I immediately denied myself. Mi Cai couldn't be the woman with long hair cascading over her shoulders. Even if there was some dependence between us, it was only the result of long-term struggle. Many times, this struggle dispelled my melancholy and loneliness, and I believe it was the same for Mi Cai.

 

Finally, I replied to Mi Cai's message: "I don't mind making a snowman with you, but you have to cheer me up first."

 

Mi Cai quickly replied: "Then you can kick me too, that would make us even."

 

Once again, I was impressed by Mi Cai's strong logical thinking. After a while, I replied: "In a harmonious society, who would want to kick you! … Bring me breakfast tomorrow, I want crab meat buns and spicy soup."

 

"Okay."

 

"Mm."

 

In the end, our late-night conversation ended with just two words. Finally feeling tired, I washed up and went to bed, soon falling asleep.

 

When I woke up the next day, the first thing I did was open the curtains. As expected, the world outside the window was completely covered in snow.

 

Looking at the time, it was just past 8 o'clock. Unable to suppress my hunger, I sent Mi Cai a WeChat message: "Are you here yet? I'm hungry!"

 

A moment later, Mi Cai replied: "I'm in line, wait a bit."

 

Feeling a bit guilty for making Mi Cai queue up to buy breakfast for me, I quickly replied: "Just find any place to buy it, why do you need to queue up!"

 

Mi Cai jokingly replied: "Because I kicked you, of course I have to buy the best crab meat buns in Suzhou to compensate you… You're so delicate!"

 

With a hint of "anger", I replied: "Then don't buy it, come over and let me kick you!"

 

Mi Cai only sent me a sweating emoji and then there was no more movement. I got up and quickly finished washing up, sitting at the desk by the window to continue the marketing plan I hadn't finished last night, but I couldn't help but glance out the window from time to time.

 

Finally, Mi Cai's car appeared in my line of sight. I saw her get out of the car with a thermal lunch box in hand. I straightened up, preparing to present a diligent and hardworking image in front of her, so she wouldn't always think I was boring.

 

***

 

A little while later, I heard the sound of keys unlocking the door, followed by Mi Cai's voice: "Zhao Yang, are you home?"

 

"Mm." A simple hum, but I managed to convey a sense of busyness. I couldn't help but admire myself.

 

Mi Cai pushed the door open and walked into my room. I buried my head even lower, my fingers tapping away on the keyboard.

 

Mi Cai exclaimed, "You're already working so early."

 

"A man doesn't care if it's morning or night when it comes to work. When it's time to work hard, he works hard without hesitation." I was "busy" to the point where I didn't even have time to glance at Mi Cai.

 

"Do you have time to eat breakfast?"

 

"Wait… Let me finish this part first, you go ahead and eat."

 

Mi Cai didn't leave, but came over to look at my computer. Not finding any flaws, she said to me: "I won't interrupt your train of thought then, I'll go eat first."

 

"Mm." I was still very busy and responded, my fingers typing even faster on the keyboard. Of course, this wasn't an act. At this moment, my thoughts were very active, and the entire plan was smoothly expressed in words.

 

Ten minutes later, feeling that I had acted enough, I finally put the computer on standby and walked towards the living room. Mi Cai was sitting quietly at the dining table, eating.

 

I stretched my body and sat down across from her, then without any hesitation, I picked up a crab meat bun and started eating.

 

Mi Cai, who rarely initiates conversation, said to me: "On the way here, I saw many people making snowmen on the street."

 

"Mm." I responded deeply, as if I had suddenly transformed into a mature man.

 

"The kids are having a lot of fun…"

 

"Really?"

 

"Yes." Mi Cai responded, looking somewhat lost as she gazed out the window where the snow had stopped.

 

I instantly understood her loneliness. The reason why the children were having so much fun was because they had their parents accompanying and protecting them. But what about Mi Cai?

 

Perhaps she also had a happy memory in the snow, but such a memory could no longer be replicated due to the pain of life.

 

Feeling Mi Cai's regret, I sped up my eating, finishing before her. I then took out a foldable military shovel from the storage box and said to her: "Hurry up and eat, after you finish we'll go make a snowman."

 

"Aren't you very busy? You don't have to accommodate me, work is important."

 

"You brought me breakfast, even if I'm busy, I can't break my promise to you… Don't worry, I'll make a snowman for you in no time, it won't delay anything."

 

Mi Cai immediately smiled, took out a scarf, hat, and other items from her bag, and then pulled me towards the downstairs.

 

At this moment, I realized that everyone has multiple sides. For example, I can be very boring, but I can also pretend to be serious.

 

And Mi Cai, she can be very serious, but she can also have a childlike side. It all depends on who we are facing. Perhaps in front of each other, we are completely unreserved. That's why I would act serious with her, and why she would show her childlike side to me.

 

Originally, we didn't live on the same plane, but this room somehow tied our fates together. If it weren't for this room, we might never have intersected. But fate is so wonderful, we met unintentionally.

 

But I don't expect fate to take us a step further, because the current situation is good enough. I can get a lot of happiness from this situation that I never had before…But I don't think this vague state can be defined as ambiguous. As I said to Robben earlier, I'm past the age of puppy love, and after experiencing the baptism of love, it's hard for me to develop something called love for a woman again… because without love, there will be no more pain!

 

Looking at Mi Cai, it's even less likely for her to fall in love with me. At most, it's a kind of dependence. I can see this clearly, because any unrealistic fantasies about her are shameless.

 

So, being a friend who is better than an ordinary friend is quite good! It's more realistic.

 

***

 

When I got downstairs, I rolled up several snowballs of different sizes and shaped them with a shovel. Soon, I made a snowman that looked like a person. Mi Cai found some branches from somewhere to act as arms, and finally put on a hat and a scarf, and a snowman was made.

 

Then we made another snowman following the same method. To distinguish the gender, Mi Cai deliberately made the second snowman very slender and tied a female scarf around it, then looked at it with satisfaction for a long time.

 

I was pleased with her satisfaction, and finally, we took photos with the snowmen, capturing the most beautiful moment of her smile since we met.

 

Suddenly, the ringing of the phone didn't give me time to engrave this most beautiful smile into my mind. So, I took out my phone from my pocket with dissatisfaction, wanting to see who was so insensitive to call me at this time. To my surprise, it was Xiang Chen who called.

 

I hesitated for a moment before answering the call. Xiang Chen invited me to have lunch together, because today was the grand opening of his tobacco and alcohol counter at Baoli Department Store. Of course, I didn't refuse. Such a gathering should be attended, at least I still consider him as a brother, not a friend.

 

But I was still afraid to face Jian Wei alone with Xiang Chen, so I thought of Mi Cai again. Anyway, it was the weekend, and she was free. There should be no problem going to have a meal together, right!