New Memories
"What's up?"
Chi Zhuo looked at her, seemingly waiting for Lin Tingyue to speak.
Lin Tingyue thought about it several times in her heart, but she didn't dare to say what she was thinking, and in the end she didn't tell the truth.
“You accused him of exploiting you, but as soon as he returned to China, you assigned him a bunch of tasks.”
Chi Zhuo smiled. "He even ran to you to complain about you?"
"Even if I tell you, you won't listen."
Chi Zhuo remained calm and composed. "As long as he knows, that's fine."
"You... you're not polite at all."
"No need for him."
Lin Tingyue envied this composure, which seemed to be seen in both Chi Zhuo and Cheng Ji, whose levels of narcissism were about the same.
Sometimes, they are even surprisingly consistent in certain aspects, such as right now.
"I'm curious, how did you two become friends?"
“Back in college, we were on the same campus. Once, I got caught in the rain, developed a fever, and collapsed in the corridor. It was almost midnight when he happened to run into me. He broke into the dormitory and rushed me to the hospital that very night.”
"Wow! Cheng Ji is truly your benefactor."
"Yes, that's how we met."
"Hey? Did you go to university in China?"
"Um."
Which university? Is it Beijing North University?
"no."
"Oh. I thought you studied abroad."
“My family made arrangements, but I didn’t go.”
Lin Tingyue sat down next to Chi Zhuo. "Is it because you don't want to leave home?"
"no."
Chi Zhuo always speaks in short bursts, so Lin Tingyue can only ask him one sentence at a time.
Why is that?
Chi Zhuo suddenly turned to look at her, "You seem particularly curious about my past today?"
Lin Tingyue leaned closer and said, "I just want to know more about you. There are some things I don't know, and I want to know more about you."
Chi Zhuo was taken aback by her sudden approach.
Lin Tingyue realized the ambiguity in her words after she finished speaking. Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she stubbornly refused to back down, looking at him with bright eyes.
Chi Zhuo leaned back slightly, creating some distance between them. His gaze fell on her face, which was trying to appear calm but couldn't hide her nervousness. He suddenly chuckled softly, "Want to understand me?"
Lin Tingyue nodded.
"Why?" Chi Zhuo asked directly.
Lin Tingyue's heart skipped a beat, but she forced a smile and said, "I'm just curious. Is that not allowed?"
Chi Zhuo didn't press further, turning his gaze to the deepening night outside the window. After a moment of silence, he spoke: "I didn't go abroad because I still have expectations for my family."
Lin Tingyue was stunned for a moment because she didn't expect him to actually answer, let alone for this reason.
“Back then I was young and always wanted to prove myself through my actions.” Chi Zhuo spoke calmly, as if he were talking about someone else. “I thought that as long as I was good enough, I could get what I wanted.”
Lin Tingyue's heart sank inexplicably: "Then... later..."
"Later?" Chi Zhuo twitched the corner of his mouth. "Later I realized that it was all wishful thinking on my part. What I wanted could never be obtained, and I was just a pawn being manipulated in the end."
Lin Tingyue sensed the weight in those seemingly casual words.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found that she couldn't utter a single word.
He never expected that Chi Zhuo had such a past, which is why he especially misses the carefree and unrestrained life he had before he was ten years old.
Don't be bound by these rules, just do whatever you want.
"What else do you want to know?" Chi Zhuo asked.
Lin Tingyue thought for a moment: "What did you study in college?"
"calculator."
"Wow, so why are you investing now?"
“I don’t like writing code,” Chi Zhuo answered readily. “I did an internship at an investment company after graduation, found it interesting, and then switched careers.”
"Does your family support you?"
Chi Zhuo paused for a moment: "He wasn't very supportive. He thought I was neglecting my duties. They arranged for me to work in a company under the group, but I didn't want to go, so I made up an excuse to go abroad and get away from all of this."
“Actually…” Lin Tingyue hesitated before speaking, “I almost went abroad for university too.”
Chi Zhuo turned to look at her.
“My parents originally wanted to send me to study art in England, but I refused.” Lin Tingyue smiled. “It wasn’t because of anyone, I just felt that it wasn’t the path I wanted to take.”
"Which route do you want to take?" Chi Zhuo asked.
Lin Tingyue shrugged: "I haven't found it yet. So we're still exploring, but I think I'll find it soon."
