"Ji Yu…"
His voice trembled with emotion. The girl before him, her face flushed crimson, looked even more breathtaking. Joy broke across his face as he stepped forward—only to stop short. He realized, in that instant, what her intentions tonight were. Slowly, he drew back.
"These past months… I've been watching you. Quietly. I never dared disturb your life. Every time I asked you to come—it was always under the excuse of student council duties."
The retreat of that single step made Ji Yu's heart lurch. She lifted her gaze and met his eyes, dark and glistening under the dim light, sincerity shining there like crystals.
"I've been walking toward you for so long… Would you be willing to take just one step toward me?"
His eyes wavered, heavy with the weight of expectation. Deep down, he already knew the answer she would give. And yet—her hand had reached for his earlier, she had walked beside him quietly through the snow. That gave him the smallest sliver of hope.
"I… I…"
No words would come. Ji Yu could only stand there, silent, while snowflakes landed on the branches above with soft tap, tap sounds.
In the shadows—
Qin Xiao crouched behind the trees, straining to watch. She couldn't hear their words, nor see their expressions clearly.
"If it's like you said," Yu Yuan muttered beside her, "then my friend will probably leave disappointed tonight."
"That may be true," came a new voice, "but anything's possible. At least that girl doesn't look miserable."
Qin Xiao whipped around. A young woman she hadn't noticed before was sitting casually on a folding chair, cigarette between her fingers, gaze tilted up at the moon with boredom.
At her feet, several Samoyeds in little coats wagged their tails, the fluffy plumes thumping rhythmically against her legs.
Qin Xiao's glare could have burned holes in the woman's face—an unspoken accusation for having "kidnapped" her and Yu Yuan into this farce. But the stranger only shrugged and offered a bright, cheeky smile.
"Hey, don't stare at me like that! This is my brother's first time confessing to a girl. You two tagging along the whole night—that's not right, is it?"
"Besides, what kind of young people spend Christmas following others around instead of having your own date?"
Young people?
The phrase stung Qin Xiao. Yes, technically she still counted as young, but she was already considered a "leftover" by society's standards. Her friends were married, some already preparing for children. And she was still single.
But to hear it from a girl obviously younger than herself—a girl who made a terrible first impression? She almost dropped her polite mask and gave her a lesson in "respecting your elders."
"…Sister Xunhan," Yu Yuan coughed awkwardly before Qin Xiao could roll up her sleeves, "she's my sister."
"What?!" Mo Xunhan's cigarette almost fell from her lips.
"Mm." Yu Yuan rubbed his head, embarrassed, and quickly turned his attention back to Ji Yu and Mo Yachen in the snow.
Xunhan grimaced. That complicated things. Given her brother's reputation as a reckless flirt, she had assumed any girl near him was another naïve victim. But this was his real sister… and from her aura alone, Xunhan couldn't help recalling their own family's formidable mother.
She forced a polite smile, ready to soften her tone. But before she could speak, the crescent moon slid behind the clouds, plunging the woods into a chill darkness once more.
Catching that smile, Qin Xiao narrowed her eyes. Then, with a mischievous grin, she lunged forward, pressing Xunhan into her chair, ruffling her hair mercilessly with ice-cold hands—a very "elderly" kind of affection.
Yu Yuan snickered at the scene, then sighed softly and turned back to the couple framed by the snow.
Ji Yu drew in a sharp breath. When she raised her eyes, she met Mo Yachen's gaze head-on as he crouched to her level. Their eyes locked—and her cheeks flared red again. She quickly looked away.
Maybe he understood. Avoidance didn't always mean rejection. Sometimes, it meant shyness. That was a good sign.
Half a minute passed before Mo Yachen could no longer contain himself. He gently rested his hands on her shoulders, gazing at her profile—the blush on her pale skin, the earrings half-hidden by her hair.
"Ji Yu… you… you're so beautiful tonight."
Her face deepened to scarlet, her head ducking even lower. Panic flared in his eyes as he stammered out, "N-no! I don't mean it like that—I just mean… you really do look beautiful tonight."
Yu Yuan stared, stunned by this uncharacteristic fumbling. Even the two women behind the trees stopped their bickering, sneaking closer with dazed smiles.
"Love, huh? So sweet," Qin Xiao murmured. "I've grown this old and never had a proper relationship."
"You? Old?" Xunhan snorted. "Still pretending to be pure at your age?"
"…What did you just say?!"
For the first time, Yu Yuan felt utterly outmatched—two women on either side, both too much for him to handle. He could only scoot aside helplessly.
"Right, almost forgot!" Xunhan skipped over to the fluffy Samoyeds, unclipping their little coats. "Alright, little ones, time to help your big brother charm a girl!"
The dogs wagged furiously, bursting with barely contained excitement.
…
Meanwhile, Ji Yu still trembled, silent, eyes shut tight, her face glowing crimson.
The silence was deafening.
Too deafening. Her shivers grew so strong even Mo Yachen could feel them. Concerned, his blue-tinged eyes softened with fatigue. He shrugged off his coat and draped it over her shoulders, forcing a wry smile.
"Let's go. We'll find someplace warm."
The truth was, he was exhausted. He had never been the type to memorize "love lines" or study romance. While others focused on dating, he spent his nights poring over art online, leaving long, thoughtful critiques.
Confessing—saying those three words—didn't come naturally to him. He didn't even know if he was qualified to say them.
But tonight, he felt he had already tossed his heart across the net—like a volleyball named "love." Whether it landed or not, whether she caught it or let it fall… that was no longer his choice.
The winter night stretched on, merciless and cold.
The wind howled, sweeping away what little warmth remained. Ji Yu lifted her head, eyes wide, disbelief trembling in her chest.
But Mo Yachen only stared upward, his black pupils empty, reflecting snowflakes glowing gold in the lamplight.
He saw through everything now. He no longer expected her answer.
And yet, the smile on his lips curved higher—carefree, almost relieved.