Chapter 33: The Second Day of Winter Vacation

Feng Yan woke from his dream, slowly got up, and began his day.

In the dream they were already being hunted by an organization called Bounty Hunters, and Feng Yan couldn't help but feel worried, thinking: "So, that guy, and her—could they also be involved? After all, only in the game can one be eliminated outright, or perhaps it's a kind of pleasure in killing me."

Feng Yan couldn't help but lower his head and ponder, when a distant sound of a suona drifted in, repeating over and over. He stepped outside and looked toward the intersection, where a wedding procession was ahead. The lead vehicle wore a brand‑new suit, a large red flower pinned to its chest, and held a bouquet of red roses. The procession moved forward slowly. Mischievous children blocked the procession, demanding candy. The people in the car rolled down the windows and tossed out candy in great amounts. The children snatched the candy, then gradually stepped back, and the car continued its slow advance.

Feng Yan watched the scene; the car stopped in front of a house in the neighboring village, its gate tightly shut. He saw a teenager run toward the back yard, and a burst of crackling firecracker sounds erupted—that was the family celebrating a daughter's marriage.

Curious, Feng Yan walked over. The groom was blocked outside the door, while the children inside kept the door shut and shouted, "Red envelopes, red envelopes—if you want to see the bride, you have to give a red envelope!"

A child's innocent voice came from inside; the groom slowly slipped the prepared red envelopes one by one through the door crack. A child grabbed a red envelope, ran to the side, showed a joyful expression, and shouted, "Look, I grabbed a red envelope!"

Then the child opened it and made a disappointed sound, saying, "What? It's only one yuan."

The groom had completely used up the red envelopes in his hand; an adult nearby gradually ushered the children away, and the gate was slowly opened, allowing the groom to see the bride.

"That wasn't easy!" a village woman said, looking at the scene and speaking to the person beside her.

"Indeed, the son of this house finally married a wife! The bride price is getting more expensive, and from now on, for our children, I can't even imagine it!" the woman beside replied, full of sighs.

Feng Yan didn't want to listen to the women's chatter; they kept talking about bride price, the trivial matters of neighboring families, exchanging words by the roadside about recent village happenings, or recounting old stories of past years' petty gossip. Yet these people always seemed to find pleasure in that, which made Feng Yan wonder whether they had no worries at all, or whether their worries could only be voiced at home.

Feng Yan no longer lingered on the main road; the wedding car had long vanished. On the ground lay spent firecrackers, their red remnants staining the white snow with a splash of red. The accumulated snow melted into water as cars passed, soaking the firecracker debris; the water seeped through the fragments, making them damp. Children emerged, flaunting the red envelopes they had just snatched, chasing and showing them off. The red firecracker debris, stepped on by the children, released water that began to flow downward, turning the snowy field into a reddish hue—both festive and sorrowful.

The children nearby played and rough‑housed; Feng Yan stared at them, lost in thought. He seemed to recall his own childhood memories—was it the same? Such carefree joy, unaware of worry or sorrow. Yet as he grew older, his body kept getting taller day by day, and his worries increased likewise. Seeing these children, Feng Yan felt he was back in his own youth, recalling those happy times.

Coming back to himself, Feng Yan smiled—his first unrestrained smile since returning home. He watched the squabbling children, feeling joyful as he headed home, thinking, "It seems happiness can be shared."

When Feng Yan got home, his grandmother had already started preparing lunch. Seeing his smile, she smiled too and asked, "What's made you so happy today? Look at you, your mouth won't stop moving."

"Yes, Grandma, I saw a wedding in the neighboring village, went to join the fun, and snatched a few candies," Feng Yan replied.

"Indeed!" Feng Yan said to himself, "It's been a long time since I felt this happy."

For Chen Hao, it was already the second day back home, and he was now walking down the street, buying New Year goods.

Just yesterday, Chen Hao had just returned from Feng Yan's house. His parents, unaware of the truth, were very pleased to see their son back. His father snatched the bundle from his son's hands and hurried home, while his mother went to the kitchen to prepare tasty dishes for him. Seeing both parents happy, Chen Hao felt a bitter gloom but still managed a smile. The homeroom teacher hadn't told the family about the matter, and Chen Hao wouldn't go out of his way to bring it up.

Thinking of this, Chen Hao still felt angry and quickened his pace.

Because the New Year was approaching, the streets gradually became lively. Chen Hao looked at the crowded crowds around him, sighed helplessly, and said, "Looks like you can't avoid the crush."

Chen Hao walked while pushing aside the surrounding crowd—being packed together truly felt uncomfortable. So he kept moving forward slowly, buying what he needed; for Chen Hao it was a rather terrible experience. Finally, after a while, Feng Yan finally emerged.

Chen Hao walked along the road, his hands full of items, and said, "Pork, vermicelli, noodles, tofu, chicken, duck, fish—looks like I've got everything, so I can head home now."

Just as he finished speaking, Chen Hao ran into an old acquaintance. He tried to avoid them, but it was impossible. The two locked eyes, yet neither stepped forward, as if in a cold war or simply not wanting to disturb each other.

Finally, Chen Hao couldn't hold back, took a step forward, and asked, "How have you been lately?"

"I'm fine, not too sad," the girl replied.

Chen Hao looked at the girl's face again; he hadn't seen her since high school. He didn't know where she had gone, yet now she stood before him, and he couldn't speak, just kept staring.

The girl was strikingly elegant; in Chen Hao's memory she had long black hair, now replaced by golden locks, and her eyes, like a bewitching stare, captivated the soul. Time passed and everyone changed, yet some things remained forever unchanged.

Chen Hao looked at the girl and said, "Well then, I wish you a happy life." Then he vanished from her sight.

The north wind brushed Chen Hao's face, making it sting. Holding the purchased New Year goods, he walked slowly home, feeling that everything was over. But why? Why did she appear again before Chen Hao? The wheat field was covered in snow, yet it could not stop the wheat from growing upward. The wheat broke through the snow's resistance, stubbornly showing its green heads, proclaiming its victory. Chen Hao walked, watching the wheat field, and felt that he too should let go.

Yang Xin recalled how he came to know Feng Yan; the Feng Yan before him was an honest person, often bullied, yet never resentful. Feng Yan was aware of others teasing him, but never fully erupted; only occasionally did he reach an intolerable point, after which he would go online at night. Over time, Feng Yan grew increasingly reclusive.

Until that day, Feng Yan could never forget.

The girl in front applied to be his desk mate; Feng Yan's eyes widened, unable to believe what he was seeing—a girl in his place, a pitiful boy.

The girl said to Feng Yan, "So, I'm your desk mate now!"

The classmates stared at the scene, all shocked into silence. Feng Yan also stared blankly at the girl, unable to speak for a long while. The girl smiled; only then did Feng Yan slowly come to his senses, embarrassedly sat down, felt his face heat up, and gradually turn red.

The classmates watching the commotion from behind started heckling, "Look, Feng Yan actually turned red!"

"Yeah, isn't this guy's skin thicker than a city wall?" another shouted.

It just wouldn't stop. Feng Yan didn't want to hear any of it; he picked up a novel and began reading, ignoring the others.

"You all, stop it!" the girl shouted.

Yang Xin thought of this and smiled. Perhaps it was then that both of them fell in love with the same girl.

Feng Yan looked at the sky; night was falling. He walked slowly along the road, muttering to himself, "Back then, that girl made me fall for her through this incident; I kept a place for her in my heart. But Yang Xin, why—if you had just said it outright, I would…."

Feng Yan shook his head, reached his front door, and said, "It's dark now, so let's begin our game."