Chapter 28

The remainder of the winter break was spent in anxious waiting and intensive preparation for Lu Baiyan. He had no idea what exactly happened at Xu Nianlei's house after that night. Was Wang Xiuqin truly repentant, or was it just a temporary compromise? How was Xu Nianlei doing? These questions gnawed at his heart like countless ants.

He could only continue to observe through that anonymous online channel. Wang Xiuqin stopped posting in the neighborhood group and seemed to have fallen silent. This was perhaps a good thing, at least indicating that no new intense conflicts had occurred.

On New Year's Eve, firecrackers echoed throughout the county town, and fireworks burst brilliantly in the night sky. Lu Baiyan's family was also filled with a joyous atmosphere of reunion. Zhao Mei prepared a table full of dishes, and Lu Zhenhua, unusually, opened a bottle of wine. But Lu Baiyan was somewhat absent-minded; his thoughts kept drifting to that cold, abandoned factory building, to that shivering figure in the darkness.

Where is she now? Is she behind that dark red door, enduring another form of torment, or...? He dared not think too deeply.

After the Spring Festival, the winter vacation was drawing to a close. The day when school would start was like a ray of dawn shining into Lu Baiyan's dreary wait.

On the first day of school, Lu Baiyan arrived at the classroom early. His eyes immediately locked onto the seat by the window. When he saw Xu Nianlei sitting there quietly, head down, organizing her books, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense all winter, finally settled down a little.

She looked... alright. Although still thin and a little pale, at least she came. She was wearing the gray wool coat he had anonymously given her, which was very clean.

The students arrived one after another, and the classroom returned to its usual bustling atmosphere. After a winter break apart, everyone seemed to have endless things to talk about. Only Xu Nianlei's place remained a silent island.

Lu Baiyan noticed that she would occasionally raise her head and quickly scan the classroom, as if confirming something. When their eyes met inadvertently, she would immediately lower her head as if startled, her ears turning red.

She was looking at him. This realization made Lu Baiyan's heart skip a beat.

The first class was taught by the homeroom teacher. They summarized the winter break and looked forward to the new semester. The homeroom teacher specifically mentioned several students who had persisted in studying and completed their pre-study assignments during the winter break; she looked towards Xu Nianlei.

"Xu Nianlei, although she encountered some... special circumstances during the winter break," the homeroom teacher said tactfully, clearly aware of something, "she persevered and completed most of her pre-class assignments, which is commendable. In particular, her Chinese pre-class notes were very meticulous and thorough."

All eyes in the class turned to them again. This time, their gazes held less inquiry and disdain, and more surprise and a barely perceptible hint of respect.

Xu Nianlei suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief. She looked at her homeroom teacher, then glanced quickly at Lu Baiyan unconsciously. Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she only said very softly, "Thank you, teacher."

Lu Baiyan saw her hand under the table, tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, her knuckles white, but her slightly straight back and the fleeting glimmer of public recognition in her eyes told him that her homeroom teacher's words were of great significance to her.

The torn-up workbook may be irreparable, but this authoritative and legitimate affirmation has, to some extent, soothed some of the wounds.

During break, Lu Baiyan was on his way to the office to get something for the teacher when, as he passed Xu Nianlei's seat, a small folded piece of paper slipped from the edge of her pencil case and fell to his feet.

He paused, bent down, and picked it up. The note was folded tightly, with rough edges, as if it had been rubbed repeatedly.

He hesitated for a moment, then walked to a secluded corner and gently unfolded the note.

There was only one line of text, the handwriting small and neat, with a slight tremor, as if it had taken all the strength to write it:

"That night...in the factory...was it you?"

There was no salutation, no signature. Only this one question that went straight to the heart of the matter.

Lu Baiyan's heart clenched, as if burned by those words. She had guessed it. Or rather, she was almost certain.

