Because the contents of this Weibo post seemed so wonderful, coupled with the endorsements from various artists reposting it, Chi Shuo’s “Insecticide” comment vanished like a grain of sand into the sea, unnoticed, absorbed.
She relaxed, yet felt a subtle shift, as if she and He Lindi now shared a small, quiet secret.
However, He Lindi didn’t know Chi Shuo knew this was her secret account. But that didn’t matter; Chi Shuo wouldn’t tell anyone. Since He Lindi had kept it hidden for so long, she would respect that. Besides, there was no need for her to tell anyone.
Chi Shuo didn’t consider herself a blabbermouth.
Yuncheng’s temperature had dropped with the arrival of winter. And as December began, it got even colder. Chi Shuo wrapped herself in a down jacket and scarf; gloves were now an essential tool.
Her constitution dictated it. She wasn’t particularly afraid of the cold, but her hands were. If she wasn’t careful, she’d get chilblains.
The first time she got chilblains, Chi Shuo was nine, still in elementary school. One day, her fingers felt itchy and hot. Scratching them hurt terribly, and the affected fingers swelled and turned purple, making it difficult even to hold a pen. Every winter since then, Chi Shuo prepared fleece-lined gloves to avoid getting chilblains again. Even later, when living conditions improved slightly and everywhere was warm, Chi Shuo still harbored a slight fear.
This year was no exception. Chi Shuo’s drawer held several pairs of gloves in different styles. She always wore them commuting to and from work. They weren’t needed in the office; her colleagues feared the cold more than she did and had long switched the air conditioning to heating mode.
Wednesday afternoon, in the office, Chi Shuo had taken off her gloves and was typing away at her keyboard.
Her fingers were slender, typing speed extremely fast. Her nail beds were a pale pink, lustrous, providing a somewhat sharp contrast against the black keyboard.
Fang Xiuxiu beside her rubbed her knees, lips pressed tightly, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
Chi Shuo glanced at her and asked with concern, “Xiuxiu, what’s wrong?”
Fang Xiuxiu shook her head, hunched slightly as she continued rubbing her knees, then worriedly said, “Am I getting rheumatism? My knees are aching and sore right now.”
Chi Shuo frowned slightly. “Should you go to the hospital for a check-up first?”
“Hold on, let me just rest for a bit.” Fang Xiuxiu looked puzzled. “Could it be because I always wear ripped jeans?”
Chi Shuo shook her head then nodded, indicating she didn’t know. “But seeing you like this, it’s still better to get it checked.”
“I had a classmate before who had rheumatism. When it got cold, it was incredibly uncomfortable.”
“Sigh.” Chi Shuo sighed, unsure what else to say. She suddenly thought of He Lindi. Chi Shuo shuddered, immediately focusing back on her work, no longer recalling the scene where He Lindi mentioned her knee wasn’t good.
But the more she tried not to, the easier it was to remember. Finally, feeling a surge of irritation, Chi Shuo got up and went to the break room for a cup of hot water.
Xia Zhou followed her. The hot water in the cup steamed. She held the cup and asked, “Shuo Shuo, want to have dinner together tomorrow night?” She said, “My treat.”
“You don’t have to say it, I would have asked you anyway.” Chi Shuo smiled. “If I remember correctly, tomorrow is your birthday.”
Xia Zhou raised an eyebrow. “You have the best memory. I told Guai Guai, and she even asked me why.”
Chi Shuo curved her lips. “Are you expecting anything from someone who almost got her own birthday wrong?”
Xia Zhou laughed. “Hahaha, true.” Her expression turned slightly serious, looking hesitantly at Chi Shuo.
Chi Shuo glanced at her. “What?”
Xia Zhou stammered, “That… that…”
Chi Shuo raised an eyebrow. “Why are you being so ‘that’?”
Xia Zhou waved her hand, knowing Chi Shuo was teasing her for being slow. She replied with full confidence, “And Didi too, I sent her an invitation.”
