The Winter Pact

Winter in the South was both damp and cold.

Ye Nanzhi had originally stubbornly declared that she would sleep on the sofa, but after feeling the temperature in the living room, she retreated back into the bedroom with Paixing and a massive carrot plushie.

Chu Ran had specifically bought a thick down duvet for her. It was a queen-sized comforter—warm, plush, and wide enough for her to roll around in. Its only current disadvantage was that it wouldn’t fit on the sofa.

Without heating, indoor life was no joke.

When Chu Ran emerged from the bathroom, Paixing was curled up in a tiny ball by the nightstand. Shifting her gaze upward, she noticed a slight movement under the covers. By the warm yellow glow of the bedside lamp, Chu Ran lifted a corner of the duvet to find the “little rabbit” clutching her carrot, her body trembling slightly from the chill.

After their eyes met, Ye Nanzhi awkwardly turned away, pointedly ignoring the “I told you so” look on Chu Ran’s face.

Chu Ran adjusted the air conditioner up two degrees before sliding into the bed.

The night before, she had held the girl all night. Tonight, she moved forward again, only to find her hand landing on the giant carrot. Ye Nanzhi was pressed against the very edge of the bed, as far away as humanly possible.

Did the little rabbit truly think a plush carrot could act as a fortress?

“Zhizhi, didn’t you say the kitten was still sick?”

“What about it?”

“Nothing, just that on such a cold night, it’ll catch a chill sleeping directly on the floor. I’ll find something for it to lie on.”

With that, Chu Ran turned to get out of bed, smoothly pulling the carrot out of Ye Nanzhi’s arms and placing the kitten on top of it. Half-asleep, Paixing felt the sudden softness beneath its paws and seemed to love the warmth; it adjusted its position and began to purr happily.

Chu Ran slipped back under the covers. Without the obstacle in the way, the little rabbit easily fell into her grasp.

Ye Nanzhi wouldn’t simply submit, but Chu Ran seemed to anticipate her every move. She used Ye Nanzhi’s own momentum to pin her arm, then held her in a firm embrace.

“I won’t do anything,” Chu Ran said. “I’ll let go once you’ve warmed up.”

True to her word, Chu Ran remained still, her palm tightly clasping Ye Nanzhi’s fingers, which were as cold as ice. Seeing this, Ye Nanzhi finally relaxed and stopped struggling, allowing Chu Ran to hold her from behind. Gradually, she unconsciously leaned back, soaking up the warmth radiating from Chu Ran.

“Chu Ran, what are you made of? Why aren’t you cold?”

“What am I made of… why don’t you touch and see?”

Ye Nanzhi: “…”

Fine, within three sentences, the wolf had shown its true colors.

With the “warm fragrance and soft jade” in her arms, Chu Ran looked down. The porcelain face was tinged with a shy pink, and her mind involuntarily replayed the erotic scenes from the car a few hours prior.

It was somewhat similar to now, though the blush then had been deeper, extending to the roots of her ears, making her earlobes look like they were about to bleed. Back then, Ye Nanzhi’s body had trembled under her wandering palms; with just a little pressure, Ye Nanzhi would bite her lip to suppress the sounds in her throat, yet she couldn’t stop the muffled moans.

Thinking of this, Chu Ran’s throat tightened.

After a long while, Ye Nanzhi’s body temperature finally stabilized, but Chu Ran’s hold didn’t loosen.

“Chu Ran, that’s enough. Let me go.” Realizing things were getting tense, Ye Nanzhi signaled for her to release her.

Chu Ran deliberately ignored the request, steering the conversation elsewhere. “Zhizhi, New Year’s is almost here. Do you have any plans for New Year’s Eve?”

Ye Nanzhi turned her face away. “Let me go, I want to sleep.”

The girl’s cold attitude made Chu Ran feel unsettled. In her life, she had never feared exams, never felt nervous during competitions, and didn’t even panic when she was potentially involved in a lawsuit. But now, Chu Ran was anxious. She had confidence in everything else, but Ye Nanzhi was the only unpredictable variable in her life.

Chu Ran didn’t understand. Given how deep their feelings were four years ago, and the fact that Ye Nanzhi hadn’t found anyone else during their time apart—even traveling thousands of miles to study where Chu Ran lived—it didn’t add up.

Based on the clues from their recent time together, Chu Ran could feel that Ye Nanzhi still had a place for her in her heart. Initially, Chu Ran blamed herself, thinking she hadn’t done enough or provided enough security. Thus, she had proactively fought for this chance to spend time together.

But now, Ye Nanzhi still wanted to push her away. Why? It shouldn’t be like this!

“Have I done something wrong recently? Or did I do something to make you unhappy, so you’re punishing me?”

Chu Ran tried to maintain her calm, but Ye Nanzhi remained with her back turned, refusing to look at her.

Truthfully, if Chu Ran treated any other girl with such daily, devoted care, they likely would have been moved long ago. But not Ye Nanzhi. The lingering resentment in her heart prevented her from nodding her head.

“Zhizhi, turn around, okay? I want to look at you.” Gradually, her voice softened. Perhaps Chu Ran’s tone was too sincere, or perhaps she felt a debt for the warmth, but Ye Nanzhi actually turned around mechanically.

