Chapter 20

Xi Yu rested one hand on the snow, the blue veins beneath her pale skin faintly visible as they shifted with the movement of her arm. Her other hand supported Yu Nianyi’s forearm, helping her back to her feet. Her gaze fell on the wrinkles in Yu Nianyi’s ski pants from the fall, and she reached out to smooth them lightly.

Yu Nianyi’s attention was completely on her as she watched Xi Yu stand up at an unhurried pace and smooth her clothes.

The touch on her arm still seemed to linger; Xi Yu’s unique warmth had seeped through the thick layers of fabric, faint but persistent. Yu Nianyi pressed her lips together and stood there dazedly.

“It’s fine. The slope here is gentle, so I had enough time to cushion the impact. It won’t be a problem.”

“And you?”

“Hm?” Yu Nianyi hadn’t quite come back to herself yet; the question slipped out instinctively as she looked into Xi Yu’s eyes.

In that instant, the pair of narrow eyes that always seemed so flat and lifeless in her memory curved into a calm, gentle arc. By the time Yu Nianyi wanted to look more closely, they had already returned to their usual state.

“Are you hurt?”

“No, no.”

Yu Nianyi gave an awkward laugh. On a trail like this, even a true beginner would have a hard time getting injured; not to mention she’d been pretending.

“Come on, let’s practice together,” Xi Yu said.

Yu Nianyi followed Xi Yu up the conveyor carpet. Then, according to Xi Yu’s instructions, she got into position and waited for Xi Yu to go down first before sliding after her.

Xi Yu’s explanations were extremely clear; after hearing them once, Yu Nianyi understood everything.

Watching Xi Yu’s nimble, graceful back, it almost seemed even the wind couldn’t keep up with her speed. Around them, the bystanders who were preparing to descend gradually fell silent, unconsciously turning to look at the black-and-purple figure tracing an S-shaped curve down the slope. Her posture was lively and natural, her path smooth and beautiful; anyone could tell she was completely unlike the people on the beginner slope.

Yu Nianyi kept her eyes fixed on that back as she took her stance and slid down under everyone’s gaze.

Xi Yu was waiting at the bottom of the slope. Yu Nianyi could clearly feel Xi Yu’s eyes on her, so she put away her thoughts. If she pretended to fall again this time, it really would be too obvious.

She paid attention to the distance between them and came to a steady stop off to the side. Then she smiled proudly. “Xi Yu-jie, you’re amazing. This feels completely different from before.”

Xi Yu studied Yu Nianyi’s neat posture and finish, looking at her for a moment before nodding. “Is that so? That’s good.”

Yu Nianyi didn’t say anything else. She thanked Xi Yu with a bright smile, went back up once more, and practiced on her own.

Xi Yao and the others came back much earlier. When the sun was about to set and the sky was still bright, they had already returned together.

Yu Nianyi slid neatly down from the top of the slope and met Xi Yao’s eyes.

“Nianyi-jie, you’re really good at this. You can’t tell at all that you’re rusty!” Chen Ming’s eyes lit up; she immediately wanted to practice with Yu Nianyi. “Let’s practice together tomorrow.”

Yu Nianyi smiled and modestly said she was still something of a beginner, all the while sneaking glances at Xi Yu’s reaction.

“Of course! With my sister teaching Yu Nianyi, she’s bound to improve fast,” Xi Yao said as she hooked an arm around Yu Nianyi’s shoulder and pulled her closer. Then she added, “There’s a restaurant nearby with a pretty nice atmosphere and really good food. Let’s pack up and go together?”

“Sure. My brother specially arranged everything for all of you; I guarantee the experience will be excellent,” Chen Ming chimed in first, puffing out her cheeks. “We lost to you guys this time, but later we can compete again; let’s see whose judgment is better and who picks the tastier dishes!”

Xi Yao waved a hand carelessly, putting on an air of maturity. “I didn’t think much of it to begin with, but since you asked, I’ll reluctantly agree.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the two of them hurried off toward the changing room.

Luo Yiran sighed but said nothing, quietly walking beside Yu Nianyi.

Chen Shuo smiled as he explained, “Chen Ming has always been competitive. She just kept losing to Xi Yao and Luo Yiran earlier, so she’s unconvinced and even wants to compete over who can eat the most.”

Xi Yu: “Mm, they do get along well.”

Chen Shuo nodded and took the opportunity to say, “Before coming, I already thought their personalities would click. When I heard you were bringing Xi Yao along, she kept insisting on coming with me too. She also really wanted to see what changes there had been with Xi Yu-jie, and whether she still remembered her…”

As he spoke, his gaze slowly landed on Xi Yu’s profile. Since he didn’t meet Xi Yu’s eyes, he had no choice but to turn and sweep his gaze over the two people behind them. “I just didn’t expect there to be two more people. That was my oversight. I originally meant for Xi Yu and all of you to relax properly, but as the host, I made such a mistake; I should have apologized to all of you long ago.”

Yu Nianyi pressed her lips together and looked at Chen Shuo with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “You’re too polite. It wasn’t a big deal to begin with. I only found out there were other people once I was in the car; it’s all because Xi Yao didn’t explain it to me clearly.”

Chen Shuo’s expression stiffened slightly; the practiced ease in his smile faded a little.

Luo Yiran glanced at Yu Nianyi from the side but said nothing.

-

Shanzhongxige was a well-known, high-end restaurant in the nearby resort area; business travelers and families often came here to dine.

They had to drive more than thirty kilometers to reach their destination.

The manager arranged a minibus and instructed the driver to take them. The sun had finally set, and the last trace of crimson still lingered on the horizon. The world sank into twilight blue; the snow-covered ground was a cold, translucent blue, gradually darkening as time passed.

