Chapter 64

Yan Qingqiu asked Ye Sichun for the video—she wanted to see the Fu family's state and have a good laugh. Ye Sichun casually mentioned it to Luo Xi, saying she could film it while she was there.

On the third day, Luo Xi went to the hospital with a friend. Her close friend was a bit puzzled, and when they reached the hospital entrance, the friend hesitated to go up. Standing by the gates, she kept asking, "Xixi, why are you so eager to go? People might think you still have feelings for Fu Ye."

"Oh, just going to take a look," Luo Xi said dismissively, pulling a camera out of her bag.

"You're taking photos too?" her friend was shocked. Never heard of that.

Luo Xi thought it wouldn't be good if word got out, so she made something up on the spot. "Just taking a few shots for the record. In case my brother doesn't know I came by later."

"I thought you'd recently fallen for Ye Sichun again—like you like her now."

That made Luo Xi flare up. What did she mean, she liked Ye Sichun? Luo Xi retorted indignantly, "It's clearly her who likes me!"

"...Huh? She likes you?" The friend was dumbfounded. She hadn't noticed that at all.

Luo Xi was equally shocked. "It's so obvious and you didn't catch it? Everyone knows, and you don't?"

"Which everyone?" The friend was baffled.

The netizens! The netizens all saw it!

Last time they'd even trended on the hot search. Online, everyone said Ye Sichun liked her, that she'd schemed her way into it—buying just one ticket and making Luo Xi sit right next to her.

Actually, the chairs had been a bit cramped back then, and Ye Sichun had quietly whispered in her ear, asking if she wanted to sit on her lap!

Luo Xi pulled out her phone, meaning to find the screenshots to show her, and said, "Remember when my brother made me cry before? Wasn't it her who drove me home every time?"

The friend: "Yes, yes, yes!"

Luo Xi: "Isn't it weird that she knows where I live? Every time I pass by her place, she gives me a new hairstyle, and it takes hours. And she always hints, in one way or another, that my brother and I aren't suited. Isn't that all her?"

The friend: "Yes, yes, yes!"

Luo Xi went on, "And when I got engaged last time, wasn't it her who told me, all heartfelt, that she didn't want my brother to get married?"

That one she wasn't sure about, but the friend still said, "Yes, yes, yes."

"And this time..." Luo Xi clutched her phone, scrolling through screenshots. The netizens all said Ye Sichun liked her, said they were a perfect match, and said, "Her... when I went to see my brother, she specifically asked me to record it. Isn't that just because she wants to know—hah—whether I was all lovey-dovey with my brother? So petty."

The friend was stunned, staring at her. "So you went to film it for her!"

"Ah... not exactly. I just didn't want her to get the wrong idea," Luo Xi said, carrying her bag as she walked in. After a few steps, she turned back to her friend. "She likes me. That's pretty obvious, right?"

The friend thought for a moment. "Now that you put it that way, yeah, pretty obvious."

She followed Luo Xi inside. "But you should ask her clearly—whether she has some childhood sweetheart or an ex she can't forget. Don't let it turn out that the moment you like her, she treats you like nothing, the way Fu Ye did. You should at least learn something from your last relationship, right?"

Luo Xi knew Ye Sichun pretty well. Ever since she'd cooled on her brother, her fondness for Ye Sichun had shot way up. Ye Sichun was in the beauty industry, but she never messed around—her relationships were clean. She seemed gentle but actually kept everyone at a distance. Speaking of which, Luo Xi couldn't help but brag, "You know, last time she even showed me her contact list. I didn't hold back and went straight through it. She doesn't flirt with anyone at all. And I'm still her pinned chat!"

"Wow." The friend was impressed. She hadn't expected Ye Sichun to be that proper. Truly, dating a woman was where the romance and happiness were. "If she keeps treating you this well, I'd be jealous of you."

The friend shook her head as they reached the elevator. "You go on up. I won't. My dad told me to steer clear of the Fu family lately."

Luo Xi understood. Her dad had said the same—they had to stay neutral, only visiting as neighbors, and not linger too long. That way, if the Fu family collapsed later, they wouldn't be dragged down with them.

Getting into the elevator, Luo Xi lowered her head to send a message, reminding her friend a few things—not to tell anyone about the camera. Only the two of them knew. If it got out, she'd be in trouble.

