Butterflies Fly Over Winter Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A Matter of Habit

Memories surfaced unconsciously and dissipated just as aimlessly.

Chu Yiqi sat in a daze, her mind still lingering on what she had just seen on Weibo.

She had seen plenty of such things over the past two years, and even before that, so why did it feel so strange now?

Perhaps it was because things were different now than they were back then.

In the early days, every time Xi Ai saw such things, she would come over to joke with her and explain.

If the setting was not appropriate, Xi Ai could only resort to subtle little movements to catch Chu Yiqi’s attention, ending with a sweet, innocent smile the moment their eyes met—as if she were making amends or coaxing her.

Back then, there were always people watching these small interactions, treating them as sugar for the fans.

Perhaps because she was thinking of the past, her subconscious was still stuck in those years. Without thinking, Chu Yiqi reached her chopsticks into the spicy pot, fished out a piece of shrimp paste, and placed it in Xi Ai’s bowl.

For a moment, the entire living room fell silent. Xi Ai looked up, her eyes full of playful amusement and a hint of inquiry.

Chu Yiqi snapped back to reality and gave a light cough. She did not speak, but the tips of her ears turned slightly red.

Chu Yiqi clearly saw the smile in Xi Ai’s eyes deepen. A moment later, she heard the other woman’s voice, the end of her sentence curling upward: Thank you, Teacher Chu—

Following a wave of eerie silence, Yu Nianxi instinctively reached for her phone, only to remember that Su Luojian was watching her and would not let her play. She sheepishly pulled her hand back and bit her chopsticks.

The others wanted to chat but did not dare move—except for Nie Chuiying, who quietly turned her body. Under the cover of Shi Yunshan, she picked up her phone and instinctively clicked into Weibo. Before she could exit, she saw the push notification.

Uh…

To say it or not to say it?

After a moment of hesitation, Nie Chuiying spoke slowly: Well, let us congratulate Qiqi. She might be hitting her first domestic trending topic very soon.

As the manager, Su Luojian had the strongest reaction and quickly pulled out her phone: What happened?

Chu Yiqi was sitting right next to Nie Chuiying. She leaned over to take a look, and her heart sank halfway. Her voice was tiny with guilt: It was… my hand just slipped.

Yu Nianxi saw the post Nie Chuiying shared in their group of four and immediately burst out laughing. Nie Chuiying slowly added the finishing blow: Qiqi, I finally know why your CP’s popularity is so high. Your hand slipped exactly onto a post debunking another CP. It must be fate.

Chu Yiqi did not respond. She glanced at Xi Ai and, sure enough, saw her wearing a smile that practically had “Oh, someone’s jealous” written all over her face.

Chu Yiqi: Stop shipping so much. The person involved says it is fake.

Then she quietly opened Weibo to check her history—if anyone looked over now, they would see she had switched to her alt account, and she was inexplicably serving as a moderator for Xi Ai’s Super Topic.

The post she had liked was about a CP between Xi Ai and someone else. However, the post said they had no chemistry and the sugar felt forced.

…

Chu Yiqi glanced at Xi Ai, lowered her eyes, and silently continued eating.

Xi Ai held her phone and posted a pre-written Weibo:

Future: Our main wife is just like that.

It is fine, just consider it early fan service. Anyway, the two of them were already a tied CP.

As for the pair that was said to have no chemistry… let them talk. Regardless, that Super Topic had already been shut down by a certain ancestor who had been broken up with.

Under the guise of her alt account, Xi Ai took another scroll through the CP Super Topic she moderated and liked a few posts—all of which were about Chu Yiqi’s accidental like.

The hotpot meal was overall very harmonious, even though everyone was secretly looking at something on their phones.

The moment Xi Ai put down her chopsticks, Chu Yiqi, without even looking up, pulled two tissues from the side and handed them to her. Xi Ai paused for a second, then took the tissues under Chu Yiqi’s slightly embarrassed gaze.

Thank you.

As the source of funding for dinner, Xi Ai felt perfectly justified holding the honey water Chu Yiqi had made for her—another matter of habit—as she curled up on the sofa to watch concert videos.

When they first got together, many people thought Xi Ai was the one who took care of Chu Yiqi more.

Because of their different backgrounds, Xi Ai was better at adapting and socializing. She could lead Chu Yiqi to fit in, make up for Chu Yiqi’s shortcomings when she first entered the industry, and familiarize her with the unspoken rules.

