"Really?" Xie Yan picked up her phone to verify, "Let me check... our unit hasn't received... oh wait, they did! All non-essential units are given a day off, so we get to rest too."
"How could there possibly be a blizzard in this weather?" Chu Zhishui questioned skeptically, "It's not even below freezing, is it?"
Given Huaijiang City's current temperature, any snowflakes would melt upon falling, making it impossible for snow to accumulate.
"What if there's strong wind and temperature drop tonight? The holiday notice has already been issued anyway," Chu Xiaohe reminded them, "Remember to close your windows tonight, it might snow overnight."
Before going to bed, Chu Zhishui also received a notice from the observatory, confirming it was indeed a citywide regulation. She thought it strange to have hail on her birthday, but the prospect of a day off at home made it seem not so bad after all.
After a good night's sleep, the next day marked the Beginning of Winter, but there was neither blizzard nor hail. Instead, the sky was clear and the breeze gentle, showing no signs of the forecasted severe weather. The pale blue sky and mild sunlight made for even more pleasant temperatures than the previous days.
As soon as the windows were opened, children's joyful laughter drifted in. With the entire city getting a day off from school, kids emerged from their homes to play, and some parents even took their children for leisurely walks in the park.
"I was worried about traffic problems or flooding in the city today," Chu Xiaohe said upon returning from grocery shopping, "But there were even more people than usual at the supermarket, and the park was full of parents with their children, everyone looking absolutely delighted."
The citizens of Huaijiang City, who had been anxiously awaiting hail yesterday, woke up to find not even a single cloud in the sky and naturally felt relieved, all heading out for entertainment. Even those who had to remain at their posts felt no pressure, as it was just a matter of sitting at work for a day, with other places closed for the holiday, there wasn't much real work to be done anyway.
For lunch, Chu Xiaohe showcased his culinary skills with a table full of dishes. There was blanched shrimp, steamed fish, braised pork ribs with potatoes, stir-fried vegetables, and cucumber salad, along with a pot of chicken and mushroom stew. He even opened a bottle of red wine to celebrate his daughter's birthday.
Xie Yan raised her glass with a smile, joking, "It's like the whole city is taking a holiday to celebrate!"
"It's nice, we get to take a break too," Chu Xiaohe joked along as he clinked glasses with his wife and daughter. Looking at Chu Zhishui, he sighed nostalgically, "You've grown up so fast. You used to be so tiny, holding onto me whenever we went out."
In Chu Xiaohe's memory, Chu Zhishui was still a little girl, so short that when they went out, she could only reach his pinky finger, walking slowly and carefully, always making him worry she might fall at any moment.
He said warmly, "Soon it'll be you helping us walk."
Seeing the wrinkles around her parents' smiles, Chu Zhishui felt an inexplicable tightness in her chest and softly replied, "Mm-hmm."
"Alright, cheers and let's eat. Happy birthday!"
The family of three chatted extensively during the meal, cherishing their time together.
Chu Zhishui hadn't enjoyed such a pure and warm moment in a long time. Since moving to Yinhai City, she rarely had the chance to celebrate her birthday at home, busy with classes during her school years and even busier after starting work.
When monotonous and complicated affairs occupy life, people lose the energy to care about other things, only able to numbly move forward under pressure, rarely having moments to pause and rest like this.
Even if it wasn't her birthday, it would still be a day worth celebrating.
Sleeping in, having a feast, chatting, taking a shower - before they knew it, afternoon had arrived.
Chu Zhishui felt stuffed from lunch. She casually browsed her phone, responding to birthday wishes from friends one by one. Wang Yiwen had sent hers right at midnight, while Jin Yu sent hers after waking up, expressing regret about not having cake.
Jin Yu had only started celebrating birthdays this year, so she was still in a childlike state, particularly valuing birthday rituals. Fortunately, the cake she bought wasn't a fresh fruit cake but more like a mousse, which Niu Shi could keep in the cafeteria's freezer for them to enjoy at work tomorrow.
Seeing the excellent weather outside, Chu Zhishui felt restless after resting. She informed her parents and decided to go out for a walk.
As soon as she left the building, she was greeted by cool, fresh air that made her wonder if it had actually snowed, otherwise there wouldn't be such a clean scent mixed with frost. Usually, only after snow melts under clear skies would the sky be so blue and the air so crisp.
