So cold.
Ying Ru Shi cupped her hands over her mouth and blew out a puff of white air, rubbing her palms together like a fly warming its hands. Everything between heaven and earth was a vast expanse of white. Even the pine trees were covered in white frost. Ying Ru Shi stood in snow up to her knees, shivering from the cold.
"Why aren't you wearing more clothes?"
A fluffy hat was placed over her head. Ying Ru Shi turned around and saw Ying Le dressed to the nines. She wore sable fur and wolfskin boots, her long hair casually tied into a ponytail that hung over her shoulder. Her cheeks were bright red from the cold, like large red apples—so alluring that it made people want to kiss them.
The two of them stood on a hillside. Below was a pine forest blanketed in heavy snow. The distant mountains had lost their sharp edges beneath thick cotton quilts. The furrows in the fields had been smoothed flat, like a boundless, thick woolen blanket.
The world was cold, yet gentle.
Ying Ru Shi tugged at her fluffy hat. It was hardly enough to help, but at least her head was not as cold with it on. She looked at Ying Le's sable fur, and Ying Le immediately hugged it tighter and shook her head. "No way. I've already given you the hat. Don't push your luck."
"I'm your niece."
"Which means you should respect your elders and cherish the young. You're young and full of energy, so you can tough it out. Your aunt is already an old woman and can't withstand even a little wind and frost." That was what Ying Le said, but she still reached out. "Come closer. The two of us will be warmer together."