Zuo Zhou’s fingers paused for a moment. His gaze deepened as he stared at Shangguan Yu. His dark eyes, like a bottomless chasm, seemed to pull at the very core of his soul.
Under the raw intensity of that stare, Shangguan Yu’s muscles tightened. He gripped Zuo Zhou’s wrist harder, determined to prevent any further assault on his lips.
They held each other’s gaze for what felt like an endless moment. Finally, the burning desire in Zuo Zhou’s eyes began to subside, replaced by a flicker of still-unsteady rationality.
“Really?” Zuo Zhou asked softly.
“Really,” Shangguan Yu answered with absolute sincerity.
“Alright then…” Zuo Zhou chuckled, releasing his grip at last. He stepped back, tilting his head. “I believe you too.”
With that, he crossed his arms and settled onto the small rock he’d pulled over earlier. Feigning indifference, he stared out at the river, avoiding Shangguan Yu’s eyes.
He was clearly sulking.
“…”
Shangguan Yu was speechless. He was the one who had been startled, the one who had been violated. If anyone had a right to be upset, it was him! So why was Zuo Zhou acting like he was the victim?
Irritated, Shangguan Yu folded his arms and turned his wheelchair slightly, deliberately ignoring Zuo Zhou.
For a while, they sat with their backs to each other, locked in a childish silence. But eventually, Zuo Zhou relented.
He felt no remorse for his actions. In fact, part of him wanted to push things even further. However, the thought of how Shangguan Yu must have felt—how he might have interpreted it as a violation—prevented him from completely ignoring his conscience and pretending he was blameless.
Zuo Zhou cleared his throat, shifted on the rock, and turned to face Shangguan Yu, ready to offer a sincere apology.
But just as he turned—before he could even speak—Shangguan Yu, who had been facing away, coughed twice into his hand.
“!”
Zuo Zhou’s heart leaped. He sprang from the rock, taking a quick step toward Shangguan Yu. “Brother Yu, are you cold? Let’s go back.”
Shangguan Yu didn’t answer. Instead, he covered his mouth and coughed again, two sharp bursts.
His precious heart and soul was getting sick—this was unacceptable! Without hesitation, Zuo Zhou tightened Shangguan Yu’s coat and began pushing the wheelchair toward home at a brisk pace.
Shangguan Yu wasn’t pleased. He didn’t want Zuo Zhou pushing him, but the man was moving so quickly he had no choice but to grip the wheelchair’s armrests, his face a mask of displeasure.
Just as they were about to reach Zuo Zhou’s house—misfortune struck once more.
At the village entrance, an old man with a cigarette dangling from his lips stepped out of a nearby house, crossing paths with them.
Initially, the old man only noticed Zuo Zhou and was about to greet him with a smile. But then, he spotted the unfamiliar young man in the wheelchair ahead.
His eyes widened in surprise, nearly causing him to drop his cigarette. He gave Shangguan Yu a long, appraising look, his gaze sweeping over him with unconcealed curiosity.
“…”
Shangguan Yu felt a wave of discomfort under the scrutiny. He pursed his lips and turned his head away, avoiding the old man’s gaze.
As they drew closer, the old man rubbed his hands together, his curiosity getting the better of him. “Xiao Zhou, this is…?”
Knowing Shangguan Yu disliked being stared at, Zuo Zhou subtly adjusted the wheelchair, positioning it closer to himself to shield him from the old man’s direct gaze.
“Happy New Year, Grandpa Wang!” Zuo Zhou greeted with a cheerful smile. “It’s cold outside, so my brother and I are heading home. Enjoy your cigarette!”
Without giving the old man, whose face was alight with curiosity, a chance to ask anything, he quickened his pace and pushed Shangguan Yu onward.
Behind them, Grandpa Wang craned his neck, his eyes following their retreating figures with unwavering curiosity.
The walk home was silent.
When they arrived, Grandma was in the courtyard, enjoying the sun while feeding the chicks. Seeing them return so soon, she looked mildly surprised.
“Back already?”
“Yeah,” Zuo Zhou replied. “The wind by the river was strong—I didn’t want Brother Yu to catch a chill.”
“Oh, oh! Then hurry inside and warm up,” Grandma said quickly.
“Thank you, Grandma,” Shangguan Yu replied politely.
The moment they were inside, Shangguan Yu’s polite façade dropped. Without a word, he took control of his wheelchair and swiftly rolled toward the bedroom, leaving Zuo Zhou standing there.
Zuo Zhou hadn’t anticipated that. His hands were still poised as if pushing the wheelchair, but now there was nothing to hold.
He could only sigh helplessly, watching Shangguan Yu’s back disappear down the hallway.
It was his own fault, Zuo Zhou admitted to himself. He hadn’t hidden his sharp edges well enough. In his eagerness, he’d let Shangguan Yu see a glimpse of his true nature. He’d been too rash, too reckless. And though he didn’t truly regret his actions, in this situation, he had no choice but to offer a sincere and serious apology.
Taking a deep breath, Zuo Zhou turned and headed to the living room. He poured a cup of hot water, paused for a moment, then added a small handful of fragrant green tea before carrying it into the bedroom.
Inside, Shangguan Yu sat facing the bed, his head slightly bowed, lost in his thoughts.
Seeing him like that, Zuo Zhou’s heart softened immediately.
With a soft sigh, he adopted his most pitiful, cautious demeanor and slowly approached with the tea.
“Brother Yu,” Zuo Zhou circled around Shangguan Yu and sat on the bed, directly facing him. Studying Shangguan Yu’s expression, he put on a look of utter grievance and said softly, “I’m sorry. Please don’t be angry with me—it’s all my fault.”