Two or three elderly people in thick clothes sat on the community benches, gathering to bask in the sunshine and chat cheerfully. Occasionally, they would wave and call out to passing parents with children, stopping them for a brief conversation.
It was a nice day with nice sunshine.
She hadn't made plans with any friends and wandered aimlessly along the road.
Chu Zhishui casually walked toward the river, wanting to stroll across the long bridge to the bustling streets on the other side.
Old Bai was caught on this bridge. While it had been deserted that night, it was now bustling with traffic. The waves rippled gently, and the river hadn't frozen - the forecast of blizzard and hail had indeed been false.
Halfway across, she spotted a familiar tall, lean figure by the bridge.
Xin Yunmao was leaning against the bridge railing, wearing a navy windbreaker with the collar turned up, covering half his chin, giving off an unapproachable aura. One hand in his pocket, he straightened up when he saw her, the metal zipper at his collar gleaming with cold light, swaying back and forth in the air, catching attention.
"Why are you here?" Chu Zhishui asked in surprise as he walked over unhurriedly, "Did you know I would pass by?"
She looked around, wondering where he had appeared from and if anyone had noticed him.
"I could sense it," Xin Yunmao took out a green bamboo container from his pocket and handed it to her, glancing aside as he said softly, "Happy birthday."
"Thank you." Chu Zhishui quickly accepted it, holding the heavy bamboo container and feeling liquid moving inside, "What is this..."
"Wine," he lowered his eyes and pressed his lips together, "As promised."
"So it really is bamboo wine." Chu Zhishui noticed the bamboo was quite thick, enough to grip with both hands, and hesitated, "This container isn't... you, is it?"
It would be too cruel to use him as a container, she felt guilty at the thought.
"Of course not!" Xin Yunmao glared at her, his eyebrows twitching. Unable to truly blame her, he started to speak but stopped, "...don't always think of doing strange things with me."
How could she think of using him to hold wine? Was she planning to use him as a wine cup?
He glanced at her pale lips, then deliberately looked away, suddenly not daring to think further, though his chest felt like there was a small drum beating inside, creating a restless rhythm.
Chu Zhishui realized the misunderstanding. Holding the bamboo container, she said embarrassedly, "You're the one saying strange things!"
"There's one more thing, but you'd better not take it," Xin Yunmao said reluctantly, extending his hand to reveal a small package woven from dried grass leaves, bulging with unknown contents, trying to cover up his own emotional state.
Following his words, Chu Zhishui didn't reach for it and asked, "What is it?"
"Flower and grass seeds," Xin Yunmao said seriously, "Actually, I don't think we need to plant these, too many plants in the yard would make it messy."
He had initially been reluctant to give it to her, but having promised at Danshan, going back on his word wouldn't suit his character.
Chu Zhishui already guessed his next words would be promoting bamboo, so she quickly took the small grass package and said decisively, "Of course we need to plant them, the yard can't be empty."
"Hmph."
This year's Beginning of Winter wasn't as cold as previous years. Besides her family, Chu Zhishui hadn't expected her first birthday gift to come from the bamboo spirit. While Jin Yu and other spirits were at home on holiday, only he had made a special trip here, which was quite thoughtful.
She checked the time on her phone, looked toward the street district thoughtfully for a moment, then suddenly handed the bamboo container and seeds back to him.
Seeing the items being returned, Xin Yunmao's expression froze, disappointment flooding in like a tide as he blurted out, "Why?"
"What do you mean why?" Chu Zhishui asked puzzled, "Just hold these for me for a while, let's go browse around up ahead. It's inconvenient for me to carry them, you can give them back to me later."
He could simply put the items away, while she would have to awkwardly carry them the whole way, which would naturally be troublesome.
"...Oh."
Xin Yunmao obediently took the items, his fingers slightly moving to carefully hide the two gifts.
With her hands now free, Chu Zhishui looked down at her navigation app: "Let's go, we can play for a while before heading back."
In a bustling neighborhood, through a narrow alley, stood an old and humble arcade. Claw machines filled with plush toys, karaoke booths resembling phone boxes, flashy dance machines, and colorful gambling wheels filled the space. Today, the arcade was busier than usual, with a group of children who had no classes flooding in.
