“What?”

Min Shu jumped up from his chair in shock: “Where are you going tomorrow?”

Wei Changchuan didn’t look at him. He bent down to take out a pack of cigarettes, but paused as if suddenly remembering something, then tucked the pack back into his pocket. Leaning against the window, he said casually, “The glacier.”

Min Shu’s eyes widened as he felt the blood rush back to his head. He glanced out the window at the wind and snow still howling outside, then turned back to the man:

“Bro, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Min Shu said. “The snow hasn’t stopped yet. How are you supposed to get there?”

The town was ravaged by wind and snow; visibility during the day was less than a meter, and at night, one could see nothing at all. The gray-white blizzard and the vast snowfields seemed to merge into one, the horizon vanishing as sky and earth became indistinguishable.

Even the most experienced Nuint hunters would lose their way in such treacherous weather.

Not to mention that the howling winds, with temperatures plunging to dozens of degrees below zero, would rapidly strip away a person’s body heat; even wearing the warmest clothing, one could easily suffer from hypothermia if staying outside too long. If one froze stiff in the snow and couldn’t find shelter in time, it would be extremely dangerous.

Yet Wei Changchuan remained calm, seemingly unconcerned by the raging weather outside: “I’m fine.”

How could this possibly be “fine”? Min Shu was about to say something else when Wei Changchuan turned and walked out of the living room, off to do who knows what. Min Shu was a bit skeptical, thinking Wei Changchuan couldn’t possibly be serious. Yet, recalling the scene from a few days ago when Wei Changchuan had suddenly appeared out of the blizzard, he began to have second thoughts.

But glaciers are no joke.

Min Shu thought to himself that the weather around the glacier near the town was particularly unpredictable; even the locals only dared to go there when the weather was clear. No matter what Wei Changchuan was up to, going there now was simply too dangerous.

With his mind preoccupied, Min Shu lay in bed for a long time that night, unable to fall asleep.

Wei Changchuan, on the other hand, slept soundly as usual, his long limbs wrapped around him, his chest warm—just like a giant heating pad. Snuggled in his arms, listening to the man’s deep, steady breathing, Min Shu didn’t begin to feel sleepy until the wee hours of the night.

“I’ll have a proper talk with Wei Changchuan tomorrow,” Min Shu thought to himself just before drifting off to sleep.

However, when Min Shu woke up at dawn, he found that the arms that usually held him so tightly were gone. Startled, he turned his head and realized the bed was empty.

The bed was cold, having lost the warmth of another person; Wei Changchuan had actually left before dawn.

Min Shu stood frozen for a full thirty seconds before jumping out of bed with a start and looking around—only to find that Wei Changchuan’s uniform and personal belongings were all gone. The pajamas he’d worn were neatly folded and placed on the bedside table, and his slippers were tidily set aside.

Min Shu searched the room inside and out, confirming that the man had left nothing behind, then hurried to the door.

As soon as he opened the door, the howling wind and snow rushed in. Min Shu squinted against the gale, seeing nothing but a sea of gray and white. Five thick-furred sled dogs were lying in their kennel in the backyard; upon seeing Min Shu emerge, they all ran out and surrounded him.

Seeing them, Min Shu’s heart sank. Wei Changchuan hadn’t even brought the sled dogs.

Did he really intend to walk all the way to the glacier on foot?

Min Shu raised his head, straining to see as far as he could into the gray-white blizzard, but his gaze could not pierce the storm; all he could see was darkness. The distant howl of the wind echoed in his ears, drowning out all human voices, while the blizzard raged like a curtain, tightly enveloping Min Shu and his cabin. The snowy plain seemed to have turned into an ocean, and this Chinese restaurant was the only lone boat.

Wei Changchuan’s departure was as sudden as his arrival.

Min Shu was alone again.

But that didn’t matter; Wei Changchuan had always been an unexpected presence. It was just that this somewhat abrupt, unannounced departure caught him off guard.

Min Shu went about his routine as usual: getting up, feeding the dogs, making himself a hearty breakfast, playing with the dog for a while, having dinner, watching TV, and going to sleep. The only thing was that at night, with no one to warm the bed, it was a little chilly—but Min Shu wasn’t fazed by it. He added a polar bear fur blanket to the bed and slept just as warmly as ever.

