The Fourth Snowflake

The countryside at night was utterly quiet, free of light pollution, making even the darkness feel denser. Flying insects danced joyfully in the grass, but at this moment, Liao Xue's heart was even more cheerful than theirs.

Why had Shen Qiancheng come? Hadn't she ignored her this morning and looked down on her at noon?

Liao Xue's cheeks flushed as she lowered her head. "Hello, President Shen."

Shen Qiancheng sat upright in the old wooden armchair, her hand resting casually on the armrest. Though she was physically lower than Liao Xue, her noble and proud demeanor made Liao Xue quickly drop her gaze after a single glance.

Liao Xue still had dirt and weeds on her clothes. Shen Qiancheng glanced at her twice and frowned impatiently.

She had skipped lunch, come to Liao Xue's house, and waited an entire afternoon over coarse tea. She wasn't about to sit here just to hear Liao Xue greet her.

Mother Liao, seeing Liao Xue stand there like a wooden post, was furious. With the frustration of a mother disappointed in her child, she shoved Liao Xue and beamed as if she'd just found a fortune.

"President Shen, Liao Xue is here now. You can take her away right away."

Liao Xue stumbled from the shove and, before she could steady herself, fell right into Shen Qiancheng's arms.

She had just come from the field and was filthy—she shouldn't...

A faint, sweet fragrance wafted around Liao Xue's nose, seemingly coming from Shen Qiancheng. It was so faint that if she sniffed too carefully, it disappeared.

Shen Qiancheng was knocked backward by Liao Xue's impact, and they both tumbled into the armchair.

Liao Xue heard a soft chuckle above her head. Her senses slowly returned, and her face flushed as she hurriedly scrambled off Shen Qiancheng. She apologized in a whisper: "I'm sorry, President Shen."

Shen Qiancheng shook her head. "I don't need your apology. Come with me. Bring your things."

Hearing this, Mother Liao grabbed a small cloth bundle from the table and shoved it into Liao Xue's hands.

"I've packed everything for you. Work hard for these two months for President Shen, and don't make her waste the ten thousand she paid for you."

Ten thousand yuan? Liao Xue's eyes widened. She looked at Shen Qiancheng, who had already risen and was heading toward the door with her arms crossed.

A yellow lightbulb hung outside Liao Xue's door, illuminating only a small circle. Standing in the center of that circle, Shen Qiancheng turned back and frowned. "What are you waiting for? Move!"

In a daze, Liao Xue took the bundle and followed step by step behind Shen Qiancheng. The village had streetlights, but they were unreliable, sometimes on and sometimes off. Tonight was lucky—all the lights were on, guiding the way every few meters.

Many villagers who had finished dinner were already out for a stroll. Shen Qiancheng walked ahead with a swagger, while Liao Xue trailed a meter behind, clutching the bundle tightly with both hands, afraid to cross the line and incur Shen Qiancheng's displeasure.

The road grew quieter the farther they walked. Liao Xue truly felt this path was endless.

"Does your side still hurt from where she hit you last night?"

Shen Qiancheng's sudden question startled Liao Xue, who had been walking obediently.

Shen Qiancheng turned to see Liao Xue's flustered expression, still hidden behind her heavy bangs, which she found extremely irritating.

Liao Xue's eyes widened as she stared at Shen Qiancheng's face, suddenly so close and enlarged, and she unconsciously held her breath.

"Why are you so afraid of me? I'm not going to eat you."

Liao Xue didn't dare move, letting Shen Qiancheng, like a bandit chief, inspect her face, her gaze roaming.

Suddenly, Shen Qiancheng brushed aside Liao Xue's bangs, her brows furrowing in thought.

Upon closer inspection, Liao Xue did bear some resemblance to Shi Jianren.

"Why did you spend so much money hiring me?" Liao Xue's fingers dug into the bundle, sinking into the coarse brown fabric.

A sophisticated urban professional—why would she hire a village girl like her?

Shen Qiancheng tousled Liao Xue's hair; it felt just like straw.

Why indeed?

