December 21st, the Winter Solstice.
This day was very important at school because Christmas Eve was only a few days away. If one wanted to spend Christmas with their crush, then confessing today would be the most appropriate time.
Ruan Mei had finished knitting her scarf a few days ago. She planned to give it to her grandmother as a holiday gift to surprise her, so she kept it in her desk drawer and hadn’t taken it home.
On the Winter Solstice, from the moment she entered the school gate in the morning, even Ruan Mei, with her generally dense nerves, could sense the unusual atmosphere.
Everyone was dressed particularly formally today. There wasn’t much one could do with the winter school uniform, so many people tried to incorporate various cute little decorations on their headwear, school bags, or inner layers, striving to appear radiant.
After all, everyone knew that confessions might happen today, so they had to be in the best state to welcome a new relationship!
Li Namei stood next to Ruan Mei, also dressed very flamboyantly today, constantly touching her hair.
“What are you doing?” Ruan Mei asked, puzzled.
“I’ve been observing for a long time. There’s a boy in our class who must like me. I saw him buy my favorite chocolate yesterday, so he’s definitely planning to confess to me today! I need to be prepared to reject him in the most beautiful way, hehehe!” Li Namei smoothed her long, lustrous hair and spoke with great confidence.
“Why are you dressing up so nicely if you’re going to reject him?” Ruan Mei found it hard to understand the mindset of high school girls.
“Of course, I have to look good! I need to leave him with the image of a ‘white moonlight’ in his heart, so he remembers how beautiful I was for his entire life! Boss, how can you not even get this!” Li Namei seemed frustrated, lifting her skirt and spinning in a circle, perfectly embodying a naive, youthful version of a silly girl.
Ruan Mei had nothing to say. She waved goodbye to Li Namei and walked into her own classroom.
The first thing she saw was Fang Zhishui.
Fang Zhishui’s hairstyle seemed specially done today; every strand was curled just right, creating an air of unintentional romance. Hidden in her hair was a pink hairpin.
Ruan Mei walked over and sat down. From behind, she could see even more clearly. Fang Zhishui’s usually loose hair had a thin braid hidden in it today, exquisitely done like a Barbie doll.
Fang Zhishui turned around and greeted Ruan Mei: “Good morning.”
Ruan Mei felt Fang Zhishui’s smile was a bit strange, as if hinting at something, but she ignored it and offered a perfect smile: “Good morning.”
Fang Zhishui kept smiling, and Ruan Mei lowered her head.
It’s getting awkward! Dear Protagonist, what exactly do you want? Isn’t it better to just say it? Smiling like that is quite creepy!
Morning self-study, the break between classes, the first long class, the second long class… the entire morning passed by in its routine manner.
Ruan Mei took her lunchbox out of her bag and went to the microwave to heat it up. After it was hot, she returned to her seat. Before she could start eating, a shadow fell over her head.
Looking up, it was Fang Zhishui.
“?”
“Are… are you busy later?”
“We’re going to see Marshmallow, right? Wait for me I’ll go after I finish eating.” Ruan Mei understood. Recently, the two of them often ran into each other at Marshmallow’s spot, and later they agreed to set aside time every noon to feed the rabbit.
“It’s not about that… Never mind, arrange it yourself.” Fang Zhishui’s gaze glanced into Ruan Mei’s desk drawer, showing a look of confusion.
Ruan Mei noticed her expression but still didn’t understand what Fang Zhishui was doing, so she casually asked, “Aren’t you eating?”
Fang Zhishui replied, “No.”
Ruan Mei mumbled, “…Ah.”
“Can I have a taste of your lunch?” Fang Zhishui suddenly asked. Ruan Mei was so startled her chopsticks fell. She quickly picked them up from the desk, feeling flustered: “B-but I…”
There was only a small amount of rice in her bowl. Teenagers have big appetites, and this was Ruan Mei’s own cooking: stir fried lettuce with meat, cold shredded carrots… it looked unappetizing! How could she possibly let the protagonist eat such things?
