The heavy snow finally subsided on Christmas Eve, coming to a slow halt. "What a white Christmas," the Fatty commented, gazing out the window. Without streetlights, the outside was just a pitch-black expanse, but even in the darkness, he knew there wasn't a soul moving; the snow accumulation was immense. "I wonder when the power will come back on."

Though the few of them were economical with electricity, with Han Tao and the Fatty primarily using the computers, they couldn't sustain seven or eight hours of usage daily. One battery cell had officially died yesterday.

"They should repair the lines once the snow stops," Wang Qiqi sighed, feeling helpless. In this weather, she wasn't sure if she could even venture out for supplies, only hoping there would still be plenty in the stores when she could finally get to London. "Right, are you two still going up to the roof to shovel snow tomorrow?" Wang Qiqi had peeked outside earlier and seen the depth of the snow on the roof. Although the snowfall had ceased, who knew if this terrible weather pattern was truly over? In any case, it was best to clear the snow off sooner rather than later. Earlier that morning, Wang Qiqi had even spotted someone taking advantage of the lighter snow to climb onto the roof and shovel. While a bit risky, the ground was covered in snow, so unless one's luck was exceptionally bad, a fall wouldn't be fatal. However, if the roof collapsed under the weight, that would certainly be life-threatening.

"We are," Han Tao replied, approaching the window with a mug of hot tea, one arm looped around Wang Qiqi. "Hot pot tonight?" The Fatty had been making a fuss about having a good meal on Christmas Eve, but alas, given the situation outside, just having enough food was a blessing. A lavish Christmas Eve feast was out of the question.

"Hot pot without vegetables?" Wang Qiqi wouldn't mind hot pot, but the lack of leafy greens was a sticking point. "Let's have barbecue instead." That was the Fatty’s favorite, wasn't it?

"Barbecue again?" Even though the Fatty loved meat, he’d eaten so much of it these past two days that the smell of roasting meat was making him nauseous. "Forget it, let's just have rice bowls with toppings." Even though it was still meat-heavy, it wouldn't fill the room with the smell of barbecue.

Wang Qiqi was surprised the Fatty would turn down barbecue. "How about we check the supermarket near the entrance while it’s not snowing?" They had bought some storable vegetables like cabbage and potatoes during the last trip, but after eating nothing but those for days, everyone was genuinely tired of them. Still, she doubted the supermarket would even be open, and even if it were, stock would likely be minimal.

"Go for what? There won't be anything. If we go, it'll be tomorrow; maybe there will be supplies then." Han Tao reasoned that while the snow was heavy, they couldn't be stuck inside forever. "I’ll go out for a walk with you tomorrow." He knew it was unlikely they'd secure many supplies, and if they did, the prices would be exorbitant. But Han Tao's real objective was to gauge the situation outside. Even if there weren't many people around, it would be better than being cooped up at home.

"Okay." Knowing someone was willing to accompany her out, Wang Qiqi was naturally pleased. "Oh, and bring the camera tomorrow; take some pictures for me." The vast expanse of white snow—this was the true North! How could such beautiful scenery be missed? Moreover, Wang Qiqi wanted to spur Qiqi a little; even though she had spent four winters here and was used to snow, this massive snowfall was a first for Qiqi. It felt like being transported to the Northeast, and such a scene was a rarity, one that occurred maybe once a decade. Since she encountered it, she absolutely had to keep a memento.

The Fatty watched speechlessly from the side. He glanced at the snowdrift, which was easily half a person high, and patted a man who was looking slightly dazed. "Buddy, I support you spiritually." That was the extent of it—no support beyond moral encouragement was possible. "I’m resting at home tomorrow." Shoveling in the morning, resting in the afternoon—what a perfect rhythm.

Han Tao noticed the other man eagerly trying to distance himself, clearly signaling he didn't want to go out. Han Tao coldly snorted a few times internally. Even if the Fatty rolled on the floor begging to go, he wouldn't agree. Han Tao had been sleeping in the living room these past few nights. Although he was somewhat far from the Fatty’s makeshift bed, once the Fatty was deeply asleep, he wouldn't wake up unless something unusual happened. Han Tao had sneakily tried it once or twice; it was exciting, but he constantly worried the Fatty might overhear something. "You're going to turn into a lazy lump; the air outside is wonderful," Han Tao chided, though he was secretly happy the Fatty wasn't keen on leaving. If he had agreed too quickly, the guy would surely have insisted on tagging along.

The Fatty, just as Han Tao suspected, immediately fled his side, terrified Han Tao would grab him and drag him out. Of course, the Fatty knew how good the air outside could be, but the main problem was the cold. It was much better inside with the fireplace, sitting near it, his body warm. The Fatty wondered if he was crazy for not just staying inside to warm up by the fire and sleep in, instead of running outside. "By the way, are you going to the post office? If so, can you mail this for me?" The Fatty suddenly remembered something crucial: the gifts he and Han Tao had bought earlier hadn't had a chance to be mailed yet. If Qiqi and Han Tao went out tomorrow, they could take care of that errand.

