OS - 34

Zhou Yu was never idle during holidays. Even with only three people in the family, there always seemed to be endless chores.

The weather was cold, so Grandma wouldn’t go out often, which was a relief. Although few people passed by the front of their house, large trucks frequently drove by, and it wasn’t safe for her to be unsupervised.

Liu Fen went out to buy things in the evening, and Zhou Yu had to wait for her to return before she could leave.

Grandma was watching TV, and Zhou Yu was doing her homework beside her. After finishing a test paper, she leaned back in her chair and rubbed her shoulders, finding that Grandma had fallen asleep, her eyes squinted. Zhou Yu quietly went over, covered her with a blanket, and turned off the TV.

Zhou Yu went back to her room to change clothes. After much thought, she still found the red string she kept in the wardrobe and put it on.

There was also a silver bracelet, which Grandma had given her when she was ten.

Liu Fen returned with the items for Zhou Liwen’s memorial in a few days. She came in and saw Zhou Yu combing her hair. “Going out?”

Zhou Yu said, “Going to Grandma Qian’s house to watch a movie with Wanyue and the others.”

“Don’t play too late. Come back early.”

“Okay.”

“Take some time to buy clothes and shoes for yourself. This winter is cold,” Liu Fen placed some money on the table. The coal mine manager had given a portion of the compensation last year, which was all in the bank card, untouched.

“Mom, I still have money.”

“Buy a few good quality ones, and make sure you eat well at school too.”

Zhou Yu acknowledged, put the money in the drawer, put on her hat, and went out. The neighbor’s house was lively. Zhou Yu could vaguely hear the laughter of adults drinking and playing finger-guessing games as she walked to the bend.

It got dark early. The streetlights came on at six.

Zhou Yu looked up and saw Cheng Yuzhou standing by the streetlight. They had agreed yesterday that she would only leave after dinner. The black umbrella he held was covered in snow.

She didn’t know how long he had been waiting, without calling or texting.

He just stood there, waiting for Zhou Yu to approach.

“It’s so cold today. I’ll be there soon. Didn’t we agree yesterday?”

“I knew you’d come, but I wanted to see you before they did,” Cheng Yuzhou extended a hand to take hers. “Anyway, there’s nothing to do at home.”

Her hand was completely enveloped by his warm palm. It was clear she was colder.

“What were you doing today?”

“Tidying up my room, doing homework, and taking a nap. What about you?”

“Eating, playing cards. My parents are very busy lately and haven’t come back,” Cheng Yuzhou touched something cold at the cuff of Zhou Yu’s sleeve. He slightly raised her hand, revealing the silver bracelet and red string on her wrist.

He stopped, his gaze fixed on her wrist. “Why are you wearing this?”

Zhou Yu pulled her hand away, adjusted her sleeve, and turned her head. “For good luck.”

“I have one too,” Cheng Yuzhou wasn’t wearing a watch today, so he easily showed her his red string. “Is it the same?”

Zhou Yu said, “These kinds of things are probably all similar. Many people have them.”

The sky was dark, and she was wearing a hat, but her flushed earlobes were hidden inside, feeling warm and a little itchy.

Someone walked past them from ahead. Their hands touched in the air and then separated. After the next passerby walked past, Cheng Yuzhou grabbed her hand and held it tightly.

Cheng Yanqing said he wanted to watch a movie, but the projector was inconvenient to move around, so they eventually called Yanci over to Qian Shu’s house.

The adults were on the third floor, and the children were playing cards in Cheng Yuzhou’s room. The losers had to stick paper on their faces.

Even when she cheated, Cheng Wanyue still lost the most. Zhou Yu sat with her, watching helplessly as her forehead and cheeks were covered with paper.

Qian Shu came to knock on the door to deliver snacks and couldn’t help but laugh when she saw them making a ruckus on the sofa.

“I’m not playing anymore. You four smarties can play by yourselves.”

