Chapter 11 The Silent Companionship of Winter Snow
Ning Yanzhao: "..."
I even dreamt about endless exam papers. No wonder it was high school; it was a complete nightmare.
Despite Ning Yanzhao having a nightmare about the exam paper in the morning, the day's study time still flew by.
In fact, Ning Yanzhao would occasionally dream of taking exams after graduation, and the scene where no matter how hard she tried, she could never finish the test paper.
Not only that, in her dreams, Ning Yanzhao would also be so anxious that she would "jump around" like she was in her student days. The more nervous she was, the slower and crooked her handwriting became. This state of tension would continue until her whole body was shaking, and the worst part was that she would not finish writing until the exam time was up.
And every time Ning Yanzhao woke up from the dream, she would feel like she had survived a disaster, thankful that those damned exams weren't real, otherwise she would have been doomed.
It seems that the psychological trauma Ning Yanzhao suffered during high school was still quite severe. She thought she had gotten much better, but it turns out that was just her illusion.
In fact, as people grow up, they realize that those three years of intense high school life seem like nothing more than fleeting memories when they occasionally reminisce about them after graduating from university or even after starting work.
So what if you don't finish the test? So what if you don't do well on a test? The end of life is not the college entrance exam. There are many other possibilities in life. People always have to look forward. It's impossible to stay stuck in one place and stagnate. One day, people will let go of their past regrets and remorse. Time always heals many pains with its forgiving nature.
Wow, it's snowing! Look, there's so much snow!
It was evening self-study time, during which all the students at No. 1 Middle School were immersed in their studies. A boy sitting by the window occasionally looked up to relax his eyes and saw the snow falling outside. He couldn't help but whisper to his deskmate.
It was just a softly spoken sentence, but unexpectedly, in the quiet evening self-study session, it spread like ripples throughout every corner of the classroom.
"Really? I was wondering if we'd get a big snowfall this year, and I was right!"
"I really want to go out and play. Let's have a snowball fight together after class. I just happened to bring my gloves today."
"Okay, I'm really good at snowball fights, so watch out, hehehe."
"..."
Ning Yanzhao also looked out the window at this moment. Her position was better than the boy who had spoken earlier, so she could see more clearly.
This is the first time Ning Yanzhao has seen snow at this time of year since she first saw An Nianyu on the overpass after transmigrating here.
Unlike the other day when the snow only fell for a short while and melted as soon as it touched the ground, today's snow is covering the ground in large flakes. It feels like the whiteness of the snow will deepen with every blink of an eye, and at this rate, the roads will be so thick at night that it will be impossible to walk.
Actually, it doesn't snow often in this city, but Ning Yanzhao didn't expect to have witnessed two snowfalls this year. It's really rare. Did it happen for the first time nine years ago? She couldn't remember.
Do you think school will be closed tomorrow?
"Other schools might be possible, but it's absolutely impossible for our school. We'd better not have too many illusions."
"Really? Oh."
"..."
While everyone else was getting restless, Ning Yanzhao glanced at Xu Yongqing not far ahead. Xu Yongqing was still writing her homework "unmoved by wind and rain," just like that day in the cafeteria. Nothing could stop her from studying.
The whispers continued in the classrooms, and even though they were just hushed conversations, they became quite loud when there were many people involved.
The grade head is often the one who can most accurately detect any disturbance in the grade. No matter which floor or which class it is, it feels like as long as there is a slight noise during evening self-study, it will quickly attract his attention.
"Hey, hey, hey, your class, do you even care about the college entrance exam? Quiet down, quiet down. If you're not going to study, don't bother those who love to study."
"You all better remember this: today we're deducting points from your class, so just wait for your homeroom teacher to come and deal with you."
"Great! Not only is it incredibly noisy, but your classroom's cleanliness is also substandard. Someone has to come and clean it after class. I'll definitely come and check during the next class."
"..."
After a brief commotion, and after everyone cursed the head of the grade in their hearts for a while, evening self-study quickly resumed, and everyone returned to their studies.
Although there are four evening self-study sessions, which seems like a lot of study time, it is actually quite challenging for everyone to complete nine subjects at the same time, requiring them to make the most of every minute.
At an age when people are most curious and eager to explore, they are forced to spend all day in the classroom learning knowledge that they are not actually interested in. For many students, occasional changes in the outside world can be very attractive to them.
However, once they realize that they have wasted time again, they will be filled with regret and regret for missing a few seconds of study time.
This is the most beautiful age of life, but this period of youthful growth is also full of bitterness and helplessness.
Time always flies when you're focused, and with no subject teachers giving lessons tonight, the four evening study sessions passed quickly.
After evening self-study, boarding students and day students went home. Ning Yanzhao packed her things and left the school as usual. Her father insisted on picking her up today, and no amount of persuasion worked. So she stood at the school gate and waited, but after a while, her father still didn't come.
Ning Yanzhao was a day student, so she usually brought an old-fashioned cell phone that her homeroom teacher allowed her to use from Monday to Thursday. She noticed that her father hadn't come, so she stood outside the school gate and kept calling him, but he never answered.
Although Ning Yanzhao is usually optimistic, she can be particularly pessimistic about certain things at times. This pessimistic mindset stems from the fact that when she was a child, several relatives passed away in accidents around the same time.
It's only when you grow up that you realize how frightening it is to be unable to reach someone by phone during normal hours, or to suddenly receive a call from a loved one in the middle of the night.
Especially on such a harsh winter night, Ning Yanzhao's state of mind was further aggravated.
Ten years ago, before Grandma could get through to Uncle on the phone, the seeds of tragedy had already been sown in another corner of the city.
