01 Pear Blossom Simmered in Snow
“So…”
At the dinner gathering after the variety show wrapped up, the hot pot bubbled with boiling red broth. The aroma of authentic Mountain City hot pot wafted through the room, whetting everyone’s appetite.
Zhou Shichen swallowed and tapped her chopsticks, continuing to question Lin Yi. “Why is Yanyan’s room name different from mine and the Captain’s?”
Lin Yi tried to change the subject. “Can we eat now?”
Xu Shuyan played along. “Just a little longer. The meatballs need more time to cook.”
It wasn’t quite time to eat yet. Yan Qi leisurely wiped her hands with a towel and said, “So, why are our room names different? Have you decided to treat us differently?”
“…” Lin Yi waved her hands. “That’s a bit too direct! How embarrassing!”
Yan Qi: “…”
She thought her two dating teammates seemed plenty unembarrassed.
Zhou Shichen wailed, “Wuwuwu!”
Yan Qi glanced at her.
Lin Yi’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly said, “Shichen, don’t cry! Even though Yanyan and I are dating, you’re still my good friends! I might treat you differently, but I won’t be too obvious about it! Really! We’re good sisters!”
After speaking, she nudged Xu Shuyan. “Switch seats with Shichen. I need to reconnect with her.”
Xu Shuyan: “?”
Yan Qi asked, “What are you crying about?”
Zhou Shichen wiped away her non-existent tears. “This double-standard sweetness is killing me!”
Lin Yi: “?”
Xu Shuyan: “…”
Yan Qi: “…”
She knew it.
She poured a glass of plum juice and said, “No need to switch seats.”
Lin Yi gritted her teeth. “Ship! Ship! Ship yourself to death!”
Zhou Shichen, feeling proud instead of ashamed, giggled. “Hee hee hee, is there anything wrong with shipping a real couple?”
“Of course not.” Xu Shuyan raised her glass, the beer sloshing gently inside. She said, “Enough said. A toast to our CP fan! Congratulations, you’ve shipped a real one!”
Zhou Shichen slammed the table and also raised her glass. “To eternal love!”
Lin Yi: “…”
I don’t know what to say. I’ll just pretend I don’t know these two.
Yan Qi: “…”
The food in the hot pot was ready. Don’t speak while eating, don’t talk before sleeping.
Xu Shuyan couldn’t handle spicy food, so they had ordered a split pot. To make sure Xu Shuyan was satisfied, Lin Yi had also specially asked the server for two extra bowls of the tomato broth, adding diced beef and cilantro. Anyone who knew would say they were there for hot pot; anyone who didn’t would think they had come just for the soup.
But Xu Shuyan drank it with satisfaction and joy, with style and flair.
Finally, she let out a small burp and rested her chin in her hand, admiring Lin Yi as she swept through the hot pot.
Lin Yi felt a little embarrassed under her gaze. “Aren’t you eating anymore? Don’t look at me like that, you’ll make me shy. I’m about to switch to lady mode, you know.”
Xu Shuyan asked doubtfully, “You have that mode?”
Lin Yi: “…Don’t push me.”
Xu Shuyan: “Okay, you do.”
Zhou Shichen: “Hee hee hee, this is killing me.”
Yan Qi: “…”
As long as I focus on eating, I won’t be fed any dog food.
In the end, Zhou Shichen only found out why Xu Shuyan’s room name was different from hers and Yan Qi’s from a CP fan’s analysis post. She stayed up all night reading it, then sent it to the group chat and tagged Lin Yi: “Is what they’re saying true?!”
After waiting a while with no reply, Zhou Shichen typed again: “Don’t play dead! I just heard a noise outside, you’re definitely not asleep!”
She waited another two minutes. Seeing that Lin Yi still hadn’t replied, she was about to press the issue when a new message popped up in the chat. It was from Xu Shuyan: “She’s in the shower.”
Zhou Shichen: “…”
Xu Shuyan: “You can tell me whatever you need to. She’ll probably be in there for a long time.”
Zhou Shichen: “…”
Zhou Shichen: “Don’t say any more, I’m getting a mental image.”
