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墨書 Inktalez
Only Jiang Liuying still maintained her usual cool and aloof expression. The corner of her mouth moved slightly, revealing a smug smile, as if to tell Qinglan and Shen Xiaomeng, "You just said I didn't know about the changing seasons! How could you not notice such an important event?"
Under everyone's questioning, Hu Jiao'er revealed her background.
It turned out she was born in Northeast China, with a Russian mother and a father from Xi'an. She only returned to her father's hometown in Xi'an after living in Northeast China until she was six years old.
"My mom and dad had a cross-national romance."
"Wow, what a romantic love story."
The four girls, who had yet to experience their own romantic relationships, looked at her with longing expressions.
"Ah, ah, ah, it was Liuying who was talking about Shen Xiaomeng. How did it end up being about me?" Hu Jiao'er suddenly realized and pushed everyone away.
Looking out the window again, the snow had stopped.
Figures were stumbling outside. That was the path to the cafeteria.
"It's time to eat. Ladies, let's go." Jiao'er waved her hand and turned back to rummage through her bed. "Where's my meal card?"
"This scatterbrained girl is always looking for something," Shen Xiaomeng said, shaking her head helplessly at Hu Jiao'er's flustered appearance.
"Hu Jiao'er, when are you going to change this forgetful habit of yours?" Jiang Liuying walked over to Hu Jiao'er's bed holding a meal card and tossed it onto the bed. "This is the last time; next time it will be confiscated for treating others." Liuying's expression was serious.
Hu Jiao'er hurriedly thanked Liuying submissively. "It's fine if it's confiscated next time, as long as it's not the time after that; I only have ten yuan on my card." Then, a sly smile appeared on Hu Jiao'er's face again.
"Go away, go away." Liuying no longer played along with her and impatiently pushed her away.
Outside, heavy snow was falling. Qinglan thought Xu Wen wouldn't come to invite her to dinner. It was the weekend, the weather was bad, and he was a local; she assumed he would stay home.
Just as she, along with Liuying and Hu Jiao'er, reached the bottom of the dormitory building, she saw Xu Wen standing in the snow, holding an umbrella, quietly waiting for her.
Upon seeing Xu Wen, Liuying and the others giggled and playfully left Qinglan behind.
"What are you doing here?"
How silly that question sounded!
As soon as she said it, Qinglan felt how foolish her words were.
Wasn't he always waiting for her here?
Yes, he often waited for her here, but every time she saw him, Qinglan felt as if it were their first date; her cheeks would flush and her heart would race.
He could stand anywhere, even in a shabby or desolate place.
Like now, as night was approaching and dusk settled in, amidst the vast snowy landscape, behind him stood a frail Little Osmanthus Tree bent low under the weight of the snow. In the distance was a set of steps leading up; one side of the steps bordered a bank made of blue bricks plastered with various torn advertisements and lost-and-found notices that fluttered in the biting cold wind.
In reality, the scene behind him should have appeared bleak and lonely, but because he was there, holding a black umbrella and standing in the wind, it transformed into a picturesque ink wash painting of a snowy landscape.
So every time she saw him, Qinglan felt a sense of awe and brilliance.
People passing by him, whether in crowds or sparse groups, would pause to look at him longer and turn back more frequently. This always moved Qinglan; it seemed like he was surrounded by a spotlight. As she took a step closer to him, she felt that the light of that spotlight shone on her too.
But she is not a star. She cannot adapt to the spotlight as he does.
So whenever she approaches him, she always feels a bit uneasy, her face flushed and her heart racing, feeling flustered inside.
When she feels flustered, she doesn't know how to talk to him.
He smiles slightly, "I'll wait for you."
Such simple words.
He is always like this; when she is anxious, he reveals his neat and charming teeth and gives her a gentle smile. He never thinks her questions are silly; he always answers her seriously.
As she gets closer to him, his approachable demeanor and subtly elegant aura can always dispel Qinglan's unease and embarrassment within half a meter of distance.
He is so natural, stepping forward at just the right moment to stand in front of Qinglan, neither too close nor too far.
He neither makes Qinglan feel pressured nor distant; it is just right. Almost never does he exceed this boundary.
He quietly places the umbrella over Qinglan's head. "Let's go, we are going to eat." His voice is as low and gentle as ever.
"Okay." Qinglan nods.
As for what to do after dinner? Qinglan never asks; she simply follows him. If he arranges self-study, she joins him for self-study. If he suggests taking a walk, she accompanies him for a stroll.
Being with him, Qinglan never has to worry about anything; everything is arranged perfectly by him.
After dinner, Xu Wen did not mention what he wanted to do, and Qinglan did not ask; she simply followed him.
He walked towards the library.
She silently walked beside him.
When they reached the small path next to the basketball court, he stopped, his eyes gazing into the distance behind the basketball court.
In the night, from afar, on a large lawn behind the basketball court, five or six figures were having a snowball fight. Faint laughter drifted into their ears.
Xu Wen stood frozen in the middle of the path.
Qinglan looked at him from the side.
"Do you want to join them?"
Qinglan thought he was a refined boy. It was said that he had a strict upbringing, and from the bits and pieces he shared about his childhood, Qinglan could tell that aside from studying, he had spent most of his time learning literature and arts at his parents' insistence. He probably had never played wildly in the snow before; at least he hadn't done so since growing up.
He turned to Qinglan with a smile, "Yeah, a little. I remember having snowball fights when I was in elementary school. Back then, I lived in the school's courtyard. My parents didn't have high positions, so we lived on the first floor where it was convenient to come and go. That time was my happiest time. Later, we moved, and the houses we lived in kept getting higher off the ground, so I hardly played anymore."
His voice was soft, carrying a hint of nostalgia but not sadness. He was a wonderful boy who rarely felt sorrow; even when he complied with others' wishes entirely, he never held any resentment, always accepting quietly and gracefully. His calmness and elegance often left Qinglan feeling dazed as if everything around them had come to a standstill along with his tranquil state of mind.
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