When Winter Falls in Love - Chapter 9

Dong Yin trailed slowly behind Xie Mingjun.

Xie Mingjun glanced back at her, and Dong Yin immediately clutched her clothes, looking sullen as if she was still upset.

It was quite unexpected, she actually had a bit of a temper.

Unlike others who wore their anger openly, Dong Yin didn’t scowl or show any hostility. She just kept it all bottled up, lips pressed tightly together, her emotions locked away.

Xie Mingjun almost wanted to snap at her, What’s the point of sulking? Just go yell at Zou Yuxi if you’re mad. Who are you giving that look to?

“Aren’t you going to let your roommates know if you’re not going back today?” Xie Mingjun asked.

After a pause with no response, she turned to look again. Dong Yin finally said, “I already told them.”

Xie Mingjun hummed in acknowledgment.

Dong Yin volunteered more information, honest to a fault: “I told them I’m sleeping at your place tonight.”

“…”

Xie Mingjun tilted her head to study Dong Yin. “Do you have a problem with me?”

“No,” Dong Yin murmured softly, while inwardly cheering: Yes, I did it on purpose! Now everyone will know I’m staying at your place. Word will spread like wildfire.

“You’ll sleep here. Go take a shower later.” Xie Mingjun pushed open the door to the adjacent room, which was bare except for a bed.

“Mm, okay,” Dong Yin replied.

Xie Mingjun swept a glance over her. Dong Yin always wore the same few outfits, like those cheap nine-nine deals from Taobao. Only today, with Xie Mingjun’s jacket draped over her, did she look slightly different, her skin flushed a delicate pink against the Christmas red.

After a while, Xie Mingjun fetched a set of pajamas from her bedroom and tossed them to her. “Never worn.”

They were pink, dotted with strawberry patterns.

Dong Yin hugged the clothes to her chest, breathing in the scent of sunlight and laundry detergent. Since it was already late, she headed straight to the bathroom. After showering, she slipped into the pajamas, the fabric was soft and smooth against her skin. She fastened each button carefully, then brushed the stray strands of hair from her forehead in front of the mirror.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, she lingered outside Xie Mingjun’s door.

Xie Mingjun’s room had its own ensuite. She was already sitting on her bed, scrolling through her phone after her shower. The door wasn’t fully closed, and sensing someone outside, she lifted her gaze.

Dong Yin stood there in the oversized pajamas, which made her look even more slender and fragile. The set had been bought a size too big, but Xie Mingjun had never bothered to return it. After washing, it had just sat unused.

Dong Yin’s hair was still damp, droplets trickling from the ends. The water had coaxed her straight hair into soft waves, framing her face like a vintage doll’s. Her eyes, dewy from the steam, sparkled with a childlike innocence.

They stared at each other.

Dong Yin spoke first, hesitantly. “Xie Mingjun…”

She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, cheeks tinged pink, as if embarrassed. Xie Mingjun asked, “What is it?”

“Can I borrow your hairdryer?”

“Mm.” The hairdryer was in a small storage box by the bedroom door, Xie Mingjun had used it that morning after coming back and left it there.

Dong Yin took it but didn’t dry her hair in Xie Mingjun’s room. It was late now, the world outside pitch-black. The rain seemed to have stopped, leaving everything hushed. She gripped the doorknob, peeking at Xie Mingjun through the gap.

Xie Mingjun met her gaze, as if asking, What now?

Dong Yin didn’t answer. Instead, she gently closed the door and returned to the bathroom to dry her hair. She shut the bathroom door, set the hairdryer to low, and stopped once her hair was half-dry, not wanting to disturb Xie Mingjun.

When she went back to the guest room, she noticed a paper bag on the bed. Inside were delicate, whisper-soft undergarments.

Dong Yin picked it up and took a look, feeling a bit embarrassed.

She lay on the bed, staring at the bag, Xie Mingjun was so thoughtful.

“Hey.” Xie Mingjun knocked on the door, startling Dong Yin, who quickly withdrew her hand from the bag.

Dong Yin hurriedly sat up, crossing her legs as she asked, “What’s wrong?”

After she spoke, there was silence outside the door. Just as Dong Yin was about to get up and open it, Xie Mingjun said, “Why are you sulking at me? If you’re really angry, go yell at Zou Yuxi.”

After a pause, her tone turned cold, though her voice softened. “I’m not blind. Thanks for taking care of me today.”

Is she thanking me?

Dong Yin blinked, sitting on the edge of the bed, her fingers fiddling with the sheets. She really felt a little embarrassed now.

She wasn’t the type to hold grudges, she was used to bottling things up. The moment Xie Mingjun let her stay, her anger had already dissipated. But now that Xie Mingjun said this, it felt like she was coaxing her, and Dong Yin’s heart swelled.

She really wanted to push the door open and hug Xie Mingjun.

From outside, Xie Mingjun asked again, “What were you going to say earlier?”

Dong Yin replied, “Don’t lock your door tonight.”

“Hmm?”

“I’ll come check on you later to make sure you don’t get a fever again.”

After half a minute of silence, Dong Yin heard the sound of a door opening and closing, Xie Mingjun had gone back to her room. Dong Yin pushed her own door open slightly and glanced out, her gaze lingering on the door lock. She was tempted to test whether Xie Mingjun had left it unlocked for her.

