32 Holding Hands

It was Saturday, Christmas Eve.

Jiang Ci woke up early to take her grandmother for a check-up. The results were clear, and after picking up the medication, they prepared to head home. As they stepped out of the hospital, the sun was high, but being winter, it offered little warmth. The biting wind brushed against their cheeks, carrying a sharp, piercing cold.

"It's winter again," Grandmother said, clutching Jiang Ci’s hand as they walked. "Look at how thin you are; you need to wear more clothes."

Jiang Ci hummed in agreement and replied with a smile, "Don't worry about me. I’ll take good care of myself. I can't afford to get sick—I still have to take care of you."

"My health is just fine, I can still walk and do chores," Grandmother insisted. "Don't you worry about me, truly."

Jiang Ci smiled. "Then I’ll only be at ease if you stay healthy forever."

"You silly child."

After accompanying her grandmother to the market to buy groceries, they reached their doorstep just as Jiang Ci’s phone began to ring in her pocket.

"Sister Jiang Ci!" Cheng Yaoyao’s voice came through the moment she answered.

Jiang Ci checked the time; it was still early for their planned outing. She wondered why she was calling so suddenly. "What’s wrong, Yaoyao?"

Cheng Yaoyao held the phone to her ear, her voice sounding dejected and apologetic. "Sister Jiang Ci, I don’t think I can make it to the amusement park anymore..." Before Jiang Ci could speak, she rushed to explain, "Please don’t be mad! It’s an unavoidable circumstance. I was selected last week for the English interest group, and I have to represent the school in a speech."

Jiang Ci replied gently, "It’s alright, it’s just that the tickets I already bought..."

Cheng Yaoyao interrupted, "It doesn’t matter if I can’t go, Sister Jiang Ci. I gave my ticket to my brother. He’ll go with you instead."

Zhang Heyu?!

Jiang Ci felt her breath catch. She unzipped her coat slightly, letting the cold wind rush in. "With him?"

"Yes! If you go with my brother, the ticket won't go to waste!"

"Alright, I understand."

After saying goodbye to Cheng Yaoyao, Jiang Ci hung up. She raised a hand to pat her cheeks, wondering why her heart felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of anticipation.

She opened her chat window with Zhang Heyu and saw a message he had sent.

【Zhang Heyu: I’ll come to pick you up this afternoon.】

Jiang Ci licked her lips, a flutter of nervous heat rising within her. Her fingertips tapped a reply on the screen.

【Jiang Ci: Okay (｡･ω･｡)】

Jiang Ci put her phone away and entered the house. Her grandmother was sitting in a chair, watching a war drama on television while weaving red strings in her hands. Seeing Jiang Ci come in from the balcony and close the window, she asked with a kind smile, "A-Ci, are you going out this afternoon?"

"Yes, I probably won't be back for dinner tonight." Jiang Ci looked at the strings in her grandmother's hands. "What are you making?"

Grandmother pushed up her glasses and smiled. "Your birthday is right after the New Year, isn't it? I thought I’d weave a peace bracelet for you to wear, to bless you with safety and smooth sailing."

Jiang Ci hadn't expected her grandmother to remember her birthday so clearly. Her nose stung, and she sat down beside her grandmother to give her a hug. "Thank you, Grandma."

Grandmother patted her head. "Silly child."

After lunch, Jiang Ci reminded her grandmother to take her medicine and sat with her to watch TV for a while. Before long, her grandmother grew sleepy and went to her room to rest.

Jiang Ci returned to her own room. Checking the time, she changed her clothes and tidied up. Looking in the mirror, she saw a girl in a beige, mid-length down jacket and flared jeans, her long hair draped over her shoulders. Her pale skin had a natural rosy glow, and her delicate features and curved brows made her look like the very picture of pure beauty.

Afraid of the cold, and remembering how chilly it had been that morning, she grabbed a pink and white plaid scarf from her closet. After a final check, she lay on her bed for a while, intending to scroll through her social media, but before she could, a message from Zhang Heyu popped up.

【Zhang Heyu: Classmate Jiang Ci, I’m downstairs.】

Seeing this, Jiang Ci sprang up from the bed, checked her reflection one last time, grabbed her phone, and headed out. After taking a few steps, she remembered something and dashed back inside to retrieve the greeting card she had written for him.

Stepping outside, the thought of spending the day at the amusement park with Zhang Heyu filled her with irrepressible joy. She took a deep breath to steady herself and walked out of the residential complex. Sure enough, she saw him standing not far away.

