The Sixteenth Snowflake

The summer rain had left the air crisp and clean. Shen Qiancheng breathed in the fresh, rain-washed scent of the village and stretched lazily.

The rain had fallen on and off for days. Cooped up inside, Shen Qiancheng was going stir-crazy—even Liao Xue's noodles didn't taste right anymore.

The moment the rain stopped, her heart had already flown out the door. That morning, she'd made up her mind: she'd take Liao Xue to town for her leg checkup and have a proper outing.

Though there wasn't much to do in town...

Too excited to eat breakfast, Shen Qiancheng insisted the village chief bring out the three-wheeled cart, announcing she was taking Liao Xue to town.

Standing nearby, Liao Xue watched her dart about, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

The village chief looked at her like his own child, asking with some reluctance, "President Shen, are you sure you want to drive the three-wheeler?"

"Doubting me?" The word "uncertain" didn't exist in Shen Qiancheng's dictionary. It was just a small three-wheeled cart—back in Qiwu, she raced cars with ferocity. A mere tricycle with one wheel less than a race car wouldn't faze her!

The village chief had only been trying to be kind and had gotten snapped at. He looked to Liao Xue for help.

President Shen only ever showed a kind face to Liao Xue.

Liao Xue gave a slight shake of her head and smiled. "Uncle, don't worry. I'll be there, won't I?"

"You're humoring her too!" The village chief's words were stern, but his tone held nothing but resignation. "You two aren't steady on your legs. Be careful."

Meanwhile, Shen Qiancheng had already started the three-wheeler and waved at Liao Xue. "Hurry up! I'll take you to town."

For a moment, Shen Qiancheng felt as if she had always lived in Liao Family Village, as if she'd been Liao Xue's best friend since childhood—living together, going to school together, keeping each other company.

Had Shen Qiancheng arrived too late?

Liao Xue shook her head, then braced a foot on the pedal and climbed on. Once settled, as if speaking to the future, she said, "Let's go."

The green cornfields stretched like a silken ribbon, receding behind the cart as it rattled on. The breeze felt pleasant against their faces.

Shen Qiancheng was still showboating, swerving the cart left and right on the empty road.

"Pretty cool, right?" Shen Qiancheng pressed one hand on the brake handle and turned back, fishing for praise. "Liao Xue?"

Liao Xue never stinted on praise for Shen Qiancheng. "Very cool."

Shen Qiancheng pressed on. "How cool? You're not being specific at all."

Liao Xue tilted her head, thinking, then said, "Cool enough to fill a universe!"

"A whole universe?" Shen Qiancheng's eyes sparkled. "Then I'd be the only one left in the whole universe."

Liao Xue nodded. "Right. Just one person in the whole universe."

Huh?

A chill ran down Shen Qiancheng's spine, and she didn't notice the big pothole ahead.

Country roads were always like that—poorly maintained, full of craters. When the wheel inevitably caught in a rut, Shen Qiancheng wrenched the handlebar hard. The sudden surge made the wheel spin in the hole, kicking up clumps of dirt and gravel.

The harder she tried, the more frantic she became.

When the cart finally lurched out of the rut, before Shen Qiancheng could celebrate, it veered out of control toward the cornfield by the roadside.

Clang. Thud. Bang.

The cart, with them on it, plowed into the ditch...

Embarrassed and wincing, Shen Qiancheng sat on the ground, her hands scraped raw. Remembering Liao Xue's leg, she scrambled to her feet to check on her.

Liao Xue sat in the bed of the cart, having slid from the front to the far left. Unscathed.

Shen Qiancheng laughed. Liao Xue sighed. "At least we're okay. I'll drive."

Shen Qiancheng gave up the driver's seat, and together they pushed the cart out. Liao Xue drove, and they reached town quickly.

Actually, they would have arrived even sooner if Shen Qiancheng hadn't been driving.

