Before New Year's Eve Comes the Twenty-Ninth

After spending two days in a glass house in Antarctica, I returned to Junsha on the evening of the 29th day of the Lunar New Year.

It started snowing in Junsha.

Returning home on a snowy night, the last high-speed train to Junsha departed. Liu Chang'an walked out of the high-speed rail station, where only the lights near the passageway were on. He exhaled a breath, and the air in the city exuded a feeling that made the corners of Liu Chang'an's mouth involuntarily curl up slightly.

Now that he's home, Liu Chang'an is very committed to and enjoys his current identity. Perhaps his feelings will change in the future, but for now, he feels great.

Snowflakes fell in the dark gray sky, near and far. Not many passengers got off at this stop, but it still made it difficult for Liu Chang'an to hail a taxi nearby. Instead of queuing at the taxi stand, he walked through the underpass in front of the station square and simply walked back.

The soles of my shoes landed on the shallow snow, making a soft, rhythmic sound that gave my steps a sense of rhythm. Walking on the snow was a little more strenuous than usual, and the occasional patches of thin ice were especially slippery. There were very few pedestrians and vehicles on the road, and in this kind of weather, the city's hustle and bustle finally quieted down.

Tomorrow is Lunar New Year's Eve, and being able to get back today is truly exhilarating. Liu Chang'an thought about how many people across the country would be content to be able to return home today.

Perhaps there are many, many more people who simply remain silent somewhere, sighing softly: Another year has passed.

As it snowed, Liu Chang'an walked slower than usual. Gradually, snow accumulated on his shoulders, back, and hair, with a small clump of snow clinging to his eyebrows, demonstrating how freezing the snowy night truly was.

A taxi slowed down to approach Liu Chang'an, but seeing that he didn't intend to take it, it sped up and drove away, leaving its taillights gradually fading for Liu Chang'an to see, before disappearing into the sunken tunnel ahead.

Liu Chang'an casually grabbed a handful of snow from a tree by the roadside. The snow was falling heavier and heavier, and by tomorrow morning there would be a thick layer, much heavier than the snow he had seen in Lin'an last time.

It's a pity there are no red plum blossoms tonight. Such a beautiful sight of waves of red blossoms on a snowy night is something you can only dream of.

Liu Chang'an pinched the snow in his hand, which turned into fine ice shards, and casually flicked them out. Unexpectedly, it hit a small tree as thick as an arm. The trunk snapped with a crack, and the heavy snow on the tree immediately weighed it down, causing snow to fly everywhere and creating a white mist in front of him.

Liu Chang'an frowned. As a civilized citizen, he couldn't just ignore such an accident. So he quickly spat on the broken tree trunk, ran to the nearby construction site to find a wooden stick, propped up the tree crown, and used the stick and strips of cloth torn from his clothes to fix the trunk in place.

Only after confirming that the tree could survive and even grow stronger did Liu Chang'an leave satisfied.

In a black sedan slowly driving away nearby, a woman who had just finished work filmed Liu Chang'an's behavior and quickly posted it on her WeChat Moments: "It's freezing cold, and I saw a lunatic taking off his clothes and tying up a tree that had been broken by the weight of snow."

Just after posting on her WeChat Moments, the woman's car headlights caught a glimpse of a "lunatic." She was surprised to find that this man had fair and clean skin, a neat and handsome face, and an outstanding physique. She couldn't help but wonder if he was a man with a life full of charm and zest for life.

"Handsome? Are you in trouble?" The woman hesitated for a moment, then rolled down the car window and asked. The chances of something bad happening on a night like this were high, but she was ultimately a kind-hearted person. Faced with such a potentially incredible romantic encounter, who wouldn't be kind-hearted?

"I just came back from Antarctica, and the weather here is too hot," Liu Chang'an explained to the helpful citizen.

The woman hesitated for a moment, then quickly sped up and drove away. Although the man was good-looking, he seemed to be really mentally ill. If he just wanted to rape her, that would be one thing, but in movies, these kinds of mentally ill people are often hard to control, and her life was more important.

Liu Chang'an waved goodbye to the car's taillights. Even though the other party still ran away, showing concern for a stranger on such a night was already an effort on his part.

When Liu Chang'an returned to his apartment building, he found that only his own apartment had its lights on. Looking at the window, its surface hazy with the light of fine snowflakes, Liu Chang'an felt a warmth in his heart. How successful he had been in becoming a person! He had the same mindset and aspirations as an ordinary person. It was truly wonderful.

