Chapter 12 Warm Snowy Night

Luo Xin was cooking dinner when the call came in. She had promised her daughter she'd eat with her today. The screen showed the caller was her daughter, Luo Xue. She smiled and swiped open her phone. "Xiaoxue, where are you?" Her voice was as gentle as ever. There was no answer, only the whistling of the wind. Luo Xin's heart trembled, and she quickly called out, "Xiaoxue... Xiaoxue..." "Are you Luo Xue's mother?" a boy's calm voice came from the other end. Luo Xin's hand trembled, and the spatula fell to the ground with a clatter. She didn't bother to pick it up, but immediately picked up the phone: "Who are you?" "Luo Xue fainted... at the village entrance..." "What?!" Luo Xin dug her nails into her palm. "Who are you? How is Xiaoxue now?" The boy's voice was soft, but remarkably clear. "She's very pale, and I couldn't wake her." Luo Xin's vision went dark, and she held onto the stove to prevent herself from falling to the ground. The braised fish in the pot was burnt, and the pungent smell of smoke filled the air, but she was oblivious. "I'll be there right away!" She threw off her apron, grabbed her coat, and rushed out the door. The cold wind, wrapped in snowflakes, blew in her face as Luo Xin stumbled through the snow-covered alley. She kept thinking about her daughter's appearance when she left the house this morning—with her hair tied in a high ponytail, jumping and saying "Goodbye, Mom." Nothing must happen, nothing must happen... Turning the corner, she saw a boy kneeling in the snow, using his thin body to shield Luo Xue from the wind. Luo Xue lay on the snow with her eyes closed, covered in a black cotton-padded jacket, her face as pale as paper, her schoolbag scattered beside her. "Xiaoxue!" Luo Xin rushed over and hugged her daughter in her arms, her voice trembling: "How could this happen? She was fine at school..." The boy silently took a half step back, his obsidian eyes staring at Luo Xue without blinking. He was still holding a wooden sculpture in his hand, his knuckles red from the cold. "An ambulance... can't be called..." He whispered, his voice almost drowned out by the wind. Luo Xin frantically pulled out her phone and dialed 120 three times, but the call went nowhere. No one took her taxi call, and Luo Xin felt despair once again. "You can talk to the police. You know them," the boy said, standing nearby. "Yu Hao... Yes, talk to Yu Hao..." She trembled as she dialed the number she knew by heart, tears blurring the screen. The moment the call connected, she could no longer suppress her sobs: "Xiaoxue fainted! We're in the alley at the east entrance of the village, and we can't get a taxi..." "I'll be right there!" Yu Hao's voice cut through the snow like a sharp sword. "Guard...

When the call came, Luo Xin was making dinner. She had promised her daughter that she would have dinner with her today.

The screen showed that the caller was her daughter Luo Xue. She smiled slightly and opened her phone.

"Xiaoxue, where have you been?" Her voice was as gentle as always.

There was no answer from the other end of the phone, only the sound of the wind whistling.

Luo Xin's heart trembled, and he quickly called out, "Xiaoxue...Xiaoxue..."

"Are you Luo Xue's mother?" A boy's calm voice came from the other end of the phone.

Luo Xin's hand shook, and the spatula fell to the ground with a clang. Without bothering to pick it up, she immediately picked up her phone and asked, "Who are you?"

"Luo Xue fainted... at the village entrance..."

"What?!" Luo Xin dug his nails deep into his palm. "Who are you? How is Xiaoxue now?"

The boy's voice was soft, but unusually clear. "She's very pale. I can't wake her up."

Luo Xin's vision went dark, and she held onto the stove to prevent herself from falling to the ground. The braised fish in the pot was already burnt, and the pungent smell of smoke filled the air, but she was completely unaware.

"I'll be right there!" She threw off her apron, grabbed her coat, and rushed out the door.

The cold wind wrapped in snow particles blew in Luo Xin's face, and he staggered through the snow-covered alley.

She kept thinking about how her daughter looked when she left the house this morning - with her hair tied in a high ponytail, jumping up and down and saying "Goodbye, Mommy".

Nothing must happen, nothing must happen...

Turning the corner, she saw a boy kneeling in the snow, using his thin body to shield Luo Xue from the wind.

Luo Xue was lying on the snow with her eyes closed, covered with a black cotton jacket. Her face was as pale as paper, and her schoolbag was scattered beside her.

"Xiaoxue!" Luo Xin rushed over and hugged his daughter in his arms, his voice trembling: "How could this happen? She was fine at school..."

The boy silently took a half step back, his obsidian eyes fixed on Luo Xue. He was still clutching a wooden sculpture in his hand, his knuckles red from the cold.

"The ambulance...can't be called..." he whispered, his voice almost drowned out by the wind.

