Chapter 38
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a long time.
Wu Qi had already anticipated that I wasn't going to spout anything good. "Alright, I have other uses for your talent. Shut up."
I:"……"
OKOK.
The hotel provided breakfast, and when I went downstairs, Wu Qi was already waiting for me.
He stood at the restaurant entrance, holding his phone in one hand as if typing, and carrying his coat in the other.
I heard two other girls walking in this direction ahead, and I hesitated whether to add him on WeChat.
"Wow, so handsome! Is he a ski instructor?"
"You don't look that young... but I advise you to give up, you probably have a girlfriend."
"Did you see the hickey on his neck?"
"No, look at the jacket in his hand, it's obviously a size too small, it's definitely not his own."
"That makes sense, then forget it."
...
I'm used to it.
But I still couldn't help but complain in my heart.
If you two saw that his WeChat name was "Strawberry Rabbit," you would definitely think it's better to just let it go.
Seeing me approach, Wu Qi put away his phone, threw his coat over my head, and completely blocked my view.
"If we come out any later, the snow will have melted," he said with a hint of disdain.
I nodded as I walked down the slope. "That scene must be pretty amazing."
Wu Qi: "..."
The breakfast is a mix of Chinese and Western options: soy milk and fried dough sticks on the left, hamburgers and cola on the right, and freshly made noodles and hot dogs nearby.
Wu Qi and I ate a little something, not enough to fill us up, but enough to last us through the morning.
Before leaving, Wu Qi went to the nearby supermarket and bought some chocolates to take with him.
The hotel isn't far from the ski resort, just a few streets away, within walking distance.
It was peak ski season, and before 10 a.m., the entrance to the ski resort was already packed with people.
Wu Qi led me through the traffic and we bought two student tickets at the ticket booth at the entrance.
To be honest, it's pretty shameless.
Two centenarians are taking advantage of this.
But Wu Qi was completely oblivious to this, and even kindly told the ticket seller that he would be taking the college entrance exam next year.
The ticket seller was amused by his flattery, and seeing that I looked like a minor, she let us in without even checking our student IDs.
When I arrived at the equipment pick-up area, the staff looked at me and asked me carefully, "Little friend, is this your first time here? I recommend trying double-board skiing."
……kid.
no.
I've really had enough of you mortals!
Who is the child?
Me!
Seeing that I could light the fire, Wu Qi quickly pulled me behind him. "No need, we'll both use snowboards, thank you."
"Okay." The staff member was a very honest guy, speaking fluent Northeastern dialect. "The kid is quite introverted, but when you come to Northeast China, you don't have to pretend at all. Just let loose and have fun."
Then they gave me a white skateboard with a cartoon bear printed on it.
Wu Qi's was even simpler than mine, with a line of fluent artistic font written on a black background—
"FOREVER YOUNG".
Forever young.
"Youth only comes once," the man from Northeast China said with a smile. "Fly high on the ski slopes."
Looking at his bright white teeth, I felt my tiny flame of passion extinguished in that instant.
Just from that one sentence, I'm already filled with anticipation for this sport.
My mind started to conjure up images of myself speeding across the ski slopes.
I imagine a cold wind will blow through my hair, carrying the biting snowflakes, which will eventually settle on my brow.
I put on my down jacket and set off for the ski resort, full of energy.
Seeing this, Wu Qi grabbed me and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Skiing, of course." I thought his question was pointless.
"You're just going to go skiing like that?"
Wu Qi placed the board beside him, his entire body seemingly resting on it. He wore goggles, which further accentuated his noble and aloof demeanor.
I didn't understand, and retorted, "What else? Should I skate there?"
As if finding it amusing, Wu Qi raised his goggles and said slowly, "You don't actually think you can just carry the board up there, push off with your feet, and slide down, do you?"
I:"……"
Isn't that so?
Wu Qi: "Could it be?"
I:"……"
Wu Qi: "Do you think you're on a slide?"
This person really has mind-reading abilities.
He stopped talking to me, pressed down on my shoulder, and pointed in a direction towards the ski resort.
I looked in that direction.
The ski resort has a floor-to-ceiling window on the third floor, directly facing the ski slope; if the angle is good, you can see all the way to the top. Sunlight reflects off the snow-white slope, making me squint.
A little boy was seen sliding down the hill, first navigating the winding mountain path, and then tumbling down the slope with the board.
It knocked down a group of innocent people like a bowling ball.
I swallowed.
The image of myself speeding along the slopes was instantly replaced; all I saw was a giant marble rolling sleekly on the snow track.
Without further ado, I turned and walked away, dragging my snowshoes, my steps quite resolute. But as I turned, Wu Qi grabbed my hat. "Deserting yourself in the face of battle?"
“No,” I said, “the ski instructors at the entrance are on a buy-one-get-one-free deal, I’ll treat them, no need to thank me.”
Let's stop pretending to be innocent and naive.
Hiring a coach now is like buying one and getting one free; if you put two idiots on the field, it'll just be a buy-one-get-one-free deal.
Wu Qi raised an eyebrow as if he had heard something absurd: "What are you thinking about?"
I:"?"
He took another pair of goggles out of his pocket and put them on my head. After finding the right position for my eyes, he flicked the elastic band near my ear.
"Bang."
“It’s not like a god would ask a mortal for help,” he said. “You should ask me instead.”
-
I don't know what kind of drug Wu Qi gave me, but I was so confused that I got on the cable car with him and went up to the top of the hill.
"Wait……"
As I watched myself grow taller and taller, I couldn't help but tug at the person next to me, saying helplessly, "Shouldn't we practice first...?"
