Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
Zhang Ze: Tsk tsk tsk...
Zhang Ze: Lin Zhan’s coming. You in?
Seeing this message, Shen Xi exited the chat and tapped on the conversation at the top of his list.
The timestamp showed their last exchange had been three days ago.
She hadn’t texted him in three days.
As he stared blankly at the default chat background, Zhang Ze sent another message—this time with an exclamation mark.
Zhang Ze: Holy shit, Lin Zhan… Lin Zhan says she’s not going anymore?!
Zhang Ze: What the hell? Did you two fight?!
Shen Xi: No.
Zhang Ze: But before, whenever I joined their outings, she’d specifically remind me to bring you. Now she’s backing out last minute—if it’s not because of you, then who?!
How would he know?
Their last conversation had been completely normal. She’d talked about the landscapes she was painting, how she’d run out of a certain pigment but managed to mix a substitute…
No warning at all—just radio silence.
Shen Xi frowned, fingers absently tapping the table.
After some thought, he decided to follow her lead.
Shen Xi: Then tell them I’m not going either.
Zhang Ze: Come on, you’re really not going?!
Shen Xi: Going.
________________________________________
Lin Zhan was one of the first to arrive at Ice Kingdom, the amusement park they’d agreed to meet at. She’d come early—anything to spend less time in that environment.
Ice Kingdom was a themed park where everything—from sculptures to roller coasters—was carved from ice.
Standing at the entrance, she waited for the others. The colorful lights made everything around her seem within reach.
She looked around, scanning the crowd like a child waiting for family.
Instead of the others, she spotted Shen Xi.
He wore a pure black down jacket, partially unzipped to reveal a white sweater underneath. The sweater’s collar was delicately edged with simple but elegant patterns that elevated the entire look.
The puffy jacket made his legs look even more impossibly long.
Emerging from the dark green of the night, his features gradually brightened under the vibrant lights until they illuminated his hair. Only then did Lin Zhan snap out of her daze.
She lowered her head.
I’ve been tricked.
Wasn’t he supposed to not come?!
Now she didn’t even know how to start a conversation.
To make matters worse, despite being a legitimate amusement park, the entrance lights—thanks to some designer’s questionable taste—looked straight out of a red-light district.
And yet, even under this garish lighting, Shen Xi’s appeal remained undiminished.
He still looked like an untouchable flower atop a high peak.
Hands in his pockets, Shen Xi asked casually, “You’re wearing that?”
Lin Zhan immediately looked down at her outfit. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
He’d spotted her from afar.
She wore a red wool cape—a color notoriously hard to pull off—but she made it work.
Under the lights, her skin looked porcelain-smooth, her eyes sparkling like a little witch straight out of a fairy tale.
She only wore one layer of pants, likely fleece-lined, hugging her legs and outlining their slender shape. Her black boots added at least five centimeters to her height.
Shen Xi glanced down, not bothering to hide his scrutiny. “It’s minus eight degrees Celsius inside. You’ll freeze to death dressed like that.”
“It’s fine,” Lin Zhan said. “What I’m wearing is plenty warm. I’m not cold at all.”
Without another word, Shen Xi held out a bag. “Put this on.”
Only after pulling the clothing out did Lin Zhan hesitate. “...I really don’t need to. I’m not cold.”
Her slender fingers pinched the fabric, holding it away from herself as she looked up at him pleadingly.
Passersby glanced their way, whispering.
Shen Xi understood. “Think it’s ugly?”
Lin Zhan thought: It’s a classic style—not ugly, but not particularly stylish either. Timeless, at least.
But...
Wearing Shen Xi’s jacket meant being tied to him, which meant being pushed toward him, which meant having to talk to him, which meant... he might ask about what happened the past few days.
Lin Zhan quickly ran through this mental equation and decided to refuse.
Shen Xi pulled the bag back, looping it over his wrist. “Fine, don’t wear it.”
Lin Zhan licked her lips. “Is this jacket for me?”
Shen Xi’s voice was flat. “Obviously.”
The temperature behind Lin Zhan’s ears skyrocketed, her brain sounding alarm bells.
Gritting her teeth, she retorted, “You think this’ll make me swoon?”
Frowning, she muttered under her breath, “As if!”
Shen Xi took in her shifting expressions, then turned his head and chuckled softly.
“Yeah, as if.”
________________________________________
“Sun Hong, what are you sneaking around for?”
Zheng Yimian arrived just in time to catch Sun Hong crouching and peeking around a corner.