He held the light note, yet it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. How should he answer? Admit it? That would mean he would be completely out of her sight, all the previous "coincidences" and "anonymity" would be confirmed, which would bring her even more pressure, or... a sense of relief? Deny it? With her already almost certain, denial seemed pale and cruel, tantamount to denying the faint care she had felt.

He stood there, deep in thought. The school bell was about to ring, and he had to make a decision.

Finally, he returned to the classroom. As he passed Xu Nianlei's seat, he didn't pause at all, as if nothing had happened. But as he placed a stack of notebooks on the podium and turned to walk back, his fingers moved almost imperceptibly, and a note folded into an even smaller square fell precisely onto Xu Nianlei's open English textbook.

Xu Nianlei, who was looking down, froze when she saw the note that suddenly appeared. She quickly glanced at the podium; Lu Baiyan had already returned to his seat, looking down at his book, his profile calm and expressionless.

Her heart pounded, her fingers trembled, and she used almost all her strength to clench the small piece of paper in her palm, holding it tightly as if she were holding a burning ember.

Only after confirming that no one was watching did she dare to unfold it extremely slowly and carefully under the desk.

The note contained only one line of text, written in Lu Baiyan's clear and strong handwriting:

"The snow is heavy, please keep warm."

There was neither confirmation nor denial. It was just a seemingly ordinary expression of concern, yet it acted like a key, precisely unlocking a certain lock.

Xu Nianlei stared intently at the words, her eyes instantly reddening. She bit her lower lip hard to keep from letting out a sob. It was him! It really was him!

The person who blocked her father at the alley entrance, the person who handed her a tissue, the person who patiently explained things in the library, the person who brought her warm porridge and stomach medicine, the person who cleverly helped her keep her workbook, the person who silently guarded outside the abandoned factory on a snowy night and ultimately forced her mother to come out and search using anonymous information...

It's all him!

Why? Why would he do so much for her? They're from completely different worlds...

Overwhelming confusion, surging gratitude, and a strange, unsettling warmth she had never experienced before, burst forth like a flood, instantly shattering the dam she had built with indifference and aloofness. She buried her face in her arms, rested her head on the table, her shoulders trembling slightly, silently venting the turbulent emotions churning within her.

Lu Baiyan glanced at her trembling shoulders out of the corner of his eye, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He had revealed a corner of the mystery, pushing her into an even more complex emotional vortex. He didn't know if it was right or wrong, but he knew he couldn't let her continue to guess and struggle alone in the darkness.

At least let her know that there is a light that truly exists and is always shining for her.

Both of them were distracted during the lesson.

When the bell rang, Xu Nianlei didn't run away immediately for the first time. She slowly packed her things, and only after almost everyone in the classroom had left did she stand up, lower her head, and quickly walk past Lu Baiyan.

In the instant they brushed past each other, an extremely faint, almost inaudible sound drifted into Lu Baiyan's ears:

"Thanks……"

The voice was very soft, with a heavy nasal tone, yet it exploded in his ears like thunder.

Lu Baiyan suddenly looked up and saw only her hurried departure and her slightly reddened ears.

He stood there, watching her disappear through the classroom door. After a long while, he slowly, very slowly, released his fist, which he had unconsciously clenched. His palm, from the force of the grip, bore several deep nail marks, and a dull ache lingered.

But within that pain was a kind of indescribable, almost bittersweet joy.

Leilei, you've finally... said those two words to me. Although it's just the beginning, for us, it's already a journey across mountains and rivers.

He knew that from this moment on, their relationship had entered a completely new, more delicate, and more dangerous phase. Wang Xiuqin's warning still echoed in his ears, the sharp blade of rumors had not been sheathed, and Xu Jianguo's shadow still loomed large.

But at least, they were no longer complete strangers. Between them, there was a heavy snowfall, a factory building, and an unspoken understanding—"The snow is heavy, take care to keep warm."

This faint connection, like a candle flickering in the wind and snow, weak yet tenacious, illuminates a small step forward for each other.