During The Blizzard (Amidst A Snowstorm Of Love)

Canto 7: A Chance Encounter

"After a week apart, their paths crossed again – a chance encounter that reignited the spark of attraction from their initial meeting."

Canto 7: A Chance Encounter

"Is it on your way?" she inquired. The memory of their first taxi ride echoed in her mind, the driver's promise to drop her and Meng Xiaotian first at the hotel, even if it meant a detour to Queen Imperial.

"I'm a man, I can handle late nights," Lin Yiyang remarked, stealing a glance at the wall clock. "But you, it's a different story."

Late it was. Her friend's warnings about the dangers of a lone night stroll in Manhattan resonated, with Yin Guo practicing in the billiard room until darkness engulfed the city. Every evening, Meng Xiaotian would dutifully escort her back to the hotel.

Yet, the distance from the hotel made it impractical. Should she burden him with a detour solely for her safety?

Yin Guo, still perplexed, hesitated.

"Fearful I might sell you?" Lin Yiyang teased, a playful glint in his eyes.

"No, no," Yin Guo denied, shaking her head. "I don't want to be a constant bother."

"That's settled, then," he declared. "As a man, there's no excuse for not seeing a girl safely home."

Without giving her a chance to protest, Lin Yiyang gestured toward Yin Guo's scattered clothes and bags on the billiard chair. A silent cue for her to get ready, he effortlessly picked up his cue bag and led the way to the front desk.

The old rule stood firm: whoever wins the ball pays the table rent.

Yin Guo, without much contemplation, returned the cup to the bar, bid farewell to Su Wei, donned a cozy down jacket, slung her bag over her shoulder, and followed Lin Yiyang through the creaking door.

In less than fifteen minutes, snowflakes gracefully descended outside.

"Let's catch a taxi, wait a minute," Yin Guo retrieved her phone from the pocket of her down jacket.

"It's quite late, and you're still opting for a taxi? Why not take the subway?" Lin Yiyang questioned.

"I came last year and ended up in the wrong place several times. Eventually, I didn't dare to risk it," she explained with a hint of frustration. In reality, her hotel was conveniently located at a subway entrance, eliminating the need for constant taxi rides. However, the subway held a psychological shadow over her.

The subway, over a century old, boasted carriages showing signs of wear and tear. While she wasn't afraid of getting dirty, the absence of electronic display screens and non-native station announcements made her uneasy. The lack of broadcast sound in the aged trains added to her discomfort.

Once, she endured two consecutive rides without electronic displays or station announcements, coincidentally during a subway malfunction that skipped four stops.

In the gently falling snowflakes, Lin Yiyang stood with a smile, observing her peculiar subway aversion.

“Put it on we have to walk three intersections, and it takes at least fifteen minutes to get to the subway entrance. Follow me, don’t get lost.”

Yin Guo obediently put on her hat, trailing closely behind him. The biting cold forced her to keep her hands nestled inside her pockets, and her boots followed Lin Yiyang's footprints in the fresh layer of snow.

Lin Yiyang, usually accustomed to long strides, examined the train's condition, but this time he noticed the swift pace of a pair of petite boots, and appeared slightly fatigued. Uncharacteristically, he gracefully slowed down.