Birthday in the Snow

In the restroom, Chu Ran splashed cold water over her face repeatedly until the heat finally began to recede.

Droplets of water clung to her skin as she stared into the mirror, but her mind was filled with images of a jubilant rabbit and that lingering, soft sensation.

Especially at the end—the way the girl had looked at her with eyes so clean and pure. Overwhelmed by a sudden sense of shame, Chu Ran had fled to the restroom in a disheveled state, not even taking the time to remove the plushies still hanging off her.

It was clearly just an accidental brush. It shouldn’t be like this.

Besides, a small accidental touch shouldn’t matter.

But the moment she thought of the word “touch,” the heat she had just suppressed flared up again instantly.

Behind her, a stall door creaked open. Someone walked to the sink just as Chu Ran lifted her head, their eyes meeting in the mirror.

“Chu Ran!” Yang Huining’s eyes were wide with shock, her face screaming: What are you doing here?

The usually stoic, perpetually cold top student now had flushed cheeks and was draped in several plushies.

Yang Huining had known Chu Ran for a long time, from undergraduate years to the present; she was arguably the closest person to Chu Ran in their class. She knew her far too well.

This was a person who usually spent every winter and summer break cooped up in the lab doing research. To see her at an arcade was unprecedented. Something was definitely up!

Given the special holiday today… it seemed there was a situation!

“It’s Christmas, after all.” Chu Ran pulled out a paper towel to wipe the droplets from her face, her eyes darting away. She didn’t notice that Yang Huining’s gaze had taken on a knowing glint.

“Even the great Chu Ran celebrates Christmas!” Yang Huining made no effort to hide her amusement, asking with a grin, “What? Has the iron tree finally blossomed?”

Chu Ran: … The hand wiping her face came to a sudden halt.

“Let me see who’s so capable that they managed to lure away our Dean’s most prized student!”

“Stop it. I’m just accompanying a kid.” Chu Ran tossed the paper towel into the trash as if nothing was wrong. As soon as she stepped out, she ran right into an anxious Ye Nanzhi.

Chu Ran had left so abruptly earlier with a red face, refusing to say a word or let her follow.

Ye Nanzhi had been helpless, unable to go against Chu Ran’s wishes, so she could only stand by the restroom entrance, pacing in worry.

Seeing her come out, the girl rushed over. “Senior Chu, are you okay? Why did you run off so suddenly? Are you feeling unwell?”

At that sight, Yang Huining instantly had her answer regarding the “kid” Chu Ran had mentioned.

Although she was a bit surprised by the girl’s identity, the feeling vanished quickly. The girl had a face like a peach blossom, as cute as a snowball; anyone would be moved by her. Her large, watery eyes were brimming with urgent concern for Chu Ran.

Oho! There’s definitely something here!

“Chu Ran, why aren’t you introducing us?” Yang Huining proactively reached out to Ye Nanzhi. “Hello, I’m Yang Huining. I’ve been classmates with your Senior Chu for seven years. I’m her ‘best’ friend.”

Yang Huining emphasized the word “best,” watching for the girl’s reaction.

But before Ye Nanzhi could speak, Chu Ran swatted Yang Huining’s reaching hand away. “Don’t scare her.”

Yang Huining pulled her hand back with a wry smile. “How would a handshake scare her? I’m not a tiger. Chu Ran, you’re guarding her a bit too closely!”

Yang Huining bypassed Chu Ran and stepped beside Ye Nanzhi, acting familiar. “Little sister, you’re amazing! You caught so many dolls! Can you help big sister catch one later?”

“Senior Chu caught all of these. Senior Chu is incredible; she even caught this hair clip for me.” Ye Nanzhi pointed to the rabbit on her temple, showing it off.

“Oh my, my.” Yang Huining deliberately drew out her words, crossing her arms. “I’ve known her all these years and never knew Senior Chu was so talented at claw machines!”

“Huining, that’s enough.” Chu Ran handed the coat check tag to Ye Nanzhi. “Go get the coats. We’re going to eat in a bit.”

