When The Snow Falls In Autumn Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The morning light from the west window of the library once again covered the fourth long oak table on time and exactly.The air is filled with the cool smell unique to Monday morning, a mixture of detergent and the smell of old books that have settled overnight.The shadow of the camphor tree casts on the smooth tabletop, its outline clear and motionless.

When Ye Qiulan pushed open the heavy door of the reading area, he immediately saw the figure already sitting in his old seat.Ling Xueqing’s back was facing the door, sitting upright, her dark hair shining smoothly in the morning light.She had a notebook and the restoration record book of the ancient book spread out in front of her. She was holding a pencil in her hand, with the tip of the pen touching the paper as if she was thinking about something.

Ye Qiulan’s footsteps paused almost imperceptibly.At that moment, my heart contracted slightly and uncontrollably.The silence and medicinal smell of being alone at home last night seemed to have not completely dissipated, and the illusory touch of the cardigan still lingered on my shoulders.At this moment, Ling Xueqing’s calm profile was like a real anchor, pulling her back from the sinking loneliness to this world full of old paper, with clear rules and procedures.

She took a deep breath, suppressed the slight waves in her heart, and walked over.

Pull up a chair and sit down.The canvas bag was placed next to his feet, making a slight muffled sound.

Ling Xueqing raised her head.Eye contact.Her eyes were very calm, as clear as the lake surface in autumn, reflecting the skylight outside the window, and also reflected the look of Ye Qiulan sitting down in a hurry.Only Ye Qiulan could tell that under the calmness, there seemed to be a faint, elusive… focus?As if to confirm her arrival and confirm that she was okay.

“Morning.” Ling Xueqing said, her voice was steady and slightly low as usual.

“…Morning.” Ye Qiulan responded, his voice softer than usual.She avoided Ling Xueqing’s seemingly too clear gaze, lowered her head and took out things from the canvas bag – a notebook, a pencil case, and the light gray cardigan that she had washed and folded carefully.

The clothes were taken out and placed beside the table.Folded squarely with neat corners, the wool-blend fabric looked extremely soft and clean under the morning light. It exuded the light soapy scent of laundry detergent. The smell of yesterday’s library and Ling Xueqing had been completely washed away.

Ling Xueqing’s eyes fell on the cardigan and stayed there for two seconds.Her fingertips curled up unconsciously, and the knuckles holding the pencil turned slightly white, then relaxed again.Then, she stretched out her hand, not to pick up the dress, but to gently push the restoration record book open in front of her to the middle of the table.

“I have written the preliminary record of the ink stains under the cinnabar covering.” Her voice was still steady, with no emotion. “Take a look and see if there is anything that needs to be added or corrected.”

Ye Qiulan quickly took the record book.On the page, Ling Xueqing’s handwriting was as neat and coherent as ever.The location, shape, and preliminary identification results of the discovery were objectively described, the possible cause speculation was put forward (modify the coverage), and follow-up treatment suggestions were given (retaining film protection, non-destructive exploration can be done when technical conditions permit).Rigorous, restrained, fully in line with professional standards, without any unnecessary subjective assumptions or extensions.

This is Ling Xueqing.Always sort out the chaotic possibilities into clear and actionable paths.

“The writing is very good and comprehensive.” Ye Qiulan whispered, his fingertips brushing over the clear handwriting, “I… have nothing to add.” She thought for a while, then asked softly, “Then, how should we deal with this area today? Continue to flatten it? Or…”

“Maintain the status quo for the time being.” Ling Xueqing took back the record book and closed it. “The film protection will not be used for now. The reinforcement and smoothing of other parts of the main book can continue today. This area will be discussed later when the overall condition is more stable or more suitable technical means are available.”

Her words put a temporary pause on the small “wound” that hides the smeared history.It’s not forgetting, it’s shelving.Between historical truth and protecting the status quo, the latter was chosen as a safer option.Ye Qiulan fully understood this decision and even felt a little inexplicable peace of mind.Maybe it’s because this reflects Ling Xueqing’s usual prudence and control; or maybe it’s because she herself needs some time to digest this small shock about “history can also lie.”

“Okay.” Ye Qiulan nodded.

Work begins again.Today’s main task is to strengthen the pages that have been initially flattened, especially the edges that were separated and stitched yesterday and those areas that are inherently fragile.Ling Xuequing prepared a new reinforcement solution—a specially formulated formula that is milder and has better permeability.Ye Qiulan is responsible for painting with a very fine brush.

