On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the temperature plummeted.
The weather was sunny and warm just two days ago, but this morning the temperature suddenly dropped and a light drizzle started, catching everyone off guard.
The streets were deserted. Some residents who had planned to take an evening stroll peeked out of their windows at the drizzle, shivered, and then pulled their heads back inside.
The road surface was slightly damp, reflecting the light of the bright red lanterns on both sides, creating a shimmering effect. The bare branches of the two rows of ginkgo trees cast long, menacing shadows on the ground.
Most stores have not yet reopened, except for one 24-hour convenience store that stubbornly remains open. The cold white light inside shines through the glass and can be seen from a distance.
The glass sliding door of the convenience store was suddenly pushed open, and a mechanical female voice naturally sounded from inside: "Welcome."
A gust of cold wind rushed in as the door opened, the chill dispelling the drowsy cashier at the front desk. She rubbed her eyes, forced herself to stay awake, and looked at the customers at the door.
A girl in a charcoal gray cotton coat, dragging a small suitcase, walked into the store, exuding a chill. The girl looked to be young, around eighteen or nineteen, but her every move revealed a composure unlike that of her peers.
Her skin was very fair, even more so under the cool white light. She had a small face and slightly upturned almond-shaped eyes. You could tell at first glance that she was a very beautiful girl.
It's just that such a pretty girl, dragging her suitcase alone in a convenience store during the Chinese New Year, inevitably attracts a lot of attention.
After the person entered, they placed their suitcase not far from the door, just the right distance so it wouldn't block pedestrians. Then they went straight to the shelves.
The cashier stood up straight, waiting for the girl to come and pay in a moment, when another "Welcome!" was heard at the door.
A tall boy entered, about the same age as the girl. Even though he was wearing a long coat, you could still tell that he had a good body proportion. He had neat black short hair, broad eyebrows and eyes, and a cold and aloof expression. He picked up a shopping basket from the side and walked inside.
Clearly, she's another good-looking one.
The cashier rubbed her eyes again. The drowsiness she had been feeling during the New Year holiday, when she had to work the night shift, had completely disappeared. It was truly rare to find two such good-looking people in such a small convenience store.
The boy had just gone in when the girl who had gone in earlier came out from the other aisle, having already picked out her items. She dumped all the packaging bags on the checkout counter: a bag of whole wheat toast, two bottles of yogurt, a few packets of snacks, and a bottle of mineral water—that was all.
The cashier skillfully used the scanner to scan the packaging bag. "That'll be fifty yuan in total."
The girl took her phone out of her pocket, opened her WeChat payment code, and handed it to the person in front of her.
"Sorry, this system shows that your balance is insufficient."
The girl paused for a moment, then said, "Sorry." She took her phone back and checked her balance; it was only 23 yuan in her mobile wallet, clearly insufficient to pay for these items.
It would take too much time to withdraw money from her bank card, and she needed to catch her high-speed train soon, so she said apologetically, "Let's just pay in cash."
He then took out his wallet from his pocket, took out a fifty-yuan note, and handed it to the cashier.
This little incident obviously caused a delay, and the boy came out carrying a full basket of snacks and walked towards the cashier.
The girl picked up the plastic bag, turned around and walked out. As she turned her head, she seemed to notice the person next to her. Her gaze froze, and for a moment, a hint of surprise and an indescribable emotion flashed in her eyes.
The boy walked along, fiddling with his phone, and opened the payment page. Then he looked up.
Without a doubt, their eyes met.
Time seemed to stand still for a second or two, and the air seemed to freeze; it was hard to describe the feeling.
After a few seconds of hesitation, the girl quickly turned around, picked up her suitcase with her other hand, strode towards the door, and struggled to push the door open with the hand that was holding the plastic bag.
The familiar cold wind blew in again, hitting his face directly. The boy instantly sobered up, and moved hastily, his steps hurried.
The cashier spoke up at the opportune moment: "Sir, you haven't paid yet."
The man stopped in his tracks, suppressed his strong emotions, turned around, and turned his phone screen back on, revealing the payment code.
It might just be a resemblance; I've mistaken someone for someone else so many times, yet I still can't help but feel pleasantly surprised.
However, this time it looks the most like it, yet it also looks the least like it.
He gave a self-deprecating chuckle, carried a large bag of things to the door, and let the cold wind blow in his face for a while, which finally made him a little more awake before heading towards the nearby residential area.
Under a ginkgo tree in the opposite direction from the residential area, a figure leaned tightly against the tree, breathing rapidly, exhaling puffs of white breath that blended into the night.
The suitcase was right next to him. Su Xun casually draped the plastic bag in his hand over the suitcase, his whole body hunched over, his hands resting on his knees, as if he hadn't recovered yet.
That was Pei Ke, wasn't it? She couldn't be mistaken; it must have been him.
The boy in her memory had changed a lot. He had grown much taller. Recalling the scene when the two of them stood together just now, he was a head taller than her, and his figure was much more upright. He wore the black coat very well. His features, which used to be a little immature, had become much more cold and stern. His eyes were also different. They were clear and cold, with a sense of distance, just like the night sky tonight.
Thinking of the basket full of snacks that person was carrying, she thought, "This person has even changed a lot of habits. He used to dislike eating these high-calorie and unhealthy things."
Four years can indeed change a lot of things. Even she is no longer the same as before. I wonder if he can still recognize me.
Over the past four years, she has fantasized more than once about what it would be like for the two of them to meet again.
The scene she imagined most was her wearing a white cotton dress and meeting him by chance on a warm spring day. Oh, and she must have had shoulder-length hair then.
Why is it portrayed this way?
It was only because she overheard the boys in her class secretly talking about their ideal type: a girl with short hair and a white dress. It sounded so beautiful, what boy wouldn't like that type?
She had overheard those things unintentionally three years ago, and she didn't even remember what those boys looked like, but she still remembered those words. She thought Pei Ke would probably like them too.
In the darkness, she raised her hand to touch her hair, which had reached her waist, and then looked down at the cotton-padded coat she was wearing, and sighed silently.
She had imagined countless scenarios in her mind, and she was certain that it wouldn't be as rushed as it had been just now.
However, I'm not really ready to see him yet.
It will be soon, just wait a little longer.
Although she couldn't control what happened back then, she still felt guilty towards him.
The tree branches were mottled, and the figure did not linger, pulling his suitcase and disappearing into the night.
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