Her old friends had all been chosen by her brother, told to hang out with this person or that. She could tell they were a bunch of fake friends. Last time, Ye Sichun had looked through her phone too, said those people weren't genuinely good to her, made her block a bunch of them, and kept a few with decent character.

After trimming and trimming, she was left with this one friend. Though she still couldn't figure out why Ye Sichun would say a girl who sent her silly memes every day was the one who was truly good to her.

Upstairs, Luo Xi went up—she hadn't come empty-handed. Just as she was about to knock, she heard shouting from inside.

"Song Qingre and Yan Qingqiu—are they sick? Why are they still sending things over? Take it and throw it out! Throw it out!"

"Don't get angry. Why not give it a try? I looked it up online—a lot of people have been cured. Maybe it'll work?" The voice was female, probably Fu Ye's mother.

"Can you get it straight? Do you know where my problem is? Where the surgery was done? Can you take this seriously for once?"

"Son, I'm just trying to help you. Yesterday those foreign doctors came too, and they were quacks who said it had to be removed. I thought these were folk remedies—maybe they'd work. You need to pull yourself together. Now that your dad's company is in that bastard's hands, if anything happens to you, how am I supposed to live?"

Fu Ye knew exactly what she meant—literally. She wasn't worried about him. What she cared about was that if he lost control of the company, she'd have no money to siphon. Not that she'd grieve his misfortune.

A wave of deep sorrow washed over him. Then the door banged—bang, bang, bang. Fu Ye stared at the door, hope flickering in his eyes.

The door pushed open from the outside, and he saw Luo Xi's face. Disappointment was hard to hide. But given everything that had happened—his gland problem—no heiress would dare come see him. Even Luo Xi's visit was some comfort.

"Brother, Auntie. My dad asked me to bring these over. How have you been lately, brother?"

Fu Ye's mother saw her like a lifeline and quickly stood up. "How thoughtful of you. Come in, sit. You didn't have to come all the way. Come, say a few words to your brother Fu."

Luo Xi set the gifts down by the door. "I'll pass—I won't come in. Brother Fu needs his rest. I should get going."

"Luo Xi, come in. Thank you for coming to see me. I didn't expect you'd still be the one who treats me best..." Fu Ye gave her a gentle smile, haggard and soft-eyed. Luo Xi's heart warmed, and she almost went in to sit. But just then, her phone rang. Luo Xi opened her bag, quickly pressed the camera down inside, and pulled out her phone. It was her friend calling.

"Xixi, holy crap, you're right. I just saw Ye Sichun—she followed us here. I saw her. Her car's been parked outside the whole time. This must be how it's been all along—she tails you quietly, and because she's too shy, she only comes out to comfort you when you're crying. She loves you so much, girl. I'm jealous!"

Luo Xi's face warmed. She stepped back into the hallway, no longer caring about Fu Ye, and said softly, "Oh, and you didn't believe me earlier."

"Little Xi, come in?" The person inside was still inviting her. Luo Xi didn't want to keep the one downstairs waiting, so she shook her head. "I need to get going. I have things to do. I'll come see you another time."

With that, Luo Xi dropped the gifts and ran. Fu Ye's mother got up to grab her, but she was too fast. Closing the door, the woman frowned at her son. "Luo Xi's not bad. Why not her? She's your only option now anyway."

Fu Ye didn't answer. After a moment, he said, "She probably won't work."

Fu Ye's mother got annoyed. "What nonsense are you talking? Why not? It's already lucky she doesn't mind your condition. The Luo family is rich and powerful. What more could you possibly be picky about? You're not really going to wait until she stops liking you and then regret it, like your father said, are you? Your situation is already a joke. You—"

"Can you just shut up?" Fu Ye roared. "What do you know? If you'd cared about me even a little, you wouldn't say something like that!"

It was obvious Luo Xi had no interest in him anymore. She spent all day running around with that Ye woman. Disgusting. A hair-washer who does that kind of service—how dare she think she can compare to him?

Luo Xi got downstairs quickly. Her friend kept winking at her, telling her to look—wasn't that her Ye Sichun outside?

The cold wind blew. Ye Sichun leaned against her car, hair blowing in the breeze. She held her phone, staring at it, typing with frozen fingers—the message came out full of typos. She blew on her fingers, then pulled open the car door and got in to send it.

