After the final exams were over, the school gave a day off. Cheng Chu had planned to use this day to rest, but she was pulled out of bed early in the morning by her mother.

"After breakfast, I'll take you and your little cousin out to buy some New Year's goods," said Fu Rong, taking a sip of milk and turning to Fu Xun with a kind smile. "Buy whatever you like, consider it a New Year's gift from your aunt."

Fu Xun nodded and smiled innocently, "Thank you, Auntie."

In these past few days, Fu Xun's parents had gone to different countries to celebrate the New Year, without any plans to take their son with them.

Feeling sorry for Fu Xun, Fu Rong scolded her own brother harshly, and then sent a driver to bring Fu Xun over to spend the New Year with them. 

The cold winter wind was howling, but inside the car, the heater was on and it felt as warm as spring. The driver stopped the car at the entrance of the mall and let the two of them out.

"What do you want to buy?" Cheng Chu hurriedly walked into the mall, hunching her body against the cold, before turning around to ask Fu Xun.

The young man lazily put his hands in his pockets and said, "I don't want to buy anything here. Let's go somewhere else."

Cheng Chu felt like he was just trying to mess with her. 

It was freezing outside, and she had only thrown on a sweater before leaving the house, counting on the mall's heating to keep her warm. 

Now he wanted her to go somewhere else? She'd freeze to death!

"Can't we just stay here and look around? I'm cold," she said bluntly.

The young man was wrapped up in a thick coat, looking like a ball. He lifted his eyes lazily and said, "Then let's go buy you a coat."

There was nothing else to say. Five minutes later, Cheng Chu and the young boy walked out of the mall, with Cheng Chu wearing her newly bought cotton coat. The winter wind was bone-chillingly cold, and with the Lunar New Year approaching, the usually quiet streets were now bustling with people.

Cheng Chu followed Fu Xun aimlessly as they wandered around, until she couldn't help but speak up: "What exactly are you trying to buy? Can't we just go home if you're not going to buy anything?"

She was really tired, and her feet were aching from all the walking. As they moved further away from the noisy city center, the number of pedestrians dwindled.

At the end of the street was a music store, with soothing music flowing out from within. Fu Xun stopped in his tracks and walked inside, saying, "Pick something."

"What?" Cheng Chu was a bit surprised when they first entered the store. This child usually only played games, when did he develop an interest in listening to records?

The lights inside the store were dim, and the young boy lowered his gaze, with a faint blush creeping up on his ears. 

"You like music, right? Just pick whatever you want," he scratched his head, his tone stiff. "I improved on my final exams this time and even got praised by the teacher, so consider it a thank you gift from me."

The dim lights in the store reflected in his narrow phoenix eyes, softening the sharp edges of his face.

Facing the warm air vent, the warm breeze brushed against Cheng Chu's face, making her feel itchy.

She smiled, the winter chill fading from her face. "Well, I guess you do have a little bit of a conscience."

"Hey, don't buy too many, okay? At most ten, got it?" Fu Xun stiffly said, sticking out his neck.

He was always careless with money, buying a bunch of games and such, so he didn't think ten was too many.

Cheng Chu, who had originally only planned to pick a few symbolic ones, suddenly laughed. 

It turns out his bottom line was so high. 

"Okay," she nodded with a smile.

Half an hour later, Cheng Chu carried ten selected records and walked out of the music store with Fu Xun by her side.

The cold winter wind blew, instantly waking up Cheng Chu who was feeling a bit drowsy.

"Let's find a place to sit for a bit," Cheng Chu pointed to the milk tea shop across the street. "Let's go there and have something to drink. I'm a bit tired."

"Fine, girls are delicate," Fu Xun said disdainfully, but still obediently followed Cheng Chu into the milk tea shop.

A light sweet fragrance filled the air, and the bright white decor of the shop instantly lifted one's mood.

"Hello, I'll have a cup of taro milk tea," Cheng Chu turned around and asked, "What about you, what do you want to drink?"

"Same as you," Fu Xun said gruffly. 

The cashier counter was small, with the kitchen just behind it. Perhaps due to a strong emphasis on hygiene, the restaurant had installed transparent glass around the kitchen, making all the operations inside clearly visible.

After paying, Cheng Chufu looked up and met a pair of dark, deep-set eyes. It was like a spark of light in the darkness, and those eyes suddenly lit up upon meeting hers.

Cheng Chufu smiled happily and took the receipt handed to her by the waiter, waving at him.

A warmth spread across Gu Miao's eyes, which were tinged with a hint of coldness. He awkwardly raised his hand, covered in flour, and waved at her.

But the next second, when he saw the young man standing behind her, the light in his eyes dimmed.

Who was that? 

He clenched his fists tightly around the dough, his lips pursed. The oven in the kitchen hummed softly, and the sweet aroma of bread gradually filled the air.

But Gu Miao felt like he had just been poured a pot of vinegar, his stomach cramping with sourness. 

Unconsciously, he kneaded the dough in his hand, but eventually couldn't resist looking up.

The winter sun shone through, casting its light on the slender back of a girl sitting with her back to the kitchen, stirring her taro balls with a straw.

After a moment, she handed the milk tea in her hand to the boy across from her.

Gu Miao pursed his lips, staring at the boy with a calm gaze that hinted at a fiery anger.

The bread master next to him walked over, looked down at the dough in his hand, and nodded approvingly. 

