When Long Aotian woke up, two hours had already passed.
He glanced at the group chat, noticing the call had been disconnected at so point. Stretching, he got up from the bed, walked to the window, and pulled back the curtains. Outside, snowflakes continued to swirl without any sign of stopping.
This kind of weather truly felt like what Wan Ning had described—perfect for burrowing under the blankets, listening to music, and sleeping at ho.
Suddenly, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, Long Aotian picked it up and answered.
"Long Aotian, are you awake yet? Co out and go shopping with ."
Hearing Li Qingxue's voice, a faint smile unconsciously tugged at the corners of his lips. "Where?"
Staying ho alone was boring anyway; going out for a stroll sounded nice.
"I'm leaving ho now. Let's et at the place where we first t."
After hanging up, Li Qingxue slipped her phone into her pocket and studied her reflection in the mirror.
Her skin was smooth and radiant despite the winter dryness, her outfit neat and accessorized with small, deliberate touches. The sweet smile on her face completed the picture—this was about as lovely as a woman could look.
Tucking her short hair behind her ears, she put on a white knitted hat and pink knitted gloves before cheerfully stepping out of her room.
"Xue'er, you’re dressed so beautifully today. Are you eting soone special?"
In the living room, Qingxue's mother couldn’t help but tease her daughter.
Li Qingxue froze for a mont.
She was going to et soone—the first person she had ever truly liked after understanding what love ant.
But she still didn’t know how to explain her relationship with Long Aotian to her parents.
It was complicated.
Had she t him that sumr?
Or was it because of him that she had experienced such an unforgettable sumr?
Falling for soone might happen in just a mont—a mont she hadn’t even realized at the ti. Yet, like a seed quietly taking root in her heart, it had grown without her noticing.
By the ti she beca aware of it, that seed had already beco a towering tree.
Loving Long Aotian might be the bravest thing she had ever done.
But… but she didn’t regret it at all. Every ti she thought of the monts they shared, an inexplicable joy bubbled up inside her.
She wasn’t a naive girl anymore. She was an adult now, fully aware of her choices.
A soft smile graced her delicate face—whether from thinking of Long Aotian or as an unspoken answer to her mother, only Li Qingxue knew what truly crossed her mind in that instant.
"I’m going out to have fun, Mom. Talk to you later!" With that, she left the house.
The mont she stepped out of the building, the cold wind hit her.
So cold.
Yet neither the biting wind nor the falling snow could slow her determined steps.
She walked along the riverbank, where the edges had already frozen, though the center still flowed relentlessly.
The familiar sound of the water instantly transported her back to that sumr.
Their first eting had been so… magical.
Her footsteps quickened slightly.
In the distance, she spotted a figure standing by the riverside.
"Long Aotian!"
Hearing her voice, Long Aotian looked up just as she threw herself into his arms amid the swirling snow.
"Aren’t you cold? Why run so fast?"
"Long Aotian, did you miss ?" Wrapped in his embrace, Li Qingxue felt an inexplicable sense of peace, as if nothing else mattered anymore.
"I did."
The hope and sincerity in her eyes remained as pure as ever. If there were a goddess in this world who brought joy and happiness, Long Aotian was certain—it had to be Li Qingxue.
His answer filled her heart with indescribable happiness.
Gazing at the riverbank, she said, "I want to go down there."
Long Aotian led her to the steps, carefully kicking aside the accumulated snow while holding her hand as they descended toward the river.
"Long Aotian, do you rember where you were lying when we first t?" The warmth from his palm seeped through even her thick gloves.
"Over there." He pointed in a direction.
"Nope! It was here." She tugged him to a specific spot. "You were lying right here."
"And then I t a little fool who was so upset she was about to cry, wasn’t she?"
"I’m not a fool! I was just… a little unhappy back then."
Looking back now, if she had known what kind of person Ye Liangchen would turn out to be, she would never have wasted her sadness on him.
"You should be grateful. If I hadn’t been upset, how would you have started a conversation with ? And if you hadn’t talked to , how would you have gotten to know ? And if you hadn’t known , how could a beauty like have ended up with a grass-grabbing fiend like you?"
As she spoke, Li Qingxue pulled her hand out of her glove and pinched the soft flesh at Long Aotian’s waist. "Long Aotian, be honest—now that you’ve gotten all three of us sisters, you’re thrilled, aren’t you?"
"Do I have to answer?"
"Yes!"
"Of course I am. I must be the luckiest man in the world." With that, Long Aotian swiftly pinched her soft cheek and then darted away.
"Ugh, I knew it! You’ve had your eyes on us for ages, you fiend!" She chased after him.
"If you’ve figured it out, then I might as well go all out!"
"I’m not scared!" She leaped into his arms.
But then, her playful energy suddenly settled. "Long Aotian."
"Yeah?"
"I just… wanted to say your na. It still feels like a dream."
He leaned down and kissed her lightly. "How about now?"
She blinked up at him. "Still a little."
Another kiss. "And now?"
Li Qingxue grinned. "A bit more real now."
"Take shopping. I don’t care about the future—I just want you today, right now."
"Okay."
"You didn’t even bring a hat. Your hair’s covered in snow—bend down so I can brush it off."
The mont he lowered his head, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I’ve caught you. And once I’ve got you, I’m never letting go."
"You’re even more domineering than I am." Scooping her up, he carried her back up the riverbank...
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