Luo Xi's phone buzzed with a message from Ye Sichun. She was usually loud and brash, bold around her brother, but now she was completely shy. She didn't rush out. Sitting beside her friend, she said, "Don't make such a fuss. It's like I care about her that much."

"Sure, sure. But honestly, she cares about you so much—you came here, and she followed right behind. If my ex had even half her thoughtfulness, we wouldn't have broken up!"

"Mm-hmm." Luo Xi sat on the hospital bench, legs shaking from the cold. Now that she had something to compare, she finally understood what true gentleness was. Her legs were freezing, but her heart and face were warm.

"Let's go? Should we head out?"

"What do you think—if I go out now, will she..."

"Don't be dumb. Just act like you don't know she came. If you stay in there too long, aren't you afraid she'll think you still have feelings for Fu Ye?"

Luo Xi thought that made sense. She stood up, and her friend led the way. Her friend said, "We don't need to drive the car back right away. Just take her car. You should hint that she matters a bit more than Fu Ye—then she'll keep being crazy about you."

"M-makes sense." Luo Xi nodded.

Once outside, she spotted Ye Sichun's car at a glance. Ye Sichun got out and smiled at her. Luo Xi pretended she had no idea she'd come early, asking, "When did you get here?"

"Just now." As Ye Sichun spoke, Luo Xi's friend nudged her with her elbow. Ye Sichun looked confused and asked, "Then you two..."

"We'll take your car. We're freezing to death—Xixi's legs won't stop shaking," her friend said. Ye Sichun opened the car door, signaling for Luo Xi to get in. Once they were settled, she went to the back, grabbed a blanket, and handed them some hand warmers. Luo Xi wrapped her legs in the blanket, and her friend whispered in her ear, "So sweet, so sweet, this is killing me."

Ye Sichun drove up front, glancing at the rearview mirror now and then.

She said, "That video might get sent to Song Qingre and the others. If you're uncomfortable with it, I won't send it."

"I don't mind." Luo Xi knew exactly what it was—Ye Sichun wanted to show off, to prove she had nothing going on with Brother Fu. She understood.

Luo Xi looked out the window, tempted to snort. Her friend was whispering again, going on about how she approved of this marriage.

Honestly.

Her own parents hadn't approved it yet—what right did her friend have to approve?

She was still young. She didn't want to get married. At least three or four years of intense romance first. She wanted to keep this sweet, honeyed state going.

Ye Sichun dropped Luo Xi's friend off at home. The friend watched them drive away, looking like she wanted more. Then Ye Sichun drove Luo Xi home. Now that it was just the two of them, Ye Sichun talked more freely. Luo Xi thought, so she's shy too.

Ye Sichun asked, "Are you going home, or coming with me to the hospital to see Yan Qingqiu?"

"Let's see Yan Qingqiu. I want to laugh at her."

"That works." Ye Sichun drove her over. On the way, she took her out to eat—just the two of them, no one else to interrupt. After eating, they bought fruit together, then headed to the hospital.

When they arrived, they didn't see Yan Qingqiu—only Song Qingre on her laptop. Song Qingre sat by the bed, smiling faintly, as if amused by something, her smile doting.

Ye Sichun asked with a grin, "Where's Yan Qingqiu? I came here specially to see her, not you."

Song Qingre glanced at the bed. Someone was hidden under the blankets, but she was so thin that you couldn't tell anyone was there. Yan Qingqiu lay inside, pretending she'd already ascended to immortality—no mortal words would reach her.

"Is she too embarrassed to show her face?" Luo Xi asked.

Yan Qingqiu recognized the voice—she knew exactly which wretch was speaking. She propped up the blanket with her fingers, making a little hole, and peered out. "None of your business?"

Luo Xi sat straight down in the nearby chair and turned to Song Qingre with enthusiasm. "Sis, I heard you put sister-in-law in the hospital with that... what was it... grass-head thing."

Song Qingre didn't say anything. Under the covers, Yan Qingqiu ground her teeth and muttered, "Ye Sichun, can you control your wife? I'm right here, and she's still making stuff up?"

Ye Sichun was putting away the fruit and gifts she'd brought and didn't catch what Yan Qingqiu said. "What? Speak up."

Luo Xi's face went red instantly. Ye Sichun... calling her wife?! That was too much! Foul play!