"It's okay, this is a beginner slope."
Oh, that's alright... Alright my foot!
Aren't beginner and elementary levels both slopes?
Just die somewhere else.
I kept my eyes peeled and checked the surrounding fences to see if they were sturdy, or if there was anything nearby that I could use as a foothold... so that if something really happened to be cunning, I could throw out a red string to pull me back.
If anyone questions me then, I've already come up with an excuse.
I am Spider-Man, the Chinese version.
And there is no version with a tight-fitting bodysuit.
Is there a problem?
Reaching the top of the slope, we landed on our feet and stepped off the cable car.
I hesitated, feeling a strong urge to go back and sit down again. Looking down, I realized that even someone who had grown up in the sky could feel a bit afraid of heights.
"Ah Yue." Perhaps sensing something, Wu Qi silently took my hand. "Are you scared?"
I glanced at him, just about to retort.
He added, "You still don't trust me."
I was speechless.
I opened my mouth, "I..."
"Don't imagine how high it is, look at the people gliding on it." Wu Qi stood behind me and squeezed my shoulder through my cotton-padded coat.
This pinch felt like stepping back in time many years ago.
A celestial realm examination, the kind with on-site knowledge quizzes.
I was overwhelmed with work and didn't do much preparation. In the days leading up to the exam, I was so nervous that I couldn't sleep or eat properly. Just before the exam, Wu Qi appeared at the exam hall entrance with other candidates.
I thought he was coming to mock me again, and I was about to send him away when he stood behind me, pinched my shoulders, and told me to relax.
He told me that I was a very clever little rabbit.
"See that?" Wu Qi's words brought me back to reality. "Give me half a day, and I'll make you slide even more gracefully than them."
I suddenly laughed: "Really?"
"Yes," Wu Qi said firmly. "I told you, you're a very clever little rabbit."
I lowered my head, hiding the smile on my lips.
Of course I know.
I'm just being hypocritical after getting the benefit.
I just want to hear him say it again.
Actually, it doesn't take more than half a day; my balance is pretty good.
Fortunately, there was a gentle slope at the top of the hill, and Wu Qi found a relatively stable place. He started by teaching me how to stand, and then demonstrated how to stand on the board, telling me to bend my knees, hold the front edge with my left hand, and support myself with my right hand behind my buttocks.
As I learned, I couldn't help but ask, "When did you learn this?"
They're all like me, either in school or running around to various temples, how could they have time to come to this cold winter place to learn to ski so well?
Wu Qi smiled but avoided answering: "Is it possible that I'm just naturally gifted and don't need to learn anything?"
No way.
That's what I was thinking, but I didn't dare say it.
I was afraid he would get angry and kick me down.
"Put your heels on the ground and lift the balls of your feet to brake," Wu Qi, who knew my posture, said. "Don't stick your butt out later, do it once first."
"good!"
I've been taught to be confident and eager to try.
Wu Qi was behind me, watching me pedal with one foot and move forward with the other.
The skis instantly adhered to the slope. It was my first time skiing, and my first feeling was that I was unbalanced and didn't know where to put my arms.
"Bend your legs!"
I heard Wu Qi shout from behind.
Before he could finish speaking, I regained my sense of direction using the method I had been taught before, and actually managed to glide slowly for a while.
Wu Qi followed closely behind, providing protection and support.
The journey was smooth sailing; it seemed like nothing in the world could possibly stump me anymore.
Although there was no biting cold wind, I still felt refreshed watching my breath leap behind me and snowflakes splash around the planks.
Unable to resist turning back to share, "Is that all there is to it?"
Wu Qi chuckled softly, but his expression froze instantly. "Watch where you're going—"
I reacted very quickly, and when I turned around, I saw someone had fallen in front of me, right in the middle of the path I was sliding down.
Almost instinctively, I immediately turned to the other side. But because I was really bad at it and didn't control the angle well, I accidentally turned too far, and the feeling of losing control swept over me again, and I rushed towards the railing.
The direction was extremely off-center, and most people wouldn't notice it. Immediately, a red thread shot out from my hand and hooked tightly onto the railing.
The speed was forcibly reduced.
With his other hand, he quickly grabbed another reliable point of leverage and finally gained his footing.
really.
The advance rehearsal was somewhat effective.
Now no one can argue with me saying I'm Spider-Man, right?
Before I could even catch my breath, a shadow fell rapidly towards me.
The innocent Wu, whom I called a "reliable point of leverage," was also thrown straight down by this force.
I took back the red thread, but it was too late.
Wu Qi wrapped me up and rolled me several times in the snow before finally landing me in an open space. My head was protected, and my whole body was pulled into his warm embrace. Only after I was stable did I open my eyes and see the light of day again.
The red rope, which had started to slow down, eventually wrapped itself around us haphazardly.
We are caught up in the dust of the world.
His breathing remained sluggish for a long time.
I don't know how much time has passed.
Wu Qi pressed himself against me, our bodies rubbing and touching without reservation, our breaths mingling, and then suddenly stopping—
At that moment, his eyes met Wu Qi's.
I forgot.
There's also the concept of liking something and having a physiological reaction to it.
I suddenly felt a pang of panic. The person in front of me had a deep, almost insane gaze, filled with ambition and impulsiveness.
"Ah Yue," Wu Qi said in a low voice, not wanting to hide it at all, "The snow scene is so beautiful, it's time to pay the interest."
After he finished speaking, he leaned in and gently parted my lips with his cool lips.
Finally, pry it open.
He took a deep breath, his breath almost boiling over.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