With no one to help shovel the snow, Min Shu couldn’t be bothered to do it himself. Fortunately, he didn’t even leave the house; he just stayed in, cooked a few meals, and watched the Spring Festival Gala, which was quite relaxing. However, on a few occasions, Min Shu would still subconsciously search for a source of warmth under the covers, only realizing Wei Changchuan was gone after he’d already reached out with his hand.

To say he didn’t feel lonely would be a lie, but Min Shu had always been very good at adjusting to his circumstances. By the third day, he had fully readjusted to living alone.

That evening, Min Shu sat with a basket of snacks, munching on crispy fried pork made from a pot-bellied pig.

The fragrant, tender pork was coated in batter and deep-fried at high heat until golden brown, filling the air with an irresistible aroma as it came out of the oil. Thanks to the perfect cooking time, the crust wasn’t too hard but perfectly crispy, and with one bite, rich juices flowed out.

Min Shu popped one crispy fried pork cutlet after another into his mouth. Instead of the Spring Festival Gala, the TV was playing a movie starring Zhou Xinchi, a famous actor from Hong Kong. Known for his comedic roles, Zhou Xinchi had Min Shu grinning from ear to ear as he watched:

“Hahahahahaha—”

The laughter echoing from inside pierced right through the walls. The dog in the courtyard lifted its head, glanced at the window, then lay back down against the wall, using its paw to push its erect ears back down.

Min Shu was rolling around on the floor laughing, completely unaware that his laughter was tormenting the dogs in the courtyard. Wei Changchuan had left, so he didn’t have to worry about keeping up appearances anymore; he was now crouched on the sofa, giggling like an idiot.

However, just as he was fully immersed in the movie, Min Shu laughed so hard he lost his breath; his waist ached a little, and his laughter stopped. At that moment, Min Shu heard a faint sound beyond the movie’s background music.

The sound was faint, like a small pebble tossed against his door, making a soft “clack.”

Min Shu thought he must have misheard it and didn’t pay it any mind, continuing to watch his sketch.

However, just as he reached for the snack basket to grab another piece of crispy pork, there was another sound at the door.

“Clack!”

This time, the sound was louder than before.

Min Shu froze, then paused the TV, and the knocking immediately became clear. Someone was really knocking on the door!

Min Shu turned around in surprise, wondering if he’d run into a ghost. Why had people been showing up at his door so often lately? He glanced out the window—the wind and snow were still howling. In this weather, who on earth would be out there?

Min Shu couldn’t help but tiptoe over to the door and cautiously open it a crack. A face covered in frost and snow appeared before his eyes.

Min Shu was so startled he nearly stumbled backward, his mouth agape in astonishment as he blurted out the visitor’s name: “Wei… Wei Changchuan!”

Wei Changchuan was kneeling on one knee before the door, his right hand raised slightly. His entire body was covered in snow; if not for the movement of his right hand knocking, he would have looked like a statue—it was that very hand that had been persistently pounding on the Chinese restaurant’s door moments ago.

“Brother!” Min Shu was so startled, his voice nearly cracked. He leaned forward to help Wei Changchuan up, but the man seemed completely frozen in place. Min Shu, supporting him, felt as though he were holding a block of frozen meat.

A block of frozen meat that was nearly six feet tall, and heavy as hell!!

Min Shu huffed and puffed for ages, finally managing to drag Wei Changchuan inside. When he simply couldn’t drag him any further, he had to call in an Alaskan Malamute to grab Wei Changchuan by the back of his collar and drag him over to the fireplace.

“Bro! Wake up!” Min Shu was scared half to death and reached out to slap Wei Changchuan’s face. But the moment her hand touched him, the icy cold made her pull it back: “So cold!”

Wei Changchuan’s face was pale and ashen, with frost and snow clinging even to his eyelashes; he looked completely lifeless. He was frozen solid, and when Min Shu pressed his hand against him, it felt as if his skin was about to stick to his.

