A lifetime of peace and care

42

LTPC Chapter 42: Going to See the Snow

At sunset, Yi Ran looked up and stared at the distant landscape of mountains and stones. It was covered with a thin layer of snow. The car sent by Gu Tingchuan was heading towards the mountains, and the scenery along the way was extremely beautiful. 

It was precisely because of the snow that the sky was so grim and grey, making it hard to distinguish the correct time. 

Yi Ran thought that there was probably nothing that could make the whole city look more winter-like than a heavy snowfall. Looking at the whole Ming Bay, it seemed to be standing among the gully of years, creating such an irresistibly picturesque scene that her heart became breathless with amazement.

She soon arrived at a small gazebo by the mountain lake, which was a private residential area in Ming Bay. As a result, there were no outsiders trespassing and very few residents who could come and go. 

Because of the sub-zero temperatures in recent days, a thin layer of ice had formed over the lake. At this moment, the snow was drifting down, covering the landscape and the pavilion into a mixture of white and green. A man sat beside the pavilion, quietly admiring the view of the snowy lake.

Yi Ran realized that he must have been sitting for a long time, as if he was not afraid of the cold. His black hair and shoulders were covered with a layer of snow. His back was leaning on the bench railing and the hair drooping over his forehead was mussed by the wind. The zipper of his black down jacket was open, exposing a small section of skin at the neckline of his undershirt. His clear and cold eyes were especially alluring. 

The image was extremely picturesque. He looked so much like a lead straight out of a movie, making her recall the phrase: the moon’s cold face was a blossom glistening with snow. 

Gu Tingchuan heard her approached and turned around. He lifted up his hands to touch the her windblown pink cheeks. As they drew closer, he saw snowflakes hanging on her eyelashes, like sparkling stars, and he couldn’t help but gaze solemnly into her eyes.

At this moment, the wind was peaceful and calm. Yi Ran pulled closer to him and pressed her hands over his hands on her cheeks. For the longest time, neither of them spoke. 

Finally, Gu Tingchuan’s gaze slowly shifted away to look at the snowy scene around them. “Now, it’s snowing and a little windy, but it doesn’t matter. The weather will get better in a bit.”

She was silent for a moment before she finally shook her head helplessly and quietly said, "Sometimes, I think you are the coldest and most ruthless person in the world, but sometimes, I think you are the most romantic and hopeless man " 

Gu Tingchuan smiled and readily accepted her description of him. 

He lifted the small blanket on his right and laid it beside her on the bench. Then, he raised his hand to ask her to come and sit. 

Yi Ran didn’t know if she was moved by the scenery or by other reasons but, as she sat on the warm blanket, her voice was very light. “What is this? Are you giving great respect to the teacher to win sympathy points?”

He leaned over and took her hands in his. Noticing that they were cold, he simply put his coat over their hands and said, “The ‘respect for the teacher’ phrase here is very relevant. It depends on if you were touched or not.”

His hands were wrapped around her own hands tightly and the enthusiasm and care with which he held her made her whole body feel warm. She couldn’t help but look up and examine him. The corners of the man’s mouth were slightly lifted and his deep eyes seemed to be coated with a cold mist.