“cough cough cough” Xu You choked on her porridge, unable to catch her breath. “Paper, paper, give me paper.” She coughed, half-covering her mouth while fumbling for napkins on the table. Fu Xueli heard the commotion and looked over, quickly pulling tissues from her bag and handing them over. “Here, here, here. How did you…

Thursday noon, the school was filled with a festive atmosphere. Due to New Year’s Day, they got an early holiday starting from noon, with evening self-study resuming on Monday. As per holiday tradition, some classmates would usually organize group meals and karaoke. Tonight was New Year’s Eve, and many had been discussing in the class…

The tree beside the bench stretched its branches, creating a scattered pattern that blocked the neon lights from the street. His jacket carried a faint scent of tobacco. Moonlight cascaded down in layers, and all sightlines were swallowed by darkness. Xu You didn’t dare move. She turned her face away, not knowing where to look,…

Xie Ci immediately replied, “Sure.” Xu You thought for a moment, then hesitantly asked, “What do you like to eat?” “Anything is fine.” A few minutes later, they went to a famous long street in Xi Town, with winding alleys hidden on both sides. A light mist had risen in the evening, and the air…

“Where are we going?” Xu You’s face was still tearstained as she was pulled along, hurriedly running with Xie Ci. “To see your grandmother.” He didn’t look back. The two of them sprinted across campus, causing people to turn and stare. Running so fast made their hearts pound like they would burst from their throats.…

“What’s so interesting? Let me see!” Zheng Xiaolin leaned over suddenly, startling Xu You. Her cheeks burning, she pressed one hand against her forehead while quickly crumpling the small note in her other hand. “What’s with all the secrecy?” “It’s nothing…” Xu You picked up her book and pretended to read, keeping her head down…

“Hey! It’s really cold!” Xu You lets out a small cry, quickly pulling his hand away. But her hand is like a small warm bundle, and Xie Ci grabs it back, not wanting to let go. “It’s too cold, let me go quickly!” His fingers feel like they’ve been frozen in an ice cellar. She…

The weather had been getting increasingly cold lately. Xu You grew up in the South, where winters were usually mild and humid. These days in Lin City, the temperature had plummeted near freezing, making it somewhat difficult for her to adjust. It was especially easy to catch a cold during seasonal changes. Before leaving in…

Monday was the exam. It would last three days, from Monday to Wednesday. Wednesday was Christmas Day. After Xu You finished her last English exam and returned to the classroom, she saw a huge “Merry Christmas” written in colored chalk on the blackboard. The classroom was noisy. Due to the holiday and the end of…

The night seemed to be filled with a drizzling rain. The cold wind rattled against the windows, branches breaking and falling onto the road. Xu You curled up into herself, sleeping restlessly. In the middle of the night, she was startled awake, her feet kicking suddenly. For some unknown reason, in her dazed state, Xu…