Chapter 60

Xi Yu was talking about Songshan Park. There were a few small hills there, none of them very high, with narrow paths winding up from the base.

Toward the end of the year, the weather had warmed a little. But the white in the mountains still hadn’t gone away; the park was quiet, with hardly anyone around.

Yu Nianyi breathed out a puff of white air and walked slowly beside Xi Yu, shoulder to shoulder. Ever since the last time she’d been sick, Xi Yu seemed especially fixated on how much Yu Nianyi was wearing. Even though Yu Nianyi had insisted it wasn’t cold today, Xi Yu had still bundled her into the down jacket from her closet.

The heavy black coat covered the bright yellow sweater underneath; their figures overlapped from time to time, and only that head of blond hair flashed dazzlingly.

Walking along the park path, if you lifted your head a little, you could already faintly see the mountain’s graceful stillness; the gray-white expanse was beautiful.

Yu Nianyi naturally reached for Xi Yu’s hand and tucked it into her own coat pocket.

Xi Yu turned to look at her, her gaze settling on Yu Nianyi’s face. Her steps slowed slightly; then she lifted a hand to adjust Yu Nianyi’s scarf and tucked her face in.

Yu Nianyi gave a sly little laugh, her eyes fixed on Xi Yu’s calm, refined features. “This feels so nice. Doing nothing at all, just walking here with Sister Xi Yu, makes me so happy.”

Xi Yu let her cling to her so naturally that her lips curved slightly; she met Yu Nianyi’s eyes. “That’s good.”

“There aren’t many people here in winter, but the scenery is really nice,” Xi Yu said as she walked slowly. “It feels much calmer staying here.”

Yu Nianyi followed Xi Yu and chose the path on the right. There were a few broken dead branches scattered over the stone steps; the snow from the previous few days had been swept to both sides, and at a glance everything was still clean.

After walking for more than ten minutes, nearly reaching the top of the hill, they finally saw an aunt sitting on the ground with a broom tipped over beside her.

Her hair was glossy black, and she wore a short black down jacket and brown pants. She was looking off into the distance, a thermos in her hands; every so often, she would lift it to her mouth for a sip.

Only when she heard footsteps did she turn around. Her eyes lit up when she saw people.

Yu Nianyi met the aunt’s gaze and immediately called out, “Hello! The path has been so clean all the way up here; are you a staff member?”

The aunt first looked over the two of them as they approached, then casually picked up the broom and set it by her feet, making room for them on the mountain path.

“I didn’t expect girls to still be coming up the mountain at this hour...” she muttered, then waved a hand. “No, no, I’m just sweeping around for exercise.”

The moment Yu Nianyi heard that, she perked up. She glanced at Xi Yu, then led her straight over to the aunt’s feet and sat down.

The aunt looked at Yu Nianyi for a moment longer, then shifted over to make room.

Xi Yu looked at the empty space Yu Nianyi had deliberately left and sat down as well.

“So nice,” Yu Nianyi exclaimed. “Then we should thank you. Thanks to you, we didn’t have to worry about slipping and falling at all on the way up.”

Only then did the aunt laugh. “You girls really do have sweet mouths. Actually, there wasn’t much snow to begin with; I was just bored, so I came out for a walk and a look.”

“You’re local, right?” Yu Nianyi asked.

“Yep. My home is in that neighborhood down the hill, the one with only five floors... This place is pretty out of the way, so only people nearby come around... We’ve lived here for more than twenty years. Back then, almost every year, every day, I used to come up here with my family...” The aunt was the kind of person who warmed up quickly, and once she started talking, she couldn’t stop. As she spoke, her eyes followed the stone steps under her feet all the way to the end.

“Two years ago, my family members passed away. I’m retired now, so it’s just me here. My kids only come back to visit for the New Year.” She stopped speaking for a moment, resting her hand on the thermos and twisting the lid loose, then tight, then loose again. Slowly, she turned back to ask them, “You thirsty? Want some water?”

Yu Nianyi smiled and took it over casually, taking a sip herself before handing it back. “Thank you, Auntie.”

The aunt looked at Xi Yu as well. “This girl doesn’t drink?”

Xi Yu said, “No need, thank you.”

Yu Nianyi grinned and patted the aunt’s hand. “She just drank a lot. If she drinks any more, she’ll have to go looking for a bathroom.”

The aunt went, “Oh,” and looked up toward the summit. “There’s a bathroom up top. It’s only a few steps away, but I don’t know whether girls like you are used to using it. Still, it’s not dirty...”

Then she looked back at them, studying their faces. “You two don’t look like locals.”

Yu Nianyi gave a soft laugh and leaned slightly to one side, revealing Xi Yu’s full appearance. “Nope. The one beside me is definitely a local.”

The aunt’s gaze fell on Xi Yu almost reflexively; she gave an “Mm.” “That is rare...”

“You two are university students, right?” she asked again.

Yu Nianyi’s eyes lit up. She took Xi Yu’s hand and shook it lightly; Xi Yu, drawn by her movement, looked at her quietly.

“You think we look like university students?”

