春信将至

On Christmas Eve, amid snowfall, Xue Li received a call from Chun Xin. On the other end of the line, she heard Chun Xin’s quiet breathing and a whisper of her name.

“I’m sorry, I miss you…”

Amidst the noisy background, Xue Li couldn’t hear her. “I’m busy, I’ll call you back later,” she said.

After hanging up, and closing the car door, a gentle female voice on the radio murmured soothing words, reminding listeners to bundle up as the cold wave approached.

That winter was unusually cold, and after that call, Chun Xin’s phone was never reachable again. She often threw tantrums, but Xue Li didn’t pay much attention.

In March of the following year, Xue Li learned of Chun Xin’s passing. Her phone only held Xue Li’s number.

She secretly came to see her, staying in the simple self-built rental house behind the school. Chun Xin passed away from what the radio said was an exceptionally severe winter. Chun Xin had just turned seventeen that year.

On the way there, Xue Li saw buds sprouting on the trees lining the road, and when the wind blew, pink petals fluttered down.

Winter had passed, spring had come, and the radio host’s warm voice persisted. But Chun Xin was no longer there.

Ten years separated by life and death, Xue Li thought every day, “If only everything could start over, how wonderful it would be.”

She had everything they had once dreamed of together, but still couldn’t feel happiness, staring at the bleak ceiling, feeling emptiness beside her.

“If only everything could start over, how wonderful it would be.”