Evanescent Dreams

14. The scent of snow

"So, which part was I at? " Weng Bai sipped his new can of Fanta. He was strolling along with the newly formed group towards the pharmacy Lin Xingren went to the day before.

 He reached high the hand with the Fanta. It was after school, and the world took on a rose-gold tint, a perfect background for his can. 

"You were standing outside the library," Ye Zhen avoided stepping the muddy puddles that still spotted the ground since yesterday's rain. He and Weng Bai were in a line and Lin Xingren and Chen Siyun were a few steps behind. 

"Oh right, I was waiting for Xie Xubo outside the library and then I saw Xuan Miaomiao and," he paused to think. 

"Why did you not go in the library with them? " Ye Zhen inquired. 

"Why? Who in the world wants to third wheel the cutest couple in our grade? "

The answer did not clear Ye Zhen's doubts on why Weng Bai did not go with Xie Xubo into the library that night. Was it only because he wanted Xie Xubo and Xuan Miaomiao to have alone time? Or, was there something he was hiding...

"Wait, " Lin Xingren walked up to them, "then you saw Siyun that night too, right? Xuan Miaomiao came in right after Siyun left."

"Yeah, it was a fairy-tale like encounter, remember?" Weng Bai looked towards Chen Siyun, and pouted realizing her mind wasn't in their conversation. 

Lin Xingren created a new page for her notes on her phone. 

Chen Siyun's risk factor since that night....clean up the mess...Weng Bai...something happened between them. Did it have anything to do with Xuan Miaomiao, or someone else?  

Lin Xingren suddenly thought of the quote Chen Siyun recited to her the day after Xuan Miaomiao's death. The second male-lead of a romance K-drama said it. To not cross the line....slowly forget about him...

Lin Xingren didn't know much about one-sided love, but she could sense that the quote was talking about something like it. 

Does Siyun have a crush on someone. Who? 

She narrowed her eyes at Weng Bai. 

Could it be you?

I hoped not, my secret relationship with Ye Zhen is already awkward enough. 

Lin Xingren coughed, "Oh, cool. Anyways, how about Xuan Miaomiao's condition, anything odd with her?"

"Nope, nothing at all. She was bright and pink as usual. "

They were at the place where Ye Zhen found Lin Xingren lying on the ground in the rain. 

Lin Xingren thought of the pink umbrella her held out above her, and the water dripping down his bangs. Ye Zhen caught her staring at him and his eyes twinkled. She quickly turned away and typed some nonsense on her phone. 

Ye Zhen gestured Weng Bai to continue. 

"I waited for around 10ish minutes after that and Xie Xubo came running out. He was called by Ms. Mei to finish his homework that was due a long time ago. I think she threatened to call his parents if he did not finish it this time."

"Xie Xubo, " Weng Bai shook his head, "always a lazy gamer that doesn't do his work."

Aren't you also someone like that, Lin Xingren wondered. The few times she saw him he was either looking at manga or drinking Fanta. His school bag seemed light as a feather. 

When it was up to Lin Xingren to share a recount of her night, they had arrived at the pharmacy. 

The plump middle-aged lady she saw yesterday was wearing another flower skirt inside her uniform.