Chapter 118: A Story Told

Just after noon, the snow showed no sign of stopping.

Lin Chuan sat alone in a room—an artist lounge prepared by the company. The decor was simple, with minimal furniture—only a few single sofas and some musical instruments—everything was kept plain.

His eyes were gently closed, but he was not asleep; he was deep in thought.

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.

“Come in,” Lin Chuan called, and soon Gao Meng pushed the door open and entered.

Behind her followed two handsome young men—Chu Fei and Xia Tian.

Xia Tian remained the same as ever, his face almost expressionless, cold and distant, as if keeping everyone at arm’s length.

In contrast, Chu Fei was completely different. From the moment he entered, he was eager and impatient. “Brother Chuan, Gao Meng said you wanted to see us. Is it good news?”

Lin Chuan smiled faintly and nodded. “It’s good news. Sit down first, and I’ll explain.”

Hearing this, Chu Fei’s smile brightened even more. Ignoring the others, he was the first to take a seat on the sofa opposite and said, “What’s the good news? On the way here, I kept asking Gao Meng, but she’s tight-lipped, not letting even a word slip. You know me—I’m impatient. Not getting an answer drives me crazy.”

“Hmph, I told you already, I don’t know what the good news is,” Gao Meng pouted, clearly annoyed.

“You don’t know? How’s that possible? You’re Brother Chuan’s assistant,” Chu Fei said, not believing a word. He was convinced Gao Meng was hiding something.

In truth, Gao Meng really didn’t know. When Lin Chuan called her, he only said to bring Xia Tian and Chu Fei to the company; that there was good news. He didn’t say what it was, and Gao Meng didn’t ask.

She had simply repeated what she was told. Unexpectedly, Chu Fei seized upon this and relentlessly questioned her, dragging Xia Tian along to speculate as well.

Luckily, Xia Tian was there; otherwise, with Gao Meng’s fiery temper, she might have lost her cool.

Watching their bickering, Lin Chuan smiled and said, “How’s it outside? Is the snow heavy?”

The lounge was fairly enclosed, with no windows. Though Lin Chuan couldn’t see outside, he knew the snow wasn’t likely to stop anytime soon.

Chu Fei shook his head vigorously like a rattle, complaining, “It’s not heavy, but it just won’t stop. So annoying...”

“Snow is wonderful! How can it be annoying? The air feels so fresh,” Gao Meng retorted. For some reason, she and Chu Fei always seemed to clash; whenever one spoke, the other was quick to oppose.

Lin Chuan was speechless. To stop their quarrel, he quickly changed the subject. “This is the first snow of the year. By the way, do either of you have girlfriends?”

“Girlfriends?” Chu Fei blinked in surprise, and Xia Tian furrowed his brows, shaking his head blankly.

The person most sensitive to this question was undoubtedly Gao Meng. The moment Lin Chuan asked, her gaze involuntarily drifted towards Xia Tian.

But when Xia Tian shook his head, she finally let out a sigh of relief—at least she knew the ‘male god’ was still single.

“Brother Chuan, you didn’t just call us here to ask about girlfriends, did you?” Xia Tian spoke up.

“Of course not. I just said it in passing. But before we get to the main point, I want to tell you a story,” Lin Chuan said with a smile.

“A story?” Chu Fei’s eyes lit up. He had loved stories since childhood. As long as there was a tale to hear, he’d do anything.

But Xia Tian was different. He raised a brow and opened his mouth, as if about to say something.

His time was precious now; to pay for his father’s treatment, Xia Tian was juggling multiple part-time jobs. He had thought Lin Chuan’s summons meant something important.

But a story? That was unexpected.

Lin Chuan smiled calmly. “Since it’s snowing today, I’ll tell you a story about the first snow...”

“There was a girl at school—an excellent student, both in character and academics. Her parents were proud, her teachers held her in high regard. But she fell in love with a boy who loved fighting...”

“This boy loved fighting so much, and was always surrounded by a chaotic group of friends. The girl worried about him endlessly, threatening to break up many times if he continued to fight. But it never worked.”

“In the boy’s words, this was ‘brotherhood loyalty.’ When friends are in trouble, he couldn’t turn a blind eye. The girl nagged and worried repeatedly. She loved him so much that despite saying ‘break up’ countless times, she never truly followed through.”

“One day, one of the boy’s friends was beaten badly and hospitalized. The other party was arrogant, refusing to pay medical bills. Because the boy valued this so-called ‘loyalty’ deeply, he gathered a few friends that night to confront the offenders.”

When the girl heard about it, she rushed over to stop them. “None of you can go.”

“Step aside. This isn’t your concern. I’ll be back soon,” the boy, still angry, ignored her and strode forward.

The girl was worried but didn’t give up, shouting, “The police will get justice for your friend. If you insist on going, then... we’re breaking up.”

This time, she was serious. The boy and his friends were nearly stunned.

“Maybe you shouldn’t go,” the friends began to advise.

But the boy didn’t care. He had heard the word ‘break up’ too many times; he thought he could just make up afterward.

So coldly, he threw out, “Do as you please.”

The boy left. The girl crouched down, watching his retreating figure, tears streaming down her face.

When the two sides met, they barely exchanged words before raising knives and sticks, plunging into chaos.

The girl, worried, ran over to find them.

Before she arrived, she had already called the police.

Just then, as she reached them, she saw someone behind the boy raise a knife to strike him.

Without hesitation, she rushed forward and took the blow herself.

The boy noticed her standing behind him, smiling happily.

Someone shouted, “The police are here!”

Everyone dropped their weapons and scattered in all directions.

The boy grabbed the girl’s hand, and they escaped together.

Along the way, he noticed nothing amiss. Once safe, he stopped and said sternly, “Why did you come? What if something happened to you?”

“Are you not worried I’d be upset if something happened to you?” the girl replied. “You promised to watch the snow with me today.”

“Don’t do this again!” the boy said somewhat possessively. “Just stay home and be good. I’ll go out and fight the world for you...”

The girl smiled. “You really are the dumbest bad boy in the world.”

Suddenly, a sharp pain surged through her back, turning it crimson. Yet she remained calm and said, “I’m tired.”

The boy crouched down. “Come, I’ll carry you.”

She lay on his back, clutching him tightly. She was terrified of losing him.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, that girl was so foolish to love a boy like that. It’s not worth it. Brother Chuan, did the girl survive in the end?” Chu Fei couldn’t help himself, shaking his head and grinning.

“Shut up, don’t interrupt,” Gao Meng murmured, eyes reddened.

Lin Chuan smiled and continued.