Chapter 60: Winter in the Northern City Always Carried a Bone-chilling Dampness

Winter in the northern city always carried a bone-chilling dampness. The weather forecast had warned of snow for a week, but only freezing rain arrived. By morning, a thin layer of ice had formed on the roads.

Clara Whitmore tightened her down jacket and wrapped her cashmere scarf twice around her neck. She had deliberately chosen slip-resistant snow boots and double-checked her exam admission ticket and stationery before stepping out.

Sloane Bennett had sworn the night before that she would wear a qipao to see Clara off to the exam. But now, she was most likely still curled up in bed catching up on sleep. Clara scanned the crowd outside the exam hall and, as expected, didn’t spot her.

This kind of friendship—one that didn’t require constant maintenance—was the most comforting. Even if months passed without contact, they could still meet again without any awkwardness.

When the two-hour exam ended, the other candidates around her were either elated or anxious. Clara handed in her paper calmly, then opened her umbrella and stepped into the fine winter drizzle.

"Clara?"

A familiar voice made her pause. Victoria Holloway stood under the eaves of the building, her black coat making her complexion appear even paler.

It had been half a year since their last encounter—the incident that had ended in the hospital. Victoria’s gaze fell on the stationery bag in Clara’s hand. "You really came for the grad school entrance exam?"

"Yeah." Clara lifted the edge of her umbrella slightly. "Something I’ve always wanted to finish."

Victoria hesitated. She knew Clara had only started preparing after the breakup, with barely enough time to make it seem like a joke. And she, more than anyone, understood just how fierce the competition was at Ashford University.

"My brother—" The words died on her lips. Victoria remembered Catherine Holloway’ complaints that morning—how Grant had been suffering from stomach problems lately, practically turning the hospital into a second home.

This winter, no one in the Holloway family had been doing well.

The slanting rain dampened the hem of Victoria’s coat. As she studied Clara’s composed profile, a sudden realization struck her—this time, there really was no going back.