Lin Tiao hurriedly hung up the phone and rushed out of the room. She only had time to greet her father and mother, not even putting on a coat.
The distance from the 10th floor only took two minutes.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Lin Tiao rushed out.
The winter night was cold and chilling. Snow piled up by the roadside, stacked into little hills. The plane trees on both sides of the road had strings of colorful lights hanging from them, their lights twinkling brightly.
A young man stood under the tree, with shadows resting on his shoulders, outlining his smooth shoulder lines, casting a silhouette on the ground. He was looking down at his phone with one hand, holding a blue thermos in the other. His figure was tall and slender.
As Lin Tiao opened the door, the young man under the tree seemed to sense something, suddenly lifting his head and meeting her somewhat hurried expression.
Their gazes met in mid-air. The next second, Lin Tiao ran straight over, stopped in front of him, and said, panting, "Why didn’t you tell me you were coming over?"
Jiang Yan put his phone into his pocket and was about to speak, but noticed her attire. His brow furrowed, and he grabbed her arm, pulling her into his embrace. His tone was urgent, "You came out in this cold weather and didn’t wear a coat?"
At first, Lin Tiao didn’t feel cold, but after hearing him say that, she really started to feel chilly. She obediently shrank into his arms and asked, "Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?"
He snorted, freed one hand, fumbled for his phone, and showed her their WeChat chat screen, holding it in front of her. "Look for yourself."
It was all messages from him, the earliest one sent over an hour ago.
"Are you home? I’m coming over to find you."
"Bringing you dumplings."
"Where are you?"
"Not picking up the phone, it’s dead."
The most recent one was sent twenty minutes ago.
"I’m downstairs at your place."
Lin Tiao: "..."
She felt guilty, wrapping her arms around his waist and clutching his sweater tightly. "Sorry, I was having dinner with my parents tonight, talking about some things, and didn’t check my phone."
After saying this, she stood on tiptoe and kissed his chin, softly coaxing, "I really didn’t mean it, don’t be mad."
His expression softened, but he was still dissatisfied with her brief apology. He lowered his head and bit her lip lightly, sucking on it briefly, then muttered, "I’m not mad."
They stayed close for a while, their heads leaning together.
Jiang Yan pulled away, his thumb gently brushing her swollen lips. After a moment, he handed her the thermos.
"Take it, eat it when you get home."
Lin Tiao, surprised, instinctively took the thermos into her arms, feeling a little reluctant. "Are you leaving now?"
"What else can I do?" Jiang Yan looked at her, holding her cold hand. "You came out dressed like this, where else can I take you?"
"..." Lin Tiao lowered her head, tapping her shoe against his. "I was just in a hurry."
He couldn’t help but laugh, pulling her back into his arms.
Lin Tiao nestled in his embrace, "Why don’t you come to my place for a while? We can talk about our relationship. I’ve already talked to my parents."
Jiang Yan paused for a moment.
She smiled, "Don’t worry, they don’t mind."
"They don’t mind, but I still can’t go back with you," Jiang Yan said. It wasn’t about timing—right now, nothing was appropriate.
He reached up and pinched her earlobe. "Alright, let's go inside. Standing here is too cold."
The building inside was much warmer than outside, and there was a long bench near the elevator.
Jiang Yan, feeling a little stuffy, took off his coat and sat on the bench.
Lin Tiao, holding the thermos, sat beside him. "Can I eat this now?"
Jiang Yan glanced at her. "Up to you."
She nodded, opened the lid, "Then I’ll eat now."
The thermos wasn’t big, neatly packed with sixteen dumplings. When she opened it, a bit of steam rose, mixed with the scent of the filling.
Lin Tiao immediately took one, stuffed it into her mouth, her cheeks puffing up as she chewed. Her voice was a little muffled due to the food in her mouth, "Are these all mushroom and pork fillings?"
"I don’t know, there should be others."
Ms. Jiang had prepared four or five different fillings. She could tell the difference when they were wrapped, but once they were cooked, no one could tell what the filling was.
When Jiang Yan wrapped them, except for a few, most were chosen at random.
"It’s pretty good," Lin Tiao said, taking another one. Her teeth broke through the thin skin of the dumpling, revealing the full filling inside. The juicy and fragrant filling satisfied her completely.
She ate three or four in a row, while Jiang Yan kept his eyes on her. She stopped and looked at him, "What’s wrong?"
He shook his head, glanced at the thermos, and murmured, "Nothing."
Lin Tiao thought he was probably hungry, so she handed him the thermos. "Do you want to eat?"
"I’ve already eaten."
She didn’t think much of it, talked with him for a bit, and then couldn’t resist taking another. Just as she bit into it, her teeth hit something hard, something like...
Lin Tiao suddenly realized what it was, turned to look at Jiang Yan, her eyes full of disbelief, "Did you put a coin in it?"
