When The Snow Falls In Autumn Chapter 30

Chapter 30

The tree-lined avenue leading to the East End graduate apartments seemed longer and quieter than usual.The dense canopy of the camphor tree filters the afternoon sunshine into fine pieces, casting bright and flickering light spots on the clean concrete pavement.The chirping of cicadas weaves a dense, intoxicating sound net overhead, and the hustle and bustle of the basketball court in the distance is filtered by layers of greenery, leaving only vague, intermittent echoes.

Ling Xueqing walked in front, walking slightly faster than usual, with her back straight and her black hair swaying gently on her shoulder blades as she walked.She didn’t look back or speak, she just led the way silently and with clear goals.Ye Qiulan followed half a step behind her, holding the plastic bag containing the medicine box in his hand. The plastic handle stretched around his fingertips, bringing a subtle but clear touch of realistic weight.Her eyes fell on Ling Xueqing’s straight back, and on the shadows of the two people on the ground that sometimes overlapped and sometimes separated. Her heartbeat still hadn’t completely calmed down, beating in her chest at an unfamiliar, slightly panicked rhythm.

“There is a refrigerator in my dormitory.”

That sentence, along with the slightly turned face of Ling Xueqing and the almost invisible blush on her ears when she said these words, still echoed repeatedly in her mind.This is not “dropping by to help pick up the book box”, nor is it “dropping by to pick up your medicine.”It’s an invitation, a passport into an unprecedented, private realm.Ye Qiulan didn’t know why Ling Xueqing suddenly made such a decision. Was it out of pure consideration for the preservation of medicines, or… something else?She didn’t dare to think deeply, she only felt that her cheeks were getting hot and her fingers holding the medicine bag were slightly sweaty.

At the end of the boulevard, a bright view suddenly opened up.The East District graduate apartments are several newly built gray and white buildings with simple lines, which are completely different from the old and mottled old dormitories in the West District.There is a small patch of carefully manicured lawn and low shrubs in front of the building. The environment is clean and quiet, even a little alienating.

Ling Xueqing stopped in front of one of the buildings, took out the electronic access card, and pressed it lightly on the sensor.There was a soft “beep” sound, and the glass door slid open.A rush of cool, freshener-scented air came out, in stark contrast to the hot afternoon outside.

Ye Qiulan followed her in.The hall is spacious and bright, and the shiny marble floor reflects their blurred reflections.The front desk was empty except for notifications scrolling on the electronic display.The elevator was also very quiet, just the two of them.Ling Xueqing pressed the up button, and the elevator door slid open silently.

Entering the elevator, the confined space makes the silence more concrete.Ling Xueqing pressed the floor number, then stood sideways, her eyes falling on the constantly beating red numbers.Ye Qiulan stood diagonally behind her and could smell the familiar, refreshing cedar fragrance on her body. In the cool air of the elevator, it seemed to be clearer than when outside.She held her breath involuntarily, as if she was afraid of disturbing the silence that was too close.

“Ding.”

The elevator arrives.The door slides open, revealing the same quiet corridor.The lighting was a soft warm yellow, and the sound of footsteps was completely absorbed by the thick carpet.Ling Xueqing walked in front until she reached a dark gray door at the far end of the corridor.She took out her key card again, unlocked it, and pushed the door open.

The moment the door opened, a more private atmosphere that belonged to Ling Xueqing’s personal space hit her face.It’s very light, but extremely clear – it’s the kind of cold cedar scent mixed with clean cotton, paper, and a very light scent, similar to mint or green tea.There is no unnecessary clutter of life, everything seems orderly, even…a little too orderly.

“Come in.” Ling Xueqing stepped aside and her tone was calm, as if she was just inviting her classmates into an ordinary study room.

Ye Qiulan hesitated for a moment and stepped in.

The room is not big and you can see everything at a glance.The standard single dormitory configuration: a single bed by the window, covered with dark gray sheets, and the quilt is folded with sharp edges; a large desk is placed against the wall, with books, notebooks, pen holders and a closed laptop neatly arranged on it; a double-door wardrobe with the door closed; a small refrigerator in the corner, next to it is a simple folding bookshelf, which is also filled with books.The ground is a light-colored wooden floor, smooth and dust-free.The only decorations are the small gym bag with dumbbells on the corner of the desk, and a pot of… cactus on the windowsill?The leaves are thick and covered with a layer of ash.

The entire space is simple and deserted, with almost no personal color or atmosphere of life, like a model house that has been unoccupied for a long time, or the residence of an overly self-disciplined monk.The only thing that can prove that the owner has been living here for a long time is probably the pile of thick classics on the desk that are obviously frequently read.

