When The Snow Falls In Autumn Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Voluntary labor on campus in autumn is always carried out on a weekend morning when the weather barely clears up after the continuous cold rain.The School of History was assigned the task of cleaning Ginkgo Avenue and the lawns on both sides of the East District.The notification email stated that it was to “carry forward the spirit of labor and jointly build a beautiful campus” and attached a detailed list of groups and where to collect tools.

Ye Qiulan looked at the phone screen where his and Ling Xueqing’s names were once again arranged under the “third group”, and his fingertips paused on the cold screen for a few seconds.A week has passed since that almost confessional conversation in the library.They met twice in the library this week. Ling Xueqing was still sitting in her old seat with a calm look on her face. Occasionally she would briefly communicate about details of a certain document, her tone returning to her usual objective and calm tone, as if the heavy topic of losing control of pheromones that night had never been mentioned.But Ye Qiulan could feel that some invisible barriers seemed to be getting thinner.At least, Ling Xueqing no longer deliberately avoids her gaze, nor is he willing to give concise answers when she asks questions.

Is this progress?Ye Qiulan didn’t know.The sourness is still there, like a glass of salt water that has not completely dissolved, sinking in the bottom of my heart, with a slight saltiness rising from time to time.But occasionally, when she saw Ling Xueqing’s slightly trembling eyelashes when she lowered her head to write, or when she casually touched the reference book she handed him with her fingertips, a faint, palpitating sweetness would appear in the saltiness.

On Saturday morning, the sky was a slightly tired light blue after being repeatedly washed by rain. The sunlight was thin and there was no temperature.The air is cold, with a strong, moist smell of fallen leaves and soil being turned over.Many students have gathered on Ginkgo Avenue, wearing various casual sportswear, in small groups, holding assigned bamboo brooms, iron dustpans, and garbage bags in their hands, talking and laughing in the clear air.

Ye Qiulan put on an old light gray hooded sweatshirt, dark sweatpants, and white-washed canvas shoes.She picked up the cumbersome-looking bamboo broom and a large black garbage bag, and stood at the edge of the designated area in the third group, looking at the golden fallen ginkgo leaves on the ground with some helplessness.The leaves are thick and wet, clinging tightly to the gray-black asphalt road and rain-soaked soil. It is not easy to sweep them away.

Students from other groups have already started working, and the sound of bamboo brooms scraping across the ground can be heard one after another, mixed with laughter and complaints.There were not many people in the third group. In addition to her and Ling Xueqing, there were two other unfamiliar male graduate students majoring in literature. They were gathering together and whispering something. They seemed to be in no rush to start.

Just when Ye Qiulan was trying to wave the broom to gather together a small piece of wet fallen leaves, a familiar, thin figure walked next to her.

Ling Xueqing wore a pure black sportswear today. Her top was zipped to her chin and her cuffs were tightly tied. Her long dark hair was tied into a neat high ponytail, revealing her smooth forehead and clear eyebrows.She also received tools, a plastic broom that looked lighter and a dustpan.Her face looked a little pale in the cold air, but her eyes were clear and focused.

She did not look at Ye Qiulan, nor did she speak. She just stopped a step or two away from her, then bent down and began to clean the fallen leaves in the area in front of her.The movement is not fast, but it is steady and efficient.The plastic broom scrapes across the ground, making a lighter “swish” sound than the bamboo broom.She shoveled the fallen leaves neatly into the dustpan, and then poured them into the big black garbage bag that Ye Qiulan held open.The whole process was quiet, coherent, and without any unnecessary movements.

Ye Qiulan was stunned for a moment, then quickly bent down and continued the work at hand.The two of them stood side by side, cleaning in silence.There was no communication, but a strange rhythm formed.Ling Xueqing always seemed to be able to reach out with the dustpan just when she was sweeping up a small pile of fallen leaves.Occasionally, Ye Qiulan’s movements were slow, or the fallen leaves were too wet and sticky to sweep, Ling Xueqing would naturally turn to the side, use the broom in his hand to help her move, and then shovel them away silently.

The sun gradually climbed higher, but the temperature did not rise significantly.The heat brought by labor caused Ye Qiulan to sweat slightly on her forehead and back. The cold wind blew through, bringing a pleasant chill, and also made her thin sweater seem a little insufficiently warm.She stopped, straightened up, wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, and took a breath.

Ling Xueqing next to her also stopped moving.She did not wipe the sweat, but raised her face slightly, glanced at the sky, and then glanced at Ye Qiulan’s cheeks that were slightly red from labor and the tip of his sweaty nose.Her eyes stayed on Ye Qiulan’s slightly thin gray sweatshirt for a very brief moment. Her lips moved almost imperceptibly, but she said nothing.She just turned around, walked to a temporary spot where tools and drinking water were piled not far away, took two bottles of mineral water from the incubator, and walked back.

She handed one of the bottles to Ye Qiulan.

Ye Qiulan took it, the bottle was cold.”Thank you.”

Ling Xueqing said “hmm”, unscrewed her own bottle, raised her head and took a few sips.The way she drank water also showed a kind of restraint, her Adam’s apple rolled slightly, and her jawline drew a clear arc.A few drops of water slid down the corners of her lips, along her slender neck, and into the collar of her black sportswear.

Ye Qiulan also took a sip of water, the cold liquid sliding down his dry throat.She looked at Ling Xueqing’s temples that were slightly moist with sweat and the bridge of her nose that looked particularly clear and straight in the sun, and the sourness in her heart quietly returned.Ling Xueqing was always like this, doing the most thoughtful things in the most silent and natural way.But this kind of thoughtfulness always carries an invisible barrier, making it impossible for people to get close or stay away.

