During the Snowstorm by Mo Bao Fei Bao

Chapter 4.1 Affairs of the Rolling Red Dust

Note: "滚滚红尘" (gǔn gǔn hóng chén) is a Chinese phrase that can be translated as "The Rolling Red Dust," which is often used to describe the busy, worldly affairs and the hustle and bustle of human society. In literature or storytelling, this phrase can suggest a sense of drama, chaos, or confusion in the events about to unfold or an exploration of the human condition in a rapidly changing world.

After her practice at the billiard ballroom, Yin Guo entered the apartment and was met with an empty space. The silence seemed to echo throughout the room, making it feel much larger than it actually was.

She went to the bathroom and immediately noticed Lin Yi Yang's uncollected razor lying on the counter as if abandoned in a hurry. Yin Guo picked it up and examined it, wondering if it was bad for the blades to be left out like this.

She didn't have the experience to know the right thing to do, so she leaned against the door and opened WeChat to ask Lin Yi Yang.

As she typed her message, she couldn't help but notice the three messages still sitting there as their last conversation.

It felt like those words were staring back at her, urging her to reply, to continue their conversation. Yin Guo sighed and put down the razor, her heart heavy with the weight of their unspoken feelings.

Yin Guo's mind was still reeling from the events of the day. She replayed the moments in her head, the way they walked around the beach together, the conversation they had about the Ferris wheel, and the way Lin Yi Yang had followed her onto the subway just to ensure she didn't get off at the wrong stop.

As she leaned her head back against the bathroom door, Yin Guo couldn't help but wonder if what they did together could be considered a date. Her thoughts wandered, and she realized she had been so lost in her thoughts that she almost blurted out, "I don't have a boyfriend" to him on the train.

But as much as she wanted to broach the subject, she couldn't find the courage to talk to him about it. Yin Guo wondered if he had felt something between them, too. Maybe he would understand if she asked him to message her when he got to Washington, just to let her know he was safe.

Leaning against the door frame, Yin Guo looked up and felt a little uneasy. She took out her ponytail and let her hair fall down, then stared at the razor for a while before thinking of Lin Yi Yang.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated, and it was Lin Yi Yang who had sent a message with his location. He had arrived at the DC train station, just as they had agreed upon before parting ways. A sense of relief washed over Yin Guo, knowing that he was a man who kept his promises.

As she contemplated what to reply, Yin Guo's thoughts turned to the day they spent in Brooklyn. She wondered if Lin Yi Yang felt the same way she did. Just as she was about to overthink things, she decided to be honest and typed out a message. Before she could change her mind, she pressed "send."

Xiaoguo: By the way, I saw your message last night. I don't have a boyfriend.

Before she could even catch her breath, Lin Yi Yang replied.

Lin: I already know.

Xiaoguo wondered how that could be possible.

Xiaoguo: Who told you? Did you ask my younger brother?

Lin: If you had a boyfriend, you wouldn't have gone out with me today.

Lin continued, "Doesn't my conclusion make sense?"

The dim yellow light cast an intimate glow around the room as Yin Guo leaned against the bathroom door, her phone clutched in her arms while laughing. She was still thinking about last night's conversation, which had turned today's simple lunch into something more special.