Chapter 54: His Little Reindeer, Zhenzhen

Qiao Zhen cradled the apple as she returned to the dormitory, a gentle smile blossoming on her lips, her eyes sparkling with sweet, dazzling starlight.

As soon as she opened the door, her three strategists stood solemnly before her, scrutinizing her with sharp, inquisitive gazes:

“Qiao Zhen, attention!”

Qiao Zhen obediently straightened up, blinking her misty eyes, her voice soft and warm, “What’s wrong?”

Yun Yue was the first to interrogate, “Where have you been just now?”

Qiao Zhen felt a pang of guilt for no reason and paused before answering quietly, “I… took out the trash.”

It was the truth; when she went downstairs, she had indeed taken out the bag of garbage by the door.

Chen Meixiang, beside her, was so furious her teeth ached. “All three of us saw it from the balcony—Qin Yichi, he touched your head! He actually, actually ruffled your hair, ah ah ah, I’m going to kill him!”

That rascal! How dare he lay hands on their precious Zhen Zhen!

Outrageous, utterly outrageous!

Chen Meixiang’s glare was fierce, as if she truly meant to storm off and stab Qin Yichi. Qiao Zhen shrank her neck quietly.

She herself didn’t find it strange at all.

Qin Yichi had always liked to ruffle her hair since they were children; she was long used to it.

After washing the apple, Qiao Zhen sat on a chair and confessed everything honestly.

Once she finished, Chen Meixiang regained her composure. “Men are cunning with their words. He called it a ‘lucky apple,’ said eating it would bring good fortune? I don’t believe it.”

Who’s he trying to fool?

Sheng Lulu, meanwhile, covered her pink little heart, her eyes glittering like stars, squealing with excitement:

“Oh my God, Zhen Zhen, you two are so sweet, sweeter than any couple I ship!”

Qiao Zhen was biting into her red apple. With this teasing, her fingers tightened slightly and her cheeks grew warm, a rush of complex emotions swirling inside her.

Yun Yue seized the moment, “So, is the apple he gave you sweet?”

Qiao Zhen lowered her lashes, her voice gentle and earnest, “It’s very sweet.”

The apple was large and crimson, crisp and juicy, truly sweet—sweet to the core...

After finishing the apple, Qiao Zhen began tidying her things. Suddenly, a black card slipped from the deer-patterned gift box. The handwriting on it was bold and vigorous:

[Would you be willing to accompany me somewhere tonight?]

Qiao Zhen was stunned, her eyes lighting up as her heart skipped a beat.

She picked up the card, reading it over and over.

Accompany him... where?

Qin Yichi obviously had plenty of chances to say it aloud, yet he chose to write it on a card, making it feel much more formal.

Qiao Zhen’s curiosity was piqued. She spent the whole afternoon thinking about the question, even messaging him to ask.

But Qin Yichi was infuriatingly tight-lipped, refusing to reveal anything.

How maddening!

Her heart felt like it was being scratched by a kitten—itchy, excited, and nervous...

Winter nights descended faster than usual. By five o’clock, darkness had already settled in, and the evening breeze carried a biting chill.

Wrapped in a cream-colored down jacket and with her crossbody bag, Qiao Zhen took the subway, led by Qin Yichi all the way to the newly opened commercial district in the city center.

Tonight was Christmas Eve, lively and bustling; elders and children mingled, and many cosplayers posed for photos.

Overhead, a giant net woven from thick ropes hung suspended, adorned with star-shaped lights that swayed gently in the cold wind, shimmering with dazzling golden brilliance.

A towering Christmas tree stood at the center, festooned with multicolored gemstones, vibrant and dreamy, adding a touch of poetry and romance to the scene.

It was picturesque—remarkably romantic.

Many couples stood before the Christmas tree, embracing and whispering their love.

Qiao Zhen tilted her head slightly, gazing at the spectacle, golden star lights reflected in her eyes, shining bright.

“It’s so beautiful...”

She hadn’t paid much attention to such things lately. She didn’t even know a new commercial street had opened here, nor that there would be such a magical event.

Perhaps it was because of the grand opening, coinciding with Christmas Eve and Christmas, and the organizers wished to draw crowds, so the celebration was so elaborate.

“Qiao Zhen.” The man’s low, magnetic voice fell softly.

Qiao Zhen looked up at him. “Hm?”

Qin Yichi pulled two little reindeer hair clips from his pocket and leaned down slightly, his voice lazy, “Everyone else has them. Let me put them on you, too?”

Qiao Zhen blinked, looking down at the little antlers, then glancing around.

Indeed, nearly all the girls nearby wore reindeer hair clips—cute and pretty.

But the ones Qin Yichi held were a little different, adorned with golden bells, more exquisite and beautiful.

Qiao Zhen nodded and couldn’t help but ask, “Where did you get these?”

Qin Yichi didn’t seem the type to bother with such things; in fact, he didn’t seem like a romantic at all...

