The Fifteenth Snowflake

Beyond the courtyard gate stretched an endless expanse of lush green cornfield. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and under the distant blue sky, birds chased each other in flight.

Shen Qiancheng stood at the doorway and stretched extravagantly.

She had searched the Village Chief's house thoroughly, inside and out—not a trace of Liao Xue, not even a strand of her hair.

A vague unease crept into Shen Qiancheng's heart. Liao Xue was soft-hearted; who knew if Mother Liao had seized the opportunity and, with a few well-placed pleas and crocodile tears, tricked her into coming back?

Wouldn't all her efforts have been in vain then?!

The situation couldn't wait. Shen Qiancheng strode off immediately. Behind her, the Village Chief's Wife, still wearing her apron and holding a large ladle, watched puzzled as Shen Qiancheng stretched at the doorway and then hurried away.

Not eating at home again tonight?

The sun had already set, leaving the empty sky a lonely stage before the stars and moon made their appearance.

Lights flickered on across the village, merging into a river of glow.

At the very end of that river lay the Liao family's light.

There was little in the way of entertainment in the village; everyone gathered after dinner to gossip. Some sat at the village entrance, others in the shadow of the gateways, each clutching a large palm-leaf fan in a show of importance, swatting away the summer mosquitoes.

That was exactly the scene in front of Mother Liao's door—three or four people in gaudy short-sleeved shirts, heads together, chatting with great enthusiasm.

Sharp-eyed Mother Liao was in the middle of some story with the others, laughing so hard she was bent over, when her peripheral vision caught Shen Qiancheng. Her grin promptly receded, as if she'd seen a ghost.

"Enough, enough," Mother Liao said as she stood, yanking the stools out from under the others. "Something unclean is here. Time to go home."

Something unclean—Shen Qiancheng rolled her eyes. If not for Liao Xue's disappearance, she wouldn't have come near Liao family's doorstep looking for trouble.

An old woman suggested, "We've all eaten already. Why not come over to my place for a while?"

Mother Liao, reluctant to cut the fun short, readily agreed. The whole group trooped off happily, as if Shen Qiancheng didn't exist.

Good riddance. Shen Qiancheng recalled news reports she'd seen—how some villages had cellars, and how abducted female students sold into the mountains were kept in those sunless pits to avoid police searches.

Liao Xue was weak, with her leg still unhealed. Confined to a cramped, damp cellar—how could she possibly endure that?

Shen Qiancheng's heart felt like a chick pecking at it. With a nimble move, she vaulted over the courtyard wall.

The yard light was off, but under the moonlight, it was clear enough to see.

The window in Liao Xue's room still wasn't repaired. Shen Qiancheng swung a leg over the sill and stepped inside.

Silent. Completely empty.

Shen Qiancheng opened the door and searched the other rooms, but found no one—except for Liao Feiyu, sprawled on his bed in deep sleep, still clutching his phone. The game on screen was still in progress.

Shen Qiancheng sighed. Apart from that living creature, there was no one else in this courtyard.

She bent down and saw Liao Feiyu's teammates typing furious curses at Mother Liao in the chat window. She let out a soft tsk-click of disapproval, then raised a fair, delicate hand to pat the sleeping boy.

Liao Feiyu was sound asleep, dreaming he'd just scored a pentakill. Out of nowhere, a hand slapped him across the face—hard enough to jolt him awake instantly.

His eyes snapped open to see a face as beautiful as a fairy's.

A pretty big sister?

While Liao Feiyu's brain was still catching up, Shen Qiancheng idly paced the room, then settled into the ornate wooden armchair at its center.

The same chair she'd sat in the other night when she'd come to take Liao Xue away—when Liao Xue had bumped into her arms by accident.

Unconsciously, a smile tugged at the corner of Shen Qiancheng's lips.

"You're a meddlesome bastard."

Liao Feiyu had finally pieced it together, glaring at the woman who'd broken into his home. He remembered what Mother Liao had said: she was the one who'd tricked his sister into leaving. Without his sister's marriage, there'd be no money—and without money, Mother couldn't buy him game consoles and candy.

All her fault.

Shen Qiancheng was intrigued by the fierce hatred in Liao Feiyu's gaze. Such a small child actually capable of hating someone?

"That's right, I'm a bastard," Shen Qiancheng admitted shamelessly. Insults like that had never stung her—instead, they felt almost like praise. "A bastard who loves to gobble up little boys!"

As she spoke, she suddenly opened her mouth wide and made a ferocious face at Liao Feiyu.

Just a brat—she'd have him crying in no time.

Liao Feiyu's eyes went wide, but the trembling of his shoulders betrayed his fear. He looked about to burst into tears any second.

Shen Qiancheng was delighted. Kids were so easy to scare—unlike Liao Xue, who wouldn't flinch no matter what.

"Let me ask you: where has your mother hidden your sister? Tell me, and I won't eat you—I might even give you candy."

She pulled out some candy from her pocket, the handful the shopkeeper had given her because he had no small change. Cheap plastic wrappers, cloyingly sweet scent—if Shen Qiancheng ate one, she'd have an allergic reaction and end up getting her stomach pumped.

But for little Liao Feiyu, they were a treasure; his mother rarely let him have sweets.

Liao Feiyu's eyes lit up, tears receding. He said brightly, "I don't know. She ran out last night and never came back. Isn't it you who took her away?"

Shen Qiancheng retorted, "That was a rescue, not a kidnapping, you know-nothing brat!"

