When The Snow Falls In Autumn Chapter 50

Chapter 50

The high-speed train returning to school temporarily pulled into the station at the beginning of dusk.The sky was a turbid dark purple, the clouds were low, the air was humid and muggy, brewing for a seemingly never-ending late summer thunderstorm.Ye Qiulan carried a heavier backpack than when she returned home – stuffed with a few thick clothes that her mother had forced on her, as well as some home-made snacks that were not perishable – and followed the flow of people out of the carriage.The platform was brightly lit and noisy, mixed with train announcements and the sharp sound of wheels rubbing against the rails.The hot and humid wind blew against my face, carrying the station’s unique smell of metal and dust.

She followed the signs to the exit in a daze, her steps futile.The exhaustion of accompanying her in the hospital for several days was like a layer of soaked cotton wool, tightly wrapping her.Although my father’s condition was stable and he was discharged from the hospital, the atmosphere at home was still depressing.The haggardness of her mother’s efforts to keep her spirits up, her father’s silent breathing, the lingering smell of medicine in the house, and the unspeakable worries about the future… all weighed heavily on her heart.Returning to school is like breaking free from a dull cocoon, but immediately falling into another familiar but unfamiliar world that needs to be faced alone.

When we walked to the exit, it was completely dark outside.The rain finally fell, not a heavy rain, but the kind of fine, long, cool autumn rain that pattered, splashing a hazy layer of mist on the wide ground in the square in front of the station.The light from streetlights and car lights was diluted by the rain and turned into a blurry halo.The cold and wet wind carried the rain, penetrating her thin coat without any hindrance.

She doesn’t have an umbrella.I was in such a hurry when I left the hospital that I forgot to take the old umbrella at home.Standing under the eaves at the exit of the station, looking at the traffic and blurry figures passing through the rain outside, I felt a little at a loss for a moment.The bus back to school stops across the road and requires crossing the open square.Take a taxi?At this time, it’s raining and it’s the back-to-school rush hour, which may not be easy.

I took out my mobile phone to check the online taxi queue, but my fingertips felt cold.The screen lights up, but there are no new messages except for a few irrelevant app notifications.Ling Xueqing hasn’t contacted her since she sent the picture of ginger candy yesterday.The report, the library, and… when she was saying goodbye at the station on that rainy night, her pale and silent profile and her feverish body temperature seemed to be separated by a layer of frosted glass, becoming blurry and unreal.

Maybe everything is back on track.The review was over, the report was filed, and her family episode came to an end.There should have only been occasional academic interactions between them, the quiet companionship across the long table in the library, and… Ling Xueqing’s appropriate helping hand out of some habit or responsibility that she couldn’t understand.

That’s fine too.Ye Qiulan sniffed and suppressed the inexplicable emptiness and sourness in his heart.She put her backpack on her head, took a deep breath, and prepared to rush into the rain and run to the bus stop opposite.

As soon as he took a step, his arm was suddenly pulled gently from behind.

The force was not strong, with a hint of hesitant restraint, and the fingertips were slightly cold.

Ye Qiulan turned back sharply.

Ling Xueqing stood half a step behind her.She was holding an umbrella, not the black one from last time, but a dark blue folding umbrella with a small cover that could barely cover two people.She wore a light gray hooded sweatshirt today without a hat. Her hair seemed to be a little wet from the rain, and a few strands of hair were stuck to her smooth forehead and cheeks.Her face was still a little pale, but her eyes were very clear. She was looking at Ye Qiulan quietly, with a deep concentration in her eyes that Ye Qiulan couldn’t understand.

“You…” Ye Qiulan was completely stunned, and the area where he was touched felt like an electric shock, numbing his arm.Rain dripped down her bangs and fell on her eyelashes, blurring her vision.”Why are you…here?”

“Passing by.” Ling Xueqing’s voice was clearer than the sound of rain. It still had the same plain tone, but the ending seemed a little tighter than the sound of the rain.Her eyes quickly swept from Ye Qiulan’s wet hair and pale and tired face to the backpack on her head, and then back to her face.”You didn’t bring an umbrella?”

