The black security door closed gently with a small creak. Gu Yu turned around as the lively atmosphere in the room slowly settled down. The girl had a personality that was very good at livening things up, adding a lot of festive cheer to his cold and quiet little apartment.
Yun Qianxin cleaned up the mess on the table and looked at Gu Yu, who was lingering by the door. “She’s a very cute girl. What do you think of little He Yu, Xiao Yu?”
“It’s just as you saw, Sister Qianxin. We’re friends who get along well, classmates… I’d say we have a pretty good relationship.”
“So she is — the other girl you’ve kissed?” Yun Qianxin was still smiling, her tone as calm as water, as if she were joking.
Gu Yu froze for 2 seconds before nodding in admission. “…Yes.”
“Xiao Yu, you’re quite impressive. She’s such a beautiful girl, too. Counting your sister, you’ve taken the kisses of three girls now. Does that count as being a playboy?”
“Don’t tease me, Sister Qianxin. Didn’t you kiss me forcefully? And He Yu, she also…”
“Also what?” Yun Qianxin tilted her head, her dark pupils watching Gu Yu’s hesitation.
“Nothing. Anyway, I just treat He Yu as a very good friend. My feelings for her… aren’t exactly like that.”
—
“Hey, that one, that one! I want to eat that.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll go buy it for you. What flavor do you want?”
“You’re the best. I want mango, and strawberry too.”
“Can you finish all that? You only ate a bit of the stuff we bought earlier before giving up.”
“Don’t I have you? My boyfriend trash can. Go on, hurry up.”
“I’ve spoiled you rotten, you little greedy cat.”
…
A young couple in the heat of passion brushed past her, holding hands. The girl’s voice was cloyingly sweet, and her somewhat affected tone drifted past He Yu’s ears with the wind. He Yu looked back once; the two were standing in front of a snack shop, the boy’s arm around the girl’s shoulder in an intimate embrace.
The cold wind howled on the street. A monotonous white had swept through the city following last night’s heavy snow. The already pitifully thin festive atmosphere of the New Year was buried and scattered. People retreated into their homes, and not a trace of the holiday’s joy could be found anymore.
He Yu tightened her thick wool sweater around her, gradually distancing herself from the couple lost in love. The white snow beneath her feet was 2 centimeters thick, and the biting wind cut across her delicate face.
Sharp icicles under the eaves fell and shattered on the ground, making crisp snapping sounds. He Yu suddenly stopped outside a clothing store. Her face was reflected in the clean display window.
‘Why would an expression like this appear on the face of a girl who fears nothing?’ ‘Frustration? Dejection? Unwillingness?’ She couldn’t clearly explain it herself. There was only a heavy sense of gloom that wouldn’t go away, as if a blurry shadow were hanging over her.
She was still so beautiful in the mirror, especially after dressing up carefully. She had a dainty nose, pale pink lips, and round eyes that were dark and bright. Her skin was delicate and as white as snow; by any standard, she looked like the kind of girl who could easily make a boy’s heart flutter.
But there was such a beautiful woman in that house. That mature, intellectual charm was something she didn’t have. Her tall figure matched the boy so well; she was poised, dignified, and elegant. He Yu’s confidence had been completely eroded.
Living under the same roof as a woman like that, He Yu’s face — which could easily become a highlight at school — didn’t seem to offer much of an advantage. He Yu wondered for no reason whether Yun Qianxin liked Gu Yu.
‘But they’re siblings. Even if they aren’t related by blood, there must be some connection, right? A forbidden love… is that a bit too detached from reality?’
He Yu patted her cheeks, shaking off those impolite, stray thoughts.
Even if Yun Qianxin wasn’t a love rival, there was still Luo Ming. Her luck was truly exceptionally bad. There were only one or two girls in the entire school who could compare to her in terms of looks, and it just so happened that the boy was on such good terms with the School Beauty.
The more the young girl thought about it, the less she understood. The boy didn’t actually seem to care that much about beauty, and she wasn’t much different from Luo Ming. Why was she losing so badly?
Gu Yu was clearly… the treasure she had discovered first. She was the one who came first, so why was someone else’s name written on him first?
Feeling dejected, He Yu walked into her neighborhood and found her front door among a row of grand, exquisite high-rises. The spacious hallway was paved with hard marble tiles, and cold white light filtered in through the window.
After opening the door and entering the house, she could hear the small talk of her parents and relatives visiting for the New Year. The laughter among the adults paused for a moment because of her. A kind woman smiled and greeted her, “Little Yu is back! Come here and let your aunt see if you’ve grown taller.”
He Yu kept her head down as she walked over, calling out to her aunt in a low, spiritless voice.
“Oh my, you’ve grown a lot taller. You’re getting prettier and prettier. In a few years, you’ll be able to find a boyfriend.” The woman patted her head, looking her well-behaved and likable niece up and down.
“Studies are more important right now. The National Higher Education Entrance Examination is next year,” Mother He interjected.
“That’s true. Little Yu, have you thought about where you want to go? Do you want to go abroad?”
“Forget about going abroad. I… I’ll see.” He Yu took two steps back, putting some distance between herself and the woman. “I don’t feel very well. I’m going to go sleep first.”
“Not feeling well? Are you dizzy? Did you catch a cold?”
“No, I’m just a little tired. I’ll be fine after a nap.”
Having said that, He Yu returned to her room. The nagging of her parents and the woman was shut out behind the door. She leaned her back against the door, her legs gradually losing strength until she sat directly on the floor.
She fished her phone out of her pocket. Several new messages with red dots appeared in her list. Aside from advertisements and groups, there was one private message.
“Okay. Sorry to bother you.”
That was a former classmate from Class 4, a fairly handsome boy with average grades. He was usually playful and often used little tricks to try and get her attention.
Later, he didn’t transfer into the Elite Class. Yesterday, taking advantage of the New Year’s festive spirit, he had summoned the courage to confess.
At that time, He Yu had been chatting with the only person in her “Special Concern” list. That big idiot had annoyed her again, and she had wanted to vent her anger on this unlucky guy who happened to walk into her line of fire. However, after hesitating for a long time, she hadn’t pressed the confirmation button to blacklist him.
She hadn’t accepted the boy’s friend request. He had messaged her through the Class Group Chat, using some “romantic” lines he had likely copied from somewhere, which only served to irritate her.
After setting him to “Block this person,” He Yu swiped the screen to exit and clicked on the chat interface for her “Special Concern.”
“Do you want Boss He to give you a New Year’s Red Envelope?”
“Does Boss count as an elder?”
“Cut the crap. Do you want it or not?”
“I appreciate the kindness, but I’ll pass on the Red Envelope. Happy New Year.”
Half a second later, He Yu sent a Voice Red Envelope anyway. The required voice content was: “Sister He Yu, I like you.”
“I think I’m older than you, Boss He?”
“You talk too much. Collect it quickly, or I’ll beat you up next time.”
The messages stopped for a while. Then came a voice message from the boy; her Red Envelope had been claimed.
“This much? Boss, did you make a mistake?”
“You’re not allowed to return it, or I’ll beat you.”
After sending the message, He Yu clicked on that voice clip. The boy’s clear voice came from the phone, sounding like he was reciting poetry, devoid of emotion.
A faint smile appeared on the girl’s face. She pressed the button to turn off the screen, put down her phone, and looked up at her very “girly” room in a daze.
There was a star-shaped desk lamp, a neat wardrobe, and pink bedsheets. On the bookshelf against the wall, layers of books that weren’t girly at all were neatly stacked. In the most prominent position was the birthday gift the boy had given her last year.