Lin Xinyuan tapped on the unfamiliar profile picture, a photo of a sunset at dusk, seemingly never changed all this time…
The latest message was sent nearly two hours ago, and after a long time, it wasn’t a payment notification but a voice message.
He clicked to listen, and a mature, pleasant female voice came through the speaker: “I’ll be at your place tomorrow.”
Though the tone still sounded like a stranger’s, without any direct naming.
But this time, Lin Xinyuan felt something different, as if it wasn’t so cold anymore.
Heh… just an illusion…
She thought for a long while, and finally could only reply with a single word: “Mm.”
No response came back, and Lin Xinyuan absentmindedly scrolled through his phone, killing time, waiting for Qin Nanfeng to return.
About twenty minutes later, a knock sounded at the door.
Lin Xinyuan was puzzled—by rights, that annoying yellow-haired guy shouldn’t be back so early.
Still, she immediately got up and walked to the door.
After peeking through the peephole, she opened it.
“It’s snowing outside, fewer people around. Makes me not have to wait in line as long.” The handsome young man held up a takeout dinner, waving it in front of the girl, smiling at her.
Hearing Qin Nanfeng’s voice, the girl froze for a moment, then quickly went to open the balcony door and looked outside.
Sure enough, snowflakes were beginning to fall from the sky.
This was Lin Xinyuan’s first time seeing snow with her own eyes, not just as something distant in online videos.
It had been clear just this morning, but now the wind was howling fiercely.
The snow had only just started falling, the sky was somewhat dim, with scattered white specks on the buildings.
The girl still couldn’t fully enjoy the long-awaited snowy scenery.
“Come out and put on a coat.”
A thick garment was draped over her thin, slender back—taken from the air-conditioned room—so as soon as she put it on, Lin Xinyuan felt warm.
“Mm…”
Lin Xinyuan responded, tightening the thick coat around herself, her gaze still fixed straight ahead at the sky beyond the glass.
Under the dim sky approaching Snow Night, countless lights from homes and neon signs from shops lit up.
Tianbei City had welcomed the frost and snow early, lightly tapping on the balcony glass, appearing eager.
“First time seeing snow?”
Qin Nanfeng also looked outside, glancing at the girl beside him, who was clearly a little excited.
His deep voice brought the dazed girl back to her senses.
She turned her head to look at him, catching a glimpse of his superior profile.
Though it was a bit too tall, making her strain her neck to look up.
Qin Nanfeng seemed to notice her gaze and turned his head as well.
The two met eyes, and silence fell.
Finally, Lin Xinyuan couldn’t bear the young man’s stare and was the first to look away.
“Y-yeah… I’ve never seen it in person before, because there’s no snow back in my hometown.”
She lifted her head, looking at the sky, with only a faint glow remaining.
The sky was gray and overcast, like her mood at the moment.
But thinking that annoying yellow-haired guy was right beside her gave her a strange sense of reassurance—like a single light shining amidst countless city lights…
After a while, Lin Xinyuan suddenly thought of something and couldn’t help but smile a little.
She looked back at Qin Nanfeng:
“Hey, Qin Nanfeng, do you know there’s a saying about snow back where I’m from?”
“What?”
The girl’s smile was bright and cheerful.
Qin Nanfeng, after a brief pause, cooperated by asking.
“In my hometown… there’s a saying that snow only falls in the North…”
Her eyes sparkled like stars: “So, you’re from the North… right?”
Lin Xinyuan had just remembered this saying.
Of course, it was a joke and shouldn’t be taken seriously.
If it were true, some places in her province would lose their provincial status.
She was just bored and curious about what Qin Nanfeng would say.
“You can’t be wrong in saying that… I do count as Northern.”
Qin Nanfeng had some friends from Guangdong Province and had naturally heard this saying before, answering this question many times.
Seeing the girl so interested, he felt a strange sensation—an odd desire to share—that he hadn’t felt with others.
But if he were to be honest, it was true, though it was long ago—so long that even he had forgotten…
“Huh?”
Lin Xinyuan didn’t expect that reaction from the annoying yellow-haired guy.
She had anticipated many reactions from Qin Nanfeng.
Speechless, indifferent, even defensive—but never an admission.
Right? Bro?
Seeing the girl’s slightly parted lips in surprise, Qin Nanfeng chuckled.
Noticing her curiosity was about to overflow, he felt a faint joy—not only from her reaction but from her no longer falling into confusion…
At that moment, Qin Nanfeng suddenly realized something, a chill running through his heart.
He should have thought of it long ago but had been avoiding it all along…
How could this be…
Looking at the girl’s fair, delicate face, he vaguely felt that the boy he used to know was becoming a fading memory.
In his memory, this face was all that remained.
Holding back his feelings, Qin Nanfeng smiled quietly: “What’s so strange about it? My household registration is actually from Qilu. I came here when I was in elementary school.”
“Oh…”
Though a little surprised, Lin Xinyuan could understand after thinking it over.
No wonder this guy sometimes cursed in Qilu dialect and mixed it with local Tianbei slang.
So that’s where he was from…
After a while, Qin Nanfeng finally remembered they hadn’t eaten dinner yet, so he said, “Let’s eat first. It won’t be good if it gets cold.”
As he spoke, he looked at the furry little head beside him.
His hand twitched involuntarily and slowly reached out to touch it.
Silence—
The two stared at each other, both a little stunned.
“Sorry.”
Qin Nanfeng suddenly realized what he’d been doing and calmly withdrew his hand.
After the initial shock, Lin Xinyuan didn’t think much of it but looked a bit exasperated: “Can you stop treating me like a kid? Touching my head will make me stupid.”
Her careless words, paired with her clear and beautiful face, made Qin Nanfeng find it rather amusing.
He raised an eyebrow:
“So, does that mean you’re already stupid?”
“You!” Lin Xinyuan was at a loss for words, only able to grumble with a displeased laugh, “Forget it, I’m not arguing with you anymore. Hmph…”
Annoying yellow-haired guy, damn yellow hair!
She’d let it go when he messed with her girlfriend—after all, she no longer cared about Li Xue.
But now, he liked to pick on her every day, and she always ended up on the losing side.
Her skills at retorting weren’t bad, just not in front of strangers…
I’ll remember this! Hmph!
One day… I’ll get my revenge… yes!
Lin Xinyuan thought somewhat doubtfully as she grudgingly stepped inside.
Qin Nanfeng said nothing, a smile on his lips, following the girl’s retreating figure inside.
Just seeing Lin Xinyuan’s face, flushed and frustrated from his teasing, made him inexplicably comfortable…
Qin Nanfeng’s eyes darkened.
This feeling—he wanted more of it…
The ambition deep in his heart quietly grew, imperceptible but unstoppable, destined to spread like wildfire one day…