31. Snow blindness
The blizzard lasted for three days.
On the morning of the fourth day, Su Lin awoke to a strange silence. The wind had died down at some point, leaving only the occasional crackle of wood burning in the fireplace. He sat up in bed, wrapped in a thick blanket, and walked to the window, wiping the steam off the glass with his palm.
Outside, a world completely covered in snow and ice lay. The snow had piled halfway up to the windows, filtering the bright morning light into a hazy grayish-white hue. The distant mountains vanished completely behind the white curtain of snow, and even the nearest trees were only visible at the tops of a few branches, like withered arms reaching out from the snow.
"The snow has stopped." Mu Lin's voice came from the doorway. He walked in with a cup of steaming herbal tea. His long silver-blue hair was tied back in a messy bun, and there was a hint of dark blue under his eyes.
Su Lin took the teacup, and his fingertips were immediately wrapped in warmth. "You didn't sleep all night?"
Mu Lin shook his head slightly. "I took turns keeping watch with Lei Qing. The wind and snow died down in the second half of the night, but he still insisted someone stay awake." He glanced out the window, his brows furrowed slightly. "The snow is even deeper than we expected."
As everyone gathered in the living room, the atmosphere was even more solemn than in the previous few days. A Yan sat quietly by the fireplace, fiddling with a piece of firewood in his hand. Xing Chen crouched by the window, trying to see what was happening outside, but there was nothing to see except a vast expanse of white.
"We need to go out and take a look." Lei Qing checked the weapons hanging on the wall and said in a steady voice, "We need to confirm the snow accumulation on the roof and check the warehouse."
Mu Lin shook his head in disapproval. "The visibility outside is too low, and the snow could collapse again at any time."
"That's why we have to go now." Lei Qing had already put on his thickest coat and started wrapping strips of cloth around his hands. "If we wait until the next snowstorm comes, the situation will only get worse."
A Yan immediately jumped up and said, "I'll go with you!"
"No." Lei Qing's tone brooked no room for argument. "You stay here. If something happens to us outside, someone in the house will need to protect them."
This "they" obviously refers to Su Lin, Mu Lin, and Xing Chen. A Yan opened his mouth to refute, but finally sat down in dismay.
Su Lin stepped forward and helped Lei Qing straighten his collar. "Be careful," he whispered, his fingers accidentally brushing against the other's cold earlobe.
Lei Qing's eyes softened for a moment, and he gently grasped his wrist. "Be back soon."
As the door opened, a piercing chill immediately rushed into the room. Even standing farthest from the door, Su Lin could feel the breath-freezing cold. Lei Qing's figure quickly disappeared into the white curtain of snow. The door closed again, but the chill seemed to have seeped into everyone's bones.
The next few minutes passed incredibly slowly.
Ah Yan paced anxiously around the room, occasionally leaning towards the window to try to see what was happening outside. Mu Lin quietly sorted the herbs, but Su Lin noticed that his movements were much slower than usual. Xingchen sat beside Su Lin and whispered, "Is Brother Lei Qing okay?"
"No." Su Lin ruffled the boy's hair, trying to keep his voice steady. "He's very strong."
Even so, as time ticked by and there was still no movement outside the door, even Su Lin began to feel uneasy. The fire in the fireplace crackled, and the silence outside was even more unsettling than the howling wind and snow before.
Just when Su Lin was almost unable to hold back and suggested going out to look for him, there was finally a noise outside the door.
A Yan was the first to rush over and open the door. Lei Qing stood outside, his entire body covered in ice and snow, his eyebrows and eyelashes frosted with frost. He clutched a few sticks of smoked meat from the warehouse, his breath condensing into puffs of white mist in the chilly air.
"The roof isn't in good condition," he reported briefly, his voice a little stiff from the cold. "The east support beams may not be able to bear the weight of the snow."
Mu Lin immediately stepped forward to brush off the snow from Lei Qing's body. He frowned slightly when his fingers touched Lei Qing's red, frozen cheek. "Your temperature is too low."
Lei Qing gently pushed his hand away, "It's okay." But his lips were already frozen purple, and his fingers were shaking slightly uncontrollably.
