novelraw Chapter 728: Snowy Night
Chapter 728: Snowy Night
Chapter 728: Snowy Night
Yanjing Tiancheng, Large Flats.
Zhang Yan sat before the ornate dressing table in the walk-in closet, her fingertips unconsciously tracing her slightly swollen lips, a lingering blush of shyness on her face.
Tang Song had already left to attend the company's Double Twelve live broadcast event.
The spacious room held only her.
In her mind, she couldn't suppress the constant replay of that long, deep kiss.
His gentleness, the warmth of his palm, the scent of him...
Every detail replayed in her mind like a high-definition slow-motion scene.
So... so even just a kiss could make one feel so...
She bit her lip, clasped her hands tightly on her lap, and buried her head.
"Ding dong—"
A WeChat notification snapped her out of her chaotic thoughts.
[Cheng Xiaoyue: "@Zhang Yan @Lin Feifei, I'm on my way now. The navigation says twenty minutes to the flower shop."]
Zhang Yan quickly snapped back to reality, glanced at the time, and hurriedly replied, "I'm heading out now too, should arrive around the same time."
After sending the message, she immediately stood up.
She picked up the black City Shell Jacket that Tang Song had chosen for her,
also their company's hit product; it really was quite beautiful.
She carefully put on the jacket and zipped it up.
The reflection in the mirror instantly looked somewhat different.
The sharp cut and stiff fabric made her originally somewhat thin and frail figure appear more upright and subtly concealed her unconscious timidity and restraint.
Looking at the refreshed, even somewhat dashing figure in the mirror,
Zhang Yan's cheeks flushed red again.
She grabbed her bag and went downstairs.
Hailing a ride via her phone, she headed to Lin Feifei's "Little Cutie Flower Shop."
Outside the car window, the sky was gloomy, lead-grey clouds hung oppressively low.
The air carried a damp, cold scent.
Is it going to rain... oh no... snow?
Zhang Yan looked up at the sky, her heart filled with anticipation.
Northern snow, Yancheng snow.
It had been far too long since she had seen it.
How she wished she could see a heavy snowfall before she left.
Lin Feifei's flower shop was located in the city center of Qiaoxi District, actually quite close, but with the evening rush hour traffic, stopping and starting, it took nearly twenty minutes to get there.
She paid the fare and had just stepped out of the car
when a crisp, familiar call came from behind:
"Yanyan! Yanyan! Over here!"
Zhang Yan turned around and saw Cheng Xiaoyue standing on the curb, waving vigorously at her.
She had matured a lot since university, now sporting gentle shoulder-length hair, her face adorned with delicate light makeup. A well-tailored camel-colored coat gave her an intellectual, white-collar aura.
She was no longer the studious girl with thick glasses from back then.
Zhang Yan's gaze wavered for a moment, then a brilliantly bright smile bloomed on her face.
She quickly stepped forward and tightly embraced her good friend.
"Xiaoyue, long time no see."
"Yanyan, finally get to see you!" Cheng Xiaoyue looked her up and down, her eyes lighting up especially when she saw the cool and stylish shell jacket Zhang Yan wore. "Not bad! You're much prettier than before, and better at dressing up too!"
Zhang Yan felt a bit embarrassed by the praise, holding her friend's hand and laughing continuously.
After laughing and joking for a while, they held hands and walked into the shop with the cute "Little Cutie Flower Shop" sign.
Pushing open the glass door,
a wave of air, fragrant with earthy scents and the aromas of various flowers, warm and humid, washed over them.
The shop's interior was exquisitely and thoughtfully arranged, full of artistic flair.
Cheng Xiaoyue raised her voice and called out, "Is the boss here? Customers are here to buy flowers!"
"Coming, coming!"
Accompanied by light, quick footsteps, a figure wearing a Mori-style long dress hurried out from the back.
Perhaps because her family was wealthy and her life happy, Lin Feifei hadn't changed much since university.
Her style of dress remained that same Mori-inspired, artistic look.
"Yanyan, Xiaoyue." "Feifei!"
After more than two years apart,
the former "Romantic Scenes Trio" finally reunited in this flower-filled shop.
There was no trace of unfamiliarity or formality, only pure, unrestrained squeals and tight hugs.
"Ah, you're finally here! Quick, quick, give me a hand, I was just about to close up!"
Lin Feifei smiled, though her eyes were slightly red.
Holding one friend with each hand, she led them into the back area of the flower shop.
The three immediately divided the tasks and got busy.
They moved pot after pot of elegantly packaged lisianthus and spray roses back inside.
Once everything was tidied up, Lin Feifei locked the shop door. "Come on, upstairs."
