The cable car stopped for nearly half an hour before resuming operation, and the four of them safely returned to the Little Wooden Cabin.
“Ming You, thanks for the invitation. Today was unforgettable. It was worth the trip.”
“We’re heading down the mountain too. Shall we pack up and go together?”
“No need to trouble you. Just head straight home. The client contact will drive us to the station later.” She just felt too awkward to ask the client liaison to pick them up at the crack of dawn to go sightseeing at the mountaintop.
“Alright. See you later.”
“See you around. Hit me up if you’re in Hengyuan. Jin Yuan and I will definitely hang out with you.”
After saying their goodbyes, they each returned to their rooms. Su Yi started packing her luggage, but Ming You pulled Yan Ningxi out the door again. “We said we’d build a snowman. The snow behind the cabin is nice and thick. Let’s go build one.”
The gloves she’d been carrying in her hat all day hadn’t even been used yet.
The two wore matching scarves and gloves—one with a bucket hat, the other with a hoodie—all bought for each other.
Under their combined efforts, two snowmen less than a meter tall began to take shape.
“It’s a shame we don’t have hats, scarves, or gloves to put on them.” Without those finishing touches, the snowmen lacked soul.
Yan Ningxi picked up some dry yellow fallen leaves from the ground, layered a few on each snowman’s head, and pressed a small flat stone on top. “That’s enough.”
They were in the good dream the girl had given her too.
Gilding the lily.
Ming You snapped a photo and posted it to Moments: 【I have a dream.】
Yan Ningxi’s afternoon work appointment was from three to five. Once she learned their descent time, Aunt Mei prepared lunch by eleven and called them over to eat.
After the meal, she saw them off in the car and loaded the trunk with frozen lamb and some sun-dried mushrooms unique to the mountains—like heading back to her hometown.
On the way, Qi Xuexin, who had scrolled to Ming You’s Moments post, called Yan Ningxi with a voice message.
“Yan Huahua, did you run off with Ming You?”
“…”
“To build a snowman?!”
“…”
“Last winter, I begged you, pleaded with you, sweet-talked you, and you wouldn’t go!”
“…”
“I’m so pissed! Go have your fun with your dog cub. You don’t have me in your heart anymore. Bye!”
Yan Ningxi didn’t say a word before the call ended.
Qi Xuexin had a loud voice, and Ming You vaguely caught a few words, especially the last one: “dog cub.”
“It’s fine. Sister Qi is easy to coax.”
She meant it to comfort Yan Ningxi, but Yan Ningxi didn’t appreciate it and replied sourly, “Easy to coax, and she doesn’t need you to do it anyway.”
Ming You laughed in exasperation. “Yeah, yeah, her being mad is none of my business. I’m not coaxing her. She’s got her own dog cub. I’ll only coax you.”
Now she finally understood what Yan Ningxi had been thinking last night when she said Ms. Yang called her a dog. “Sister Yan, this loyal-to-the-end dog cub of yours—how about a service review?”
“Dirty words. Bad review.” “None of my business” was as dirty as “fart.”
“Sigh, all for nothing.”
…
At two in the afternoon, the two lugged their bags back to the apartment. Ming You pushed Yan Ningxi into the bedroom. “Don’t touch the stuff outside. I’ll handle it. You go wash up, change, and get ready.”
She said she wouldn’t get into bed tonight because she was leaving anyway.
It was only after washing up and changing that Yan Ningxi, watching the girl squat by the door wiping shoes, realized they were separating again—for a week or half a month.
The girl wiped both her shoes and her own.
“Ming You.”
The girl looked up in response and was pulled into a waist-hugging embrace by Yan Ningxi, her hands still holding soiled wet wipes and a shoe cloth.
“I haven’t changed yet, and my hands are dirty. Don’t…” The rest of her words vanished under Yan Ningxi’s kiss.