“Yo.”
“Did she agree?”
“Mm.”
“It’s fine. Look at us now, it’d be strange if we could fight. Besides, it’s your birthday, we’ll maintain surface-level friendliness.” Chi Shuo thought for a moment, then said, “Though maybe not maintaining it is okay too.”
“I’m not worried about that.”
“I’m worried you’ll be unhappy seeing each other.”
Chi Shuo also waved her hand and walked towards her workstation. She replied, “Where does that even come from? Is she worthy?” She answered her own question, “She’s not worthy.”
Xia Zhou: “…” Her worry wasn’t unfounded.
Fortunately, Chi Shuo and He Lindi rarely met. They hadn’t encountered each other in over half a month. With the distance established, out of sight, out of mind. So, meeting occasionally shouldn’t lead to any uncontrollable consequences, right?
Besides, Xia Zhou was a good person. As her friends, both Chi Shuo and He Lindi would give her some face. Whoever dared to stir up conflict on the spot would be tantamount to losing a friend.
But just as Xia Zhou thought Chi Shuo and He Lindi would only meet tomorrow night, she unexpectedly ran into He Lindi in the elevator today. She immediately looked at Zeng Guai beside her, bewildered, the two exchanging glances.
“Didi left work early again?”
“How would I know?”
“Sigh!”
“Sigh!”
They both sighed inwardly.
Chi Shuo, wearing tight gloves, leaned against the elevator wall. Winter always made her sleepy. It was only around 5:40 PM now, the weather gloomy, looking like 7 PM already. The elevator was enclosed, and the people around her were listless. Chi Shuo felt even drowsier.
So drowsy that even with He Lindi standing right in front of her, her inner emotions remained completely undisturbed.
The elevator quickly reached the first floor. Chi Shuo straightened up. She thought He Lindi would go down to B1 to get her car, but saw He Lindi leave the elevator one step ahead of her.
He Lindi wore a turtleneck sweater and a coat, hands shoved into her pockets, wearing a pair of Martin boots. Chi Shuo glanced over, noticed they were fleece-lined, and could tell from her slightly thicker calves that her pants were also fleece-lined.
Chi Shuo frowned slightly. Recalling her high school crush on He Lindi, did He Lindi fear the cold this much back then? But in the few memories she retained, He Lindi always wore skirts in winter, seemingly defying winter itself.
Chi Shuo: “…”
Youth doesn’t appreciate the value of health; old age…
No, not old yet.
“Shuo Shuo, why are you walking so slow!” Zeng Guai’s words forcefully pulled Chi Shuo’s thoughts back.
Chi Shuo lifted her lips. “No, just thinking about something.”
Only then did she notice He Lindi walking side-by-side with Xia Zhou, showing no intention of separating.
Zeng Guai looked at the backs of the two ahead, touched her chin, and said, “Does dating make people lose weight?”
“Have you heard of ‘happiness fat’?” Chi Shuo answered seriously. “Most people lose weight after breaking up.”
“Then why are Xia Zhou’s calves a section thinner than Didi’s?” Zeng Guai’s brain couldn’t keep up. “Either Xia Zhou lost weight, or Didi gained weight.”
After some time, mentioning He Lindi in front of Chi Shuo caused no problems.
“Can’t you see her pants are fleece-lined?”
“Eh?”
“Try wearing fleece-lined pants or even long johns, see if you get the same effect?”
“…Makes sense.”
Chi Shuo’s gaze swept over He Lindi’s figure again, then she turned her head and continued chatting with Zeng Guai.
Xia Zhou had many friends at the company, but she didn’t invite many for her treat, only twelve including herself. She had booked a private room with two tables in advance.
Chi Shuo could see it clearly: the table she sat at was the company friends table, while the other table was filled with Xia Zhou’s friends from her student days.
Inevitably sitting at the same table as He Lindi, Chi Shuo already felt indifferent, chatting non-stop with Zeng Guai like a crosstalk duo.
