Snowball Fight

At Xia Wanqing's invitation, Shen Xinde hurriedly got up with Gu Zhuoling and made to run outside.

Standing in the entryway, Gu Zhuoling took the gloves Xia Wanqing handed him and put them on Shen Xinde first.

Shen Xinde and Gu Zhuoling didn't run out the gate, instead starting to play in the snow in the courtyard.

"Dolly, can we build a snowman?" Shen Xinde knelt on the ground and gathered the snow around him, trying to roll it into a little ball.

Gu Zhuoling said nothing. He slid both hands under Shen Xinde and lifted him to his feet. "Sure. Don't kneel. If your pants get wet, you'll catch another cold."

Shen Xinde let him help him up, then stood still while Gu Zhuoling brushed the snow off his knees.

Only then did Gu Zhuoling squat down, satisfied, and help Shen Xinde roll the little ball.

Once they had finished the snowman's body, it was time to make its head. Gu Zhuoling wanted Shen Xinde to do less while he did more, so Shen Xinde wouldn't get tired.

He was gathering snow from around them when he realized he could no longer see Shen Xinde.

Gu Zhuoling's heart sank, and he immediately stood up. Shen Xinde hadn't gone far. He was wearing a little red turtleneck sweater today, with a short, pure-white down jacket over it, and was curled up in a ball behind the snowman's body.

"Haotao? What are you doing?"

Gu Zhuoling put down the snow in his hands and walked over.

Only when he got closer did he see Shen Xinde puffing out his cheeks, working hard to shape something with both hands. He walked up in front of him.

"Dolly! A heart!" Shen Xinde suddenly held up a heart-shaped piece of ice with both hands.

The first thing Gu Zhuoling saw was a small, pure-white heart. Then its maker moved it aside, revealing a super-cute little face.

The owner of that cute face had sparkling eyes and tender red lips that curved upward in a smile at him.

Very pretty. Little Gu Zhuoling couldn't find any sophisticated words to describe the scene before him. It was as if an exquisite doll in a display window had suddenly come to life and said, "I made you a heart. It's for you."

It wasn't as scary as he had imagined.

He was just thinking about how cute he was.

"Amazing." Gu Zhuoling moved his face. It felt a little cold outside, and the wind was howling, making his eyes sting a little.

Gu Zhuoling blinked slowly.

"Hehe, it's for you!" Shen Xinde placed the heart in Gu Zhuoling's arms, then said coquettishly, "It was so hard to make. Haotao's hands are tired."

A beat too slow to react, Gu Zhuoling hurriedly cradled the heart to keep it from accidentally slipping and breaking.

"Thank you, Haotao." Gu Zhuoling took another careful look at the little heart, then set it aside and took off his gloves.

"Haotao."

"Hm?" Shen Xinde was just about to get back to their snowman-building project, but turned around when he heard Gu Zhuoling call him.

"I'll give you a kiss."

Then a pair of warm hands cupped his slightly cold cheeks, and he felt something soft press against his forehead.

The wind kept blowing, and Shen Xinde even felt it sting his ears a little. He had felt a little cold before, but somehow, he was getting a little hot now.

Especially around his heart.

Shen Xinde was a little dazed after the kiss. Even after they parted, he still hadn't recovered. He just stared blankly at Gu Zhuoling's pink face, then slowly said, "Dolly, put your gloves back on. It's cold."

Gu Zhuoling burst out laughing, then obediently squatted down and picked up the gloves he'd taken off. He put them on properly in front of Shen Xinde and held them out for inspection. "All done."

Shen Xinde didn't speak. He just reached up and touched the spot on his forehead where Gu Zhuoling had kissed him.

Gu Zhuoling thought Shen Xinde was embarrassed. After all, he was a little embarrassed himself.

To his surprise, Shen Xinde lifted his head the next second, turned his face slightly, and pointed at his cheek. "Dolly, kiss Haotao's cheek."

Gu Zhuoling: ...

That was Haotao for you.

Gu Zhuoling sighed helplessly, leaned over, and planted a smooch on his cheek.

"The other side too. Haotao worked very hard." Unsatisfied, Shen Xinde greedily turned his head.

"Kisses, kisses." Gu Zhuoling looked completely satisfied.

After the two children fooled around for a while, they went back to building the snowman.

Once they had made the snowman's head, Gu Zhuoling carefully set the heart Shen Xinde had given him on top of it.

He actually wanted to keep the heart forever, but he knew snow would melt sooner or later. Even if he kept it in the freezer, he could only leave it there and never take it out.

He might as well put it on the snowman.

The snowman he and Haotao had built together.

Shen Xinde found a few pebbles and twigs on the ground, and the snowman had a face and arms.

"It looks so silly with the heart on its head." Looking at the finished snowman, Shen Xinde couldn't help laughing.

Gu Zhuoling didn't think so at all. It was very cute.

The two of them were admiring their work of art when Gu Zhuoling suddenly felt something hit the edge of his coat. He turned and saw Zhuang Xingye, bundled up like a ball, holding two snowballs. Zhuang Xingye threw another one at them.

"Hahahaha! You came out to play in the snow without calling me! Take this!" Zhuang Xingye threw the other snowball too, though naturally he missed.

That didn't stop him from laughing wildly.

At the sight, Shen Xinde immediately stood up and shouted, "Don't hit Gege!"

With that, Shen Xinde scooped up a huge lump of snow from the ground. Unable to lift it with one hand, he held it in both arms and charged at Zhuang Xingye with a "you're done for" smile on his face.

Shock appeared on Zhuang Xingye's chubby face. Seeing trouble coming, he quickly turned and ran, shouting, "No, no! Your snowball's too big! Aaaah!"

Of course, Shen Xinde wasn't going to hit Zhuang Xingye with the "giant" snowball. He was just scaring him.

In the end, he casually grabbed a couple more handfuls of snow and threw them at Zhuang Xingye.

Gu Zhuoling chased after them too, holding two snowballs and throwing them at Zhuang Xingye alongside Shen Xinde.

"Not fair! You two are picking on me!" Under attack from both sides, Zhuang Xingye could only cover his head and run around.

"That's what you get for hitting me." A rare look of delight appeared on Gu Zhuoling's face, but he didn't stop. He grabbed another pile of snow and threw it.

"Yeah, yeah." Shen Xinde wrinkled his nose, utterly convinced he was in the right.

Zhuang Xingye twisted his waist and perfectly dodged several of Gu Zhuoling's attacks. He grew smug and even dared stick his tongue out at his two little friends. "Nyah, nyah, nyah, come hit me!"

Shen Xinde was just about to answer when Zhuang Xingye threw a little clump of loose snow at his feet.

Oh, yeah? Just because Haotao hasn't shown his power, you think Haotao is a little kitten going meow, meow, meow!

Shen Xinde bent down to make a huge snowball.

Seeing that he was about to be attacked by another meteorite, Zhuang Xingye hurriedly turned and fled.

"Stop right there, Zhuang Xingye! Haotao wants revenge!" Shen Xinde had already finished making the king of snowballs and hurried after him.

"I was wrong, King Haotao! I was wrong!"

"Not listening! Gege, help Haotao hold him down!"

"Coming!"

"Not fair, aaaaah! Heeelp!"

More and more footprints appeared across the pure-white snow, and the snow grew messier and messier, but the laughter grew louder and louder too.