While Yang Huining waved goodbye to Ye Nanzhi, she was pulled aside by Chu Ran. “Speak. What exactly do you want? Where is your partner? Why are you out alone for so long without them looking for you?”

“As you know, only a lover has the status to ‘look after’ the other party!”

“You…”

Rarely getting the better of Chu Ran, Yang Huining laughed triumphantly. Seeing Chu Ran’s expression grow darker, she quickly got down to business. “Right, on a serious note: Li Hao’s mother has been coming around making scenes lately. If you have nothing urgent, try to stay away from the school for a while.”

“Got it.”

Yang Huining’s phone rang at that moment. After saying she’d be back soon, she hung up quickly.

“I’ll stop teasing. I have to go find my partner too.”

She took two steps away before backing up again. “Don’t let a good thing pass you by.”

“Are you finished! She’s still young!”

“She’s an adult. Not that young!”

Chu Ran: …

Yang Huining cleared her throat, acting mysterious. “How about this: one latte plus a ‘please give me guidance’ session from your sister—is it a deal?

Think about it. That little girl is so cute; who knows how many people are keeping an eye on her? Let me tell you, this—”

“Go!”

After dinner, the two began their journey back.

“Today was really fun. Thank you, Senior Chu.” Ye Nanzhi proactively struck up a conversation.

After walking a short distance, they happened upon a cart selling wrapped apples. However, as Christmas was drawing to a close, business wasn’t very good.

Chu Ran shook her head at the sight of the unsold apples. It was no wonder; the packaging was poorly done—the colored boxes looked cheap and couldn’t compare to her golden bell and crimson tassels.

“Let’s go, it’s late,” Chu Ran urged.

Ye Nanzhi jogged a few steps to catch up. “Senior Chu, how do you Southerners spend Christmas? Do you give apples too?”

Chu Ran answered honestly. “I don’t celebrate holidays, so I don’t know.”

Ye Nanzhi covered her mouth and laughed. “I don’t believe you! No young person in this day and age doesn’t celebrate! That would make you a ‘never-stopping spinning top’!”

Chu Ran’s face held no trace of a smile. “You can understand it that way.”

Realizing she wasn’t joking, Ye Nanzhi was genuinely shocked.

“You don’t celebrate any holidays at all?”

“What about New Year’s?”

“Or birthdays? You have to celebrate birthdays!”

Chu Ran tucked her hands into her pockets. “I haven’t celebrated a birthday since I was eighteen.”

The reason was simple: the person who was truly happy about her arrival into the world was gone.

Therefore, birthdays were no longer important.

Seeing Chu Ran’s indifferent expression, Ye Nanzhi stopped pressing. Instead, she suddenly called out to her and walked toward her step by step.

Then, for the first time, she proactively and without any disguise took Chu Ran’s hand.

Although they were wearing gloves and there was no direct skin contact, Chu Ran could still feel the girl’s earnest and fervent attitude.

It was the first time the timid rabbit had gripped her with such strength.

“Senior Chu, from now on, I’ll help you celebrate your birthday, okay?”

“Birthdays, holidays—I’ll spend them all with you. I’ll prepare the cake, the candles, the gifts, okay! From now on in Harbin, you won’t be alone anymore.”

At first, a hint of emotion appeared in Chu Ran’s eyes, but as Ye Nanzhi finished speaking, the light in her eyes dimmed again.

She stiffly withdrew her hand and put it back into her pocket.

“It’s cold tonight. Let’s hurry.”

Ye Nanzhi didn’t give up, catching up in a few strides. “Senior Chu hasn’t answered me yet!”

Chu Ran seemed unwilling to acknowledge her. “Do you even know when my birthday is?”

“Then Senior Chu just has to tell me!”

“I—”

Before she could finish, her phone began to vibrate.

Ye Nanzhi pulled out her phone; the screen clearly displayed the name “Brother Tang Mu.”

Ye Nanzhi stayed two steps away. Under the night sky, Chu Ran couldn’t hear the voice on the other end, but she saw the girl in front of her seemed to be… explaining to the other party?

“Brother Tang Mu, I just got back. I was outside and didn’t hear the phone.”