By the moonlight, Ye Nanzhi saw the look in Chu Ran’s eyes. She reached out to touch Chu Ran’s cheek—the first time she had done so since their reunion, especially in such an intimate posture.

Four years had passed, and at nearly twenty-nine, time hadn’t left many marks on Chu Ran’s face. The silk-like feel of her skin was the same as it had been yesterday.

Just as Ye Nanzhi was about to pull her hand away, Chu Ran’s hand covered it, trapping her palm against her skin. Since she couldn’t avoid it, she would face it directly.

“Chu Ran, whether in the past or now, you’ve always been good to me. Especially while I was recovering—I saw your meticulous care, and I’m grateful. But we agreed beforehand: once Professor Song returns, you’ll let me go back.”

“However,” Ye Nanzhi changed her tone, “I know it was wrong of me to stand you up today. As compensation, I will stay by your side. Until the end of the year.”

That simple sentence reignited the hope in Chu Ran’s eyes.

Ye Nanzhi knew her too well; she could easily see that Chu Ran asked about New Year’s Eve only because the last day of the year was Chu Ran’s birthday. Why not give her a clear answer?

“Chu Ran, I’ll spend this birthday with you.”

Ye Nanzhi’s gaze was as clear as a mountain lake, making one willing to drown in it.

But in the next moment, the lake turned to ice, freezing the surprise beneath the surface. “But we have to agree on one thing: on the night of the 31st, you have to let me go. Let me go back to the dorm. Deal?”

The initial joy was dampened by those words. It was like the Fairy Godmother telling Cinderella that at midnight, everything—the dress, the servants, the pumpkin carriage—would return to normal.

But Chu Ran stubbornly thought: something is better than nothing.

Pressing her forehead against Ye Nanzhi’s, she agreed to the condition as their pact.

There were five days left until 10:00 PM on the 31st. Chu Ran cherished every second of those days.

With finals approaching, Chu Ran’s classes had all ended. She only had to wait for the exams in a few days before the students would head home for the holidays. Without any special arrangements, Chu Ran stayed home to work.

On the bay window, she and Ye Nanzhi sat on opposite sides, each focused on their respective laptops. Occasionally, Paixing would jump up and curl up against Ye Nanzhi’s lap, lazily rolling around. Ye Nanzhi would rub its head and give it a piece of dried fish. As the afternoon sun poured through the window, the scene of two people and one cat was bathed in an orange-red glow, quiet and cozy.

“Since you like animals so much, why don’t we get one together?” Chu Ran suggested, seeing how much fun Ye Nanzhi was having with Paixing.

“No way!” Ye Nanzhi shook her head. It was true she liked animals, but if they got one, she’d have to visit Chu Ran’s house constantly to see it. Of course, saying that would be too hurtful, so she chose a different reason.

“You’re at work all day. A pet would be so lonely at home by itself.” Ye Nanzhi rested her chin in her hand. “When I was a kid and my parents went to work, leaving me home alone… that feeling, tsk tsk… I can’t even describe it. Weren’t you ever left home alone by your parents?”

Chu Ran smiled but didn’t answer.

She had been used to the feeling of being alone for a long time. Not just as a child, but as an adult as well. In fact, having someone accompany her like this was the rare occurrence.

Eventually, the sun set completely. Soon after, a message came from Zheng Xiaorou. Her research trip had gone smoothly, and she was returning early—she would be back before New Year’s.

The first thing she did after landing was head straight to Ye Nanzhi’s to pick up Paixing.

“Paixing!” Xiaorou held the cat in her arms, inspecting it for a long time. “You little ingrate, I’ve only been gone two days and you’ve actually gotten fat! Sister Ye has been too good to you; you don’t even miss your little owner anymore, do you?”

Paixing meowed twice as if in response.

Seeing that the kitten had recovered, Zheng Xiaorou thanked Ye Nanzhi and presented a gift she had specifically brought back for her. Ye Nanzhi quickly waved it away, saying it wasn’t necessary.

Once Paixing was settled back into its space capsule backpack, Zheng Xiaorou looked at Ye Nanzhi meaningfully. “Why are you still living at Professor Chu’s house? She seems so meticulous, never wearing the same outfit twice… she was actually willing to let you bring Paixing into her home?”

Ye Nanzhi felt like her tail had been stepped on and could only stammer an excuse. “Ah, pets aren’t allowed in the dorms, and Professor Chu thought it would be easier for the research project! Hehe…”

Zheng Xiaorou shook her head. “A true academic fanatic, sacrificing so much for a project. I’m impressed. But Xiaoye, you must take this bag of spicy beef jerky. Thank you for taking such good care of Paixing.”

Rather than spicy beef, Ye Nanzhi had something else she wanted to ask. She remembered that Zheng Xiaorou was excellent at baking; she had previously brought cookies and bread for her and Guo Peng.

“Sure, what is it?”

“Teach me how to make a cake!”

Upon hearing this, Zheng Xiaorou nearly twisted her waist. She had heard rumors that Ye Nanzhi wasn’t good at cooking. If there are three reasons for a person’s personality to change drastically, there is only one reason why a person who can’t cook would suddenly want to learn.

“Xiaoye, tell me the truth,” Xiaorou asked solemnly. “Are you secretly in a relationship?”