Before long, Pu Yu came running back, breathless.
She held a paper bag against her chest. The cold wind had reddened her face, and a few loose strands of hair clung to her forehead.
"Here."
She handed him the paper bag, her eyes bright but a little shy. "A belated birthday present."
Yuan Su took the bag. It wasn't heavy, yet it felt weighty in his hands.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Open it and see," Pu Yu urged.
Yuan Su opened the bag.
Inside was a dark gray scarf, neatly folded.
He reached in and touched it. The wool was soft, but the texture felt a little unusual.
Some parts were loose, others tight, and he could even see a few obvious dropped stitches along the edge.
"This is..."
Yuan Su looked up at her in surprise.
"I knitted it myself," Pu Yu said, sounding embarrassed. "It was my first time, and I didn't really know how. It took me eight tries to cast on properly, and I had to unravel it so many times when I made mistakes. I wanted to knit a pattern, but it was too hard, so I just used a plain stitch..."
Her voice grew quieter as she spoke, her confidence fading. "If you think it's ugly, you don't have to wear it outside... I'll make you a better one next time."
Yuan Su looked at the scarf in his hands, and warmth washed through his chest.
He could imagine her fumbling with the needles and yarn, frowning as she watched a tutorial. He could also imagine her unraveling her mistakes, starting over, then unraveling them again, until her eyes were red from staying up late.
"It's beautiful."
Yuan Su's voice was a little hoarse. "Really beautiful."
As he spoke, he took out the