Su Lin silently went to the kitchen and brought back a cup of hot tea. When he handed it to Lei Qing, he deliberately let their fingers overlap for a moment. Lei Qing's hand was as cold as ice, and Su Lin couldn't help but wrap his hands around that big hand, trying to convey some warmth.
"The roof needs to be reinforced." Lei Qing took a sip of hot tea, his tone still calm, "A Yan and I will go."
This time Mu Lin didn't object. He just turned around to get the medicine box and said, "Let me take care of the frostbite on your hand first."
At this moment, Xingchen suddenly let out a short scream. The boy had come to the window at some point, rubbing his eyes vigorously.
"What's wrong?" Su Lin immediately walked to his side.
"My eyes hurt..." Xingchen's voice was filled with tears, "It feels like a needle is pricking me..."
Mu Lin walked over quickly and gently pulled Xingchen's hand away from rubbing his eyes. "Stop rubbing," he said in a serious tone, examining the boy's eyes. Xingchen's eyes were bloodshot and tearing, and they squinted in pain when exposed to the light.
"Snow blindness." Mu Lin concluded in a serious tone, "The snow outside reflects too much ultraviolet light."
Ah Yan came over to take a look and gasped, "Is it that serious?"
"Take him to the dark room to rest." Mu Lin said to Su Lin, "Don't expose him to any light. I'll prepare the ointment."
Su Lin immediately led Xingchen to the storage room—the only windowless room in the house. The boy held onto his arm tightly, taking each step carefully, as if he were in a dark fog.
"Brother Su Lin, will I go blind?" Xingchen's voice trembled.
"No," Su Lin said firmly, helping him sit in the fur-covered corner. "Mu Lin will heal you."
After settling Xingchen down, Su Lin returned to the living room and found the atmosphere even more tense than before. Mu Lin had just healed the frostbite on Lei Qing's hand, and A Yan had already put on his coat and was ready to go out.
"We have to reinforce the roof." Lei Qing saw Su Lin and explained, "But everyone must take precautions."
Mu Lin pulled out a few pairs of homemade goggles—crude contraptions made of leather and dark crystal pieces. "Wear these to reduce the risk of snow blindness."
A Yan took one and put it on his face, making an exaggerated expression, "How about it, am I handsome?"
Su Lin couldn't help but smile, but the smile quickly faded. "I'll go with you."
The three people's eyes fell on him at the same time.
"No." Lei Qing immediately objected.
"One more person will get the job done faster," Su Lin retorted calmly, "and I know how to reinforce it with the least effort. Don't forget, I drew the blueprint for this house."
Mu Lin looked at him thoughtfully, "He's right. But you have to promise me that if you feel any discomfort, you will come back immediately."
Finally, Lei Qing reluctantly agreed. Su Lin put on his thickest clothes and the goggles Mu Lin had given him, feeling as if the whole world was covered in a dark filter.
When the door opened again, the world outside was even more stunning than the view from the window. The snow was thigh-deep, and every step required an effort to pull my legs apart. The biting wind pierced my face like a knife, and even with goggles, the glare of the snow still made me dizzy.
The roof's condition was indeed grim. The snow on the east side had piled higher than a person, and the wooden support beams groaned under the weight. A Yan cursed and immediately began shoveling snow with the tools he had brought.
Lei Qing moved even faster, having already climbed onto the roof and begun clearing the snow from the most dangerous area. Su Lin was in charge of passing tools and support materials down below, and the cold quickly made his fingers stiff and unresponsive.
After about an hour of work, Su Lin suddenly felt dizzy. The snow before him seemed even more glaring, stinging his eyes even through his goggles. He subconsciously rubbed his eyes, but Lei Qing on the roof saw him.
"Go back." Lei Qing jumped down from the roof and landed beside him with a stern voice.
"I'm fine..." Su Lin wanted to argue, but another wave of dizziness hit him, causing him to stagger.
Lei Qing immediately supported him. Even through the thick clothing, Su Lin could still feel the strength coming from the other's arm.
A Yan also poked his head out from the roof, "What's wrong?"
