Chapter 83: First Snowflakes

This sentence was just like the first crystal-clear snowflake falling, landing on Han Xuan’s shoulder.

She didn’t answer the question. Instead, she caught the second and third snowflakes with her fingers, then revealed a hint of surprise as she said to Chu Susu, “It’s snowing.”

Pipi let out an “awoo,” as if echoing Han Xuan’s words.

It wasn’t the New Year yet, neither by lunar nor solar calendar, so this couldn’t exactly be called the first snow. But it was undoubtedly the first snowfall of this winter.

Chu Susu also saw the tiny snowflakes, like shaved ice threads, drifting down in flurries. She stared for a moment before reaching out to catch them, watching as they melted in her palm from the warmth.

“I just noticed the weather forecast mentioned snow yesterday. Want to stay outside a bit longer?” Han Xuan asked with a smile. “It won’t be heavy. We can play with Pipi too.”

And just like that, she had lightly brushed past that somewhat sharp question earlier.

Chu Susu clearly realized this too. She didn’t agree right away and instead asked again, “You answer me first.”

Han Xuan blinked. “Answer what?”

“Did you come to Jiang City again afterward?”

“Oh…” Han Xuan drew out the ending sound slightly, a trace of worry flickering in her eyes. “Why do you ask? Did something happen?”

The more she dodged a direct answer, the stronger Chu Susu’s uneasy premonition grew, and her tone cooled. “Just say yes or no.”

Her assertive tone made Han Xuan look like a child who had done something wrong, slowly lowering her head before finally admitting, “Yes.”

As expected.

“Why?”

Han Xuan gripped the dog leash tighter, pulling back Pipi who was about to run off.

“Are you interrogating me right now, Susu?”

She said softly, “You should know I don’t have any ill intentions toward you. Don’t be mad, okay?”

Han Xuan always showed this aggrieved, conciliatory expression in front of her, like she had been bullied. It immediately stirred a bit of reluctance in Chu Susu, but also an inexplicable frustration.

This was clearly a situation where she had the moral high ground, yet with one look from Han Xuan, it felt like she was the one being unreasonable.

Thinking of this, Chu Susu hardened her voice, forcing herself to toughen up. “Tell me why first. We can talk about the rest later.”

“Because I missed you.”

“Hm?”

Han Xuan said softly, “Because I missed you… and I was a little worried if you got scared after that day. So later, while you were sleeping, I went over and took a quick look at you.”

“That was it?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you… “

…do anything to me?

It wasn’t exactly “doing something” like hitting her. The things in the “dream” were clearly a punishment laced with erotic undertones.

Even just imagining that scene in her mind made Chu Susu’s cheeks flush red, blood rushing to her head. She was so angry she wanted to demand if it was real.

But the words stuck in her throat; she couldn’t say them.

It was just too damn embarrassing. Chu Susu couldn’t even handle being a bottom; how could she endure talking about this?

Seeing her struggle without saying a word, Han Xuan took the initiative. “I saw you weren’t sleeping well, so I patted…”

Chu Susu’s eyes widened in shock, startling Pipi. It had never seen its owner this furious before and quickly rubbed against her leg to calm her down.

“…your back.”

Han Xuan said, “Like coaxing a kid to sleep, I just patted your back.”

Chu Susu had no idea what her expression looked like right now, but it was surely ugly. “Really? That was all?”

“Really.”

Han Xuan pursed her lips, unconsciously showing a pitiful, wronged look.

Crystal-clear snowflakes clung to the bangs on her forehead, her nose tip red from the cold, making her look utterly pitiable.

“You were asleep. What could I do to you?” she said. “Besides, I have no reason to do anything. Do you think I want to hurt you?”

There wasn’t a single flaw in Han Xuan’s expression; her reaction was one of genuine hurt.

Chu Susu felt like she’d punched cotton. Deciding to play her final card, she said, “I set up a camera in the room beforehand. It was on that night.”

“Oh?” Han Xuan showed no panic, just a thick nasal tone of surprise. “A camera? What did it record?”

Her eyes were crystal clear.

“…”

Chu Susu finally understood she’d failed to trap her. She lowered her head, deflating a bit, and said, “Nothing. And the footage looked unnatural, like a segment had been cut. That’s why I wondered if you’d been there.”

Could all those strange sensations after waking up really have been just a dream?

But she had no evidence.

Han Xuan paused, then suddenly reached out with her right hand to gently pat Chu Susu’s head.

“So that’s it. It’s right for you to ask.” She said apologetically, “I thought you’d misunderstood me earlier. Sorry…”

“I used my ability to go to Jiang City, so at times like that, I wouldn’t be caught on camera.”

“But why did you think to put a camera in the room?”

