Lin Yilin felt that she was a little bit bad.

Even though she clearly knew about Senior and Senior Su's relationship, when she heard those four words "I like you,"

The very first thing that emerged in her heart was actually a secret delight, and what followed after was a wave of shame.

Ah, I really am a bad woman, aren't I.

At a time like this, my first reaction should have been anger, right? I should have pointed at Senior's nose and viciously said:

"Do you even know what you're saying? You're someone who already has a girlfriend! And you're still telling other people 'I like you'!"

"If you really like me! Then break up with Senior Su right now. That way, I could at least forgive you!"

But these words could only swirl around in her head, spinning and spinning, like snowflakes landing on her face, faintly melting away, leaving only a faint chill.

"Ah, so Senior used to like me, is that it?"

After a long silence, she gave her answer.

Jiang Linyuan's lips moved, but Lin Yilin put on a serious expression, glaring at him:

"If Senior interrupts me right now, then I'll turn around and leave! And I'll never talk to you again!"

Jiang Linyuan didn't speak.

"When I was little, my mom bought me a pack of candy. The packaging was gorgeous, and the shelf life was very long. I really wanted to eat it, but Mom said I had to wait until I grew up."

Lin Yilin turned around, clasped her hands behind her back, and started walking forward.

"Later, after a long, long time, I finally got to eat that candy."

"Was it sweet?"

"It was very sweet and very delicious."

Lin Yilin stopped walking, nodded heavily, and then didn't say anything else.

She just stood there in place for a good while. Then she turned her head. Her eyes were a little red, but her gaze was exceptionally bright:

"But... it had expired."

"Mom said not to eat it anymore, that expired candy can't be eaten. But you know, that was my first time eating it. I had never had it before."

"I just kept it in the jar for way too long..."

If I had mustered my courage a little earlier, if I had told Senior a little earlier, "I like you, can we be boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Then my candy wouldn't have expired.

But you see, I wanted to wait until I was the happiest to open that jar. Not just stuff a piece of candy in my mouth when my mouth was bitter and I was feeling down.

It's different.

"So, Senior, I'm really happy that you used to like me. But, but you belong to someone else now. Being able to confess this to me must make Senior Su very happy."

"This shows you've already let go. You can face your own feelings now. You're not dating Senior Su while secretly keeping someone else in your heart. Senior, you're actually very brave."

As Lin Yilin spoke, her voice grew clearer and clearer. She started walking forward again, hopping and skipping like a little deer in the forest.

"I'm sorry, Senior. Even though I like you too, I have to reject you."

Jiang Linyuan followed behind her and asked:

"If you like me, why do you have to reject me?"

"Didn't Senior say I'm easy to read? Shouldn't you be able to understand right away?"

Lin Yilin turned her head to glance at him.

"I'm not as smart as you think I am."

"And I'm not as dumb as Senior thinks I am!"

"Xiao Yilin, I'm sorry."

"Hmm?"

"Lin Yilin, I'm sorry."

"Why did you say it twice, and even switched how you addressed me?"

Jiang Linyuan didn't speak.

The two of them headed back toward the Lin family's old house.

"I heard a nursery rhyme on the way here. It was pretty nice."

Jiang Linyuan suddenly spoke.

"Senior wouldn't understand it anyway."

Lin Yilin said.

"I have a pretty good memory. I memorized all the pronunciation."

"Mmph? Really or not? Is Senior some kind of super-smart genius?"

"I'll sing it for you."

"Mm, you can't do it when we get to the door, though. And not ever again after that, either."

Jiang Linyuan cleared his throat, recalled the rhyme, and cleared his throat again:

"Northwest rain, falling straight down,

Little crucian carp, wants a wife,

The big catfish, beats the drums,

The matchmaker, aunts catfish,*

Sun goes dark, can't find the road..."

His voice stopped abruptly. Lin Yilin looked at him:

"Why did you stop singing?"

"I forgot."

"Senior just said he had a good memory!"

The two fell silent again. After walking a few steps, the lilting rhyme rose once more:

"Hurry up now, firefly,

Do a good deed, light the way..."

The girl's oriole-like voice suddenly stopped.

Jiang Linyuan looked at Lin Yilin and asked:

"Why did you stop singing?"

"I forgot."

Lin Yilin didn't dare look at him. As they got closer and closer to her home, the snow fell heavier and heavier, and her steps got faster and faster.

"These songs are better left for little kids like A Mei to sing. When adults like us sing them, they kind of lose the flavor."

She said.

"I think Xiao Yilin sang it beautifully."

"Yellow card warning, number one!"

The two of them reached the door. They didn't say a word, just looked at her front door. For some reason, Lin Yilin's tears suddenly began to fall uncontrollably.

"Here's a tissue."

"I... I... I shouldn't be crying."

Lin Yilin took the tissue and hurriedly wiped the tears from her cheeks. But the more she wiped, the less she could stop them. The more she wiped, the more tears fell. Her face was a mess, blank and hollow, as if she still hadn't come back to her senses.

"Senior..."

She sniffled, raised her eyes, red and swollen, and just looked at Jiang Linyuan like that, dazed:

"Can you... can you say 'I like you' one more time? Just once will do."

The cold wind blew gently. Snowflakes softly landed on her cheeks, then melted into water.

"I like you."

This time, Lin Yilin couldn't hold back anymore. She cried her heart out, completely unbridled, squatting in front of her house, drenched in the snow, unable to take another step.

...

Lin Yilin said she wasn't feeling well and wanted to rest early, so she went back to her room to sleep.

Jiang Linyuan went to the kitchen. There was hardly anyone there. He casually made a few dishes and steamed some rice.

While he was cooking, someone walked into the kitchen: Lin's Mother.

"Auntie is hungry too?"

Jiang Linyuan said.

"Even if I were hungry, seeing my own daughter crying like a pear blossom in the rain, a mother can't find it in her heart to eat."

Lin's Mother casually pulled up a chair and sat down.

"How many times have you been in love?"

"Once."

"Really?"

"If I were going to lie to you, I wouldn't pick the number 'once'."

"You're an honest person."

Lin's Mother covered her mouth and laughed:

"So, why didn't you clear things up with Linlin earlier?"

Jiang Linyuan glanced at her:

"Why are you asking that?"

"Because I saw how badly Linlin was crying. I think, if it were you, if you wanted to make her smile again, even by deceiving her, it wouldn't be a difficult thing."

"We've only met a few times, haven't we?"

Jiang Linyuan said.

"Linlin chatters in my ear about you every single day. After meeting you once, I was even more certain."

"Certain of what?"

"That you are a very easy boy to be satisfied with."

"Thanks for the compliment."

"I wasn't actually complimenting you."

"I was just being polite and modest."

The two of them suddenly fell into a silence like that.

Jiang Linyuan pointed at the food and said:

"Sorry, Auntie, I still have things to do."

"It's fine."

Jiang Linyuan took the food and left.

It was still snowing outside. Though it had lightened up a lot, it was still very cold out.

Luckily, his body was still in good shape, so he didn't mind. He let the snow fall on him as he walked toward the Second Floor.

* *(Translator's note: This is a traditional Taiwanese children's nursery rhyme/folk song. The animals mentioned have rhyming significance in the original Minnan dialect which is lost in translation. The 'catfish aunts' are the matchmakers in the fish wedding story.)*