First Snow
Chapter 6: First Snow
On the day the physics make-up exam results came out, Bai Ke was sorting through the newly arrived books in the library. His phone vibrated, and a message from Chen Yiyu popped up on the screen: "I passed."
Those two simple words made her heart leap with joy. She immediately put down her work and replied, "Really? Thank you!"
"No need to thank me, it's the result of your own hard work." Chen Yiyu replied quickly, and then sent another message, "Would you like to have dinner together this weekend?"
Bai Ke's finger paused on the screen, her heartbeat quickening. Is this... a date?
"Okay," she replied, feeling her cheeks warming slightly.
On Saturday morning, Bai Ke woke up earlier than usual. She hesitated for a long time in front of the wardrobe and finally chose a light blue sweater and dark jeans.
Before going out, she stood in front of the mirror and carefully combed her hair, suddenly realizing how unusual her behavior was. This deliberate dressing and this nervous mood were all experiences she had never had before.
The place they agreed to meet was a small bookstore near the school, with a cafe on the second floor. When Bai Ke arrived, Chen Yiyu was already sitting by the window, reading a book.
"You're here so early." Bai Ke sat down opposite him, feeling a little embarrassed.
Chen Yiyu closed the book and smiled, "I just arrived too." But he had already finished half of his coffee, so he was obviously lying.
This was the first time Bai Ke had seen Chen Yiyu outside of school. He was wearing a simple white shirt and gray jacket, looking less distant and more gentle than usual. The sunlight filtering through the window shone on him, outlining his soft features.
"What would you like to drink?" Chen Yiyu handed over the menu. "The latte here is good."
They each ordered drinks, and the atmosphere became quiet for a moment. Bai Ke lowered his head, stirring his coffee, unsure how to start a conversation.
"Were you nervous during the make-up exam?" Chen Yiyu suddenly asked.
Bai Ke raised her head, met his smiling eyes, and suddenly relaxed: "I was very nervous. When I saw the last question was the type you had explained, I almost laughed out loud in the exam room."
Chen Yiyu raised the corner of his mouth: "Which question?"
"It's the inclined plane slider problem. You even demonstrated it to me using a pencil case."
"Ah, that question." Chen Yiyu nodded. "I remember you didn't understand how to calculate friction."
"Then I went back and thought about it for a long time, and suddenly it clicked." Bai Ke's eyes lit up. "It felt so wonderful, like my Ren and Du meridians had been opened up all of a sudden."
Chen Yiyu was amused by her vivid metaphor. His laughter was very low and drifted past his ears along with the surrounding wind.
They chatted for a long time, ranging from physics problems to favorite books, from campus anecdotes to their respective childhoods. Bai Ke discovered that Chen Yiyu, despite his "top student" status, was actually quite interesting. He cracked dry jokes, offered unique insights into trivial matters, and listened intently to her eyes.
"You know," Chen Yiyu suddenly said, "the first time I noticed you on campus wasn't on the bulletin board or in the literature club."
Bai Ke looked at him in surprise: "When was that?"
"It was one morning in the second semester of my senior year. You were feeding stray cats on the playground." Chen Yiyu's eyes softened. "I had just transferred here and was arriving at school very early every day. One time, I saw you squatting on the edge of the playground, sharing the sausage in your hand with a kitten and talking to it for a long time."
Bai Ke had never expected such a thing to happen. She did feed the stray cats at school quite often, but she had never noticed anyone watching her.
"You were wearing a yellow coat that day, which made you stand out in the morning light," Chen Yiyu continued. "After that, I often arrived early just to see you feeding the cats in the playground."
Bai Ke felt her heartbeat quicken again. It turned out that he had been paying attention to her for so long before they officially met.
After lunch, they decided to go for a walk in the nearby park. The weather had turned cooler, and only a few leaves remained on the branches, swaying in the wind.
"Are you cold?" Chen Yiyu noticed Bai Ke rubbing his hands.
"A little bit." She admitted honestly.
Chen Yiyu hesitated for a moment, then gently held her hand: "Will this be better?"
His palm was warm and dry, wrapping around her slightly cool fingers. Bai Ke felt a warm current spreading from the palm of his hand to the bottom of her heart, and her cheeks flushed uncontrollably.
"Yeah." She responded softly without struggling.
They walked hand in hand, slowly along the park path. Sunlight filtered through the sparse branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Occasionally, a fallen leaf drifted down, drawing graceful arcs in the air.
"Actually," Chen Yiyu suddenly spoke in a very soft voice, "I've always wanted to thank you."
"For the umbrella?"
"It's not just an umbrella." He stopped and looked at her seriously. "That rainy day, I sat at the gate of No. 7 Middle School and felt that my life was over. Family changes, transferring schools, unfamiliar surroundings... everything was terrible. Then you showed up, handed me the umbrella, didn't ask anything, just smiled and left."
"You know what," Chen Yiyu continued, "every time I encounter difficulties, I will think of that rainy day and remember that there are kind people like you in this world. It makes me feel that life may not be so bad."
Bai Ke looked into his sincere eyes, and a wave of bitter emotion welled up in her heart. She had never thought that her unintentional action would have such a profound impact on another person.
"So, when I found out we were in the same school and saw you on the playground, I really wanted to get close to you." Chen Yiyu's voice became softer, "But I didn't know how to start. Joining the literature club, actively giving you my contact information, offering to help you with your studies... these are all things I have to muster up the courage to do."
Bai Ke suddenly understood. It turned out that those things she thought were "coincidences" were just his cautious approach; those things she suspected of being "friendly" were just his clumsy overtures of goodwill.
"Chen Yiyu," she called his name softly, "I..."
At this moment, tiny snowflakes suddenly fell from the sky. The first snow had arrived unexpectedly, and the pure white snowflakes sparkled in the sky like scattered stars.
"It's snowing." Chen Yiyu raised his head, and snowflakes fell on his thick eyelashes and melted instantly.
Bai Ke also raised her head, feeling the cool touch of snowflakes falling on her face. At this moment, everything around her became blurry, only Chen Yiyu's profile was particularly clear in the snowlight.
"Bai Ke," Chen Yiyu turned his head and looked deeply into her eyes, "I..."
His words were interrupted by the sudden ringing of his cell phone. Chen Yiyu frowned, took out his cell phone and took a look, his expression suddenly becoming complicated.
"Sorry, it's my mom." He picked up the phone and walked aside.
Bai Ke stood there, looking at his back. The unfinished sentence in her heart fell like snowflakes, gently and melted away quietly.
A few minutes later, Chen Yiyu came back with an apologetic look on his face: "Sorry, something happened at home, I have to go back first."
Bai Ke nodded, hiding his inner disappointment: "It's okay, it's time for me to go home."
They walked side by side towards the park exit. The snow gradually fell heavier, forming a thin layer on the ground.
Looking at Chen Yiyu's receding figure, Bai Ke reached out to catch a snowflake, watching it slowly melt in her palm. At this moment, she clearly felt that the budding seed in her heart had quietly grown under the nourishment of the first snow.
On the way home, the snow was falling harder and harder. Bai Ke received a message from Chen Yiyu: "Are you home yet?"
“Soon,” she replied, then added, “Thank you for today. I’m very happy.”
Chen Yiyu sent a smiling emoji: "Me too. Next time, I will definitely finish what I want to say."
Bai Ke held his phone and smiled softly on the snowy street. It turned out that he also remembered the moment of being interrupted.
On the day of the first snow, everything seems to be full of new possibilities.
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