Kyoto kisses her

Chapter 78 Winter of the Third Year
Winter 2005.

The Su family still lived in the courtyard house. It was the first month of the lunar calendar, and on that day, the Huo family came to pay their respects.

In the winter of Beijing, a biting wind suddenly rises, and white snow gradually accumulates on the red walls and glazed tiles. The interplay of vermilion and pure white creates a poetic picture.

Several red plum trees were planted in the courtyard. In the middle of winter, they stood quietly, their branches covered with red buds and snow. Occasionally, a cold wind would blow by, and the fragrance of the plum blossoms would drift out faintly, intertwining with the chill of the snow and filling the air.

After paying his respects to the elders, including Old Master Su and Madam Su, in the main courtyard, Huo Jingcheng followed their instructions and went to the east wing to play with Su Mingyan. Even though he was unwilling, he had no choice but to agree in front of his elders.

He refused the servant's lead and walked towards the east wing on his own. He strolled across the covered corridor, his steps particularly careless and slow because of his reluctance.

It snowed a few days ago, and the courtyard was covered with a carpet of snow. There were only a few paths cleared by the servants for walking, with piles of white snow in between. A large snowman stood in the courtyard, with a few small footprints next to him.

The carrot's nose and the twig's hand are crooked, yet they are adorable. It wears a bright red woolen hat on its head, with a fluffy little ball hanging down naturally.

It's clear that the person building the snowman has a lot of patience and a childlike spirit.

Huo Jingcheng paused to admire the snowman for a few minutes before continuing to walk to the right.

After walking for three or five minutes, he glanced up casually and saw a little girl in a red cloak sitting on the wall. Her hair was tied in pigtails on both sides of her head, hanging softly like tender willow branches that had just sprouted recently. As her little head swayed back and forth, her two short legs hung down, swaying leisurely back and forth, looking carefree and at ease.

Given the location and her young age, Huo Jingcheng recognized the "flying little girl" at a glance without much thought—the younger sister Su Mingyan often mentioned.

He and Su Mingyan didn't get along. They were born in the same year and were the same age. In addition, they were "well-matched" in terms of social status, so people would always compare the two of them, intentionally or unintentionally.

Young boys are always competitive, and neither of them was willing to give in, showing a hidden rivalry. However, sometimes, in front of their elders, they had to pretend to be 'brotherly and respectful'.

Huo Jingcheng stood there, carefully examining the little girl on the wall, silently thinking: Su Mingyan is Su Mingyan, and his sister is his sister.

After all, the child was only four or five years old and had no servants with him, so he walked over with concern.

The crunching sound of footsteps on the snow reached her ears. Su Ruoyun turned her head and caught a glimpse of a figure standing by the wall out of the corner of her eye, but she didn't pay much attention to it. There were many people visiting during the first month of the lunar year, and she just assumed it was another guest coming to visit.

Then she lowered her head again and continued making the snowball with complete concentration.

But then she heard the person below ask her, "What are you doing up there?"

Su Ruoyun glanced at him and said, "Play."

The girl's voice was clear and crisp, with a slightly indistinct Beijing accent.

Playing on such a high wall?

So playful, just like her brother.

Huo Jingcheng frowned almost imperceptibly, but quickly regained his composure.

He wasn't one to meddle, but this was the Su family's residence. Some things he might have overlooked, but now that he saw the young Su girl alone on the wall, he couldn't pretend he hadn't seen her. He looked up and said, "It's too high up there, come down."

Su Ruoyun didn't take this stranger seriously at all. She was having a great time and pretended not to hear him. She picked up the snow on the wall and skillfully pressed and kneaded it with both hands. Before long, round and cute snowballs took shape in her hands.

Seeing how "playful" she was, Huo Jingcheng patiently advised her again, "There's no one else here. If you're all alone up here, your parents will worry."

Mentioning her parents, Su Ruoyun finally spared him a glance. After hesitating for a moment, she looked down at the snowballs she had rolled up, thinking that there should be enough to play with, and then softly replied, "Okay."

When she came up, she was helped up by several servants. Several neatly stacked stools were placed quietly in the corner.

She glanced at the landing spot, turned around, placed her hands on the glazed tiles, and climbed down the bench step by step with a slightly clumsy yet cautious movement.

Just then, a flurry of snowflakes began to fall, landing on the bench by sheer coincidence. Since Su Ruoyun was carrying two or three snowballs, she slipped and lost her balance, falling uncontrollably straight down the wall.

"Ouch!"

Upon seeing this, Huo Jingcheng's pupils contracted sharply. Without thinking twice, he rushed forward, stretched out his arms, and tried to catch her.

A muffled thud.

However, due to the excessive impact, Su Ruoyun fell heavily onto Huo Jingcheng. Her small face was pressed against his chest. Although there was a thick down jacket between them, the strong and powerful heartbeat could still be clearly felt, like a drum beating against her eardrums. The warmth of his body was also continuously transmitted to her.

With Huo Jingcheng acting as a human cushion, Su Ruoyun didn't get hurt from the fall.

She nimbly climbed off him, first patting her little hands clean, then carefully brushing the snow off her bottom. Next, she turned around, reached out her soft little hand to pull him up, and asked in a childish voice, "Are you alright?"

She was so calm, unlike a five-year-old girl.

Huo Jingcheng felt it was inappropriate to hold a girl's hand, so he shook his head, braced himself on the ground with both hands, and stood up nimbly, saying, "It's okay."

Su Ruoyun's outstretched hand stopped in mid-air. Seeing that he had already gotten up on his own, she didn't think much of it and naturally withdrew her hand, then patted the snow off her pants and cloak.

"Let me take you back." Huo Jingcheng stood in front of Su Ruoyun, like a towering mountain, casting a deep shadow that enveloped her.

She tilted her small, delicate face up, nodded gently, and replied crisply, "Okay."

So, Huo Jingcheng led Su Ruoyun towards the main courtyard. At first, the two maintained a distance that was neither too close nor too far, but after a moment...

Huo Jingcheng felt a force exerted on his hand, neither too strong nor too weak, as if it were an invisible pull. He subconsciously looked down and saw a chubby little hand tightly gripping his right hand, which was hanging by his side.

Before he knew it, Su Ruoyun had walked up to his side.

(End of this chapter)