So Liao Xue had run away from home last night?

Shen Qiancheng felt a swell of pride. Look at her, actually running away from home now.

She dangled the candy in front of Liao Feiyu like a tempting kite. "Kids who lie don't just lose out on candy—they get grabbed and eaten by me! So you better think long and hard before you answer… otherwise, heh heh heh."

Faced with the villainous, creaking laugh Shen Qiancheng deliberately produced—the kind that only appears in cartoons—Liao Feiyu was terrified. He blurted out, "I swear I'm not lying! Mother said to leave Sister alone for now and go get her back once you're gone."

Shen Qiancheng let out a cold laugh. So that was her game, was it? No wonder she'd been so quiet and cooperative.

And after she left, who would protect Liao Xue? Who could protect her?

Shen Qiancheng returned empty-handed, having even sacrificed a few pieces of candy—not that she'd wanted to give them up, but no one else would eat them.

She walked back toward the Village Chief's house, the moon at her back, a heart full of worries as numerous as the clouds above.

Where had Liao Xue gone? And how dare she vanish without a word?! Without telling Shen Qiancheng where she was going!!!

The more she thought, the angrier she got. In a fit of frustration, she kicked at the grass at the roadside—and out hopped a toad.

The toad bulged its round, goggling eyes at her. Its skin was lumpy and uneven, like a festering sore; even without touching it, she could tell it would be slimy and disgusting. Then it flicked out a red tongue…

So ugly! Gah!

How could such a disgusting creature exist?!

Shen Qiancheng screamed and jumped back as if electrocuted—only to crash into a person. A familiar scent of fresh grass filled her nose, and in that instant, her heart settled.

"Liao Xue! Where the hell have you been?!"

She couldn't help but snap.

Liao Xue, who had just spotted Shen Qiancheng and been about to greet her, was caught off guard—only to be slammed into by her.

Liao Xue steadied Shen Qiancheng by the waist, a faint fragrance of roses drifting into her nose. She steadied her own thoughts and said, "I went up the mountain to pick some mushrooms."

Feeling Liao Xue's hand on her waist gave Shen Qiancheng a strange sensation. Her gaze dropped to Liao Xue's leg, which was wrapped tightly in bandages, and anger surged up again.

"Liao Xue, are you the Little Mushroom Picker? If you don't want that leg anymore, donate it to someone who needs it—that leg of yours must be suffering terribly just by being attached to you."

What should have been a caring, concerned question turned into cutting sarcasm the moment it left her mouth.

Liao Xue didn't take it to heart. That's just how President Shen was—she cared in her own way.

It made her a little happy.

Liao Xue smiled gently, like a fragile little flower by the roadside opening its heart to the moon.

Then Liao Xue noticed a streak of red on Shen Qiancheng's ankle, stark against her pale skin.

Liao Xue bent down, caught hold of Shen Qiancheng's foot, and said seriously, "President Shen, what happened to your foot?"

In her delight at seeing Liao Xue, Shen Qiancheng had naturally failed to notice that she'd sprained her ankle before crashing into her.

Hearing Liao Xue's soft concern, Shen Qiancheng's heart felt like a damp garment being smoothed out by a hot iron—warm and comforting.

"It's nothing. Doesn't hurt at all, and it definitely wasn't from worrying about you while I was rushing to find you."

She'd practically spelled it out. Liao Xue felt nothing but distress. If only she hadn't gone running off; if only she'd told Shen Qiancheng where she was going… Guilt gnawed at her, and without another word, she dragged Shen Qiancheng to the village clinic.

Unless she herself was willing, ten oxen couldn't have dragged Shen Qiancheng anywhere. But she put on a show of reluctance as she followed Liao Xue to the clinic.

By the time they came out, the moon had climbed to the top of the sky. Shen Qiandcheng hadn't brought her phone and had no idea what time it was, but she knew one thing for sure: her stomach was growling.

"I'm hungry, Liao Xue."

Liao Xue, carrying Shen Qiancheng's medicine in a plastic bag, was walking leisurely along. When she heard Shen Qiancheng grumble about hunger, she smiled with relief. "Hungry, are you? When we get back, I'll make you chicken stewed with mushrooms."

Chicken stewed with mushrooms?

The joy on Shen Qiancheng's face was obvious to the eye. A thought stirred in Liao Xue's heart, and she walked to stand in front of Shen Qiancheng, then crouched down.

Shen Qiandcheng looked at Liao Xue's thin back and tilted her head. "Is your leg acting up? Let's get you back to check it—"

Liao Xue turned her head and shook it. "No. Get on my back—I'll carry you home."

Shen Qiancheng's mouth twitched, her gaze fixed on Liao Xue's heavily bandaged leg.

Between the two of them, they didn't even have a single good leg between both—neither of them was in any state to carry the other.

"I've got legs I can walk on—"

Before Shen Qiancheng could finish, Liao Xue rose quickly, grabbed her arm, slung it over her own shoulder, and with a heave, Shen Qiancheng's feet left the ground as she was thrown over Liao Xue's back.

"Hold on tight," Liao Xue said.

In the next moment, Liao Xue hooked her arms under Shen Qiancheng's thighs. Fearing she'd fall, Shen Qiancheng wrapped her arms tightly around Liao Xue's neck.

Her body stiff, she lay draped over Liao Xue like a dead fish.

Summer clothing was light, and the night air was hot and humid. Their two body temperatures met like a sudden crack of thunder in the oppressive summer sky—followed by a driving downpour.