The other two boys had moved farther away to work at some point, and they were the only two left here.The noise from other groups around them seemed far away, with only the wind blowing through the tops of the ginkgo trees, the rustling of dry leaves, and the monotonous sound of their own cleaning of fallen leaves.

“Your father,” Ling Xueqing suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.She was still looking at the ground that needed to be cleaned in front of her, her voice was steady and there was no emotion at all, “Are you feeling better?”

Ye Qiulan was startled, not expecting that she would take the initiative to ask about this.It has been some time since her father was discharged from the hospital and returned to school.”Much better. I’ll take my medicine on time after I’m discharged from the hospital. There’s no big problem.” She replied in a low voice, feeling a little warm in her heart because of this question.

“Yeah.” Ling Xueqing responded without asking any more questions.She bent down and continued cleaning.Ye Qiulan also quickly followed.

After sweeping for a while, the fallen leaves near the edge of the lawn were particularly thick and sticky, mixed with soil and gravel, making it difficult for the broom to clean them completely.Ye Qiulan swept a few times vigorously, only brushing away the leaves on the surface, but the ones stuck to the soil underneath did not move at all.She stopped in frustration and poked the ground unconsciously with the broom handle.

Ling Xueqing also saw it.She walked over, knelt down, and took a closer look at the stubborn fallen leaves and soil.Then, she put down her broom and dustpan, took out a pair of thin-looking gray work gloves that Ye Qiulan had never seen before from the pocket of her sweatpants, and put them on quickly.

“With your hands.” She said in a concise tone, and she had already started to pick up the wet fallen leaves and the broken soil underneath, and threw them into the garbage bag.She moved quickly and carefully, trying not to get too much dirt on her hands.

Ye Qiulan watched her wearing gray gloves and quickly and effectively cleaning the most difficult part. The sourness in his heart was mixed with an indescribable throbbing.Ling Xueqing always has a way to solve problems in the most direct and least troublesome way.Even this dirty work.

She also hurriedly knelt down to help, but found that she was not wearing gloves.

“No need.” Ling Xueqing said without raising her head, her voice a little muffled because she leaned over, “Dirty.”

Ye Qiulan’s hand stopped in mid-air.Looking at the profile of Ling Xueqing’s face that was focused on cleaning, her lip lines that were slightly pursed due to exertion, and the tiny beads of sweat seeping out from her forehead, the complex emotions of sourness and sweetness in her heart seemed to be gently stirred by a gentle hand, becoming more chaotic and turbulent.

In the end, she didn’t insist. She just squatted next to him and helped Ling Xueqing open the mouth of the garbage bag so that she could throw the cleaned things in.The two of them were like this, one was cleaning, the other was holding bags, they cooperated tacitly, but they remained silent.

The sun gradually became a little scorching, and it was warm on my back.The heat brought by labor made Ye Qiulan’s cheeks continue to turn red, and his breathing gradually became faster.She could smell the soil, rotten leaves, sweat, and the very faint cold fragrance of cedar coming from Ling Xueqing’s body, which was slightly evaporated by body temperature – not the clearness when she lost control, but a more restrained, almost elusive undertone, mixed with the slightly hot sweat after labor.

Finally, the most difficult area to clean was cleaned.Ling Xueqing stood up straight and took off her gloves.The gloves were stained with wet mud and broken leaves.She walked to the lawn next to her, shook her gloves vigorously, wiped the dirt on her hands with a clean paper towel, then took out a small sealed bag from the side pocket of her backpack and put the dirty gloves in it.

Ye Qiulan also stood up. His legs were numb from squatting for too long, his eyesight went dark, and his body shook uncontrollably.

An arm immediately stretched out and held her arm steadily.Through the thin fabric of the sweatshirt, clear heat and power could be felt in the palm of the hand.

“Be careful.” Ling Xueqing’s voice sounded in her ears, very close, with a hint of unnoticeable tension.

Ye Qiulan stood firm, his eyes restored to clarity.She turned her head and met Ling Xueqing’s close gaze.In her always calm eyes, her somewhat embarrassed face was clearly reflected at this moment, as well as a hint of real concern that had not completely faded away.

“Thank you.” Ye Qiulan whispered, as if a weak electric current was flowing through the touched area on his arm.

Ling Xueqing let go of her hand very quickly, but Ye Qiulan could feel the brief, restrained pause when her fingertips left.Her auricles spread a light red color at a speed visible to the naked eye.

“Take a rest.” Ling Xueqing looked away and looked away, her voice returning to its usual calmness, “That’s almost it.”

Indeed, most of the area they were responsible for had been cleaned, and the rest was relatively easy.Students from other groups also completed the tasks one after another, and the sounds of laughter and packing tools became clearer.

Ye Qiulan nodded, walked to a nearby ginkgo tree, and rested against the trunk.Ling Xueqing also came over and stood next to her, a step or two away, looking up at the brilliant golden leaves above her head.The sun shone through the gaps between the branches and leaves, casting mottled and dancing light and shadow on her face.

The wind picked up again, blowing down a shower of golden leaves, flying one after another, falling at their feet and on their shoulders.

Ye Qiulan looked at Ling Xueqing’s calm silhouette beside him, watching a small ginkgo leaf spinning, and finally falling gently on her black shoulder, like a golden medal, and like a gentle kiss.She didn’t reach up to brush it off.