“…Hmm.” Ye Qiulan responded quietly, his arms still stiff.Ling Xueqing’s fingers had been loosened, but the slightly cool touch was imprinted on her skin.

Ling Xueqing didn’t say any more, but just handed the umbrella forward, covering Ye Qiulan’s head more completely.One of her shoulders was immediately exposed to the falling rain, and the gray sweatshirt fabric quickly darkened.

“The car is over there.” She raised her chin and pointed to a silver hatchback in the temporary parking area not far away.It was the one that took her to the station last time.

Ye Qiulan’s mind was a little confused.Passing by?On the way from school to high-speed rail station?Or… did she come here specially?As soon as the idea came up, she suppressed it herself.How is it possible.

“Don’t bother,” she heard herself say dryly, “I’ll just take the bus back…”

“It’s raining and the bus is crowded.” Ling Xueqing interrupted her, her tone calm, but with a non-negotiable meaning.She had turned around and walked in the direction of the car. Her steps were not fast but steady. The umbrella was still held steadily above Ye Qiulan’s head.

Ye Qiulan looked at her shoulders that were wet by the rain, and the hem of the sweater that was exposed outside the umbrella and quickly became damp, and all the words of rejection were stuck in his throat.She bit her lower lip, followed silently, and got under the small umbrella.

The space under the umbrella is even tighter than last time.The sound of rain hitting the umbrella cover rang loudly in her ears, and the moist air with the refreshing scent of Ling Xueqing surrounded her.They were so close that their arms occasionally bumped slightly due to the inconsistent steps.Ye Qiulan could clearly feel the body temperature emanating from Ling Xueqing, which was slightly higher than the surrounding air, and the familiar cold fragrance of cedar. At this moment, it seemed to be diluted by the smell of rain and wet cloth, but it lingered more clearly on the tip of his nose.

The walk, which was only a few dozen meters long, was extremely silent and clear.Every drop of rain falling on the umbrella, every slight physical contact, and Ling Xueqing’s steady breathing seemed to be amplified.

Walking to the car, Ling Xueqing opened the passenger door, motioned for Ye Qiulan to get in, and then walked around to the driver’s seat.She closed her umbrella and shook off the rainwater on it. Her movements were a little hasty, and a few drops of cold water splashed onto Ye Qiulan’s face.

The car was still clean and tidy, filled with the light fragrance of Ling Xueqing and the smell of old books.The heating has been turned on, dispelling the dampness and coldness of the rainy night.Ling Xueqing fastened her seat belt and did not start the car immediately. Instead, she turned slightly sideways, took something from the back seat and handed it to Ye Qiulan.

It’s a dark blue thermos cup.Ye Qiulan recognized it, it was the one that Ling Xueqing often used.

“Take it,” Ling Xueqing said. His eyes did not look at her, but fell on the front windshield. The wipers were regularly wiping the flowing rainwater.

Ye Qiulan took it.The cup is warm and heavy.She held it in her hand, and the warmth from her fingertips instantly dispelled the coldness caused by the rain just now.

“Inside is… ginger tea.” Ling Xueqing added, her voice a little low, as if she was a little uncomfortable mentioning this.She finally started the car, the engine roaring low, and merged into the slow crawling traffic in front of the station.

Ye Qiulan looked down at the thermos cup in his hand.The metal shell was smooth and warm, reflecting the dim light inside the car and her own blurred shadow.She unscrewed the lid of the cup, and a warm and spicy smell of ginger mixed with the sweet aroma of brown sugar immediately overflowed and filled the narrow carriage.The heat penetrated through the cup wall, pressed against her cold fingers, and seemed to seep into her tired and empty body bit by bit.

She held the cup and took a sip.The temperature is just right, the ginger flavor is strong, and there is a lot of brown sugar. It is a bit sweet and cloying, but the hot and spicy feeling slides down the esophagus and really relaxes the cold limbs.

She suddenly remembered the can of industrial ginger tea she bought from the hospital vending machine, which had a cheap sweetness and a pungent aroma.It was completely different from the plain, piping hot, spicy tea with real ginger in my hand.

