Sleet pattered against the window, rustling. This was the first snow, falling at the tail end of 2006.

Wei Qingyue finally captured that feeling of déjà vu. It came from the letters; it was as if looking at these words made a quiet and reserved face emerge from behind them, one that always looked apologetic.

Early in the morning, the school janitors were cleaning the paths. In the flowerbeds, there were tenacious roses still blooming, their heads covered in white snow while their bases were a vibrant red, giving them a strange, ill-fated look. When Jiang Du and Wang Jingjing walked past the flowerbeds, she lingered for a few seconds, pointed at a flower, and said, "Look, there's a flower that hasn't wilted."

It was the rose's final act of stubbornness. Under the frost and snow, it wouldn't last much longer.

Wang Jingjing also remarked with emotion, "It's so cold, yet it's still blooming. Why do I remember roses blooming in spring or summer?"

When the wind blew, the powdery snow on the trees swirled up and fell down, making one squint, but the cool specks on the face felt very refreshing. The remnants of snow brought in on the students' feet were left in the corridor, melting quickly into irregular puddles. In each class's cleaning area, someone was mopping the floor with a dry mop. As they mopped, the boys, like little children, started chasing and hitting each other, making the whole corridor boisterous.

The snow fell just in time for a foreign holiday, some Christmas or Christmas Eve, and the trend of giving apples had started somewhere. A big red apple, with "Merry Christmas" printed on it and wrapped in some paper, sold for five yuan. It was a total rip-off. Teacher Xiao Xu had stressed to everyone not to be enthusiastic about foreign holidays and to celebrate our own traditional festivals. That was the principle, but some people didn't listen and still gave apples in private.

Jiang Du didn't like joining in the excitement of such holidays, but Wang Jingjing did. Seeing Jiang Du's lack of enthusiasm, she kept poking her arm. "What's wrong? You look like you're observing Tomb-Sweeping Day."

As it turned out, they ran into Zhang Xiaoqiang and a few others in a small shop. They were grabbing red, fluffy headbands and putting them on, looking especially cute. The girls greeted each other, browsed around the boutique, picking up random things and holding them against one another, their laughter tumbling to the floor.

"See, Zhang Xiaoqiang's grades are so good, and she likes Christmas too. Don't be so aloof!" Wang Jingjing chuckled, then suddenly plopped a Santa hat on Jiang Du's head. Her skin was fair, and against the red hat, her face looked even more translucent and clear, her eyebrows distinct and her lips defined.

Jiang Du looked at herself in the mirror. Just as she was about to say something, she abruptly snatched the hat off. Behind her, a pair of familiar eyes had appeared in the mirror, watching her.

Her hair was instantly mussed up and messy. While Jiang Du was still stunned, Wang Jingjing also spotted Wei Qingyue. She let out a cry of surprise and quickly greeted him:

"Hey, Wei Qingyue, you shop at this kind of store too!"

Wang Jingjing didn't hide her astonishment at all, her eyes shining with excitement. Wei Qingyue saw the Santa Claus doll in her hand, smiled, and said he was buying a few things. The auntie who cooked for his family had brought her little granddaughter over last time, and she'd been clamoring for a Christmas tree. The child had heard the phrase somewhere but didn't actually know what a Christmas tree was. Wei Qingyue promised her he would buy her one that had light bulbs and could light up. The auntie was quite embarrassed and hastily refused, saying the child was just talking nonsense and not to take it seriously.

That time, the auntie had no choice but to bring her granddaughter over because the child's mother was sick and there was no one to look after her. Wei Qingyue thought the little girl was too noisy, giving him a headache, but he was too embarrassed to say anything. After readily agreeing, he felt he should keep his promise. Even though she was just a child, and adults often feel they don't have to keep promises to children—just like his mother, who had promised to bring him abroad someday, but year after year, nothing came of it.

Children aren't oblivious.

Soon, Zhang Xiaoqiang also noticed Wei Qingyue and naturally walked over to talk to him and help him pick out Christmas gifts.

The girls were each planning to buy some small, inexpensive things that students could afford.

When Wei Qingyue was paying, he suddenly looked at them and said, "Let me pay for it all."