He raised his eyebrows, stretching the sound of his response, and leaned closer, asking, "Did you find it?"
"Looks like it." Lin Tiao ate the part of the dumpling that didn’t have the coin and pulled out a one-yuan coin from the filling.
She smiled and said, "You were just mocking me for talking nonsense, weren’t you?"
Jiang Yan pulled a tissue out of his pocket and handed it to her. "I think you were right."
"What do you mean?"
He looked up at her, his eyes full of laughter. "Whoever eats a coin in their dumplings will have good luck in the new year."
Lin Tiao’s eyes curved, and she handed him the remaining half of the dumpling. "Then you eat this half, and we’ll both have good luck."
He didn’t say anything, simply ate it as she offered.
They exchanged a look, both realizing how silly they were, and laughed.
On that winter night, the howling cold wind whipped up the fine snowflakes.
A good omen for the new year, spring breezes heralding the new year.
In this new year, Lin Tiao gained many things, while also losing a few.
But in the end, what she gained was far more than what she lost.
—
A few days after the new year, Fang Yi Song and Lin Yongcheng somehow found time to take Lin Tiao on a trip across the country, from north to south.
While Lin Tiao was away from Xicheng, Jiang Yan took a day off to visit Fang Hai’s grave. When he left, he saw Yu Fengyan’s car at the entrance. He quickly avoided it, walking down a side path.
So much time had passed, he didn’t hate Yu Fengyan anymore. He just accepted it—she was now a stranger with blood ties.
He wouldn’t get close to her, expect anything from her, or give anything either.
After returning from the cemetery, Jiang Yan rarely went out. When there was nothing to do during the day, he stayed in the small room at the internet café, writing mock exams. In the evenings, he’d go to Guan Che’s house for a meal, chatting with the elders. That’s how his days went by.
But when there was nothing to do, he still missed someone without a conscience.
This continued until two days before school started. Lin Tiao returned from her trip, and Guan Che set up a gathering, inviting Xu Yichuan and others to meet.
They decided to eat at an old hotpot restaurant in the city center.
It was very close to Lin Yongcheng’s office, so Fang Yi Song took her there on the way out.
Before getting out of the car, Fang Yisong handed Lin Tiao a membership card for the hotpot restaurant. "They gave it to me as a gift after some collaboration. Take it and use it with your friends."
Lin Tiao had often received membership cards for various shops from Fang Yisong before. She took it obediently. "Okay, thank you, Mom."
"If it’s late, I’ll have the driver come pick you up," Fang Yisong added.
Lin Tiao nodded, opened the car door, and got out.
The old hotpot restaurant wasn’t located in a busy mall but in an alley beside it. It was a courtyard building, facing south, with two stone lions at the entrance, exuding a majestic presence. Directly ahead was a small stage for performances, which hadn't started yet.
The hallway on either side wound like a maze, leading to a large courtyard at the back. Along the corridor were two lotus ponds, the water clear and the fish visible beneath the surface.
Guan Che had booked a private room on the second floor, and from the room, they had a clear view of the stage below.
When Lin Tiao was led to the room by a waiter, they hadn’t arrived yet, so she waited for a while. Soon, faint sounds of opera started to come from downstairs, signaling the beginning of the performance.
After finishing a cup of hot tea, Lin Tiao saw a message in the group chat saying that Guan Che and the others were stuck in traffic and would be about ten minutes late. Feeling a bit bored, she decided to leave the room.
The design of the restaurant, with its traditional courtyard, gave the place a warm, lively atmosphere. The large hall in the back was mostly for walk-in customers. At this time, the restaurant was fairly quiet, with the scent of hotpot filling the air.
Lin Tiao wandered to a window across from the stage, leaning her head against it to listen to the opera. She didn’t recognize which play was being performed today.
Just as she was about to turn back, someone blocked her path.
It was Jiang Yan, who had come straight from the internet café. There had been no traffic, so when he arrived at the private room and didn’t find her, he was about to call her, but his gaze casually swept across the window and saw her standing there.
She looked relaxed, leaning against the window, her posture somewhat tempting.
Jiang Yan took a step forward, leaning against the window frame, trapping her in his embrace. He nudged her cheek with his nose and muttered, "What are you running around for?"
It was unclear whether he was talking about her leaving the room or not staying put.
Lin Tiao, her hands on his warm chest, leaned forward slightly, brushing against his lips with hers, then teasingly said, "I missed you."
His slight irritation disappeared completely. Jiang Yan turned his head, resting his forehead on her shoulder with a smile. "I really can’t do anything with you."
He was tall, so with him leaning down like that, Lin Tiao’s back was pressed against the window ledge, which was a little uncomfortable. She shifted her body slightly.
Luckily, Jiang Yan straightened up soon after, his gaze landing on the red string around her neck. Reaching out, he gently touched her neck, pulling the string.