Shen Qiancheng had pondered this question all afternoon at Liao Xue's house.

Even if Mother Liao beat Liao Xue, Shen Qiancheng herself had also been beaten growing up.

But Shen Qiancheng was being married off by Shi Jianren—Liao Xue's biological father—to a despicable criminal.

Liao Xue didn't have to suffer that. It wasn't fair.

Shen Qiancheng squinted, placed a hand on Liao Xue's shoulder, and tilted her head with a smile. "You're worth ten thousand."

Liao Xue's eyes were the most reminiscent of Shi Jianren—gentle like wind and rain as they looked at her in confusion. Shen Qiancheng found it hard to imagine Shi Jianren looking at her that way.

"I'm just rich and dumb, okay?"

With that irritated remark, Shen Qiancheng strode off on her own.

The road from Liao Xue's house to the Village Chief's wasn't long. When the pair of stone lions at the Village Chief's gate came into view, Liao Xue still felt as if she were dreaming.

Shen Qiancheng pushed open the door, and Liao Xue, timid as a chick, stood pitifully at the entrance.

"What are you standing there for? Come in."

The Village Chief and his wife had returned from their evening stroll and were just waiting for Shen Qiancheng to lock the gate.

The Village Chief's Wife came out, wrapping her coat around herself, and started when she saw Liao Xue.

Liao Xue said awkwardly, "Hello, Auntie."

The Village Chief's Wife nervously twisted the hem of her clothes, then went back inside to rouse the Village Chief.

"President Shen, dinner is in the pot. I'll warm it up for you."

Shen Qiancheng nodded slightly. "Liao Xue, my newly hired personal assistant, can handle it."

Feeling the stares of the Village Chief and his wife, Liao Xue was extremely uncomfortable. At Shen Qiancheng's words, she sighed in relief and followed the woman to the kitchen.

When a bowl of noodles was finally brought out, Shen Qiancheng, who had been starving all day, stared at the thick, rough noodles, did some mental preparation, and began to eat. The noodles smelled delicious.

Mm?

Shen Qiancheng's eyes lit up. The noodles were a perfect combination of color, aroma, and taste—chewy, seemingly dancing between her teeth, while the savory broth seemed to sing on her tongue.

Soon, Shen Qiancheng had devoured the entire bowl, soothing her troubled mind.

The Village Chief's Wife watched Shen Qiancheng all but wolf down the noodles and smiled gently. "I'll quickly prepare another room for Xiao Xue..."

Shen Qiancheng wiped her mouth elegantly. "No need. My personal assistant can share my room; it's fine."

Liao Xue, who had been about to pick up the dishes to wash them, paused at the words, then silently headed to the kitchen.

The Village Chief's Wife said, "That works. Xiao Xue's cooking is pretty good, isn't it?"

Mm?

Shen Qiancheng raised an eyebrow, pointing at the table. "Liao Xue made this bowl of noodles? I thought your cooking had improved."

The Village Chief's Wife's smile stiffened, and the Village Chief smoothed things over: "It's getting late. Go get Xiao Xue a set of bedding."

The Village Chief's Wife left in a huff.

At ten o'clock that night, Shen Qiancheng and Liao Xue stared at each other, at an impasse. Shen Qiancheng grew impatient. "It's already ten! You're cutting into my beauty sleep. Are you going to come to bed or not?"

The small five-square-meter room had a concrete floor. It had been used as a storage room before, cleared out just enough to fit a bed, serving as Shen Qiancheng's quarters.

Shen Qiancheng thought it wasn't even as big as her own walk-in closet.

No matter how much she complained, Shen Qiancheng felt Liao Xue shouldn't be complaining.

In this tiny room, Liao Xue stood stubbornly in the middle of the open space, hugging a pillow, shaking her head to refuse sleeping in the bed.

Shen Qiancheng let out a long sigh and issued her final ultimatum: "Are you absolutely, positively sure you won't come to bed?"

Liao Xue nodded, whispering, "I can sleep on the floor."

