled with Liang Sheng.
Was it possible… that she liked her? Gu Yuqi stared blankly at the diary.
On the very last page, a few tiny words huddled pitifully in the corner, as if terrified of being discovered.
“I like you. What should I do?”
What was she supposed to do? Gu Yuqi had no idea. There seemed to be a faint flicker of memory, yet nothing solid at all. Lost in a fog of uncertainty, she had no clue which way to turn.
Liang Sheng hadn’t lied. Gu Yuqi believed those were her words, her handwriting. And she distinctly remembered this notebook—it had been a gift from her mother. She rose to her feet, searching for Liang Sheng, only to realize the girl had already dashed outside.
In weather like this, with snow falling so heavily and dressed in nothing but a thin shirt, she’d freeze to death. Gu Yuqi didn’t even pause to think about her own comfort. She bolted out the door as she was. Why had she done something so foolish? Why not return to her room for a thick coat first? Then she wouldn’t have frozen either. But fear gripped her—fear of what, exactly? Fear that even one extra second’s delay would mean she’d never find Liang Sheng. For reasons she couldn’t explain, the thought of Liang Sheng suffering was unbearable.
Gu Yuqi searched for ages without success. Worry gnawed at her. She knew herself to be a compassionate soul, but she’d always helped others without putting herself at risk. This time, though, she’d shattered that rule.
She refused to believe she could fall for another girl. Surely those repeated strokes of her name were just affection for a friend, a sister, a best friend—nothing more than sisterly love. Right? Girls couldn’t possibly feel romantic love for each other.
The more she tried to convince herself, the more absurd it seemed, as if she were desperately denying the truth staring her in the face. In that instant, she felt grateful for her lost memories. If they returned… could she really overcome the judgments of the world?
Amid this tangle of emotions, in the endless dark night blanketed by snow, she spotted a lone figure. The name burst from her lips: “Liang Sheng!”
A nearby streetlamp flickered to life. There was Liang Sheng, turning back at just that moment—like a fallen star plummeting into a sea of white. Gu Yuqi’s heart clenched in her chest.
She didn’t spare a thought for her own shivering body. She shrugged off her coat and draped it over Liang Sheng. Scooping her up felt like cradling a delicate glass orb, fragile and precious. Gu Yuqi ran back to her home as swiftly and carefully as she could.
She tended to Liang Sheng first, sliding her into the warm covers of the bed. Only then did she bustle into the kitchen, boiling water for ginger tea. She soaked a towel in the hot water, wrung it out, and gently wiped Liang Sheng’s face.
After this frantic flurry, she finally watched as the little figure on the bed fluttered her eyes open. In that moment, the knot of tension in Gu Yuqi’s chest unraveled. Her taut nerves eased at last. Still squatting by the bedside, she nearly collapsed to the floor from sheer relief.
And now, in this very moment, Gu Yuqi lay on the bed cradling the girl she’d fought so hard to find. Liang Sheng warmed her hands and feet, even pressing her soft little palm against Gu Yuqi’s waist. Who liked whom hardly mattered anymore. After all, one should live in the moment—and seize the day’s pleasures while they lasted.