She led them through a narrow staircase adorned with dried flowers and dreamcatchers, arriving at the flower shop's second-floor loft.
"Wow—! It's even prettier than in the photos!"
Zhang Yan exclaimed in admiration, her eyes sparkling.
This was a completely different world. The floor was covered with a soft Bohemian rug, dotted with several comfortable beanbag chairs; bookshelves were crammed with various poetry collections, essays, and vinyl records; a guitar, ukulele, and violin stood in the corner.
The most captivating feature was the small balcony connected to the far end of the loft.
Right now, the string lights on the balcony awning were lit, twinkling like fireflies on a summer night, casting an incredibly cozy glow over the little space.
A tabletop grill was set up on the portable stove in the middle, with several bottles of craft beer and fruit wine beside it.
Cheng Xiaoyue, having been here before, familiarly flopped directly into a beanbag chair.
Zhang Yan, however, was particularly excited. "Feifei! This, this is exactly that *dream cottage* the three of us used to talk about every day!"
They had once fantasized about having a house with a loft where they could read, chat, sing, play instruments...
Now, Lin Feifei had actually made it a reality.
"Yeah, I had it specially renovated." Lin Feifei raised her eyebrows proudly.
Cheng Xiaoyue laughed, "Alright, Miss, your tail's sticking up. Yanyan, she's a rich lady, not in the same class as us."
Zhang Yan covered her mouth with a light laugh. "Yeah."
During university, Lin Feifei hadn't really acted wealthy; she seemed ordinary.
But near graduation, they found out that Lin Feifei's family were major beneficiaries of demolition and relocation compensation, owning five shops and several properties outright.
She could just lie flat.
After the three long-separated friends enjoyed a lively catch-up in the loft,
they went out to the balcony together and started bustling around the grill.
The aroma of grilled meat and the fizz of beer soon filled the small balcony.
Cheng Xiaoyue vented about the suffocating corporate jargon and PPT culture in the big tech company.
Lin Feifei shared amusing stories from her laid-back shop management and encounters with all sorts of quirky customers.
Although the winter night wind was biting, the charcoal fire from the grill kept them warm and toasty.
"Clink—clink—" Beer bottles chimed crisply in the air.
The girls' cheeks were all tinged with a faint rosy hue, giggling and chattering as they scrolled through old photos on their phones, reminiscing about all sorts of university days.
Even the usually introverted Zhang Yan became more talkative.
After a good while,
Cheng Xiaoyue suddenly pointed at the jacket Zhang Yan was wearing, her eyes lighting up. "Hey? I was wondering why this shell jacket looked so familiar and so nice... Yanyan, isn't this the same style as Su Yu's! I didn't know you were so fashionable now."
Lin Feifei also expressed surprise, "Oh, I remember now, I think I did see a photo."
Zhang Yan blinked, somewhat puzzled. "Same style as Su Yu's?"
"Right!" Cheng Xiaoyue immediately opened her phone, quickly searched for it, and then placed the phone screen in the center of the table.
On the screen was that viral airport street style photo of Su Yu from some time ago. In the photo, Su Yu wore sunglasses and a pure black shell jacket, paired with a simple white T-shirt inside and high-waisted cargo pants below. She looked breathtakingly beautiful and stunningly cool.
And the jacket she wore was indeed identical to Zhang Yan's.
"It really is..." Zhang Yan was also surprised.
She only knew this was clothing produced by Tang Song's company, but she hadn't expected Su Yu to have worn it too.
A small sense of pride quietly rose in her heart.
"I'm a fan of Su Yu," Cheng Xiaoyue said excitedly, standing up. "Yanyan, let me try yours on! I've wanted to buy one for ages, but I've been too busy, then I quit my job, and just never got around to it."
"Sure." Zhang Yan smiled and stood up, taking off the shell jacket.
Cheng Xiaoyue eagerly put it on, checked her reflection in the balcony's glass door, twisted her body proudly, and even struck a cool pose, imitating Su Yu's style.
"How is it? Not bad, right! Does it have the right vibe?"
"Very nice, it suits you." Zhang Yan praised sincerely.
After all, it was clothing from Tang Song's company; of course it would look good no matter who wore it.
Even Lin Feifei, who usually only liked Mori-style outfits, became curious. She took the jacket from Cheng Xiaoyue and slipped it on herself.
Looking at her reflection, so different from her usual style, she was also pleasantly surprised.
"Wow, Feifei! You look great in it too!"
"Seriously, the cut of this jacket is really good," Lin Feifei couldn't help but smile herself. "It doesn't make your shoulders look broad, the fabric is stiff, and it looks good on anyone, tall, short, fat, or thin. Yanyan, when you go back, send me the purchase link, I want to buy one too."
