The stools in the milk tea shop were placed close together.
He leaned over, and a light, clean scent wafted towards her, reminiscent of a perfumed body wash.
It smelled fresh, full of youthful energy, and was incredibly pleasant.
Wen Tingxue's heart pounded as she stayed frozen for a moment, until the young man softly hummed, his voice carrying a slight upward inflection, filled with curiosity.
“Ah…” Wen Tingxue snapped back to attention and whispered in his ear, “Could you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back when I get home.”
Yu Wenli leaned back slightly, raising an eyebrow with a hint of amusement as he looked at her. “To buy flowers?”
Wen Tingxue’s eyes widened in surprise. “How did you know?”
She hadn't said anything yet.
Yu Wenli smiled, his long, almond-shaped eyes sparkling like stars under the night lights, radiating warmth into people's hearts.
He didn’t explain, simply taking her by the sleeve to stand up.
Amidst a flurry of envious glances, Yu Wenli led Wen Tingxue to the small cart selling flowers to couples.
“Pick one,” he said.
Yu Wenli let go of her hand and scanned a QR code with his phone.
Wen Tingxue was a little dumbfounded. The cart was filled not only with vibrant red roses but also with many other flowers she couldn’t name, looking like a miniature garden.
The young saleswoman, her eyes bright and cheerful, asked, “Are you two a couple? This bouquet of roses was just arranged by me.”
Wen Tingxue looked at the bouquet of roses in her hand. It was exquisite and meticulously arranged, perfectly dotted, and indeed very beautiful, but—
“I’m not buying it. I’m buying it for my parents.”
The young woman shyly waved her hands, smiling sweetly as she explained.
“Oh…”
The saleswoman paused for a moment, then said, “Then you can choose yourself, or shall I recommend some?”
Wen Tingxue’s gaze swept across the cart, finally settling on the individual roses.
“I’ll take two,” she said.
She pointed at the two most beautiful ones.
Roses were expensive on Valentine’s Day, and she definitely couldn’t afford a pre-packaged bouquet.
“Alright.”
As the young woman reached out to pick them, Yu Wenli spoke, “Take two bouquets of these as well.”
He was referring to the ones the saleswoman had previously introduced. Wen Tingxue’s almond eyes widened instantly. “No, I can’t afford that.”
She was so endearing that the couple selling flowers couldn't help but chuckle.
Wen Tingxue felt even more embarrassed and secretly glared at Yu Wenli.
Yu Wenli curved his lips. “It won’t be on your tab. I’m buying them for the two beautiful ladies.”
“Ah?” Wen Tingxue was stunned. “Then…”
“Those two bouquets are for the gentlemen, so they don’t get jealous,” Yu Wenli said, and with a flick of his finger, a lily appeared. Under the light, his well-defined fingers were even more striking than the water-sprinkled lilies.
As Wen Tingxue was lost in thought, the young man had already placed the lily before her, leaning in slightly, his voice alluring.
“Little sister Yiyi, happy Valentine’s Day.”
His features were exquisite, and when he focused his gaze on someone, he exuded a gentle, lingering affection that would captivate anyone.
“Thank you.”
Wen Tingxue quickly lowered her eyes, her small face flushed as she accepted the flower.
This was the first time she had received flowers in her life, and she was overjoyed.
The young woman leaned in to sniff it, her big, watery eyes brimming with happiness.
Yu Wenli finished his payment, and his gaze happened to catch her action, his eyes softening with tenderness.
…
Just as the milk tea was ready, it suddenly began to snow outside.
The unexpected snowfall captured everyone’s attention.
“Wow! It’s snowing! I thought there wouldn’t be any snow this Valentine’s Day, and suddenly there is! I have to post this on my social media!”
“It’s so beautiful. Let’s take a photo and make it official.”
“It’s snowing, I need to go confess my love.”
Everyone started heading outside. Wen Tingxue took the milk tea handed to her by the shop assistant and slowly turned around.
The fluttering snow set off the festive atmosphere of the street, illuminated by brilliant lights and bustling with people. This was her initial impression of Jiangcheng’s night view.
It was beautiful.
So beautiful that she would remember it for years to come.
Yu Wenli was indifferent to the snow; it snowed frequently in the north, and he had been accustomed to it since childhood.
However, this little girl from the south seemed to really like the snow.
Yu Wenli helped her put on her hat, then gentlemanly took her milk tea, stuffed a bouquet of roses into her arms, and smiled lazily.
“Shall we go?”
Wen Tingxue came back to her senses, holding the flowers and looking up at him, her shimmering eyes filled with joy.
“It’s snowing.”
She hadn't seen such heavy snow in a long time.
Yu Wenli smiled. “We’ll go see the snow after dinner. Let’s go.”
“Okay!”