“What’s this?” he asked, and the string came off, revealing a half of a one-yuan coin hanging from it.
He was taken aback for a moment.
Lin Tiao snapped out of her reverie, looked down, and took the other half of the coin out of her pocket, handing it to him with a smile. "A New Year’s gift. I was planning to give it to you after dinner."
Jiang Yan took the coin, but his fingers lingered on her half of it, gently rubbing it. "Is this the coin from the dumplings?"
"Yeah," Lin Tiao replied, holding his hand. "I even got you a black string. Do you like it?"
He didn’t answer but wrapped the string around his wrist, his actions speaking for him. "I like it. I really like it."
Lin Tiao had initially planned to get him a string to wear around his neck like hers, but he had just directly worn it on his wrist.
She reached over and touched it. "Doesn't wearing it here seem a little out of place for a school king like you?"
Jiang Yan snorted and raised his wrist, casually saying, "For a school king, this thing is out of place wherever I wear it."
Lin Tiao muttered something under her breath.
He laughed lightly, pinched her cheek, then leaned down and whispered, "But for a boyfriend, it’s perfect no matter where it's worn."
Lin Tiao opened her mouth, meeting his gaze, but couldn’t find the words to respond.
They were so close that their breaths intertwined, and the moment hung in the air. Jiang Yan rolled his throat, just about to kiss her when a loud voice from across the room interrupted them.
"Hey, those two over there, not suitable for kids!"
Jiang Yan straightened up, looked over, and saw four heads poking out from across the window, watching them with interest.
Lin Tiao was embarrassed, having been dragged back into the private room by Jiang Yan. She felt too self-conscious to go back to eating with everyone, especially with their kiss being observed.
Jiang Yan, still holding her hand, murmured in complaint, "If you keep doing this, what will happen when they make a scene at the wedding? Will you try to run away?"
Lin Tiao wasn’t thinking that far ahead. Her face was blushing clearly. "I really don’t want to eat. I’m not hungry. I think my mom wanted me to come home early."
Jiang Yan chuckled, using a bit of force to pull her into his arms, then whispered in her ear, "If you don’t go in today, I won’t either. The two of us disappear at the same time. Do you think they’ll stop thinking about us inappropriately?"
"..."
"Alright." Jiang Yan let go of her, "I promise, when we both go in, they definitely won’t dare say a word."
He said it so confidently.
Lin Tiao, recalling how they often felt a bit intimidated by Jiang Yan, didn’t think much further and followed him into the private room.
But as always, there’s always someone fearless.
Hu Hanghang felt that since he was going to get into trouble anyway, he might as well speak up before it all went down. He waited until both of them were seated, then cleared his throat. "Yan Ge, I call you ‘Ge’ because you’re older than us."
Jiang Yan shot him a glare.
Hu Hanghang ignored it. "Tiao Mei, I call you ‘Mei’ because you’re younger than us. Yan Ge, do you understand what I mean?"
"I understand your mom." Jiang Yan kicked him under the table and said coldly, "If you can’t speak properly, just say less."
Guan Che, who was a month older than Jiang Yan, couldn’t resist speaking up. "Jiang Yan, this is still a public place. You should be more careful next time."
Lin Tiao thought, "So much for you saying they wouldn’t dare say a word."
Fortunately, the group, despite the teasing, was considerate of Lin Tiao. After some banter, they settled down. The dishes they had ordered came, and they began eating, switching to other topics.
Xu Yichuan, recalling some gossip, picked up a beef ball from the pot and spoke. "Have you guys heard? Hei Ren is going to a closed school in another province this winter break. After he comes back, he’s going to tell some class teachers about his plan to implement military-style management from the second year onwards."
Hu Hanghang was surprised. "What? Why not start with the first year?"
"Apparently, they think the first years are too immature, and the third years are too late to change. So, they’ll start with us in the middle."
Lin Tiao thought it was quite strange. "Military-style management? Does that mean we’ll have to board at school, wake up early to run, and gather when the whistle blows?"
"I’m not too sure," Xu Yichuan replied. "But I did search up the school rules for that closed school. There were a lot, and I didn’t memorize much, but I did see one thing."
Song Yuan asked, "What?"
"Male students have to shave their heads, and female students have to have ear-length hair," Xu Yichuan scratched his head, "I think there was also something about girls not being allowed to wear skirts."
Guan Che, the only one not from their school, commented dismissively, "That’s so extreme."
Xu Yichuan shrugged. "I’m not sure if it’s true. I heard it from other classes."
Throughout the conversation, Jiang Yan hadn’t participated. He was too busy cooking food and serving it to his girlfriend, even refilling her cup when it was empty.
At first, no one noticed, but when the conversation paused, they all turned to look at him.