“With the way you’re dressed so brightly, what else could you be if not university students?” The aunt glanced at their interlocked hands. “You two look pretty close too.”

Yu Nianyi followed her gaze and looked down at their joined hands.

She turned to glance at Xi Yu before saying, “Yes, we’re very, very close.”

The aunt narrowed her eyes and smiled, saying nothing for a long moment. After a pause, she said, “You girl is really something...”

A string of ringing suddenly sounded. The aunt stood up, took her phone out of her pocket, and answered.

“...Baby’s back... I’m up too, I know, I know; I’ve been walking this road for over twenty years, how could I still fall...?! Then wouldn’t I be a cripple... Put in more minced garlic for me; I like garlic...” The aunt bent down to pick up the broom and casually patted the dirt off the back of her pants.

She hung up and turned back around.

Yu Nianyi and Xi Yu stood as well, then waved with smiles. “Bye, Auntie.”

The aunt made an “oh” sound, looked toward the mountaintop, then turned back again.

“The road up there isn’t easy. Hold hands tightly and take it slow...”

By the time the aunt’s figure disappeared around the bend and was completely blocked by the building, the two of them turned around and continued walking slowly.

“What a sentimental person,” Yu Nianyi said with a bright smile as they walked.

Xi Yu gave a soft “Mm” and nodded too. “When I was little, I met her.”

Yu Nianyi’s eyes widened suddenly; she turned to look at Xi Yu. “So Sister Xi Yu already knew her? Then why didn’t you say anything just now?”

Xi Yu didn’t answer. Her gaze dropped to the ground, one hand resting in the crook of Yu Nianyi’s arm as she walked with steady steps.

Yu Nianyi clicked her tongue a couple of times. “How old were you when you met her, Sister Xi Yu?”

“Ten.”

“So you still remember something from that long ago.”

“Yes. The things she just said are all the same, except for the year,” Xi Yu said. “Back then, her partner was still alive.”

Yu Nianyi let out a wow. “I really didn’t expect that.”

The two of them climbed upward in step with each other. When Yu Nianyi stepped onto the last stair, she asked, “What were you like when you were ten, Sister Xi Yu? I feel like I’ve never seen it. Do you have any photos or videos?”

Xi Yu nodded and looked around. “There are some, but they’re with my parents.”

Yu Nianyi’s eyes brightened even more. “Then I definitely need to see what Sister Xi Yu looked like as a kid someday.” As soon as she said that, she laughed first, her eyes sly as she stared at Xi Yu. “It couldn’t still be this face, could it? If you looked like this when you were little too, that would be too funny; like a little grown-up...”

Xi Yu lifted a brow slightly. Watching Yu Nianyi laugh so hard she nearly doubled over, she raised a hand loosely and let the tip of her finger pause by Yu Nianyi’s ear, then casually brushed the outer edge of it.

Yu Nianyi’s voice cut off at once. She sucked in a sharp breath and clapped a hand over her ear, which had gone red in an instant. “That’s cheating! You clearly know I’m sensitive there...”

Xi Yu pressed her lips together in a smile, took a step closer, and lowered her head so the tip of her nose lightly touched the bridge of Yu Nianyi’s nose. In a soft voice, she said, “How do I remember that when you touched me before, your reaction wasn’t this big?”

Her tone held a casual sort of confusion.

Yu Nianyi stared into Xi Yu’s eyes at such close range. They were smiling, lightly so; in the depths of them, the afternoon glow was reflected back.

The ordinary brick-and-tile house stood quietly behind them. A sign for the restroom lay on the ground, the door shut tight, hidden in the gray-white mist.

Her hand moved away from her ear. She firmly took Xi Yu’s hand, tilted her chin up, and kissed Xi Yu hard on the mouth.

Xi Yu froze for a moment, then pressed her lips together, her eyes curving with amusement.

Yu Nianyi snorted. “How does it feel to get forcefully kissed outside?”

Xi Yu curved her lips and looked around at the lonely surroundings, where no one was in sight and layers of cold wind were blowing through. “I don’t know.”

Yu Nianyi’s brows shot up, and she stared at Xi Yu with wide eyes.

Xi Yu tilted her head a little. Her long hair draped over her shoulders and fluttered in the wind; in the sunlight, it carried a soft, warm glow.

Yu Nianyi suddenly stepped forward, spread her arms to hug Xi Yu, then rose onto her toes and let her lips land gently on Xi Yu’s pink mouth. The cold was drawn into her mouth, then melted into the sticky warmth of their lips and tongues.

The cold wind came and went, strong and weak by turns. Their long hair was blown loose and tangled, gold and black entwined, their faces blurred.

...

It was still colder on the mountain after all; Xi Yu only let Yu Nianyi stay for a little while before tugging her back down.

The way down was the same path, following the footprints they’d made on the way up.

On the way, Xi Yu received a call from Lin Yan. He said he was free and wanted to have a meal together.

By the time they drove into the city, it was already completely dark. Xi Yu parked the car, and the two of them got out.

Lin Yan seemed to have already made arrangements. When they entered, they were led straight to a private room.

The instant the door opened, Lin Yan was sitting casually on the sofa to the right. Hearing the movement, he looked up.