This winter was unusually harsh, with temperatures plummeting far lower than in previous years.
By late December, the first snowfall blanketed S City overnight, transforming the school grounds into a pristine canvas perfect for building snowmen.
Morning exercises during the third period were canceled, and Xu Xiaoyi eagerly dragged Chen Ling over to find Lu Ziyang for an impromptu snowball fight.
Meanwhile, Yaxi stole glances at Chen Ling from afar.
Underneath his school uniform jacket, he wore a pristine white sweater paired with a gray woolen scarf wrapped snugly around his neck. His prominent nose had turned red from the biting cold, and even the mole near the corner of his eye seemed tinged with a faint pink hue.
Yaxi adored how effortlessly elegant he looked in white.
Her eyes sparkled as they lingered on him—a moment that did not escape Xu Xiaoyi's sharp gaze.
"Lu Ziyang," she teased, "we've been searching everywhere for you! Aren't you going to introduce us to your desk mate? Are you really hiding your crush? Why don't we make it four-way fun and have ourselves a proper snowball battle?"
"Hey, don't go making things up," Lu Ziyang interjected, throwing an arm—perhaps too casually—around Yaxi's shoulders. His fingertips hovered dangerously close to her chest, mere millimeters away. The warmth of his breath brushed against her earlobe as he continued, "Yaxi and I are just friends, like siblings, right?"
Inside the heated classroom, he had shed his outer jacket, wearing only a fitted black long-sleeve shirt beneath. He seemed utterly unfazed by the chill.
With a sudden jerk, Yaxi pushed him off, her hand accidentally grazing his chest.
It was firm. Solid.
Lu Ziyang feigned modesty, clutching his chest dramatically. "Why do you keep touching me everywhere? It tickles!"
Yaxi: "…."
Despite her resistance, she found herself reluctantly pulled outside. In the end, teams were formed: Yaxi paired with Lu Ziyang, while Chen Ling teamed up with Xu Xiaoyi.
Chen Ling's snowballs were slow-moving but densely packed, each one landing painfully on Lu Ziyang, who yelped in exaggerated agony.
Xu Xiaoyi's throws, on the other hand, were swift but soft, crumbling into powdery flurries upon impact, leaving Yaxi covered in icy debris.
A stray flake slipped into her eye, stinging sharply. She blinked rapidly, closing one eye while the other blurred with tears. Through the haze, she saw Chen Ling laughing heartily amidst the vast expanse of white snow. He had removed his jacket, revealing his cozy sweater underneath, looking every bit like a fluffy West Highland Terrier frolicking in the cold.
The sight was so mesmerizing that Yaxi couldn't help but stare, entranced.
"Yaxi, what are you spacing out for? Hurry up and throw something already!" Xu Xiaoyi shouted, her tone laced with accusation.
She always knew exactly where Yaxi's gaze wandered—to her boyfriend.
When their eyes met, there was no denying the twisted, unhealthy dynamic between them.
A surge of ugly jealousy coursed through Yaxi's veins, and without thinking, she hurled her snowball with all her might.
To her surprise, Xu Xiaoyi didn't retaliate with her usual sharp tongue. Instead, she crumpled to the ground, clutching her stomach tightly. Her oversized uniform made her appear frail and vulnerable as she curled into herself, gasping out a single word: "Pain."
Anyone witnessing the scene would feel a pang of sympathy.
Before Yaxi could react, Chen Ling sprinted over, scooping Xu Xiaoyi into his arms protectively.
Gasps erupted from the surrounding crowd.
Lu Ziyang and Yaxi both rushed forward. Seeing Xu Xiaoyi's pale, pained expression, Lu Ziyang's anger boiled over. With a forceful shove, he barked at Yaxi, "How could you do this? You like Chen Ling, so why take it out on Xu Xiaoyi? What did she ever do to deserve this?"
Yaxi's eyes widened in disbelief as Lu Ziyang jabbed an accusing finger at her face. Her mind reeled, her body chilled to the bone, her vision swimming uncontrollably.
He knew. He had always known.
Rooted to the spot, she felt powerless to move. She avoided meeting Chen Ling's eyes, terrified of what she might see—anger, disdain, or worse, indifference. Any of those emotions would crush her completely.
"I noticed how you've been sneaking glances at Chen Ling every day, sketching him in secret," Lu Ziyang spat, veins bulging in his fury. "I thought you were just quietly harboring a harmless crush. I never expected you to stoop so low."