That got Yan Qingqiu fired up too. She stuck her head out and said, "I said you're my sister, and Luo Xi is your—" Before she could finish, Luo Xi moved fast, lunging forward to cover her mouth. She was so quick that Yan Qingqiu didn't react in time. Ye Sichun and Song Qingre hurried over to stop them before a fight broke out. Seeing so many people on her side, Yan Qingqiu felt smug. "Next time you say that, I'll say it too."

The two were at a stalemate, neither willing to back down. Luo Xi huffed.

Yan Qingqiu ducked back under the covers. Ye Sichun sat down, pulling Luo Xi to her side. "Alright, we're here to visit the sick, not to brawl."

Luo Xi puffed up, forced herself to swallow the anger. "I'll let it go this time. Next time we meet, once she's better, she and I aren't done."

"Sister-in-law." This time it was Yan Qingqiu shouting it.

Ye Sichun heard it but didn't understand. She looked at Song Qingre, asking what it meant. Song Qingre gave her a look—figure it out yourself. Luo Xi was furious. How did Yan Qingqiu do it? She already thought she was shameless, but now she seemed even worse—shameless in new ways. Thick-skinned, couldn't even come up with her own insults, just copied others. What a disgrace.

Once the two had calmed down, Ye Sichun finally asked, "How is she? Online it sounded pretty serious."

Yan Qingqiu was curled up in the blanket, randomly poking at her phone, but really she had her ears perked, listening to what Song Qingre was saying.

Song Qingre said, "No, the internet's just making things up. She just went through Secondary Differentiation and turned into an omega. Her level's too high, so she came to the hospital for a check-up."

"Tsk, so she really is an omega. Even when I was doing her hair before, she felt like one."

Song Qingre said, "Don't bring this up anymore, you two." She hinted that not everyone could accept the differentiation.

Luo Xi hadn't won the argument and still wanted to fight, but she wasn't unreasonable. If you spoke to her properly, she'd listen. She nodded along.

Ye Sichun asked a bit more about Yan Qingqiu's condition, and Song Qingre said it was all going well—she'd be discharged next week and just needed to stay under observation for this one. Ye Sichun also asked about the conflict with the Fu family, saying she could help if needed.

Song Qingre glanced at Luo Xi. Luo Xi said nothing—she definitely didn't want them fighting with Fu Ye. But the problem was right there; she couldn't stay neutral. At most, she could just not interfere.

Song Qingre set down her laptop and made them jasmine tea. Handing it to Luo Xi, she said, "You might not know how awful your brother Fu really is. If you ever become the boss lady, take one look at Ye Sichun's accounts, and you'll see. She's lost more recently than when she was fighting rivals for territory."

Luo Xi could tell Song Qingre was teasing her, though she didn't quite get the account book part. From under the covers, Yan Qingqiu shouted, siding with Ye Sichun, "Exactly! Your dear brother went after Ye Sichun—he got several of her shops shut down for renovations, reported her for offering sexual services, claimed she was doing some shady deals, said she had ties to underground trading. You can't tell me you didn't know?"

Ye Sichun hadn't wanted Luo Xi to know. She coughed to make Yan Qingqiu stop. Luo Xi was dumbstruck, staring at Ye Sichun with wide eyes.

Yan Qingqiu propped up the blanket with her fingers, breathing through the gap. Song Qingre tilted her head to look at her, and she quickly dropped her fingers, hiding again.

Song Qingre said, "Actually, Miss Luo should know. Otherwise, when she's with you later, she'd be too guilty about it, right?"

"Is what they said true?" Luo Xi asked. Ye Sichun just smiled.

Luo Xi was livid. Her brother... how could Fu Ye do this? No wonder Ye Sichun hadn't invited her to the shop lately!

She stood up and stepped out, phone in hand, and called Fu Ye.

Fu Ye was still in the middle of a fit, telling his mother to leave and never come see him again. He saw the caller ID and reined in his anger. He wanted to get back to the company and needed support—likely through Luo Xi's father. He picked up immediately, steeling himself to be gentle with Luo Xi, to string her along.

"Brother, what right do you have to go after Ye Sichun? I've told you so many times—can you stop meddling in my affairs? You even got her shops shut down! How could you be so awful? You make me feel... sick! Stay out of my business from now on!" Luo Xi fumed. "You're so annoying! Who said you could do that?! You've gone too far!"

Fu Ye was caught off guard. "Little Xi, I did it for your own good. If she had no problems, going after her wouldn't have worked anyway. You're too naive—you'll get fooled by bad people. Only I truly care about you..."

