Having a snowball fight

After the snowfall, the weather suddenly turned cold. The forecast had predicted a drop in temperature today, so last night Shen Yali prepared down jackets, scarves, and hats for Mu Qingxi and Mu Qingyang.

“Kiki, it’s getting colder today, put on your down jacket—and you too, Fengyang. Don’t sacrifice warmth for style,” Shen Yali said.

Mu Qingxi wrapped her scarf around her neck once, then again—it was still too long, so she wound it a third time before asking, “I’ve already put on my down jacket, but Mom, why is this scarf so long?”

“Sis, you kept saying your scarf was too short in front of me, so I told Mom, and she got you a new one!” Mu Qingyang replied, adjusting his own appropriately sized scarf.

“I just thought it seemed long, but Fengyang insisted you wanted it this way,” Shen Yali explained.

Mu Qingxi hurried to say, “It’s fine, Mom. I like it long.”

Today, Mu Qingxi wore a thick white down jacket, a long blue scarf wrapped three times around her neck, a plain white hat, and a pair of black Martin boots. Mu Qingyang wore a sky-blue down jacket, a black scarf, and a coffee-colored warm hat.

This was the first time this year she and her brother had stepped out of the house together. Outside, the world was a vast stretch of white, clean and pure. As they walked on the thick snow, the “crunch, crunch” beneath their feet sounded pleasantly crisp.

Mu Qingxi burrowed into her thick scarf and complained, “Mu Qingyang, do you think now that you’re taller than me, you can bully me? How dare you tell them I wanted a scarf this long.”

Mu Qingyang jumped back five paces in fright. “Uh, Sis, you’ve learned Taekwondo from our cousin, but I haven’t—I can’t beat you.”

She snorted disdainfully. “Yet you still make trouble. Do you not want pocket money anymore? I remember your wallet is empty.”

Mu Qingyang blurted out, “Haha, Sis, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything! Mom didn’t know how long you wanted the scarf, so she asked me, and I purposely said it should be really long. Who knew Mom wouldn’t check with you?”

“Hmph…”

At the crossroads, she and Fengyang headed toward their respective schools.

On such a cold day, Mu Qingxi thought the campus would be deserted, but once inside, she realized she was wrong. The campus was bustling with voices; everyone was busy forming snowballs, vigorously scooping up snow, while keeping an eye out for incoming attacks. The atmosphere was lively and boisterous.

Under the plane tree, a snowball the size of a fist flew toward her. She reacted slowly, so it hit her face. Luckily, it was loose snow, not packed hard, or she would have been in trouble.

Qin Yu said, “Oops, Mu Mu, sorry! Bai Fanhao and Xi Haifei said you’d definitely dodge, so I threw it. Was it fun?”

Xi Haifei came over and took off his gloves to help wipe her face.

Qin Yu apologized one moment and gloated the next, making her want to curse. She crouched down, not bothering to remove her gloves, and grabbed a handful of snow, flinging it at Qin Yu.

Mu Qingxi finished tossing the snow and said, “Wei Yu, you’re so shameless. They said I’d dodge, so I must dodge? You know I’m seriously nearsighted!”

“Hahaha, Mu Mu, my dignity was lost long ago thanks to you. You should take responsibility! You say I have no shame—are you going to take care of me? Watch out, I’ll get my revenge! Here I come!” Qin Yu’s words, paired with a pitiful expression, were enough to bring tears. “Watch out! Haha, I’ve trained in throwing. Wei Yu, be careful. Xi Haifei, Bai Fanhao, Dongzi, Xiao Gang, Chen Bin, hurry up and cover us!”

The five boys rushed over at the call and took their positions. Qin Yu began to show off, “Hehe, Mu Mu, there are three of us now!”

Mu Qingxi glanced at them indifferently. “So what if there are three? I can handle two by myself.”

“Hahaha, I got you!” Qin Yu jumped for joy, then suddenly cried, “Ouch!”

“Hahaha, Wei Yu, all’s fair in war!” Mu Jingqi flashed a V-sign.

Suddenly, Mu Jingqi slipped. She reached out, grabbing Bai Fanhao, who wasn’t paying much attention, and his expression changed. With a startled cry, Mu Qingxi fell, and Bai Fanhao landed on top of her.