Wen Tingxue walked beside him, carrying her milk tea and flowers, bathed in the white snow as they walked back.
Meanwhile, at the bar.
Surrounded by beauties, Chi Zerui casually flipped through his phone, occasionally pinching two fingers to zoom in on photos.
“Tsk.”
He dodged a glass of wine being offered and grinned cheekily. “Dressed up, she looks pretty good.”
“What is it?”
Someone leaned over to look at his phone and happened to see a girl in a pink dress walking side-by-side with a boy in black. In the snowy weather, they each held a bouquet of roses and carried milk tea.
The composition of the photo was inexplicably beautiful.
The height difference of more than twenty centimeters was incredibly cute.
“Wow! Isn’t that Yu…”
Chi Zerui’s cold gaze swept over, and the girl quickly shut her mouth.
The atmosphere turned cold, and the dozen or so people in the booth didn't dare to make a sound.
It wasn't until Chi Zerui’s new girlfriend entered, holding a bouquet of roses, and ran excitedly to Chi Zerui, pouting, “A Rui~ If you don’t give me roses, can I give you roses? It’s Valentine’s Day today~”
The passionate roses were as alluring as the young girl.
But the young man merely glanced coldly at the roses, then broke free from the girl’s arm that was clinging to him, and stood up.
“Let’s break up.”
He said this with a calm expression, without a ripple of emotion.
He had completely forgotten that he was the one who had flirted with the girl just hours ago.
The girl knew Chi Zerui was a player and changed girlfriends faster than clothes, but she never expected it to be this fast!
Only a few hours!
“Why?”
The girl, holding the roses, looked at him with a tearful expression, stubbornly demanding an explanation.
The young man’s expression turned icy, and his voice was laced with frost.
“I hate roses.”
Leaving behind a nonsensical reason, the young man bit on his cigarette and left.
As he brushed past, he didn’t even spare a glance, even though the girl was crying heartbrokenly.
-
Wen Tingxue didn't sleep soundly. When she went downstairs last night, she overheard her parents arguing, likely about her grandmother.
Her mother was very angry, and her father was too, so when her grandmother called, they both lost their tempers.
She stood outside the door and listened for a while, unsure whether she felt happy or sad.
Her grandmother hadn’t informed her parents immediately about sending her off on the high-speed train.
Even after her mother exposed the lie, she selfishly blamed everything on Wen Tingxue, saying she was disobedient and ran off on her own.
Despite having been away for a long time, her grandmother had called so late to inquire about her situation, seemingly displeased that she had returned to her parents.
Her grandmother wanted her to disappear in Jiangcheng…
Wen Tingxue’s body turned cold, and she slowly lowered her gaze.
She had always known her grandmother didn’t like her, but she hadn't realized her grandmother detested her so much.
In her dream, she couldn't find her way home, and no one heard her cries. She slept fitfully, half-awake and half-asleep, for the entire night.
She sat up with a throbbing headache, and seeing the exquisitely decorated bedroom, where every detail showed care, she finally wiped the sweat from her forehead as if waking from a dream.
She used the remote to open the curtains, revealing a warmly decorated bay window. The gentle sunlight fell on her face, and Wen Tingxue finally smiled.
She got out of bed, found clothes in the walk-in closet, and dressed, then went to the en-suite bathroom to freshen up.
By the time Yu Xiuxiu knocked on her door, Wen Tingxue had finished getting ready.
Yu Xiuxiu and Wen Zhongen had worked hard in Jiangcheng for many years and were well-known in their industry. Three years ago, they had specifically bought a small villa in Moxiang Yajv.
It was a three-story Western-style house with its own backyard, and the Yu family lived next door.
Yu Xiuxiu held her daughter’s hand as they went downstairs for breakfast. Wen Tingxue really liked the low-key and understated interior design, looking around with interest.
Wen Zhongen smiled and said, “After we go to school today, you can wander around the house and see what needs to be changed. Dad will arrange it.”
He and Xiuxiu were busy, and apart from the housekeeper, there were rarely any other people in the house.
So the house felt a bit lonely.
But that would change from now on, now that his daughter was back.
Wen Tingxue paused her milk-drinking, her eyes showing a hint of timidity. “Go to school?”
Yu Xiuxiu applied scar-reducing ointment to her daughter’s hand, gently massaging it in.
“Your transfer procedures aren't complete yet. Your father will take you to school first to understand the situation, see which class you’ll be in, and you’ll probably have to take an exam?” Yu Xiuxiu asked Wen Zhongen.
Wen Zhongen shook his head. “I’m not sure. We’ll go and see.”
After breakfast, Wen Tingxue sat in the car absentmindedly. As they passed by the Yu family’s gate, she saw Chi Zerui and Yu Wenli coming out of the house.