Chapter 50: In this world, everyone experiences their own snowfall

“Xie Qian, currently a second-year graduate student.”

The girl introduced herself proactively after sitting down.

“Jiang Chen, senior.”

Jiang Chen also introduced himself.

Xie Qian gave a gentle smile.

“You’re quite famous on campus. I know who you are, but you’re a bit different from what I imagined.”

Jiang Chen smiled without speaking, then turned to ask, “Did you come here alone, Senior?”

Since Xie Qian was a second-year grad student at Dongda, calling her "Senior" was only natural.

“Yeah, just out to clear my head.”

Jiang Chen nodded and took a sip of his beer.

“I heard you’re currently pursuing Junior Li. I won't... get in your way, will I?”

Xie Qian glanced toward Li Shurui’s side.

“It’s fine. It hasn't even reached the starting line yet,” Jiang Chen said with a self-deprecating smile.

Xie Qian laughed as well.

“Are you seeing anyone, Senior?”

“We only broke up not too long ago.”

“It seems the world has gained another heartbroken soul,” Jiang Chen lamented.

“Don't misunderstand, I was the one who was abandoned,” Xie Qian smiled.

Quite surprised, Jiang Chen looked at Xie Qian, who could be considered outstanding in both appearance and character.

“Then he will definitely regret it someday.”

The two were complete strangers, this being their first meeting, yet they felt like friends without any sense of awkwardness.

Perhaps this was what was meant by a "meeting of souls" or a "gentlemanly friendship."

“Perhaps.”

Xie Qian smiled faintly, then added, “Are you interested in hearing my story?”

“If you don't mind, Senior, I am all ears.”

Xie Qian gazed at the lively scene and took a sip of beer.

“Speaking of which, he was a bit like you. Good at studying, good at singing—maybe not quite as handsome as you, though.”

Jiang Chen smiled.

“That’s the truth.”

Xie Qian smiled, fell silent for a moment, and then spoke again.

“It was my birthday that day. He fell asleep in the evening, leaving his phone by the bedside. In the middle of the night, it lit up; several WeChat messages had popped up. Out of curiosity, I picked it up and scrolled through.

It was a female classmate from his master's program. She was messaging him in an excited, cute tone, telling him that her supervisor had let her take first authorship. Scrolling up, I discovered that for the entire past year, they had been chatting every single day. She would send kaomoji, and he would recommend songs to her. She would tell him a song had a great vibe, and he would take photos of his lunch and send them to her, telling her the takeout from that place wasn't good and she shouldn't order it. He also mentioned me.

The girl said, 'Your girlfriend is so pretty and gentle, I'm so jealous.' He would reply cheekily, 'You'll find someone too.' Every week, after their supervisor's regular meeting, they would go out to eat near the school. Just the two of them, no one else. Once a week, without exception.”

Jiang Chen listened quietly, offering no opinion, acting as a competent listener.

“During that trip abroad, he brought back everything I wanted to buy, and he also brought back everything she wanted to buy. But he refused everyone else's requests for proxy shopping.

He helped her fix her computer, saved seats for her, and even helped her assemble a chair she bought on Taobao. She bought meals for him, picked up his packages, and organized data for his course papers. Even during those days when he was incredibly busy and we hadn't contacted each other for four or five days, the two of them still exchanged daily greetings.”

Xie Qian's voice was very soft and gentle, occasionally punctuated by a sip of her canned beer.

“We started dating in our second year of high school. It’s been eight years. Even if I don't call it an unbreakable bond, it was at least a life shared together, wasn't it? I thought we wouldn't run into problems like this.

Holding his phone, I stared blankly for a long time. Then, I replied, 'Congratulations.' The other side replied instantly with a cute emoji, saying they had to arrange a meal immediately—as in, tomorrow. A private meal just for me. 'The usual place, order whatever you want, I'm happy.' I put his phone back on the bedside table and got out of bed.

He opened his eyes groggily and asked what I was doing. I told him I was going downstairs to buy some fruit. In his half-asleep state, he mumbled for me to just go to the place downstairs and not to wander too far. Once I stepped out the door, my sense of calm vanished instantly. I crouched by the door, wanting to cry but unable to, feeling it was almost ridiculous. I wanted to confront him; I couldn't understand why my boyfriend had started sharing his life with another girl, started accepting another girl's joys and sorrows, and started becoming a soulmate to another girl.”

At this point, Xie Qian gave a light laugh. She wanted a drink, only to find the can was empty.

Jiang Chen silently opened a new can and handed it to her.

“Thank you.”

Xie Qian took a sip. Perhaps because she drank too quickly, she choked and coughed for a while. Once she recovered, her eyes began to redden for some reason.

“He probably only realized it around dawn. He called me, only to find that I had blocked him on all social media. While he was in a state of total confusion, he must have clicked on that girl's unread messages, saw the 'Congratulations,' and realized what had happened. So, he drove to my house through the night and stood outside my door early in the morning, weeping as he confessed to my parents.

My mom called me to come home. By the time I arrived, he had already sincerely handed his phone over to my parents, swearing to heaven that there was nothing romantic involved, begging for my forgiveness. Although my parents were angry, they didn't think it was a huge deal. They felt that while he was certainly in the wrong, the chat content was normal and there was no physical infidelity, so once we were angry, we should just make up. Thus, it became the three of them trying to persuade me.”

“Eight years of a relationship, and now it's been over half a year since the breakup. Sometimes, thinking back on it, I feel a bit dazed, as if it isn't quite real. He is still trying hard to win me back, but I always remember that day when I was making a wish. In those thirty seconds while my eyes were closed, that girl happened to send him a message saying the library had suddenly lost power and she was scared.

So.”

Xie Qian paused, tilted her head back to take a sip of beer. Her eyes were already red, but her lips still held a calm smile.

“Tell me, in those thirty seconds, was he truly wishing me a happy birthday? Or was he worried... that she would be afraid of the dark?”

Jiang Chen said nothing, merely taking a silent sip of his drink.

He knew she didn't need an answer.

And he couldn't give one.

This was clearly not a good story.

The reason she was willing to tell it to him was perhaps because of the song he had just sung and the emotion it evoked, or perhaps because they had experienced something similar—a shared sense of sorrow.

“I didn't expect someone like you, Senior, to have such a turbulent emotional life,” Jiang Chen said softly.

The corners of Xie Qian's mouth lifted.

“In this world, everyone experiences their own snow; everyone has their own hidden depths and their own brightness.”

Jiang Chen fell silent, then turned his head.

“For that sentence alone, Senior, I must drink to you.”

Xie Qian clinked her glass against his.

The two seemed to have become old friends instantly. They drank for a long time, only stopping when Xie Qian became tipsy.

Jiang Chen called a girl over to help escort her back to her room. When he turned back to look toward Li Shurui and Zheng Jingjing, they were already gone.

(End of Chapter)