Time passed bit by bit, and the weather grew colder and colder.
“Remember to wear more clothes. I saw the photos you posted on that Weibo thing—how could you wear so little?” Mother Ji scolded unhappily from the video.
A City was so cold. How could Ji Zhaoxi possibly wear so little?
Ji Zhaoxi curled up under the covers and said lazily, “That was just for the photos. I wear plenty of clothes normally.”
There was absolutely no way she would let the cold wind get to her.
Suddenly, a dog’s head poked into the frame. It whined incessantly, its tail wagging nonstop.
Mother Ji smiled. “I made it some clothes. Aren’t they cute? I’ll make one for each of you sisters later. Don’t accuse me of playing favorites.”
“Whine… woof, woof, woof!” Ji Xinxin stared at the screen, repeatedly trying to hit Ji Zhaoxi with her tail.
Looking at Ji Xinxin’s plump body, Ji Zhaoxi shouted, “Fat Dog!”
“Woof, woof, woof!”
“Woof!”
Ji Xinxin was furious and kept howling.
Mother Ji was thoroughly annoyed. “Oh, honestly, stop getting underfoot. I shouldn’t have let you two video-call in the first place. You can even argue through a phone.”
Ji Xinxin bit down on Mother Ji’s slipper and refused to let go. Mother Ji took off her other slipper and raised it as if to hit her. Ji Xinxin quickly ran off, pretending to limp as she went.
Mother Ji couldn’t help sighing. “Your little sister is so much like you.”
Ji Zhaoxi: …
The laboratory was especially busy, but Wen Shuning still had to squeeze in time to tutor students. Her supervisor called her into the office.
“Shuning, fill out this application when you have time,” her supervisor said with a smile.
Wen Shuning looked at the words at the top of the form, her voice tightening. “Thank you, Professor.”
Her supervisor sighed. “There’s no need to thank me. The lab has been so busy lately. If you really can’t manage everything, you don’t have to come in on the quieter evenings.”
“Once this application is approved, you’ll be able to get some proper rest. Running back and forth between both places is too much for your health.”
Wen Shuning’s eyes reddened. She gripped the application form tightly. “I understand, Professor.”
As soon as Wen Shuning left the office, the other professors began teasing him.
“Old Qin, what kind of grant have you found for your student this time? You always hear about these things before the rest of us.”
Her supervisor waved his hand. “That’s because you people don’t pay enough attention.”
When Wen Shuning returned to the laboratory, she found a large pile of snacks stuffed into her bag.
Her senior looked at her curiously.
“Did the professor scold you for falling asleep just now?”
Wen Shuning really had it rough. She was always the most diligent person in the laboratory, and she had only nodded off for a moment because she was completely exhausted. Unfortunately, her supervisor had caught her.
Seeing her stare at the things in her bag, her senior quickly explained, “These are from that big influencer. She said they’re really expensive. This one is from one of the junior students—he was only giving them to the junior sisters, but I fought to get one for you. And this one is from Little Lin…”
This was the usual state of the laboratory. Leave for a moment, and you never knew who would be handing things out.
Her senior yawned and carefully examined himself in the mirror. “Junior Sister was just saying that she got a major skincare ad. She’ll give everyone a set when the time comes. I think it’s about time I started taking care of this handsome face of mine.”
Wen Shuning silently put everything away. Her lowered hair hid her reddened eyes.
“Wen Shuning, how about giving your set to me when you get it?” someone beside her asked greedily.
Wen Shuning’s voice was muffled. “No.”
The shameless person squeezed closer. “Please? You’re already so pretty—what do you need skincare products for? Someone like me is the one who really needs them!”
Ji Zhaoxi, who had been slacking off nearby, could stand it no longer. “Senior, could you stop bullying Senior Sister? Look, you’re practically pushing her out of her seat.”
The person beside them immediately started crying. “This is outrageous! Wen Shuning, your junior sister is bullying me. Aren’t you going to do something?”
Wen Shuning watched the data and listened to the commotion beside her. She couldn’t help laughing.
On New Year’s Eve, the hotpot restaurant was filled almost entirely with nearby college students. Every few steps, clouds of steam rose through the crowded dining hall, creating a lively atmosphere that shut out the cold from outside.
The group’s conversation jumped from papers to gossip, then to their supervisors. Everyone’s faces had grown slightly flushed.