Xu Shuyan: “【You have two seconds to clear the yellow paint from your brain.jpg】”
Xu Shuyan: “Let me see the link you sent.”
The post was titled: Ahhhh, family, I think I figured out what “early spring, late spring” means!
Main Post: This might seem like a stretch to others, but with my CP brain, I really think this is it! “Early spring, late spring!” Aren’t those lyrics from Pear Blossom Simmered in Snow? Everyone knows Lin Yi was discovered by a scout from Sweet Melon Entertainment while singing Pear Blossom Simmered in Snow on the street, ahhh!
And the little girl’s thoughts are so subtle. She didn’t use the song title directly, afraid people would figure it out, nor did she use the most classic lyrics. She just used “early spring, late spring,” and the line that follows is, “The wine is warm, the flowers deep, as if a lifetime of worries can only be understood by one person.”
Once you figure that out, it’s ridiculous to look back at people who used the fact that Lin Yi wished Yan Qi a “bright future” and Zhou Shichen a “promising future,” while perfunctorily giving Xu Shuyan “early spring, late spring,” as proof that their relationship was bad!
After reading the main post, Xu Shuyan moved on to the replies.
【Well-reasoned and supported by evidence! I’m shipping it!】
【This analysis is a bit of a reach… OP, you should probably see a dentist.】
【Come on, our ship is a hegemon, we really don’t need to be shipping this kind of stuff! It’s too much of a stretch, it looks pathetic.】
【If you can’t ship it, then get out. Do you have to come in here and be a buzzkill? Can’t you make your own post?】
【I think it’s great! Lin Yi has always been a girl who hides her feelings, and their relationship is visibly good. There’s no way she’d isolate Xu Shuyan. I couldn’t figure it out before, but after the OP’s explanation, it’s actually quite logical.】
【They’re dating. They have to be dating, right?】
【The more you ship Yan Zhi You Yi, the more there is to find. OP, stop digging, I’m afraid if you dig any deeper the closet door is going to fly open.】
【LMAO, a solo fan on my Moments is having a meltdown again. Let me show you all: “What ‘early spring, late spring’? What ‘wine is warm, flowers deep’? That was your debut stage! That’s where your dream began! Can you please not drag Xu Shuyan into it! Ahhhh, I hate love-addled brains more than anything in this life…”】
【Hahahahahahahaha CP fans: I wonder if Yan Zhi You Yi is dating? I wonder if they’ll come out? Solo fans: Yan Zhi You Yi IS dating! Yan Zhi You Yi IS coming out!】
After reading all the replies, Xu Shuyan returned to the chat and saw that Zhou Shichen was getting impatient. “I say, you don’t have to be that focused when shipping your own CP, do you? Don’t tell me you went into the bathroom to shower with Xiao Yi. Eww~ We straight girls can’t be seeing that!”
Xu Shuyan: “…”
Xu Shuyan: “I finished reading the post.”
Xu Shuyan: “I’m going to go ask her.”
It was time to ask Lin Yi. She tossed her phone on the bed and stepped barefoot onto the carpet, which was warmed by the underfloor heating. Hearing the sound of running water from the bathroom, she pushed the door open and walked right in without knocking.
Lin Yi was washing her hair with her head tilted back. Water streamed over her small, clean, and beautiful face. Unable to open her eyes, she listened warily for a moment before asking hesitantly, “Xu Shuyan?”
Xu Shuyan hummed in acknowledgment.
“What are you doing in here?” Lin Yi relaxed and continued what she was doing. “Don’t tell me you want to change battlefields and go for another round. No, absolutely not. I… you’ve completely worn me out.”
Her voice grew quieter as she spoke, and she pointed a long finger to a certain spot. “Look here. You did this!”
Xu Shuyan said as she walked over, “It’s all swollen.”
Lin Yi: “Mhm!”
Xu Shuyan: “My apologies.”
Though she apologized, her tone held no sincerity. Without taking off her pajamas, she stepped into the water with her pale feet and held out a hand to Lin Yi. “The floor’s slippery. Help me.”
Not suspecting a thing, Lin Yi reached out to her. Her wet hand was enveloped by a dry one, and the heat startled her. She murmured, “Your hand is so hot, Xu Shuyan.”