"No problem, I'm a very helpful good child." Wang Qiqi actually wanted to help the Fatty mail something, but then she realized, "Tomorrow is Christmas Day, do you think the post office will have staff working?" Hmph, the Fatty wasn't thinking. The post office was only about a ten-minute drive away, but their current mode of transport was their own two feet, and with this icy road, what usually took an hour round trip might take them three to five hours today.

The Fatty had initially thought Qiqi was such a kind soul; despite all the teasing, she immediately agreed to help. He knew that in this environment, he wouldn't lift a finger to help anyone else. He hadn't even finished complimenting her generosity before Qiqi delivered the follow-up: "Oh, I knew you wouldn't be so kind." Hmph, 'good child' indeed. The Fatty thought that if tomorrow wasn't Christmas but a regular workday, Qiqi would never have been so obliging. He was absolutely certain of it. "Forget it, I'll mail it when I get back to the States." He could slip a few more things in then, or maybe write a love letter—definitely better than relying on Qiqi's 'help.'

Since the Fatty viewed her that way, Wang Qiqi felt she had no choice but to respond. "If that's how you see it, I can't help it. Alright, let's go eat. I made a vegetable salad—cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, whatever vegetables we had left at home." Wang Qiqi had already slightly boiled the potatoes, otherwise, they were inedible.

Could that vegetable salad actually be eaten? The Fatty couldn't imagine what those few ingredients mixed together would look like. No matter how presentable, some things just tasted awful. "It would be better than wrapping barbecue in cabbage." While not as good as lettuce wraps, it would at least cut the grease. The Fatty insisted he wasn't a picky eater and could accept that method. "As for the potatoes, mash them. I don't like carrots." The Fatty outright rejected one item; who cared how nutritious it was if the taste didn't suit him? "Unless they are grilled alongside the meat skewers." That, he might accept. Didn't Qiqi do that really well before?

Well, the diner's demands were quite high, one more troublesome than the next. "We can make mashed potatoes, but we're out of milk," Wang Qiqi snapped back. "Meat skewers are possible, but you have to prepare them." As if she had multiple sets of hands! To save power, Wang Qiqi spent the daytime reading whenever there was a sliver of light. After preparing dinner ingredients around four o'clock, she started cleaning, beginning on the third floor. Fortunately, the upstairs windows were kept closed, so the rooms were relatively clean, requiring only a light wipe. The living room was more troublesome. A full cleaning session took at least an hour. Wang Qiqi deeply felt that this was far busier than her office job. After several days of this hustle, she deeply admired housewives; it was truly hard to maintain.

"Then never mind, I won't eat carrots." The Fatty had no intention of skewering meat himself; he didn't want his hands getting greasy. "Just make mashed potatoes. Don't we have powdered milk?" The reason they were out of milk was that Qiqi forgot to grab it during the last major shopping trip, being too focused on securing water. Everyone was a bit foolish; even though the snow was heavy, the water supply hadn't stopped, and even if it did, it wouldn't be a major issue—there was plenty of snow outside that could be filtered for water. The Fatty doubted piped water was any cleaner than snowmelt.

"Mashed potatoes made with milk powder won't taste good," Wang Qiqi replied. Even though she'd never tried it, she assumed the flavor wouldn't be right. Rather than spending a lot of effort only to have someone dislike and scorn it, it was better to veto the idea from the start. It wouldn't go well for her anyway, as she would be the one doing the work.

Fine, the chef was in charge first. "Let's eat, let's eat." Today was Christmas Eve, a happy day. "Qiqi mentioned wanting to go to some Christmas Eve party earlier. Even if your boss hadn't given you the early holiday, given this weather, neither of you would have gone."

Han Tao was immensely grateful that this snowstorm hit after Qiqi’s holiday began. Otherwise, Qiqi might have been stuck at the studio, which would have driven Han Tao mad. Qiqi had mentioned the studio didn't have much stock and that there were many customers; his wife might starve! "Be thankful your boss is merciful."

Wang Qiqi wasn't worried about that at all. "With that warning report, the boss would have let us go early anyway. If something really happened, he wouldn't be able to bear the responsibility." They were all elites; even if the boss wanted them to work, they valued their lives too much to stay behind. "I bet Mark and the others flew out of here already, assuming they could snag plane tickets."

"They could have driven away too," the Fatty murmured. "We should have been more flexible and driven away, then bought tickets back to the US." Back then, they were only focused on leaving this place and facing exorbitant rent elsewhere, completely failing to consider that they could have gone to the US instead, where only Qiqi would need to return later.