“No, I’m with Senior Chu Ran.”

“Chocolate? Thanks, Brother Tang Mu. But I have exams soon and won’t have time to play. Let’s wait until the break. I’ll be coming to your house for New Year’s anyway.”

“Mhm, okay. Don’t worry.”

The call ended.

Where were we… right, the birthday!

Ye Nanzhi looked up. Chu Ran had already walked several meters away.

“Senior Chu, wait for me!” She chased after her like a little tail. It was cold and her clothes were thick; she was out of breath after only a few steps.

Ye Nanzhi was too busy catching her breath to notice Chu Ran’s dark expression. She continued pressing. “Senior Chu, you still haven’t told me which day is your birthday!”

Chu Ran turned back. Seeing the girl panting, the words at the tip of her tongue were swallowed back down.

“Ye Nanzhi.”

“?”

“Ask me again next time, and I’ll tell you.”

After the brief relaxation of Christmas, the final exams that made every student in the school ache with a headache arrived. This year, the Lunar New Year was early, so winter break started early too. The exam week that usually fell in January was squeezed into late December.

There was even an exam on the afternoon of the final day of the year.

As the final bell rang, it signaled the arrival of winter break. Regardless of their grades, all students breathed a silent sigh of relief and began to enter the joy of the holidays in advance.

Except for one person: Ye Nanzhi.

Reviewing for her courses had already given her a massive headache. After their outing on Christmas, Chu Ran had been acting strange that night. Over the past few days, the messages she sent had gone almost entirely unanswered.

Ye Nanzhi could only reassure herself that perhaps at the end of the year, Senior Chu was simply busy.

Until Fang Fang shared a piece of gossip with her.

“Xiao Ye, your art teacher has become a hot topic again!”

Fang Fang sent a webpage to Ye Nanzhi. On an anonymous forum, a post was pinned at the top of the trending list.

It discussed the incident between Chu Ran and Li Hao from a few days ago, specifically tagging it with “Jiangzhou University’s Triple-A Student.”

The boy was seriously injured and hospitalized; the girl had only minor superficial injuries.

The conclusion: Chu Ran was the victim, and Li Hao was expelled for intentional assault.

The comments below were a mess of opinions.

[Wow, that kind of scum deserves a lesson!]

[Chu Ran usually looks so thin; I didn’t expect her to be such a fighter! Truly a top student!]

[I heard Li Hao’s father was laid off. I heard his dad was an executive. Now the family has no income and the son is expelled. Tsk tsk, a fall from grace!]

[I heard that Chu Ran’s father is a director at Shengke Group!]

[Shengke! Is it the Shengke I’m thinking of?!]

[Real or fake? I don’t believe it!]

Then, someone posted a series of evidence, including various details about Chu Ran and information about the Chu family—the largest shareholders of Shengke Group. The high level of overlap quickly caused a stir.

[My god! The eldest miss is at the same school as me! And she’s so excellent! Are rich people this competitive nowadays?]

The initial comments were relatively normal until one message appeared.

[Do you guys think the way this incident played out has anything to do with Shengke Group?]

[? What do you mean, person above?]

[Shengke Group recruits so many graduates from our school every year… shouldn’t the school give them some face?]

[Are you saying… Woah! That makes it interesting! No wonder the guy was beaten like that while she walked away clean. She must have been prepared!]

[Li Hao is so pitiful. I heard he only had a verbal spat with Chu Ran and wanted to clear things up, but things went wrong… Now his family is ruined. I saw his mother crying at the Dean’s door yesterday begging for mercy. It was tragic!]

[No wonder she gets scholarships every time and is a Triple-A student!]

[The person above reminded me—all those awards… could those be because of her family background too?]

[Don’t talk nonsense! I didn’t say anything.]

…

In an anonymous forum, no one knew who was actually behind each ID. But person by person, the direction of the post changed completely.

In an instant, Chu Ran went from a victim to a villain who relied on family connections to do evil and escape punishment after injuring someone.

Later, a “concerned citizen” posted screenshots of all the honors Chu Ran had received over the years.

