New Year's Eve
When Lu Er returned to No. 3 Middle School, the sky was already shrouded in a faint darkness. Winter nights were falling earlier each day.
She stopped in front of the office, knocked twice, and said, "Report." Then she went into the office, placed her phone on Ms. Mina's desk, and said, "Teacher."
Teacher Mina glanced at her with a smile, then put her phone in the drawer: "Did you go see Xiyan?"
“…Yes.” Lu Er’s eyes twitched, and she lowered her head shyly, saying, “How did you know?”
"I've never met anyone else who can make you laugh so happily."
Lu Er nervously pursed her lips, unconsciously wiggling the tips of her shoes: "Teacher, we..."
Teacher Mina leaned slightly closer to her ear and whispered in the tone of a little girl, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Lu Er nodded twice, blinked, and smiled, "Thank you, teacher."
Lu Er counted the English quiz papers for her that night, and was about to return to class with the stack of papers when Teacher Mina called her back: "Xiao Er, wait." She took out a stack of things from her bag and handed them to her. Lu Er saw that they were dozens of heat packs and a hot water bottle.
"The dorm gets very cold in winter, so you can use this to keep warm. It's also useful during your period. Remember to soak your feet before bed."
Lu Er suddenly remembered something from long ago. When Cui Feng and Lu Guoyang took Lu Mingyi back to his hometown to visit relatives, Lu Er was left in the house.
It was a bitterly cold winter. When Teacher Mina saw that she was alone, she took the initiative to invite her to her home to live with Mi Tian.
Lu Er was naturally cold-sensitive; her hands and feet never warmed up when she slept. Mi Tian, while asleep, would accidentally touch Lu Er's icy hands and wake up from the cold. When Teacher Mina heard about this, she brewed longan and red date tea for Lu Er before bed for several days in a row. Before going to sleep, Mi Tian would put her hands in hot water until they were warm like a heater, then deliberately hold Lu Er's hands in her own, saying she wanted to melt them.
Aside from her parents, Lu Er didn't have anyone else she particularly missed. But Teacher Mina and Mi Tian were always an exception.
When she met Teacher Mina's gentle gaze, she couldn't help but feel a warm glow in her heart.
"Thank you, teacher." Lu Er bowed deeply. She could never repay this gratitude in her lifetime. But as long as there was a chance, she would not let their love go to waste.
When Lu Er opened the dormitory door that evening, Huang Lingling greeted her, "You're back." Lu Er nodded, and Huang Lingling, used to her way of speaking, didn't say anything more.
Lu Er thought she had too many hand warmers and couldn't use them all, so she took a few and gave them to Huang Lingling: "Take these, they were given to me by the teacher."
Huang Lingling accepted with a smile: "Thank you."
Lu Er sat down on the edge of the bed and unzipped her backpack—she hadn't opened it since returning from Sui City. She pulled out a bag filled with taro mochi and weighed it in her hand; it seemed quite heavy.
After leaving the cat cafe, Ruan Xiyan took her to a bakery next door. Lu Er wasn't interested in desserts and waited for Ruan Xiyan. He bought a bag of mochi and a cheese bun. Lu Er remembered eating the cheese bun at the barbecue restaurant, but she couldn't remember when he had put the mochi in her bag.
Lu Er waved to Huang Lingling: "Want some?"
Huang Lingling was swinging her legs when she saw the mochi and immediately exclaimed excitedly, "Hey, I'll eat it!"
"Xiao Er, you're so kind." She said, handing out "good person cards" while chewing on mochi. "Where did you buy this? It's so delicious."
Lu Er took a bite of mochi, recalling Ruan Xiyan's favorite dessert, and said, "A friend gave it to me."
"Your friend is really nice."
–
December arrived in Huai'an. Lu Er bought some manuscript paper at the school store, took a couple of steps, then suddenly turned back and asked, "Do you sell yarn here?"
Of course, there was no result. Huang Lingling was waiting for her outside and asked in confusion, "Xiao Er, what do you need the yarn for? To knit a scarf?"
"Hmm." Lu Er remembered the leftover fabric from knitting a hat for Mao Mao and decided to go home on Sunday to get it. "I want to knit a scarf and a sweater."
