But unlike before, his eyes were fixed on Chao Youye in front of him, as if she were his only beacon. Every time he supported himself with his ski poles, every time he adjusted his center of gravity, he subconsciously imitated that calm figure.
Chao Youye always kept the right distance, slowly backing away, pulling him along.
His eyes were focused on Mu Xinrong, like the most sophisticated scanner, not missing any slight changes in movement.
Whenever Mu Xinrong's center of gravity began to become unstable, his body showed signs of leaning backward, or the snowboard showed signs of being out of control, his low and steady commands would sound in time.
"Shift your center of gravity forward."
"Push with your left foot."
"Look forward, don't look down."
"Relax, I'm here."
The voice was not loud, but it carried a strange magic. It penetrated the wind and fell clearly into Mu Xinrong's ears. It was like an invisible thread, pulling his shaky body and tense nerves.
Mu Xinrong was so engrossed in his work that beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He diligently followed Chao Youye's every instruction, clumsily but with remarkable seriousness.
Although the skis under his feet were still not very obedient and swayed from side to side, miraculously they did not throw him out again.
Like a toddler, he slid crookedly for nearly a hundred meters under the guidance of Chao Youye, the most reliable and strictest "coach".
When Mu Xinrong finally succeeded in following Chao Youye to a relatively flat slope with an extremely slow "twist" that could hardly be considered a turn.
He could hardly believe it. He steadied himself, gasping for breath, and looked up at Chao Youye. His eyes were surprisingly bright, filled with great surprise and an incredible sense of accomplishment!
"Chao Youye! I... I didn't fall!" he shouted excitedly, his voice a little distorted due to excitement, and a smile brighter than the sun instantly bloomed on his face, like a child who finally completed a difficult puzzle.
Chao Youye looked at his sparkling eyes and that pure and dazzling smile, and a gentle smile appeared in the depths of her purple eyes.
He slid closer, stretched out his hand, and rubbed Mu Xinrong's cold but excitedly red cheek with the back of his thickly gloved fingertips in a very natural and appreciative manner.
"Yeah," he replied, a hint of barely perceptible pride in his voice, "very well done."
These three simple words, like the sweetest honey, instantly filled Mu Xinrong's heart.
He would have almost jumped for joy, if he hadn't had skis strapped to his feet.
"Shall we slide a little further? Just a short distance!" Mu Xinrong was in high spirits. The hesitation he had just felt was thrown out of the window, and his confidence was unprecedentedly high.
Chao Youye looked at his eagerness to try, and the smile in her eyes deepened. "Okay." He nodded in agreement, his eyes sweeping across a wider, more gently sloping area ahead.
This time, Chao Youye did not deliberately pull, but slid to a position slightly in front of Mu Xinrong, like a silent navigator.
Mu Xinrong tried hard to recall the feeling just now, imitated Chao Youye's movements, and carefully controlled the snowboard under his feet.
Although his movements were still clumsy, his trajectory was still crooked, and his speed was so slow that the snowboarder next to him could easily overtake him, he was fully focused. Every successful turn and every steady stop made the light in his eyes shine brighter.
The sun generously sprinkled on the snow slope, stretching out the figures of two people, one in front and one behind, one big and one small, one calm and elegant, the other clumsy and hardworking.
Mu Xinrong's bright orange ski suit and yellow hip protector with a duckling print on it looked like a warm, dancing flame in the pure white world.
He would occasionally pout in frustration because he didn't do a certain action well, but he would quickly gather his courage again under Chao Youye's silent gaze.
Chao Youye's gaze was always on him, with complete concentration and protection, as if guarding a rare treasure.
When Mu Xinrong once again became too proud of himself and almost lost his balance at a very small change in slope, he danced and shouted "I'm going to fall, I'm going to fall".
Chao Youye could always slide to his side like a ghost in an instant, stretch out her arm, firmly hold his arm or waist, and pull him back from the edge of falling.
"Center of gravity." Every time a rescue was successful, Chao Youye would give a concise reminder with a hint of helpless smile in his voice.
Mu Xinrong would pat his chest in shock, then give Chao Youye a silly yet extremely dependent smile: "I know! Teacher Chao is the best!"
The tone was so righteous and confident as if Chao Youye was his personal lifeguard.
Time slipped by quietly amidst focused practice and occasional interludes. The sun gradually set, painting the snow-capped peaks a gorgeous golden-pink hue.
Mu Xinrong had consumed a lot of energy, his cheeks were red from the exercise, and the loose hair on his forehead was wet with sweat and stuck to his smooth forehead.
He finally stopped at the bottom of a gentle slope, holding on to his ski poles and breathing slightly, looking at the magnificent snow-capped mountain scenery in front of him, which was rendered incomparably magnificent by the setting sun.
"Tired?" Chao Youye slid to his side and stopped.
Mu Xinrong nodded, then shook his head, his eyes still sparkling, with a hint of something more to say: "I'm a little tired... but I'm so happy!"
He turned his head and looked at Chao Youye's profile, which was outlined in gold by the setting sun. His smile was pure and satisfied. "Skiing is so much fun! Although..."
He paused, touched his nose a little embarrassedly, and said, "...even though I fell a lot."
Chao Youye's gaze fell on his face, which was covered with snow foam but full of joy. The golden light of the setting sun fell into his deep purple eyes, melting all the coldness and leaving only warm tenderness.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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