My uncle died in an accident at the construction site one day and never woke up again.
Shortly after her uncle's death, her grandmother received a call from the hospital one night. It turned out that her aunt had been in a car accident on her way to work the night shift. She not only lost consciousness on the spot, but also died after being taken to the hospital.
My uncle's family used to have a happy life, but from that day on, their family was completely destroyed...
The weather was so bad, and it was getting late, but no one answered her father's phone. Ning Yanzhao couldn't help but think of the worst possibility: had her father had an accident on his way to pick her up?
Ning Yanzhao hoped that this wouldn't happen because of her, please don't, she couldn't bear the consequences caused by her.
Furthermore, because things are now slightly different from what they were before, Ning Yanzhao cannot be sure whether everything will follow the original trajectory.
The beeping of the phone, one beep after another, made Ning Yanzhao's heart grow heavier and heavier.
At that very moment, even his mother's phone was unreachable.
Meanwhile, the night wind became even more fierce. Her body, which had been warm in the classroom just moments before, was instantly chilled by the wind. Fortunately, her father had brought her a down jacket today, which offered some comfort, but it still couldn't stop her hands from trembling.
It was a bit hard to see at night, and she didn't know if it was a problem with the zipper, or if there was hair or something stuck in it. The top zipper of the down jacket was always a bit hard to zip up. In order not to miss a call, Ning Yanzhao did not put her phone in her pocket, but held it in her other hand and used only one hand to fix the zipper.
On one hand, there were unanswered phone calls, and on the other hand, there was the malfunctioning zipper of her down jacket. Ning Yanzhao was both anxious and on the verge of collapse at that moment.
Is the law that bad things always pile up happening to Ning Yanzhao today?
"Do you need my help?"
Just then, Ning Yanzhao heard a familiar voice. She looked up and saw An Nianyu looking at her with a faint smile on his face. Did he see her zipping up her zipper and find it funny?
Ning Yanzhao wanted to say something to "save face," but just as the wind blew by, she finally heard her father's familiar voice on the phone. The call had been connected, and she immediately forgot her current "embarrassment" and started answering the phone.
"Xiao Zhao, I'm so sorry. Dad promised to pick you up, but I really can't leave here. The water pipes in many places are frozen because of the snow today. I just got your call. Why don't you take a taxi back first?"
"It's okay, Dad. You just focus on your work. I already told you I can go back by myself."
"Okay, I'll definitely finish the company business earlier next time. I'm really sorry for today, waiting for me in the cold wind for so long. I already told your mother that you don't need to wait for me tonight, and you two should get some rest."
"It's okay, Dad. Be careful on your way home later."
"Okay."
Ning Yanzhao had just hung up her father's call when her mother called immediately.
"Mother."
"OK."
"Mom, I just talked to Dad on the phone."
"I know."
"I'll be right back."
"Mom, you can rest early. You don't need to wait for me, and you don't need to heat up my midnight snack."
"Okay, bye-bye."
Ning Yanzhao couldn't get through to her mother on the phone earlier, probably because the line was busy. Now that her father and mother are both safe, she feels relieved.
After hanging up her father's call, Ning Yanzhao put her phone back in her pocket to keep her hands warm.
Ning Yanzhao, whose heart had just settled down, remembered An Nianyu's question and her down jacket zipper that hadn't been fully zipped up during the brief silence.
This darn zipper! Why can't I zip it up even with both hands? Is it because An Nianyu is standing next to her that she's nervous and performing worse?
"The snow has gotten heavier again." A passerby's exclamation made Ning Yanzhao finally realize that the snow had actually been falling continuously. The reason she hadn't gotten wet was because An Nianyu's umbrella had been held over her head the whole time.
Ning Yanzhao had heard Jing Yiran say many times that in Korean dramas, when the female lead sees the male lead descend from the sky and hold an umbrella for her, how touching is this silent companionship? The sound of her heart beating like a drum can even penetrate the screen, making the audience easily feel the same way as the female lead. The screen is filled with comments like "kswl" (a Chinese internet slang term for being overwhelmed with emotion), which is what is called a romantic atmosphere.
Ning Yanzhao used to be indifferent to these somewhat formulaic film and television plots, but once she understood them, she had already become a part of the scene.
As expected, Ning Yanzhao underestimated the effect before. So, can we call this "the eyes of the masses are discerning"?
"Thank you." Ning Yanzhao was the one who broke the silence first, as she was the one who had been helped and should express her gratitude.
“It’s alright,” An Nianyu simply replied.
The two stood silently, sharing an umbrella to shield themselves from the falling snow. For a moment, Ning Yanzhao felt as if they were the only two people left in the world. Her blood seemed to freeze, and she could not hear any other sounds for the time being.
What should she use to start the conversation again? Ning Yanzhao suddenly remembered that An Nianyu had accepted her QQ friend request that night, but the two of them hadn't said anything yet. Maybe she should talk about the QQ account, but she felt something was off.
Fortunately, something finally eased the atmosphere. At that moment, the zipper that Ning Yanzhao had been pulling on suddenly became smooth as if by some kind of "magic." She then took the opportunity to pull the zipper of her down jacket all the way up to cover her slightly flushed face.
Even though it's a winter night, the sky is dark and there are no shopping malls near the school, so it's very quiet.
Ning Yanzhao once heard a saying: a love that arrives quietly, an unknown affection that ferments in silent eye contact, yet beats like a rain shower in the heart. This kind of love sometimes falls suddenly like summer rain, and sometimes falls silently like winter snow.
It seems that Ning Yanzhao is now beginning to understand this feeling, at least for her as the one who secretly admires him.
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