Ye Sichun looked out at the commotion, stood up, and said to Song Qingre, "I'll take this as you helping me then." She set down her teacup and took Luo Xi's phone. Yan Qingqiu crawled out from under the covers to watch. She saw Song Qingre first, her cheeks flushed red from being smothered, then quickly ducked back in. Her knee pressed against the little red booklet—she'd warmed it with her body, and it was burning hot now. Her household register was thin, down to just her own page. Her father's and mother's pages had been withdrawn.

If they got married, she, her father, and Song Qingre would all be in one register.

At the thought, her face flushed even redder.

The wind outside was strong, howling.

Standing in the corridor, they could still hear everything. Ye Sichun took Luo Xi's phone and said, "Mr. Fu, I have no grudge against you. If you like reporting me, feel free. But if you slander me, I'll take legal action. I've already filed a police report. You can wait for the court summons. This isn't simple defamation either—you sent people to harass my staff and planted contraband in my salon. If nothing else, you'll likely face jail time. Get ready to be investigated."

The person on the other end was speechless. Ye Sichun added, "Miss Luo is quite naive. If you don't like her, you can reject her outright. Instead, you've been stringing her along, gaslighting her with words. That just makes you look especially... despicable. A man like you truly doesn't deserve her."

With that, she hung up and handed the phone back to Luo Xi. Luo Xi's fingers brushed the edge of the phone.

"Take it back." Ye Sichun said.

Luo Xi held the phone. The two faced each other.

Luo Xi exhaled, feeling utterly humiliated. Fu Ye had done this—she had no face to look at Ye Sichun anymore. It was a disaster Ye Sichun had never asked for. Fu Ye had overstepped without her permission. She pressed her lips together, wanting to say sorry.

Ye Sichun wore a wine-red overcoat, the belt loosely tied at her side. She was a casual, carefree person, a little unprofessional at first glance, almost flippant. But spend time with her and you'd find she was gentle—maybe not the delicate, meticulous kind, but genuinely good. She'd been truly good to her.

In every way, better than her brother. The guilt weighed heavy.

"Don't worry about it too much." Ye Sichun said. "It's mostly handled."

As they headed back to the room, Ye Sichun paused at the door. "Let's talk about this over dinner tonight."

"Mm." Luo Xi nodded, looking dejected.

Back inside, Yan Qingqiu still hadn't come out of the blanket. Luo Xi suddenly understood her completely—she felt the same way now, wanting to hide somewhere. It was mortifying. Song Qingre changed their tea. Ye Sichun looked at Song Qingre deeply, her expression different now, gripping the cup and nodding at her through clenched teeth.

"What, the tea doesn't suit your taste?" Song Qingre said.

"It doesn't. At least, I'm not in the mood to drink it right now."

"There's also black tea. If you want, I'll switch it for you."

"No need for that either." Ye Sichun refused. Of course she knew what Song Qingre was doing—using her as the final blade. She struck, and by pulling Luo Xi in, not to mention the Fu family, Fu Ye would have no chance of returning to the Fu Corporation. Song Qingre was ruthless like that. You'd want to blame her, but then you'd realize she'd done nothing wrong.

Still, Ye Sichun took a sip. The jasmine was rich and fragrant, smelling wonderful.

Song Qingre said, "If you like it, I'll send some to your shop later. Drink it a few more times and you'll get used to it."

Ye Sichun snorted and dropped the topic, turning to Yan Qingqiu. "Don't stay cooped up in there. Come out and get some air."

"I'm fine. I think it's great in here." Yan Qingqiu wasn't coming out.

Ye Sichun was curious and kept asking Song Qingre what was going on. Song Qingre just smiled and wouldn't say why. They stayed in the room for an hour, and Yan Qingqiu stayed buried under the blanket the whole time.

Ye Sichun left with Luo Xi. Before going, she reminded Yan Qingqiu to check her phone—she'd sent the video.

Yan Qingqiu lay in bed watching it, and before long she was laughing out loud. Fu Ye actually hadn't thrown away the supplements he'd been sent.

That night after dinner, Yan Qingqiu came out for some air. There was a red flush on her cheek—her skin was so pale it was very obvious. She met Song Qingre's eyes, then ducked back under the covers.

"You're not coming out? You're going to stay in there?" Song Qingre asked.