After a light, lingering kiss, seeing Yan Ningxi’s listless expression, the girl rubbed it in on purpose. “Next week is Maternal Grandma’s birthday. I’m going home.”
“Mm, I know.” So it would be half a month or even longer before they saw each other.
“Are you going near the pedestrian street? Want me to drop you off?”
“No need. Rest at home after packing. Don’t leave too late—it’s cold in winter.” Time was running short, so Yan Ningxi grabbed her laptop bag and headed out after a few quick words.
Ten minutes into the drive, she saved the group photo of the four that Ming You had sent her and the snowman photo Ming You posted on Moments.
In the album where she’d blocked her, there were photos of every bouquet Ming You bought her, campus scenery and daily life Ming You sent, pictures of Ming You that Qi Xuexin forwarded from online, and commemorative shots from this trip that Ming You never saw her take.
The album, created less than a month ago, was nearly full with almost 100 photos of Ming You. Before meeting Ming You, she never imagined herself doing something like this.
Not only did she do it, she did it with a smile in her eyes and heart.
While waiting for the cable car that morning, Su Yi said she and Ming You were in the heat of romance. Thinking back now, she had to admit it. In this “good dream,” they hadn’t missed a single intimate couple thing—what else could it be but a passionate romance?
Before leaving, she’d checked her neck carefully in the bathroom—no legendary “strawberries.” The scattered red marks the girl left on her body were all below the collarbone, fully covered by clothes.
Last night’s gasps, last night’s sensations, synced perfectly with the memories in her mind. Beneath her underwear, faint twinges of pain lingered.
But more than that was pleasure. Double pleasure, body and soul.
…
That evening, she returned home to emptiness.
She missed the girl’s warmth, embrace, and kisses the moment she stepped inside.
The balcony was hung with clothes they’d worn these past two days. The hoodie was gone—probably taken by the girl.
Before leaving, the girl messaged her to pick up the dry-cleaned down jacket when she had time, sent recipes for the best ways to cook those mushrooms, and said the lamb was waiting for her next visit. She could call Teacher Qi over for a hot pot at home, and Teacher Qi could bring her family.
Knees hugged to her chest on the sofa, lemon body pillow pressed to her legs, she called Qi Xuexin.
“Done having fun? Finally remembered me?” Qi Xuexin answered as she pulled into her parents’ neighborhood garage for dinner.
“Xuexin…” Yan Ningxi’s voice was low and hoarse. “Can you lend me some money?”
“Yan Huahua, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me!” Her playful tone vanished as she asked, “How much?”
“Ten thousand.”
Only Qi Xuexin could make her swallow her pride and ask. She’d considered a bank loan or other institutions, but interest was money too—better to owe it to Qi Xuexin.
“Ten thousand? Okay, I’ll transfer it tomorrow.”
Qi Xuexin was a true spendthrift—great at eating, drinking, playing, and shopping, but saving? Impossible. Her account probably had five or six thousand total. Borrowing a few from her parents was no big deal.
“I can’t guarantee a repayment date, but I’ll pay interest…”
“Yan Ningxi! If you mention interest again, I’ll really get mad!”
Qi Xuexin said indignantly, “Am I lending it to you? I’m just parking it with you for safekeeping. If you don’t hold it, I’d blow through it in a day, week, or month. In fact, you should pay me a custody fee. Figure out how much I owe you by then.”
“Thanks.”
“No need for thanks. What’s the money for? Can you say?” Not prying into privacy—just pure concern. “Paying off family debt? If it’s not enough, just tell me. As long as you weren’t scammed.”
“It’s money my mother owed relatives for her medical bills.” Only after saying it did Yan Ningxi realize her voice was choking.
“Yan Huahua…” Qi Xuexin looped around and headed for the exit. “I’m hungry. Did you make dinner? You two ditched me to play in the snow—I was so mad I skipped eating.”
“I made some. Come over.” Yesterday’s groceries were still in the fridge; they’d spoil by tomorrow or the day after.