Wait, that's right—they could have done that! Wang Qiqi was stunned. She had only ever focused on staying with Han Tao, thinking anywhere else meant leaving him. "Ugh, we made a huge mistake! Fatty, Fatty, I hate you!" Wang Qiqi was furious. Damn the Fatty for not bringing this up earlier! Now that things were like this, why suggest they could have gone to the US? Wasn't that just rubbing salt in the wound?

Han Tao was equally dumbfounded. He really wanted to kick the Fatty and vent his frustration. If they had gone to the US, they could have stayed near him! He had two spare rooms; they could definitely sleep separately, Qiqi could shop more easily, and they could discuss matters conveniently. But what was the point of mentioning it now? Even if the roads were clear enough for driving, could Qiqi handle driving alone through thick snow? Who knew what lay beneath those snowdrifts? "Fatty, oh Fatty..."

"I want to strangle you," Wang Qiqi said sweetly to the Fatty, but her movements were far from gentle. "I was going to make you some meat skewers, hmph. Now you don't get any." Wang Qiqi huffed and turned away from the window, worried she wouldn't be able to restrain herself if she stood near the Fatty any longer.

Han Tao shot the Fatty several contemptuous glares, then turned and walked away. Watching them both act this way, the Fatty felt incredibly wronged. "Hey, I only just remembered! Do you think I wanted to stay here?" No electricity, can't go out, not even a single green vegetable. The Fatty regretted opening his mouth. "I should have stayed in the States. I might not be a great cook, but I could eat out!" The Fatty felt aggrieved, regretting his impulsive words. Now they thought he wasn't smart for not speaking up sooner.

The three sat in separate corners, refusing to look at each other. The Fatty crossed his arms; he would absolutely not apologize. This wasn't his fault. If Qiqi and Han Tao didn't apologize first, they shouldn't expect him to shovel snow off the roof tomorrow. Once they asked, he'd immediately pack up and fly back to the US. He wanted them to know that even though he was the Fatty, he still had dignity.

Wang Qiqi knew, once she sat on the sofa, that what she had just said was a bit harsh, but she was too proud to apologize to the Fatty. She had initially planned to watch his expression; if he looked amenable, she would have apologized immediately. But seeing the Fatty's current demeanor, Wang Qiqi realized the situation was serious.

Wang Qiqi kept giving Han Tao meaningful looks, hoping he would talk to the Fatty; surely their relationship was better than that.

Han Tao knew the Fatty was very angry, but in his view, he hadn't been wrong to speak up. If the Fatty had remembered sooner, would they be in such a miserable situation now? But there were only three people in the room, and it was Christmas Eve. Was this atmosphere appropriate for a holiday? He cleared his throat, hoping to catch the Fatty’s attention, but quickly realized it was a wasted effort. The Fatty didn't even spare him a glance, leaning his head back against the sofa cushion, looking for all the world like he was asleep.

Han Tao cautiously approached the Fatty. "Fatty, Fatty..." After calling out a few times without a response, Han Tao said, "He's asleep." Actually, Han Tao had noticed the Fatty's eyelids twitching; if he were truly asleep, he wouldn't be doing that. Since the Fatty preferred pretending to be asleep rather than talking to him, Han Tao knew he was truly upset this time.

Asleep? Wang Qiqi was perplexed. Hadn't he just taken a nap earlier? How could he be sleeping again? Didn't he just say he’d been sleeping quite a bit these past two days? As Wang Qiqi wondered, she noticed Han Tao making subtle gestures with his eyes. "Then I'll go make some meat skewers." Since he was angry, she decided to placate him with something he loved.

The food Wang Qiqi decided to make included the mashed potatoes she had initially rejected and the meat skewers. While she wasn't sure how the mashed potatoes would turn out, she didn't expect them to be too bad.

Thanks to Wang Qiqi's apology and the subsequent delicious food, even though the Fatty maintained a sullen face, he at least answered their questions. This relieved Qiqi somewhat; otherwise, she feared the overly proud guy would spend the entire night sighing dramatically while they tried to sleep.

After finishing the dishes Wang Qiqi specially prepared, the Fatty wiped his mouth. "The mashed potatoes are just average, but acceptable. So, Qiqi, don't be so quick to say something can't be done if you haven't actually tried it." Haha, seeing the two of them carefully serving him, the Fatty felt it was worth making them stew a bit earlier.

"Yes, you're the best." If the Fatty hadn't said that last part, Wang Qiqi might have altered the mashed potato recipe slightly tomorrow. But since the Fatty was giving her pointers, it meant he wasn't angry anymore, so tomorrow's special treatment was off the table.

The Fatty didn't care about that; he had eaten what he wanted, and his mood had significantly improved. If he knew Wang Qiqi's thoughts just then, he might have fainted from anger—he certainly wouldn't be this cheerful.

