“Sister, it looks like it’s going to snow today.”
Shen Qianqian gazed out the window at the bleak winter wind through the glass.
Being so close to the window, her warm breath formed a circle of white mist on the glass. Playfully, she reached out and wrote “Xmas” on it.
Then she wiped it away with her hand.
Suddenly, she felt something soft and fuzzy on her head. Out of nowhere, a small red Santa hat had appeared on her.
“Sister, you put it on me again! I told you this was for the cat!!”
Shen Qianqian protested in annoyance, reaching out to grab the mischievous woman who had placed the hat on her.
But all she caught was a pair of cold arms. She noticed the familiar silver hair floating beside her.
Shen Qianqian quickly turned around, her eyes filled with excitement.
“Ning... Xuan sister!”
When she saw the calm, lake-blue eyes of the person standing there, she realized her mistake and felt a bit awkward.
But she quickly masked it, replacing her expression with a sweet smile.
“Merry Christmas~~”
They looked so much alike.
Ning Xuan gave Shen Qianqian an elegant smile. She wasn’t usually the type to play pranks, so she pointed toward Shen Yiyue, who was peeking out from the kitchen.
“Your sister put me up to it.”
She didn’t hesitate to expose the mastermind behind the prank.
A white Ragdoll cat, wearing a tiny Christmas dress, let out a soft “meow” and leaped into Ning Xuan’s arms.
The cat affectionately rubbed its cheek against her, and Ning Xuan, who adored the cat, twirled her snow-white silver hair to tease it.
“Stupid sister, not only do you bully me, but you also make others bully me too!”
Shen Qianqian put the little Santa hat back on the cat’s head, causing it to paw at its head, trying to get the strange thing off.
Then Shen Qianqian darted into the kitchen, sneaking bites of the freshly cooked dishes while causing a bit of chaos for her sister.
“Mmm, so delicious, sister’s cooking has improved... Ah!!!”
“If you keep eating, there won’t be any left! Get out!!!”
It didn’t take long for Shen Yiyue to drag Shen Qianqian out of the kitchen, giving her a light kick on the bottom for good measure.
“Click!”
The kitchen’s glass door was locked by Shen Yiyue.
Shen Qianqian pouted, seeing Ning Xuan playing with the cat using a feather wand. She wanted to join in.
“Ding dong~”
The doorbell suddenly rang. Shen Qianqian, being the closest, abandoned her plan and rushed to open the door.
As soon as she opened it.
“Hello, Sister Ji... Pfft, hahahahahaha!”
Shen Qianqian, who was trying to be a “polite and well-behaved child,” instantly lost her composure.
Outside, Wu Di was wearing a big white beard and a Santa hat.
His face clearly said, “I was forced into this,” while Ji Mengyao stood beside him, arm slung over his shoulder like a buddy, looking effortlessly cool.
Though her grip on him seemed a bit too strong, as if she were “kindly” threatening him.
She reached over and took a beautifully wrapped gift box from Wu Di’s arm, handing it to Shen Qianqian.
“Here, Qianqian, this is your Christmas gift.”
Hearing Shen Qianqian’s laughter at the door, Ning Xuan turned her head to look. Seeing Wu Di’s hilarious outfit, she couldn’t help but cover her mouth and chuckle softly.
Outside, the cold wind howled, but inside, the room was filled with the warmth of steaming dishes.
“Have you been busy lately?”
Shen Yiyue piled a heap of vegetables onto Shen Qianqian’s plate, then shot her a warning look that said, “No picky eating,” as Shen Qianqian was busy devouring a large piece of meat.
“Ah, the reconstruction work is going alright. It’s a slow process, but thanks to you getting those zombies to help, it’s saved us a lot of effort.”
Ji Mengyao took off her baseball cap, revealing her beautiful golden hair.
“Have you heard? Lin Hao is pushing for something called the ‘Zombie Rights Act.’ I really don’t understand what he’s thinking.”
Shen Yiyue and Ning Xuan exchanged a glance before Shen Yiyue replied,
“It’s probably for those zombies... the ones who are gradually regaining consciousness. Honestly, I don’t even know what to call them anymore.”
The conversation flowed back and forth at the dinner table, but there was one topic everyone silently avoided.
While eating, Ning Xuan caught a glimpse of Shen Yiyue’s smiling face, but in her eyes, she saw a trace of sorrow that was hard to detect.
Ning Xuan sighed softly, feeling that maybe she shouldn’t have come today.
Perhaps it’s best to leave after dinner....
As the sky grew darker, after seeing off Ji Mengyao and Wu Di, Ning Xuan also prepared to bid farewell to Shen Yiyue and Shen Qianqian.
“Xiao Xuan, can you stay and talk with me for a bit?”
Ning Xuan was surprised when Shen Yiyue asked her to stay. She looked up at Shen Yiyue’s expression, pursed her lips, and agreed.
In the dimly lit room, there stood an old electric piano.
Shen Yiyue walked to the far side of the room and opened the window. The cold winter wind rushed in, brushing against her face like a knife.
“It’s about to snow.”
Shen Yiyue let out a long sigh, her breath forming a cloud of white mist in the air.
“Yes.”
Ning Xuan stood beside Shen Yiyue, not looking at her, and instead pulled out a golden pocket watch.
Though the watch was a bit worn, it still ticked steadily.
On the watch was a photo of two silver-haired girls smiling, one with lake-blue eyes and the other with amber eyes.
A snowflake drifted in through the window. Shen Yiyue reached out to catch it, feeling its delicate, crystalline texture as it melted into water from her body heat.
Outside, snowflakes began to fall, blanketing the world in white.
Shen Yiyue’s eyes trembled as she whispered to herself, almost inaudibly.
“I wish I could watch this snow with you, but where are you now?”
She reached out to close the window, as it was letting in too much cold air.
Suddenly, a hauntingly beautiful melody began to play behind her, a tune she had never heard before.
Though simple, the melody evoked images of snowflakes falling outside, gathering on the ground or melting in someone’s hand.
She turned around and asked,
“Xiao Xuan, when did you start learning the pi...”
But her words trailed off as she saw Ning Xuan standing beside her, frozen in place, her eyes wide and trembling, as if she wanted to cry but couldn’t.
Reflected in Ning Xuan’s lake-blue eyes was a familiar figure.
Something seemed to strike Shen Yiyue’s soul, making her turn around as if electrified.
Unbeknownst to her, the iris mark on Shen Yiyue’s forehead had begun to glow faintly red.
Sitting at the old piano was a silver-haired girl in a pure white dress, with a straight sword adorned with blood-red butterflies floating beside her.
Her slender, pale fingers gently touched the keys, playing the enchanting melody.
Noticing Shen Yiyue’s gaze, the girl turned her head, her amber eyes meeting Shen Yiyue’s, and she smiled with the same gentle expression as always.
“I’m back.”
“Merry Christmas, Sister Yue, and Xiao Xuan.”
Shen Yiyue returned the smile, tears streaming down her face, her emotions impossible to hide.
She had so many questions—where had she been, why had she made her wait so long, how had she returned.
But now, her vision blurred with tears, and her face was filled with overwhelming happiness:
“Welcome back.”