“Come on, come on! Here’s to our experiments never acting haunted again. Bottoms up!” one of the senior students said, standing up with a face red from drinking.
Wen Shuning had had a little alcohol and joked, “Maybe that’s heaven telling you to change careers.”
Ji Zhaoxi said nothing, focusing entirely on picking up food and putting it into her bowl.
Lu Huainan kept an eye on her. When he saw her suck in a breath after burning her mouth, he quickly handed her the sour-plum drink beside him and pulled out a tissue for her.
“Junior, you’re not drinking?” one or two of the seniors asked drunkenly.
Lu Huainan shook his head. “I’m done drinking. I have to drive later.”
Ji Zhaoxi’s face had turned slightly red from eating, and her lips were flushed from the spice. She muttered softly, “Lu Huainan, aren’t you going to eat?”
Why was he so busy serving her?
Looking at her stuffed, puffed-out cheek, Lu Huainan couldn’t resist taking a picture. Ji Zhaoxi noticed, leaned over to look at it, and then went right back to eating.
At least it wasn’t an ugly picture.
Everyone kept chatting. Queen of Last-Minute Arrivals was brought up every now and then for another round of teasing, and Ji Zhaoxi angrily gave everyone a nickname.
Laughter surrounded them. Every so often, people from other tables came over to greet Ji Zhaoxi. She would chat with them while eating, keeping herself terribly busy.
Whenever that happened, Lu Huainan would very thoughtfully pour her a glass of water.
“Our supervisor sent red envelopes in the group chat! Hurry, grab them!”
“Coming!”
“Oh my gosh, I got the biggest one.”
“I only got five cents. I’m going to die…”
Ji Zhaoxi grabbed fifty yuan and was thrilled. She said fiercely, “Send me the red envelope you got!”
Looking at the domineering Ji Zhaoxi, Lu Huainan gave a low laugh and transferred his red envelope to her.
The senior across from them shouted, “Junior, why are you so bossy? I can’t just sit here and watch you bully our junior brother!”
The others hurriedly pulled him back down. “Oh, leave those two alone. Junior Brother likes being bullied by her. If she didn’t bully him, he’d probably be unhappy.”
“Exactly, exactly. Don’t interrupt them. Come on.”
The two being teased silently drank their water without saying a word.
After Ji Zhaoxi finished hers, Wen Shuning smiled and poured her another glass.
It was a long time before the gathering finally broke up. After midnight, everyone in the hotpot restaurant rushed to the roadside to watch the fireworks in the sky. Huge bursts of color blossomed overhead, accompanied by cheers from the crowds everywhere.
Ji Zhaoxi was pulled aside by one person for a photo, then by another.
“Junior, come here, come take a picture with Junior Sister for me.”
“Ji Zhaoxi, what are you doing here too? Come on, let’s get someone to take a couple of pictures of us.”
Ji Zhaoxi had drunk a little fruit wine and was dizzy all over. She did whatever they told her to do for the photos. Cold air kept slipping down the back of her neck. She vaguely felt Lu Huainan wrap a scarf around her, then lead her off in some direction.
“Lu Huainan, I’m so sleepy,” Ji Zhaoxi murmured uncomfortably.
She wanted to lie down for a while. The moment she finished speaking, she started to lower herself, but a strong arm caught her and pulled her into an embrace.
Before long, the cheers outside gradually faded away.
The moment they got into the car, the warmth enveloped them. Ji Zhaoxi leaned back in her seat and tugged at her scarf, complaining impatiently, “It’s hot!”
Noticing her movement, Lu Huainan gently unwound the scarf from around her neck. In doing so, he nearly enclosed her entire body in his arms.
He could smell the fragrance in her hair. He tried his hardest to keep his distance, yet couldn’t help drawing closer.
Ji Zhaoxi had sobered up somewhat. The car was dim, and she could clearly feel the warmth radiating from him.
Their breaths gradually mingled, and some hidden emotion slowly began to heat up. Ji Zhaoxi could even hear his breathing—slightly unsteady, carrying a hint of nervousness.
“Lu Huainan…”
Neither of them knew who had first tilted their head ever so slightly. In the silent space, where even their breathing could be heard, their lips tentatively met.
In the darkness, they kissed with awkward inexperience. A pair of hands helplessly clutched at his clothes, while he tremulously took her hand, deepening this kiss that belonged to the new year.
Lu Huainan’s New Year’s wish was that she would always have a reason to need him.