Yue Ke, as Xia Zhou’s boyfriend, naturally couldn’t be absent. He even seemed busier than Xia Zhou, shuttling back and forth between the two tables chatting.
He Lindi sat silently nearby, fingertips occasionally sliding across her phone screen. The phone screen’s light reflected on her face. Chi Shuo glanced over, seeing her long eyelashes and the elegant curve of her nose bridge.
But Chi Shuo didn’t know what she was looking at. She keenly noticed the corners of He Lindi’s lips curve slightly.
The next second, as if sensing her gaze, He Lindi slowly looked up. Chi Shuo startled, immediately picked up her water glass and took a sip. However, due to carelessness, Chi Shuo choked on the water and started coughing.
Zeng Guai chuckled while grabbing tissues for Chi Shuo, who was already coughing with her head lowered. “Look at you, how careless?”
Chi Shuo couldn’t manage a thank you yet; choking wasn’t pleasant. She recovered after a while, feeling her face flush from coughing.
Xia Zhou asked with concern, “What happened?”
Chi Shuo waved her hand. “Nothing.”
While speaking to Xia Zhou, Chi Shuo carefully glanced at He Lindi again with her peripheral vision. Fortunately, she was careful enough; otherwise, she would have been caught by He Lindi’s gaze.
The dishes gradually started arriving, and the atmosphere grew livelier.
Yue Ke took the lead, raising his drink cup and expressing his blessings to his girlfriend: “Happy birthday, Zhou Zhou.”
Xia Zhou and Yue Ke had been together for almost half a year. Time passed quickly. Chi Shuo joined the heckling, shouting “Kiss, kiss!” while feeling emotional.
Perhaps precisely because she realized so much time had passed, Chi Shuo’s mood sank. She ate much more quietly than before.
Zeng Guai thought she was uncomfortable from coughing and attentively poured her water and served her food, extremely concerned.
Eventually, Chi Shuo’s bowl piled up into a small mountain. When Zeng Guai was about to serve her more food, she immediately held up her hands in front of her. Just as she was about to speak, she heard He Lindi’s voice.
He Lindi seemed to say casually, “Don’t give her any more.”
Zeng Guai’s heart started pounding; she felt like she was being reprimanded. The next second, she heard He Lindi say softly, “Putting on winter fat isn’t done like this.”
Zeng Guai burst out laughing several times. “Okay, okay, got it.”
Chi Shuo: “…” She held it in.
Xia Zhou, the birthday girl, couldn’t help chuckling nearby. Yue Ke also laughed and said, “Sister Di…”
He hadn’t even finished speaking when He Lindi reminded him, “What did you call me?”
Chi Shuo snorted coldly, retaliating, “DJ.”
Seeing the atmosphere like this, Xia Zhou finally stopped worrying. She had been somewhat apprehensive, but now watching the two banter, she felt reassured.
He Lindi didn’t make another sound. The two just “sparred” through the air for a couple of sentences. The meal reached its end—the server brought out the cake, Xia Zhou put on the birthday hat, the lights went out, and she began making wishes.
Tomorrow was still a workday, so naturally, they couldn’t stay out too late, especially since Chi Shuo’s routine had become regular. She rarely stayed out past ten anymore.
Yue Ke, the younger boyfriend, performed excellently, thoughtfully hailing taxis for Xia Zhou’s friends.
The night wind was even more biting. Chi Shuo put on her scarf and hat but still felt the wind finding ways to seep in.
“The wind might be cold too, seeking human shelter,” Chi Shuo shivered.
Zeng Guai disagreed. “What are you thinking? Still trying to whitewash the cold wind?”
Chi Shuo: “…”
Xia Zhou smiled and said, “Then Zeng Guai, you go back with Shuo Shuo, you two are on the same route.” She made the distinction clearly. “We’ll take Didi back first.”
