Chapter 60
No one expected that the light flurries of snow last night would turn into a heavy snowfall by midnight. By the morning of New Year’s Day, the world outside was covered in a thick, white blanket of snow.
Lin Xiaoran, feeling a surge of excitement, jumped out of bed barefoot and ran to the window.
A fluffy blanket covered the windowsill, and Baitang, his cat, was sound asleep on it. After seeing Lin Xiaoran come over last night, Baitang had stubbornly stayed there and eventually fell asleep while playing. Lin Xiaoran had just let him sleep there.
He picked up Baitang and sat down on the windowsill, placing the little cat on his lap.
The tiny creature stirred, opening its sleepy eyes for a moment before closing them again. It snuggled against Lin Xiaoran, finding a comfortable spot and continued sleeping.
Lin Xiaoran gently stroked its little head as he leaned against the window, gazing outside.
The snow in the garden hadn’t been cleared yet, leaving a vast expanse of white. A few sparrows had landed beneath the nearby pine trees, seemingly searching for something in the snow. The bridge was also covered with a thick layer of snow, looking so tempting to step on.
But it must be freezing outside. It’s better to stay in the cozy, heated room and just enjoy the view.
Lin Xiaoran had a few peculiar habits. For example, he loved curling up in bed during stormy weather, listening to the sound of rain outside. And moments like now, when he could watch the snow outside through the glass, gave him a special kind of happiness.
Just then, his phone chimed with a WeChat notification. He casually grabbed it and opened the message, seeing that it was from his senior year class group. Someone had posted several pictures of last night’s fireworks show at Donghu Lake, sparking a flurry of conversation.
[Honestly, how long has it been since our city held a New Year’s fireworks show? We’re not even allowed to set off fireworks privately anymore. I haven’t seen one in years.]
[Even when we had fireworks before, they were always by the seaside. I never understood—who wants to freeze by the sea to watch fireworks? Isn’t Donghu Lake a better spot?]
[Fireworks shows are usually for us to watch on TV anyway, so does it matter where they are? But last night’s was really nice. I could see it right from my balcony.]
[Who came up with the idea to hold it by Donghu Lake? I saw on the news that they had fireworks all around the lake. That’s a huge undertaking.]
[So thoughtful! It almost covered the whole city. I just want to say, well done!]
[Can we have another one during the Spring Festival?]
[I doubt it. As spectators, we only got to enjoy the spectacle last night, but organizing something like that must’ve been a huge hassle. Donghu Lake is in the city center, unlike the beach. There are lots of buildings and vegetation nearby, and winter is so dry—fire risks are high. I’m sure it took a lot of safety precautions and planning. It must’ve been a massive project.]
…
The usually quiet class group had suddenly come alive for some reason.
Lin Xiaoran scrolled through the rapidly moving messages, his thick eyelashes fluttering as he thought back to last night.
As his classmates had said, the fireworks show was far more complex than it seemed. Hosting such an event in the city center must have required a lot of planning and resources.
Gu Yang… you really went all out, didn’t you?
Lin Xiaoran’s thin lips curled slightly into a smile. In truth, what he liked most wasn’t the grand fireworks show but the small sparklers Gu Yang had lit for him later.
As a child, Lin Xiaoran used to watch other kids play with sparklers through the window, feeling envious.
When he grew up, he could’ve bought them himself, but somehow it didn’t seem necessary anymore.
But last night, when Gu Yang handed him a lit sparkler, Lin Xiaoran felt a surge of joy. It was as if he had returned to his childhood. He was no longer the kid who could only watch others play from behind the window—he was a part of it.
Gu Yang didn’t know about his childhood memories. He had just heard Lin Xiaoran mention in a game once that he had never played with sparklers as a child, and he remembered it.
“Meow~”
At that moment, Baitang woke up, stretched its front paws while lying on his lap, and softly meowed at him.
Lin Xiaoran grabbed its tiny paws and gave them a gentle squeeze. “Are you hungry? Let’s go get some fish treats.” With that, he hopped down from the windowsill, carrying the little one with him.
It wasn’t just the class group talking about last night’s fireworks; social media was filled with pictures and discussions. Clearly, the New Year’s fireworks show had become the hottest topic in the city.
Meanwhile, at the Gu family residence, in the study, Gu Xiuyuan sat behind his desk, reading all the reports about the fireworks show. He adjusted his glasses and looked at his secretary, Yang. “You didn’t mention this to me.”
Secretary Yang chuckled. “Yangyang thought of it. He told me, and I didn’t think it was a big deal, so I just had it arranged.”
It really wasn’t a big deal, and in the past, Gu Xiuyuan wouldn’t have paid much attention to something like this. But this time, he was a little surprised.
Gu Yang wasn’t the type to seek attention. He rarely did anything flashy, despite his family background. So why did he suddenly want to organize a fireworks show at Donghu Lake this time?
It seemed a bit out of character.
“Did he say why he wanted to do it?” Gu Xiuyuan asked.
Secretary Yang shook his head. “He just said he thought fireworks by East Lake would be nice. Since fireworks are now restricted and you can’t set them off privately, he figured, why not use New Year’s as an excuse to organize a big show. But…” Secretary Yang smiled, “I think that’s just a pretext. Even though Yangyang seems carefree most of the time, he wouldn’t go to such lengths just for his own entertainment. At 17 or 18, setting up something this romantic and elaborate, he’s probably doing it for someone special.”
“Someone special?” Gu Xiuyuan was surprised. “He’s in a relationship?”
“Oh, I’m not sure. It’s just my guess,” Secretary Yang replied.
But Gu Xiuyuan thought this speculation made sense. If Gu Yang wasn’t in a relationship, would he really go to the trouble of planning such an event? But Gu Yang was only in his third year of high school, with college entrance exams just around the corner. How could he be dating now? And who was this person, important enough for Gu Yang to make such an effort? It worried Gu Xiuyuan that this relationship might be a bad influence on his son.