Yan Qingqiu hummed in acknowledgment, saying softly, "What for?"

Song Qingre sighed. "Looks like Qiuqiu doesn't want to get married after all. Guess it was all just talk before."

No, that wasn't it. Yan Qingqiu said, "When the next snow falls, we'll get married."

Song Qingre looked outside, stood up, and opened the window. "Looks like it's a match made in heaven."

Yan Qingqiu thought to herself, "It's not a match made in heaven. Anyone can say that—everyone but you. Because this fate was fought for by you. It has nothing to do with that orchestrating heaven that wants to destroy all that's good."

Yan Qingqiu lay there for almost an hour before she couldn't breathe anymore. She slowly crawled out and saw Song Qingre standing by the window, gazing outside as if waiting for snow.

"Want to see the snow?" Song Qingre turned to ask her.

Yan Qingqiu said yes. "Can you even see it clearly in the dark?"

"Come stand here and see for yourself." Song Qingre said.

Yan Qingqiu walked over to look. Song Qingre pushed the window open. In the courtyard below, a lamp glowed, and in its slanting light, snowflakes flew fast, swirling and dancing around the light. The first snow had come with a vengeance.

"It counts as a very lucky day."

"But the snow falls at night. We can't go get married now." As Yan Qingqiu said it, she suddenly realized she'd misspoken. Snow at night—wasn't that just heaven playing tricks? It made the snow fall at night, and marriage registration could only be done in the day. Deliberately making people miss the first snow.

Song Qingre clutched the curtain and said, "It doesn't matter. When I say heaven, I don't mean this world. If you're willing to marry me, then you are my heaven. Anywhere, anytime, snow will fall in my world—thin snow, feathery snow, snow of every shape and kind."

Here she was with that kind of talk again. Yan Qingqiu had never imagined that one day someone would say such things to her over and over. It was truly romantic.

Yan Qingqiu looked at the streetlamp shining in the light and said softly, "Oh, let me ask you something. Yesterday you were curious about how I got through being sick when you were abroad, right? Now I'm curious about you too. How did you get through being sick when I wasn't around?"

"Sick..." Song Qingre's gaze stayed outside the window. A pane of glass split the world into two spaces—one bright and warm, one a dark, snowy night. The snow night raged coldly.

"I was fine. There was someone to take care of me. Actually, after I left, no one bullied me anymore."

"Oh..." Because the only person who ever bullied her was that one person.

"Song Qingre, do you know what it means to give up?"

"Why ask so suddenly?"

Yan Qingqiu had thought of it suddenly, because she'd noticed that Song Qingre had an excellent memory—whatever she remembered, she had to accomplish. Yan Qingqiu had thought that since they hadn't gotten married last time, she would've forgotten it all. But she hadn't. She remembered, and she worked it in everywhere, turning marriage into an inevitability.

Yan Qingqiu had agreed to marriage. The promise was given to her now, and she had to fulfill it.

"Just curious. Is it so bad to get to know the person you're marrying? You won't even talk about that?"

"Depends. If it's something I love, I'll probably never give up halfway. I'll keep chasing it forever."

"Oh."

"What about you?"

Yan Qingqiu didn't know either. She'd given up on many things halfway—given up a lot for money, bowed to society to survive. Thinking it over, she said, "In matters of love... I haven't come across that yet... I've never chosen to give up halfway. I could try it."

Her hint should've been obvious enough. She should understand.

She looked at the streetlamp. The wind blew the snow away, then back again.

Yan Qingqiu shivered. She walked back to the bed and poured the tea from her thermos into a glass. Song Qingre told her not to drink it or she wouldn't sleep, and poured her a fresh one instead.

She held the cup with both hands. Song Qingre brought over the blanket from the other bed—it was cold at night, so the two of them shared one.

A cup, a cover, a lifetime together. What a good omen.

With that thought, she lay down in the blanket. The pressure made the back of her neck ache, so she shifted her neck to the side.

Song Qingre settled in after cleaning up and felt something poking her leg as she lay down. Just as she reached for it, Yan Qingqiu's hand shot out and snatched it away.

Song Qingre glanced at it—it was her household register. Her lips moved as if to say something, then she stopped herself and chose to lie down. Yan Qingqiu rambled on, lecturing her to keep her household register safe—it was a very important thing. As she said this, she put the register under her pillow, then not long after, took it out and pressed it to her chest.