“Okay.” Zeng Guai nodded, said “Happy birthday” again to Xia Zhou with Chi Shuo, then walked towards the opposite side of the road. Hailing a taxi there would save the driver a detour.
Watching Chi Shuo and the others get into the car, Xia Zhou said to He Lindi and her boyfriend, “Let’s go too.”
Yue Ke reached up, ruffled her hair, and said with a smile, “You’ve worked hard.”
“Not at all, you’re the one who worked hard, did so much, I’m so touched.”
The two flirted openly beside He Lindi, their cousin. He Lindi curved her lips slightly and said, “You guys go back yourselves, I’ll wander around a bit more.”
“No way, we have to take you home.” Yue Ke disagreed. “I’m afraid your leg will suddenly hurt.”
Xia Zhou caught this key information. “Leg hurt?”
“Ah… nothing, just normal cramping.” Yue Ke immediately explained frantically, sensing He Lindi’s gaze.
Xia Zhou was still somewhat puzzled by this matter but had to pretend to be reassured hearing this answer. “OK.”
He Lindi continued, “I don’t need a ride.” She lowered her eyelids slightly. “I’m not in a good mood, want to walk around outside first.”
Yue Ke didn’t insist further. “Okay then.” He still couldn’t change his habit. “Sister Di, be safe, don’t let Uncle and Aunt worry.”
“Mm.”
Yue Ke and the others drove away. He Lindi tightened her clothes and yielded the way for them.
Only after the car disappeared from sight did He Lindi finally let out a breath.
There was a bench under a tree by the roadside. She wrapped her turtleneck sweater tighter, slowly walked over, and sat down.
The pants she wore were thick and warm. Even contacting the icy bench didn’t bring a trace of coldness.
Pedestrians came and went before her. He Lindi took her phone out of her pocket, clicked on Weibo, and logged into her secret account.
She had finished drawing three more pictures, already combined into a long image. She stared at the sea of red in her notification bar, unsure if she should post.
After hesitating for perhaps five minutes, she casually snapped a picture of the sky and posted it with a short caption: 【A bit cold.】
On the way back in the car, Zeng Guai, tired from eating, leaned against Chi Shuo’s shoulder and slept.
Chi Shuo was scrolling through Weibo. She was still studying drawing methods recently. Just after refreshing her feed, she saw the secret account of He Lindi, which she had hesitated about for a long time before finally following.
This update looked extremely normal, but Chi Shuo felt something wasn’t quite right.
He Lindi should be in the car now, not looking at the sky in the cold winter night.
The meaning of a secret account lies in no one knowing it’s you, regardless of how many followers it has.
But now it seemed slightly different, because Chi Shuo recognized her own Weibo.
Last time she posted pictures, He Lindi had been closely watching the reposts, looking for any trace of Chi Shuo.
Fortunately, she found it.
He Lindi herself wasn’t sure what she was doing now—she should be distancing herself from Chi Shuo, yet she couldn’t help wanting to get closer.
He Lindi felt she really must be crazy.
She had asked the boss for leave in advance just to be in the same elevator as Chi Shuo. She had stayed by Chi Shuo’s bedside when she was sick and delirious. She had even used her good relationship with Lin Xinyue to subtly inquire about Chi Shuo’s current attitude towards her, although that plan was foiled by Lin Xinyue’s poor acting. And tonight, seeing Zeng Guai serve Chi Shuo food, she even felt a bit jealous.
Thinking of these things, He Lindi lowered her head slightly and exhaled.
Unsure how long passed, He Lindi checked the time, preparing to hail a taxi home.
But not two seconds later, someone wrapped in a long down jacket stood before her.
He Lindi’s actions paused. Without looking up, she heard the person speak: “What are you doing sitting here? If you don’t want your legs, you can donate them to someone useful.”
“…”
He Lindi stood up, wiping away her previous expression, her eyes returning to their usual state.
She didn’t speak, just walked to the side.
Chi Shuo grabbed her wrist, her tone light. “Teacher He, how about teaching me something else?”
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