But in reality, perhaps it was those very differences that allowed Xi Ai to find many things she lacked within Chu Yiqi. Starting from their initial dances, it was the constant support and comfort, the insight into all of Xi Ai’s subtle emotions, and the attention and supervision regarding many life details…

Counting it all up, it was Chu Yiqi who gave Xi Ai more of a human touch, transforming her from an idealized idealist into a three-dimensional person of the mundane world.

Thus, they had always been equals, rather than a one-sided salvation. That would be too superficial and would diminish both of them.

When Chu Yiqi passed by the sofa and took a look, she immediately turned her head away—it was a school performance of hers from when she was abroad.

…

Xi Ai noticed her gaze and curled her lips. She turned around to see Chu Yiqi walking toward the kitchen, holding the bottle of milk everyone had been given after the hotpot—everyone except Xi Ai.

Chu Yiqi remembered that Xi Ai had been very calm when she handed her the milk, and her fingertips had been cold.

Xi Ai stood up, phone in hand, and said: I have to release an album soon. I am just seeing if there are any styles I have not tried yet.

Mhm. Chu Yiqi looked at Xi Ai, hesitated for a long time, then said quickly and quietly: I had a cold during that show. I had to change the stage last minute, so it was a bit lacking.

Xi Ai was stunned, her mouth moving faster than her brain: It was quite good. The emotion of that song is low and leaning toward sorrowful, so it worked well.

As soon as she finished speaking, Xi Ai seemed to understand why Chu Yiqi felt the need to explain—it was not just an excuse; she truly felt that way.

This person had always been like this, always feeling she was not good enough, that she was lacking, or that she had made a mistake. Consequently, she was subconsciously cautious and careful about everything.

It was likely the result of the “you are not as good as others” mindset engraved in her bones since childhood. Xi Ai had known this for a long time.

Someone who had felt unloved since they could remember always needed a lot of love and patience to soften their shell and step out.

Only…

She had succeeded once, only to be forced back in again.

She would just have to do it one more time.

Xi Ai’s heart softened. She turned off her phone, twitched the corner of her mouth, and said: Want to go out for a walk?

Chu Yiqi nodded. After a moment’s hesitation, she gave her hat to Xi Ai, though her tone remained that of just caring for a teammate: The sun has not set yet. Wear it.

She always remembered that Xi Ai never liked wearing hats, but whenever the sun dazzled her, she would hide behind Chu Yiqi.

Xi Ai took it. Seeing Chu Yiqi grab another hat to change her shoes, she smiled and followed.

In this villa area, public figures of all kinds could be found. Even though Chu Yiqi and Xi Ai had not been here for a long time, they were still considered familiar faces.

Halfway through the walk, Chu Yiqi stopped to look at a short-legged cat playing with a ball of yarn. She squatted down and patted the cat’s head without looking back: Is this Auntie Feng’s?

Xi Ai pointed to a person on the phone nearby and said: Yes.

Xi Ai did not call out to the person who was trying so hard to keep her distance yet failing to do so completely. She went over to greet Auntie Feng.

Is that Qiqi?

The sun was about to set, and a bit of pale gold light cast a soft glow over Chu Yiqi, making her look very beautiful.

Yes, she’s back.

Take it slow.

Xi Ai’s level of acceptance was quite high. Her eyes crinkled as she looked at Chu Yiqi. She said: It’s fine as long as she’s willing to come back.

Chu Yiqi held the cat and habitually looked up at Xi Ai.

For no reason, she suddenly felt that despite the warm colors and the time of day, Xi Ai looked strangely lonely standing there.

Xi Ai always seemed like this—able to fit in and occasionally mess around with others, but more often than not, she just stood to the side as an observer.

In the beginning, Chu Yiqi attributed this to a superior’s disdain for the joys and sorrows of others, and she even felt repulsed by it.

She could not say when exactly, but that thought never surfaced again.

Chu Yiqi thought about it, stood up with the cat in her arms, and while telling herself she was just caring for a teammate, she muttered: Look at that mean sister over there, so cold.

Chu Yiqi thrust the cat into Xi Ai’s arms and said awkwardly yet coldly: I feel like it really likes you.

The cat cooperated by clinging to Xi Ai’s jacket and refusing to let go.

Xi Ai had no choice but to take the cat from Chu Yiqi and stroke its fur.

