According to Xiao Yu's plan, they would spend the next two days in Snow Town.
He had heard that the accommodations inside Snow Town weren't great, so he found a hotel nearby—clean, grand, with a shuttle bus running back and forth. Very convenient.
It felt amazing not having to worry about anything during a trip, Ye Qingli thought.
After checking in, Xiao Yu took Ye Qingli to Xueyun Street to eat. He suggested ordering something at a restaurant, but she disagreed, insisting on eating from the street stalls.
"Haven't you had enough of the night market near our school?" Xiao Yu held her hand, looking left and right. There were only a few options anyway.
Ye Qingli held her freshly bought milk tea and looked around. She didn't really feel like eating anything specific, so she followed Xiao Yu to a nearby restaurant for an iron pot stew.
Considering their appetites, Ye Qingli only let Xiao Yu order one pork rib pot and two servings of special baked pears. Xiao Yu thought that ordering so little for a rare visit was too shabby and wanted a few more dishes, but Ye Qingli firmly refused.
"Every time we eat out, we never finish everything. It's a waste of money and food. No more orders," she said, somehow sounding like a virtuous wife.
Xiao Yu looked at her quietly for two seconds, then laughed. He closed the menu and handed it to the waiter. "Just what my girlfriend said."
"Sure, please wait a moment."
The restaurant was lively. The wallpaper was colorful, covered in Q-version characters wearing Northeastern floral cotton jackets. There were tourists from the south and locals from the Northeast. The Northeasterners were especially funny to listen to, their speech carrying a unique tune—loud, witty, warm, and bold. Just listening made you happy.
After the waiter left, Xiao Yu lazily leaned back in his chair, his long legs spread wide under the table, looking a bit tired.
The room was warm; her frozen hands had gradually thawed. Ye Qingli took off her jacket, leaned sideways, and reached up to touch his face. "Xiao Yu, are you tired?"
She wanted to say if he was tired, they could go back after eating and skip the performance. It didn't matter. But he lifted his eyelids, glanced at her, and caught a hint of disappointment in her eyes. He suddenly smiled. "Want to do it?"
"Huh?" Ye Qingli didn't react at first.
"I'm not tired. I'm ready for tonight." He sat up straight, grinning mischievously.
"..." Ye Qingli finally understood. Blushing, she turned her head away, refusing to look at him.
'What does this guy think about all day?' she muttered internally.
She neither admitted nor denied it, which Xiao Yu took as a coy refusal. He got a bad idea and leaned in, whispering in her ear, "There's a hot spring behind the hotel I booked."
"..."
"So you don't have to envy your roommate."
"..."
"Also, I purposely saved my energy last night because I knew you had to get up early. If you want, we can go until dawn..."
"Xiao Yu!" Ye Qingli hissed, turning to cover his mouth. Her earlobes were red enough to bleed. "Can you stop? I didn't mean anything like that."
Xiao Yu's eyes crinkled as he looked at her. "Then why did you say what you did this morning? Weren't you unsatisfied?"
When he spoke, his lips brushed against her soft palm, each touch sending tiny electric currents through her hand. Ye Qingli pulled her hand away, her mind buzzing. "I was just trying to annoy you! Annoy, you understand?"
"Annoy me? So you were being disingenuous? That means you think my skills are good?" He rested his chin on her shoulder, his eyes sparkling like rippling water. "Alright, you've made me happy. I'll keep satisfying you tonight."
"..."
Ye Qingli felt like she was dying.
When had she praised him? Wasn't he just praising himself?
This guy was completely shameless.
Fortunately, the waiter arrived with the food at that moment. Xiao Yu shut his mouth, stood up, rinsed the bowls with hot water, and handed one to Ye Qingli. He looked diligent and proper now, completely different from his earlier rakish demeanor.
'What a fake,' Ye Qingli silently rolled her eyes behind his back.
...
The iron pot stew was more than enough. Xiao Yu was glad he had listened to her and only ordered those two things; otherwise, it would have been a waste.
After paying and walking out, they caught the float parade just in time.
This was Ye Qingli's first time seeing a float. She had always imagined it as a carriage full of flowers, with a prince and princess inside. But here, there were no princes or princesses—only a giant bear mascot waving.
And the float looked a lot like those kiddie rides that played "What's Daddy's Daddy Called?" from her childhood.
Ye Qingli felt a bit disappointed. She whispered her complaint to Xiao Yu, who burst out laughing.
He leaned on her shoulder, laughing uncontrollably, as if someone had hit his funny bone. Was it really that funny? Ye Qingli frowned slightly, thinking his laugh trigger was way too low.
Next came the Ansai waist drum and yangko dances. People in Northeastern floral jackets twisted through the streets. Ye Qingli enjoyed these two performances. There was also a dance party. She had never been to a nightclub and knew nothing about dancing, so she just jumped around wildly to the music. Xiao Yu watched her, laughing so hard he couldn't stand straight.
Ye Qingli shouted over the music, "After the fireworks, let's go back?"
"Had enough fun?" Xiao Yu shouted back.
She nodded. "A bit cold."
"Then let's go."
The fireworks display lasted only ten minutes. Ye Qingli planned to spend five minutes watching and the other five recording a video. Her hands were already shaking from the cold, and when she pulled out her phone, they trembled like she had Parkinson's. Xiao Yu snorted, took the phone from her, and recorded for her.
He angled it and showed her. "Is this good?"
Ye Qingli nodded like a pecking chick. "Yes."
As the fireworks were about to end, Xiao Yu was about to cut the video when Ye Qingli snatched the phone back. She flipped the camera, and suddenly the screen changed from the dazzling fireworks to the smiling faces of the young couple.
Xiao Yu grinned at Ye Qingli in the frame. "My goddess is documenting the good life again."