Sure enough, he replied casually, “They came with the apples.”

Qiao Zhen: “...Oh.”

So they were freebies.

Qin Yichi was tall; as he stepped closer, he seemed to envelop her completely, reaching out to fasten the reindeer clips on either side of her head.

As the distance between them shrank, the faint scent of grass from Qin Yichi drifted over, his warm breath settling on her.

Qiao Zhen felt a little awkward, her heart skipping a beat, then racing.

Her senses felt wholly invaded by the man before her, every thread seeping into her heart.

Especially beneath the canopy of star lights, Qin Yichi’s profile was bathed in a hazy, warm glow, the beauty mark beneath his eye particularly striking.

The air was tinged with a palpable sense of excitement and intimacy, the two of them drawn together in an ambiguous, tender pose, impossible to define.

Qiao Zhen lowered her head slightly; as they leaned in, she held her breath, hardly daring to exhale.

She felt as if she might melt completely.

“All done.” Qin Yichi’s voice sounded above her head as he stepped back, putting some space between them.

Qiao Zhen finally let out a breath, shaking her head as the clear, melodious “ding-dong” of the bells reached her ears.

Qin Yichi looked at the little reindeer before him, a hidden smile in his eyes, and “nonchalantly” revealed the two extra hair clips in his hand.

Qiao Zhen caught sight of them immediately, her tone firm, “You have to wear them with me!”

Qin Yichi lifted his gaze slightly, a faint smile curving his lips. “Why?”

Qiao Zhen was momentarily stumped.

She didn’t really know why; she just wanted Qin Yichi to wear them with her.

It felt as if wearing matching clips could prove to others that they were together.

Just like the couples on the street, wearing matching clothes or necklaces or bracelets—subtly showing their affection.

There was a delicate, unspoken feeling in it.

Still pondering her answer, Qiao Zhen was caught off guard as Qin Yichi crouched before her, his Adam’s apple bobbing, “Will you put them on for me?”

Just as she’d once helped him tie his scarf.

Even crouching, he was imposing, his gaze fiery, as if it held a flame.

It was an allure too irresistible to reject, drawing her closer and closer.

Qiao Zhen’s body responded before her mind, instinctively taking the clips.

She lowered her eyes, speaking softly, “Qin Yichi, I remember you hate people touching your head, messing with your hair.”

A gust of cold wind swept by, the man’s dark hair falling across his strong brow, his lashes trembling like crow feathers, his nose high, his chin half-hidden in a deep gray scarf.

In front of the romantic Christmas tree, Qiao Zhen heard Qin Yichi’s voice.

“Qiao Zhen, you’re not ‘other people.’”

At his words, Qiao Zhen’s fingers paused, a few strands of his hair lifted by the wind.

Every word echoed clear in her ears, drifting inch by inch into her heart.

She steadied her fluttering nerves and carefully, attentively clipped the reindeer hairpins onto him.

When she finished, Qiao Zhen looked at the big reindeer before her, unable to stop her heart from leaping with joy. “All done.”

Now, the two of them were “the same kind.”

Perhaps it was the festive atmosphere, or the cheerful mood of the passersby, but Qiao Zhen grew more relaxed.

She bought two cups of rich cocoa, handed one to Qin Yichi, and toasted him.

The mellow flavor spread across her tongue, warm as spring, bringing her instantly to life.

They drifted toward the game zone, filled with Legos, blind boxes, and other novelties, popular among young people.

Qin Yichi led her to a claw machine and stopped, asking casually, “Want to try catching a doll?”

The giant claw machine was like a magical box from a fairy tale. Plush toys filled the window display, many of them limited editions, impossible to buy—only to be won.

A few small children crowded the machine, crying loudly, noses running, complaining miserably, “Waaah, you just can’t catch anything! The hook is broken, waaah...”

Qiao Zhen wanted so badly to experience the joy of winning a doll, especially the flower-hugging bear in the center.

She really, really wanted it.

But seeing the heartbroken children around her, she reconsidered, withdrew her wish, and shook her head quietly:

“Never mind, I’m... not very good at it.”

It wasn’t that she’d never tried; every time, she just missed, always by a hair.

Like the endless “almost there” deals on shopping apps.

She’d lost so much, and back then her mood was already terrible, teetering on the edge of collapse. Failing again and again at the claw machine nearly made her cry in front of it.

Once, she’d tried with Qin Yichi. She failed, but he managed to win a toy and gave it to her.

Yet she still felt a little disappointed.

Winning herself and being given one—there was a difference.

After so many failed attempts, she never touched a claw machine again.

Qiao Zhen sighed, about to leave, when she saw Qin Yichi had already exchanged ten coins, carrying a small basket to her side.

Qin Yichi’s deep, dark eyes fixed on her, bending slightly, his tone lazy and irreverent, filled with irresistible charm:

“Qiao Zhen, if you don’t try, how will you know if you can do it?”