As Wang Qiqi stepped out the door, the cold wind nearly blew her into the snowdrift. "Oh, it's freezing!" Wang Qiqi wondered why it was still so cold even though the snow had stopped. "Much colder than this morning." Was the snow melting? Otherwise, why the sudden drop in temperature?

The Fatty watched from the window as the pair stumbled around, nearly blown over by the wind the moment they stepped out. He couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh indoors. Then, he carefully nudged the window open a crack. "Why don't you two just go back inside?" It was miserably cold outside; who would be out there? It was better to stay home and wait quietly for news. If the snow truly stopped, there would surely be more people on the roads, and they would likely organize snow clearing. In the Fatty’s view, being well-informed wasn't about having inside scoops; it was about seeing if anyone was outside. Apart from the inconvenience of no electricity, everything else inside was quite nice. He recalled that when he first arrived, it was similar—he spent days indoors discussing problems with Han Tao.

Wang Qiqi shook her head. Although it felt cold right now, it was just the shock of moving from a warm environment. She waved dismissively at the Fatty, who looked at them like they were idiots from inside the house. "Fatty, watch the house properly. We're heading out. Also, remember to drape the comforters over the banister." Even though it was warm inside, she felt the bedding might get damp from the constant draft if the air circulated too much.

The Fatty slammed the door and windows shut immediately. Even though they were already gone, she still managed to assign chores. Did every woman turn into a housewife this way? The Fatty suddenly remembered when he was back in China, Wei Wei used to tell him to do this and that. "Ugh, why am I suddenly thinking being alone is quite nice?" The Fatty grumbled as he walked to the bedside, taking the comforters from Han Tao and Qiqi’s beds and placing his own on the banister. He then brewed a cup of coffee, settled into the rocking chair in front of the fireplace, and began sipping his coffee while rocking steadily. "Qiqi is Qiqi; even in a situation like this, she remembers to enjoy herself." The Fatty never found rocking chairs particularly comfortable—didn't the rocking motion make one dizzy? But sitting in it today felt quite leisurely, though he worried about his back if he sat too long.

While the Fatty enjoyed his leisurely day alone, Wang Qiqi and Han Tao had a miserable time. They knew the path would be difficult, so they walked slowly, but no matter how slow they went, splat—Han Tao knew, without even turning around, that Wang Qiqi had fallen again. He had lost count of how many times she had stumbled. "Are you okay?" Fortunately, the ground was covered in thick snow; at worst, their clothes and faces were just covered in snow.

Wang Qiqi slowly climbed out of the drift. Her first action was to wipe the snow from her face. "Hey, Han Tao, your strides are too long!" The man was truly something else; knowing her gait was shorter, he didn't consider her situation and insisted on taking such large steps. She was short with short legs; if she couldn't adjust her balance quickly enough, accidents were bound to happen. "Never mind, I'm not stepping in your footprints anymore." Although having someone clear a path and following behind was easier, the prerequisite was that their strides had to be the same length.

Han Tao watched Wang Qiqi stomp ahead, her little legs struggling to keep up, and could only shake his head. He had suggested earlier that it would be better for Qiqi to walk on her own, but she insisted on following his tracks. However, Han Tao certainly wouldn't argue with Qiqi when she was angry. "Let me hold your hand," Han Tao said, seeing how hard Wang Qiqi was struggling, and extended a hand to walk with her.

And so, the two walked hand-in-hand slowly toward the edge of the complex. Wang Qiqi stole glances at Han Tao walking beside her from time to time, suddenly feeling that her man was far more handsome than the male lead in Winter Sonata. "What are you smiling at?" Han Tao found Wang Qiqi’s behavior strange; why did she keep looking at him and then smiling foolishly? "You didn't hit your head and go silly, did you?" Otherwise, she looked just like a simpleton.

"You must be the one who fell and hit their head," Wang Qiqi snapped back, her voice sharp with annoyance. "I just think you look incredibly handsome."

Han Tao was so startled by Qiqi's declaration that he actually stumbled two steps backward, his face a mask of utter horror. "You're not planning on asking me to carry you, are you?" Seeing that smile on Wang Qiqi’s face sent a wave of immense pressure through him. He felt that Qiqi only spoke like that when she needed him to do something. In their current environment, Han Tao was completely convinced that Qiqi simply didn't want to walk anymore and intended to make him carry her. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't mind giving her a ride, but trudging through this deep snow, Han Tao was struggling just to keep himself from falling; there was absolutely no way he could manage to carry someone on his back.

What kind of person is he? Wang Qiqi decided she wasn't going to waste another word on this hopelessly dense fellow. With a huff, she strode forward. Hmph, even though she wasn't very good at saying things like that, it didn't mean she always had an ulterior motive every time she complimented someone! In short, Wang Qiqi was angry.

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