Cheng Wanyue pulled Zhou Yu to the small table nearby. Cheng Yuzhou threw two soft cushions over, and the two sat on the floor, switching to a comedy movie.

Yanci and Qing Hang were quiet. Even if Cheng Yanqing made a fuss, he couldn’t bother them.

“Ayu, your hat is so pretty. Where did you buy it?”

“My mom knitted it.”

“Auntie is so talented!”

“Do you like it? There should be some leftover yarn at home. I’ll ask my mom to knit one for you when I get back.”

“I like it, I like it,” Cheng Wanyue nodded enthusiastically. Only then did she take out a box from her bag and hand it to Zhou Yu. “Then I’ll give you this insulated water bottle. I have an identical one, and none of the others do.”

“Thank you,” Zhou Yu’s previous cup had been broken.

“There’s a lid on top that can be screwed off and used as a small cup.”

Cheng Wanyue opened a bottle of soda and poured it into two cup lids. The soda was still bubbling.

“Cheers.”

Zhou Yu smiled and clinked cups with her.

Cheng Yuzhou immediately noticed the can labeled with 3% alcohol. “Cheng Wanyue, what are you drinking?”

“Soda.”

“Bring it here.”

Cheng Wanyue ignored him. “I don’t want to move. Get it yourself.”

Cheng Yuzhou went over and put away the other cans. He looked down at Zhou Yu. The heating in the room was on full blast, and her ears were red when she was playing cards. “You drank some too?”

Zhou Yu still held the insulated cup lid. “A small cup.”

Actually, more than that.

She liked peach-flavored drinks, and so did Cheng Wanyue. She drank it during the first movie.

Cheng Yuzhou picked out a bottle of lactic acid drink for her. “If you’re thirsty, drink this.”

Zhou Yu nodded. “Okay.”

The boys were talking about other things. Zhou Yu heard Cheng Wanyue say, “My dad might be transferred next year, and he wants Grandma to move to the city too.”

If Grandma Qian moved out of the county, the Cheng family would have fewer opportunities to come back in the future.

These words not only resonated with Zhou Yu but also with Qing Hang.

“Qing Hang, it’s your turn to play. Hurry up,” Cheng Yanqing had a good hand and was feeling smug. He was sitting in the innermost seat and was too lazy to move. “Zhou Yu, throw us a few oranges.”

“Okay,” Zhou Yu snapped out of it, got up to get the fruit plate.

The green-skinned oranges were a bit sour, the yellow ones sweeter. Zhou Yu threw two each to Qing Hang and Cheng Yanqing, who were inside. Cheng Yuzhou reached out and caught his. The one for Yanci was placed on the table.

Cheng Yanqing swallowed half an orange in one bite, and in between, he asked Yanci, “I heard the police came last weekend. What happened?”

Yanci looked at the oranges on the table and said indifferently, “Someone couldn’t keep their mouth shut and talked nonsense. I called the police.”

“Was it Tang Qian? She’s really annoying,” Cheng Yanqing heard his phone ring. He glanced at it and immediately threw down the cards in his hand. “You guys play; I have to go out for a bit.”

Yanci followed him out. “I’m going back too.”

Ten minutes later, Cheng Yuzhou left with his guitar on his back. Zhou Yu finished watching the movie, told Grandma Qian, and then left.

Only Cheng Wanyue and Qing Hang were left in the room.

She found the cushion uncomfortable and moved to the sofa, resting one foot on Qing Hang’s leg, swinging it gently. When the movie reached an exciting part, her movements became larger, and she accidentally brushed against him.

A faint blush subtly spread across Qing Hang’s fair neck, but he remained outwardly composed.

“Have you finished your homework?”

“I don’t know how to do it. Those questions are so hard.”

“Take it out; I’ll teach you.”

Cheng Wanyue grumbled unhappily, “What homework is there for New Year’s Eve? I don’t want to. Qing Hang, your belt is digging into me. Move back a little.”