On Monday afternoon, Lu Er sat on the edge of her bed knitting a scarf, but her mind kept wandering. This continued until Wednesday afternoon, when she couldn't hold back any longer and put the half-finished scarf aside: "Lingling, can I borrow your phone for a moment? I want to log into WeChat."
Huang Lingling exclaimed "Ah!" and cheerfully handed over her phone: "Here you go, what's wrong?" She teased, "It's rare for you to ask to borrow my phone."
"The art entrance exam is over today." Lu Er lowered her head and entered her password.
Is your friend taking the joint entrance exam?
"Yes." To avoid being caught by the instructors, Lu Er carried a stool into the washroom. If she remembered correctly, Ruan Xiyan was allowed to have her phone on the day of the joint entrance exam. Lu Er straightened her fingers, her heart pounding, and asked.
【11】: Are you alright?
Two minutes later, Lu Er saw him return.
【Ruan Xiaogou】: Very good, very good. I would be even better if you were with me.
Lu Er's heart sank to the ground. After the initial tension subsided, she looked closely at Ruan Xiyan's message. Upon seeing this sentence, Lu Er could even imagine the unrestrained smile on Ruan Xiyan's face when she said it, her dimples even more prominent than her teeth.
【11】: ……Then my question is really unnecessary.
【Ruan Xiaogou】: (sad emoji)
[Ruan Xiaogou]: Don't you believe in my abilities?
[Ruan Xiaogou]: What's more important is how you got the phone! Tell me, come out honestly!
Ruan Xiyan knew that Lu Er had handed in her phone.
[11]: I borrowed my roommate's phone
[11]: What do you plan to do after the exam?
[Ruan Xiaogou]: I applied to the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, and I need to take the entrance exam. The preliminary exam starts on January 16th. During this time, I will probably continue to train intensively in the studio.
Lu Er didn't want to bother him anymore, so she typed, "I'll log off now. Good luck."
【Ruan Xiaogou】: Don't download! Don't download!!
[Ruan Xiaogou]: Teacher Lu, I did so badly on the test, shouldn't you give me some kind of reward?
【Ruan Xiaogou】: (Xiao Ba is looking forward to it)
Lu Er gently raised the corners of her lips and said.
【11】: What do you want?
Now his rival seemed less anxious and stopped replying. About three and a half minutes later, at 5:46 PM, he sent a message.
[Ruan Xiaogou]: I want everything you have.
Huang Lingling casually flipped through a few books by the bed. Lu Er came out of the bathroom and handed her the phone back: "Thank you."
"It's nothing. I was just thinking, you used it so quickly." Huang Lingling suddenly turned her head, glanced at her, and said, "Xiao Er, why is your face so red?"
“…Is it?” Lu Er clasped her right hand together and fanned her face slightly. “It’s too hot inside.”
"Oh, yes, it is a little hot."
Lu Er's mind was in turmoil, all because of Ruan Xiyan.
-
This December seemed to pass particularly slowly. A winter wind seemed to freeze the entire month's pace. Lu Er unconsciously counted the dates: the 6th, the 7th, the 11th, the 15th…
By the early twenties, Lu Er had finished knitting three scarves and a sweater.
Today is Christmas Eve. During evening self-study, a restless atmosphere seemed to permeate the classroom. No one in Class 18 seemed inclined to do their homework; some were chatting, some were playing on their phones, and some were reading novels. Lu Er wasn't one of them, but her gaze kept drifting out the window, as if there was something worth anticipating outside.
Evening self-study was in English. Teacher Mina walked into the classroom carrying a box: "It seems everyone is eagerly anticipating New Year's Day."
A sharp-eyed student in the front row spotted the contents of the box: "Teacher, Merry Christmas Eve!"
Teacher Mina's box was filled with apples. She smiled and handed each person an apple, each with a different auspicious label. Lu Er received her bright red apple, the label reading: "May you enjoy the beauty of mountains and rivers, and may your life be as turbulent and ever-changing as the winds and clouds."
The weather is getting colder, but that doesn't stop the students from leaving the campus with rosy cheeks after school.
Lu'er went to the office. She gave a silver-blue scarf and a red scarf that she had woven to Teacher Mina.
The scarf is very beautiful; when laid flat, it looks like a small river with shimmering blue and rippling red waves.
