That year, heavy snow fluttered down like goose feathers.
In the tranquil courtyard, the ground was covered in snow, which crunched underfoot.
A three-year-old child was rolling in the snow, unafraid of the cold and even smiling.
A girl, slightly older than the boy, appeared. She pounced on him, rolling together in the snow amid endless laughter; they played joyously.
Finally, the girl flicked the boy’s nose with her crystal-clear fingers and crisply asked, "Tell me why you aren’t afraid of the cold?"
"I am cold, but I don’t say so." The boy suddenly saw some plum blossoms in the corner of the yard. He ran over swiftly, climbed up with difficulty, and plucked a branch before running back to present it to the girl.
The girl was stunned, tears shimmering in her eyes. She accepted it and sniffed it, saying, "It smells wonderful."
The boy giggled merrily.
Yet the girl couldn’t smile. She stretched out her slightly cold, reddened hand and touched the boy’s head, saying, "Fang Yi, does it hurt?"
"It does hurt, but it will be fine in a few days. Auntie said she will buy me a super big toy soon," Fang Yi said, his face wearing an innocent smile.
The girl felt a pang in her heart. Recalling the heart-wrenching screams of Fang Yi from the other night, her heart ached with him.
"Hmph! You lowlife, thinking my mom will buy you a toy? Dream on!" A boy about five or six years old said disdainfully, followed by several peers, among whom he was the leader.
"Fang Xiangzai! You took what belongs to Fang Yi, and instead of thanking him, you insult him? I’ll beat you to death!" The girl got angry and didn’t care about the number of opponents, rushing to fight.
In the courtyard full of feather-like snow, children’s shouts filled the air as they eagerly fought each other.
But blood stained the girl’s tender cheeks; which child had scratched her wasn’t known, but she wasn’t afraid nor did she stop, continuing to fight with the other children, while that boy named Fang Xiangzai, standing aside, lifted his chin in a display of arrogance and disdain.
"Hehe, nice, really nice," Fang Yi suddenly clapped his hands, laughing heartily and carefree.
The leader, Fang Xiangzai, approached Fang Yi and squatted in front of him, asking, "Do you want a toy, Fang Yi?"
Fang Yi nodded, "Yes, I do."
Fang Xiangzai’s face showed a cold smirk uncharacteristic of a child and suddenly slapped Fang Yi across the face. Fang Yi fell onto the snow-covered ground, his body getting covered in snow.
"Hmph!" Fang Xiangzai coldly snorted.
However, Fang Yi didn’t cry or make a fuss but instead spread his arms and said crisply, "Hug, hug."
Fang Xiangzai felt neither guilty nor softened but became even angrier!
As the leader, Fang Xiangzai was haughty and proud. He was infuriated by Fang Yi’s gesture, not even understanding if it was due to anger or something else.
Regardless, it was anger. Fang Xiangzai slapped Fang Yi across the face again, but Fang Yi still didn’t cry or fuss, just looked at him naively.
"Cry! Cry for me!" Fang Xiangzai yelled, displaying a fury not common in children.
"Fang Xiangzai, stop hitting Fang Yi!" The girl, having broken free from the entanglement of the other children, ran over and pushed Fang Xiangzai onto the snow, starting to punch him wildly.
But after a few hits, adults intervened and dragged her away, her struggles futile.
A dignified lady with a grim face also came over. Fang Yi approached her, arms open, "Auntie, hug, hug..."
The lady glared at Fang Yi with disgust. She didn’t hug him but picked up Fang Xiangzai instead, then glared fiercely at both Fang Yi and the girl before walking away with Fang Xiangzai.
The courtyard became tranquil once more, with snow still falling. The girl and Fang Yi stood forlornly.
The girl held little Fang Yi in her arms, patted his head, and said softly, "Little Fang Yi, I, Fang Yuying, swear to protect you, I definitely will!!!"
That year, when he was three, the memory of that day surfaced in Fang Yi’s mind. He had never remembered it before, but now, after seeing Fang Yuying, he recalled that fragment.
But he would rather not remember that fragment; it was so cold and so heart-wrenchingly painful.
Fang Yi lit a cigarette and expelled the murky memory from his mind. He looked at Fang Yuying, who sat opposite him, feeling a complex mix of emotions.
"Honestly, do you remember me?"
Fang Yuying sat on the sofa, not caring about her miniskirt, not caring about exposing herself, her two long and sleek legs resting on the coffee table, exuding a ruffian and hoodlum air.
"I remember a bit," Fang Yi answered.
"Really? Then tell me, what do you remember? Is it when I held you while sleeping or when you kissed me?" Fang Yuying casually asked.
"That snow, that courtyard," Fang Yi said.
In fact, Fang Yi had only spent a brief time with Fang Yuying. Even if Fang Yi couldn’t remember, he knew he had been sent to an orphanage and then adopted by an elderly couple, finally meeting the old man.
Fang Yuying’s expression faltered and she sighed, "I thought you were naïve and adorably foolish back then. I didn’t expect you to hold grudges."
However, Fang Yi shook his head, "No, I don’t hold grudges; I can’t even remember who bullied me."
Fang Yuying said, "I can tell you."
Fang Yi still shook his head, "No need."
"Fine, if you don’t want to know now, you can meet him yourself later. By the way, I have a question for you, answer me honestly." Fang Yuying picked up an apple from the coffee table and casually peeled it with a fruit knife, her elegant fingers appearing very graceful.
"Do you... still consider me your sister?" The fierce woman from before now had a touch of gentleness in her eyes, and she seemed somewhat nervous.
But Fang Yi didn’t let her remain nervous for long. Facing this question, Fang Yi smiled and answered:
"Yes, how could I not? You came all the way from Tianjing to find me. If I were heartless, wouldn’t it make you very sad? Moreover, I don’t have any relatives now."
Fang Yuying suddenly burst out laughing. She walked straight to Fang Yi and grabbed his collar.
Fang Yi, as if facing a venomous snake, quickly said, "Wait! I haven’t finished!"
"I, I need to think about it."
Fang Yuying, not knowing what a swear word was, pulled Fang Yi’s collar, then pressed down on Fang Yi’s head.
For a moment, Fang Yi’s mind went blank, feeling suffocated, he faintly heard Fang Yuying’s domineering and rude words echoing in his ears.
"If you don’t think it through, I’ll suffocate you."
(That... there’s someone named Ma Mingqiang, tell someone named Zhao Wanting for me, he loves you very, very, very much, and, happy birthday.)