Chapter 153: Winter Melancholy

Hearing the sound of water from the bathroom, Song Chengyi walked in and leaned against the doorway.

"Do you want me to help you?"

The abrupt voice sounded behind Luo Yixia, laced with a hint of amusement. Luo Yixia looked up into the mirror and saw him looking impeccably dressed. Comparing his appearance to her own disheveled state, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment. To make matters worse, he seemed completely oblivious to the situation, leaning in closer with a beaming smile.

"Are you feeling better?"

Luo Yixia ignored him and pulled out a facial towel to wipe her face. Song Chengyi watched her every move in the reflection. When his gaze fell upon the ambiguous marks on her neck, he seemed to feel a sudden pang of regret and turned his head away.

"I warmed up some sweet porridge. You must have been hungry for a while now, right?" he said, abruptly changing the subject.

"Oh, go out first, I... I need to change." Luo Yixia kept her head down, the tips of her ears turning an uncomfortable shade of red.

The corners of Song Chengyi’s mouth curled up uncontrollably.

Luo Yixia saw this in the mirror: "What are you smiling at?"

"Nothing. I'm going out." Song Chengyi didn't tease her further, and as he left, he thoughtfully closed the door behind him.

"Pathetic," Luo Yixia scolded herself under her breath. She pressed the back of her hand to her face; it was burning hot.

She lingered as she changed her clothes. When she emerged from the bedroom, Song Chengyi’s eyes never left her. For the first time, Luo Yixia felt uneasy under his gaze—something she had never imagined would happen.

Eventually, Luo Yixia broke the suffocating silence.

"Did you go to school today? No classes in the afternoon?"

"I took the day off."

"Oh."

The living room fell back into a long silence.

"Don't move." Song Chengyi stood up and reached across the table. Luo Yixia’s heart skipped a beat as his hand stopped at the corner of her mouth. His thumb brushed over it gently. "There, all better."

He sat back down with a smile.

In truth, Luo Yixia wanted to say, "Don't do this, you're scaring me," but in the end, she said nothing at all. The life she had now was the life she wanted; she and Song Chengyi were doing well, and she was, indeed, very happy.

The next day, there was no excuse to miss school. It was a day packed with classes, and looking at her full schedule, she felt ready to collapse.

Song Chengyi dropped her off at the school gate. He had wanted to walk her all the way in, but Luo Yixia wouldn't have it. Only after watching him leave did she enter the campus.

She had already eaten breakfast at home, so she decided to head over for her morning run. She hadn't run in a while, and since final grades were approaching, she risked having to retake the course if she didn't meet the minimum step count.

After yesterday, her body didn't feel too sore, though perhaps the strenuous activity made her feel a bit unaccustomed to certain sensations. Luo Yixia ran, lost in thought. She had been so dazed yesterday that she had mumbled and argued with him, claiming he had tricked her. She had always assumed they were together because he felt responsible, but now that she realized nothing had actually happened, she felt as if a great burden had been lifted.

The cold winter wind whipped across her face, stinging slightly, but Luo Yixia was so preoccupied she didn't even notice.

"Hey!" Someone called out and jogged over to her. It took a few tries before Luo Yixia heard them.

"Good morning," Luo Yixia replied with a smile.

"What are you thinking about? I called you several times!" He Zhen said, his tone as cheerful as ever.

"Nothing much."

"You didn't come to school yesterday at all. Did you forget we had self-study in the evening?"

"I took leave..."

"What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?" he asked with genuine concern.

"Um... I'm mostly better," Luo Yixia answered vaguely.

After the run, the two chatted and walked into the classroom together. Luo Yixia had always thought He Zhen was a nice person with a good temperament.

Gan Yanyan waved to her from across the room.

"Xiaxia, you're finally here! You weren't here yesterday, and I couldn't even sleep during self-study. Without you to keep me company, I just feel like I'm wasting time," Gan Yanyan said with a look of regret.

Luo Yixia’s mouth twitched, and she gave her a sour look. "Get lost. Is that how you talk?" she said, annoyed by the backhanded compliment.

Once Luo Yixia sat down next to her, Gan Yanyan leaned in. "What happened? Why weren't you here?"

"Oh, just... wasn't feeling well..." Luo Yixia didn't elaborate.

Gan Yanyan sat up straight, looking half-convinced. "Xiaxia, you really need to step up the rehearsals. There’s no time left, New Year's Day is next week."

"Yeah." Luo Yixia felt a sudden sense of wistfulness.

Another year was coming to an end. Time always slipped through one's fingers so quickly. She turned her head to look at the osmanthus tree outside the window; it had already withered, its lonely branches occasionally visited by birds foraging for food in the winter. The lingering scent of the osmanthus from a while ago felt like it was just yesterday. It was deep autumn now, and with less than a month until the break, another semester was drawing to a close.

Every New Year's Eve, Luo Hongtao would ask her: "Xiaxia, what have you achieved this year?"

Luo Yixia would always reply, "Don't ask—if you ask, the answer is nothing."

But this year? What had she achieved this year? Luo Yixia smiled. She had achieved a great deal this year... this year, she had someone to spend the New Year with.

