A Frantic Search in the Snow

Liu Yinuo arrived at an unfortunate moment, witnessing a scene unfold before her: a petite, pitiful young girl hung her head low, her arms wrapped gently around herself, seemingly overcome with sorrow. Directly opposite her sat Liu Yinuo’s own parents, who had clearly been the cause of the girl’s distress.

Realizing something was amiss, a spark of irritation ignited within her.

“Weren’t you supposed to be back tonight? Why are you home so early?”

“Oh, your father and I saw in the group chat that you took the morning off. We were worried, so we took leave to come back and check on you.”

“Couldn’t you have told me beforehand?”

“Nuonuo, your mother was just worried about you…” Liu’s father tried to mediate, but Liu Yinuo was not appeased.

“Let’s not talk about that for now, Nuonuo. Come with me for a moment; Mom has something to ask you.”

“What is it? Can’t you say it here?”

“Oh, just come along.”

Though reluctant, Liu Yinuo followed. They walked into the master bedroom, leaving only Liu’s father and Ye Xingmian in the living room.

Liu’s father was clearly not a conversationalist. He sat on the sofa, appearing somewhat awkward, and soon began fiddling with his phone.

The girl sitting opposite him, however, seemed to be in low spirits.

She had overheard Liu Yinuo and her mother’s conversation and felt deeply remorseful. It was because of her that they were quarreling, even though their relationship usually seemed so harmonious and loving.

She felt no envy, for she knew that was not her life. If she had lived such a life, she would not be the person she was now.

She simply felt a pang of sadness.

Rising, she walked towards the balcony where the clothes she had washed that afternoon were hanging. With the help of the heating and dryer, they were nearly dry after just one afternoon. While Liu Yinuo and her mother were still talking, she changed back into her own clothes, including her underwear.

When she emerged again, the two women were still conversing, with occasional sharp bursts of argument audible. The young girl knew this was her fault.

As she clutched her chest and sat back on the sofa, Liu’s father cast a surprised glance her way.

He said nothing, likely having realized she had been wearing Liu Yinuo’s clothes earlier.

The sky had completely darkened, leaving only the glow of streetlights outside. Snow continued to fall incessantly, growing heavier by the minute. Beneath the myriad twinkling lights of homes, the descending flakes were as large as goose feathers, quickly accumulating into a thick layer on the ground.

The young girl felt a slight daze, recalling that the snow hadn’t been so heavy when she arrived. Was it because night had fallen and the temperature had dropped?

She knew the journey home might be arduous.

She stood and offered a slight bow to Liu’s father.

“Uncle, I apologize for the trouble. I’ll be heading home now.”

“Eh? Won’t you stay for dinner before you go? It’s still snowing heavily outside. Why don’t you spend the night here? That way, you and Nuonuo can go to class together tomorrow.” His voice was somewhat loud, seemingly attracting the attention of those inside.

“No, thank you.” Gently shaking her head, the young girl declined Liu’s father’s offer and walked straight towards the door.

The corridor was significantly colder. Jolted by the biting wind, the young girl felt a wave of dizziness. Clutching her chest, she slowly departed.

No one came out to see her off. Her clothes carried the fresh scent of laundry detergent, but against the sub-zero cold of the snowy night, they offered insufficient warmth.

She rode the elevator all the way down to the ground floor.

****

“Let go of me!”

Listening to the footsteps fading into the distance outside the door, Liu Yinuo grew increasingly anxious. Yet, her mother held her hand firmly, making it impossible to break free.

“Daughter, listen to your mother for a moment. This is not the time for young romance. You’ve studied for over a decade; you absolutely cannot let yourself be distracted now and ruin everything, do you understand? Your father and I have invested so much in you, not for you to be dating someone at such a crucial juncture!”

Liu’s mother spoke earnestly, yet her grip tightened, showing no intention of releasing Liu Yinuo’s hand, causing her pain. In a fit of anger, Liu Yinuo slapped her mother’s hand away.

“She’s a girl! Let go of me, quickly! She can’t go back out there!”

Releasing her grip out of pain, Liu’s mother clearly didn’t believe her daughter’s words. She wanted to say more, but failing to catch the fleeing Liu Yinuo, she could only stand frozen, her arm still raised.

Honestly, she was beginning to doubt her own judgment. That child, by all appearances, didn’t seem like a boy, did they? Even if they were a delicate boy, wouldn’t Nuonuo, who had spent so much time with them, know? How could she so confidently declare them to be a girl?

Gently, she lowered her hand. Rarely had this usually strong-willed mother found herself so unable to control her child.

When had it started? Her own temper had mellowed, while her daughter had grown increasingly rebellious. She recalled the timid way the young person had sat on the sofa, and for the first time, she felt a pang of regret for her actions.

It seemed she had truly made a mistake.

****

By the time Liu Yinuo rode the elevator downstairs, it was already too late.

Outside the building’s lobby, an endless darkness swallowed her vision. Icy snowflakes landed on her, melting into water, and her sight was filled with a dense curtain of snow, making it almost impossible to keep her eyes open, as if she were being buried alive. The bitter wind swept through, and even in her warm down jacket, the young girl felt utterly frozen.

Ye Xingmian was nowhere to be seen.

Where had the girl with those beautiful pink eyes gone? On a snowy day like this, her cold hadn’t even fully recovered, and who knew if her injuries still pained her. Did she even know her way home? What if she couldn’t get back?

A mounting wave of anxiety began to suffocate her. She sprinted down the path leading out of the complex, the frigid air filling her lungs with a stinging, needle-like pain. She searched everywhere, her eyelashes almost freezing, repeatedly trying to find that small figure at the boundary between darkness and light.

Nothing… nothing… still nothing…

Could she have walked away so quickly? Where had she gone? Why the hurried departure? Everything had been going so well at noon. If only she had stayed obediently at Liu Yinuo’s home, Liu Yinuo could have helped her escape her troubles. Why, oh why, had she left?

Her heart pounded faster and faster. With each passing moment, the chances of finding the girl grew slimmer.

How could this be? How could this happen?

The young girl thought of her parents. Why had they come back early? It must have been something they said to Ye Xingmian that made her so disheartened, that ruined everything, that made her secretly leave despite the heavy snow.

It was all their fault! Why, why? What had Ye Xingmian done wrong? Why treat her like that? Why disrupt her plans? Why meddle?

‘If only… if only tonight had passed…’

For some reason, the young girl was almost frantic with impatience. Never in her life had she been so anxious, so worried for someone. It was so close, just a little more…

Suddenly, the young girl halted.

She gasped violently, the mist exhaled from her mouth dissipating into the air like wisps of smoke.

She finally spotted the figure she had been searching for, her emotions a confusing mix of joy and bitterness.

Beneath the warm glow of a lamp, the girl, her shoulders dusted with snow, was quietly curled up in the corner of a shop. Even in the darkness, her pink eyes refracted a beautiful brilliance, like crystal flowers.

Yet, those eyes were dim, her dark hair covered her body, and negative emotions seemed to bury the gem-like beauty in the night.