Snow
It snowed overnight, covering the rooftops in a thick coat. The air was sweet with the afterglow of the snow. Shen Tinghe loved snowy days; the snowflakes were the whispers of the gods, gently melting on her fingertips.
When I was a child, we didn't have to study in the morning on snowy days. We would take brooms and go outside to sweep the snow. Everyone was sweeping snow, having snowball fights, and building snowmen. The teachers didn't care, and we played to our hearts' content. In the end, we would return to the classroom with red noses and stiff hands.
When I was studying abroad, I often missed the snow in Yucheng. Winters in Paris are always wet and cold, and snow is a luxury that can never be fulfilled. It seems that only when it snows can the winter be considered complete.
She had complained to Chen Rancheng about the winters in Paris, saying that she hoped for snow every year but it never came. Chen Rancheng laughed and said that it would snow this winter. But before winter arrived, she left.
As it turned out, it really snowed in Paris that winter. Alina posted a picture of the Eiffel Tower with snowflakes falling, which was beautiful and serene.
Shen Tinghe was wrapped in a scarf, only her wet eyes were visible, and her boots crunched on the snow, leaving their mark.
In December, Shen Tinghe was extremely busy. This year's New Year's Eve party coincided with the 70th anniversary of the university, and the overall planning was grand and solemn, with well-known alumni invited to participate in the program.
As a newly hired young teacher, Shen Tinghe is an indispensable force in various school activities.
According to the school's plan, a New Year's Day celebration will be held in the morning, followed by a reception at the Yingbin Hotel in the afternoon.
On New Year's Day, Shen Tinghe was kept occupied by a student and arrived late, missing the introduction of a well-known alumnus.
She repeatedly emphasized to the students that her final exams would not be difficult for them, reassuring them before she finally left.
Rushing backstage to prepare for the show, Shen Tinghe has an outstanding temperament, but she doesn't like to wear makeup and is often bare-faced, like a work of art that always has flaws.
It's rare for her to wear a full face of makeup today. She changed into a long dress backstage, a light-colored halter-neck, off-the-shoulder dress. Her hair was styled in a bun with slightly curled wisps, revealing her elegant shoulder and neck lines, making her look like a proud white swan.
Shen Tinghe's program was a duet with graduating seniors on the theme of "Rice Fragrance." She blended into the group of students and it was hard to tell that she was a teacher.
As the host finished speaking, the stage lights went out, and the prelude to "Fragrance of Rice" began to play, accompanied by the chirping of cicadas. A beam of light shone on the center of the stage, and golden fluff shimmered around Shen Tinghe.
"If you have too many complaints about this world, you'll fall down and be afraid to move forward. Why are people so fragile and degenerate...?"
Behind them, a pre-produced video played on the stage, vividly recording every moment of the campus through photographs.
A clear and crisp voice rang out, and the previously lifeless audience erupted in excitement. Students who had been taught by Shen Tinghe began to jeer when they saw her come out.
As Shen Tinghe sang, she walked like a shimmering star, stopping in front of the stage. As the last line of her song ended, the lights dimmed, and the next teacher took her place.
In the vast sea of people, Chen Rancheng sat in the first row. The moment Shen Tinghe came out, a deafening roar sounded behind him. She had a smile in her eyes and light behind her. He was below her, like a soldier who had submitted to a queen, willing to reach for the stars and the moon with his bare hands for her.
Chen Rancheng, taking advantage of being sitting in the audience, brazenly followed Shen Tinghe with his eyes.
A long-awaited, prolonged gaze.
The invitation to the 70th anniversary celebration of the university was sent to Shi Yu. When Shi Yu asked him if he wanted to go, he didn't take it to heart and was busy processing a file.
The matter was over and done with, and Shiyu prepared a gift for him.
Later, upon learning that Shen Tinghe had ended up teaching at the university by a twist of fate, Chen Rancheng remembered Shi Yu mentioning the university's anniversary celebration and asked him which day it was.
