Qiao Yushan watched Huo Rou standing in the snow wearing a woolen coat, and frowned when he compared it to his own thick down jacket.
He seemed a bit frail.
"Master, you should wear more. It's just started snowing!" He handed her the gloves he was holding.
Huo Rou rubbed her hands without taking them, "I'm not cold!"
People who exercise all year round generally have better physical fitness, let alone the intensity of her past training.
Qiao Yushan wasn't embarrassed. He had witnessed Huo Rou's ability to withstand the cold for many years. He silently withdrew his gloves and took out a small pair from his bag to give to An An, "An An, wear these!"
An An originally wanted to follow Huo Rou's example and not wear gloves, but he thought about how anxious Huo Rou had been the year he caught a cold, and decided not to be stubborn. He reached out and let Qiao Yushan put on his little gloves.
Qiao Yushan and An An started building a snowman.
The few people who rarely had the chance to play in the snow were quite slow at rolling snowballs. An An looked at the small clump in his hand, his dark eyes rolled around, and then he suddenly threw it towards Qiao Yushan nearby.
"Thwack—"
Qiao Yushan's back was hit accurately. He knew it was An An who did it without looking back, just by the force.
Besides, Huo Rou wouldn't do such a childish thing.
He casually grabbed a handful of snow from the ground, rolled it into a ball, and threw it at An An.
Qiao Yushan had the advantage of his height and long reach, and he made snowballs much faster with his greater strength. An An was at a disadvantage in their snowball fight.
"Ah! Mom, help me!" An An never minded Qiao Yushan bullying him because he was bigger; it was more fun that way.
But that didn't stop him from calling for reinforcements.
His mom was amazing!
Huo Rou watched them play from the side, content and happy just by observing.
She had never been able to truly fit in with such lively activities since she was little. Those who stayed on the fringes were often isolated.
It was only after her parents were gone that she learned how to integrate.
Watching Qiao Yushan single-handedly overpower An An, she was engrossed when she heard An An's cry for help.
A playful impulse struck her.
Huo Rou grabbed a handful of snow from the ground, rolled it into a ball, and casually tossed it forward as Qiao Yushan turned his back to chase An An.
The snowball traced a beautiful parabolic arc through the air.
An An saw Huo Rou's action, but said nothing, only dodging left and right with his mouth closed, his eyes full of anticipation.
As expected, the snowball hit the back of Qiao Yushan's neck precisely.
It was the only part of him that wasn't protected.
The icy snowball slid down his neck.
"Ah!!" Qiao Yushan yelped and jumped up.
He turned around to see Huo Rou's faint smile, "My bad."
Her words were somewhat perfunctory, but Qiao Yushan was overjoyed.
This was the first time in many years that Huo Rou had participated in such playful banter.
He ignored the chill on his back and yelled, rolling a snowball from the ground and throwing it at Huo Rou, "Master, you're bullying a child!!"
"I'm your dear disciple! How can you treat me like this!"
Although Qiao Yushan's words were accusatory, they came out as joyful shouts.
Huo Rou easily dodged his excited attack, as expected.
Qiao Yushan chased her relentlessly, while An An constantly snuck attacks from behind him.
"Master, this is unfair!" he panted, exhausted, "It's two against one, and you're so skilled! I can't hit you. What's the point of a snowball fight like this?"
"Uncle Shan, don't be a sore loser!" An An chased after him, "You didn't say that when An An couldn't beat you earlier!"
"Double standards," Huo Rou declared.
Qiao Yushan's eyes were filled with dazzling light, "Then I'm your disciple too!"
Huo Rou looked at the childlike adult, torn between amusement and exasperation. She then noticed Shen Feng, who was circling them, diligently guarding their safety.
"Then I'll give Shen Feng to you."
Hearing Huo Rou say that, An An burst into laughter, "Right, right, Uncle Shan, now we're two against two!"