The Flirting Men Time-Space Agency

"Lora, your mother and I have discussed it, and we've decided to take you to your grandfather's house tomorrow. We'll be spending the New Year there. I'm sure your grandfather will be thrilled when he hears that you've been accepted to A University." Elora's father said with great excitement, delivering what, to Elora, was rather unwelcome news.

In her memories, her grandfather's house was located in a small county just outside N City, which meant she wouldn't be able to spend the New Year with Cole.

Though Elora felt conflicted inside, she put on a cheerful expression and agreed to her father's suggestion.

That evening, as Elora lay in bed, she picked up her phone to call Cole and let him know that she would be leaving for a while, but to her surprise, he had already called her.

"Hello?" Cole's deep, captivating voice echoed through the phone.

"Cole, I'm going to my grandfather's house with my parents tomorrow!" Elora felt a wave of reluctance at the thought.

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Mm, I understand. Get some rest."

"Oh, fine then! I'm hanging up!" Elora said, nearly out of spite, and ended the call abruptly. She huffed in irritation. How could he show no reaction when he heard that I'm leaving for a while? She decided she wouldn't speak to him for seven days. No, six days, better yet!

Well, maybe I'll make it just one day since he's so pitiful. Despite her anger, she eventually sent a message to Cole, telling him the time of her departure.

Elora held her phone tightly as she drifted into sleep, murmuring before she closed her eyes, "Cole, I hate you."

The next day, as the first light of dawn began to creep across the sky, Elora was dragged out of bed by her parents.

At the bustling bus station, Elora found herself repeatedly glancing back, but Cole's figure never appeared.

"Lora, what are you looking at? We need to go in now!" her father called out as he noticed Elora lingering, gazing longingly at the entrance. "Are you waiting for someone?"

"No, let's go in," Elora replied, shaking her head and walking in with a look of disappointment in her eyes.

Her grandfather's town was only a two-hour drive from N City.

...

"My granddaughter, Lora, is truly remarkable!" As soon as they entered her grandfather's house, Elora heard her grandfather's hearty laugh from within.

"It was just luck," Elora replied, feeling a bit embarrassed by her grandfather's blunt praise.

"Don't be modest, Lora. There's no one else in our entire county who's been directly admitted to a university," her grandmother said affectionately, taking Elora's hand and praising her so fervently that Elora's face flushed.

"Tomorrow, we'll invite all the relatives over to celebrate properly," her grandfather declared, his voice filled with joy.

In the following days, Elora found herself constantly visiting various aunts and uncles, and she hadn't had much contact with Cole.

On New Year's Eve, Elora sat with her family, keeping vigil through the night. The lights in the living room pierced the inky darkness outside, and Elora watched as the snowflakes danced down from the sky like delicate spirits descending to Earth.

"The weather forecast said it would snow, but I didn't expect it to come down so soon," Elora's mother remarked, glancing outside and noticing the snow falling. She turned and went into the kitchen to brew another pot of tea. "Have some hot tea to warm up."

The family gathered together, basking in the warmth of the moment.

"Dong... dong..." The bells rang in the early morning, heralding the arrival of the New Year. Elora paid her respects to her grandparents, accepted her New Year's money, and retreated to her room to sleep.

Lying in bed, Elora tossed and turned, her mind restless. Finally, she got up and pulled back the curtains, gazing blankly outside.

"Buzz... buzz..." Elora picked up the phone and saw it was a call from Cole. Since their last awkward conversation, she hadn't spoken to him.

"Hello, Elora. I'm downstairs at your place. Come down for a moment," Cole's voice trembled slightly.

"I'm not at home," Elora responded, her tone inadvertently tinged with irritation.

"I'm downstairs at your grandfather's house!" Cole's voice grew more strained.

Elora glanced at the time—2 a.m. Was this some kind of fantasy world? Why was Cole not sleeping at this hour, and how did he end up downstairs at her grandfather's house? That wasn't the real question, though. The real question was: how did he even know where her grandfather lived? Elora stood frozen for a few seconds before she quickly realized what was happening. She grabbed her coat and slipped out the door, locking it behind her before rushing downstairs.