But when she saw the soft smile in Ji Qingyou’s dark eyes, she knew clearly that neither of them would do such a thing.
Tonight’s events, for them, who had been adults for a long time, were already considered somewhat impulsive. No one in their right mind would abandon a table of cooked food, run out into the freezing snow to mix drinks.
But she also thought:
So, some impulsive things, if you do them together.
They could be this romantic.
So, she lowered her eyes. A snowflake landed on her lashes.
Before the snowflake began to melt, she drank that one-of-a-kind sweet alcohol. Just one sip. It was very sweet, yet also a bit strong. Bubbles burst in her mouth, turning into a dense liquid, warming her throat as it went down.
She looked up, meeting Ji Qingyou’s expectant eyes, nodded gently, and smiled.
“It’s good.”
“Just as good as before.”
Hearing her answer, Ji Qingyou sighed in relief. Perhaps her legs were numb from crouching, or perhaps Dr. Ji, who never touched alcohol, was also a bit affected by it now. She looked a little clumsy when she stood up.
But when she looked down at her again, her loose hair was blown across her cheek by the wind, and she also smiled slightly, her eyes curving.
“Then don’t drink too much either.”
With that said, she reached out to help Yu Qinjiu up.
The countdown was about to begin. The city was filled with noise and clamor. Not far away, by the river, there was an event allowing fireworks. Brilliant fireworks had already begun to bloom in the sky. The lively sounds of families drifted out from tightly shut doors and windows. Some people, like them, were still wandering outside on New Year’s Eve, but they also stopped to watch the fireworks in the sky. A car passed by, its shaky headlights weaving through the space between them.
Yu Qinjiu paused for a second, then placed her hand in Ji Qingyou’s palm.
The moment their palms touched.
It was very cold, yet there was a warmth emanating from within their bodies.
Yu Qinjiu’s fingers trembled. When she stood up, her legs were a bit numb, but Ji Qingyou steadied her firmly, almost holding her up.
They were very close.
Their breathing intertwined. She could feel the soft rise and fall of Ji Qingyou’s breath. A lingering attachment took root here. She hadn’t let go yet when the countdown of “three, two, one” echoed from the sky, mixed with the booming of fireworks and the howling of the wind in the snowy night.
In the world’s clamor.
She heard Ji Qingyou’s extremely restrained breathing tremble for a second, and the hand supporting her also shook.
Then, as if breaking some limit.
A sudden force came from the hand holding hers, very, very light, as if holding back something. But still, at the end of the countdown, a gentle breeze swept over, pulling her in.
She fell into Ji Qingyou’s arms.
Breath laced with alcohol landed by her ear, very, very soft, lingering and slow, like someone drowning in the deep sea finally surfacing, releasing their pent-up breath completely.
Ji Qingyou gently raised her hand and wrapped it around her shoulder.
The harsh wind blew, but warmth was transmitted at that moment.
Ji Qingyou leaned all her weight on her, giving her a warm and perfectly timed hug, resting her chin on her shoulder, her voice very, very soft as she said,
“Happy New Year, Yu Qinjiu.”
Yu Qinjiu didn’t know if it was her imagination, but she vaguely felt that there was a hint of suppressed sadness in Ji Qingyou’s voice.
From a very young age.
Yu Qinjiu felt that her connection with Ji Qingyou was very strong, like some kind of innate soul symbiosis, transmitting all the emotions and inner thoughts from Ji Qingyou’s body to her.
Almost without needing to feel it.
Almost without any words.
This emotion could flow freely between them.
She sensed Ji Qingyou’s emotions, and without any hesitation, she raised her hand and hugged Ji Qingyou tightly, trying to pass her own warmth over, attempting to cover her.
Finally, amidst the chaotic world, she hugged Ji Qingyou tightly. The snowflakes drifting in from outside covered both of them, freezing this winter embrace into an unforgettable memory.
A snowflake landed on Yu Qinjiu’s nose. As it slowly melted, her vision began to blur with hot tears.
But she still said, in a voice so soft it was barely audible,
“Ji Qingyou, from now on, you must always be happy.”
—
When they got home.
They were covered in snow. After shaking it off, they found their coats were soaked through, and the dinner she had cooked was completely cold, almost solidified on the table.
They changed clothes and took a shower.
When she came out, Ji Qingyou’s mood had started to return to normal. Seeing Yu Qinjiu, also changed and showered, staring blankly at the table of food, she suddenly stopped.
Yu Qinjiu looked up at her. There seemed to be some lingering excitement in the air.
So they smiled at each other.
Ji Qingyou picked up the dishes. “I’ll go heat them up.”
Yu Qinjiu followed her, enveloped in a similar scent. “I remember your colleagues at the hospital said you don’t drink much…”
As she spoke, she looked up at Ji Qingyou, reached out in surprise and touched her face. “Are you allergic to alcohol? Why is your face so red?”
“No.” Ji Qingyou touched her own face with the back of her hand, pressing her lips together. “If I were allergic, I wouldn’t be able to talk. Might just be because I don’t drink often.”
“That’s good.” Yu Qinjiu sighed in relief. “I thought I had made you allergic again. I would have felt guilty for a lifetime…”
She was referring to the time when they were five years old and she ate the strawberry cream cake.
The corner of Ji Qingyou’s mouth lifted. “That’s long in the past.”
“Yeah.” Yu Qinjiu said. She was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed, her laughter filled with flowing emotions.
Ji Qingyou found it strange. “Why are you suddenly laughing?”
Yu Qinjiu was still laughing, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her. “Then why are you laughing with me?”
Ji Qingyou realized that the corners of her own mouth had widened. She habitually tried to restrain it, but Yu Qinjiu reached out and poked her cheek, her curved eyes becoming even more pronounced.