Sun Hong pressed a finger to his lips. “Look at them. The vibe’s so good—I don’t want to interrupt.”
Zheng Yimian followed his gaze and saw Shen Xi ducking his head to hide a smile—though the bold lighting betrayed him, exposing that rare warmth.
Lin Zhan, meanwhile, was trying to hide her face, but the rising blush was like ink on silk, spreading uncontrollably.
It really was... kind of beautiful.
Even strangers kept looking back at them.
Qi Lijie’s voice boomed out of nowhere. “You guys are early! Oh, hey—Sun Hong! Zheng Yimian! You’re here already!”
Sun Hong clenched his teeth. “This idiot... I could slice him up and boil him in soup.”
The five of them quickly regrouped, and soon the whole crew of over a dozen arrived.
They entered the park.
The scenery inside was nothing like the flashy red-light-district vibe of the entrance.
The ice sculptures were grand and intricate, every edge finely carved. Sharp icicles glinted coldly under the lights.
The lighting was a cool blue, tinged with mint green, casting the entire ice castle in a dreamy yet majestic glow.
Clusters of red trees dotted the surroundings, their white lights creating a dazzling nightscape, each decoration like a firework about to burst.
Sun Hong gasped. “My... girly heart...?!”
The deeper they went, the more spectacular the lights became—like the lavish scenes from Disney animations, now brought to life.
Even Lin Zhan, who usually scoffed at anything overly whimsical, was mesmerized.
True to its name as an ice kingdom, it was cold.
Everyone pulled out their extra layers, and those who hadn’t brought any rented jackets inside.
Lin Zhan shivered and turned—only to find Shen Xi right behind her.
His bag seemed to mock her, laughing at her naivety.
Lin Zhan held out a hand. “...I want the jacket.”
She’d expected him to say, You think you can just ask and get it? But to her surprise, he handed it over without hesitation.
...
The bag was made of stiff cardstock, and when Lin Zhan took it, she caught a glimpse of the brand.
...She decided to treat this jacket with care.
She’d planned to drape it over her shoulders for show, but the down jacket was too big and kept sliding off. Holding the bag in one hand, she’d barely tugged the left side up when the right slipped down.
Lin Zhan: ...
Watching her struggle like an infant who couldn’t dress itself, Shen Xi took two steps forward.
He gripped the shoulders of the jacket and pulled it firmly into place.
Lin Zhan froze.
Oblivious to her reaction, he fastened the top button—the one meant to secure the hood—then bent slightly to find the zipper and pulled it up.
The entire motion was seamless, a masterclass in jacket-wearing.
Lin Zhan’s legs trembled.
He naturally took the bag from her and said, “Keep it on, or you’ll get cold.”
Then, as if it were obvious, he added, “You already run cold.”
Lin Zhan was so stunned by this sudden, almost doting gesture that she could only mumble something incoherent before shrinking into the jacket’s high collar, hiding her face.
Up ahead, Sun Hong and Qi Lijie had already ventured into the Sailor’s Maze.
As they walked, the group naturally split up, each choosing their own paths.
When Zheng Yimian and Jiang Qin turned down one path, Jiang Qin fretted, “What if we freeze to death before finding the exit?”
Zheng Yimian reassured her, “Have faith. We’ll make it out.”
Shen Xi walked slowly, and Lin Zhan trailed behind him step by step.
Eventually, they lost the others.
Lin Zhan looked around. “Where is everyone? Did we get separated?”
Shen Xi’s bag swayed slightly as he stated the obvious. “Yeah.”
Lin Zhan: ...
Now they were alone again.
Lin Zhan clasped her hands tightly in her pockets, the defensive posture making her feel safer.
After a few steps of silence, Shen Xi slowed to walk beside her.
Most visitors wore rented coats—only the two of them were in matching black down jackets.
Their sleeves brushed, fabric rustling faintly.
Shen Xi broke the silence first. “Sleep okay these past few days?”
Without competitions, she shouldn’t have had trouble sleeping.
Lin Zhan, as if expecting this, deflected. “So-so.”
She didn’t want to talk about it.
Shen Xi wasn’t in the mood to dance around it. “You’ve been avoiding me.”
Whether texting or hanging out, she seemed reluctant to see him.
Lin Zhan licked her lips, unsure how to respond, and focused on grinding a small ice pellet under her toe.
Shen Xi wasn’t even trying to navigate the maze. He deliberately chose quieter paths to give them space to talk.
Though he didn’t want to ask, he couldn’t think of another reason.
His throat bobbed. “Did the novelty wear off?”
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