After a while, he said, “I’m not wearing a belt.”

Cheng Wanyue realized, locked the door, and then jumped into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and laughing as she breathed on his ear.

“Caught you again, didn’t I, Qing Hang? You’re getting bolder and bolder. My parents are still upstairs.”

“Do your homework first. If you don’t turn it in tomorrow, the teacher will criticize you again.”

“I just won’t do it, so what?”

Qing Hang cupped the back of her head and pressed her towards him. “Like this.”

Yanci carried the yellow-skinned orange, circling a large part of the county. The snow fell heavier and heavier, and the orange peel became colder and colder.

Before he knew it, he was already on the road to Zhoujiawan.

The small county didn’t have the custom of celebrating New Year’s Eve. Relatives and friends gathered and then dispersed. Nearing midnight, the roadside was very quiet.

He didn’t know why he missed this road, just like countless sleepless nights in the past, even though he knew he would feel more restless the closer he got, he would still come.

There was only one streetlight every great distance, so a light shining somewhere on the road was very conspicuous.

Yanci first heard the guitar sound, then looked up and saw the two people by the streetlight at the bend ahead.

Only the last two sparklers were left in a box. Zhou Yu was a bit reluctant, so she only lit the one in her left hand first.

Cheng Yuzhou had left first and arrived here to wait for her. The guitar was inside the road. She didn’t notice it when she arrived because of that can of drink. Even when Cheng Yuzhou hung the guitar on himself, she didn’t realize it quickly; she was just looking at the sparklers.

The burning light reflected on her face, her nose red. Cheng Yuzhou brushed the snow off her hat, waiting for her to light the last one.

Zhou Yu slowly looked up. “What are you looking at?”

She was indeed a little dazed.

She didn’t know if Cheng Wanyue was unintentional or deliberate, but it wasn’t much better than that time in summer. Cheng Yuzhou remembered that incident and felt a little guilty. It was snowing, and the ground was slippery. He should have waited for her at the gate of the Cheng family compound.

“Looking at you. Is that not allowed?”

Zhou Yu shook her head vaguely. “It’s not like that.”

The last dream wasn’t like that.

Cheng Yuzhou smiled and asked, “Then what should it be like?”

“You should...” She didn’t finish her sentence.

Because she had already stood on tiptoe, her slightly cool lips kissed his chin.

Cheng Yuzhou only paused for a second before slightly lowering his head to cover her lips. He didn’t know who was the first to extend their tongue to probe inside, but he tasted peach.

They only separated when Zhou Yu struggled for breath and pushed him.

Cheng Yuzhou maintained his tilted-head posture, leaned in, and kissed her on the tip of her nose. “Now it’s my turn to give a New Year’s gift.”

He stepped back and picked up his guitar.

Zhou Yu’s favorite was “Qilixiang”.

In this heavy snow, she listened to it over and over again.

So much so that even after her mind cleared, she was still reluctant to go home. Cheng Yuzhou saw her trembling from the cold and could only strongly escort her to her doorstep, urging her to go inside quickly.

Zhou Yu was already about to sleep when she suddenly remembered the cup Cheng Wanyue had given her was left by the streetlight. She put on her jacket again to get it.

She didn’t check her phone and didn’t know that Cheng Yuzhou had texted her saying he had taken the cup back first and would bring it to school for her tomorrow.

Zhou Yu searched by the streetlight for a while, thinking it might have been left at Grandma Qian’s house.

It was already past midnight. When Yanci walked out of the darkness, she was so startled she almost slipped.

He was wearing black clothes and a black hat, and the snow on them was very noticeable.

“You... what are you doing here?”

He didn’t speak, and Zhou Yu didn’t ask further. “I’m going back to sleep. I have class tomorrow.”

Yanci watched her walk away.

“Zhou Yu, you’re leaving me here. What am I supposed to do?”