"I'd rather hear you call me Gongze Yu or Zeyu. Saying 'Mayor Gong' feels too distant."
"You'll have to tell us when we first met before I can call you that!"
By the time they finished conversing, they had reached the end of the lane and Bai Xue had hailed a taxi.
"Send me a message when you're home," Gongze Yu bent over to look inside the car.
They hadn't exchanged numbers, so this suggestion was purely for the driver's ears, to ensure her safety on the late-night ride home.
"Sure thing, be careful on your way," Bai Xue was always bright.
Gongze Yu waited until the taxi was out of sight before leaving.
"Xiao Xue, do you find it hard to remember me?" Was he such an insignificant presence to her that she could so easily forget him?
On nights like these, Bai Xue sometimes didn't want to go home, not wanting to face the chilliness of her house or a resentful face. But in the end, she always went back.
It was only after she got out of the taxi that she realised she had forgotten to return Gongze Yu's jacket.
Should she take this jacket back to him?
What would he think if he saw it?
Would he think she was being disrespectful?
She hesitated.
But then she laughed at herself, she was overthinking. Even if she didn't return the jacket, would he think well of her?
In his eyes, she was a fallen woman anyway.
She arrived home, the place was pitch black.
He wasn't there.
In the wake of her relief, a sense of disappointment welled up in her heart.
She felt she was growing more masochistic.
She would prefer listening to his sarcasm than facing the darkness of the room any day.
Grabbing a bottle of red wine, she headed to the balcony.
The open-air, semicircular balcony was blanketed in snow, shining brilliantly under the lamplight, looking exceptionally beautiful.
After her mother passed away, she often found herself alone.
Alone eating meals, watching TV, admiring the snow, facing a group of vicious predators.
She should be used to it by now, so why did she feel so deserted, so lonely?
Su Yan got home past two in the night, noticing the light on in the balcony, he frowned and headed over.
He saw Bai Xue, barefoot, lingering on the balcony in thin clothing.
For a moment, his heart seemed to stop, thinking she was about to jump, he rushed over.
"Are you crazy, Bai Xue!" His harsh words from the previous day were only that, did she really have to be so extreme?
Bai Xue lifted her head, her face flushed, her eyes misty.
"I'm not the crazy one, you are!" First he was caring, then harsh, making her emotions rise and fall, enduring such torture!
When she lifted her head, Su Yan got a whiff of her boozy breath.
He glanced at the empty wine bottle on the table. Had she drunk a whole bottle?
"If you can't handle your liquor, don't copy others and drink. You even want to jump off the building to commit suicide!" If he had been a little late, would she have jumped?
The thought sent a chill down his spine.
"Who said I wanted to kill myself! I just wanted to enjoy the view from below!" No matter what happened, no matter the circumstance, she, Bai Xue, would never commit suicide. She would live life fully!
"Okay, you were just enjoying the view!" Su Yan stopped arguing, there was no point in disputing with a drunk.
"Today's snowfall is so beautiful! I love snow the most!" A drunk Bai Xue behaved like a child.
Su Yan had never seen this side of her before.
Bai Xue was usually very composed, rarely losing her cool. No matter the situation, she kept her calm. Even if the sky were falling down, she wouldn't bat an eyelid.
He despised this side of Bai Xue, she seemed so much like a robot.