Zhang Heyu was wearing an open black down jacket over a casual grey hooded sweatshirt, paired with clean, straight-cut black trousers. He was tall and slender, his bangs falling over his brows. Unlike his usual look, he was wearing glasses, a rare sight that made him look different.

He saw Jiang Ci and offered a faint, relaxed smile, waiting for the young girl to approach him.

"Zhang Heyu." Jiang Ci walked toward him with a sweet, bashful smile.

"Hmm."

Zhang Heyu looked down at her flushed face, feeling a softness in his heart—especially when she called his name, her voice sounding incredibly sweet. It was enough to make his heart skip a beat.

"Do you want to take a taxi or the bus?" Zhang Heyu asked, hands in his pockets. He scanned her appearance, noting how warmly she was dressed, and offered a satisfied grin.

Jiang Ci thought for a moment. "Let’s take the bus; there’s plenty of time."

Zhang Heyu agreed.

They walked to the bus stop together, and their bus arrived just as they reached it. The vehicle was mostly empty, so they sat together in the back by the window. Jiang Ci turned to look out the window, not daring to look at him; she felt that if she met his eyes, her secret feelings would be laid bare.

Was this considered a date, just the two of them?

The scenery outside blurred by, but Jiang Ci was too nervous and excited to pay attention. The ride took nearly an hour, and she couldn't help but feel a wave of drowsiness, letting out a couple of yawns.

Zhang Heyu glanced at her and saw her eyelids drooping. "Sleepy?"

Jiang Ci blinked and whispered, "A little."

"Then get some sleep. I’ll wake you when we arrive."

Jiang Ci hesitated, but eventually nodded, leaning back against the seat and closing her eyes. She had thought she might be too nervous to sleep with him sitting right there, but in reality, she drifted off into a deep, peaceful slumber.

Watching her quiet, sleeping face—the steady rhythm of her breath, her serene expression, and the slight flutter of her long lashes—Zhang Heyu felt a swell of warmth. Fearing she might be uncomfortable, he reached out and gently guided her head to rest on his shoulder.

He couldn't help but smile.

Later, he had to wake her. "Are you awake?" he asked in a low voice.

Jiang Ci blinked and turned to look at him. "...Hmm." She was still a bit dazed, looking incredibly cute.

"We have to get off now." Zhang Heyu naturally took her wrist, maintaining a respectful distance as he led her off the bus.

Once outside, the cold wind whipped around them, waking Jiang Ci up instantly. She looked down at her wrist, where his cool, pale hand held her firmly, his knuckles prominent. A spark of heat seemed to ignite on her skin where he touched her.

He didn't let go, leading her all the way to the entrance of the amusement park.

It was Jiang Ci’s first time there, and her curiosity took over; once they passed through the ticket gates, she couldn't stop looking around. There were many attractions, and since it was the holiday season, most of them were open. She thought that if they had enough time, she might want to try them all.

"What do you want to play?" Zhang Heyu looked down at her, his voice soft and lingering. "I’ll go with you."

After wandering around, Jiang Ci stopped in front of an attraction with a relatively short line. She looked up at the roller coaster roaring overhead, licked her lips, and turned to look at him. "The roller coaster... is that okay?"

Her eyes were bright and sparkling. The way she tentatively asked if it was okay made her look impossibly cute. Zhang Heyu swallowed hard, raised an eyebrow, and teased in a deep voice, "Starting with this? Aren't you afraid?"

"I'm not afraid," Jiang Ci insisted firmly. If she told him she was scared now, would he laugh at her for being a coward? While the staff secured their safety harnesses, she pondered for a second, but couldn't bring herself to admit she was losing her nerve.

She tested the waters by asking, "Zhang Heyu, are you afraid?"

Zhang Heyu suddenly smiled. "Classmate Jiang Ci, what do you think?"

The scent of green tea lingered in the air. Jiang Ci met his dark, deep eyes, and her heart began to race. Surely he wasn't afraid, she thought.

But a second later, his magnetic, low voice shattered that idea. "I am afraid. What should we do, Classmate Jiang Ci?"

Jiang Ci blinked, about to suggest they back out, when a young couple sitting behind them chimed in with a suggestion. "Just hold hands, and you won't be scared anymore. You should try it," the girl said with a smile.

Jiang Ci froze, her cheeks burning.

"Really," the girl added, "my partner and I have tried it many times!"

*Partner...* She knew that