Cheng Xiaoyue immediately raised her hand. "Me too! Me too!"
"I-It was given to me by someone..." Zhang Yan's cheeks instantly flushed bright red, and her voice dropped to a whisper. "I'll ask him for the link later."
The air fell silent instantly.
Cheng Xiaoyue and Lin Feifei exchanged a look, both seeing gossip flames burning fiercely in each other's eyes.
"Oh~~" Lin Feifei drew out the sound, smirking mischievously as she leaned closer. "It was 'given by someone,' huh? Could this 'someone' be the one who makes you feel *at ease*?"
"Spill it! Is it him!" Cheng Xiaoyue closed in from the other side, like interrogating a prisoner. "Confess everything!"
"I... I don't..."
Sandwiched between them, Zhang Yan blushed, laughing uncontrollably and nearly falling over, but she couldn't break free.
The three girls dissolved into a heap of laughter and playful wrestling on the small balcony.
Just then, a slightly cool breeze blew through.
A few icy snowflakes suddenly drifted down from the pitch-black night sky, melting on their cheeks, flushed from laughter.
Their laughter cut off abruptly, and almost simultaneously, they looked up.
"It's snowing!"
Someone let out a surprised, low exclamation.
Immediately after, more and more delicate snowflakes began to swirl and fall within the glow of the lights.
A look of near-enraptured, brilliant smile appeared on Zhang Yan's face.
She reached out her hand, caught a small snowflake, and watched it quickly melt into a drop of icy water in her palm.
Northern snow, Yancheng snow...
She really was seeing it.
Like they had returned to their carefree childhood, the three ran out from under the balcony awning and dashed into the gentle, newly fallen curtain of snow.
They spread their arms, lifted their heads, letting the snowflakes land in their hair and on their brows.
Their laughter pierced through the heavy night.
After a moment,
Zhang Yan suddenly clutched her stomach and crouched down.
"What's wrong, Yanyan?"
"Nothing." She waved her hand somewhat sheepishly. "Maybe I drank too much cold beer tonight and caught a bit of a chill being outside in the wind. I'll just go to the bathroom."
With that, holding her stomach, she hurried downstairs.
Closing the bathroom door, sitting on the toilet, she took out her phone.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally tapped open the pinned chat window.
Her fingertip hovered over the screen, deleting and rewriting, until finally, she sent a message mixed with shyness, a desire to share, and longing:
[Tang Song, I'm at Feifei's flower shop. The barbecue on the loft balcony smells wonderful, and everyone is very happy. I was just a bit greedy and had a few glasses of cold beer, and now my stomach is protesting. Turns out when people grow up, their stomachs become honest first.
Outside the window, it's snowing. Very lightly, very slowly, as if afraid to wake someone. Like the line from the book *'Not as good as willow catkins rising in the wind.'* Yangcheng has no snow; it's been so long since I've seen a winter like this.
You're probably still busy right now. When you leave the office later, it will definitely be colder than now, remember to wear an extra layer.
By the way, they really like your company's shell jackets and are asking me for the shopping link. If you're not too busy, could you send me the link?
The snow seems to be falling more densely now.
I, miss you a little.]
She sent the message.
Instantly, she was filled with an immense sense of sweetness.
Actually, from the moment they parted in the afternoon, she had wanted to message him.
She wanted to tell him she had arrived safely; share the joy of reuniting with friends; ask him if he had a good dinner...
But in the end, she was too shy, afraid of disturbing his work. The words "What are you doing?" were typed and deleted, deleted and retyped in the chat box.
Now, using the perfectly reasonable excuse of asking for the "shell jacket link," she had finally managed to say those words hidden in her heart logically.
"Buzz buzz buzz—"
Her phone vibrated almost the instant she sent the message.
[Tang Song: "I miss you too. Does your stomach still hurt? Is it bad?"]
Zhang Yan's face reddened, and she quickly replied, "Not bad, just an upset stomach, no need to worry."
[Tang Song: "No more cold drinks. Drink some hot water."]
Zhang Yan: [Sticker of a cat nodding]
[Tang Song: "Send me your two friends' heights and weights."]
Zhang Yan obediently sent over their measurements, then waited eagerly for Tang Song to send the shopping link.
However, the other party only sent a "Received" sticker and then fell silent.
Probably busy...
Zhang Yan didn't think much of it.
After all, it was Double Twelve, and he was the company boss; he must be swamped.
She was already very satisfied.
By the time Zhang Yan stood up from the toilet, she realized she had been squatting there typing and chatting for so long that her legs were numb and almost devoid of sensation.
Leaning against the wall, it took her a good while to steady herself.
