Yan City Normal University.
Qian Lele stepped lightly out of the Science Building with her backpack on her shoulders.
The biting cold wind rushed at her face, and she instinctively tucked in her neck and pulled her scarf higher.
Winter evenings always came especially early.
It was only a little past five, but the western skyline had already been burned orange-red by the setting sun.
On the main road where the remaining snow had yet to melt, students dragging suitcases passed in twos and threes, the wheels rolling over the thin ice with faint, crunching creaks. In the distance, some people hugged books as they walked toward the dorms, while others carried freshly roasted sweet potatoes, breathing out white mist as they went.
Qian Lele stood on the steps and took a deep breath of the icy, bracing air.
A chill swept through her lungs, and she woke up completely.
The last specialized course exam was finally over.
From this moment on, her winter break had officially begun.
The schedule in her head was already packed full:
Her graduate entrance examination review had to be planned systematically, and she could not miss a single day of English vocabulary or math.
The online operation plan for the newly opened Sister Wen's Claypot Skewers still needed more polishing; it was her first attempt at going into a partnership business. Life now had a clear goal, and every step she took landed solidly.
This was the state that made her feel most at ease, and the one she liked best.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz."
The phone in the pocket of her down jacket vibrated.
She took it out and saw it was a message from the Dorm 201 group chat.
[Wu Siqi: "@Qian Lele, Lele! Are you done with your exam? You're the only