Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

The moonlight shone on the cold, white snow, giving it a hazy yet clear silver glow.

Dots of red plum blossoms are scattered on the cold, white snow, like crushed rouge scattered all over the ground, vibrant and passionate, yet clear and pure against the backdrop of ice and snow.

A gentle breeze, carrying a hint of smoke, blew down across the cold, white snow, causing the tiny snowflakes on the ground to tremble slightly.

In a stretch of snow, the melting snow slowly melted under the scorching lights, and the melted snow water gathered into small streams on the ground.

Liu Yunshu lowered her head and looked at the top of Shen Shiyan's head. She seemed to be chilled by the cold, and her red lips trembled slightly.

Shen Shiyan seemed to notice her shrinking back. He looked up, his eyes fixed on her, and asked in a low, husky voice, "Are you cold?"

"Hmm~ It's a little cold~"

Shen Shiyan gently pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear, "Then let your brother hold you to keep you warm."

Liu Yunshu leaned against him, turning her head to look at the snowflakes fluttering outside the window.

After staring at it for a while, her vision began to turn white. The moonlight shone on the snow, and the reflected light made Liu Yunshu squint. Tears welled up in her eyes as she squinted.

The fire burned ever brighter, and the snow melted into a pool of spring water.

Shen Shiyan noticed the slight trembling of the person in his arms. Looking down, he saw a tear sliding down the corner of her eye, like a shard of diamond that had accidentally fallen into the snow.

He raised his hand and gently wiped away the dampness with his fingertips, the warmth of his palm soothing her slightly cool cheek.

"Did the light hurt your eyes?" His voice was softer than the moonlight outside the window, carrying a hint of barely perceptible heartache.

He reached out and pulled her shawl tighter around her, then pulled her closer to him. "Don't stare at it. The snow is too bright; it'll hurt your eyes."

Liu Yunshu obediently turned her head back, her nose brushing against his warm clothes, smelling his warm fragrance, and the astringency caused by the dazzling snow gradually dissipated.

A smile flickered in Shen Shiyan's eyes as he watched her nestled obediently in his arms.

"How about I teach you another line of poetry today?"

Liu Yunshu's eyelashes trembled slightly as she looked up at him, her eyes still glistening with moisture from the snow's glare: "What poem?"

Shen Shiyan lowered his head, his gaze falling on her ear tips, which were slightly red from the warmth.

"The peony, full of affection, sheds tears of spring; the rose, powerless, lies on the morning branch."

Liu Yunshu carefully savored the two lines of poetry, her gaze falling on his smiling eyes. Her cheeks gradually warmed, and she reached out to gently grasp the corner of his shirt.

Xiao Ba stroked his chin. "He's a cultured man!"

Shen Shiyan chuckled softly, the vibration of his chest traveling through his clothes to her palm, carrying a reassuring warmth.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

the next morning.

Just as Liu's father was about to knock on Liu Yunshu's door, the door was opened.

"My dear Nong Nong, why did you wake up so early today... Shen Shiyan! You... what are you doing in Nong Nong's room!"

Mr. Liu could hardly believe his eyes. When did my house get robbed?!

Shen Shiyan gestured for Liu's father to be quiet, "Shh! Yun Shu is still asleep."

Liu's father's voice was stuck in his throat, his hand pointing at Shen Shiyan was trembling, and his face was flushed red.

Afraid of waking her daughter inside, she could only lower her voice and "roar" in a breathy tone.

"You little brat! Last night...didn't you go back last night?!"

A hint of a smile flashed across Shen Shiyan's eyes. He coughed lightly, his fist near his mouth, "I really miss Yun Shu, so..."

Before she could finish speaking, Liu's mother came over from the kitchen.

"Shi Yan? What are you doing...?"

As soon as Liu's mother approached and saw the scene in the room, she was stunned for a moment. Then she glared at Liu's father helplessly and pulled him towards the living room.

"What are you yelling about so early in the morning? Don't wake the child."

Mr. Liu was pulled to the sofa, still pounding on the armrest angrily: "Him! He actually stayed in our daughter's room all night! That brat, he's got some nerve!"

Liu's mother brought him a glass of warm water and said with a mix of helplessness and amusement, "Keep your voice down, the children know what's going on."

Mr. Liu took the water glass and gulped down a mouthful. As soon as he swallowed the water, he couldn't help but raise his voice, then pointed at Liu Yunshu's door and lowered his voice again.

"Knows what's going on? He's gone so far as to brazenly intrude! Back when I was pursuing you, I wouldn't even dare to step foot on your doorstep!"

Upon hearing this, Liu's mother couldn't help but expose his shortcomings and reached out to tap his forehead.

"How dare you say that? Who was it that insisted on staying in my yard back then, under the pretext of helping my dad repair the fence, only to end up chopping the bamboo fence into crooked pieces, forcing my dad to redo it himself?"

Father Liu blushed, stiffening his neck in protest, "That's...that's different! I genuinely wanted to help, it's just that my skills weren't up to par! But Shen Shiyan, he went straight for it, much bolder than I was back then!"

As they were talking, Shen's parents walked over from the opposite side, carrying freshly cooked soy milk and fried dough sticks.

As soon as Mrs. Shen entered the door, she laughed and teased, "Old Liu, judging from your voice this early in the morning, who are you arguing with?"

When Liu's father saw Shen's father, he was furious. "It's all because of that brat Shen Shiyan!"