Ye Qiulan stood in the middle of the room, a little embarrassed.It’s too quiet here, too clean, and too…Ling Xueching.It was similar to what she had imagined, but it showed an almost lonely sense of order.She suddenly felt that she was standing here holding a medicine bag and smelling of fine dust from the hospital and the hot air outside, like a rash intruder.

“Give me the medicine.” Ling Xueqing’s voice broke the silence.She had already closed the door, walked to the small refrigerator, and opened the door of the upper freezer, letting out a burst of cold air.

Ye Qiulan quickly handed over the medicine bag.Ling Xueqing took it, took out the bottle of oral liquid that needed to be refrigerated, glanced at the storage requirements on the label, and then carefully put it into the storage compartment inside the refrigerator.She put the remaining pill box back into the bag and gently placed the bag on the low table next to the refrigerator.

After doing this, she straightened up and looked at Ye Qiulan.His eyes stayed on her slightly red cheeks and her somewhat confused standing posture for a moment.”Sit.” She pointed to the only chair next to the desk, then walked to the bed and sat down on the edge, a short distance away from Ye Qiulan.

Ye Qiulan sat down as instructed.The chair is just the right height and firmness, clearly chosen with care.She looked around the room, and finally her eyes fell on Ling Xuequing’s face.Ling Xueqing was also looking at her, her eyes calm, but she seemed more focused than usual, as if she was observing her reaction or waiting for something.

“Your room… is very neat.” Ye Qiulan said dryly, trying to break the heart-stopping silence.

“Yeah.” Ling Xueqing responded without any unnecessary words.Her eyes swept across the room, seeming to be examining this space that she had long been accustomed to, and then fell back on Ye Qiulan.”Want some water?”

“No, thank you.” Ye Qiulan shook his head quickly.She wasn’t thirsty, her throat just felt dry.

A brief silence fell again.The chirping of cicadas outside the window was mostly blocked by the thick glass windows, leaving only a faint and fuzzy background sound.The only sounds in the room were the slight sound of air coming from the air conditioner outlet and the shallow breathing of the two of them.

Ye Qiulan’s fingers twisted the corners of his clothes unconsciously.She felt an unprecedented nervousness, even more nervous than when she faced an accident during repairs in the morning.Here, in this private space that belongs entirely to Ling Xuequing, the usual sense of distance between them, buffered by libraries or campus public spaces, seems to have been suddenly evacuated.There were only two people left, facing each other, with countless unspoken but heavy things in between.

She saw Ling Xueqing’s hand on her lap, with long fingers and neatly manicured nails.It was these hands that steadily caught the drop of reinforcement fluid that almost destroyed the ancient book this morning.At this moment, the hands rested quietly, with the knuckles slightly raised, showing a restrained sense of strength.

“Your hands…” Ye Qiulan finally couldn’t help it and asked softly, “Is it really okay? That kind of reinforcement liquid comes into contact with the skin…”

“It’s okay.” Ling Xueqing interrupted her with a calm tone, “The formula is mild and has been tested for safety.” She paused, as if she thought the answer was too short, and added, “I have washed my hands.”

Again, this attitude of downplaying everything.The courage that aroused in Ye Qiulan’s heart due to concern was blocked again.She lowered her head and looked at the toes of her canvas shoes.

“In the morning…” Ling Xueqing suddenly spoke, her voice lower than before, with a hint of hesitation that was not easy to detect, “Are you scared?”

Ye Qiulan suddenly raised his head and looked at her.Ling Xueqing’s eyes didn’t dodge, and he looked straight at her. Her figure was clearly reflected in those eyes that were always as calm as a deep pool, and there was also a hint of… something like guilt?In other words, is it confirmation after inspection?

“…Yeah.” Ye Qiulan nodded honestly, his voice a little dull, “I was too careless. I almost…”

“It’s not your fault.” Ling Xueqing interrupted her again, but her tone was more urgent than before, with a decisive meaning, “In that case, the force on the pen tip was uneven, and the local fibers of the paper suddenly became brittle, even an experienced operator might have missed it. It was an accident.”

She was using the most professional and calm analysis to excuse her mistakes.Ye Qiulan heard it.This protection made her feel warm, but it also made her even more embarrassed.

“But…”

“There is no but.” Ling Xueqing’s voice returned to calmness, but with an unquestionable strength, “It’s over. The ancient book is fine, and you are fine too. That’s enough.”

She said “you’re fine too”.Ye Qiulan’s heart trembled slightly.In Ling Xueqing’s trade-off, are the safety of the ancient books and her “nothing” tied?