Chi Zhuo said softly, "I believe you."
“But…” Lin Tingyue sighed, “Sometimes I just feel lost and don’t know what I really want.”
Chi Zhuo was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What do you like?"
“I like…” Lin Tingyue thought about it seriously, “I like painting, going to art exhibitions, I like… this way now.”
The last four words were spoken very softly, but Chi Zhuo clearly heard them. His gaze shifted slightly, and his eyes deepened as he looked at her.
Lin Tingyue mustered her courage and met his gaze: "Chi Zhuo, I think you are a very interesting person."
Chi Zhuo raised an eyebrow slightly: "Cheng Ji said I'm incredibly boring."
“That’s because he doesn’t know how to appreciate it,” Lin Tingyue retorted immediately. “I think you’re just… a bit reserved.”
Chi Zhuo looked at her protective attitude and a smile appeared in his eyes.
"Lin Tingyue." He suddenly called her by her full name.
"Um?"
“You told a lot of truths tonight,” Chi Zhuo said slowly, “but you didn’t tell the truth when I asked you at the beginning.”
Lin Tingyue's heart suddenly raced: "What... at the very beginning?"
"What exactly do you want to ask me?" Chi Zhuo looked directly into her eyes, not allowing her to look away.
Lin Tingyue felt that her thoughts were completely exposed in front of him. She took a deep breath and decided to go all out.
"I wanted to ask..." she nervously gripped the hem of her dress, "What...do you think of me?"
After asking that question, she could almost hear her own heart pounding like a drum.
Chi Zhuo didn't answer immediately, but just looked at her quietly. Time passed by, and Lin Tingyue's heart sank.
Just as she was about to find an excuse to escape, Chi Zhuo finally spoke:
"You are special."
Lin Tingyue looked up, unsure whether this was good or bad.
“I’ve met too many people,” Chi Zhuo continued, “They’re either afraid of me or they want something from me. You’re not one of them.”
"Maybe I'm just good at hiding it?" Lin Tingyue said half-jokingly.
Chi Zhuo shook his head: "You're too easy to see through, Lin Tingyue."
These words left Lin Tingyue unsure whether to be happy or sad.
"So... is this a good thing or a bad thing?" she asked cautiously.
Chi Zhuo stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the myriad lights of the city outside. Lin Tingyue watched his retreating figure, waiting anxiously.
After a long while, he turned around.
"It's a good thing for me."
Lin Tingyue's heart finally settled down, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
Chi Zhuo walked back to her and looked down at her: "But there's one thing Cheng Ji was right about."
"What?"
"I am indeed not easy to get along with. I can be inconsiderate of others' feelings when I'm working, I can be quite stubborn at times, and I'm not good at expressing myself," Chi Zhuo said calmly. "Are you aware of all of these things?"
Lin Tingyue stood up and looked at him: "I don't fully understand him yet, but I know that the Chi Zhuo I know will take good care of my temper, and will buy me my favorite cheesecake and my favorite milk tea. Although it may not seem special, in my heart, it is the most special and unique thing."
She took a step forward, closing the distance between them: "Besides, I think your expression was quite good, I'm very satisfied."
Chi Zhuo looked at her face so close to his own, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.
“Lin Tingyue,” he said in a low voice, “I might be even more difficult to get along with than you think.”
“What a coincidence,” Lin Tingyue smiled, “I might be more patient than you think.”
-
The cold wind howled, and everything was desolate.
The heavy snow fell like willow catkins on the branches, covering the ground in white, announcing the arrival of winter in northern Beijing.
The snowflakes falling outside the window drew their attention, and Lin Tingyue said softly, "It's snowing."
This is the first snowfall in northern Beijing this year.
Chi Zhuo looked out the window, then suddenly turned around and asked, "Want to go for a walk?"
The two walked toward a nearby park. Snowflakes landed on Lin Tingyue's eyelashes. She blinked and heard Chi Zhuo ask, "Are you cold?"
She shook her head; her fingers were actually quite red from the cold.
Chi Zhuo noticed this, and without saying a word, took off his own gloves and handed them over: "Put these on."
"And what about you?"
"I'm not afraid of the cold."
The two walked slowly along the sidewalk, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow.