Looking at Shen Shiyan standing at Liu Yunshu's door, Shen's father and mother understood immediately.

Father Shen: Is this still my mild-mannered son?

Mother Shen: Ah Yan is such a reckless child!

Mother Shen quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, pulling on Father Liu's arm and laughing, "Old Liu, don't be angry. This child must have been tired from visiting the lantern festival last night. The two kids were chatting together and accidentally forgot the time. Young people are bound to be absent-minded."

Father Shen chimed in, giving Shen Shiyan a wink: "You brat, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and come over here to apologize to your Uncle Liu."

Chen Shiyan, still feeling the festive atmosphere, quietly closed the door and walked to Liu's father with a sincere demeanor.

"Uncle Liu, it was my oversight that made you worry. Last night, Yunshu said she was afraid of the dark, so I stayed with her a little longer, thinking I would leave after she fell asleep. But I accidentally fell asleep myself. Please don't take it to heart."

As someone with experience, Liu's father knew perfectly well that this was just talk, but he was rendered speechless by Liu's honest yet somewhat "cowardly" demeanor.

He snorted, turned his face away, and his tone softened considerably: "Don't do it again! If you dare do this again, I'll break your legs!"

Shen Shiyan immediately nodded in agreement, a smile hidden in his eyes: "Thank you, Uncle Liu, I'll remember."

Just then, Liu Yunshu's door opened a crack, and she peeked out, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Her voice was still soft and sweet from just waking up: "Dad, what are you arguing about?"

Mr. Liu's expression immediately softened as he stood up and went over: "Nothing's wrong, it's just that your Uncle and Aunt Chen are here. Hurry up and wash up, breakfast will be ready soon."

Liu Yunshu then noticed Shen's parents in the living room. She smiled somewhat embarrassedly, then glanced at Shen Shiyan standing to the side. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she turned and quickly slipped into the bathroom.

As she watched her retreating figure, Mother Shen smiled and said to Mother Liu, "These two children have been close since they were little."

Mother Liu smiled and distributed fried dough sticks to everyone: "That's right, Shi Yan always protected Yun Shu when she was little, and now she's even more protective..."

As she spoke, she gave Shen Shiyan a meaningful look.

At breakfast, Liu's father would glare at Shen Shiyan from time to time, but his expression softened completely after Shen Shiyan picked up a freshly fried dough stick for him and handed him hot soy milk.

Taking the opportunity, Mr. Shen said, "Old Liu, the children are all grown up now, and they understand each other's feelings. Why don't we find some time to sit down and have a good talk about their situation?"

Liu's father paused in his hand as he picked up the fried dough stick, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Liu Yunshu, who was sitting opposite him, head bowed and chuckling.

She glanced again at Shen Shiyan, who was sitting upright but had secretly put a tea egg in Yun Shu's bowl, and said stubbornly, "What are you chatting about? The child is still young!"

Liu's mother secretly kicked him under the table, then laughed and said, "Old Liu is right, but the children's intentions are sincere, and we elders should also keep an eye on them. I think this weekend would be good, the two families can get together for a meal and chat slowly."

Mother Shen immediately chimed in, "Great! It's settled then! I just bought a good piece of meat a few days ago. I'll make your favorite braised pork, and let Ayan show off his skills. He recently learned how to make squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, saying that Yunshu likes it."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yunshu looked up at Shen Shiyan, her eyes sparkling: "When did you learn that?"

Shen Shiyan smiled and helped her peel the eggshell: "I heard you say you wanted to eat it last time, so I practiced a few times following the recipe. I'll make it for you to try this weekend."

Father Liu coughed, pretending not to see their little interaction, but silently put the fried dough sticks from his bowl into Shen Shiyan's bowl: "Eat yours, stop talking nonsense."

Shen Shiyan's smile deepened, and he obediently replied, "Thank you, Uncle Liu."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

On this weekend.

The two families sat in the Shen family's dining room, where the table was already laden with dishes.

Liu Yunshu stared intently at the squirrel-shaped mandarin fish. Seeing this, Shen Shiyan picked up a piece of the tenderest fish and placed it in her bowl: "Be careful of the bones."

This scene caught Liu's father's eye. He was about to glare at the person when Liu's mother stuffed a piece of braised pork into his mouth: "Eat your food. Look how thoughtful the children are."

Father Shen smiled and smoothed things over: "Old Liu, you should try Ayan's fish, it's even more authentic than what you get in restaurants."

Mr. Liu picked up a piece of mandarin fish with his chopsticks. The sweet and sour taste melted in his mouth, and he couldn't help but nod: "It's alright, but the cooking time is a little short."

He said that, but the corners of his mouth secretly turned up.

Midway through the meal, Mother Shen put down her chopsticks and said with a smile, "Old Liu, Meishu, the main reason we've gathered here today is to talk about the children. Ayan and Yunshu grew up together, and we've all seen how much they care for each other. What do you think..."

Mr. Liu put down his wine glass and cleared his throat: "If the children are willing, we elders naturally have no objection. But let me make this clear first, Shen Shiyan, if you dare to bully Yun Shu, I won't let you off!"

Shen Shiyan immediately sat up straight and looked at Liu's father seriously: "Uncle Liu, don't worry, I will treat Yun Shu well for the rest of my life and will not let her suffer any grievances."

As Liu Yunshu listened, her cheeks flushed even more, and she quietly tugged at Chen Shiyan's sleeve.

The two families decided to get engaged after the two graduated, and then choose a date to get married.