Returning to bed, she lay back down. The blanket was soft, carrying the fluffy warmth of sunlight. Her fingers traced over it, savoring the comfort.

She couldn’t sleep.

She was too excited.

Her eyes kept drifting to the white paper bag, reading the English words printed on it: “Underwear.”

Dong Yin picked up her phone and glanced at it. Zou Yuxi had sent a flood of messages, asking what was going on and what she was doing.

Dong Yin was bursting with the urge to share her joy, so she kept chatting with Zou Yuxi, replying:

[Xie Mingjun seems a little angry. She won’t let me go home.]

[I really want to go back, but she won’t let me leave. I still have so much homework to do, and my paper isn’t even submitted yet.]

[What should I do?]

[What am I doing now? Right now, I’m wearing her pajamas, lying in her bed, completely unable to sleep. It’s just so upsetting.]

She even sighed: [Sigh!]

When Xie Mingjun woke up the next morning, the first thing she saw was Dong Yin. Groggy, she muttered, “Ugh, why am I dreaming about her again? Annoying.”

Then she rolled over, burying her face in the pillow.

Dong Yin crouched beside her, still wearing Xie Mingjun’s pajamas, and said, “Good morning, Xie Mingjun.”

Xie Mingjun blinked sleepily, her eyes fluttering open before closing again. After a moment, she finally woke up properly, staring at Dong Yin, then at the window. Sunlight seeped in through the gaps in the curtains, bright and dazzling. She blinked rapidly, her lashes fluttering.

It wasn’t raining today. The storm had passed, leaving only the faint sound of wind and the chirping of birds in the trees outside.

The noises were soft, unlike the relentless cicadas from the past few days.

As Xie Mingjun woke up, Dong Yin wondered, where had those cicadas gone? Washed away by the rain? Or had they died with the summer?

“The sky’s cleared up. Why are you still here?” Xie Mingjun propped herself up on her elbows.

“The sky’s clear, but my clothes aren’t dry yet,” Dong Yin said. “I washed them yesterday, thinking they’d dry quickly, but they’re still wet today.”

Back then, it was the scorching heat of summer, but now autumn had arrived. It would be strange if it were still dry. Xie Mingjun sighed helplessly, “How can you be so dumb?”

Dong Yin didn’t respond.

Truth be told, she really was quite dumb.

Xie Mingjun went to brush her teeth, and when she came out, she caught a whiff of something fragrant. Dong Yin had prepared the porridge early.

Today’s porridge was different from yesterday’s, it looked like a hodgepodge, with noodles boiled together in the porridge and several large cabbage leaves thrown in.

Xie Mingjun didn’t have much appetite at first glance, but she scooped a small portion anyway. After tasting it, she nodded in surprise it was unexpectedly delicious.

Dong Yin explained, “Where I’m from, we call this ‘tangfan’ scalded rice.”

Xie Mingjun ended up filling her bowl to the brim, and once again, the pot was emptied. Dong Yin went to wash it, still refusing to let Xie Mingjun touch the water.

The sunlight today was just right, neither too hot nor too cold. With no plans to go out, Xie Mingjun idly tidied up around the coffee table and spotted Dong Yin’s bag. She picked it up and glanced inside. it was filled with books and test papers, none of which seemed related to her major.

Dong Yin unzipped the bag on the coffee table, pulled out a book, and placed it on the table. Then she fished out a pen and said, “I’ll do my homework. I’ll leave once the clothes are dry.”

Xie Mingjun laughed. “You still do homework?”

“Of course. Don’t you have assignments too?” Dong Yin unfolded her test paper, curious about how Xie Mingjun handled her work. “Xie Mingjun, do you secretly do your homework every day?”

“What do you mean, ‘secretly’?” Xie Mingjun didn’t understand.

“You know, not doing it during the day, then pulling it out at night to work on it in secret.”

“I’m not that dumb.”

Dong Yin then suggested, “Then let’s do it together.” But after a moment, she shook her head. “You just got over your cold you should rest properly.”

Xie Mingjun leaned back on the sofa. After eating and taking her medicine, she didn’t feel any discomfort. Thankfully, the shot she got at the hospital yesterday had worked, she was almost fully recovered. She grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, flipping to a random channel.

Dong Yin worked on her homework quietly, undisturbed no matter how loud the TV was. Half an hour later, she put away her notebook and sat down beside Xie Mingjun, reaching out to touch her forehead.

Xie Mingjun held her hand, exhaling warm breath, and looked at her helplessly. “One touch is enough. Don’t keep doing it over and over.”

Dong Yin blinked at her. They were sitting very close. After a while, Xie Mingjun let go of her hand and said, “There’s an ear thermometer in the coffee table drawer.”

Dong Yin gave an “Oh” and turned to open the drawer. She took out the thermometer and gently pressed it against Xie Mingjun’s ear.

“No fever,” Dong Yin announced.

She sprawled on the sofa, her oversized clothes making her look small and thin.

“Do you want to kiss me?” Xie Mingjun asked.

Dong Yin flushed with embarrassment, her face turning red.

Softly, she murmured, “I’m not telling you.”