Chapter 225

Zhao Mengmeng remembered that she had even teased her back then, asking who she was going with.

She said, of course, with her best bestie—you, of course.

At that time, Ning Chen had not yet appeared in Si Shiya's world.

This train of thought drifted from this moment in Zhao Mengmeng's mind back several years, then rippled back again.

Zhao Mengmeng was also somewhat lost in thought.

She suddenly thought.

Could it be that Si Shiya later said something like this to Ning Chen too?

That they must go see a rime frost someday?

So now Ning Chen has gone to the Northern Border to wait for a rime frost?

The moment this thought flashed through her mind.

She heard a sound from Brother Shiguang's livestream—"Whoa! It really appeared?!"

Zhao Mengmeng froze, then turned her head to look.

In Brother Shiguang's livestream.

The viewers had already known two days ago.

That streamer Brother Shiguang had come to the Northern Border this time just to see a rime frost.

Of course the viewers still had expectations.

But a rime frost is, after all, just a rime frost.

Just as that security uncle had said, to put it plainly, it's essentially just frost on trees.

A static scene, a quiet beauty.

But in the end, it couldn't compare to those previous wonders streamer Brother Shiguang had checked in at that had blown people's minds.

So the viewers were only keeping streamer Brother Shiguang company—waiting was waiting, but if they didn't get to see it, honestly it didn't matter.

And right at that moment, the viewers heard that voice from the livestream.

Northern Border.

Mohe.

On the Red Pine Forest observation deck.

Following that shout from the security uncle.

Hao Zeyan and Yang Xue, who had already gone down, were both—

Hearing the sound, they rushed back up in a few steps.

They saw Ning Chen already standing by the railing, his gaze fixed dead on the distant Red Pine Forest.

When Hao Zeyan and Yang Xue saw the distant Red Pine Forest.

That momentary splendor dazzled them for the rest of their lives.

On every single branch of the distant Red Pine Forest, silver blossoms had bloomed; the cold river, the snowy willows, these jade trees and radiant flowers suddenly lifted a person in an instant from the human world up into the kingdom of heaven.

That snow-frost, crystalline and flawless after weathering all the world's splendor, had finally condensed at last.

The rime frost stretched vast and misty; sky and clouds, clouds and mountains, mountain forest and snow-frost—all merged into one white from top to bottom.

Silver frost blanketed the hills, swirling, then settling among the Red Pine Forest.

At that moment, what Yang Xue thought of was the white fur of a nine-tailed fox, spreading in great swathes across the distance.

"So… so beautiful…"

Yang Xue gazed on, and suddenly, for no reason, her eyes stung.

She was actually so moved by the beautiful scene before her that she was about to cry.

Hao Zeyan beside her raised a hand and drew her into his shoulder.

The two lovers leaned on each other, there in the cold night.

And not far away, by the railing.

Ning Chen was still standing there alone, hands hanging at his sides, staring at the rime frost that had suddenly appeared in the distance, not moving a muscle.

Not far behind him.

That old drunkard holding a wine bottle.

Also saw the rime frost stretching in from the distance.

At this very moment.

This rime frost was forming!

This was very rare, because most of the time, people only saw the result of a rime frost.

This might be the first time the formation process of a rime frost was being witnessed by human eyes!

This rime frost spectacle was spreading in from the west.

Forming an entire rime frost belt stretching dozens of kilometers!

And even, if one could get a little closer, if this world could be a little quieter.

Humanity would hear the faint sounds of the rime frost condensing…

On the observation deck, Shabi stood with both ears perked up beside Ning Chen, looking ahead.

Behind them.

That old drunkard, perhaps having seen this scene.

For some reason, suddenly grew emotional.

He raised a trembling, unsteady finger, pointed at the distance, mumbled something unintelligible with his mouth, fell down then got back up, kept mumbling, then fell again…

The security uncle from afar ran over.

He helped the old drunk up, but the old drunk shoved his hand away, walked straight ahead a few steps, suddenly threw back his head, spread his arms wide, embraced the direction of the distant rime fog, and laughed hysterically.

The security guard stood nearby, watching him.

The old drunk laughed, and laughed, and the rhythm beneath his feet started up again.

Spinning in place, he began that clumsy, ridiculous dance step once more.

After dancing for a while, he fell again.

This time, he collapsed directly onto the ground and fell fast asleep, snoring loudly.

The security guard stepped forward, hoisted the old man's arm, and dragged him into the security office.

A short while later, the security guard came out.

"Is he okay?" Yang Xue asked.

The security guard exhaled a breath. "He's still alive; he's sleeping like a dead pig~"

"Although he's drunk, he still knows how beautiful this rime fog is," Yang Xue said.

Crystal droplets still clung to her eyelashes.

The security guard, panting, sat on a wooden chair by the bonfire, patted himself down, and said, "That old guy, thirty years, thirty years, still can't forget it. What a fool."

Hearing the guard say this, Hao Ze Yan and Yang Xue grew curious.

They asked a question.

The guard took out a cigarette pack, lit one, and smoked on his own.

"That old thing is surnamed Zhao; he is sixty years old this year."

"Lucky I still remember the old thing's age—damn it," the guard grinned, but a trace of sorrow lingered in his smile.

"What thirty years?" Hao Ze Yan and Yang Xue sat down as well.

They were not leaving tonight.

"Oh—that," the guard pondered, then looked at the young couple before him. "You young people nowadays probably won't understand the... matters of that era."

The guard wiped his cold forehead, and his desire to talk rose:

"Thirty years ago, a great fire broke out in Daxing Ridge; that old guy's wife died in the sea of flames..."

Hearing this, Hao Ze Yan and Yang Xue widened their eyes.

And not far away, Ning Chen heard it too.

Yet he stood there, motionless, still gazing at the distant rime fog.

157. (3/7) The Dancer Lonely for Thirty Years

To be precise.

That was the year '87.