Shangguan Yu turned his face away, ignoring him.
“Have some hot tea,” Zuo Zhou coaxed, holding out the cup. “It’ll warm you up.”
Shangguan Yu remained unresponsive.
“Please, Brother Yu, take it.” Zuo Zhou pressed the warm cup into his hands, his voice laced with quiet pleading. “You can stay mad at me, but don’t take it out on yourself. Your hands are freezing—at least warm them up a little.”
“…”
Zuo Zhou’s voice was so pitiful, his expression so filled with quiet suffering. Shangguan Yu, defenseless against such tactics, felt his resolve crumble.
With a sigh, he reached out and took the cup.
The warmth from the cup spread through Shangguan Yu’s palms instantly—it was really comforting.
“Brother Yu, I’m truly sorry,” Zuo Zhou continued his apology. “I… I lost my head back there. Can you… forgive me?”
Shangguan Yu pressed his lips together. “Xiao Zuo, you can’t always expect that just saying ‘I’m sorry’ will make everything go away. The way you acted just now… it made you feel like a complete stranger.”
He’d wanted to say that Zuo Zhou had actually frightened him, but after a pause, he decided against being so blunt.
Zuo Zhou listened intently, his expression a mix of remorse and frustration.
“I know, it was my fault,” he admitted. “But it’s just… I like you so much, Brother Yu. And I’m still young—I was too impulsive. I’ll control myself better in the future. I promise, I’ll never act like that again.”
Shangguan Yu could hear the sincerity in Zuo Zhou’s voice. He wasn’t actually upset anymore, but his emotions were still in disarray. With a quiet sigh, he said, “Alright, I understand. I’m a bit tired right now—I just want to rest for a while. Please leave me alone for now.”
“Oh.” Zuo Zhou nodded obediently. “Then… do you need me to—”
“No need.”
“Alright.”
Zuo Zhou didn’t dare press the issue. He stood up immediately, casting a final glance at Shangguan Yu before saying, “I’ll leave you be then. I’ll let you know when dinner’s ready.”
Shangguan Yu murmured a soft “Mm.”
Though this little incident had left a lingering awkwardness between them, with Grandma present, they both tacitly pretended nothing had happened.
After dinner, they spent some time chatting and playing cards with Grandma. By the time nine o’clock arrived, she yawned and announced she was ready for bed. Shangguan Yu immediately followed suit, claiming he was going to sleep as well.
In reality, he wasn’t tired at all—he simply wanted to avoid the awkward silence of sitting across from Zuo Zhou.
Zuo Zhou prepared a basin of warm water for Shangguan Yu to wash up, then quietly slipped into bed himself, lying still beside him.
Shangguan Yu kept his eyes closed, lying stiff like a corpse. He hadn’t been sleepy to begin with, but now, with someone lying so close, sleep felt even more impossible.
After tossing and turning a few times without success, he finally gave up and grabbed his phone, scrolling aimlessly for something to distract himself.
The moment the screen lit up, Zuo Zhou’s voice piped up beside him. “Brother Yu, can’t sleep?”
“…Mm.”
“Then let’s talk.”
“No, go to sleep.”
“But I can’t sleep either.”
“Then play on your phone for a while.”
“Don’t feel like it.”
In the darkness, Zuo Zhou turned over, now facing Shangguan Yu.
Shangguan Yu, wanting to avoid engaging him, turned his back and continued scrolling through his phone.
For a while, Zuo Zhou remained silent. Thinking he had finally fallen asleep, Shangguan Yu let out a quiet sigh of relief—only for Zuo Zhou’s voice to suddenly pierce the silence again.
“Brother Yu, didn’t you say you weren’t angry with me anymore? Then why are you still ignoring me?”
“…I’m not ignoring you,” Shangguan Yu sighed helplessly. “I just want to look at my phone for a while.”
“You’re lying.”
Before Shangguan Yu could respond, Zuo Zhou suddenly reached out and snatched the phone from his hands.
“…What are you doing?”
“Nothing,” Zuo Zhou muttered, his face illuminated by the phone’s glow, showing a hint of grievance. “I just want to talk to you.”
Shangguan Yu took a deep breath. “Fine. What do you want to talk about?”
“I don’t know. You think of something.”
“…Didn’t you say you wanted to talk?”
“Yeah, but I don’t have a topic. Let’s talk about the weather then. The forecast says it’ll snow early tomorrow morning—the first snowfall of the year. Brother Yu, do you think it’ll really snow?”
“…Probably not. The weather was great today. It doesn’t seem like it’s going to snow.”
“Hmm, yeah… I think so too.”
They continued chatting casually, their conversation drifting aimlessly until, at some point, Shangguan Yu grew drowsy and unknowingly fell asleep.
He wasn’t sure how long he’d slept, but when he woke up again, it was to Zuo Zhou calling his name.
Forcing his eyes open, he saw the faint light of dawn filtering through the window, painting the room in soft shades of gray.
“Mm… what time is it?”
“Just after five.”
“…”
Shangguan Yu was about to ask why on earth he was being woken up so early when he suddenly felt a sharp chill radiating from Zuo Zhou’s hands, the cold biting against his face.
Instinctively, he recoiled into the warmth of his blankets.
Zuo Zhou chuckled at the small, animal-like movement, lifting his hands to reveal something nestled in his palm. With a gentle smile, he said, “Brother Yu, it’s snowing outside. Look.”
!
Following Zuo Zhou’s gesture, Shangguan Yu’s gaze fell upon a tiny, roughly made snowman sitting quietly in his palm.
It had no nose, no mouth—just a smooth, round face of pure white, as if silently proclaiming: Look! It really is snowing!
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