“Okay, I’m coming. Prepare to receive your empress.”
Yan Ningxi calling about money meant Little Pomelo was back at school. Her family’s debt, today’s borrowing—Little Pomelo knew nothing.
Little Pomelo’s family had plenty of money, and Little Pomelo liked her. She liked Little Pomelo too. But she would never take a dime from Little Pomelo’s family.
Why was dating so damn hard?
…
After Hengchuan University’s Sending Plays to the Countryside sign-ups opened, over twenty groups from two academies and three grades registered.
After rounds of script reviews and presentations over the first four days, the eight selected programs were announced Friday morning. Ming You, Gu Xirui, and Lin Yiyang’s group made the cut.
At noon Friday, Ming You accompanied Gu Xirui grocery shopping at the supermarket and messaged Yan Ningxi.
【Ming You: The school organized a Sending Plays to the Countryside event over New Year’s. Xirui and I teamed up for it.】
【Yan Ningxi: Far? How many days?】
【Ming You: Three days. A remote town in Hengyuan City jurisdiction. They say the bus takes four or five hours.】
【Yan Ningxi: Practice over the weekend? Stay put at school then.】
【Ming You: Oh la.gif】
Seeing Ming You put away her phone, Gu Xirui smiled and asked, “Reporting your daily life to your partner?”
Chinese culture—profound and vast.
Partner.
Works for any gender.
“Not my partner yet. We haven’t made it official. I just confessed to her unilaterally.”
“Sigh, even the Ming You who slays countless suitors has this day.” Gu Xirui and Ming You weren’t fake sisters; a little teasing was harmless.
“You never know. Don’t gloat too soon.” After more contact with Lin Yiyang lately, she’d noticed Lin Yiyang’s gaze on Gu Xirui wasn’t so pure and selfless.
Exiting the supermarket, a department store stood next door.
Blind Boxes piled on a rack by the entrance caught Ming You’s eye.
Gu Xirui glanced over. “Wanna browse? See if there’s anything to buy.”
They shopped inside. Gu Xirui picked hair ties and turned to see what Ming You held. “You came in for Blind Boxes, huh?”
“Never opened one.”
“Tom and Jerry?” Gu Xirui was surprised by the box art. “In my memory, childhood cartoons were Pleasant Goat, Lazy Goat, Brother Bear, etc.”
“We have a generation gap.” Ming You went to checkout.
“What gap? Aren’t we both post-00s? Did you time travel?”
“Miss Gu, ease up on the Mary Sue time-travel novels.” Ming You handed the cashier Gu Xirui’s two face-washing hair ties too. “Together.”
“I didn’t read any.” Gu Xirui swiped a Blind Box. “Gimme one. I want the cat. This cat is… a blue cat?”
“More precisely, a British Shorthair blue-and-white.” Ming You snatched back the Blind Box Gu Xirui took and swapped it into her tote, handing her another. “Miss Gu, a gentleman doesn’t take what others love.”
“Conveniently, I’m a lady.”
“Ladies don’t either.”
Gu Xirui caught up. “So precious—buying it for your crush? Oh? She’s from last century? You two a cross-century romance?”
Ming You was speechless. But thinking about it, she and Yan Ningxi were a few years apart—one post-90s, one post-00s. Born in different centuries, really.
“Aren’t you anti-cute route? Why two super-cute hair ties today?”
“Cute?”
Gu Xirui’s smile held a hint of mischief—the pink-and-white cat ears and black-and-white panda ears were indeed adorable. “Buying them for Miss Lin, huh? She’s working so hard; us two slackers gotta show some appreciation. When I give them to her, I’ll say Ming You bought them.”
“…” So devious. “Miss Gu, that’s framing me.”
“I’m contributing to team unity in my small way.”
Back at the dorm, Ming You lined up the five Blind Boxes in two rows for a photo and posted to Space: 【20th Century [Heart] 21st Century [Rose] Cross-Century Romance.】