Shen Qiancheng slapped her forehead. Why was Liao Xue so stubborn, like a mule that refused to listen once she got an idea in her head?

"You won't share a bed with me? You're repulsed by me?" Shen Qiancheng racked her brains for an idea, and an idea sparked instantly, making her angry. "You dare look down on me? You dare!? Fine, fine!"

Without saying a word, Liao Xue had been slapped with a huge accusation. She bit her lower lip and said in a faint voice, "No, I'm not. I'm not... I'm not repulsed by you."

Shen Qiancheng rolled her eyes. "I don't find you repulsive. We're both women—what are you afraid of? I'm not going to eat you in the middle of the night."

Shen Qiancheng rarely reasoned so calmly with anyone, let alone explained herself.

In the past, if someone didn't listen, she'd knock them out and put them to bed.

Shen Qiancheng stared at Liao Xue, making one final concession. "Then what are you being so shy about?"

Liao Xue's lips trembled, and finally she voiced her real concern: "I'm dirty. I came back from the fields, covered in dirt and grass."

Shen Qiancheng then noticed that Liao Xue was still wearing the same raggedy clothes from when she'd gone to pick her up, the ones she only wore to work in the fields.

Shen Qiancheng waved her hand. "I'll turn my back. Change your clothes, then get to sleep quickly. You can shower tomorrow."

Shen Qiancheng closed her eyes and turned around, staring at a child's poster on the wall. It featured a little kid with gleaming eyes, and an uncanny valley effect kicked in—the more she looked, the creepier she felt.

Liao Xue moved very quietly, but in the silent room, Shen Qiancheng could hear every effort she made.

About five minutes passed, and Shen Qiancheng heard no more sounds, assuming she had finished changing.

Shen Qiancheng turned around. "Now sleep quickly. I have to..."

Only Shen Qiancheng was on the bed. Liao Xue had made a pallet on the floor and was lying there, face turned away from Shen Qiancheng.

Shen Qiancheng thought: My god! I paid ten thousand to bring back a freeloading god!

Shen Qiancheng was so angry she nearly choked. She got out of bed in a few quick moves, yanked open Liao Xue's blanket, and slid her legs in, slipping into the other's bedding.

The owner of the bedding, Liao Xue, reacted as if she'd been struck by lightning. She stared at Shen Qiancheng in terror, while Shen Qiancheng lay smugly on the floor with her arms crossed, her wicked eyes glinting with mischief.

Shen Qiancheng's legs brushed against Liao Xue's skin. Liao Xue had taken off all her clothes before getting into the bedding.

Shen Qiancheng moved aside, creating a bit of distance, and threatened, "If you won't sleep on the bed, we'll both sleep on the floor."

Liao Xue's heart pounded so hard she could barely breathe.

Shen Qiancheng shook her head, looking smugly triumphant, as if to say, "What can you do about it?"

"I don't have any clean clothes to wear," Liao Xue said softly, clutching her blanket tightly. It was the first time she had ever admitted her poverty and embarrassment to another person.

Shen Qiancheng: ??? What kind of reason is that? Two women sleeping naked wouldn't be proper.

Shen Qiancheng let out a soft "Tsk." How troublesome.

Liao Xue heard it, pressed her feet together awkwardly, and lowered her head, not daring to meet Shen Qiancheng's gaze.

"Didn't you bring any in your bundle?"

Shen Qiancheng got up and picked up the small bundle on the table. It was featherlight. When she shook it open, she understood why it was so small.

A toothbrush, a few changes of underwear, and an ID card...

Everything in it was used by Liao Xue, things no one else could use.

Shen Qiancheng opened her own backpack. Xiao Sui had packed two sets of pajamas; she took out the spare set and handed it to Liao Xue. "Wear mine. I'll take you to town to buy new clothes in a few days."

Liao Xue, dressed in Shen Qiancheng's silk pajamas, lay quietly beside her. That sweet fragrance grew stronger, seeping into her lungs with each breath.

Lulled by Shen Qiancheng's even breathing, drowsiness crept over Liao Xue, and she drifted into a wonderful dream.