Everyone was instantly stunned: Was the number one student this generous?

They all knew his family was rich, but Wei Qingyue was so cool and aloof; he rarely talked to girls. This time, he actually... The girls looked at each other, feeling a sense of disbelief.

Because it was Wei Qingyue, everyone became reserved and a little awkward. If it had been any other boy, they would have definitely teased him and taken the chance to get a freebie. But in front of Wei Qingyue, they couldn't be so bold. Seeing everyone's embarrassment—some twirling their hair, others covering their mouths—Zhang Xiaoqiang took the lead. She straightforwardly put her things on the counter and said, "Top student, you can pay for us then."

Only Jiang Du was still standing near the mirror, quietly watching this scene. Wang Jingjing was beyond excited and pulled her forward. "Quick, Wei Qingyue is going to pay. Let's go too."

Jiang Du didn't move. Anxious like an ant on a hot pan, Wang Jingjing fidgeted and stuffed something into her hand. "Just buy this Santa hat. It looks good on you."

"I don't want it." Jiang Du gently pushed it back.

"Hey, you two, hurry up, or the big spender will run off." Zhang Xiaoqiang waved with a smile. Beside her, Wei Qingyue's gaze also shifted over. Under the projection of the light, his eyelashes trembled slightly.

Zhang Xiaoqiang urged her, "Jiang Du, pick something. Everyone else has already chosen."

Yes, everyone had picked something. Wei Qingyue was paying for everyone, so there was nothing special about it. A stubbornness welled up in Jiang Du from somewhere. She didn't want it. She didn't want this kind of gift, especially since she didn't even like a holiday like Christmas.

Jiang Du just smiled faintly and shook her head. Then, she pushed Wang Jingjing's back and walked out of the boutique first. As she passed Wei Qingyue, she felt the boy's gaze fall directly on her, as light and silent as snow. But Jiang Du was on the verge of tears. She knew this might be the only chance in her high school life to have a real interaction with him—a gift he paid for, something she could treasure for a lifetime.

But it wasn't what she wanted. To be lumped in with everyone else, her face a blur. In the future, he might not even remember Christmas of 2006, when he had generously bought some small gifts for the girls.

It was with this immense regret that Jiang Du walked out of the small shop. The cold wind raged, carrying the lingering chill of the snow.

Behind her were the bustling crowd and cheerful laughter in the shop, but they didn't belong to her.

The evening self-study session was even more chaotic. The class monitor ran to the front and banged on the desk several times. Everyone was restless. Someone had peeled an orange, and a fresh, fruity fragrance wafted through the classroom. People were sharing the orange, and Lin Haiyang came over and gave Jiang Du a piece, a very large one.

Wang Jingjing, meanwhile, was fiddling with the doll she had picked out, not forgetting to ask Jiang Du, "What was up with you? You were so difficult today. Look, even the class academic representative tried to persuade you, but you still didn't give Wei Qingyue any face. Later, that group of girls is going to say you're putting on airs. Ai, I bet that's what they'll say."

Maybe. There was an element of putting on airs, but it was the kind born from an unknown depth of sadness. Jiang Du didn't speak. She just smiled and began to eat the orange seriously. The sweet and sour taste spread across her taste buds, but her heart felt heavy, as if she were swallowing the blade of a knife.

"Is it good? I'll give you two more." Lin Haiyang tossed two more oranges over. One accidentally hit the doll, angering Wang Jingjing so much that she immediately threw the orange back.

Lin Haiyang said, "What are you doing? If you don't want it, Jiang Du still does!"

These two adversaries were like fighting cocks, not a day went by that they didn't square off and bicker. Jiang Du's hands were sticky from eating, and the classroom was once again filled with an atmosphere of no one wanting to study, so she decided to step out.

The wind was black, the air dry and cold. She hid her mouth in her scarf. As she passed the doorway of Class One, she took a quick glance inside. It seemed a little chaotic in there too.

