Chapter 28

The snow continued to fall for several days, and as predicted by He Shangye, the entire city was covered in a thick blanket of white. Ruan Miao was delighted to finally build a large snowman in the family garden.

Of course, it wasn't just his work. He Shanglu complained while begrudgingly helping to shovel snow, He Shangzhi assisted with dressing the snowman, and the boss, He Shangye, relaxed under the eaves, generously contributing his scarf.

Finally, there was a touch of warmth between the siblings.

As the final exams approached and the Spring Festival drew near—less than twenty days away—Ruan Miao eagerly anticipated the holiday. In the past, it was only on New Year's Day that he could set aside all worries and happily spend the day with his parents and brother at home. To him, the New Year symbolized all that was good.

On Saturday, after finishing his extra classes, he was surprised to see Jian Fanyu standing outside the classroom door. Dressed in a black overcoat and standing silently in the freezing cold, Jian Fanyu looked as if he was waiting for something. Despite the cold, he remained calmly in the snow, which made Ruan Miao wonder if he was cold.

Thinking it was just a coincidence, Ruan Miao approached him and greeted him, "Jian classmate, what are you doing here?"

Jian Fanyu turned slowly at the sound of his voice, his coat flapping lightly in the wind. Against the backdrop of the snowy scene, his features looked like they were drawn by an artist. Even though he hadn't spoken yet, he was already captivating.

Ruan Miao, appreciating beauty, was somewhat mesmerized. He felt it wasn't embarrassing to be so entranced.

Jian Fanyu walked over to Ruan Miao and sighed deeply. "I thought I would have to wait a bit longer."

Hearing what sounded like a complaint, Ruan Miao was taken aback. "Did you come here specifically to wait for me?"

Jian Fanyu nodded, his expression carrying a hint of sadness. "Is that a problem?"

Ruan Miao was shocked and wasn't sure how to react. Although their relationship had improved significantly, it was still far from being as close as it was with Fang Zhi. He couldn't imagine why Jian Fanyu would go out of his way to wait for him, especially in such cold weather.

"It's not a problem, but… aren't you cold?" Ruan Miao glanced at Jian Fanyu's exposed hands, recalling how graceful they looked while playing the piano. Now, they were red and purple from the cold.

Jian Fanyu looked at his own hands and chuckled softly. "A bit."

"You should have dressed warmer," Ruan Miao said, noting how Jian Fanyu looked. "Look at me—everyone teases me for dressing like a bear, but I don't care. As long as I feel warm and comfortable, they can think what they want. I don't want to suffer."

"Don't sacrifice warmth for appearance, like He Shanglu."

Jian Fanyu quietly listened as Ruan Miao talked, his gaze lowered in thought. After a while, Ruan Miao hesitated, then removed his gloves and offered them to Jian Fanyu. "Here, take these."

Jian Fanyu stopped in his tracks, looking somewhat puzzled.

Ruan Miao sighed and said helplessly, "It's not that I'm being a saint. Aren't your hands very important for piano players? I saw on TV that a pianist's hands must be free of any damage; it can affect their performance."

"You play the piano so well; you might become an excellent pianist in the future, so you should take good care of them."

Jian Fanyu looked at Ruan Miao for a long time without speaking.

Ruan Miao felt uneasy under his gaze, wondering if he had said something upsetting. He remembered Jian Fanyu's terrifying appearance outside the piano room and wondered if he had inadvertently touched a nerve.

"What...what's wrong?" Ruan Miao asked nervously, "Did I say something wrong?"

Jian Fanyu looked down at the gloves in Ruan Miao's hands. They looked warm and fluffy. A self-deprecating smile appeared at the corner of his lips as he said softly, "You didn't say anything wrong, but I'll never become an outstanding pianist."

"Why not?" Ruan Miao asked, confused. "I think you play really well!"

Jian Fanyu shook his head slowly, remaining silent. "You don't understand."

What doesn't he understand?

Ruan Miao stared at Jian Fanyu, suddenly recalling that Jian Fanyu had indeed stopped playing the piano in the original story. He had been so engrossed in the plot that he hadn't noticed this detail before. Now, he wondered when Jian Fanyu had given up.

"But..." Ruan Miao remembered Jian Fanyu's violent outburst when he had angrily struck the piano keys. He was momentarily at a loss for words.

He looked down, awkwardly clutching his gloves. He wanted to encourage Jian Fanyu, but as someone who didn't understand music, he felt that he might only make things worse if he tried to comfort him.

Yet he still remembered how beautiful Jian Fanyu's piano playing had been during their encounter outside the piano room.

After a moment of silence, Jian Fanyu suddenly extended his hand with a gentle smile. "Aren't you going to give me the gloves you promised?"

Ruan Miao snapped back to reality and quickly nodded. "Of course. But my gloves might not be your style, and they might not fit you well. Don't be disappointed."

He took Jian Fanyu's cold hand—frozen as if it were made of ice—and carefully put the gloves on, trying to make sure there were no gaps and hoping to warm him up quickly.

Ruan Miao's expression was serious as he helped Jian Fanyu with the gloves, and Jian Fanyu watched him intently, not blinking.

"These gloves might look plain, but they're very warm," Ruan Miao explained softly. "I just bought them from a street shop. They were the cheapest, and they look like something a girl would wear, but I bought them to save money. I didn't expect them to be so warm."

Jian Fanyu listened to his rambling and shook his head. "They're not plain."

Ruan Miao's eyes crinkled into a smile. "Really? Your taste is much better than He Shanglu's. He laughed at me for three days, saying that I looked like a rabbit. Even my gloves made me look like one."

Jian Fanyu looked at the gloves Ruan Miao had just put on him and agreed with a hint of seriousness, "He's right."

Ruan Miao rolled his eyes. "I'm being laid-back; this style is popular now!"

Jian Fanyu didn't comment further. He looked at the fluffy gloves that didn't match his demeanor and felt the warmth gradually spreading from his fingers, as if that warmth was slowly thawing him out.

After many years in both his past and present life, this was the first time he had felt such warmth.

Jian Fanyu's eyes held a trace of a smile. He remembered the warmth he borrowed from Ruan Miao's embrace that night, which is why he came to find him during the day in the freezing cold, hoping to borrow it again.

Ruan Miao was oblivious to this. He stuffed his hands into his coat pockets and pretended to be calm while walking through the snow, though he was secretly crying inside.

It turned out that he was really superficial, pretending to be a hero by generously giving away gloves. Now he was freezing!

That's what you get for being superficial and trying to be a hero!

Serves you right!