The crowded bus stopped in front of the station sign with a jolt. The crowd of passengers began leaving through the narrow rear door one after another. Gu Yu was the last one to get off, and as soon as he stepped down, a blast of biting cold air hit him in the face.
He could see the girl waiting in the bus shelter at a single glance. She was wearing the same snow-white knit sweater from that photo. Half of her exquisite small face was tucked into a pink scarf, revealing eyes as crystal clear as diamonds. A Fork-shaped Hairpin was pinned to her beautiful, thick black hair.
Without a trace of makeup, she was as beautiful as a Winter Plum standing proudly in the bitter winter.
“Hmm… your hair is a bit messy, but overall, you’re qualified.” Luo Ming also spotted Gu Yu in the crowd immediately. She appraised his outfit and gave her evaluation.
She raised her hand to tidy the stray, bothersome strands of hair on the forehead of the boy, who was less than half a head taller than her. She nodded in satisfaction. “There, that’s better. You’re clearly very handsome; don’t let your hairstyle ruin it.”
“I just tidied it up casually. Being handsome won’t put food on the table.”
“Well, it’s still better than not being handsome at all. Since this is a date, you have to be a good boyfriend today and listen to me.” The girl tilted her face up and wrinkled her dainty nose, looking somewhat proud.
“Is it really… that kind of date?”
“What else would it be? I accompanied you last time, so you have to keep me company today.” As Luo Ming spoke, she took Gu Yu’s hand and slid a Silver-White Bracelet onto his wrist. “A New Year Gift. You aren’t allowed to refuse.”
The Silver-White Bracelet looked very finely crafted. The pattern was simple and beautiful, not looking at all like a cheap item bought randomly from a street stall.
“This… must be very expensive, right?”
“You’re supposed to say thank you first when you receive a gift from a girl, silly. If it were expensive, would you not accept it? You can’t return it, you know.”
“… Thank you, Luo Ming.”
“Hee-hee, am I being quite unreasonable? I said I wouldn’t accept expensive gifts casually, yet here I am forcing you to take this one.” Luo Ming smiled sweetly, her cunning tone laced with mischief.
“Should I disagree?”
“It’s all the same. I’m your girlfriend right now, so I’m the boss. Actually, it wasn’t that expensive, so don’t worry about it. Come on, come with me to do something interesting.”
Luo Ming held Gu Yu’s hand without a care and pulled him toward one end of the long street. The smile on her face was beautiful and brilliant—a rare, bright, and warm color in this bitter winter.
Her palm was warm, and her fingers were slender, yet his hand was overall a size larger than hers. Luo Ming gripped him firmly as if she were unsatisfied, wanting to keep him completely under her control.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll know when we get there. Anyway, you can’t run away now, so just follow me obediently.” The girl’s tone was bossy, but it was clear she was very happy.
Passersby hurried past them. The girl’s somewhat excessive beauty attracted many gazes. Gu Yu allowed himself to be led by her blankly, their footprints adding to the thin layer of snow on the ground.
‘This is the version of her I hoped for,’ he thought. She was clean, beautiful, positive, and optimistic. Even the most desolate winter could not bury her. She was also… the version of her that needed him the least.
Their joined hands suddenly shifted so that their fingers were interlocked. Luo Ming’s delicate, soft fingers slid between his own. This grip was much tighter, their palms pressing together as if they could feel each other’s heartbeats through their pulses.
“Gu Yu, you’re willing to go along with my nonsense this time, right?”
“Yeah, I have no problem with it.”
“Then…” Luo Ming suddenly stopped and turned back. She used her other hand to pull down the scarf covering the lower half of her face, revealing thin, moist lips. “I’m a little tired from walking. I need to recharge my energy.”
“There’s someone selling egg pancakes over there. I’ll go—”
“How could an egg pancake be as delicious as you?”
Luo Ming stood slightly on her tiptoes. Her cherry-pink lips quietly touched the boy’s dry lips. Her clear eyes reflected his bashful, panicked face. The entire world seemed to fall silent, and time froze in that instant.
The brief moment of beauty vanished in a flash. Luo Ming pulled away abruptly, the shy crimson of a young girl spreading across her cheeks. “There are so many people. I’m a little embarrassed, so let’s leave it at that for now.”
“Oh… okay.”
Luo Ming turned her back to Gu Yu and continued forward while holding his hand. Her shoulder-length braids swayed gently against her back, and the fair skin visible on the side of her neck remained flushed.
Even under a calm and rational mindset, that hint of sweetness could still easily trigger a wave of greed. Luo Ming realized she had overestimated her own rationality. If she stayed a moment longer, she wouldn’t be able to restrain herself.
Their footsteps passed between low buildings. The snow-covered structures slowly receded behind them, and the noisy sounds of people and cars gradually faded. A wide, tree-lined path appeared before them, where the branches of tall, old trees were bent under the weight of the snow.
This road led toward a small mountain clad in silver. White snow covered the entire landscape. Halfway up the mountain sat an old temple where the only monk in the area lived.
The mountain path was curved and flat. The overgrown weeds had not managed to take over the road, so it was not difficult to walk. The surroundings were silent; the only sound was the occasional soft thud of snow falling from the branches of the old trees to the ground.
Gu Yu looked around at the dense forest and asked in confusion, “Luo Ming, isn’t the date spot you chose a bit strange?”
“Those other places are too noisy. It’s very quiet here, and there’s no one around. I like it better.”
“You seem pretty noisy yourself today. You feel a bit different than usual.”
“Then which version of me do you like more?” Luo Ming slowed her pace to walk side-by-side with Gu Yu, her gaze flickering toward the boy’s features.
“The current one, I suppose. This version of you looks… very happy and energetic.”
“Well, if you can keep me happy, I can stay like this forever.”
The corners of Luo Ming’s mouth curled into a sweet arc, her eyes brimming with laughter as she tightened her grip on Gu Yu’s hand.
“Then… what makes you happy?”
“Why don’t you guess?”
The girl let out a soft laugh, her beautiful eyes curving into crescents. She looked incredibly adorable.
“I… I can’t guess. Didn’t you say I was silly?”
“Then I’ll tell you once you’ve guessed it, silly.”
After she spoke, the two continued forward in silence. Two sets of footprints stretched out across the snow. The temple was not far away, and they reached it in about ten or so minutes.
It was an old, dark red temple gate belonging to a low-standing temple built of black bricks and tiles. A stooped, bald elderly man was sweeping the snow in front of the gate. This final point where time had settled felt exceptionally lonely and desolate.
The old man caught sight of the only visitors of the winter. A kind smile appeared on his wrinkled face, and he asked in a shaky, aged voice, “Have you children come to pray to Buddha? Do you have a request for the Lord Buddha?”
“We’re praying for our studies. Grandpa, can we go in?”
“Go on, go on. The Buddha will protect you.”
Gu Yu did not speak. He was pulled past the old man by Luo Ming.
He glanced back at the old man, who looked like a withered branch or a yellowed leaf. The Old Monk was also looking at them. His dark yellow monastic robes were tattered but clean, and there seemed to be an inexplicable meaning in his hollow eyes.
Stepping into the ruined, ancient temple, a pungent smell of dust filled their nostrils. A tall statue of Buddha stood on a high platform, looking down at the two of them.