“It’s not like that at all! I was there that day; the guy was the one who attacked!”

“Xiao Ye, don’t worry. I believe you, but right now, the people in that post won’t listen to your explanation.” Fang Fang comforted her.

Feng Linlin also joined in to advise her. “Anyway, the holidays are starting. By the time the next semester begins, this will be forgotten. Look, the scholarship recipients just posted, and it’s still Chu Ran. She wasn’t affected at all.”

Whether she was affected or not was something only the person involved knew.

Ye Nanzhi clicked on the scholarship announcement board. Against a red background, under the first-class scholarship section, Chu Ran’s name was clearly written, followed by her academic achievements and other personal information.

While Feng Linlin and Fang Fang were still discussing the matter, they saw Ye Nanzhi suddenly grab her coat and run out, looking very hurried.

“Hey? Xiao Ye, where are you going? The dorms are about to close!”

In comparison, Ye Nanzhi was clearly more concerned about something else.

“I need to leave the school gate now. What’s the fastest way out?”

Inside the rental apartment, Chu Ran sat at the table, still holding the book she had borrowed from the library a few days ago.

The book wasn’t thick; normally, she could finish it in an afternoon.

But tonight, Chu Ran sat there flipping through it, yet hadn’t made it out of the first chapter all evening.

To be precise, that day at Christmas had simply thrown her heart into chaos and disturbed her thoughts.

Yang Huining had warned her to stay away from school. Sure enough, the trouble started the next day, and even the Chu family’s affairs were posted online.

Perhaps Li Hao thought this would embarrass Chu Ran. But clearly, Chu Ran wasn’t that immature.

Unimportant people saying unimportant things had nothing to do with her.

Except for Ye Nanzhi, who had been messaging her these past few days.

A few days ago, when she asked about Chu Ran’s birthday, Chu Ran hadn’t told her. For some reason, it had triggered something, and the little rabbit had been pestering her with that question every day.

Chu Ran didn’t want to answer, so she simply hid and remained silent.

Under the dim light, the silent phone rang. It was an incoming call from a little rabbit avatar.

Fine. If I don’t reply to messages, you switch directly to calling, right? Not very old, but quite persistent.

Chu Ran steadied her mind and pressed the accept button.

Chu Ran originally thought Ye Nanzhi was going to continue pressing that question or call to comfort her about the forum situation.

In reality, there was no need. The girl knew very well that their relationship was only maintained within the campus.

Hadn’t she said that day: “In Harbin, Chu Ran won’t be alone anymore.”

Wasn’t the meaning obvious enough? Chu Ran was a Southern child; she certainly wouldn’t stay here. Once they left the school gates, who would know who?

Since they were bound to part eventually, there was no need to do these meaningless things. Chu Ran decided to tell her tonight: there was no need to waste meaningless time and energy on her.

The words were at the tip of her tongue when the girl’s sweet voice came from the other end:

“Senior Chu, are you home?”

“Could you… could you come down for a moment?”

Without anyone noticing, scattered snowflakes began to drift from the clouds, silver-white petals decorating the dark moonlight with elegance.

Under the night sky, Ye Nanzhi stood in the pristine snow with her hands behind her back.

The moment Chu Ran stepped out of the building entrance, this was the scene she saw.

Today’s girl was a bit different from usual. Fine snow fell upon her, and the twinkling stars seemed to be folded into her eyes.

There were mud stains on the hem of her pants. Today, she looked a bit disheveled, a far cry from her usual delicate image.

Seeing Chu Ran come out, she walked over quickly.

“What happened to your clothes?” Chu Ran’s gaze landed on the mud stains.

“I accidentally fell while climbing the wall.”

Ye Nanzhi made a face, not caring about the marks on her body. Then, acting mysterious, she slowly brought her hands out from behind her back.

It was a small cream cake decorated with a faint pink flower. The bright red jam at the center of the flower was translucent and sparkling like a ruby.

She presented the cake to Chu Ran with both hands, the light in her eyes shimmering like the bright moon in the sky.

“Chu Ran, happy birthday.”