"Hmm, young man, you have quite a bit of strength. Let me talk to the boss, and we'll hire you. Today's trial is over for now." 

"Oh, by the way, if you want some bread from the shop, you can take a few home. Our employees have pretty good benefits," said the shopkeeper.

Gu Miao withdrew her gaze and looked at the white dough in his hand, nodding silently.

Meanwhile, Cheng Chu lowered her head and drank her milk tea, saying helplessly, "Let's just switch cups since you insist that I have more taro balls than you."

"That's true," Fu Xun took a sip of milk tea and spoke vaguely with a mouthful of taro balls, "You really do have more than me."

"By the way, who was the person you just greeted?" he asked Cheng Chu.

Her fingers froze on her phone as she replied, "No one, just a classmate." 

"Just classmates? I don't believe it," Fu Xun sneered, raising his eyebrows mischievously. "Could it be that someone has a secret crush? Seeing you so happy, but I don't think you would be interested in him."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Cheng Chu pursed her lips, her tone slightly chilly.

"He looks so boring and unlikable," he said, his voice gradually weakening as his gaze began to wander behind her.

Curious, Cheng Chu looked back.

It was noon, and a few rays of sunlight were refracting through the glass window. Gu Miao was wearing a thin white hoodie and walking out of the kitchen.

Cheng Chu waved at him. "Are you off work?"

He walked over to their table and nodded silently. The store was heated, but he seemed to carry the coldness of the winter outside the window on his body.

Cheng Chu smiled and said, "We're almost done with our drinks, let's go together."

She picked up the bag of records from the ground and gestured to Fu Xun with her eyes.

"I'll help you," Gu Miao reached out and naturally took the records from her hand.

Fu Xun held his own bag of records and looked at Gu Miao with disdain.

What a fake kindness!

The three of them walked out of the milk tea shop one after another.

The trees at the entrance had already shed their leaves and stood alone on the cold street, giving off a somewhat desolate feeling.

Cheng Chu couldn't help but turn her head to look at him.

The winter sun shone on Gu Miao's handsome face, his thin lips slightly chapped and showing a hint of white, tightly pursed at the moment.

"Did you ride your bike here today?" Cheng Chu asked.

He shook his head and whispered, "No." 

"Wait for me, I'll have the driver take you," Cheng Chu pondered for a moment before saying, "You're dressed too lightly."

Going back like this, you'll catch a cold.

The young man lowered his gaze and shook his head slightly, "No need."

The driver sent a message to Fu Xun, saying that the car had already been parked on the side of the road.

"The car is here, let's go," Fu Xun said to Cheng Chu.

He turned his head and looked at Gu Miao's thin clothes, saying calmly, "Let's go, it's on the way."

Cheng Chu gave him a disdainful look. 

What way? He couldn't even come up with a decent excuse.

The dry branches on the street trembled slightly in the cold wind. Gu Miao's eyes seemed even colder after hearing the young man's words.

His jaw tightened, and he even tightened his grip on the record in his hand. 

His voice was cold and hard, "No need, my home, is nearby." 

He pursed his lips and handed the bag in his hand to Cheng Chu. His stiff voice seemed to reveal a hint of grievance, "Yours, the record."

It must be the boy who bought it for her. She had just held it so dearly in her arms.

The sourness seemed to instantly fill his nostrils again, causing Gu Miao's heart to twitch.

Cheng Chu looked at the record in her hand for a moment, and a hint of understanding flashed in her beautiful peach blossom eyes.

She handed the bag to Fu Xun and said to him, "You go wait in the car for me. I'll talk to him for a bit."

"Okay." Fu Xun carried two bags of records and took a few steps before turning back nonchalantly, "Hurry up, I'm starving to death."

"I know, I know." Cheng Chu could only helplessly comply.

As he listened to the girl's intimate tone, it felt like a gust of wind had blown into Gu Miao's eyes, making him feel even colder. On the quiet street, only a few pedestrians were walking slowly in the distance.

Cheng Chu looked up, her watery peach blossom eyes seemed to be filled with crushed sunlight.

"Is your home really close by?" she asked softly.

Gu Miao nodded, half an hour's walk was quite close for him.

"Okay," Cheng Chu nodded knowingly, "then I'll go."

Watching the girl's back, Gu Miao felt a bit at a loss and lowered his eyes.

Never before had he despised his pathetic pride as much as he did now.

They were going to be separated next semester, shouldn't he cherish every second he spent with her?

Those ridiculous jealous feelings and inexplicable pride couldn't compare to just a few words with her.

At the end of the street, there were several plum trees planted. 

When the cold winter wind blew, the clear and fragrant scent with a hint of bitterness slowly spread. Gu Miao stared intently at the girl's back, his lips moving silently a few times.

But before he could say anything, the girl turned around.

The winter sun shone into her bright peach blossom eyes.

She looked at him, a smile spreading from the depths of her eyes. "That was my cousin just now."

"What, what?" Gu Miao listened to her words, somewhat incredulous.

"Forget it if you didn't hear." The girl waved at him, her two small dimples appearing on her cheeks. "Don't be unhappy, see you at school tomorrow."

Until her figure gradually disappeared, Gu Miao came back to his senses, realizing that he had been smiling for who knows how long.

Author's note: 

Gu Miao: Because of jealousy, he unexpectedly got a job and can save money to buy her a gift~