Since they'd registered under Shen Qiancheng's ID before, they did the same for the follow-up.

The orthopedic doctor was still the same one with glasses. He brightened at the sight of them. "Nice weather today. Here for the follow-up?"

Shen Qiancheng disliked this doctor, so she didn't feel like talking.

Liao Xue stepped forward, pointing to the red mark peeking out from under Shen Qiancheng's skirt—barely visible against her pale leg—and asked, "I've been applying the ointment every day. Why isn't it gone yet?"

Shen Qiancheng's ankle did have a faint red mark, but only because her skin was so pale. Otherwise, you wouldn't notice it at all.

The doctor glanced over. "Isn't it almost healed? Anti-inflammatory ointment isn't magic potion—it doesn't work in an instant. Aren't you here for a leg checkup today?"

Shen Qiancheng tucked her leg back, pulled Liao Xue over to sit down, and said flatly, "Right, check her leg and see how it's healing."

The doctor took out his tools, had an X-ray taken, and after a careful examination concluded, "Healing very well. There was no fracture, and the internal tissue has mostly grown back. You can probably get the cast off next Monday."

Shen Qiancheng calculated silently: next Monday—that would be the time to book the plane tickets.

Shen Qiancheng told Liao Xue to sit on the blue bench in the hallway while she went to pay. But Liao Xue grabbed her hand. "I'll go with you."

Shen Qiancheng glanced at Liao Xue's leg and said impatiently, "Just stay here and wait for me. If you come, aren't I still the one paying?"

Liao Xue's fingers clenched. She pressed her lips together. "I have money. I'll pay."

Without waiting for Shen Qiancheng's approval, she headed to the payment window.

Since they were using Shen Qiancheng's ID, the insurance didn't cover it—out-of-province coverage didn't apply.

Liao Xue suddenly remembered how Shen Qiancheng had claimed it was covered last time...

The line moved quickly, and soon it was Liao Xue's turn.

After paying, Liao Xue found Shen Qiancheng. For the first time, she hadn't relied on Shen Qiancheng to foot the bill. She asked happily, "How about we go to that rabbit restaurant again?"

Shen Qiancheng's narrow eyes narrowed further, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "You want me to treat?"

Liao Xue shook her head. "I'm treating."

Shen Qiancheng's face darkened, though Liao Xue couldn't guess why. Still, she wanted to cheer her up.

Without a word, Shen Qiancheng let Liao Xue drive them to the rabbit restaurant. The owner was still behind the counter and asked what they'd like.

Liao Xue said, "We'll eat here. Bring out all your signature dishes."

Shen Qiancheng, silent the whole way, finally spoke through gritted teeth. "One rabbit. To go."

Liao Xue protested, "I have money. No need to scrimp."

Shen Qiancheng couldn't hold it in anymore. She dragged Liao Xue outside the restaurant and confronted her. "Where did you get that money? Those crummy mushrooms wouldn't fetch that much. Liao Xue, whether it's stealing or robbing, anything that isn't yours is off-limits—that's a moral line. Tell me the truth."

The moment the words left her mouth, Shen Qiancheng herself was startled. She wasn't exactly a paragon of morality, yet here she was lecturing someone else on ethics.

Liao Xue's face went pale, her eyes reddening helplessly as she looked at Shen Qiancheng.

She didn't know why Shen Qiancheng was so furious.

She had seen Shen Qiancheng sell a thirty-thousand-yuan bracelet for three thousand just to cover her medical bills. She didn't want Shen Qiancheng to spend any more on her—ten thousand, three rounds of medical expenses; she owed Shen Qiancheng too much already. She couldn't owe more.

Liao Xue wanted to speak to Shen Qiancheng as an equal.

Struggling, Liao Xue stammered, "I... I... I was wrong."

Shen Qiancheng let out a long, frustrated sigh. "Wrong again? What did you do wrong?"

Tears clung to Liao Xue's lashes, threatening to fall.