Nowhere was safer than in her own arms.

Every move she made seemed to say: even if you're all alone, you still have to live well.

Yan Qingqiu fell asleep clutching the register. Song Qingre, worried she'd be uncomfortable, waited until she was asleep and tried to pull it out—but she wouldn't let go. She held it tightly.

Song Qingre didn't try again. She pulled her hand back. Yan Qingqiu's phone buzzed twice. She picked it up and looked—it was the butler calling. It rang twice and stopped. She unlocked the screen and saw the chat between Yan Qingqiu and the butler from 2 p.m., sent while she was hiding under the covers when Ye Sichun had come.

Butler: 【It's going to snow tonight. Want me to send anything over?】

Yan Qingqiu: 【I want dumplings. Put a coin inside.】

Butler: 【Coins are dirty. I'll wrap a gold coin in it instead.】

Yan Qingqiu: 【Isn't it the same?】

Butler: 【It's one I saved myself.】

Yan Qingqiu: 【Thanks, dear Uncle Dong. Mwah! (*╯3╰)】

Remembering dinner, Song Qingre's lips curved slightly. So she'd known it would snow tonight?

The Qiuqiu of before liked to be straightforward. The one of now liked to go roundabout.

She'd changed a little. So close... to not recognizing her.

···

Waking early, the world outside was a sheet of white, the sky fully bright. Yan Qingqiu woke, changed, and started working on her face.

Yan Qingqiu wasn't great at makeup. After she'd transmigrated, her job required it—she wore it daily, and the makeup artist would do it for her, and she'd picked up a few tricks along the way. She did a light, natural look, pressed her lips together, and fixed her hair.

For a marriage certificate photo, the eyes and ears had to be visible, so she braided her golden hair into a plait, showing her whole face.

Song Qingre leaned against the simple vanity nearby, picked up a jade hairpin, and stood beside her, coiling her hair up.

A simple hospital room. Two people getting ready in the morning.

Song Qingre finished and waited for Yan Qingqiu.

Yan Qingqiu felt awkward. She turned around and continued braiding her hair, worried Song Qingre would rush her. But Song Qingre didn't rush her at all—she waited quietly. Yan Qingqiu pressed her lips together, then pulled out hand cream and rubbed it into her fingers. When she was done, she reached for her bag, and Song Qingre picked it up for her.

She just didn't know what to do next.

The two walked out together. They ran into a nurse, who asked, "Where are you two off to? Will you be back this afternoon?"

"No," Yan Qingqiu said.

Song Qingre looked at her. Yan Qingqiu snapped back, "Yes, back. We'll be back soon."

"You seem distracted. We'll see if we can take out the stitches this afternoon. Don't run off," the nurse reminded her.

"Got it," Yan Qingqiu said.

The two said little, and the cold was biting. Both felt the chill as they stepped outside. The ground was covered in a thin layer of snow. Yan Qingqiu stomped her boot down, leaving a footprint.

They first went to the local police station to update some info, changing Yan Qingqiu's secondary gender to omega.

Then the station gave her a marriage certificate.

"No waiting?" Yan Qingqiu asked, puzzled. "You just take this certificate and go get married directly?"

The staff glanced at Song Qingre. "Didn't you tell your partner?"

Cases like hers—a rare high-level omega from Secondary Differentiation—were so uncommon they'd remember her clearly. "Marriage isn't affected. Just bring your documents and the certificate. Your current ID still works; when your new one comes in, come straight to me to swap it."

Yan Qingqiu was surprised. So she'd already come to ask.

Yan Qingqiu took her documents and got in the car. Song Qingre drove, fingers tapping the wheel, and soon they crossed the streets. There were plenty of people about, and in that short time, the snow on the ground had already melted. Steam rose from a bun shop by the roadside. Song Qingre said, "If you're hungry, I'll take you to get some thumb-size fried buns."

Yan Qingqiu was about to nod, then shook her head. "Eating always means wiping my mouth, and I just put on lipstick."

At their destination, Song Qingre got out first. Yan Qingqiu pushed open the door herself. There were quite a few people at the marriage registry, many drawn by the first snow, coming to get their certificates on this commemorative day.

It wasn't opening time yet. The staff hadn't started.

Song Qingre said, "If you're hungry, I'll go buy something first and you hold our spot. I brought lipstick—you can touch up."