“You should smile more often, it’ll make you happier.”
The warm, soft touch still lingered on the corner of her mouth. Ji Qingyou was stunned. “Is that a saying?”
Yu Qinjiu withdrew her finger. “Yes, it’s not just that you smile when you’re happy. Sometimes, smiling more can actually make you happier.”
“Of course, I don’t mean forcing a smile.” She added, then glanced at her again, laughing even more. “Your smile right now is too stiff. Listen to me, just stop it.”
Ji Qingyou slightly retracted her smile and focused on heating the dishes. But within moments, she heard Yu Qinjiu laughing beside her. She looked over in confusion.
Yu Qinjiu was laughing more and more.
Avoiding her gaze, she was almost doubled over with laughter. “Oh, don’t look at me. The more you look, the more I want to laugh… Pfft hahahaha…”
Ji Qingyou found her amusing. “Am I that funny?”
“I can’t… hahahaha…” Yu Qinjiu crouched down on the floor, still holding a spatula.
Ji Qingyou didn’t take the spatula from her. She just quietly watched her. After a while, she couldn’t help it anymore either, so she crouched down and laughed with her for a bit.
Two people wearing aprons, one holding a spatula, the other with both hands in the apron pockets, staring at each other.
At times like this, the more they looked, the harder it was to stop.
Yu Qinjiu tried to avoid Ji Qingyou’s gaze, but Ji Qingyou childishly followed her eyes, as if they had returned to their carefree teenage years, just enjoying this pure childishness. Even back then, she had lacked this kind of innocence.
But times had changed. On this special holiday.
Ji Qingyou did everything childish, everything that was unlike her in the eyes of others. It wasn’t a forced smile, just pure happiness.
If she couldn’t keep Yu Qinjiu here.
At least she could keep this night, keep it for as long as possible.
——Maybe that was the purest thought deep in her heart.
She didn’t know how long they laughed. Yu Qinjiu was holding her stomach, eyes tightly shut, desperately trying to avoid Ji Qingyou’s gaze. But no matter how she dodged, she could still hear Ji Qingyou’s soft laughter in her ear, like a mischievous child begging to be hit.
It was too much for her.
Finally, with a determined look, she opened her eyes. When she met Ji Qingyou’s curved gaze, she suddenly saw a simple, childish innocence in them, an emotion rarely seen in Ji Qingyou’s eyes.
She was stunned for a few seconds, unsure how to react.
But Ji Qingyou stopped. The flush on her cheeks became more pronounced. Her speech was slow, yet carried a hint of childishness. “Hm? Why aren’t you laughing anymore?”
Ji Qingyou was a little drunk.
It was the fault of that bottle of green grape soju.
Yu Qinjiu realized this, her lips slightly pressed together.
Ji Qingyou leaned closer, the faint scent of her body wash drifting over. Her soft, black hair cascaded over her fair neck, highlighting the elegance and softness of her slender neck.
Her dark eyes were bright and clear, fixed firmly on Yu Qinjiu. This was definitely not something a sober Ji Qingyou would do.
“Stop looking at me.” Yu Qinjiu gripped her own fingertips.
“Why?” Ji Qingyou moved even closer, not docile at all. A strand of her falling hair even brushed against her chest.
The warm air from the heater blew down, making the fervent heart even hotter.
Yu Qinjiu loosened her clenched fingers, met Ji Qingyou’s gaze, then reached out with her warm fingers and slowly touched her flushed cheek.
Ji Qingyou’s body stiffened, a faint tremor in her gaze, but she didn’t stop her.
Breathing in and out, their breaths intertwined.
Yu Qinjiu leaned closer to Ji Qingyou, her gaze falling on her soft, moist red lips, and her fair, translucent neck. She paused for a very long time.
So long it felt like a thin thread was tying them together.
She couldn’t break free. Her throat moved.
Ji Qingyou noticed the stillness in her expression, tilted her head and watched her for a moment, then leaned in even closer. At that moment, the air conditioner wind picked up, blowing her light sea salt grapefruit scent over, filling every corner of Yu Qinjiu’s body.
In that instant.
Yu Qinjiu felt like she was being pulled by something. Her heartbeat, coming from her chest, slowly accelerated, more powerful than ever.
She looked up at the quiet Ji Qingyou, held her gaze in silence for a few seconds. Then, with trembling fingers, she gently turned Ji Qingyou’s face away. The soft touch still lingered on her fingers, but she said in a trembling voice,
“If you keep looking at me like that, we won’t be able to eat dinner.”
As soon as the words fell, her chin was gently lifted. She saw Ji Qingyou, who had turned her head away, look back at her and quietly gaze at her.
As if she had heard her thoughts, her usually calm eyes now seemed to be silently burning, incinerating the straight line connecting their gazes completely.
Suddenly, the finger resting on Yu Qinjiu’s chin trembled.
A shadow passed before her.
Her heart began to tremble. The spatula she was holding fell to the floor with a clatter, a bang sound.
After a few seconds, nothing came of the anticipated touch.
Her lips were empty.
The light wavered at that moment.
Before she could react, she saw that Ji Qingyou had already collapsed onto her shoulder. Her back was slightly bent, her messy hair spilling over onto her neck. Her breath landed on her skin, a little ticklish.
Warmth washed over her. Yu Qinjiu was stunned for a long time.
The lifted heart slowly sank back down to a safe boundary. She and the drunk Ji Qingyou retreated back into that boundary together.
She gently brushed aside Ji Qingyou’s hair, quietly watching her. After a long moment, she let out a soft sigh. Her voice was slow, mixed with a muffled melancholy.
“I thought, just now, that you wanted to kiss me too.”