"Thank you, Xiao Er. That's so kind of you. Mi Tian will definitely like it." Teacher Mina smiled at her, but then suddenly looked down and coughed a few times. The weather was getting cold, and she had caught a cold too.
Teacher Mina has lost a lot of weight recently, and her complexion is an unhealthy pale white. Her blonde hair has lost some of its brilliance and become translucent, making her face look even more like a blank sheet of paper.
Lu Er's eyes showed worry: "Teacher, are you alright?"
Teacher Mina waved her hand, and seeing Lu Er's slightly furrowed brows, couldn't help but laugh, "It's just a cold, no need to make such a fuss." Then, she teased Lu Er, "If I hadn't told you about your heart condition, would I have bothered to ask me about it?"
Lu Er quickly said, "No, I'm just worried that the teacher's health won't be able to handle it..."
"Alright, I was just teasing you," Teacher Mina said with a smile, stopping her gently. "Want to call Xiyan?"
Lu Er was stunned for a moment, then shook her head: "He can't hold his phone at this time."
“But you should keep it.” Teacher Mina seemed to trust her more than anyone else, and took out the phone.
Lu Er's hesitation lasted only two seconds before it was dispelled. She picked up her phone, and whether it was psychological or not, she felt a sudden warmth creep up her fingertips.
I opened WeChat and an unexpected new message popped up: "Merry Christmas Eve, Xiao Er."
The message came from Jiang Chun. Given the time difference between the US and China, he should have just woken up at this hour.
Lu Er hesitated for a moment, then clicked on the pinned message for Ruan Xiyan. Ruan Xiyan's chat window was completely silent, as if he hadn't brought his phone.
She edited a message on WeChat for a minute, ending with, "Merry Christmas Eve."
See you in the New Year.
Then she exited the chat with Ruan Xiyan and replied to Jiang Zhun: "Thank you, wishing Brother Jiang Zhun a Merry Christmas Eve."
Ms. Mina's health couldn't hold up, and she fell ill the day before New Year's Eve.
"Xiao Er, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I didn't take my medicine for my cold in time, and it turned into a fever." Teacher Mina lay in the hospital bed, the snow-white sheets and pillows making her look like someone who had just walked out of the snow. "Now I'll have to trouble you to pick up Mi Tian for me."
Lu Er held her hand with a heavy heart: "Teacher, you should get some rest."
Mi Tian is young, but she is exceptionally intelligent. She only attended kindergarten for one year before skipping a grade to enter primary school. Having recently turned seven, she is now in the third grade.
Mi Tian's primary school was only a few hundred meters away from No. 3 Middle School. Lu Er walked there on foot and stood at the school gate looking around.
"Sister Xiao Er." Mi Tian, carrying her schoolbag, held onto the straps and stood upright, looking very proper.
“Your teacher asked me to look after you, so come stay at my house tonight.” Lu Er patted her head, then looked down and noticed that she was wearing the blue scarf.
Lu Er smiled faintly: "Do you like it?"
"like."
-
Lu Er led Mi Tian onto the bus. Around five o'clock, the sky was already as dark as an inkstone. When they arrived home, everything outside the window was shrouded in darkness, only dark silhouettes standing out.
Mi Tian stayed at Lu Er's house, but didn't have much in common with Cui Feng, Lu Mingyi, and the others. She sat on the bed in Lu Er's room, holding the Rubik's Cube her mother had given her, and turned it with a "click-clack" sound.
Lu Er leaned against the headboard, staring blankly at her phone. She hadn't received a reply to the message she'd sent to Ruan Xiyan an hour ago. This wasn't like him. No school would skip New Year's Eve.
It might take him several hours to get back from Sui City, or his phone might be out of battery.
Lu Er put down her phone and went to do math problems, but she felt unsatisfied with the process.
"Sister Xiao Er," Mi Tian said, "I want to go to the hospital to see my mother."
Lu Er remembered what Teacher Mina told her: "It's too late, it's inconvenient for you to come back."
Mi Tian shook her head: "I'm not coming back. I'll stay at the hospital with Mom. Sister Xiao Er, can you take me to the hospital?"
