The post circulating online still had considerable impact. When Lin Qingle and her group entered the classroom, the students already inside all turned to look at her—just as they had that day.
But seeing Jiang Shuyi and Yu Tingting walking beside her as usual, even chatting and laughing with Yu Jiayou, many couldn’t help but second-guess themselves. Could everything online really be true? If it were, why would someone like Yu Jiayou, of all people, remain close to Lin Qingle?
Yu Jiayou was practically a model student, respected by everyone at school. Seeing him openly associate with Lin Qingle in the days that followed gradually diluted the rumors swirling around her.
**Christmas Eve.**
When the dismissal bell rang, Jiang Shuyi and Yu Tingting sprang to their feet, grabbing Lin Qingle.
“Hurry, hurry! Time is tight—we need to go pick out gifts!”
Lin Qingle barely had time to finish her final multiple-choice question before being pulled out of her seat. “Do we really have to rush like this?”
“Of course! If we’re late, the good stuff will be gone!”
“Oh…”
Jiang Shuyi turned and shouted toward the back of the classroom, “Yu Jiayou! Want to come pick out gifts with us?”
Yu Jiayou, seated at the rear, looked up with a slight smile. “Why would I join you girls for shopping?”
“Boys need to buy gifts too!”
Yu Tingting patted Jiang Shuyi. “Let’s just go. What gifts does Yu Jiayou need to buy? He’s the type to only receive them.”
Jiang Shuyi thought about it. “True… alright, let’s go!”
“Mm.”
The three girls left through the front door, chatting as they went. Watching their retreating figures, Yu Jiayou smiled wryly.
“Jiayou.”
At that moment, Yan Dairong walked in through the back door.
Yu Jiayou stood up. “You’re here.”
“Aunt’s already waiting at the school gate. Let’s go.”
“Alright.”
Tonight, there was a birthday banquet for one of their elders, and both Yan Dairong and Yu Jiayou were expected to attend.
Yan Dairong had arrived a few minutes earlier and waited outside the classroom. During that time, she noticed that Lin Qingle was not alone—there were still people by her side. She also saw Yu Jiayou speaking to them.
“Have you heard about Lin Qingle from your class and the stuff online?” Yan Dairong asked as they descended the stairs.
Yu Jiayou replied calmly, “Yeah, I know. Why?”
Yan Dairong glanced at him. “And you still stay so close to her?”
Yu Jiayou stopped, frowning. “What do you mean by that?”
“I mean, she’s the daughter of a murderer. Lately, everyone’s been talking about her. Some even say she almost killed someone herself—”
“You think a child under ten would intentionally try to kill someone?” Yu Jiayou interrupted, clearly displeased.
Yan Dairong, surprised at his rare display of hostility, felt her own anger rising. “So what? She’s still a murderer’s daughter.”
“Dairong, that was years ago. How can you be sure the rumors are true?” Yu Jiayou said in a low voice. “I know Lin Qingle well. She’s quiet and well-behaved. She’s not the kind of person you’re making her out to be. And besides, her father being a murderer—what could she, as a child, possibly do about it?”
Yan Dairong hadn’t expected this response. “Why are you so defensive about her?”
“I’m just stating facts,” Yu Jiayou retorted. “But you—you’re not even close to her, so why are you targeting her?”
“Targeting her?” Yan Dairong frowned deeply. “Where do you see me targeting her? I’m just stating the truth!”
“I don’t see anything objective about what you’re saying,” Yu Jiayou replied. “This is about Xu Tingbai, isn’t it?”
Yan Dairong froze, her expression turning cold.
“I don’t get you,” Yu Jiayou continued, his tone sharp. “You think being associated with Xu Tingbai is beneath you, yet you secretly approach him. Is it because you can’t stand lowering yourself for someone who doesn’t even appreciate it or acknowledge you? And now that you see Lin Qingle can get close to him, you’ve started hating her as a way to vent your frustration. What’s the point of all this?”
“And what about you?” Yan Dairong snapped, her emotions laid bare. “Aren’t you just projecting your own feelings? At first, wasn’t it because of Xu Tingbai that you even noticed Lin Qingle?”
Yu Jiayou faltered. “That’s not true.”
“Can you really say you weren’t curious about her because you knew she was close to Xu Tingbai?” Yan Dairong sneered. “You’ve been compared to him by the adults your whole life. Back then, you couldn’t beat him at anything—academics, competitions, nothing. So anything related to him has always caught your attention!”
“You—”
“Face it, Jiayou,” Yan Dairong interrupted. “Don’t let your curiosity turn into something more, like falling for her.”
Having grown up together, they knew each other’s weak spots too well. In a confrontation, they hit where it hurt.
When they were kids, Yu Jiayou and Xu Tingbai didn’t attend the same school, and his family wasn’t as closely connected to the Xu family as Yan Dairong’s was. Yet Xu Tingbai’s name was familiar to Yu Jiayou, as adults constantly compared them due to their similar ages.