Jiang Yan placed a shrimp ball into Lin Tiao’s bowl. Noticing their gazes, he paused but didn’t think there was anything unusual. "What?"
Guan Che, rubbing his chin, said with difficulty, "I just can’t believe it. Are you still the Jiang Yan I know?"
"..."
Knowing he wouldn’t have anything nice to say, Jiang Yan grabbed an orange from the fruit plate and tossed it at him. "Shut up."
Guan Che wasn’t having it. He peeled the orange and tossed the peel back at him.
Jiang Yan stood up, rolling up his sleeves. "It’s been a while since I fought. Let’s have a little match."
"Bring it on. I’m not afraid of you," Guan Che said, also rolling up his sleeves and getting ready.
Hu Hanghang, Xu Yichuan, and Song Yuan quickly huddled together and moved aside, preparing for an imminent showdown.
Lin Tiao didn’t understand why they suddenly acted so childish. She just knew that their childish behavior might not end well.
She put down her chopsticks and tugged at Jiang Yan’s sleeve. "I’m done eating. Are you still going to eat?"
"You’re done?" Jiang Yan looked down at her and then realized he had been too focused on serving her that he hadn’t eaten much himself. He dragged his chair back to the table. "I’ll eat a little more."
He was acting much more obediently than the aggressive attitude he had moments ago, almost like a well-behaved dog.
Guan Che, Song Yuan, Xu Yichuan, and Hu Hanghang: "..."
After the meal, Hu Hanghang and the others suggested going to KTV. Lin Tiao, having just returned from a trip, didn’t have much energy and planned to go home first.
Since she wasn’t going, Jiang Yan naturally wouldn’t go either. Guan Che, seeing that Jiang Yan wasn’t going, felt like he was too far apart from Hu Hanghang and the others, who were two years younger, and didn’t really want to go either.
In the end, no one really felt like going.
Xu Yichuan suggested, "How about we go play at your internet café?"
The suggestion was met with unanimous approval.
Lin Tiao followed along.
Before, when the internet café was open, Hu Hanghang and the others would go straight to the private rooms. But now, the café hadn’t opened yet, so there was no one inside.
Hu Hanghang quickly sat in his favorite spot. "I’ve wanted to sit here forever. Every time I came, it was always occupied."
The four boys scattered around in different corners of the hall.
Jiang Yan didn’t seem that interested in joining them. "I’ll stay upstairs with you for a bit."
Lin Tiao thought her boyfriend was being a little too clingy and shook her head. "It’s fine, you can hang out with them. I’ll stay downstairs with you."
"Alright."
Jiang Yan picked a spot by the wall, and Lin Tiao sat next to him inside.
They played a popular competitive online game, but Lin Tiao wasn’t interested after a few glances. She opened her device and started watching a Korean variety show she had been following.
The others were far apart, speaking with headsets.
Throughout the whole process, Lin Tiao could only hear Hu Hanghang and Xu Yichuan shouting at each other, while Guan Che and Song Yuan occasionally chimed in. Jiang Yan, however, had barely said a word since the game started.
After the conversation ended, Lin Tiao saw Jiang Yan take off his headset and lean in towards her. "Actually, you could curse too, I don’t mind."
"Hmm?" He clicked the mouse to start a new game, glancing at her without understanding. "Curse about what?"
Just then, Hu Hanghang cursed again, "Damn idiot."
Jiang Yan’s expression shifted, his face slightly backlit, making his features less distinct. His tone was indifferent and aloof. "I don’t need to curse."
"They’re not worth my time."
"A bunch of useless idiots."
Lin Tiao: "..."
Jiang Yan was serious when playing games, a kind of seriousness that was different from how he focused during class. His expression was calm, his long fingers constantly tapping the keyboard. After a while, he would raise his hand to lightly scratch his brow before diving back into the game.
Lin Tiao rarely saw him like this, and her gaze slowly shifted from the screen to him.
He was wearing a black sweater with a slightly low collar, revealing the clear contour of his collarbone. He tilted his head, his eyes locked on the screen, and his jawline was sharp and defined.
The sleeves were pushed up slightly, exposing his fair, muscular forearm. On his right wrist, he wore a coin necklace that Lin Tiao had given him.
As he moved the mouse, the coin occasionally brushed against the table, making a soft noise.
Lin Tiao stared at him for a while. When he paused, she reached out and touched his wrist.
Jiang Yan stiffened for a moment, his actions halting. His character was killed by the opponent, and he released his hand, turning to look at her. "What’s up?"
Lin Tiao rested her head on her hand and shook her head. "Nothing."
Then, she touched his wrist again.
Her actions were innocent, but they felt a little bold.
Jiang Yan remembered the kiss that had been interrupted earlier. He swallowed hard, then raised his hand and pulled her towards him. Lowering his head, he kissed her lips, his voice husky, "Stop touching me."
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