When she returned to the loft balcony,
Cheng Xiaoyue and Lin Feifei immediately gathered around concernedly, thoughtfully pouring her a large cup of steaming honey citron tea.
However, this display of sisterly affection didn't last long.
She had barely taken two sips of the hot water before they cornered her again, one on each side.
"Confess! Who exactly is this 'someone' who gave you the shell jacket?!"
"I noticed back in university!" Cheng Xiaoyue pinched her arm, adopting an interrogation stance. "You kept sneaking off to Yanke University by yourself every now and then! Tell us! Is it that 'someone' from your Moments?!"
"Right!" Lin Feifei chimed in from the side. "Yanyan, don't think we didn't know; we just didn't have the heart to call you out because we knew you'd be shy."
"Still not talking? Feifei, tickle her!"
"Ah! Don't..."
Under the joint interrogation from her two best friends,
Zhang Yan, unable to withstand the pressure, laughed until tears nearly streamed down her face. Blushing furiously, she could only nod shyly in admission, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum.
"Wow—!!!"
Two pairs of gossip eyes instantly lit up like spotlights.
"It's really him?! How far have you gotten? Held hands? Kissed?"
"I want to hear your story! Tell us, tell us!"
Amid the clamor of "Leniency for confession, severity for resistance,"
Zhang Yan, haltingly, shared bits and pieces of their story spanning over a decade.
Middle school desk mates, former friends, later estrangement, Yancheng, Imperial Capital, and their reunion in Yangcheng...
Cheng Xiaoyue and Lin Feifei, both somewhat artsy literary types themselves, were instantly captivated by this long, pure, and seemingly fated story of secret affection, listening as if enchanted.
"Oh my god, so romantic..." Lin Feifei cupped her face. "This is just like a novel plot."
"By the way, he's in Yancheng too now, right? Yanyan, call him over!" Cheng Xiaoyue proposed excitedly.
"Yeah, yeah! I really want to meet him in person! For our talented beauty to remember him all these years, he must be like the male lead from a youth romance novel!"
Zhang Yan whispered, her face red, "H-He's very busy right now, working at the company."
"But your stomach hurts! Let him come take care of you! Just like in novels, where the domineering CEO flies over overnight or something!"
"If this 'someone' really grew into a hugely influential figure after parting from you, then this story would be legendary." Lin Feifei was already letting her imagination run wild.
Just then,
"Ring ring ring—" Zhang Yan's newly bought Huawei phone suddenly rang.
It was an unfamiliar local Yancheng number.
She quickly picked up the phone, seizing it like a lifeline to escape her friends' clutches.
Answering the call: "Hello? Yes, hello."
An extremely efficient and polite female voice came from the other end.
After listening for a few sentences, Zhang Yan's eyes widened instantly.
She shot up from the sofa, her voice even cracking slightly: "Ah? This... Ah! O-Okay! I... I'll come down right away!"
Cheng Xiaoyue and Lin Feifei exchanged a look, full of confusion.
Zhang Yan hung up the phone, her face still wearing an expression of disbelief, mixed with pleasant surprise and shock.
"Yanyan, what's wrong? Who was it?"
"H-He... he..." Zhang Yan pointed downstairs, speaking incoherently, "He had someone deliver the shell jackets you wanted, and... and medicine for me... sent over... said... said they're waiting downstairs."
"What do you mean?"
"Delivering clothes? And medicine?"
The two were stunned, not quite understanding.
But Zhang Yan had no time to explain, quickly heading towards the edge of the balcony.
Curious, the other two followed, leaning over the cool railing to look down.
Immediately after, all three girls froze in place.
The night was deep, and fine snowflakes fell silently.
Under the warm yellow glow of the street lamp downstairs from the flower shop, a Rolls-Royce Phantom with its hazard lights on was parked quietly by the roadside.
Its massive frame resembled a black beast lurking in the darkness.
The Parthenon-style silver grille reflected a cold, imposing metallic sheen under the light.
A thin layer of powdered snow had already settled on the roof and hood.
Standing silently beside the car was a woman wearing a black belted trench coat, her hair tied back in a neat ponytail.
Her posture was straight and athletic, standing firm in the wind and snow like a spear, holding several shopping bags in her hand.
Snowflakes landed on her shoulders, the streetlight outlining her cool, focused profile.
The scene was refined, aloof, and full of cinematic quality.
Seeming to notice the movement from above, the woman looked up towards the second-floor balcony.
The streetlight illuminated her face.
It was a face with extremely defined, even somewhat androgynously beautiful features, her eyes bright and sharp.
She carried an indescribable air of detachment and sharpness.
She looked incredibly commanding.