Back then, Yu Jiayou couldn’t match Xu Tingbai in grades, competitions, or any other area. Though the Xu family later faced hardships, those comparisons remained a thorn in his side.
Yu Jiayou’s expression turned icy. “So what if I like her?”
Yan Dairong’s face changed.
“I’m not like you,” Yu Jiayou said, glancing at her. “No matter what, I would never hurt the person I like.”
Ten minutes after leaving the school, Lin Qingle and her two friends arrived at a charming gift shop.
Because it was Christmas, the shop was already bustling with students.
“Let’s get a few gift boxes and fill them with apples,” Jiang Shuyi suggested. “Ugh, I have so many people to give apples to. This is going to bankrupt me.”
“Same here,” Yu Tingting sighed. Find the original chapter at g.com.
“And besides apples, we still need to buy actual Christmas gifts,” Jiang Shuyi added.
“Who are you giving Christmas gifts to?” Yu Tingting asked.
“None of your business.”
“Yu Jiayou, huh?”
“What?!” Jiang Shuyi exclaimed, glaring. “Please! Christmas gifts are for the guy you like the most!”
“Exactly. Isn’t Yu Jiayou the guy you like the most?” Yu Tingting replied matter-of-factly.
Jiang Shuyi stammered, flustered, and swatted at her. “Who told you that?! I—I don’t like Yu Jiayou! He’s my idol. Do you know what idols are for? They’re for admiring from a distance! That’s all.”
“Really? I thought you liked him,” Yu Tingting said, puzzled. “So, who are you giving a Christmas gift to?”
“The guy I like the most… that’d be my dad.”
Yu Tingting rolled her eyes dramatically. “Oh, for heaven’s sake—”
“And what about you? Who are you giving a gift to?” Jiang Shuyi shot back.
“Hmph, I’m not telling you,” Yu Tingting retorted.
After a brief moment of mutual exasperation, they both turned to look at Lin Qingle, who was carefully picking out a gift.
Exchanging a glance, they walked over to her.
“Qingle, who are you giving a gift to?”
Without hesitation, Lin Qingle replied, “Xu Tingbai.”
“What?”
Lin Qingle looked at them curiously. “Didn’t you say Christmas gifts are for the guy you like the most?”
“Y-Yeah, we did…”
“So that’s why,” Lin Qingle said matter-of-factly, resuming her search for the perfect gift. She didn’t see anything strange about her answer, nor did she think liking someone had to carry complicated or ambiguous meanings. She didn’t feel the need to hide her fondness for someone.
The person she liked the most.
A boy.
Combining those two criteria, the first person that came to her mind was Xu Tingbai.
On Friday, Christmas Day, it snowed lightly.
At the school for the visually impaired, the holiday was celebrated with a box of candy for every student. Xu Tingbai wasn’t particularly interested in the holiday—or in candy—so he had no intention of taking his share.
But as he was leaving the classroom, he suddenly remembered that a certain girl might like candy. Somehow, as he stepped out of the school gate, there was a box of candy tucked into the pocket of his coat.
On the way back from school, he was already very familiar with the route. After leaving the school gate, he would turn right, walk for two hundred steps, turn left, and after another hundred steps, he would reach a small supermarket. Then, turn right again…
This route was ingrained in his mind, and with just his cane, he could walk back by himself.
Today, it was the same well-trodden path.
As he left the school gate, Xu Tingbai mentally counted the steps, following the familiar route. Because it had snowed, the sound of people walking was all muffled by the snow. For someone like him, who couldn’t see, the sound was very distinct.
The footsteps around him were all normal, but today, there was a pair of footsteps consistently behind him.
At first, he thought it was just someone walking on the same path, but as he walked further, he noticed the person behind him matched his pace—when he sped up, they sped up; when he slowed down, they slowed down. They were clearly following his rhythm.
Xu Tingbai sensed something was wrong and stopped when he turned a corner.
Sure enough, the person behind him was closely following. His sudden stop caused the person behind to crash into his back.
“Ouch—”
“Who’s there?”
“Why did you suddenly stop?”
The voices of both of them overlapped, and Xu Tingbai recognized the voice instantly without needing to ask.
He swiftly turned around. “What are you doing here?”
Lin Qingle touched her nose, which had been hurt from the collision. “Of course, I came to find you.”
“Then why didn’t you say anything?”
Lin Qingle looked up at him. “I wanted to call out to you when I first saw you at the school gate, but then I changed my mind. I was wondering when you’d notice me. I didn’t expect it to be so soon. We’ve only walked this one path.”
Xu Tingbai frowned slightly. “Isn’t today Friday? Why aren’t you at school? What are you doing here?”
“It’s Friday, but it’s also Christmas.”