"Take him back." Lei Qing ordered, his tone unquestionable and firm. "I will finish the rest of the work soon."
This time, Su Lin didn't object. His eyes did indeed begin to hurt, and his vision became blurry. A Yan slid down from the rooftop neatly and supported Su Lin's other arm.
The journey back to the house was even more difficult than the journey in. Su Lin's vision grew increasingly blurry, and he finally relied almost entirely on A Yan's guidance to make it back to the door. Mu Lin had already been waiting there, and upon seeing them, he immediately came forward to meet them.
"Snow blindness." He concluded after examining Su Lin's eyes, his tone blaming him, "I told you to come back immediately if you feel any discomfort."
Su Lin wanted to apologize, but the pain in his eyes made him speechless. He was helped to sit in a chair near the fireplace, and Mu Lin skillfully prepared the ointment.
Ah Yan squatted before him, his usual playful expression gone. "You scared me to death," he whispered, holding Su Lin's cold hand. "If anything happens to you, I..."
He didn't finish his words, but he tightened his grip on Su Lin's hand.
Mu Lin's ointment brought a cool, comfortable sensation, relieving the burning pain in his eyes. Su Lin closed his eyes and felt Mu Lin gently apply the ointment around his eyelids. His always steady hands were now trembling slightly.
"I'm sorry for making you worry." Su Lin said softly.
Mu Lin didn't answer, but continued his movements. But Su Lin could feel that the other party's fingers lingered near his solar plexus for a while longer.
When Lei Qing finally finished his work and returned to the house, it was almost dark. He walked over to Su Lin with a chill in his voice and squatted down to carefully check on him.
"How are your eyes?"
"Much better." Su Lin opened his eyes. His vision was still a little blurry, but he could clearly see Lei Qing's face close at hand. There was still frost on his brow, and the worry in his eyes was obvious.
Lei Qing stretched out his hand, as if to touch his face, but paused in mid-air, and finally just gently rested it on his shoulder. "Get some rest."
That night, Su Lin was told to stay in bed and rest. Mu Lin would come to check his eyes and change the ointment every once in a while. Xingchen's eyesight had improved somewhat, and the boy insisted on staying by Su Lin's side, eventually falling asleep in a chair beside the bed.
A Yan and Lei Qing were discussing the next arrangements in a low voice in the living room. Su Lin couldn't hear the details, but he could sense the solemnity in their tone.
Late at night, when Mu Lin came to change the dressing for the last time, Su Lin asked softly, "How bad is the situation outside?"
Mu Lin was silent for a moment, then finally answered honestly, "It's worse than we expected. If the snow doesn't stop, we might have to consider the worst-case scenario."
"What's the worst-case scenario?"
This time, Mu Lin did not answer, but Su Lin already understood.
After changing the dressing, Mu Lin didn't leave immediately. He sat down beside the bed, his long silver-blue hair gleaming faintly in the darkness.
"You know," he whispered, "before you showed up, each of us was like a lonely soul wandering in this world. Lei Qing carried the shadow of his past, A Yan used arrogance to cover up the emptiness in his heart, and I... I was almost forgetting what warmth felt like."
Su Lin opened his eyes wide in the darkness, although he could not see anything clearly.
"You brought us together." Mu Lin's voice was very soft, like a snowflake falling on his palm. "So, please be well. For all of us."
Su Lin felt a hand gently covering his forehead, warm and steady.
"Go to sleep." Mu Lin said, "Tomorrow will be better."
When he was finally the only one left in the room, Su Lin stared at the ceiling, though there was only darkness before him. Outside, the wind began to howl again, and a new round of blizzard seemed to be brewing.
But on this night surrounded by ice and snow, at this moment when he might be facing a desperate situation, Su Lin's heart was unusually calm. Because he knew that no matter what happened, he would not face it alone.
Before he fell asleep, he heard the door of his room gently open. Someone walked in and paused by his bed. A rough, warm hand gently brushed his hair, as if trying not to wake him.
Su Lin didn't open his eyes, but he knew who it was.
Under the gentle caress of that hand, he finally fell into a deep sleep.
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