He had finished his work in advance and was looking forward to this meeting, which was supposed to be their first meeting since returning to China. However, fate had other plans, and he met her that very night.
At the afternoon reception, the school leaders saw Chen Rancheng beaming with joy and chatted with him all the way, from campus construction to life ideals, from the quality of teachers to trivial matters at home.
Finally, having run out of things to say, he started looking for something new. Seeing Shen Tinghe walking by with a wine glass in his hand, he called out, "Little Shen, come here!"
Shen Tinghe smiled bitterly to himself, but showed it on his face. He picked up his wine glass and went over to greet him, "Principal Wang."
Wang Xiao nodded and introduced Shen Tinghe to Chen Rancheng, "I just mentioned that the school has recruited a lot of fresh blood, and Shen is one of them! Her professional skills are top-notch." He gave a thumbs up as he spoke.
Shen Tinghe smiled modestly, "No, no, it's my honor to come to Shanghai International Studies University."
Principal Wang waved his hand, "Let's not talk about that. Come here, Xiao Chen, this is one of our school's well-known outstanding alumni."
Shen Tinghe listened to Wang Xiao's introduction with a smile. When he heard Wang Xiao introduce Chen Rancheng, she turned around and nodded to him.
They acted as if they had just met.
Just as the music started, the students who had been arranged to carry out the process began to dance in the center of the dance floor.
Chen Rancheng stretched out his hand in front of Shen Tinghe, "I wonder if I would have the honor of inviting Teacher Shen to dance for me?"
Wang Xiao's gaze followed hers, looking at her expectantly.
Shen Tinghe smiled generously and took Chen Rancheng's hand, "Of course, it would be my honor to dance with Mr. Chen."
Her hands were clasped together, enveloping her slender little hands. Chen Rancheng's hands were around Shen Tinghe's waist, while Shen Tinghe's hands rested on his shoulders, her broad shoulders making her hands appear even smaller and more delicate.
Chen Ran lowered his eyes, looking at the person in his arms. Shen Tinghe lowered her head and looked at his collarbone. She was quite unwilling, but out of courtesy, she still cooperated with the dance steps.
"Shen Tinghe," Chen Rancheng called her softly.
The soft, damp breath fell on her cheek, and Shen Tinghe, still with her head down, responded with a breathy "Mmm." It was almost negligible, and her voice was immediately drowned out by the music.
Are you a coward?
Shen Tinghe paused, then ignored him. In her heart, she thought, "What's it to you?"
Chen Rancheng's scent crashed down on her like a tidal wave; it was a light, refreshing fragrance, yet it was incredibly overpowering.
"What are you afraid of? Hmm?" The hand on his waist tightened, pressing him closer to his chest. Shen Tinghe staggered forward a couple of times, bracing herself against his shoulder and looking up at him.
"Where's your courage?"
The lights in the venue suddenly went out, and Shen Tinghe's hand clenched unconsciously. The complex emotions in her eyes became even clearer, and the surrounding noise rose up.
Yes, what is she afraid of? Is she afraid they'll break up in the end? Is she afraid Chen Rancheng doesn't love her?
The darkness seemed to shatter the wall in her heart. What was there to be afraid of? At worst, they could just break up again. It wasn't like they hadn't broken up before. Chen Rancheng's eyes were still following her.
Shen Tinghe broke free of their intertwined hands, propped herself up on his shoulders, and stood on tiptoe to find his lips.
A warm breath approached, and soft lips brushed against his chin. Chen Rancheng stiffened, and at the same time, he felt the person in his hand pause.
The lips that bumped against the chin paused for a moment, then slowly moved upwards, gently pecking at the lips until they landed on the lips.
The tongue cautiously peeks out and licks the cupid's bow.
Chen Ran felt a tingling, numbing sensation in his nerves. The surrounding environment was noisy, and the person in his arms was like a kitten, gently sucking on his lips.
/
I'm rushing to meet a deadline, so I have a ton of deadlines. I'll update again in a few days.
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