Amidst the crowd, a girl appeared. She had long, silky hair, a delicate, pretty face, and a snow mink coat wrapped around her figure. Walking against the wind and snow, she carried herself with unexpected elegance.
She was beautiful. A white beret on her head had gathered a thin layer of snow, and her rosy cheeks made her look all the more radiant.
Mo Yachen's smile froze as he watched her emerge from the crowd. Not only him—even Yu Yuan's mouth twitched.
The girl's gloved hand carried a rare white purse, and behind her, she was pulling along someone—Qin Xiao.
December 25th, 9 a.m.
"Ah—ah?!"
"Hey, let's go out today! The three of us already booked a spot for lunch. We're just missing you."
"Uh… Tang Li, I… I already have plans today. Maybe next time?"
"What? Wait—who are you meeting today?!"
The voice on the other end shot up several levels, nearly deafening Ji Yu.
"Do you realize what it means to go on a date today?! Who are you going with? Does Aunt Ji or Jie know about this? You—you—you're—"
Ji Yu hadn't expected Tang Li to react so violently. He ranted in her ear for several minutes, not letting her get a word in.
Finally, with her head pounding, Ji Yu snapped, "Yes, I'm going on a date today! But it's with another girl, okay?!"
"A… girl? Since when do you have female friends?"
That comment made her face flush red with both embarrassment and irritation. "What's that supposed to mean? Why can't I have female friends?!"
Her raised voice carried outside her room. When she opened the door, both her mother and Jie were standing there, clearly having heard everything.
"Ji Yu… do you really have a boyfriend? Why don't you bring him home for us to meet? You silly child, you should've told us! Your sister and I would never stop you—we'd even give you advice."
Her mother spoke with a mix of sternness and tenderness, eyes slightly misty. Beside her, Ji Yu's older sister folded her arms, staring with the kind of grievance that made Ji Yu feel like she owed her something.
Ji Yu lowered her gaze, lips pressed tight, fighting the urge to cry. She knew why everyone was so worked up, but how could they understand? She couldn't just reject Mo Yachen outright… but she did have a plan.
"Little beauty, finally willing to take the initiative to call your big sister?"
"Qin Xiao-jie, um… are you free tonight?"
"Oh? And what if I already had plans tonight? What would you do then, hmm?"
"If you had plans, that means you don't, right? So… will you go out with me tonight?"
Qin Xiao had been expecting this. In fact, nearly every holiday, Ji Yu would call her with a similar request. The young woman on the other end crossed her arms and smirked knowingly.
"Hehe, sure. I'll keep you company tonight. But… you know my price isn't cheap, right?"
She hung up with a lazy laugh, then slumped back on her couch, staring at her phone expectantly.
"Xiao Xiao, who was that? Why are you smiling so much?"
Behind the sofa, a refined-looking woman set down her water cup and sat beside Qin Xiao, linking arms with her like an intimate friend.
"My little boyfriend. He asked me out tonight. Envious?"
"Oh? And where did you pick up this boy?"
"Hmm… he's the type who never takes the initiative. Interesting, isn't he?"
The two women shared a smile, then turned back to the phone, though Qin Xiao's lips soon drooped a little.
"…Mom, Yu Yuan still isn't coming back for New Year. I'll ask him again in a few days."
"I see…"
A short silence passed, then her phone lit up again.
"Ahem… Qin Xiao-jie, if I were to… book you for the whole night, what would it take?"
As evening fell, snow grew heavier. Flakes drifted down from the gray sky, blanketing the city in white. They landed on heads, shoulders, and even slipped quietly into hearts.
At the entrance of the boutique where they had first met, Ji Yu stood waiting. She tucked loose strands of hair behind her ear and glanced at her reflection in the glass window. Smiling softly, she opened her palm to catch falling snowflakes.
Inside, Qin Xiao tugged Ji Yu in and sat her down. Looking closely at Ji Yu's wind-rouged face and messy makeup, she couldn't help but twitch her lips, fighting back a laugh.
"Pfft—"
"Qin Xiao-jie, what are you laughing at?"
Ji Yu tugged at her sleeve, pulling her gaze back. Then she leaned closer, her wide, crystal-blue eyes pleading. She needed Qin Xiao's help tonight—needed her to keep her safe. Even if it meant letting her tease a little.
Warm lights filled the shop. A few of Ji Yu's favorite acoustic guitar songs played softly in the background, blending with the glow.
"So… you don't actually have feelings for this boy tonight, but you also don't want him to lose face, right?"
Qin Xiao summarized after Ji Yu stumbled through her explanation.
Ji Yu just sat there, letting Qin Xiao pinch and squish her cheeks, nodding helplessly.
"Silly girl. Your reasoning makes sense, but you still haven't explained—why drag me along tonight?"
Ji Yu pouted, then suddenly slipped behind her, wrapping her arms around Qin Xiao like a spoiled child.
"Please, jie-jie~~ Just come with me this once."
Outside, snow fell in thick clusters, covering the world in a pure, serene white. Qin Xiao sighed, her lips curving upward as she let Ji Yu sway her gently, secretly enjoying her rare act of dependence.