Xu Shuyan hummed again, watching as Lin Yi quickly rinsed the foam from her hair with one hand, the suds running down her shoulders. She studied Lin Yi earnestly and carefully, taking in every inch, a moving beauty she could never tire of looking at.
Finally, she squeezed Lin Yi’s hand with a bit of force. Caught off guard, Lin Yi stumbled and fell into her arms with a cry of surprise.
Wetness and dryness collided. The thin pajamas were soaked, clinging to her skin. Lin Yi wiped her face, opened her eyes, and said with feigned anger, “Xu Shuyan, what are you doing! You scared me! Y-you… why did you come in without taking your clothes off?!”
But Xu Shuyan just held her and said nothing.
Lin Yi finally sensed that something was off. She carefully hugged her back and asked softly, “Xu Shuyan, what’s wrong?”
Xu Shuyan’s grip tightened, as if she wanted to knead Lin Yi into her own body, her possessiveness threatening to spill over. Sensing her unease, Lin Yi patted her on the back. “What is it?”
In a flash of insight, Lin Yi gasped. “Did you go online and read some nonsense again? Are they all saying I don’t love you? Don’t listen to their rubbish. What kind of evidence are they even showing? The proof of my love is right here. Don’t look at them, look at me, okay?”
Xu Shuyan hummed lowly again.
Lin Yi said helplessly, “Is your vocal system malfunctioning?”
Xu Shuyan: “No.”
Lin Yi breathed a silent sigh of relief. “Then why aren’t you talking?”
Xu Shuyan: “I just want to hold you like this.”
“…” Lin Yi said, “You were perfectly fine before I came in to shower. Did you go surfing where you shouldn’t have again? Whatever you saw, um… don’t be unhappy, okay? If you want to do it in the bathroom, it’s not… it’s not out of the question.”
Xu Shuyan buried her face in the crook of Lin Yi’s neck, the splashing water dampening her long hair. She said in a low voice, “I’m very happy.”
Lin Yi: “Happy… huh? You’re happy?” Her expression darkened. “Is this what you look like when you’re happy? Lovers need to be honest with each other. You think I can’t tell you’re feeling down?”
Xu Shuyan pressed even closer against her. The thin, almost non-existent layer of fabric made the posture all the more ambiguous. Lin Yi felt a little uncomfortable, wondering how to take back what she’d just said about the bathroom, when she heard Xu Shuyan say, “I just read a post.”
Lin Yi: “I knew it!”
Xu Shuyan: “They analyzed the name of the room you gave me. They said it’s a lyric from Pear Blossom Simmered in Snow.”
Lin Yi: “!”
She blurted out, “These CP fans must have been detectives in a past life!”
Xu Shuyan asked, “Their analysis is correct, isn’t it?”
Lin Yi gave a dry laugh. “You believe it?”
Xu Shuyan didn’t answer her question, pressing on, “Tell me, is it correct?”
Lin Yi asked, “What do you think?”
Xu Shuyan said, “In any case, I believe it.”
Lin Yi couldn’t help but laugh. She gently pushed Xu Shuyan back a little and began to unbutton her pajamas. One small white button after another, she undid them with great patience. Xu Shuyan just watched her, looking both wronged and obedient, waiting for her to give an answer.
“It is,” Lin Yi said, unable to resist her pitiful gaze. “Everything in their analysis is correct.”
Xu Shuyan’s eyes lit up.
Lin Yi used a bit of force on the last button, pulling it off. It clattered softly onto the wet floor and, in the rising steam, rolled away to some unknown spot.
Lin Yi cupped Xu Shuyan’s face, kissed her on the lips, and sang softly, her a cappella voice moving. “Early spring, late spring/The wine is warm, the flowers deep/As if a lifetime of worries can only be understood by one person.”
As if an old friend lightly knocks/Simmering pear blossoms in snow again
Can it melt away the half-lifetime of wind and snow from your journey?
Lin Yi thought about how, all those years ago when she was still so young and had just come from Mountain City, this song had been the beginning of everything. Xu Shuyan hadn’t been a part of that. Now, she wanted to share that memory with Xu Shuyan in her own way.