Ruan Mei shielded her lunchbox and looked up apologetically: “Not today, I suppose. If you want to eat some in the future, tell me in advance, and I’ll specifically make some for you. This one is really not presentable I didn’t even prepare extra…”
Fang Zhishui smiled, pulled out a pair of chopsticks from who knows where, picked up a piece of lettuce, put it in her mouth, chewed a couple of times, and squinted: “Hmm… definitely needs more practice.”
Ruan Mei remained expressionless: “I didn’t tell you to eat it.”
Protagonist, if you keep being like this, you’ll get beaten up sooner or later.
After lunch, the two went to feed Marshmallow together.
Marshmallow was happily crunching away on the rabbit food in its bowl. Ruan Mei, worried about its nutritional balance, had specifically picked some grass to feed it, but it still had to wait behind the commercial rabbit food to fill the gap.
Fang Zhishui occasionally glanced at Ruan Mei, or coughed, or even stood directly in front of Ruan Mei and reached up to adjust her collar.
Ruan Mei looked very confused but didn’t dare ask much, feeling that she shouldn’t initiate a conversation with Fang Zhishui today the other person seemed abnormal.
After quietly finishing feeding Marshmallow, they returned to the classroom. Ruan Mei reached into her desk drawer, took out the scarf, intending to do some final adjustments.
However, when the gray scarf appeared, Fang Zhishui’s gaze fixed tightly on it, a strange smile playing on her lips.
Ruan Mei: ?
She quickly stuffed the scarf back into the drawer. It wouldn’t be too late to modify it at home. The look in the protagonist’s eyes was as if she was about to snatch the scarf away!
Could Fang Zhishui be some kind of hidden scarf enthusiast?
Ruan Mei kept this question until school ended that afternoon, but no one could answer it.
The dismissal bell rang. She didn’t have to work part time today, so she quickly packed her things, grabbed the bag containing the scarf and knitting needles, and planned to go straight home.
As a result, she was blocked at the classroom door by Fang Zhishui.
The weather was gloomy. Fang Zhishui’s slightly curled long hair was draped over her shoulders. She was leaning half of her body against the doorframe, her expression a mix of teasing and anticipation. Her small, delicate face was beautiful and exquisite, her eyes shining as she looked at Ruan Mei and softly asked, “It’s been a day, when exactly are you planning to give it to me?”
Ruan Mei, holding the bag with the scarf and needles, took two steps back. The mystery of the whole day was finally getting a sliver of explanation.
No… could it be?
She looked at Fang Zhishui in front of her, then at the scarf in her hand.
It’s clearly just a gray, bulky, very simple scarf meant for an old lady… Could this cause a misunderstanding?
“No, you misunderstood…” Ruan Mei’s lips were dry, feeling that this matter was too absurd to even know where to begin explaining!
Unexpectedly, Fang Zhishui forcefully snatched the bag with the scarf from her hand, smiling faintly: “You don’t need to pretend anymore. You gave me medicine and snacks last time, and now you’re giving me a scarf. I understand what you mean. Don’t worry, I will keep your secret. I accept this gift.”
Ruan Mei:
“…”
Little one, do you have many question marks on your face?
Perhaps it was Ruan Mei’s expression of utter shock, but Fang Zhishui finally realized something was wrong. Her smile gradually faded, and the hand holding the scarf tightened, then loosened.
Ruan Mei opened her mouth. She felt these words were too difficult to say, but… she really couldn’t not say them.
“It’s not like that, that… Classmate Fang, this scarf… I knitted it for my grandmother.”
Fang Zhishui’s expression cracked.
“It’s not… for me?”
“No, it’s not.”
Ruan Mei said with a touch of pity.
Fang Zhishui seemed to turn into a stone statue on the spot, crumbling inch by inch.
The Goddess, who was always aloof like a snow lotus on Mount Tian, now revealed a shock that others would never see in their lifetimes, mixed with disappointment, embarrassment, and pain. Her bright eyes clearly reflected Ruan Mei’s face.
Ruan Mei felt both amused and heartbroken. She reached out to take the bag from Fang Zhishui’s hand:
“Don’t you think the color of this yarn is a bit old-fashioned? It doesn’t suit you.”