Min Shu even thought he might be dead, but when he checked for a pulse, he discovered Wei Changchuan was still breathing.

Min Shu stared at the stiff man for half a second, then suddenly had a brainwave—he had to thaw him out first!

So he hurried into the bedroom, pulled out all his thickest fur garments, and piled them on top of Wei Changchuan in one go. Then he went to the bathroom, soaked a towel in water, and carefully wiped the frost and snow from the man’s face.

Half an hour passed like this. The snow on Wei Changchuan’s body slowly melted away, his pale skin gradually regaining its color, and his cheeks turning slightly red. Seeing that he seemed to be coming round, Min Shu stripped off the man’s soaking-wet clothes, dried him off with the towel, and then wrapped him in the dry outer layer of fur.

After repeating this process for over half an hour, Min Shu was utterly exhausted and collapsed to one side, panting heavily.

After a while, Wei Changchuan’s thick eyelashes trembled slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes. Like an animal just awakening from hibernation, his gaze was dazed; it took him a moment to focus before he turned to look at Min Shu.

Min Shu: “Bro, are you awake?”

Wei Changchuan blinked, then looked down at the pile of furs covering him. He seemed to quickly grasp what had happened and said to Min Shu:

“Thank you.”

Min Shu stared at him, panting, “A-are you okay?”

Wei Changchuan nodded, brushed aside his fur coat, stood up, and cracked his neck. “I’m fine.”

Only then did Min Shu let out a sigh of relief. He glared at him, his chest rising and falling rapidly, and realized that the man who had been frozen stiff just moments ago seemed to have regained his vitality in an instant. He watched as Wei Changchuan stretched a few times casually, brushed his snow-soaked hair back, and once again looked like a total hunk.

Min Shu’s expression remained cold: “Oh.”

He caught his breath, stood up from the ground, and gathered the fur coat lying there. “Then I’ll take these with me.”

Wei Changchuan paused, keenly sensing that something was off about Min Shu’s attitude, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Seeing Min Shu struggling to pick up the fur coat from the ground, he offered, “Let me do that.”

Hearing this, Min Shu glanced at him: “Oh, all right.”

The young man then let go, and the fur—weighed down by water—thudded heavily to the ground. He turned and walked away. 

Wei Changchuan: …

Watching the young man’s resolute retreat, he was now certain that Min Shu’s attitude was indeed off.

The young man used to be very enthusiastic, always calling him “brother” and flashing two dimples at the corners of his upturned mouth. Now the dimples were gone, and so was the honorific. He watched Min Shu clomp into the house, and before long, the sound of the movie—slightly noisy—echoed from inside.

Wei Changchuan stood there for a moment, then silently picked up the clothes from the floor.

Min Shu sat back down on his small sofa, turned on the TV, and continued watching his movie.

In the background, he could hear the sound of the basement door opening. The old washing machine downstairs began to creak and groan as it started up. After a moment, someone came up from the basement and appeared at the living room doorway.

Wei Changchuan was standing in the doorway. Min Shu pretended not to see him, not even glancing his way, and continued watching the movie. Wei Changchuan seemed a bit uneasy; he shifted his stance several times in the doorway before finally leaning against the doorframe and clearing his throat. “The storm was too strong; I lost my way.”

Min Shu kept her eyes fixed on the TV screen. “Oh.”

Wei Changchuan paused, then continued:

“But later, using your map, I found the glacier. However, the wind suddenly picked up, so I had to spend the night in a cave.”

Min Shu remained completely unmoved: “Is that so?”

This time, Wei Changchuan paused even longer. Then, unable to resist, he took a step closer to the young man and lowered his voice:

“On the third day, I fell off the glacier.”

This time, the hand resting on Min Shu’s knee twitched slightly, and he finally turned his head. However, just as Wei Changchuan thought the young man might offer a word of concern, he heard him say:

“Could you move over a little?” Min Shu said flatly, “You’re blocking my view of the TV.”

Wei Changchuan：……

He glanced at the TV, still half a meter away from him, then looked back at Min Shu: “…I’m not blocking your view.”

Min Shu sneered, “Is it a problem that I have a wide field of vision?”

Wei Changchuan fell silent.