Chapter 108 — The New Year Arrives

Yang Ce paid, and Chen Shutang did not object. The relationship between the two of them had reached a point where such things no longer needed to be so clearly divided.

"Has Li Yixun left?" Chen Shutang asked.

"He's gone. He asked me to tell you," Yang Yuting said with a nod.

"What did you have to talk like that for just now?" Chen Shutang was a little displeased with Yang Ce's behavior a moment ago. "Li Yixun and I were just middle school classmates. There is nothing else between us."

"Hey, wasn't I just afraid this fellow might be setting his sights on you?" Yang Ce said with a chuckle.

"Come on, do you think I'm so popular or something?" Chen Shutang shot Yang Puqi a glare.

"What do you mean, not popular? Don't you know? There's even a campus beauty ranking on our school's BBS, and you're on the list," Yang Yanzhou said.

"It was all done by bored people with nothing better to do," said Chen Shutang. She had heard about it from her roommates too, but had paid it no mind. Had she paid closer attention, she would have noticed that Lin Yanhe was on the list as well.

"So what do we do now?" Yang Ce checked the time. It was still early; going back to Chen Shutang's home now would only be getting in the way—the adults were busy preparing the meal and had no use for the two of them.

"I don't know either. Let's just walk around," Chen Shutang suggested. "It's been a while since the two of us went shopping."

"Then let's take a walk." Yang Yu nodded.

Hand in hand, the two strolled along the street. The shops on either side were full of New Year festivity, hung with lanterns and colored streamers. They wandered from one shop to the next, not to buy anything, but simply to savor the warmth of the moment.

At some point snow began to drift down from the sky. Like a child, Chen Shutang watched in delight as the flakes settled on her scarf.

"Ha, when I was little I loved the snow. Whenever it snowed, I'd press myself against the window and watch the flakes fall outside," Chen Shutang said with a sigh. "Who'd have thought—in the blink of an eye I'm all grown up."

"That's right. Soon you'll be somebody else's wife, and your child will be pressing against the window watching the snow, just like you," Yang Hengye said.

"Oh, you—what are you saying?" Chen Shutang said crossly. "I'm here reminiscing about childhood, and you have to go and spoil it."

"Just joking." Yang Ce took her hand. "Then let me tell you about my childhood. Whenever I saw snow when I was little, I loved leaving footprints in it—in a set order, so that when I was done they looked like the tracks of a cartwheel, all neat and even."

"Ha, I played that too!" Chen Shutang laughed happily. The two fell to reminiscing about the amusing things of childhood, talking all the way from primary school to middle school. "Yang Ce, what do you suppose Su Ya is doing now?" At the mention of middle school, Chen Shutang could not help thinking of Su Ya again. Though it was a dreary subject, she could not resist asking out of curiosity.

"I don't know." Yang Ce sighed, then said slowly, "Maybe she's like the two of us—strolling through the snow with her other half."

"I'm sorry." Seeing the touch of sorrow on Yang Mo's face, Chen Shutang regretted having brought it up. The two of them had been so happy just a moment before.

"It's all right. Men grow up and marry, women grow up and wed—it's nothing." Yang Jincong smiled and shook his head.

Chen Shutang gave a soft sigh as well. It seemed Su Ya still occupied a place in Yang Juehuan's heart. Perhaps only time could change that. Without realizing it, the two had wandered all the way to the seaside. The winter shore was utterly deserted, and the biting sea wind whipped their hair into disarray. "Su Ya and I came here once," Yang Ce said, pointing to a reef stone not far off.

"A date?" Chen Shutang asked.

"Ha, not really. One day we got out of school early and had nothing to do—we'd meant to walk home together, but who'd have thought that once we started talking we couldn't bear to part, just like the two of us today, and somehow ended up here without meaning to." Yang Ce shook his head. "Children—what do they know about dates?"

"Still, it counts as a lovely memory." This time Chen Shutang was not jealous; there was no need to be jealous over such a thing. Su Ya had vanished from Yang Juehuan's life now and could only remain a fond memory. How could Chen Shutang be jealous of a memory?

"Yeah." Yang Yu nodded. "Come on, let's go have a look. I remember Su Ya and I carved our names on it. I wonder if they're still there."

"All right." Chen Shutang nodded. Though it did not sit well with her, there was nothing to be done about it. Besides, she was a little curious—she was trying to understand Yang Juehuan's past. To love someone is to accept all of him, isn't it? Including his past and all that came before.

The two came up to the stone. Yang Juehuan had sharp eyes and spotted his and Su Ya's names at once among the countless others. Though the marks had faded badly, they were still legible if one looked closely.

"Right here." Yang Ce pointed at the names.

"Vandalism of public property," Chen Shutang said after a glance. She thought it over and used the phrase to vent the imbalance in her heart. Indeed, who could feel at ease upon seeing one's beloved's name appear alongside another girl's?

"So many people carved theirs—one more won't make a difference. Hey, what are you doing?" Yang Ce stared at Chen Shutang in surprise. "Didn't you say it was vandalism of public property? Why are you—"

To be continued.