Liao Xue knew Shen Qiancheng could never stand to see her cry.

She tried to get away with it.

But Shen Qiancheng was relentless—her heart clenched. It wasn't such a big mistake, was it?

No! Liao Xue wasn't Shen Qiancheng. Liao Xue couldn't be as bad as Shen Qiancheng.

"Tell me clearly. Crying won't... work on me!"

"The money came from that man Mama introduced me to..."

Shen Qiancheng's emotions ran high. She grabbed Liao Xue's shoulders and shook her. "Liao Xue, I pulled you out of that pit with all my strength, and you jumped back in yourself?!"

Liao Xue quickly shook her head, frantically trying to distance herself from the man. "I knocked him out and extorted him..."

Shen Qiancheng suddenly calmed down. She wanted to say, "Well done."

She'd just taught Liao Xue how to knock someone out a few days ago, and Liao Xue had already put it to use.

"Liao Xue, even if the other person is bad, you can't become the bad person yourself, understand?" Shen Qiancheng felt her acting skills had reached a new level—so much hypocrisy coming from her own mouth.

If Liao Xue dared to extort a few hundred or thousand today, tomorrow she'd extort tens of millions, and end up in jail.

Shen Qiancheng had pulled Liao Xue out of one fire pit, not so she could jump into another.

Liao Xue didn't quite get it, but she nodded along.

Shen Qiancheng saw right through her. She sighed and guided her. "Liao Xue, is there someone you really want to become?"

Liao Xue understood. She nodded frantically.

"Would that person extort others?"

Liao Xue wasn't sure, so she shook her head.

"I'll pay the money back."

Shen Qiancheng shook her head. "Pay it back? You already spent it. How are you going to pay it back?"

Liao Xue: ?!!

Shen Qiancheng: "How much is left?"

Liao Xue took it out. "Still 1,632."

Shen Qiancheng reached out, cupped Liao Xue's cheek, wiped away the tears, and softened her gaze. "It's okay as long as you know you were wrong. Don't do it again. Go grab the rabbit, and I'll take you somewhere nice."

Shen Qiancheng gave directions while Liao Xue drove nervously, clueless as to what Shen Qiancheng was up to.

Not even a Xinhua Bookstore?

Shen Qiancheng wanted to surprise Liao Xue, so she didn't ask. She simply had Liao Xue drive to the town's middle school—and sure enough, she found a bookstore.

The door was plastered with magazines like Spark, Aige, and Fei Yanzhi.

Shen Qiancheng pushed open the door, spotted a shelf of bright red books, and turned to ask Liao Xue, "Did you take the humanities or sciences?"

Liao Xue, bewildered, replied hesitantly, "Sciences."

Shen Qiancheng nodded, picked out six bright red books, grabbed a few green ones on a whim, and placed them all on the counter.

"Liao Xue, pay up."

Still puzzled, Liao Xue obediently paid, hugged the books, and followed Shen Qiancheng as she turned into a phone shop.

Shen Qiancheng picked up a phone and asked Liao Xue, "How's this one?"

Liao Xue looked at it with confused eyes and nodded. "It's fine."

Shen Qiancheng waved to the salesperson. "We'll take this one. Wrap it up."

Liao Xue whispered, "I don't have enough money."

Shen Qiancheng shot her a look. "Who said you were paying?"

She watched as the last of the money in her own account was transferred out, leaving only 0.83 yuan.

Liao Xue took the phone, feeling the weight of an undeserved gift. "President Shen, this, this..."

Shen Qiancheng said, "Take it. You corrected your mistake, so consider it a reward. Just don't make me lose track of you again."

Liao Xue looked down at the stack of exam prep books in her arms—Five Years of College Entrance Exam Questions, Three Years of High School Simulations, and the Essential Problem Sets for the Gaokao—and was moved beyond words.

Shen Qiancheng saw it all. And she decided the refunded plane ticket was worth it.