The last final exam ended smoothly as well. The long-awaited winter break had finally arrived. Over the past few days, scattered groups of students had been pouring out of the school gates. The campus grew emptier by the day, its already bleak and desolate atmosphere turning even colder and lonelier.
After the snow melted, Loane was still just as bitterly cold. Harsh winter frost lingered, showing no sign of warming up.
Downstairs at the girls' residence hall, the misty vapor had thinned out considerably. Maya waved goodbye to the girl pulling her suitcase. "See you next year, Lila."
"You too. Have a great winter break, Maya."
Lila Vale turned around, looked up at the tall, familiar dormitory building, rubbed her hands together, and pulled her suitcase toward the school gate.
Noah and Evelyn had arrived early and were already waiting for her. The woman still wore that indifferent, calm expression, while the boy waved at her with noticeably more warmth.
As she approached, Noah glanced at her and said softly, "We'll wait a bit. The taxi should be here soon."
"Mhm. Have you been waiting long?"
"No, we just got here too." Noah exhaled a puff of white breath and looked up toward the direction the cars were coming from.
Lila's train was the same as theirs, so they would be traveling home together from school.
This kind of situation—with both Lila and Evelyn present—always left Noah feeling awkward and at a loss. Lila was still his friend, of course. But from a certain perspective, they were also his ex and his current in relation to him.
He turned back and gave Evelyn a silly, sheepish smile. His sister looked at him calmly, her expression carrying a trace of helplessness.
The students waiting for rides at the school gate were picked up one after another. Cars flowed steadily through. The biting cold wind of Loane howled, as if urging them to hurry back to their hometowns.
Their taxi arrived quickly. This time the driver was a man of few words. He focused on driving and quietly delivered them to the station.
They waited, checked their tickets, and boarded. Green fields, mountains, rivers, and lakes outside the window flew past. Several hours of train ride passed peacefully. It was already dusk when they got off.
At the train station exit, they squeezed out from the crowd. Noah spotted the familiar slate-gray car immediately. A tall middle-aged man stood beside it, looking over at them from a distance.
Lila quickened her steps to the front, then turned back and smiled at them. "Let's go. We can ride together."
Noah scratched his head, then made the decision himself instead of asking. "Eve, let's go over."
"There's a bus stop right outside."
"It's a free ride. No reason not to take it."
His Adam's apple bobbed as he strengthened his resolve. He took the initiative and led Evelyn over by the hand. Surprisingly, the woman went along without resistance.
After greeting his daughter, Mr. Vale looked up at them. A flicker of displeasure flashed in his eyes, quickly hidden the moment their joined hands separated. "Noah, Evelyn. Come on, Uncle will give you a ride home."
"Thank you, Uncle Vale," Noah replied politely.
At this point, Evelyn said nothing more. She placed her suitcase in the trunk. When she opened the rear door, Lila was already sitting inside with her seatbelt fastened.
In this situation, no matter who took the front passenger seat, Noah would end up sitting in the back with the other girl.
She remained silent and took the other side of the back seat. Noah naturally sat in the front passenger seat.
Once the engine started, the car sped down the road. Familiar street scenes of their hometown flashed by one after another.
Mr. Vale kept his eyes on the road ahead and casually struck up a conversation with Noah. "How have things been at school, Noah? Any difficulties?"
"Thank you for your concern, Uncle Vale. For me… aside from the heavy coursework, there hasn't been much else to worry about."
"That's good." The man turned the steering wheel, speaking lightly. "So how are things progressing between you and Lila? You're both adults now, in college. Uncle won't be meddling anymore."
"Dad!" Lila called out softly, a hint of shyness in her tone.
"What? You're unhappy that Dad isn't interfering?"
"It's not that… Just don't ask about it."
Lila didn't really want to discuss this topic. After all, she and Noah were no longer in that kind of relationship. Going along with her father's misunderstanding felt somewhat self-deceptive. At the very least, she should wait until she could win the boy back. Besides, the more she said, the higher the chance of slipping up and revealing the breakup.
But Mr. Vale paid no mind and continued on his own. "Why can't I ask? A few days ago, your Aunt Laura was chatting with us about when you two might get married and such. We… still respect whatever you both want."
"Uncle Vale." Noah interrupted him while he was speaking enthusiastically. "It's still too early. We haven't thought about that yet."
"No? Then it's up to you two. Just don't go and get pregnant. You're still college students after all—having a kid would be way too soon."
"That won't happen. We know what we're doing," Noah responded softly.
Lila turned her head toward the car window. A shy flush spread from her slender neck all the way up to her ears. The most intimate contact she and Noah had ever had was holding hands. Her girlish thoughts were still innocent. That kind of thing… would only come after kissing, at the very least.
The car continued driving forward. None of the three wanted to linger on the subject. Both Lila and Noah tried hard to avoid the sensitive topic. Evelyn stared silently out the window, her fingers clenching tighter and tighter around the hem of her clothes.
"By the way." Mr. Vale glanced at Evelyn in the rearview mirror. "What about you, Evelyn? Do you have a boyfriend yet?"
"I have someone I like. Thank you for asking, Uncle Vale."
"Someone you like? Where is he from? Bring him home sometime so we can meet him."
"Maybe next time, depending on the situation."
"Anyone who catches your eye must be quite outstanding."
Mr. Vale had always held a very good impression of Evelyn. The girl was beautiful, sensible, and studious. In the past, he had often used her as a role model for his own daughter.
When he saw Lila come home covered in dirt after running wild outside as a child, he couldn't help comparing her to the quiet, well-behaved girl next door who sat peacefully in the sunlight reading books. The words "If only you were as good as Evelyn next door" would unconsciously slip into his sighs.
His only dissatisfaction with Evelyn was scenes like the one earlier at the station—holding hands with Noah. Even if they were siblings, it was too close… especially since Noah was his daughter's boyfriend.
In the past, he had frequently noticed the excessive intimacy between Evelyn and Noah.
As a father, he naturally couldn't accept the erased distance between his daughter's boyfriend and another girl. It felt disrespectful to his daughter.
"You flatter me, Uncle Vale." Evelyn continued looking out the window, replying politely but distantly.
By the time only the last traces of sunset remained in the sky, the car pulled up to the familiar building. Someone was already waiting for them at the door. As Noah and Evelyn took out their luggage, Laura Miller came forward to greet them.