"I can't believe this place is still open," Chu Zhishui marveled. "It feels exactly like when I was little."
She came with a nostalgic heart, hoping to relive her childhood joy, and was surprised to find the place still operating.
Xin Yunmao had never been to an arcade before. He followed her inside uncertainly, watching as she bought tokens at the counter. Game tokens in this small city were quite cheap, unlike the expensive ones in Yinhai Mall. They exchanged for a basket of shiny silver coins, enough for both human and spirit to play for hours.
"I think we bought too many, we won't finish them today," Chu Zhishui said as she inserted a coin into the claw machine and began operating the joystick. Her birthday luck was good – she won a plush charm on her first try, though it seemed only suitable for hanging on a backpack.
She turned to see Xin Yunmao staring intently and handed him some coins with a smile. "Would you like to try?"
They moved to another claw machine, where Xin Yunmao copied her actions for his first claw machine experience.
The silver claw grabbed a toy, swaying and wobbling its way toward the exit. Suddenly, it shook violently, and the toy dropped back with a thud, as if nothing had happened.
"How could it shake like that?" Xin Yunmao asked in disbelief.
Chu Zhishui explained calmly, "Of course it shakes. How else would the owner make money?"
Feeling indignant, Xin Yunmao inserted another coin to continue his claw machine quest.
Before long, Chu Zhishui realized she had spoken too soon. Given the bamboo spirit's clumsy operation, they would likely use up all their tokens without having to worry about taking any home.
But Xin Yunmao kept failing and trying again, his expression changing from blank to ice-cold as he clearly began to hold a grudge against the machine. He refused to switch to another machine, determined to redeem himself on this one, his right hand never leaving the joystick.
"You need to anticipate its movement pattern," Chu Zhishui coached patiently. "Just grabbing straight down won't work."
At some point, a little boy had wandered over. He was probably also there to play, but got drawn in by Xin Yunmao's repeated failures and decided to stand and watch the bamboo spirit's attempts.
Though Xin Yunmao usually maintained an icy demeanor and powerful presence that could intimidate other spirits, he somehow lacked that intimidating effect on young ones. When he had followed Boss Peng up the mountain, the young ginseng spirit had been casual with him, and now at the arcade, his usual aloofness had no effect on human children either.
The little boy tilted his head thoughtfully, covered his mouth in anticipation, and gestured in disappointment, like a football fan watching his team play, standing by the claw machine observing Xin Yunmao's actions.
The claw swayed again, the toy fell helplessly, and Xin Yunmao failed once more.
The little boy, who had been watching hopefully, gave Xin Yunmao a reproachful look and finally sighed, "You're terrible at this."
His tone matched that of a disappointed sports fan perfectly.
Xin Yunmao furrowed his brows and glanced sideways at the boy, sneering, "Such an impudent child, showing no respect."
The boy immediately adjusted his wording, though not necessarily his message: "Excuse me, big brother, but you're really terrible at this."
"..."
Chu Zhishui was roaring with laughter inside, but seeing Xin Yunmao's dark expression suggesting he might want to teach the kid a lesson, she quickly suppressed her amusement and whispered, "Calm down, Your Highness. Weren't you the one who said you wouldn't bother with disrespectful mortals? Don't get angry at a child."
The little boy showed no fear of Xin Yunmao's icy stare, meeting his gaze straightforwardly, clearly believing he had said nothing wrong.
Chu Zhishui cleared her throat and, deciding they couldn't continue this standoff, took a coin and skillfully won a plush toy, handing it to Xin Yunmao while consoling him, "Alright, let's try something else."
Better not let the little boy continue watching this embarrassment – the spirit lord's dignity couldn't take much more.
Xin Yunmao accepted the toy, finally satisfied, and cast a superior glance at the little boy, his pride fully restored.
"What's the big deal?" The little boy wasn't impressed, rolling his eyes and stating frankly, "Your girlfriend had to win it for you anyway."
"..."
Both human and spirit, who had been about to leave, froze in place at these words.
Chu Zhishui, who had been trying to calm Xin Yunmao earlier, now felt her own fists clench, though she maintained a gentle smile while gritting out, "Whoever decided to cancel classes today really should have made them go to school instead."