“Christmas…”
Xu Tingbai suddenly remembered. Yes, it was Christmas, and the school had celebrated a little—adding some dishes to lunch and handing out candies.
“Xu Tingbai, extend your hand,” Lin Qingle said.
“What for?”
“Don’t ask. Just extend your hand.”
Xu Tingbai didn’t know what she was up to, but he still held out his hand.
The left palm left the coat pocket and was instantly struck by the cold wind. But before the chill could last, the entire hand was wrapped in something soft and warm, instantly shielding it from the cold.
“It’s a Christmas gift. Xu Tingbai, Merry Christmas!”
This morning, when he arrived at school, he heard many Christmas greetings, but he had always felt that these holidays meant nothing to him.
But right now, hearing those words from the girl in front of him, sweet and just like anyone else’s, it felt as though time had frozen. His heart began to race wildly, stronger with each beat, unwilling to stop.
“You… don’t like it? Is it not warm enough?” Lin Qingle noticed he didn’t respond and immediately became anxious. She had picked it out carefully, afraid he wouldn’t like it.
Xu Tingbai unconsciously grasped his palm, lowered his gaze, and spoke in a hushed tone, “No… It’s quite warm.”
“Do you like it?”
“…Mm.”
“Really? Then put on the other one too,” she said, temporarily taking his cane and repeating the same gesture, putting the right glove on his hand.
“I thought it’s really cold now, but I’ve never seen you wear gloves. You shouldn’t be like this; you’ll get frostbite,” Lin Qingle said seriously. “Next time you go out, wear these gloves.”
It felt so warm. Both hands were completely wrapped, and even his entire body felt warmer.
Xu Tingbai stood there, his jaw tight. His heart raced beyond what he could bear, but… he was also overjoyed.
“Alright.”
“That’s good.” Lin Qingle smiled happily. “Well, I’ll go now. Evening study is about to start.”
She turned to leave, the sound of her shoes brushing against the snow.
“Wait!” He suddenly reached out, managing to grab her arm.
“Hmm?”
Xu Tingbai hesitated, then pulled out the box of candy from his pocket. “Here, take this.”
Lin Qingle’s eyes lit up. “What’s this? Is this your Christmas gift for me?!”
Hearing her, Xu Tingbai felt a pang of discomfort in his heart. He hadn’t planned to give her a gift today, and before she came, he hadn’t cared much for the holiday either.
“It’s not… It’s just the candy the school gave.”
“But you don’t even eat candy. You brought it out just to give it to me, didn’t you?”
Xu Tingbai pressed his lips together and said nothing.
Lin Qingle smiled and said, “Thank you.”
She carefully opened the small red box. It wasn’t big, but inside were six different-flavored chocolates, each shaped uniquely.
“Chocolate!” Lin Qingle asked, “Can I eat it now?”
“Mm.”
After being given permission, Lin Qingle picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. The chocolate flavor spread, with a hint of matcha.
“It’s so good!” she exclaimed.
Xu Tingbai couldn’t help but be infected by her happy tone and relaxed a little. “Really?”
“Yes! Try it yourself.” Lin Qingle handed a piece to his mouth.
Xu Tingbai didn’t feel like eating, but Lin Qingle insisted, “Open your mouth.”
So, he reluctantly complied, moving forward to taste it. However, since he couldn’t see and the chocolate was small, when he moved forward, he didn’t quite manage to reach the chocolate. Instead, he ended up nibbling on her finger.
“Ah…” Lin Qingle gasped softly.
Xu Tingbai immediately realized and let go. “…Are you okay?”
Her fingertips were slightly damp.
Lin Qingle glanced at his lips, curled her fingers, and awkwardly replied, “It’s fine, it didn’t hurt.”
The sweet taste of chocolate melted in his mouth. Xu Tingbai gave a soft hum, and the scene from just now flashed in his mind. His ears, suddenly aware, grew warm.
For a moment, both of them fell silent.
“Wasn’t it delicious?” After a while, Lin Qingle broke the awkward silence.
Xu Tingbai cleared his throat lightly. “…It wasn’t good.”
“Really?”
“It’s too sweet.”
“But I think it’s really good…” Lin Qingle said. “It’s actually my first Christmas gift this year. It’s so delicious, I really like it.”
Xu Tingbai paused slightly, and an involuntary smile appeared at the corner of his eyes.
Lin Qingle glanced at her watch. “Well, it’s about time. I’ll take your chocolates and go now, okay?”
“Alright.”
Lin Qingle turned and left.
Xu Tingbai listened as her footsteps gradually faded. His heart skipped a beat, and suddenly, he called in her direction, “Lin Qingle!”
“What’s wrong?!” Her footsteps stopped, and her voice floated back to him.
Xu Tingbai gripped his cane tightly, his chest feeling like it was filled with a warm fire.
He smiled and slowly said, “Merry Christmas.”