Chu Susu felt odd being patted on the head by her, like she’d suddenly shrunk a size. “Before the business trip, I found some weird stuff at home and suspected someone had broken in, so I decided to be cautious. While in Jiang City those few days, I happened to see cameras for sale at the mall and bought one on impulse.”

She didn’t specify what the “stuff” at home was.

Han Xuan paused at that. “Someone broke into your home?”

“Not sure, but living alone, better safe than sorry.”

Han Xuan pursed her lips, saying solemnly like making an oath, “Don’t be scared. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

That sincere expression swept away the anxiety in Chu Susu’s heart. She smiled and shook her head. “I’m not a kid. I won’t be scared.”

She could protect herself; she didn’t always need Han Xuan to “save” her.

Han Xuan let out a muffled “oh,” then suddenly thought of something. “By the way, that night, did you drink?”

She had seen Chu Susu frowning even in her sleep, restless, and there’d been a faint scent of red wine in the air.

“Yeah. Rebecca was in a bad mood, so I drank a bit with her.”

“So you two are that close privately.”

“It’s okay. She’s usually pretty good to me.”

Han Xuan nodded and said no more, but Chu Susu could sense something off in her expression and reaction.

If it were anyone else, she’d think they were jealous. But on Han Xuan, the word felt mismatched.

Wondering if she was overthinking, Chu Susu added after a moment, “She’s being transferred away soon anyway. Probably won’t see her much after.”

Who knew what Han Xuan was really thinking? On the surface, she showed no oddity, just natural surprise at the transfer news.

Inevitably, they started talking about the summit, and at that point, Chu Susu had to bring up Han Yao.

She showed Han Xuan the message: “No idea why she’d spend a fortune on something like this.”

Han Xuan stared at the phone screen for a bit, then laughed. “She’s always like that—kinda whimsical.”

She handed the phone back and gestured for her to look. “Message from Rebecca.”

Chu Susu didn’t have to go to the office today, but she had work to do from home. Rebecca’s message was about that, saying the materials had been sent to her email.

The deadline was tight, so though she’d planned to linger, after the message, she didn’t stay longer in the neighborhood and drove straight back.

Han Xuan walked her to the neighborhood entrance, waving with a smile goodbye.

But that smile didn’t last. Once the car drove far away, shrinking to a tiny dot and vanishing, it disappeared in an instant.

Li Le’er: “Eldest Miss, Qiao Qian wants to have dinner with us. But I really don’t want to see Xiaoying. It’s too awkward…”

She remembered the day before Chu Susu’s business trip, when Li Le’er had suddenly called her, saying Zhou Xiaoying had confessed to her.

Their relationship had been awkward ever since, with no easing.

You couldn’t favor one over the other in such matters. Chu Susu could only offer a bit of advice, but say too much and she’d be caught in the middle.

Chu Susu: “I bet if she knows you’re going, she won’t go.”

Zhou Xiaoying knew Li Le’er’s personality well. From what she knew, she’d likely avoid places where Li Le’er was.

Li Le’er thought about it and agreed: “Okay, then just us two? But Qiao Qian seems to have something to talk about. She doesn’t usually call, but this time she called me specially, and she was all hesitant. Feels weird.”

That gave Chu Susu a bad premonition. “She wouldn’t be asking us for money, would she?”

Li Le’er hesitated before replying: “Nah? She was short on cash recently, but not to that extent…”

Chu Susu: “Hard to say. I gave her a few thousand last time, and still no word.”

Although she had transferred the money at the time under the pretext of “making up the gift for the other party,” she hadn’t really expected it back.

After all, when a friend needs help, providing support is only right.

But that didn’t mean the other party shouldn’t take the initiative to state their position.

Qiao Qian came from an average family background and had a stable job, so she really shouldn’t be this short on cash. Even if she was short on money, she shouldn’t stay completely silent—at the very least, she should explain the reason to the friend who had lent a helping hand.

That left only two possibilities.

Either something major had happened in Qiao Qian’s family, like a seriously ill relative, and they still hadn’t recovered, remaining in financial straits as they kept filling the hole. She hadn’t said anything because she didn’t want to bring up painful matters.

Or Qiao Qian herself had gotten hooked on something that burned through money, spending the money they’d borrowed like water. She hadn’t said anything because it was illegal—she simply couldn’t.

Chu Susu asked Li Le’er, “What do you think it is?”

The other party fell temporarily silent and didn’t reply, but both of them knew exactly what the answer was.

After a long while, Li Le’er finally replied, “But we should still go see her.”

Maybe this time, Qiao Qian had asked them out precisely to pay them back.

Or perhaps she would even take the initiative to explain the real reason to the group.