She went to the Comprehensive Building, where there were fewer people. There were still a few figures on campus. Occasionally, a burst of laughter would erupt and then end abruptly; she didn't know who was fooling around. The more noise there was, the more deserted she felt. Jiang Du recalled watching the lights of countless homes from her aunt's window on New Year's Eve. In the living room, her aunt's family was watching the Spring Festival Gala. She had returned to her room early, listening to the intermittent laughter, her heart feeling like a desolate snow that fell endlessly. Her aunt was actually very good to her, very warm, but she didn't feel a sense of belonging. She was a guest. 'No one likes having an outsider in their home on New Year's Eve,' she thought, so she wouldn't stay in the living room. She even drank very little water to avoid going to the bathroom and making people feel like there was an extra person moving about the house.

When her Grandma said she could go home, she immediately ran home.

Next week was New Year's Day. Her grandparents always called New Year's Day the "solar calendar new year." Once the solar new year passed, the lunar new year wasn't far off, and she would be another year older.

Jiang Du's mind was filled with random thoughts. Standing in front of the Comprehensive Building, she noticed the flowers and plants in the flowerbeds on both sides had long since frozen to death.

"Jiang Du." Someone called her name.

The tall, straight figure of the boy was somewhat dim under the streetlight. Jiang Du stared at Wei Qingyue in astonishment. Why was he here?

"I thought it was you. It really is." Wei Qingyue walked over. He seemed like a dragonfly passing by, making a brief stop here.

The boy had the lingering smell of cigarette smoke on him. Jiang Du knew he must have been hiding somewhere smoking.

"I came to wash my hands. I just ate an orange," Jiang Du said unnaturally, holding out her hands, which were quite cold.

A smile appeared on Wei Qingyue's face. "You came all this way? Just now, why didn't you pick a gift?"

Caught off guard by the question, Jiang Du was clearly unprepared. In her haste, she said, "I don't really care about Christmas. There wasn't a gift I liked, so I didn't want to waste your money."

"Is that so? I thought all you girls liked trinkets." He thought for a moment, then finally remembered something. "Don't you have a charm on your pencil case?"

It was the Tweety Bird.

Jiang Du didn't know what to say. Explaining it would take a lot of words. She was silent for a few seconds before saying sullenly, "There are just some things I don't like, but there are also things I do like."

Wei Qingyue didn't seem to mind the matter. He sniffled lightly, exhaling a puff of white vapor. "Could you do me a favor and deliver a letter for me"—he paused for a moment—"to Wang Jingjing, your classmate."

Something clearly exploded before her eyes, like the entire sky of stars bursting. Jiang Du was momentarily blinded. She looked up and saw the vast canopy of the sky behind Wei Qingyue. In reality, there were no stars; it was her illusion.

She had never thought Wei Qingyue would write back.

Jiang Du stared blankly at the boy. Suddenly, she felt a brand-new kind of sorrow. He had written back, to Wang Jingjing.

"Is it inconvenient?" Wei Qingyue's tone was as natural as ever.

She was too stiff to say a single word.

"If it's not convenient for you, I can..."

"It is convenient!" Jiang Du suddenly interrupted him hastily. She lowered her head and tugged at her scarf, trying her best to prevent Wei Qingyue from noticing that something was wrong with her.

"Thanks," Wei Qingyue joked with her again. "In that case, I really should buy you a gift, since I'm troubling you."

Would she be the one running errands between them from now on? Taking over from Lin Haiyang.

Jiang Du's eyes stung fiercely. She couldn't breathe, but her mind didn't offer much resistance or any other thoughts. She didn't know what this overwhelming emotion was.

"No need, you're being too polite," she said slowly.

Wei Qingyue pulled something out of his pants pocket. It was a crumpled letter, written on a page torn from a diary, with no envelope. When he handed it to Jiang Du, the girl looked up at him again.

Their eyes met. It was very quiet.

"You and Wang Jingjing are good friends, right?" Wei Qingyue had another question for her. Jiang Du nodded.

"At the end of the letter, I left my QQ Number. Tell her to add me," the boy explained straightforwardly.

He's fallen for Wang Jingjing? The thought flashed through Jiang Du's mind like a shooting star. She clutched the letter tightly, as if temporarily carrying someone else's treasure, and silently walked back to the academic building.