The clock on the classroom wall ticked relentlessly, and after a few classes, it was noon. Luo Yixia looked at the dense notes in her book, feeling as though she had been transported back to high school. That winter, she had been just as diligent with her notes, knowing that he had been accepted into the best school in A City, and she had wanted to work hard to catch up to him.

"Xiaxia, what do you want to eat? Let's get winter melon soup; it's very warming," Gan Yanyan said, rubbing her hands together behind her and resting her chin on Luo Yixia's shoulder as she directed the order.

"Okay."

The two left one after another and found an empty table. With finals approaching, Xu Jiayu was busy with her duties as class monitor, and Lin Ya had joined a club and was rehearsing so frantically she barely had time to eat.

Amidst the usual commotion of the cafeteria, someone walked over with their food and sat down next to Luo Yixia.

"Are you cold?" Song Chengyi asked first.

Luo Yixia shook her head obediently. "Not cold."

In full view of everyone, under the watchful, envious eyes of girls from various classes and the sound of gasps, Song Chengyi reached out and touched Luo Yixia’s small hand to verify the temperature himself. Only then did he pull his hand back, satisfied, and begin to eat.

Opposite them, Gan Yanyan wore a look of pure, maternal delight. "Are you two planning on going public?"

For once, Luo Yixia didn't argue back.

Seeing that neither of them spoke, Gan Yanyan paused for a second. "No way? You're actually thinking about it?"

Seeing her silence, Song Chengyi also kept quiet.

After a brief moment of silence, Luo Yixia finally nodded.

"Wow... I support you!!!" Gan Yanyan looked even more excited than the people involved.

Song Chengyi chuckled softly, looking very satisfied.

"Do you have time at noon? Shall we go to the dance studio to rehearse for a bit?" Luo Yixia asked, turning her head toward him.

"Sure."

As it turned out, what was supposed to be a performance for two ended up with a whole group tagging along. Luo Yixia looked at the three girls from her dorm, and... Yu Bin, with a sense of speechlessness.

"Why are you all here?"

"Isn't sleeping at noon a waste of a perfectly good day? We decided to come and enjoy the view," Yu Bin said with a grin.

"And why did you bring him?" Luo Yixia asked, directing the question at Song Chengyi.

"I ran into him on my way out, and he just insisted on tagging along," Song Chengyi said, spreading his hands with an expression of helplessness.

"I was wondering why Song Chengyi refused to participate in his own class's program no matter what. So this is why... my heart... it's shattered..." Yu Bin clutched his chest, putting on a dramatic display of heartbreak.

The girls rolled their eyes, but Gan Yanyan couldn't help herself. She walked over and smacked him. "Too much talk. If you don't want to watch, get out."

"Waaaah, why are you so fierce, woman?" Yu Bin covered his head, only to be met with a flurry of blows.

While being chased and beaten, he shouted, "You're so fierce, let’s see what man will dare to have you!"

"I’ll just never marry then!" Gan Yanyan pressed his face against the floor, rubbing it repeatedly.

Hearing this, Yu Bin struggled to call a truce. "Don't do that! If no one else wants you, I'll reluctantly take you."

A heart-wrenching scream echoed through the classroom.

The others stood by, laughing as if watching a show. Luo Yixia laughed too, but she glanced at Song Chengyi, only to find him watching her. Their eyes met, and Luo Yixia quickly looked away.

After the brief scuffle, the two began their rehearsal. Song Chengyi’s piano skills went without saying—he had won a first-place prize in a provincial competition back in middle school. Although Luo Yixia wasn't quite at his level, she had studied for many years, and while she hadn't achieved major accolades, she possessed the poise and grace that came with the discipline.

Latin dance was inherently passionate. Even though everyone thought of Luo Yixia as overly shy and reserved, the moment the music started, she transformed.

After they had polished the routine a few times, they were much better than before. They huddled together to watch the recorded video. Yu Bin was fired up and had a mouthful of things to say, but lacking the vocabulary, he could only muster, "Holy crap!"

"If I had known, I would have crossed classes to join a program too. Compared to you two, ours looks like children playing house. Xiaxia, little junior, I represent Class 169, Year 4 of the Medical Department, and invite you—could you come and choreograph a dance for our class?" Yu Bin asked shamelessly.

"In your dreams. Xiaxia is our class treasure," the girls said, surrounding Luo Yixia like mother hens and pushing Yu Bin aside.

"Don't be so stingy! Look, the top heartthrob of our class has been lent to you for rehearsals. Don't be petty, let's talk about it," Yu Bin said, rubbing his hands together.

"I'm here of my own volition." Song Chengyi, the heartthrob in question, dismantled the argument quite unloyally. Yu Bin looked frantic.

"As expected, a heartthrob who is 'married off' is like water spilled—you're physically in our class, but your heart is long gone."

"No, he’s not even physically here anymore," Gan Yanyan retorted coldly.

"Damn it! You're all bullying me because I'm from another class. Little juniors, I, your senior, never offended you!"

"No, you just did!"

"Damn it!!!"