Ye Qingli turned around.
Xiao Yu was wearing a knitted beanie today, gray, a trendy style. He naturally had a small head and small face, the brim of the hat pressing down on the stray hairs by his ears, making his features look angular and sharp. He lowered his eyes, hands in his pockets, standing in the cold wind, his figure tall and slender.
Ye Qingli didn't know why he had suddenly appeared here. She hadn't figured out what to say, and for a moment she was at a loss.
Xiao Yu looked at her dress, which wasn't even as warm as paper, and frowned slightly: "Go back and put on a coat. I'll wait for you here."
"I don't want to go back." Ye Qingli said softly, her head gradually lowering. She was in a bad mood.
"You'll catch a cold." He took a deep breath, took off his coat, and draped it over her, his tone helpless.
As he accidentally touched her arm, it was ice cold. Xiao Yu's frown deepened: "Go back and change now. I'll wait."
All he had on underneath was a thin sweatshirt. Ye Qingli looked up into his eyes, then pressed her lips together. "Okay."
Xiao Yu walked her all the way to the dormitory building. Ye Qingli took off the coat she had worn the whole way and handed it to him. Xiao Yu glanced at it, took it, and put it on, watching her drag her dress upstairs.
Xiao Yu squinted. That dress looked so ethereal on stage, and not warm at all, but now it just seemed so cumbersome?
And those high heels—she was used to flats, and suddenly wearing something that high, wasn't she afraid of twisting her ankle?
She was afraid, of course she was. Throughout the entire party, Ye Qingli had been cautious, afraid of any mishap. Back in the dorm, she quickly took off the heels. Her feet really hurt. The band-aid she had put on in the auditorium had come off, so she tore it off and put on a new one. Then she quickly took off the gown. The moment she put on her padded jacket, she finally felt warm.
From going upstairs to coming down took less than ten minutes. Xiao Yu looked at her face: "Why didn't you remove your makeup?"
In his memory, Ye Qingli never overdid her appearance; she usually just went with whatever was comfortable. Ye Qingli touched her face and told the truth: "After removing makeup, my face gets dry, and then I have to apply all sorts of things. I didn't want to keep you waiting too long."
She held up the bag in her hand and shook it in front of him: "Can you accompany me to return the dress?"
Xiao Yu smiled: "I'm already waiting for you downstairs. How could I say no?"
The two walked side by side on the street, their arms briefly touching then separating. Even though they were so close, Ye Qingli felt as if her relationship with Xiao Yu was as distant as an ocean. Every time she mustered the courage to talk to him, she would look up at his profile and then lower her head again, not knowing what to say, feeling like whatever she said would be wrong.
They didn't say a word until they reached the bridal shop where the dress was rented. Ye Qingli stopped and pointed inside: "I'm going to return the dress. Do you want to come in?"
Xiao Yu glanced inside but didn't move. "What for? I'm not getting married."
"... Then wait for me here for a bit." She had originally wanted him to go inside to warm up, but since he had killed the conversation like that, she didn't insist and went in by herself.
The large glass door, the shop's lights shining in rows. Ye Qingli, looking preoccupied with something on her mind, walked to the door and glanced back at him. The owner came out when the doorbell rang, and only then did she close the door and go in.
Xiao Yu felt she was acting strange today.
The surroundings quieted down, leaving only the faint whisper of wind around his ears. Xiao Yu watched Ye Qingli talk to the owner, and then the two went to the back. His gaze turned to the white wedding dresses inside, especially the one displayed at the entrance. Under the lights, the dress had an elegant shape, flowing and shining, as beautiful as the Milky Way.
No wonder even girls who weren't getting married wanted to wear a wedding dress to take photos at least once in their lives—it was their aspiration.
Uncontrollably, Xiao Yu began to picture Ye Qingli in a wedding dress.
Updo, veil, cool face, beautiful swan neck, slim figure. He smirked—she would definitely be a hundred times more noble than tonight's evening gown.
Born into a chaotic family, all that was left for him was a disgust for marriage. This was the first time he felt longing for love.
At this moment, he was sure he wanted to give himself a chance.
…
When Ye Qingli came out of the bridal shop, she didn't see Xiao Yu.
Her heart sank, and she looked around frantically. There weren't many people on the street at this hour—she could count them on one hand. She roughly scanned the area but didn't see him.
Had he… gone back?
Ye Qingli didn't believe it. She searched nearby again, but still, there was no sign of him.
The cold wind made her shiver. She clutched the deposit she had just got back, slowly squatted down, hugged her knees, and felt a sting in her nose.
Xiao Yu had never been a patient person. Did he think she was too slow?
It made sense—it was so cold outside, who would want to wait?
Ye Qingli regretted it. She felt she was such a bother. She could have returned the dress any other time; why did she have to ask him to come along?
She had just wanted an excuse to spend time with him.
She had messed up again, Ye Qingli thought. Her eyes felt hot, and gradually, crystal-clear tears slipped down. Just as a tear was about to reach her chin, she lowered her head and buried her face in her arms.
Xiao Yu happened to see this as he came out of the convenience store.
Before he reached Ye Qingli, he couldn't figure out what she was doing, until he heard her sobbing.
Xiao Yu frowned, put the cigarette and lighter he was holding into his pocket, crouched down, and touched her soft hair. "What are you crying about? Who bullied you?"
He hadn't left.
It should have been good news, but Ye Qingli felt like crying even more, and even cried out loud.
What, had she hit a loudspeaker?
Xiao Yu paused, then rubbed her head gently with his large hand: "Tell me, did the owner of the bridal shop bully you? Didn't return your deposit or something?"
Still no response. Xiao Yu suddenly stood up. Ye Qingli quickly grabbed his sleeve: "No, no, don't go."
Tears were streaming down her face. Seeing her pitiful look, Xiao Yu grew even more annoyed: "What are you afraid of? If he bullied you, I have to pay him back."
"It's not him."
"Then tell me who it is."