The two exchanged positions.Ye Qiulan sat in Ling Xueqing’s seat yesterday, making it easier to operate.Ling Xueqing sat next to her a little later, responsible for delivering tools, observing the painting effect, and sucking up excess solution in time.

This is a process that requires a high degree of cooperation and is extremely tedious.Ye Qiulan must concentrate, with his wrist hanging in the air, and the pen tip moving evenly and slowly along the direction of the paper fibers, so that the solution can penetrate evenly without accumulating into drops.Ling Xueqing is like a sophisticated auxiliary instrument, always doing it silently when she needs to replace the absorbent paper or adjust the light angle.

In the silence, there was only the subtle rustling of the brush across the paper, and the shallow breathing of the two of them.

Ye Qiulan focused all his attention on his fingertips and the square inch of paper in front of him.She could feel Ling Xueqing’s gaze falling on her hand and on the movement of the pen tip. The gaze was calm and focused, like another calibrated light.In this state of being closely “watched” at her work, she felt strangely relaxed.All distracting thoughts – about home, yesterday, about the old bookmark (if she knew Ling Xueqing found it) – were blocked out.She just needs to follow the tip of the pen and follow Ling Xueqing’s silent guidance.

Time passes quietly in boring repetition.The sunlight slowly crawled across the tabletop.After consolidating one page, carefully separate it with backing paper, then start the next page.

When Ye Qiulan reached the edge of the relatively intact area close to Zhu Pi yesterday, her pen tip suddenly paused.It wasn’t a technical problem, but…she smelled an extremely familiar yet somewhat different scent.

Very light, very light.It’s not the refreshing, tightly controlled cedar cold fragrance that Ling Xueqing usually has.But something more…primitive?In other words, a more “loose” atmosphere.It still has the base tone of cedar, but it seems that the cold glass cover on the outside has been removed, revealing a slightly astringent warmth that belongs to the wood itself, and a little bit… similar to the very light resinous feeling evaporated after the sun has dried the pine needles.

This breath came from her side, from the direction of Ling Xuequing.Because she was so close, and because she was in a highly synergistic silence for a long time, her senses became extremely sharp and she captured this subtle change.

Ye Qiulan’s heart skipped a beat.The pen tip hung above the paper and did not fall down immediately.Beta was naturally slow to perceive changes in pheromones, and she had never been able to distinguish the difference in Ling Xueqing’s breath so clearly.What does this difference mean?Is it because Ling Xueqing didn’t use the blocker as strictly as usual today?Or… her mood or state had some kind of fluctuation that she didn’t know about, which affected the distribution of pheromones?

She didn’t dare to raise her head or look sideways.He just maintained that posture, his fingertips slightly stiff.The very faint smell with a slightly warm woody smell seemed to have substance, lingering on the tip of her nose, quietly and tenaciously infiltrating her perception.

Ling Xueqing seemed to notice her pause.She didn’t say anything, she just stretched out her hand, picked up a new piece of dry absorbent tissue paper with tweezers, handed it to Ye Qiulan, and motioned for her to suck up any excess solution that might be left on the tip of the pen.

The movements are natural and nothing unusual.

Ye Qiulan suddenly came back to his senses, quickly took the tissue paper, tapped the tip of the pen lightly, and then continued to paint.But his heartbeat was still a little erratic, and his cheeks were slightly warm.She tried to bring her attention back to the tip of the pen, but the vague and different smell of cedar on the tip of her nose was like an extremely thin thread, entangled in her attention.

She remembered the figure of Ling Xueqing who stepped forward and negotiated calmly in front of the window of the school hospital yesterday afternoon.Thinking back to earlier times, countless moments when Ling Xueqing silently guarded her.Those pictures seemed to be re-infused with the warm scent of pine wood at this moment, taking on a new texture that made her heart tremble slightly.

Ling Xueqing…what happened to her?

This question, with a hint of inexplicable throbbing and uneasiness, weighed heavily on Ye Qiulan’s heart.And all she could do was to hold the pen harder and stare more intently at the fragile paper in front of her, as if this could temporarily seal the disturbing atmosphere and questions in this boring and necessary repair work.

The sunlight continued to move, casting the two figures working side by side on the table, very close to each other.The rustle of the brush is still there, the sound of breathing is still there.Only the faint, changed breath in the air and the out-of-rhythm beating in Ye Qiulan’s chest silently told something unspeakable that was quietly fermenting on this seemingly ordinary Monday morning.