There was silence in the carriage, except for the sound of the wipers and the blurry city night view outside the window.Ling Xueqing drove the car intently, her profile looking calm and clear in the dim light of the dashboard.Her lips were slightly pursed, and her fingers holding the steering wheel had distinct knuckles.

Ye Qiulan drank a few more sips of ginger tea. The warm liquid relaxed her tense nerves a little.She leaned back on the chair, her eyes unconsciously falling on Ling Xueqing’s profile.After not seeing each other for a few days, she seems to have… lost a little weight?The line of the jaw is clearer.His face still didn’t look good.Is she really “healed”?

“You…” Ye Qiulan spoke hesitantly, his voice softened by the warmth of the ginger tea, “Your body…is you really okay?”

Ling Xueqing didn’t seem to expect that she would ask this, and the fingers holding the steering wheel moved almost imperceptibly.She was silent for two seconds before letting out a faint “hmm”.”Okay.” After a pause, he added, “Mrs. Zhao cooked the ginger tea, so I had to bring it.”

It’s like explaining the origin of this cup of tea, and also like explaining why I’m “well”.

Ye Qiulan said “Oh” and didn’t ask any more questions.She knew that Ling Xueqing didn’t want to say more.Holding the warm cup, she looked out the window at the city streets that were washed away by the rain. The barren space in her heart, gnawed by days of fatigue and worry, seemed to be quietly watered by this sudden, scalding cup of ginger tea.Warmth spread, dispelling the chill and diluting some of the lingering sourness.

It turns out that this is what it feels like to be remembered and cared about in such a silent and tangible way.Even those who care about me still use the simplest language and the most habitual “just by” as reasons from a distance.

The car drove smoothly into the campus.The campus seemed particularly quiet on a rainy night. The street lamps cast a dim yellow halo on the wet ground, and the leaves of the sycamore trees were washed brightly by the rain.The car stopped on the roadside near Ye Qiulan’s dormitory building.

Ling Xueqing turned off the engine and stopped the wipers.The rain seemed to have eased a little, and there was a fine rustling sound tapping on the roof of the car.

“We’re here.” Ling Xueqing said.

“Thank you.” Ye Qiulan whispered, covering the empty thermos cup and handing it back to Ling Xueqing.Her body temperature still remained on the cup.”Ginger tea…is delicious.”

Ling Xueqing took the cup, and her fingertips touched Ye Qiulan’s warm fingers for a brief moment.”Yeah.” She responded and put the cup on the cup holder next to her.

Ye Qiulan unbuckled his seat belt, picked up his backpack, and prepared to get out of the car.When she put her hand on the doorknob, she hesitated and turned her head.

Ling Xueqing was also looking at her.In the dim light, her eyes were very dark and deep, reflecting the faint light from the car window and Ye Qiulan’s somewhat helpless face.Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just nodded slightly.

“Go to bed early,” she said.

“…You too.” After Ye Qiulan finished speaking, he opened the car door.The cold rain immediately drifted in.

She got out of the car, closed the door, and stood on the roadside.Ling Xueqing’s car did not drive away immediately. The headlights were on, illuminating the wet road ahead.Ye Qiulan waved his hand toward the car window, then turned around and ran quickly to the porch of the dormitory building.

After running under the porch, she stopped and looked back.The silver car was still parked there, quietly, like a silent coordinate in the night.After a few seconds, the car lights flashed, the car started slowly, changed direction, drove deeper into the rainy night and the shadow of the campus road, and finally disappeared.

Ye Qiulan stood under the porch, his body still a little wet, but the warmth of the thermos cup and the spicy and sweet aftertaste of ginger tea seemed to remain in his arms.The patter of rain hit the ceiling of the porch, and also hit her empty heart that was slowly filled with some kind of warmth.

She exhaled slowly, and the white mist quickly dissipated in the cold air.Then, she turned around, pushed open the thick glass door of the dormitory building, and walked into the warm and noisy light that belonged to her daily life.The rainy night behind him and the silver car that came and went quietly were like a short but real dream, leaving only a little warmth in his palms and a sound in his chest that was clearer and more chaotic than the sound of rain.