Mi Tian's phoenix eyes hadn't fully developed; they were round and bright, like two jaboticaba fruits. Lu Er saw a childlike purity and innocence in those eyes. She seemed to have seen that feeling in Ruan Xiyan's eyes before.
Lu Er was thus persuaded and agreed to Mi Tian's request: "Okay." Before leaving, she put on a scarf and a sweater.
Cui Feng and Lu Guoyang didn't ask Lu Er's whereabouts. She and Mi Tian left smoothly and took the subway to the hospital.
Teacher Mina was very unhappy with Mi Tian's behavior of not staying at home properly, but her brows furrowed for a few moments before relaxing. After all, she was already there, so what was the point of scolding her?
Ms. Mina said helplessly, "I don't have a bed for you here."
Mi Tian hugged her grandmother's arm from the bed next to hers and said, "Grandma, can I sleep with you tonight?"
The grandmother was hard of hearing and had presbyopia, so she squinted and couldn't see or hear what the two were saying. But sensing the cheerful atmosphere, she smiled and nodded, saying, "Okay, okay."
Lu Er couldn't help but smile several times as she was amused by the interaction between these people.
Teacher Mina eventually agreed to let Mi Tian stay. But Lu Er definitely couldn't stay; after spending some time with Mi Tian and Teacher Mina, she left the hospital.
There's a subway station near the hospital, and this line goes directly to Pinglin Road, where Lu'er's residential area is located. But Lu'er didn't walk there; instead, she parked on the side of the road and waited for the car she had called through the app to arrive.
Tonight is New Year's Eve, and the streets are bustling with people. Couples are either holding hands or walking side by side, their faces and words filled with joy.
Lu Er wouldn't have cared before. But things are different now; she has someone to accompany her.
Lu Er dialed Ruan Xiyan's number. A cold female voice said that the phone was switched off.
A taxi stopped in front of her. Lu Er gave the driver the last few digits of her phone number and got in.
The driver probably felt lonely traveling alone on New Year's Eve, so he struck up a conversation with Lu Er: "Little sister, do you live in Bihu? People in that area are all quite wealthy, right?"
Lu Er wasn't interested in chatting with strangers, but still politely said, "It's at a friend's house."
"Where does your friend live? Does your friend's family own a mine?"
The driver tried to strike up a conversation with Lu Er several times, but was deterred each time by Lu Er's cold attitude. The rest of the journey was spent in silence.
Ruan Xiyan hadn't replied to the message, which wasn't like him. Lu Er silently stared out the car window, her heart pounding.
Upon arriving at their destination, Lu Er followed the villas and paths along the way, eventually reaching Ruan Xiyan's house.
The lights in Ruan Xiyan's house were off. Whether viewed from afar or up close, the house appeared as nothing more than an empty, enormous black shadow.
Lu Er's heart clenched. She stared at the direction of the house for a long time, then lowered her eyes to look at her unresponsive phone.
She gripped her phone tightly, turned around, and walked back.
Suddenly, two clear "woof woof" sounds rang out behind her, like a flash of lightning shattering the silence. Lu Er froze, as a large golden retriever rushed up and eagerly circled around her.
"..." Lu Er squatted down, stroked Mao Mao's head, and smiled gently, "Did they leave you at home?"
Mao Mao circled around her repeatedly, as if seeing someone for the first time, jumping around excitedly.
Lu Er asked it, "Where did your master go?"
Mao Mao obviously didn't understand, but it still barked in response to Lu Er.
Lu Er smiled, stroked Mao Mao's ears, head, and tail a few times, and then got up and left.
Mao Mao chased after her, and the dim yellow streetlights cast a quiet shadow and a lively one.
Lu Er lowered his head helplessly and patted its head: "Do you want to come home with me?" Mao Mao didn't say anything, but wagged its tail happily.
"I'm going back now." Lu Er thought of something and took off the bag she was carrying. "Remember to take this and give it to him."
Mao Mao held onto the bag's drawstring and stopped moving, looking up at her. Her obedient demeanor was almost heartbreaking.
Lu Er patted its head again: "Happy New Year." The long street was deserted; even a little dog would feel lonely on New Year's Eve.
She was finally leaving. But as she struggled to sit up, a voice suddenly rang out from the depths of the intersection behind her: "Lu Er!"
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