Fang Zhishui replied:
“I thought… it was due to your poor taste.”
Ruan Mei was truly speechless. She tried to take the bag with the scarf, but couldn’t pull it out because Fang Zhishui was gripping it too tightly.
She pulled with a bit of force to get the bag back and started walking away. As she walked, she glanced back and noticed Fang Zhishui was still standing in the same spot.
Fang Zhishui’s drooping posture made Ruan Mei feel a pang of sadness.
She couldn’t bear it and finally called out:
“It’s okay! If there’s a chance in the future… I’ll knit one for you!”
Fang Zhishui’s previously sullen expression instantly brightened. She looked up at Ruan Mei, her eyes sparkling brilliantly, like fireworks blooming.
Fang Zhishui was too beautiful; just one lively glance could turn an ordinary winter evening into a scene straight out of an idol drama.
Ruan Mei felt a bit overwhelmed, and a string in her heart gave a “buzz.”
Fang Zhishui spoke, her voice several octaves higher than her usual tone:
“It’s a deal!”
Ruan Mei was somewhat dazed, captivated by the rare radiance on the other’s face, and only nodded after a moment:
“Okay, it’s a deal.”
Dusk quickly closed in. The two couldn’t clearly see each other’s figures, yet both seemed to sense the other’s gaze through some unseen connection.
Let it be… settled then.
After the Winter Solstice, three days remained until Christmas Eve, the favorite carnival time for high school students.
After school, each class would hold a small party. They pushed the desks to the sides, leaving the center open as a stage. There was no program; anyone who wanted to sing or dance would volunteer to go up, and regardless of the performance, they would receive thunderous applause.
Chu Wanji, as the class monitor, went up first and sang a popular love song among students, then called out the next person:
“Next… let Ruan Mei come up!”
Amidst the cheers and applause, Ruan Mei went onto the stage, scratched her head, stood in the middle, and said:
“I don’t really have any special talents, so I’ll just tell you all a joke!
Once upon a time, there was a toothpick walking down the road. Suddenly, it saw a hedgehog, so it waved its hand at the hedgehog and shouted, ‘Bus!’
My joke is finished. Thank you, everyone. Who wants to come up next?”
The class was silent.
After a while, someone finally let out a suppressed laugh (“Puchi”), followed by applause from others, and some shouted in disappointment:
“That’s not good, that joke is too lame, do another one!”
Ruan Mei ignored everyone else and walked back into the crowd with a smile. Across several people, her gaze met Fang Zhishui’s.
Fang Zhishui was also smiling, the kind of smile that comes from genuine amusement. Ruan Mei felt a small sense of relief it seemed the protagonist understood her sense of humor after all.
After the small Christmas Eve party ended, the few day students went home separately.
It was close to ten o’clock on a winter night, and the streets were deserted.
Ruan Mei wrapped her down jacket tighter and walked back against the cold wind, humming a tune, in a very good mood.
From somewhere in the wind, a sweet, cloying fragrance drifted over. Just as Ruan Mei smelled it, her body immediately reacted she actually… got aroused! (Implied: as an Alpha/Beta reacting to an Omega’s first heat pheromones).
By the time she realized this must be the pheromones of an Omega in their first heat, she was already sprinting down the street in the middle of the night!
Only a tiny part of her brain could process the current situation her body was completely unable to resist instinct, only following the scent, searching! Searching! Rushing! Rushing!
Where is it? This sweet flavor, is this the indiscriminate pheromonal attraction of an Omega?… This Omega’s scent is at least of excellent quality… Is it someone from our school?… I haven’t heard anything about it…
Ruan Mei forced herself to think to calm down, trying desperately to stop, but she only slowed down her body was still moving toward the source of the scent!
“Ruan Mei! Ruan Mei!”
Someone was calling her. Ruan Mei wanted to turn around to see who it was, but she was completely unable to; she could only shift her line of sight slightly.
As a result, she hit a lamppost with a loud “thud.” Intense pain struck, combined with the surging pheromones in her body… Ruan Mei leaned against the lamppost and briefly lost consciousness.