From the very beginning, to the very end.
Xu Shuyan would be there.
02 Showing Off Affection
Studies have shown that there isn’t a single couple in the throes of passion who can resist showing off their affection.
Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan were no exception.
But due to their status, and based on the industry’s unwritten rule against outing same-sex couples, even if the two of them were being clingy on the street, as long as they didn’t kiss, the official press releases would always read: “Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan on an intimate shopping trip, their sisterly bond is so strong!” “The Notes is full of team spirit!” “I’m shipping the Seven Musical Notes’ team spirit!”
And Weibo was a place to communicate with fans. Unless it was a company-arranged team-building event, their manager advised against constantly posting about teammates on their personal accounts. So even when they showed affection, it was always done subtly, in a way that was completely unnoticeable to outsiders.
This greatly troubled Xu Shuyan.
Lin Yi comforted her, “If you really can’t resist showing off, you can always just open a chat with Shichen and show off to her. Not only will she not get angry, she’ll actually be thrilled.”
“What? What?” Hearing herself being mentioned, Zhou Shichen poked her head out from upstairs, holding her toothbrushing cup. “What did you want to tell me?”
Xu Shuyan looked up, saw the gleam in Zhou Shichen’s eyes, and shook her head. “CP fans like her… if they get some sweet content, they’ll definitely want to share it with their fellow shippers. Otherwise, they’ll die from holding it in.”
Lin Yi also looked up at Zhou Shichen and asked, “Is that right?”
Zhou Shichen nodded vigorously.
Lin Yi asked, “Then how have you managed to keep all the things I told you about me and Yanyan to yourself?”
Zhou Shichen: “Bzzzzzz.”
It was the sound of her electric toothbrush.
Lin Yi: “…Don’t you dare play dead.”
“She writes fanfiction online,” Yan Qi said, emerging from her room. She was heading to the company today and was already in full makeup and dressed. “I’ve read a little of it,” she added as she walked downstairs.
Lin Yi was shocked. “Zhou Shichen! You actually write fanfiction! Do you have that much free time?!”
Zhou Shichen shrank back from her yelling. “Don’t get so worked up!”
Lin Yi: “Let me see it.”
Yan Qi: “…”
Xu Shuyan: “…”
Zhou Shichen: “…”
She said, “Let’s not. It’s too embarrassing.”
Xu Shuyan said in surprise, “You can feel embarrassment? What on earth did you write?!”
Zhou Shichen: “Bzzzzzz.”
Yan Qi poured a glass of milk. “Short snippets based on real events that actually happened. The replies underneath all ask if she’s Zhou Shichen herself and beg her to tell them more.”
Lin Yi gave Zhou Shichen a thumbs-up. “Hiding in plain sight, huh?”
Zhou Shichen said proudly, “But of course!”
Lin Yi turned to face Xu Shuyan. “Don’t open a chat with her to show off your affection anymore.”
Xu Shuyan: “…I knew she was unreliable!”
Zhou Shichen: “??”
She turned off her electric toothbrush, getting agitated. “Hey! What kind of couple in love doesn’t show off their affection? Aren’t you afraid you’ll die from holding it in?”
Xu Shuyan mused, “I have my own way.”
Lin Yi asked, “What way?”
Zhou Shichen asked, “What way?”
Yan Qi, joining the crowd, also asked, “What way?”
Xu Shuyan glanced at Yan Qi and smiled faintly.
Yan Qi: “…”
Suddenly, she didn’t really want to be the captain anymore.
“Captain-” Just before heading back to her room, Zhou Shichen suddenly seemed to remember something and called out, “I heard it’s going to snow today. Remember to wear a scarf. I hung one for you by the entrance.”
Yan Qi replied, “Okay.”
Lin Yi: “This is killing me! It’s killing me!”
Yan Qi: “?”
Zhou Shichen: “…Don’t ship a straight-girl CP!”
Lin Yi: “Nyah nyah nyah.”
Zhou Shichen said to Xu Shuyan, “Aren’t you going to do something about her!”
Xu Shuyan also stuck out her tongue. “What do you know about giving someone a taste of their own medicine!”
Zhou Shichen: “…”
Annoying couple! They might as well just kill me with their sweetness!