After a few strokes, the cat tilted its head back to lick Xi Ai’s finger, even trying to lift a paw to hug her wrist. Xi Ai pulled her hand back and stuffed the cat back into Chu Yiqi’s arms.

Chu Yiqi could not help but laugh: Is the Movie Queen afraid of cats?

No, it’s heavy. I don’t want to hold it anymore. Xi Ai turned her head away and silently watched the sunset, looking like someone who would not admit it even if you said it.

Fine, you’re not afraid. Then come shake hands.

Chu Yiqi took the cat’s paw to tug at Xi Ai’s hair, only to realize after doing it that this behavior was not quite right.

Not to be repeated.

Xi Ai tilted her neck to dodge, but when she saw the slight dejection in Chu Yiqi’s eyes, she slowly reached out to hold the cat’s paw.

It won’t scratch. Its claws are clipped. Chu Yiqi tilted her head to look at the cat and leaned down to nuzzle it.

Xi Ai placed her hand on top. It was very warm.

Let’s go, head back? After playing for a while, Chu Yiqi looked up at Xi Ai, her tone and positioning once again suggesting she was keeping her distance.

Xi Ai nodded, her gaze moving away from the phone screen that had been recording the whole time.

They did not speak much on the way back, but they were a little more natural than when they had first met.

Send me that video later. I’ll edit a vlog.

Okay.

Xi Ai picked up her phone and trailed half a step behind Chu Yiqi. Sending a video was actually very fast, but she dawdled for a long time.

Even though they had not seen each other for two years, and even though Chu Yiqi had initiated the breakup long ago, Xi Ai still kept her chat with Chu Yiqi pinned at the top.

Entering the chat, Xi Ai looked up at Chu Yiqi ahead of her. The moment their eyes suddenly met, everything around them was silent.

Confirming that Xi Ai was looking at her phone, and perhaps because of that brief intersection of gazes, Chu Yiqi quickly looked away and said flatly: Watch where you’re going.

Xi Ai thought of something, and her eyes curved unconsciously. While selecting several videos in a row, she replied: It’s fine. You’re not looking at your phone this time, so you won’t fall into a ditch.

…

Chu Yiqi immediately remembered something from a long time ago.

–

It was the night the semi-finals ended.

Xi Ai asked: Want to go get some barbecue?

Where to?

Unexpectedly, Xi Ai named a very ordinary location: the stall at the entrance of No. 1 Middle School.

The eldest miss actually knows how to empathize with the common people? Chu Yiqi pulled out some chopsticks and snapped back half-seriously.

The habit of bickering whenever they met, formed over a period of time, had not changed yet, but the tone and feelings were already different.

Xi Ai tied her hair up and draped it over her right shoulder, dragging out her words as she played the victim: The eldest miss can also be thrown out by her parents to fend for herself if they find her annoying.

Chu Yiqi did not believe her, but she noticed that Xi Ai’s interaction with the owner did not seem like it was her first time there.

It was rare that she wanted to retort but could not find an opening. It was frustrating.

On the way back, Xi Ai was playing Pop Star on her phone. After a few steps, Chu Yiqi realized the person beside her was gone. She looked back to see Xi Ai playing on her phone, stepping on Chu Yiqi’s shadow one step at a time.

After thinking for a moment, Chu Yiqi also pulled out her phone to play a one-stroke game.

It’s just playing on a phone, no big deal.

Perhaps the eldest miss had sniped at people too much, and retribution came suddenly.

She stepped into thin air. Even though she was wearing flats, she still twisted her ankle and fell to the ground.

The eldest miss might fall, but she could not drop her phone.

Xi Ai gripped her phone tightly, not even thinking to pull Chu Yiqi down with her.

But there was no need for that.

The next moment, she saw the person beside her lift a foot and step right into the ditch as well.

No, why on earth is there a ditch here? Chu Yiqi did not laugh at Xi Ai’s behavior of clinging to her phone—her own instinct had been to grip her phone tightly as well.

Maybe they’re digging up water pipes in the old district? Xi Ai stood up and reached out a hand to Chu Yiqi, but her tone immediately changed to one of exasperation: No, I mean, who could have known it was there!

Author’s Note:

I’m telling you, Ai Ai’s alt account name is also very cute. Take a guess~ (It’s related to an idiom)

*

Cat: Me, the cat, also deserves some credit.

*

I told you two were meant to be a couple; you’ve both become Super Topic moderators.