"You said before that the years before you turned ten were the most carefree," Lin Tingyue exhaled a puff of white breath. "What did you like to do most back then?"
Chi Zhuo thought for a moment: "Climbing trees, raiding bird nests, running on the ridges of fields, I dare to try anything."
Do you still think about those things now?
“Occasionally.” Chi Zhuo stopped and looked up at the swirling snowflakes. “But now I understand even more clearly that there’s no going back.”
Lin Tingyue felt a slight pang in her heart. She bent down, made a snowball, and gently tossed it to Chi Zhuo: "Then let's create new memories."
Snowball bloomed into a small white flower on Chi Zhuo's coat.
He paused, looked down at the snow mark, then at Lin Tingyue's face with a sly smile.
But nothing happened.
"Bang--"
Another snowball hit him, and Lin Tingyue's laughter reached his ears.
"Chi Zhuo, hurry up, if you don't fight back, I'm going to smash you into a snowman!"
"You're finished," Chi Zhuo said, quickly squatting down and making a snowball.
Lin Tingyue screamed and ran away, her laughter echoing in the empty street. The two adults chased and played in the snow like children until they were both out of breath.
While resting under a streetlamp, Lin Tingyue's scarf was askew and her hair was covered in snowflakes.
Chi Zhuo subconsciously reached out and brushed the snowflakes from her hair.
This sudden action stunned both of them.
Chi Zhuo's hand froze in mid-air, and Lin Tingyue could feel the warmth of his fingertips brushing past her ear.
Her cheeks flushed red, whether from the cold or something else.
Chi Zhuo withdrew his hand and put it back in his coat pocket.
A subtle silence fell over the room.
“When I was little, I would make a wish every time it snowed,” Lin Tingyue suddenly said. “I heard that wishes made during the first snowfall are especially effective.”
Chi Zhuo raised an eyebrow: "What did you wish for?"
"I can't tell you, or it won't come true." She smiled mysteriously, then asked, "And you? Do you have a wish?"
"I don't believe in that."
"Sincerity moves mountains! Now make a wish!"
As she spoke, Lin Tingyue took Chi Zhuo's hands out of her pockets, made him put his hands together, and then urged him, "Quickly, close your eyes and make a wish."
Chi Zhuo looked at Lin Tingyue's excited gaze and, under her watchful eye, slowly closed his eyes.
It took several minutes before she opened her eyes.
Chi Zhuo looked into the distance, "If I make a wish, can it really come true?"
"Yes, you will," she said firmly. "You can definitely do it."
Chi Zhuo turned to look at her, his gaze deep: "Why are you so sure?"
"Because you are Chi Zhuo," Lin Tingyue said matter-of-factly. "There's never something you can't do if you want to."
He had never fully revealed his vulnerability and desires to anyone, but after meeting Lin Tingyue, he couldn't help but confide in her and even do these things with her.
The snow was still falling as the two walked side by side on the park path, the excitement from their snowball fight still lingering.
Lin Tingyue secretly glanced at Chi Zhuo and noticed a faint smile playing on his lips. This Chi Zhuo was completely different from his usual cold and serious self.
"I didn't expect you to be so good at snowball fights."
As Lin Tingyue spoke, she couldn't help but lean closer to Chi Zhuo.
"Are you cold?" Chi Zhuo turned to look at her, only to find Lin Tingyue secretly laughing.
"What are you laughing at?"
Lin Tingyue blinked and said with a smile, "I've noticed you're paying more and more attention to me."
Chi Zhuo sensed the teasing in her words, but remained silent.
As they walked, Lin Tingyue suddenly stopped: "Look over there!"
There was a thick layer of snow on the park bench. She jogged over and drew a smiley face on the snow with her finger.
Chi Zhuo followed and stood behind her, watching her create. Lin Tingyue was engrossed in her painting and didn't notice the ice under her feet, suddenly stumbling.
"Be careful." Chi Zhuo quickly supported her waist.
After Lin Tingyue steadied herself, she realized that the two of them were so close that they could feel each other's breath.
Snowflakes landed on Chi Zhuo's eyelashes, and his gentle blinking was exceptionally tender.
Lin Tingyue looked at the face in front of her, her cheeks slightly flushed. No matter how many times she had seen it, her heart would still race.
"Do you know that staring at me like that will make me misunderstand?"
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