Luo Xin frantically took out his phone and called 120 three times, but the call didn't go through. No one took the taxi, and Luo Xin felt desperate again.

"You can find the police, you know them." The boy stood aside and reminded silently.

"Yu Hao... Yes, looking for Yu Hao..." She dialed the number that she knew by heart tremblingly, and her tears blurred the screen.

The moment the call was connected, she could no longer suppress her tears: "Xiaoxue fainted! We are in the alley at the east entrance of the village and can't get a taxi..."

"I'll be there right away!" Yu Hao's voice was like a sharp sword that cut through the snow and wind. "Hold on, don't hang up!"

Luo Xin held his daughter tightly in his arms and could feel her faint breath brushing against his neck.

Only then did she see the little boy's appearance clearly. He was Luo Xue's classmate, Sun Lei.

"Thank you." Luo Xin said tremblingly.

Sun Lei said nothing, just staring at Luo Xue. He was wearing only a washed-out sweater, his lips purple from the cold, and he stood beside her like a silent guardian.

Luo Xin suddenly realized that the only cotton jacket Sun Lei was wearing was covering her daughter. She quickly took off her own clothes to cover her daughter and returned the clothes to Sun Lei.

Before long, the roar of an engine could be heard in the distance, and the glaring lights of a car pierced the night. Yu Hao's car braked suddenly and stopped at the side of the road. Before the spray of snow had even settled, he had already rushed over.

"Give it to me!" He picked up Luo Xue. Luo Xin shook her body, stood up, followed Yu Hao, and got into the car.

Sun Lei stood behind the car and watched it drive away.

The car's heater was on full blast, but Yu Hao was still shivering. He saw in the rearview mirror that Luo Xin had pressed her face against her daughter's forehead, tears silently streaming down her face.

"Why did you suddenly faint?" He turned the steering wheel sharply, and the tires made a harsh sound of friction on the snow.

"I don't know..." Luo Xin's voice was as light as a feather.

*

Luo Xue's pale face looked particularly fragile under the light of the infusion room. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry at first, then focused on her mother Luo Xin's face.

"Mom..." she called weakly.

Luo Xin's tears welled up instantly. She held her daughter's hand tightly, her fingertips trembling slightly: "Xiaoxue, you scared your mother to death..."

Yu Hao stood aside, his heart finally settling. He reached out and gently stroked Luo Xue's forehead. After confirming that the temperature was normal, he whispered, "I'm glad you're okay."

Luo Xue pursed her lips a little embarrassedly, and said softly: "I'm sorry... I've caused you trouble."

"Silly child, what are you talking about?" Luo Xin's tears rolled down again. She quickly wiped them with her sleeves, but she couldn't stop crying.

Luo Xue raised her hand and gently wiped away the tears on her mother's face with her fingertips. She tried to smile, "Don't cry, Mom. I'm fine. Didn't the doctor say it was just low blood sugar? I'll be fine after a rest. I heard it all."

Her understanding made Yu Hao's heart ache. He stood beside the bed, looking at the girl he loved almost like a daughter, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart.

"Xiaoxue, if you feel uncomfortable in the future, please tell me earlier and don't force yourself." His voice was low, with a hint of blame, but more of heartache.

Luo Xue nodded obediently: "Yes, I understand." She paused, and added softly, "Actually, nothing has happened so far. I even had some snacks that Sun Lei gave me this afternoon..."

Luo Xin felt a little guilty. She held her daughter's hand tightly, her voice trembling slightly, "It's all Mom's fault..."

"Oh, Mom, don't be like this." Luo Xue blinked and tried to make her tone light. "I'm fine. Look, this is fine."

Her words made Luo Xin burst into laughter, but the tears still kept falling. Yu Hao stood aside, his mouth slightly raised, but a bitter feeling welled up in his heart.

This child, even though he was still lying in a hospital bed, was still thinking about comforting others.

At this moment, a small figure seemed to flash past the door of the ward. Luo Xin subconsciously looked up, but saw only an empty corridor.

"What's wrong?" Yu Hao noticed her abnormality and asked in a low voice.

Luo Xin frowned: "I seem to...see Sun Lei."

"Sun Lei?" Yu Hao was stunned. He then remembered that there was indeed a little boy when he arrived at the village entrance. "Didn't he get on the bus with us?"

Luo Xin shook his head: "Yeah, that's why I'm so surprised..."

She stood up, walked quickly to the door, and peeked out. The corridor was empty, with only the unique smell of hospital disinfectant filling the air.

"Did I see it wrong?" she muttered to herself.

But I had a vague feeling in my heart that the thin figure was Sun Lei.

*

Outside the hospital, the wind and snow continued.

Sun Lei stood at the corner of the emergency building, his small figure almost swallowed by the darkness.

He clutched the unfinished wooden sculpture tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the cold.