Yan Qingqiu looked at the crowd and shook her head again. No, no. I'm really too timid. Standing here in line alone, what if the process moves fast, and when it's my turn, you're not back yet? How embarrassing would that be?

"I won't eat. Not on such an important day." Yan Qingqiu muttered.

The two joined the line. Song Qingre looked inside, then pulled Yan Qingqiu to another line. "That's the divorce window."

"Oh." Yan Qingqiu glanced over. Wait, the doors weren't open yet—how could she know?

She turned to see Song Qingre smiling and standing in a less crowded line.

It was really strange. She couldn't get comfortable no matter what. Just now she'd wanted to use the bathroom; now that Song Qingre looked over, she suddenly felt her leg hurt.

"Want me to get you a cup of soy milk?" Song Qingre asked.

"No need." Yan Qingqiu shoved her hands into her pockets. She wore a taro-colored down jacket today, fingers tucked in, muttering, "Aren't you afraid I'll run off?"

"No." Song Qingre said.

Yan Qingqiu pressed her lips together. It got colder, and even with her hands in her pockets, they were freezing. Looking at her phone, she said, "Let's go buy something to eat. There's still an hour."

The two went back to the car and drove down the street. They bought a bunch of food—soy milk, steamed buns, and a grilled sausage.

Holding them warmed her fingers. They went back to queue up. The crowd hadn't grown, so they stood at the entrance waiting.

Yan Qingqiu stood in front, turning to talk to Song Qingre. Song Qingre had a gold coin in her hand, rolling it across her palm. Yan Qingqiu touched it—the coin was hot. She must have been holding it for a long time.

Song Qingre smiled. "This should be a very lucky day."

Soon, a staff member came to open the door. Since not everyone had arrived, a rope blocked the entrance—they hadn't fully opened yet.

Yan Qingqiu hurried to throw away what she was holding. She followed behind Song Qingre as people filed in one by one, moving forward. She was excited and thrilled, unable to stop herself from looking up to talk to Song Qingre.

And then, in an instant, her parted lips closed. Above Song Qingre's head, a red frame appeared.

The red frame was glaring, and words popped out from it. Two asterisks in an instant turned into lines and lines of text.

Yan Qingqiu read them word by word, growing cold all over, and shivered.

"Hm?" Song Qingre raised an eyebrow at her. "Nervous? I'll hold your hand then."

She stretched out her fingers—slender fingers that had been inside her before, stirring her into excitement and pleasure.

Yan Qingqiu bit her lip and looked again at the words above her head: Perverted murderer maniac.

【Villain profile intro: Song Qingre, personality: A. Gentle and touching (the neighbor sister/perfect wife type, but has actually coveted you since childhood, wishing to be your wife, and has made it her lifelong dream—has so far killed 9,125 hosts), B. Grim and psychotic (if anything displeases her even slightly, your parents and you are all gone—friendly reminder to keep your distance from your parents), C. Untouchable ice queen (a cold moon to admire but never touch; advised to avoid contact when she's in heat), D. Passionate, wavy-haired, long-locked vixen (she's got every thrill you want, including the thrill of killing her new bride)】"

"Qiuqiu?"

"Hm?" Yan Qingqiu looked up at her.

Just one step from the hall. Yan Qingqiu suddenly froze at the doorway, and the people behind her kept urging her forward. Song Qingre walked over, took her sleeve, and pulled her inside. The two stood to the side. Song Qingre's hand landed on her head—even through her hair, she could feel the coldness of her fingers.

"Not feeling well, or scared?" Song Qingre rubbed her hair.

"Scared." Scared enough that she accidentally told the truth.

"I'm here. No need to be scared." Song Qingre said. "Let's go in."

Inside, the staff had already started processing. A clear broadcast echoed through the hall.

"Mm." Yan Qingqiu thought to herself, it's fine. He's just a psycho villain, that's all. I... I might not have known before whether I was into this, but I'll take a few big bites now, and I should manage. My appetite is, is huge!

Marrying someone like this—how thrilling. Even my legs are trembling with excitement.

"It's, it's really cold, hahaha." Yan Qingqiu laughed with a shaky voice.

Song Qingre held her hand, lowered her head, and blew on it, smiling at her. "I've thought about marrying Qiuqiu for a long time. I'm so happy. And so excited."

"Qiuqiu, don't stare at the top of my head. Look into my eyes. Look at my face."