The snow began in the afternoon. It never snowed heavily in S City; this was mixed with a fine rain and melted almost as soon as it landed. It wasn’t until after dusk, when the temperature dropped considerably, that a thin layer of snow gradually began to cover the ground, rooftops, and cars.
Lin Yi had an offline event for a makeup brand in the neighboring city. It ended just after five o’clock, but she didn’t rest, getting directly into a car back to S City.
The sky had grown completely dark. Snowflakes drifted in the glow of the streetlights. As the car drove past, it left tracks in the snow, only for them to be covered over again.
The heat in the car was on full blast. Lin Yi pressed her face against the window, drawing a smiley face on the fogged-up glass. Her assistant handed her a cup of hot coffee and asked, “Are we going back to the studio, the company, or straight to the dorm?”
Lin Yi thought for a moment. “Yanyan went to her studio today, right?”
The assistant confirmed with a hum. “Teacher Xu’s studio is hiring a new secretary, and the interviews are today. I heard from Xiao Zhou that she wasn’t satisfied with many of the candidates, so it’s probably not over yet.”
Lin Yi’s eyes darted around. “Let’s go to the studio.”
The assistant asked, “…Which studio?”
Lin Yi retorted, “Is there a difference?”
The assistant shook her head. “No.”
Lin Yi clicked her tongue. “If I’d known it would be like this, I should have picked studios on the same floor. It’s so inconvenient running up and down stairs now.”
The assistant: “…”
Lin Yi was filled with regret. Back when they were choosing locations for their studios, Xu Shuyan had confessed to her not long before. In order to draw a clear boundary and deny Xu Shuyan the advantage of proximity, she had deliberately chosen separate floors. Thinking back on it now, she could have kicked herself.
If only she had known! She should have taken advantage of the proximity; dating would be so much more convenient now!
Their two studios were in the same business district as the company, not far from each other. Lin Yi made a detour to the company to pick up the sheet music for a new song from her teacher before rushing over to the studio, arriving just as the last interviewee was leaving.
Xiao Zhou was standing at the door holding a resume, sighing. When she saw Lin Yi arrive, she quickly wiped the long look off her face. “Teacher Lin, you’re here? Xu-”
“Shh!” Lin Yi quickly stopped her. “Don’t tell her I’m here. I want to give her a surprise.”
Xiao Zhou: “…”
What kind of little couple’s game was this now!
Two minutes later, Xiao Zhou knocked on the door to Xu Shuyan’s office. Xu Shuyan was busy looking over some documents. Hearing the door open, she looked up. “Did you see the last one out?”
Xiao Zhou nodded. “There’s one more person here for an interview.”
Xu Shuyan frowned slightly. “Another one? I thought that was everyone for today. Besides, she’s only just arriving now. Isn’t she late?”
Xiao Zhou said, “Yes, but I looked at her resume, and she’s really outstanding. So I wanted to ask if you could give her a chance to meet you.”
Xu Shuyan thought for a moment. “Fine, let her in.”
After speaking, she buried her head in her documents again. This was the downside of opening your own studio; being a hands-off boss was impossible. You had to learn management skills and read all sorts of documents until your head was about to explode. She glanced at her unanswered WeChat message and sighed inwardly-
Is this what growing up is? Not only do you have to face incomprehensible documents alone, but you also have to endure the pain of your girlfriend not replying to your messages.
If she doesn’t reply soon! Xu Shuyan turned a page, secretly making a resolution. If Lin Yi didn’t reply to her message soon, she would… call her!
Just as she was thinking this, the door was carefully pushed open again. It must be the interviewee, she thought.
“Have a seat,” Xu Shuyan said without looking up. “Please start with a self-introduction.”
Lin Yi: “…”
Well, well. The person who’s so clingy in front of me, who loves to act cute and play the victim, is actually putting on a professional air in the office.
She’d just see how long it took for Xu Shuyan to actually look at her.
Lin Yi sat down. “Hello, Teacher Xu.”
The hand turning the pages paused for a moment. Lin Yi was satisfied to see Xu Shuyan lose focus for a second, then look up in disbelief. Her expression shifted from shock to delight, and then to an affection that threatened to spill over. “Lin Yi!”