After pondering for a while, Gu Xiuyuan instructed, “Keep an eye on him. See if he’s really dating, and find out who he’s involved with.”
“Isn’t that a bit much?” Secretary Yang hesitated, “If Yangyang finds out, he’ll be furious.”
Secretary Yang knew the father and son didn’t get along well, and if Gu Yang found out his father had him investigated, he’d definitely be angry.
“Just make sure he doesn’t find out,” Gu Xiuyuan’s voice grew stern.
Secretary Yang had no choice but to concede. “Yes, I’ll get someone on it right away.”
After Secretary Yang left, Gu Xiuyuan took off his glasses and rubbed his temples. Lately, he’d been feeling uneasy. Normally, he wouldn’t have paid much attention to a fireworks display, but something about Gu Yang seemed different recently.
Could it really be because he was in love?
At this age, falling in love wasn’t that strange. If Gu Yang had met someone he liked and it didn’t interfere with his studies, Gu Xiuyuan could turn a blind eye. But who was the person who had captured his son’s heart?
He walked over to the window to clear his mind by watching the snow. From the second floor, he could see Gu Yang in the garden, happily building a snowman. Standing beside him was Lin Xiaoran, bundled up and watching.
The window was well insulated, so Gu Xiuyuan couldn’t hear what they were saying, but both boys seemed to be having a good time. Every now and then, Gu Yang would turn back as if asking Lin Xiaoran how he was doing. Lin Xiaoran, too cold to help, stood off to the side offering advice.
Once the snowman was finished, Lin Xiaoran ran over, took off his scarf, and wrapped it around the snowman’s neck, then bent down to take a picture with his phone.
Gu Yang, with a mischievous smile, snuck up behind him and pressed his icy hand against Lin Xiaoran’s cheek. Lin Xiaoran flinched at the cold, and Gu Yang quickly pulled his hand back, laughing as he ran a few steps away.
Lin Xiaoran touched his face but didn’t get mad. Instead, he handed Gu Yang a warm hand warmer.
Gu Yang was surprised. He looked at Lin Xiaoran, then at the hand warmer, and broke into a broad smile. He accepted it, deliberately brushing his hand against Lin Xiaoran’s as he did so.
Gu Xiuyuan couldn’t hear what Gu Yang was saying, but he saw Lin Xiaoran didn’t pull away. The two chatted for a moment before heading back inside, still holding hands.
For some reason, the sight made Gu Xiuyuan think of the fireworks from the night before.
If Gu Yang had really planned that display for someone, could it have been for Lin Xiaoran?
The thought startled him, but he couldn’t shake the worry. He didn’t know if he was overthinking it, but lately, the bond between the two boys seemed impenetrable.
Shaking off the unsettling thought, Gu Xiuyuan rubbed his temples again. He’d already asked Secretary Yang to investigate. Soon, there would be answers.
If he was wrong, he didn’t want to falsely accuse Gu Yang and worsen their strained relationship. But if he was right…
A few days later, Secretary Yang reported back. Gu Yang wasn’t in a relationship. In fact, he was more focused on his studies than ever, working harder than before.
There were rumors at school about Gu Yang and Lin Xiaoran being a couple, but Secretary Yang dismissed them. The students simply didn’t understand the two boys’ relationship, and because they were close, they’d drawn the wrong conclusions. Secretary Yang didn’t even bother mentioning this to Gu Xiuyuan.
Hearing the report, Gu Xiuyuan felt relieved. That evening, after returning home late, he noticed the light in Gu Yang’s room was still on. He knocked on the door and, upon entering, found his son still working through problems, looking genuinely focused. It filled Gu Xiuyuan with pride.
“Studying hard is good, but don’t stay up too late. You have school in the morning. Get some rest after your bath,” he said, his heart swelling with affection and concern.
His advice fell on deaf ears. After the door closed, Gu Yang glanced at it briefly before returning to his work.
He had a bet with Lin Xiaoran that he absolutely had to win—because the reward was too enticing.
These days, almost all his energy was focused on studying. Winning would be difficult, though. Last time, he had fallen more than 20 points behind Lin Xiaoran. The higher the scores, the harder it was to close such a gap.
And there was no telling if Lin Xiaoran had put his full effort into the test. He often turned in his papers early, and if he spent more time checking his answers, he might catch the careless mistakes he made.
Gu Yang would have to push himself if he wanted to win.
Lin Xiaoran, aware of Gu Yang’s determination, had been careful not to distract him, not wanting to give Gu Yang an excuse if he lost.
In fact, Lin Xiaoran was excited to see Gu Yang’s results after he gave it his all. It would be even more satisfying to beat him when he was at his best.
But Lin Xiaoran hadn’t expected that the night before the exam, after standing barefoot for a moment after his shower, he’d wake up with a cold the next morning, his nose running nonstop.
By the afternoon, the symptoms had worsened, and he developed a fever that persisted for two days. He felt groggy and drowsy from the medication.
Determined not to lose to Gu Yang, he kept pushing through.
Finally, after finishing the last exam, Lin Xiaoran collapsed onto his desk, too exhausted to move.
This was the final exam before winter break, and after it, the students would have a holiday. Everyone else had dashed out of the classroom like rabbits as soon as they handed in their papers, leaving Lin Xiaoran alone in the room.
Gu Yang, whose exam room was by the stairs, had been waiting outside for Lin Xiaoran. Seeing everyone else leave but not Lin, he rushed to Lin Xiaoran’s classroom and found him slumped over his desk.
In a panic, Gu Yang hurried over, gently calling out, “Xiaoran, are you okay?”