This realization made her nasal passages feel inexplicably sore.She hurriedly looked away and looked out the window.From this angle, all that is visible is the gray walls of the apartment building opposite and a small, framed patch of blue sky.

“You…” Ling Xueqing’s voice sounded again, this time with a longer pause, “Is there anything else you have to do this afternoon?”

Ye Qiulan turned back and shook his head in confusion.”No… nothing important.” It was normal for her to go home and take care of her father, but at this moment, she inexplicably didn’t want to mention it.

Ling Xueqing nodded and said nothing more.Her eyes moved to the desk and fell on the open books and notebooks, as if she was thinking about something.The room became quiet again, only the air conditioner continued to send a cool breeze.

Ye Qiulan’s eyes drifted to the desk involuntarily.Most of those books were incomprehensible to her. They were all difficult geographical research or ancient book research monographs.Her eyes swept across several drawing pencils inserted into pen holders on the table, a stack of scratch paper with intricate lines and annotations, and… a co-written, dark blue hard-shell notebook.The notebook has some wear on the corners, obviously from regular use.

She suddenly remembered that a long time ago, Ling Xueqing seemed to like to draw something in her notebook, not just words.When they were still young, Ling Xueqing would draw some strange ancient artifacts or architectural sketches for her to see. Although the drawings were not very good, the lines were always very serious.

“Are you still drawing?” Ye Qiulan asked blurtly, feeling abrupt as soon as he spoke.

Ling Xueqing was obviously stunned for a moment, and then his eyes fell on the dark blue notebook.Her eyes flickered slightly, as if some secret switch had been touched.After a few seconds of silence, she slowly said: “Occasionally. Record some schematic diagrams for verification.”

Her tone was very calm, but Ye Qiulan caught a very subtle emotional fluctuation that was different from when talking about the repair work.The fluctuations were very slight, like pebbles thrown into a deep pool. The ripples were almost invisible, but the water surface did move.

“Can I… take a look?” Ye Qiulan asked almost holding his breath.She knew this might have crossed a line, it was Ling Xueqing’s private notes.But curiosity, or in other words, a desire to get closer and better understand Ling Xueqing’s inner world at this moment, overwhelmed her usual caution.

Ling Xueqing did not answer immediately.She looked at Ye Qiulan with complicated eyes, filled with something that Ye Qiulan couldn’t understand – was it hesitation, wariness, or… a hint of wavering at the touch of a secret?

Time seemed to be stretched in silence.The cicadas chirping outside the window seemed to have stopped.The cold air from the air conditioner brushes against the skin, bringing a chill.

Just when Ye Qiulan was about to apologize for his rashness, Ling Xueqing suddenly stood up and walked to the desk.She didn’t reach for the dark blue notebook, but opened the bottom drawer of the desk.

Ye Qiulan’s heart rose to his throat.

Ling Xueqing took out a rolled paper roll tied with a string from the drawer.The paper roll doesn’t look big and is rolled very tightly.She took the scroll and walked back to the bed, but did not sit down immediately or hand it to Ye Qiulan.He just held it in his hand, his fingers caressing the rough paper unconsciously.

Her eyes were lowered, and her long eyelashes cast fan-shaped shadows under her eyes, covering the emotions in them.The light in the room seemed to be getting darker. The setting sun was slowly setting in the west, and the golden afterglow began to stain the edges of the window frame red.

“This,” Ling Xueqing finally spoke, her voice was very soft, with an unprecedented, almost fragile hoarseness, “This is not a research diagram.”

She raised her eyes and looked at Ye Qiulan.That look was no longer calm, nor was it the usual restraint and alienation.There is a deep, almost painful honesty in it, and a cautious hesitation to expose the most vulnerable part to others.

“I… drew it. About… my mother’s side, some old places… imagination.”

She used the word “imagine” instead of “examine”.The voice was very soft, but like a huge stone, it was thrown into Ye Qiulan’s heart.

Ye Qiulan was completely stunned.She looked at the inconspicuous roll of paper in Ling Xueqing’s hand, and at the dark waters in Ling Xueqing’s eyes that had never been revealed to her before, mixed with the heavy past and personal emotions. Her throat seemed to be choked by something, and she couldn’t say a word.

Ling Xueqing’s fingers holding the paper tightened slightly, and her knuckles turned white.She seemed to be making an extremely difficult decision.After a few seconds, she exhaled very softly, almost like a sigh, and then slowly untied the string on the paper roll.

The paper slowly unfolded in her hands, making a dry and pliable sound.The last golden-red rays of the setting sun happened to pass through the window and slanted onto the gradually revealed piece of paper with clear ink marks.