Liu Chang'an didn't have his keys, so he habitually pushed the door open, and surprisingly, it opened directly. He then saw a TV in the living room, and Zhou Shuling was sitting at the electric radiator table cutting paper snowflakes.

"Why didn't you close the door?" Liu Chang'an asked. Zhou Shuling usually liked to close the door for him, especially when she was alone there.

Hearing the voice, Zhou Shuling paused for a moment, thinking she was hallucinating again. She looked up, then immediately smiled, "You're really back."

"Why aren't you closing the door? It's almost Chinese New Year, and thieves need to celebrate too, so they're especially rampant then," Liu Chang'an asked, closing the door behind him.

"I... I just had a feeling that you'd be home tonight." Zhou Shuling's eyes narrowed into slits with a smile. She had a very strong premonition that he would be home tonight, so she wanted to sit here for a while, lest he go home to an empty, cold, and lifeless place, which would definitely feel bad.

"Your hunch was right." Liu Chang'an reached out and scratched Zhou Shuling's head.

Zhou Shuling was about to playfully scold him, saying she wasn't a child like Zhou Dongdong, when she felt the warmth of Liu Chang'an's fingers. She rubbed her eyes, looked at Liu Chang'an carefully, and was surprised. She pulled Liu Chang'an into the bedroom, made him sit on the edge of the bed, and quickly squatted down to help him take off his shoes and socks. She squeezed his soles, which were also ice-cold, and couldn't help but anxiously scold him, "Why are you soaking wet, and you're only wearing a shirt! Hurry up and change your clothes, I'll go get some hot water."

Liu Chang'an was indeed soaking wet. He had walked all the way, covered in snow, which melted as soon as he entered the house. It didn't bother him much, but it wasn't exactly a comfortable feeling either.

Liu Chang'an casually changed into a pair of pajamas and came out. Zhou Shuling asked Liu Chang'an to sit down at the electric heater, brought over a basin of hot water and placed it at his feet, quickly soaking his feet in the hot water. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief and say, "Cold enters from the feet. Don't think you're young now. If you accumulate coldness, you'll suffer later."

Liu Chang'an laughed, but Zhou Shuling was staring at him as he soaked his feet, as if the effectiveness of the foot bath would be reduced if she didn't watch him, or as if he wouldn't soak his feet at all.

"Come, sit down." Liu Chang'an pointed to the seat next to him.

Zhou Shuling tugged at the hem of her thermal underwear and sat down. "What?"

"Come here." Liu Chang'an beckoned.

"What are you going to do?" Zhou Shuling asked shyly. They were almost touching. She moved her bottom over and sighed comfortably. After all that work, his coldness had chilled her. It was much more comfortable next to the electric heater.

Liu Chang'an raised his arm and put his arm around Zhou Shuling's shoulder. Her arm and shoulder were soft, and it was obvious that her health had improved a lot compared to at least six months ago. Women really need a better life to thrive.

"You... you... what are you going to do?" Zhou Shuling stammered, repeating herself. She wasn't afraid that Liu Chang'an would do something to her; she was just very surprised. They were usually like family, and the intimacy she felt with Liu Chang'an was only a spiritual one. There was no physical contact like that between real family members.

"It's nothing, I just feel that it's nice to have someone here doing some random, useless things when I'm back home." Liu Chang'an smiled and let go of Zhou Shuling's shoulder.

"What do you mean by 'useless nonsense'?" Zhou Shuling playfully shoved Liu Chang'an, quickly trying to take credit for herself. "Aren't the paper-cut window decorations pretty? I've put several on the windows! Soaking your feet is useless too? You think you're so capable now? Let me tell you, if you don't expel the cold..."

"Alright, alright, I know you're capable and considerate." Liu Chang'an patted Zhou Shuling's hand. "Go to bed early, you still have to buy New Year's goods tomorrow, you'll be busy on New Year's Eve... Is the braised pork ready? Are the egg dumplings ready? Have you bought the fish? Have you bought the fried tofu?"

Zhou Shuling shook her head vigorously. Today, all she did was cut paper snowflakes, but Zhou Dongdong and Shangguan Dandan messed things up, preventing Zhou Shuling from immediately showing off the many useful things she had done.