“So beautiful! I’ve been looking at all that white snow for so long that now, seeing a view like this all at once, I’m completely stunned. I can’t take my eyes off it,” Chen Ming said, resting her arm on the window ledge and leaning so far out that her head was nearly outside.

Chen Shuo coughed lightly. “Mingming, sit back. You’ll catch a cold blowing in the wind like that.”

“It’s fine, this isn’t even much.”

Xi Yao wrapped her clothes tighter around herself, turned her head to quietly complain about the cold to Luo Yiran as the chill blew in from outside, and then casually rested her head on Luo Yiran’s shoulder.

Yu Nianyi’s mouth twitched; she suddenly met Luo Yiran’s eyes.

Luo Yiran tilted her head slightly, letting Xi Yao’s forehead rest against hers, a smile hidden in her eyes as she naturally slipped Xi Yao’s hand into her pocket.

Yu Nianyi withdrew her gaze and looked at Xi Yu, who was resting with her eyes closed beside her.

The noisy chatter in the car didn’t affect her in the slightest. She sat motionless against the seat back, her hands folded neatly in front of her; anyone who didn’t know better might have thought she was in a meeting.

Her glasses had been put back on, completely covering the eyes beneath her lowered lashes. From Yu Nianyi’s angle, she could only see the sharp bridge of Xi Yu’s nose and her tightly pressed thin lips.

Xi Yu had changed back into her usual clothes. Her black shirt was buttoned only to the second button, the collar folded open to reveal a distinct, pale collarbone.

Yu Nianyi looked at Chen Ming, who was still bickering with her brother, and deliberately lowered her voice as she smiled. “Mingming, I’m weak; if you keep blowing on me like this, I’m really going to freeze to death. Could you help close the window?”

Chen Ming paused in the middle of speaking to Chen Shuo. She looked at Yu Nianyi, who was wrapped in a thick fleece coat; after staring for a few seconds, she belatedly felt the cold herself. She sneezed reflexively, then pressed the button while smiling. “Sorry, sorry. I thought it was a little cold too. I’ll pull it up now.”

Chen Shuo sighed and said nothing else.

Yu Nianyi thanked her with a smile. Her gaze skimmed past Xi Yu beside her, only to see that the person who had been asleep at some point had now opened her eyes; they were clear and awake, with no trace of sleepiness at all.

“Xi Yu-jie, what’s wrong?”

Xi Yu’s gaze lingered on Yu Nianyi for a moment before she looked away toward the window. “Nothing.”

The car stopped steadily at the restaurant entrance. After getting out, Yu Nianyi stood at the door and looked around at the decor, feeling as though she had stepped into a secluded mountain retreat, a hidden paradise. The surrounding peaks encircled the place; beneath the dark, quiet night, a few bright lamps flickered. Between the warm yellow light and the shadows, faint music drifted over.

The manager greeted Xi Yu and Chen Shuo, smiling as she led everyone into the main hall.

“I’ve long heard President Xi, President Zhao, and President Chen mention the two of you, saying we must give you the most comfortable experience possible; I’ve been preparing for a long time. After waiting all day, I’ve finally welcomed the two of you here.”

Xi Yu gave the manager, whose face was full of shrewdness, a brief, unreadable glance and said nothing.

“You’ve worked hard; don’t be too nervous. We’re just here to eat,” Chen Shuo said with a laugh. “This place really is nice; it feels immersive and has such atmosphere.”

The manager proudly picked up the conversation. “Our design concept is to let every guest be ‘surrounded by mountain peaks and white snow, sharing peace and mountain delicacies.’ Especially in the evening, when the lighting and music reach perfect harmony, with warm, tempting aromas drifting from inside and stunning snow scenery outside, you get that feeling of sitting by the fire and admiring the snow. Naturally, the experience becomes excellent.”

Chen Shuo nodded, looking very attentive as he asked the person beside him, who had not spoken a word, “What do you think?”

Following his gaze, the manager looked over. Xi Yu gave a soft mm. “It’s good. You put thought into it.”

The manager’s eyes lit up; she hurried to the private room door and stood aside. “Please come in. I wish you a wonderful evening.”

Chen Shuo moved quickly and stepped in first, pulling out a chair for Xi Yu and indicating for her to sit inside, displaying impeccable gentlemanly manners.

Xi Yu paused, glancing at the manager who was still standing by the door and not leaving, then slowly sat down.

Chen Shuo’s lips curved, his smile growing even more obvious. In the next second, he naturally sat beside Xi Yu, beaming.

Yu Nianyi’s eyes widened; she took three steps in two and was just about to sit in the seat on Xi Yu’s other side.

The next moment, Chen Ming was faster. She snatched the seat beside Xi Yu in a flash, then sat down while looking out at the scenery through the window. “This is the best seat; you can see the whole snow view. I like this spot.”

Chen Shuo smiled and said nothing when he saw Chen Ming’s move. He simply instructed someone to pour water and hand out the menu.

Yu Nianyi raised a brow and casually found a seat to sit in.

During the meal, Chen Shuo repeatedly picked up dishes for Xi Yu. Yu Nianyi’s eyes were practically about to fall into Xi Yu’s plate as she watched Xi Yu neither accept nor refuse, letting him place the food there, though the dish itself remained untouched.

Xi Yao and Chen Ming each ordered a huge main dish; in the end, Xi Yao ate the most and won, while Chen Ming lost.

Luo Yiran was the same as Yu Nianyi, barely eating a few bites. One of them seemed to have all her attention on Xi Yao, the other on Xi Yu at the head of the table; both were, unusually, very quiet.

The meal ended hastily, and everyone headed back.