A smile surfaced in Lin Yi’s eyes. “Teacher Xu, I’m here to interview for the secretary position. How do you think I’ll do?”
Xu Shuyan asked, “When did you get here? Why didn’t you reply to my message? The roads are slippery in the snow. Why did you have to rush back tonight? You could have stayed there for the night; the snow would have melted by morning.”
Lin Yi said helplessly, “Because I missed you.” She gave Xu Shuyan a wink. “I couldn’t wait until tomorrow.”
Xu Shuyan: “Wuwuwu, wife!”
Lin Yi feigned disdain. “And just a moment ago, you wouldn’t even look me in the eye.”
Xu Shuyan put the documents down on the desk. “It’s all their fault! This stuff is so hard on the eyes. I just wanted to finish it quickly so I could go home and call you. It’s not that I didn’t want to look at you.”
Lin Yi propped her elbows on the desk, cupped her face in her hands, and asked, “So, what do you think of me?”
Xu Shuyan hummed a long, drawn-out note. “No good.”
Lin Yi’s expression changed instantly. “Wow! I’m worth hundreds of millions, my time is worth millions per minute, and you’re saying I’m not good enough to be your secretary? Don’t be so ungrateful!”
Finding her utterly adorable, Xu Shuyan couldn’t resist pinching her cheek. “How could I possibly focus on my work with you next to me?”
Lin Yi thought for a moment. “That’s true.”
Besides, Xu Shuyan was so serious, so charming, so mature and beautiful when she was working. Lin Yi was afraid she wouldn’t be able to control herself and would want to engage in some “office play” with her. How inappropriate would that be in such a serious setting!
Xu Shuyan snapped her fingers in front of her face. “What are you thinking about?”
Lin Yi blurted out, “Office play.”
Xu Shuyan: “?”
Lin Yi came to her senses and quickly tried to take it back. “I was just talking nonsense!”
But Xu Shuyan began to consider it seriously. “This sofa seems a bit small. And it’s leather, so it gets cold easily. Maybe I should get a fabric one? But isn’t fabric hard to clean?”
Lin Yi: “…Stop thinking about it right now!”
She stood up and said, “Quitting time. Want to go see the snow with me?”
Xu Shuyan stood up as well, but then suddenly changed her mind. “Wait a second.”
Lin Yi: “What else do you need to do?”
Xu Shuyan raised her phone and switched to selfie mode. Lin Yi smiled reflexively, and they hastily took a photo together. Only after it was done did she ask, “Why the sudden selfie?”
Xu Shuyan looked down at her phone, typing a message. “Showing off our affection.”
Lin Yi asked, “To who?” Her face paled. “You’re not going to post it on Weibo, are you?! Don’t! If the fans find out I drove all the way back to see the snow with you right after my fan meet, they’ll kill you!”
Xu Shuyan hit send, then looked up. “Kill me for what? I didn’t post it on Weibo.”
Lin Yi asked, “Then who did you send it to?”
Xu Shuyan walked around the desk, put an arm around Lin Yi’s shoulders, and led her toward the door. “I didn’t post it on Weibo, and I didn’t send it to Zhou Shichen. As for who I sent it to, you don’t need to worry about that. In any case, I have someone to show off to now!”
Lin Yi was skeptical. “…Okay.”
At the company.
Having just finished practice, Yan Qi took her phone out of her locker to check the day’s messages. The first thing to pop up was her chat with Xu Shuyan. She opened it without a second thought.
Xu Shuyan: “【Chat Screenshot】”
Xu Shuyan: “My wife was worried about whether I ate a good lunch. She loves me so much.”
Yan Qi: “?”
Xu Shuyan: “【Photo of Lin Yi at her event】”
Xu Shuyan: “Whose wife is this beautiful?”
Xu Shuyan: “Oh, right. She’s mine!”
Yan Qi: “…”
Xu Shuyan: “【Couple Selfie】”
Xu Shuyan: “My wife came back to see the snow with me the moment her event ended!”
Xu Shuyan: “Hehe, I have a wife and you don’t.”
Yan Qi: “…………”