He originally wanted to go home, but when Yu Hao's car sped away, thinking of Luo Xue who had not yet woken up, he took a step without hesitation and followed along the road.

The cold wind scraped against his face like a knife, and snow particles penetrated his collar, making him shiver all over. But he didn't dare to stop, as Luo Xue's pale little face was all he could think of.

When he ran to the hospital breathlessly, Luo Xue had already been sent to the emergency room. He didn't dare to go in, so he could only stand in the shadow of the corridor and wait silently.

It was not until he saw Luo Xue wake up through the crack in the door and heard the doctor say that she was fine that he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's okay..." He whispered to himself, his voice so soft that it was almost inaudible.

He looked down at the wooden sculpture in his hand—it was a person, and the face was clearly visible.

Just as he was about to turn around and leave, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him.

"Sun Lei?"

His whole body stiffened, and he slowly turned around and saw Yu Hao standing not far away, frowning slightly and looking at him with complicated eyes.

"How did you get here?" Yu Hao took a few steps closer and spoke in a low voice.

Sun Lei did not answer, but just lowered his head and rubbed the ground lightly with his toes.

Yu Hao's eyes fell on his red, frozen hands, and his heart tightened: "You... ran all the way here?"

Sun Lei remained silent, but nodded slightly.

Yu Hao took a deep breath, and his chest felt like it was hit hard by something.

He squatted down and looked the boy in the eye. "Why don't you get in the car with us?"

Sun Lei's eyelashes trembled, but he still didn't speak.

Yu Hao stood up, reached out and gently patted his shoulder, and said with a smile, "I'll take you home."

Sun Lei hesitated for a moment and shook his head: "Go back by yourself."

"No." Yu Hao's tone brooked no room for rebuttal. "It's snowing heavily outside. It's not safe for you to be alone."

Sun Lei pursed his lips and finally nodded.

*

On the way back in the car, Sun Lei still sat upright with his hands neatly placed on his knees, like a vigilant little animal.

Yu Hao glanced at him in the rearview mirror and felt a surge of pity in his heart.

"Luo Xue is fine, don't worry." He said softly.

Sun Lei hummed, his eyes still fixed on the snow scene passing by outside the window.

"You...care about her a lot?" Yu Hao asked tentatively.

Sun Lei's fingers curled up slightly, and after a long time, he uttered a low "hmm".

Yu Hao didn't ask any more questions. The car fell silent, with only the roar of the engine and the subtle sound of the heater vents.

After a while, Sun Lei suddenly said: "She... is the only friend."

His voice was very soft, but it made Yu Hao's heart tremble violently.

"She said... let's go to Fantawild together." Sun Lei continued, his voice still soft, "Wait until spring comes."

Yu Hao's grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. He suddenly realized that this taciturn boy might be lonelier than anyone imagined, much like himself in the past.

"Wait until spring, I'll take you there." He heard himself say.

Sun Lei looked up suddenly, a hint of surprise flashed in his obsidian eyes, then he quickly lowered his head and said "hmm" softly.

But Yu Hao clearly saw that the corners of the boy's mouth slightly raised for a moment.

*

It was late at night when we returned to Nan'an Village.

Yu Hao parked the car downstairs of Sun Lei's house and was about to get out to take him upstairs, but he saw Sun Yong standing at the entrance of the alley, looking around with a gloomy face.

Sun Yong turned around suddenly and saw his son getting out of the police car. He was stunned at first, then strode over and grabbed Sun Lei's shoulders: "Where have you been?"

His voice was fierce, but his eyes held unconcealed worry.

"I..." Sun Lei lowered his head, his voice almost inaudible.

"He went to the hospital." Yu Hao stepped forward and explained the whole story.

Sun Yong's expression froze, then he slowly loosened his hand and sighed: "You kid..."

He looked up at Yu Hao with a complicated look in his eyes: "Sorry to trouble you again."

Yu Hao shook his head: "It's okay, we are all neighbors."

Sun Yong hesitated for a moment, and finally whispered, "Lei Zi... isn't very good at expressing himself, but he remembers everything in his heart."

Yu Hao nodded and said nothing more.

Sun Lei stood beside his father, but his eyes involuntarily looked towards Luo Xin's house.

"Let's go back, it's cold outside." Yu Hao said softly.

Sun Lei nodded and followed his father to leave.

But after walking a few steps, he suddenly stopped, looked back at Yu Hao, and moved his lips as if he wanted to say something.

Yu Hao waited patiently.

"You are a good person." In the end, Sun Lei only said these four words, his voice as light as the wind.

Yu Hao never expected that it would be these four words. He smiled slightly and waved at Sun Lei.

Watching the father and son slowly going up the stairs, Yu Hao stood where he was, the white breath he exhaled slowly dissipating in the cold night.

He suddenly felt that this snowy night didn't seem so cold anymore.